Re: 3/4" Scale Box Cars
Posted: Sun Nov 01, 2015 3:52 pm
Larry does not have time to fool with box cars, we have to get the Consolidation ready for the spring meet @ NJLS. DMS has plenty of projects this winter.
A site dedicated to enthusiasts of all skill levels and disciplines of the metalworking hobby.
http://www.chaski.org/homemachinist/
I build in 3/4 scale engines of electric prototypes and have used Smooth On products, namely mold max 30 and epoxycast 655. I cast engine drive wheels 3/8" thick x 4-1/2" dia, so I used epoxycast for it's higher durometer of 90D. My engines are for display, but can run on track. I don't intend to ride them, but I plan to add remote control to the battery powered engines. My engines are unique in that I make the chassis from metals and the bodies from wood and plastic with metal thrown in where needed. I chose 3/4 scale because it is large enough to be powered by small electric motors and storage batteries and parts like gears, sprockets, etc are commercially available everywhere Your boxcars are a beautiful job and I know they will hold up for years. I also use G scale couplers; they are surprisingly quite strong and serve non riding trains perfectly. You are the first person who I have found who works as I do. It would be nice if others will pick up on this unconventional way of building trains and we could be considered "pioneers"Steve Bratina wrote: ↑Wed Jul 22, 2015 6:55 pm Here is a project that I have been working on between locomotive projects. I want to build at least 20 box cars for a 30 car train I have planned. I had 4 box cars built originally but this new series has better detail and I have all the parts made and ready to go.
I had alot of trouble getting wheels CNC'd and I don't want to stand by the lathe for hours on end turning up wheels, so for this project, I am trying something new. Casting plastic in rubber molds. The car you see here is the first of the prototype and is under test right now. The ends of the car, the doors, the running boards, the center frame and coupler pockets, the truck bolster, journal boxes and wheels are all made out of plastic. Patterns were used to make the rubber molds and two types of plastic were used. The wheels, bolsters and journal boxes are Smooth Cast Onyx Slow and the rest of the parts are Smooth Cast 305. I went to some private classes to learn about moulds and pouring plastic and what type of plastics to try for my needs. So far I am quite pleased with the end results and hopefully the car will stand up to the use. Not including the cost of the mould rubber, the price for all the cast parts works out to about $50.00 per car.
The side frames were laser cut at a local shop and cost $4.00 per side. The couplers are 1:20 G scale couplers. They are slightly undersized but you cant beat the price. They are metal and open too. I tried to get some decals cut at the sign shop but they were too busy so I bought some letters at the hobby shop and lettered it for a famous Live Steam Line located in the far reaches of the country. I hope the President of that line doesn't mind!
Once the steaming season is done, I will try to do a blurb on the builders log. For now, here are some pictures of the finished car.
If you go on the Smooth On web site, they have a lot of info on their product that may inspire you to try a car or two.