3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

Looks like it's time for an update. Moving on to the roof, the first thing was the build the clerestory. From a brief access to the inside of the prototype car at Travel Town thanks to a shall-remain-anonymous staff member willing to bend the rules, I was able to get measurements of the clerestory windows and basic side frames.

The first picture shows the outside of a clerestory side frame, with windows placed and tiny quarter round around each as trim. The second photo shows the inside surface.

The third photo shows nearly the full length of the clerestory side (10ft!)

The entire thing is built up with doweling per usual. The final product is quite strong, with no metal fasteners to get in the way. Window frames are made up individually, with real glass cut to spec by a local glass shop. Some of them will hinge open like the real thing, but not all. Just so you can have some variation when looking at it from the outside.
Attachments
the outside of a clerestory side frame, with windows placed and tiny quarter round around each as trim.
the outside of a clerestory side frame, with windows placed and tiny quarter round around each as trim.
Inside surface of clerestory side frame.
Inside surface of clerestory side frame.
nearly the full length of a clerestory side - 10 feet!
nearly the full length of a clerestory side - 10 feet!
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

The next step was to locate the clerestory on the car - setting both the height and the width.

We did not have enough access to measure the exact height, so it was eyeballed from telephoto images I took. The height was set by a series of sticks planed to the right height. Later this would be converted into a formal temporary support frame once the main roof rafters were ready to go on.

Next the clerestory rafters were installed, first by gluing in place and clamping, and then using a doweling jig consisting of a wood block and a metal insert to set the angle of the drilling just right.

Then glue is inserted into the hole and the dowel pushed in, as before. Once dried it is cut with a flush saw. The resulting structure is very strong.

two copper tubes run the length of the roof to provide wiring for the lights which will be added later.
Attachments
Cl;ere_10.jpg
Clere_9.jpg
Clere_16.jpg
Clere_23.jpg
Clere_25.jpg
Last edited by Harlock on Fri Jun 15, 2018 1:36 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

Next the main roof rafters are ready to go on. The first photo is a general overview of the work.

The rafters are cut by a router with a radius attachment and a bit that is very similar to an endmill. In the second photo, you can see a rafter formed by cutting two radii, at the bottom middle of the photo. It is then later adjusted to length for the exact spot that rafter will go in.

In the third photo, you can see the temporary frame that has been made to support the clerestory roof while allowing for main roof sides outside of that.

In the next post, we'll cover doweling of the main roof rafters.
Attachments
18-06-14_combine-roof-9788.jpg
DSC00666.jpg
18-06-14_combine-roof-9795.jpg
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

The main roof rafters are set in place using a little jig that lets you sit the rafter on top of it at precisely the right height and positioning. It is then glued and clamped before any doweling takes place.

Photo 1 shows a rafter on a template for overall length setting purposes. They are cut a little long and adjusted individually as they are set in.

The second photo shows the fixture used for gluing and clamping the main roof rafters in place.

The third though fifth images show the rafter being set atop the fixture and glued and clamped.

After the glue has dried, the fixture is removed and doweling can commence.
Attachments
18-06-14_combine-roof-9832.jpg
18-06-14_combine-roof-9824.jpg
18-06-14_combine-roof-9828.jpg
18-06-14_combine-roof-9829.jpg
18-06-14_combine-roof-9838.jpg
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

This is the doweling/nailing process for the outside end of the main frame rafters, where they join an angled piece sitting atop the main car body sides. I say nailing because for once we are going to use a ribbed wood nail as the sizes and clearances do not lend themselves to a wood dowel. The nail will have its head snipped off and ground flat before being tapped in.

This drilling jig is rather simple and allows one to drill an accurate hole at an angle that averages into the curved rafter.

The third photo shows the resulting hole.

The fourth photo shows the now headless nail sitting next to a dowel.

The fifth photo shows the nail being lightly driven into the hole with a punch and plenty of glue. The hole will be filled above the nail, and the whole side piece later sanded and shaped into a curve that matches the rafters. Right now it is a basic triangular shape with a sharp edge at the top.
Attachments
Drilling jig
Drilling jig
drilling jig in use
drilling jig in use
resulting hole
resulting hole
nail and regular dowel for comparsion
nail and regular dowel for comparsion
Nail being tapped in with glue.
Nail being tapped in with glue.
Last edited by Harlock on Fri Jun 15, 2018 2:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

The inside end of the main roof rafters as they attach to the clerestory side frame is another simple doweling jig imparting a slight angle to point the dowel downwards to follow the curve of the rafter. After the hole is drilled, it is filled with glue and the dowel inserted, and then cut clean with the flush saw.

Wash, rinse repeat, a long and patient process for a 10 ft long car. There are many ways to skin this cat, and doweling is one. You can also make fitted wood joints of various types. With jigs and fixtures the doweling can be made precise without the need for making special joints. When making a lot of repeated parts this can save a lot of time as each individual part remains simple. The resulting structure is also very strong.
Attachments
Step 1: fixture and drill hole
Step 1: fixture and drill hole
Step 2: insert glue and dowel
Step 2: insert glue and dowel
Step 3: cut flush
Step 3: cut flush
Step 4: ta-da
Step 4: ta-da
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

Nothing huge today, just a quick note and photos to show that the rafters are nearly complete. Next up is developing the roof end profile (I had to go take more measurements at Travel Town) and planking the roof.

-M
Attachments
18-06-25_combine-roof-0099.jpg
18-06-25_combine-roof-0103.jpg
18-06-25_combine-roof-0104.jpg
18-06-25_combine-roof-0102.jpg
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Steve Goodbody
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Steve Goodbody »

That's a truly beautiful job Mike.
One question - what's the function of the two copper tubes that run the length of the clerestory? Cable conduit?
Best regards
Steve
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

Steve Goodbody wrote: Wed Jun 27, 2018 1:17 pm That's a truly beautiful job Mike.
One question - what's the function of the two copper tubes that run the length of the clerestory? Cable conduit?
Best regards
Steve
Yes electrical conduit for future lamp fixtures. Two in the passenger area one in the baggage area.
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Glenn Brooks
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Mike, have you considered using epoxy for your layup and joints etc? Iam interested in your thoughts plus and minus. Thanks

Glenn
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by rkcarguy »

Amazing woodwork! Some of the pictures viewing down the inside look like being in the real thing minus the tools and fixtures!
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Harlock
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Re: 3" Scale Narrow Gauge Combine

Post by Harlock »

Glenn Brooks wrote: Fri Jun 29, 2018 12:35 pm Mike, have you considered using epoxy for your layup and joints etc? Iam interested in your thoughts plus and minus. Thanks

Glenn
The glue we use is Titebond III. It is there just to temporarily locate and hold the joint for doweling. Were you suggesting epoxy in lieu of doweling and other hardware entirely? We prefer to have a dowel that acts as a continuous structure between both pieces. Without it, one could imagine a failure mode where the wood around the epoxy sheers off if the body takes a good hit from something, or just flexes over time trundling down the track. With a dowel, we feel there would not be much improvement with expoxy vs. the wood glue we use now. It's an interesting idea however.

The glue is just to hold things in place, the primary strength of the joint is in the dowel, which is also glued in.

Best,

-Mike
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