Santa Fe reefer

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GVDobler
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Joined: Wed Feb 01, 2012 1:54 pm

Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by GVDobler »

Brian

Did you do this car in 1 1/2" or 1.6" scale?

And what made you choose whichever scale?

Beautiful work.
Jon S
Las Vegas NV
USMC 1966-69 (Vietnam 1967)
steve tune
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by steve tune »

brian, great looking car, i am really impressed with it on the detail , good job, steve tune tunetrains
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makinsmoke
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by makinsmoke »

Thank you for the kind words.

I built this one in 1-1/2" scale as that was the size I had started it about threer years ago. That is how long pieces of it have been together. What with one project and another, a few train trips and vacations in between, oh ,and work...

I have a Rail Systems SW that I believe is 1.6, and I am building an Allen Ten Wheeler that is 1-1/2".

I hope to have the ten wheeler finshed someday, so I guess it makes sense that whatever I build match.

I do have two gondolas I built in 1.6, and am planning a passenger car that may be 1.6. Have not made up my mind yet. Probably depends on the trucks I use, but the 1.6 does give you just a little more behind room.

Take care,
Brian
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slsf1060
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by slsf1060 »

Great write up Brian. The car looks fantastic.

:mrgreen: -with envy...

Darren
Darren McNeely

and the sons of Pullman Porters, and the sons of engineers,
ride their father's magic carpets made of steel.

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makinsmoke
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by makinsmoke »

Thank you Darren,
If I can do it anyone can.

Brian
Steamingdanny
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by Steamingdanny »

How did you do the car sides?

Thanks,
Dan
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makinsmoke
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by makinsmoke »

Hi Dan,
I built the car sides, ends and bottom from plywood glued and screwed where possible.

I fully intended to try routing the scribed sides with a Dremel and router attachment. Do not have a full size one. I experimented on some scrap plywood and no matter what I did I could not get the lines straight. The bit kept wandering even with a fence, just to the outside.

So, I set up the table saw and ripped 3/16 x 1/2 strips, then set the saw blade at an angle (forgot what it was, maybe 10 degrees?) and ran them through twice flipping after the first pass, This gave me tapered strips looking somewhat like car side material.

I glued each piece and clamped making sure they were square, then nailed individual strips at top and bottom an inch or so from top and bottom. Can't remember whether I did intermediate rows as well. She's out in the dark at the moment.
When everything was well glued and dry I removed the clamps and then sanded everything fairly smooth. A coat of Kilz primer, then color, both brushed on.

I had to wait forever for that color to dry, and it took two coats to cover.

Once everything was dry I started stenciling, and finished with spray can satin spar urethane.

I'd sure like to find another way, as it is extremely painstaking and takes forever, and you do end up scrapping some pieces that the table saw just EATS!.

Brian
ccvstmr
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by ccvstmr »

Brian,

I've used the individual plank technique since I started building wood sided cars 20+ years ago. Built three cars that way: outside braced box, reefer and caboose. Yes...there's a little more time involved in the up front preparation, but the actual assembly (I found) went pretty fast. This, compared to scoring a sheet of plywood and risking screwing up a cut...or the entire piece. It's easier to replace a bad plank than a sizable piece of plywood.

It's one thing to get fingers so close to a table saw blade when cutting individual planks...worse yet if you're going to pass those planks thru the saw again with the blade tilted to make beveled edges. I'd suggest to anyone doing this to invest in a new or used router and router table and get a 45 or 60 deg bevel router bit. Clamp some finger boards to the router table and fence. Start with small bevels until you have the look you want. Then, shove 'em thru, one plank after another until their all beveled.

For assembly, I scribe pencil lines around the car body about every 12" or so. I glue and nail the 1st plank in the center and then continue to work out to the corners. Spread glue and set a bunch of planks in place in the glue. Using the pencil lines, I line up the last plank in the bunch to a pencil line, make sure they're parallel and nail that in place...I might even try to compress the plank gaps as much as possible before setting the nails. Then, go back and nail the intermediate planks. Repeat for the next handful of planks. Worst case you'll need a partial plank at the corner. Which means one thing...plank the ends of the car BEFORE you plank the car sides so the side plank overlaps at the corner.

Others are welcome to score plywood if they wand, but the above is my preference. Gives me the look I want for the price of a few hours. When I'm done, I don't have a car side that looks like a sheet of plywood or worry about plys de-laminating. Never had a plank come loose yet. In fact, I've had more problems with the plywood roofs deteriorating from element exposure. All I can say...to each his own. :wink: Carl B.
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makinsmoke
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by makinsmoke »

Hi Carl,
Yep, except for the router, your description maybe better than mine!

I stole an idea from Dremel a few years ago, a zero clearance plate for the saw blade. They sell one made of plexiglass? You replace the standard plate with this thing, turn on the saw, then raise the blade and it cuts its own clearance through the plate.

A whole lot less clearance for one to drop some of that itsy wood through.

I've used wood as I've not found a local supply for plexiglass for the thickness I'm looking for, plus the Delta I use has a few other irregularities in the table to cut and chew out so it sits flat.

Just have one of those Yowzah! moments every now and then when the saw deems it is time to feed the machine and it rips one of those 3/16 x 3/8 strips out of my hand and blasts it across the driveway!

Take care,
Brian
Steamingdanny
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by Steamingdanny »

makinsmoke wrote:Hi Dan,
I built the car sides, ends and bottom from plywood glued and screwed where possible.

I fully intended to try routing the scribed sides with a Dremel and router attachment. Do not have a full size one. I experimented on some scrap plywood and no matter what I did I could not get the lines straight. The bit kept wandering even with a fence, just to the outside.

So, I set up the table saw and ripped 3/16 x 1/2 strips, then set the saw blade at an angle (forgot what it was, maybe 10 degrees?) and ran them through twice flipping after the first pass, This gave me tapered strips looking somewhat like car side material.

I glued each piece and clamped making sure they were square, then nailed individual strips at top and bottom an inch or so from top and bottom. Can't remember whether I did intermediate rows as well. She's out in the dark at the moment.
When everything was well glued and dry I removed the clamps and then sanded everything fairly smooth. A coat of Kilz primer, then color, both brushed on.

I had to wait forever for that color to dry, and it took two coats to cover.

Once everything was dry I started stenciling, and finished with spray can satin spar urethane.

I'd sure like to find another way, as it is extremely painstaking and takes forever, and you do end up scrapping some pieces that the table saw just EATS!.

Brian
@brian,

Thanks!

I've been looking at that as the second project. Currently making details for a wood gondola. Similar to an 40ft AAR type. Using 1/2" or 5/8" plywood with thin ribs down the sides and a Tom Bee style frame. Then superdetail with the Precision Steel Gondola kit.

I need another month before starting... Still kinda cold in Ohio
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makinsmoke
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by makinsmoke »

Danny,
I would urge you to consider using 3/4" plywood for the floor, sides and ends. That way you can router out a groove for the floor in the sides and ends and clamp the pieces even more tightly together. The extra cost will be well worth it.

There are plans about for making gons entirely out of wood. I have two, and a flat car I kitbashed form the plans. They are acceptable, and you can detail them to your hearts' delight.

I would if beginning again, build a steel underframe with 1 x 2 tubing for a center sill, and 1" tubing cross members and 1" angle for the side frames, similar to the Cannonball and Mountain Car frames, It is a simple matter adapting Tom's trucks to these frames. If you do not have access to a welder no matter. The whole thing can be cut with band or hacksaws and entirely bolted together.

That is what is under the reefer.

Brian
chooch
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Re: Santa Fe reefer

Post by chooch »

As a Johnny come lately, I generally paint most pop rivets that will be seen first. Drill the rivet size holes in scrap wood, stick in rivets upright and paint heads.
When used some paint comes off but still not as hard to touch up.

I have not yet tried this (not a R counter)but think maybe a small dab / swipe of silicon on the pop rivet head might fill the hole and look more finished.
Many, many times I have used pop rivets as normal in wood and they have held well.

I often do the same with steel rod for ladders, certain handrails, grab irons etc.that don`t get handled. Drill same rod size in wood or Thick PVC. Just pound them in..
Chooch--Florida
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