Making a Hollow Drill
So many parts in HO model railroad equipment are 1/8" diameter (truck mounting pins, coupler mounting pins) you may want to keep this quick-and-dirty tool around for future reference.

The Problem:

The truck mounting surface on an already partially assembled car kit is too far from the floor, making the car ride too high.

The Solution:

Get a piece of 1/8" inside diameter (ID) brass tubing at least two inches long.  This is probably 5/32" OD brass tube, if it's like what I used.

With a knife-edge file, cut notches all around, making sure the left side of the notch (the face that will do the cutting) meets the end at about a 90° angle.  Also make sure there is some flat area left on the end of the tube, to prevent the tool from trying to cut too fast and getting stuck.  You might be able to achieve the proper effect just by cutting slits with a razor saw.

When you've cut enough notches, remove the burrs from the inside of the tube with a small round file.

Slide the tube over the truck mounting pin, and turn it by hand as you would a regular drill.  It should scrape off a little plastic as it turns.  If the truck mounting surface is wider than 5/32", be careful not to cut too deep, as you won't see the bottom of the groove until you remove the tool.


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