02-10-2013, 03:33 PM
Lookin' good, Shane. 
Actually, the proper bit for those grab irons is a #80.....I can break a #80 with a stern glance
so I use a #79, and buy them in a ten-pack, at about $35.00 from a nearby tool supply store. Once you find the right touch, the bits can last for quite some time: I once did well over 400 holes with a single bit, and when it finally broke, I had only four or five more holes to be drilled....broke two bits before I got them done. 
For broken bits that need to be removed, I use an X-Acto with a #11 blade to carve away the plastic from the inside of the car - once you reach the tip of the bit, it can be pushed out far enough to be grabbed with pliers.
The point on a pair of dividers is useful to mark the starting points for the drill bit, and you can do both at the same time if you wish. A strip of .030"x.100" works well as a spacer for the distance from the car's sides - it looks reasonable, and still allows the car to fit into the original box with the lid on. I usually install all of the grabs, then insert the spacer at one side, pressing with my finger to keep the grabs at that side tight to the spacer. I then use an old #11 blade in my X-Acto to bend-over the wire inside the car. The spacer is then moved to the opposite side of the row of grabs, and the operation repeated. I usually work on a sheet of glass, so simply place a small puddle of ca on it, then use another old #11 blade to pick up some on the tip, then transfer it to the inside of the car at the point where the wire comes through.
At the car corners, where you can't drill right through the bodyshell, I shorten the legs on the grabs by cutting them with a firm press of the heel of a...you guessed it...well-used #11 blade. Working on a hard surface like glass, it makes a much cleaner cut than pliers or side-cutters, although you must, of course, ensure that the grab doesn't take off - if you don't normally wear glasses, safety glasses would be a good idea.
The Tichy kit has styrene corner steps, and if you think that these are fragile on r-t-r cars, these will re-define the word. I use A-Line steps: they're phosphor bronze and come in the three mostly-commonly used styles - any decent hobby shop should have them. They require that #74 or #75 holes be drilled in the bottom edge of the car's sides - the dividers can be set to match the steps being used, then used to make the marks for starting the drill. Since the sides of the Tichy car aren't all that thick, I use solvent-type cement to add a short length of .030"x.100" strip styrene at each corner, as shown below. Allow it to set fully before drilling. As you can see, you'll need to notch out the car's floor to accommodate the extra thickness, and I've also notched it for the bottom grabs on the car's ends, too.
![[Image: Tichysillmodification_zpsd589205c.jpg]](http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b399/doctorwayne/Freight%20Cars%20-%20Part%20II/Tichysillmodification_zpsd589205c.jpg)
Tichy gives you two steel nuts as car weights - I've never had much luck with them staying in place, so never cement the car's floor to the body unless they're fully secured. Neither ca nor silicone sealant will last, and while contact cement should do the job, make sure to follow the directions literally - if you don't allow enough drying time before bringing the coated surfaces together, the solvent may continue to work. I've bought train show "bargains", only to find excessive solvent damage due to this, sometimes requiring new floors.
I'm not overly fond of Tichy's method of doing the corner grabs on the roof, as the glue bond at the corner is a weak spot. I prefer to make a small eye-bolt, using .012" brass wire (Detail Associates offer a version in stainless steel, but the "eye" is a little on the large side for this application.
I don't know if Tichy has changed the covers for the draught gear boxes, but the original ones were the press-in type. If you needed for any reason to remove them, they usually broke off. I modify mine to accept a flat head screw - 00-90 I think.
These are fun kits to build and the CPR had lots of these USRA "clones", the main difference being the 7/8 rib pattern on the ends as opposed to the original 5/5/5/.
Wayne
Actually, the proper bit for those grab irons is a #80.....I can break a #80 with a stern glance
so I use a #79, and buy them in a ten-pack, at about $35.00 from a nearby tool supply store. Once you find the right touch, the bits can last for quite some time: I once did well over 400 holes with a single bit, and when it finally broke, I had only four or five more holes to be drilled....broke two bits before I got them done. For broken bits that need to be removed, I use an X-Acto with a #11 blade to carve away the plastic from the inside of the car - once you reach the tip of the bit, it can be pushed out far enough to be grabbed with pliers.
The point on a pair of dividers is useful to mark the starting points for the drill bit, and you can do both at the same time if you wish. A strip of .030"x.100" works well as a spacer for the distance from the car's sides - it looks reasonable, and still allows the car to fit into the original box with the lid on. I usually install all of the grabs, then insert the spacer at one side, pressing with my finger to keep the grabs at that side tight to the spacer. I then use an old #11 blade in my X-Acto to bend-over the wire inside the car. The spacer is then moved to the opposite side of the row of grabs, and the operation repeated. I usually work on a sheet of glass, so simply place a small puddle of ca on it, then use another old #11 blade to pick up some on the tip, then transfer it to the inside of the car at the point where the wire comes through.
At the car corners, where you can't drill right through the bodyshell, I shorten the legs on the grabs by cutting them with a firm press of the heel of a...you guessed it...well-used #11 blade. Working on a hard surface like glass, it makes a much cleaner cut than pliers or side-cutters, although you must, of course, ensure that the grab doesn't take off - if you don't normally wear glasses, safety glasses would be a good idea.
The Tichy kit has styrene corner steps, and if you think that these are fragile on r-t-r cars, these will re-define the word. I use A-Line steps: they're phosphor bronze and come in the three mostly-commonly used styles - any decent hobby shop should have them. They require that #74 or #75 holes be drilled in the bottom edge of the car's sides - the dividers can be set to match the steps being used, then used to make the marks for starting the drill. Since the sides of the Tichy car aren't all that thick, I use solvent-type cement to add a short length of .030"x.100" strip styrene at each corner, as shown below. Allow it to set fully before drilling. As you can see, you'll need to notch out the car's floor to accommodate the extra thickness, and I've also notched it for the bottom grabs on the car's ends, too.
Tichy gives you two steel nuts as car weights - I've never had much luck with them staying in place, so never cement the car's floor to the body unless they're fully secured. Neither ca nor silicone sealant will last, and while contact cement should do the job, make sure to follow the directions literally - if you don't allow enough drying time before bringing the coated surfaces together, the solvent may continue to work. I've bought train show "bargains", only to find excessive solvent damage due to this, sometimes requiring new floors.
I'm not overly fond of Tichy's method of doing the corner grabs on the roof, as the glue bond at the corner is a weak spot. I prefer to make a small eye-bolt, using .012" brass wire (Detail Associates offer a version in stainless steel, but the "eye" is a little on the large side for this application.
I don't know if Tichy has changed the covers for the draught gear boxes, but the original ones were the press-in type. If you needed for any reason to remove them, they usually broke off. I modify mine to accept a flat head screw - 00-90 I think.
These are fun kits to build and the CPR had lots of these USRA "clones", the main difference being the 7/8 rib pattern on the ends as opposed to the original 5/5/5/.
Wayne