The Home Machinist!

I just started working on the smokebox for my in-progress Allen 0-4-0. I'm hoping some of you could help me out with finding sources for detail parts that I have had no luck in finding.

Smokebox Door dogs- I've found several suppliers, but all are in 2.5'' or 3/4'' scale. I need 1.5-1.6'', preferably ready to go or with minimal-no machining required aside from cutting them apart.

Number/Builders Plates- I've heart Robert Dustin does wonderful work in this area for a very reasonable price, but I'm not sure if he still offers this service. Anyone know for sure and could provide contact info?


Thats all I can think of right now, of course I'll probably have more questions once I get into it and start wanting to add on even more jewelry, even if it "doesnt belong" on a diminuative switcher! Thanks for your help.

I made my door dogs fairly painlessly. I took a strip of steel perhaps 10 inches long and milled it to a Z profile the right overall dimensions for the dogs. Then I drilled the bolt holes along the strip and parted off each dog. A zoom on the belt sander rounded off the corners.

As to other detail, Chaski member Tom drew up some smokebox flag and lamp brackets for me and put them up on his Shapeways page. They look great. Here's a link: https://www.shapeways.com/product/MXTHM ... quot-scale

Explore his page and others on Shapeways as there is stuff hiding there that we often don't know about or forget.

Manufacturer: Robert Dustin, 334 Auburndale Avenue, Newton, MA 02166. Price: $7.50 and up depending on type of decal

Thanks for the leads everyone. I currently am without a machine shop which is why I am looking for ready-made dogs, otherwise I would be making my own right now. Other details such as those marker light mountings are very nice as well.

I'll get in touch with Robert Dustin about those plates soon.

you can contact me at Little Engines I offer all kinds of Smoke Box detail Parts several different styles of smokebox door dogs different links and sizes and styles of handrail stanchions ,hinges and more

Highiron@aol.com

Mike Venezia

I am in the process of installing a new boiler on my Allen Ten Wheeler which includes paint and other
cosmetic work. I would like to put new classification lamps on the engine and marker lamps on the tender.
I see Shapeways offers brackets but I did not see the lamps on their web page (not logged on there)
Does anyone know if they offer matching lamps for the bracket.

If you are referring to the one in the photo below (photo shows two on a sprue), I was involved with that and there was no lamp for it. There are others on Shapeways for other scales that include lamps and perhaps there is a way to get them scaled for your need.

Bob Dustin is apparently out of the plate business.

Mr. Dustin quit making plates over a year ago. There is a thread on here that discussed options for getting builder's plates now that Robert is no longer doing them.

Someone suggested this:

I've used the same company that Robert Dustin used.

Flex-o-graphic Printing Plate Co.
33 Arctic Street
Worcester MA. 01604
508-752-8100.
Contact name is Debbie

An artist friend of mine did the graphic as a PDF and I let Debbie know the size. Ask for thick stock. Mine were 1" diameter and cost me $29.

The material is aluminum just as Robert did. The are simple to cut out and paint.

I know one person that used them to get some plates and they were very friendly and helpful and their product looked great.

I can Draw up any plate and 3D print it in resin . Here are some that I have done for G scale . The larger the scale the better they look. I also do Locomotive parts in Solidworks and resin printing

find duplicates in list

How well do the printed parts hold up to the heat? If they can stand that, there would be a big potential for printing all kinds of detail parts.