A lesson from Jack

[Greg_Lewis]

A tip o' the hat to Jack Bodenmann for the idea and the inspiration for these hinges I made up for the wood toolboxes on the tender of old # 26 1/2. Dollhouse ones are too small and too fancy, and the handsome ones Brad has (http://www.modelrailcastings.com/item.php?id=43) aren't the size I need either.

So out came the silver solder, some brass tube and sheet, the jeweler's saw and needle files. First I silver soldered the tube to the edge of the sheet (Photo 1). Then I printed out copies of a drawing from the McMaster site to the size I needed and glued them onto the brass (Photo 2). (The brass sheet was recycled material and the etching you see will be on the back and not show.)

Then I roughed out the hinge openings (Photo 3). Holes for the dress maker's pins I'll use to attach them were drilled at this point. I long ago learned to do as much work as possible on small parts before cutting them off from their parent stock. The holes were drilled with a #65 drill, using the handy sensitive chuck thingy in photo 4.

The finished hinges are in Photo 5. They are 1 1/2" long. Photo 6 (next post; 5 pix limit per post) is one of three of a slightly different style; you can see the dressmaker's pins with their heads flattened and squared off. The strap is 1 1/8" long; the thumb is full size.

As Jack says, too much fun.

[Greg_Lewis]

Post #2: Photo 6

[GS14403]

Greg, those hinges look great. I just happen to need a set for the tool boxes on my tender and more for the doors on the front of the tender. Now I have no excuse for not to getting them made.

Thanks for the great photo's and for sharing.

Donald

[SilverSanJuan]

That's pretty nifty. Thanks for sharing that.

Todd

[chooch]

Greg Lewis,
Were the Tiny hinges harder to make than the Elephant you`re riding.
Hinges look really nice though. Lot of work many times with the Little things, details, but the end results make it all worth it.
Nice photos and hinge make description. Thanks.
Squared off pin heads were a great idea. I`m a pop rivet guy but sometimes square off the heads also to look a little more like an old bolt head. A drop of glue or silicon fills the hole.
chooch

[Greg_Lewis]

Greg Lewis,
Were the Tiny hinges harder to make than the Elephant you`re riding.
Hinges look really nice though. Lot of work many times with the Little things, details, but the end results make it all worth it.
Nice photos and hinge make description. Thanks.
Squared off pin heads were a great idea. I`m a pop rivet guy but sometimes square off the heads also to look a little more like an old bolt head. A drop of glue or silicon fills the hole.
chooch

Thanks for the comments. As to being a superhero, you'll need to ask my grandchildren. Soft brass and sharp jeweler's files made the hinges easy; much better than hogging parts out of 1/2 plate with dull end mills! (Of which I have many....)

As to detail, to me it's like having a full orchestra play the concerto. You may not notice the third-chair oboe, but if it's not there, you will sense that something is missing.

There are lots of square head nuts and lag screws on the tender as that's what the big boys used in 1907. Even the small pattern, or "radio" nuts that you can get from McMaster don't look right; I only use those where they are hidden in shadow. When I get a round tuit, I'll post some snappies of the tender.

[Greg_Lewis]

Here they are installed. Two engines on the V&T had these odd toolboxes on the water legs of the tenders, #26 and #27. Below is a photo of one on #27 in Carson City; the ones on #26 were turned 90 degrees to that.

[Trainman4602]

Next time why not try a piano hinge. This a picture of the K4 turret cover. It opens like a model "A" hood.

[Greg_Lewis]

Next time why not try a piano hinge. This a picture of the K4 turret cover. It opens like a model "A" hood.

The hinge pin tube of the strap hinges I made is 1/16-inch tube. I haven't found a piano hinge that small. I tried cutting up some small commercial jewelery box hinges but they didn't look right.

[sabin]

Greg, your hinges are beautiful. I never thought about using photo copies of the real thing, great idea.
If you ever have a need for piano hinges in miniature, these are nice. http://www.nelsonhobby.com/miniature_piano_hinges.php

Jim

[Greg_Lewis]

Greg, your hinges are beautiful. I never thought about using photo copies of the real thing, great idea.
If you ever have a need for piano hinges in miniature, these are nice. http://www.nelsonhobby.com/miniature_piano_hinges.php

Jim

Thanks for the tip. I'll remember that. One of the reasons I didn't pursue piano hinges is that the prototype used strap hinges.

[JBodenmann]

Hello My Friends
Well I'm happy to hear that I have been a "Good?" influence. Greg your hinges are the cat's meow, I suspect you entire locomotive is. I must also compliment David on his K4s steam turret casing. His entire locomotive is also really the most! Seeing fine model work like this is always a pleasure. I think that's why we all enjoy this site so much. Seeing other builders work is always motivational. Keep it up my friends.
Jack