Top Studio chains

Has anyone done a review on putting a top studio chain together with tips? I've seen the Top Studio tutorial on their website - but they don't really give any assembly tips. These chains look incredibly tedious. My biggest problem is getting the link side plates off of the PE sheets. If there is any remaining sprue nib left on the side plate they do not want to go close to each other. Anyone have a tip for side plate removal? I'm using a Tamiya PE cutter/scissors. Any help would be appreciated

Has anyone done a review on putting a top studio chain together with tips? I've seen the Top Studio tutorial on their website - but they don't really give any assembly tips. These chains look incredibly tedious. My biggest problem is getting the link side plates off of the PE sheets. If there is any remaining sprue nib left on the side plate they do not want to go close to each other. Anyone have a tip for side plate removal? I'm using a Tamiya PE cutter/scissors. Any help would be appreciated

Hi,

I've used the same PE scissors but also the Tamiya Diamant file. I had no problems cleaning all and I followed the tutorial. This except for the part to fix the linked parts together. The tuturiol says to use the 2 holes at the underside of the PE mal but I've used a pincet and a little hamer. I think this works much better. This gave a nice result on my bike.

http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=912054&page=2

David

Hi John,
I used a grinder to grind the tip of an exacto blade to a tiny "chisel" shape, so it's flat (about 1/32" wide) and very sharp at the tip. Then I place the PE sheet on plexiglass and one sharp push straight down (or at a slight angle towards the link) at the edge of the chain link... pops off with no excess metal. Hope this helps... Marco

Hi Marco - sorry I see you found an old thread from 2009 when I was having trouble clipping off the links - I found a solution it was the Xuron PE shear cutter - much better than the tamiya PE scissors and your fingers don't have to fit in those tiny finger holes. That was my original problem - my fingers are too big to fit into the holes on the Tamiya PE scissors.

Hey Marco while I've got your attention on this subject- Have you built any of the Top Studio chains?? Sandro did a little tutorial but my problem is after I get one side of the links placed in the chain jig and put on white glue - when I flip the jig over to do the links for the other side everything falls apart while I'm working on the links. I need to find out what type of glue that people use to hold everything together until such a time as the rollers can be hammered so that the links are pinned.??? understand??
you can PM me about this if you want
Thanks
John

John, I am using Tamiya X-22 clear, thinned with a little water, to hold the links in place. White glue didn't work for me. Yes, I've now built 3 Top Studio chains on a chain jig I made.. It's just 2 holes and a groove in a block of wood, and two brass posts, but it means not holding the chain jig in your hand forever... I can build the chain in about 2 hours with it... Marco
http://i1332.photobucket.com/albums/w619/MarcoMoto/chainjig_zpsbb679436.jpg (http://s1332.photobucket.com/user/MarcoMoto/media/chainjig_zpsbb679436.jpg.html)

Sorry for digging up an old thread guys...

I have just purchased a Top Studio chain set for my next bike build.

Marco, can you please give me a little more detail on your jig? What is the groove for? Any extra tips?

Cheers,

Chris

The groove is because as you build the first side, the roller pins will stick out of the chain
on the bottom side, and it will not lay flat otherwise.. I have now cut 2 grooves across the
jig, so I can insert and grab the chain jig with 2 pairs of locking tweezers, to turn it over
when it's time to build the other side... Hope that helps Marco