Making and using simple jigs...

[tausugair]

Hi Farouk, and to Big Blue.

I hope that you'll post some photos of your cabooses, either when they're finished, or, even better, how about starting a "How I built my caboose" thread. I'm currently working on a caboose for the 2010 Spring Bash Challenge but plan to follow it up with some parts-built versions of cupola-style cabooses.

Wayne

Wayne, many, many thanks... It will be one of a rewarding stay in Big Blue for me!

Making a thread on "how To.." is still a bit daunting for me but I'm posting ( pardon the intrusion, please) some photos of the caboose project...





Except for the couplers and the trucks (American standard gage, not cape gage of PNR), the project was scratch-built from styrene, index paper (window awnings) and guitar strings (stanchions)... the making of the platform railings, window grills will benefit so much from your tutorial... the construction drawing was developed from the following image..



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Again, many thanks . . .

Farouk

[doctorwayne]

Making a thread on "how To.." is still a bit daunting for me but I'm posting ( pardon the intrusion, please) some photos of the caboose project...

No problem with the "intrusion", but that caboose certainly looks worthy of its own thread - very nicely done and an innovative choice of materials, too.

Except for the couplers and the trucks (American standard gage, not cape gage of PNR), the project was scratch-built from styrene, index paper (window awnings) and guitar strings (stanchions)... the making of the platform railings, window grills will benefit so much from your tutorial... the construction drawing was developed from the following image..



Farouk

That's a pretty heavy-duty looking diesel, especially for what we would call narow gauge. Are you modelling the PNP, but as a standard gauge line?

Wayne

[tausugair]

Again, many thanks, Wayne, for those kind words!!

The diesel in that photo is a General Electric U-15C and is shown wearing the 1980's paint scheme of dark green overall... I model the PNR using standard gage . . as I don't have yet that facility to re-gage to near TT gage of 12.24mm besides economic reason... Prototypically, the PNR is of the same gage as the South African Railway (SAR) as well as some Japanese (from where most post war equipment came) railway lines having an unusual bigger equipment for a 42-inch gage . .

Model railroading (despite the presence of dedicated railroad and light rails) is not that popular in my country and no local hobby shops carry any MRR items.. what items I have now were bought when I was working overseas years ago... scratch-building is the order of the day in equipping my layout... even for the markings (decals) is home-made ... Below is a model of U-15C in the process of being decaled to replicate the new and current PNR livery with a home-made decals (frame needs to be painted still):




The prototype:
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By the way, is your soldering done with an iron or some kind of torch ?

Many thanks . . .

Farouk

[doctorwayne]

By the way, is your soldering done with an iron or some kind of torch ?

When using the jigs, a 25 watt iron works fine for all these small items.

I also have 80 watt and 200 watt irons for bigger jobs and, for the really heavy-duty stuff, such as this cast brass cab...

   

...I use a torch, similar to that used by plumbers. For jobs where you're performing more than a single soldering operation on the same piece, I find pieces of wet tissue or paper towels to be useful heat sinks to prevent previously-soldered joints from separating. You can make them as big or small as required, and they're easy to mould around parts to keep everything cool.

Wayne

[tausugair]

When using the jigs, a 25 watt iron works fine for all these small items.

I also have 80 watt and 200 watt irons for bigger jobs and, for the really heavy-duty stuff, such as this cast brass cab...

   

...I use a torch, similar to that used by plumbers. For jobs where you're performing more than a single soldering operation on the same piece, I find pieces of wet tissue or paper towels to be useful heat sinks to prevent previously-soldered joints from separating. You can make them as big or small as required, and they're easy to mould around parts to keep everything cool.

Wayne

Many thanks, Wayne . . . the advice will be well taken espcially that for the "cab work" . . .

Farouk

[modelsof1900]

Wayne, and all other modelers and readers,

after a very long time of abstinence here in forum I must write about my biggest surprise reading first posts here.

I knew that you work with plastic for changing your cars and also mass-produced loco models and I was sure that you use brass and metal for brass models. However the big surprise for me is that you, Wayne, use plastic parts for changing and detailing your brass loco models, too.
Really a great experience to me - and seeing my own changing and superdetailing jobs and practices not to see too crampedly. Thanks for these posts.

[doctorwayne]

Nice to hear from you, Bernhard.

My soldering skills are only moderate, so it was easier for me to fabricate some parts in plastic. The choice was to compromise on materials or forego some details completely. Mister Nutbar, for whom the loco was built, was more interested in an accurate rendition of the prototype rather than concerned about the mixing of materials.

Wayne

[Sumpter250]

Nice to hear from you, Bernhard.
My soldering skills are only moderate, so it was easier for me to fabricate some parts in plastic. The choice was to compromise on materials or forego some details completely. Mister Nutbar, for whom the loco was built, was more interested in an accurate rendition of the prototype rather than concerned about the mixing of materials.Wayne

I certainly have no problems with "the mixing of materials", but I would caution those who have not yet tried this.....do your major soldering.....before you apply the plastic parts. ( oh yes I have!...see my signature :o )

Moderate soldering skills???? Wayne you are too modest. I can still learn from you.

......and will