3" scale D&RG inspired boxcar

[Harlock]

Here's a family photo of all the door hardware, one of each.

The RP material has turned out to be very strong and very machinable for making adjustments. It will not break in normal service. It will bend an extreme amount before it even thinks about that. I am thinking that like their metal counterparts, they may rip the lag screws out of the car before that happens.

We are working with a thicker paint that smooths all the small imperfections so the polishing service will not be necessary. The goal is to make them indistinguishable from metal parts once painted.

We're hunkered down putting all the details on the car, stay tuned for a bigger update after Thanksgiving weekend.

--Mike

[Harold_V]

The RP material has turned out to be very strong and very machinable for making adjustments. It will not break in normal service.

It may not have any UV protection, so it will degrade rapidly in the sun. Probably be fine if the paint is adequate.

Harold

[Harlock]

The RP material has turned out to be very strong and very machinable for making adjustments. It will not break in normal service.

It may not have any UV protection, so it will degrade rapidly in the sun. Probably be fine if the paint is adequate.

Harold

Yes hopefully with full coverage we will not see issues.

[Kevin_S]

Mike, by chance do you have some bad pieces you can do some paint testing on, as some paint does not do well with plastic unless it is properly prepaired first.
-Kevin S.

[Fender]

Mike,
I've received my RP part from Shapeways and am now working with it to use as a pattern (will post photos in a separate thread when I'm ready). One thing you may need to consider is the resistance to heat. I spoke with another live steamer who knew of someone who left one of these RP parts in the back seat of his car (Florida) and the part began to disintegrate. Shapeways rates them resistant to 176F. Maybe this wouldn't be a problem under normal circumstances, but (for example) it can get pretty hot inside of an enclosed trailer in the summertime.
Have you considered using the alumide? It's supposed to be smoother, stronger and more heat resistant than the WSF. Also, it has a matte gray color, so will look more like metal before painting. Looks like it costs about 50% more.

[Adirondack]

Here's a family photo of all the door hardware, one of each.

The RP material has turned out to be very strong and very machinable for making adjustments. It will not break in normal service. It will bend an extreme amount before it even thinks about that. I am thinking that like their metal counterparts, they may rip the lag screws out of the car before that happens.

We are working with a thicker paint that smooths all the small imperfections so the polishing service will not be necessary. The goal is to make them indistinguishable from metal parts once painted.

We're hunkered down putting all the details on the car, stay tuned for a bigger update after Thanksgiving weekend.

--Mike

Parts look GOOOD Mike!

ADK

[Harlock]

Mike,
Have you considered using the alumide? It's supposed to be smoother, stronger and more heat resistant than the WSF. Also, it has a matte gray color, so will look more like metal before painting. Looks like it costs about 50% more.

I had forgotten the option was there. If I run into problems I'll give it a shot. It sounds like it's more brittle as a result, but as long as it can take a reasonable amount of force it will be fine.

I'll try it with the brake wheel brackets.

-M

[Harlock]

In the updated photos of the boxcar that will follow this post, you're going to see hundreds of little square nuts and bolts. Here is a little tutorial on how they were made.

On the full size car these were nuts and bolts, on our model they are wood lag screws made to look like square nuts on bolts.

It begins by purchasing some cheap brass screws from the hardware store. Then the head is cut off, and the upper shank threaded with a straight thread for the square nut. This is done in the lathe by placing a drill chuck in the lathe chuck to carefully hold the very small part by its threads. Then the lathe is turned at its lowest setting and one of those rotating tailstock die holders is used to thread it. You have to be very careful because with the brass it's easy to just tear off the part you are threading.

In this way you can make a lot of them quickly. If you were to tap them by hand it would take ten times as long. There are many dozens of these on the car so they need to be made assembly line style.

A square nut is made from square stock, and then the two are threaded and soft-soldered together. Then the pair as a unit are screwed into a pre-drilled pilot hole on the boxcar.

There are three or four different sizes in use all over the car. Pretty much every nut is a square nut. These cars were rebuilt in 1924 and that was the order of the day.

[Harlock]

The hardware has been working out really well so far. Here are some photos before we painted the square nuts / bolts.

[Harlock]

And here are the photos of the car as it stands today. Much of it is in place. Remaining is the stirrups, grab irons, door handles, door close-stop strips, brakewheel stirrup/brackets and rachet and pawl and a few other small things.

The stirrups are bent up and being attached now.

Once the car is otherwise finished cosmetically, I will add the road lettering.

[Harlock]

And a few more...

[Harlock]

Here's a couple of the interior and a parting shot for scale. Thanks for looking!