ScaleStructures LTD Cinder Conveyor

[Oldguy]

Before I get to building any roundhouses, I need some structures that would affect trackwork.  Namelya Robertson Cinder Conveyor and a Red Devil Coal Loader.  And since I have two roundhouses, that means two sets of similar equipment.
So up first, the cinder conveyor.  I have two kits, bought at different times, one of which I started when I had the old narrow gauge layout.  I started the pit, but moved on to other things and never got around to the above ground structures.  Good thing I waited.
To remove the flash I found using old Xacto blades work very well.  The dull cutting edge removed the flash and the back side effectively removed most parting lines.Sprue cutters work well on the sprue blobs and a good set of files and 600 grit sandpaper finish up the cleaning process.  I found that an old toothbrush works wonder on removing some of the cut flash danglies. 

For those who may not be all that familair with the conveyor, it can be found in the March 1969 MR.
As to the photos, the first is of the original kit that came in a drawer-style box.  Two pages of drawings and a double sided set if instructions.  It included code 40 rail for the conveyor.  The "newer" kit came in a standard box (with a top), one page of drawings, double sided instructions, code 55 rail, and a lot more flash on the parts.
When cleaning the flash, pay particular attention to the intermediate support.  Any flash here will not allow the rail to set properly. And boy are there a lot of tiny parts. 

[Oldguy]

The castings for the pulleys and cart wheels are the same.  Of course, the sprue is attached to the groove.  I'll clean up the elbows after I attach them to the piping.  Way too small for me too handle. 

One caution, when cleaning up the the cart and the trap door, make sure that the bearings line up.  Eventually, a hole has to be drilled through all four bearings for the axle to fit through.
After two days of cleaning parts, I am still a bit cross eyed.

[PRR Modeler]

Looks interesting and I'll be following.

[Mark Dalrymple]

I'll be watching your progress.

Cheers, Mark.

[Opa George]

Looks like an interesting project, Bob. I'm in!
--George

[ACL1504]

Bob,

I'll be following as well. I built this one about 40+ years ago. Not a hard build but not easy either. If I remember correctly the larger castings on mine were very soft and bent at the slightest touch.

Tom

[GPdemayo]

I'll be looking in.....   Started mine in the early 80's and still haven't got it done. 

[postalkarl]

Hey Bob:

Looks like a fun kit. I will also be following along.

Karl

[Oldguy]

Day 3 of cleaning the flash.  As stated before, I use an old Xacto #11 blade to cut through the flash.  Then, turn the blade over and somewhat burnish and remaining flash/part lines.  One can see the before and after in the photos below.  Just be careful, as when cleaning the from the back side, that heavy dose of flash, just might be a gusset on the front.  The only place to use a file is on the ends as the thin parts are too soft to take much of any force. 


There are 8 pulley/cart wheels.  It took me a bit to figure why some had better "grooves" than others.  The cart wheels are wider and the spokes are slightly different.  I missed that on the first 8 that I cleaned.  An appropriately sized angle file will clean out the grooves so they can sit on the rail.  The narrower units are the pulleys and about half of the circumference are filled with material that I gave up trying to clear.  BTW - the wheels will fit only code 40 or code 55 rail heads. 


The older kit had cardboard for the pit sides, bottom and ends.  I don't like cardboard on a layout in the first place and I had already used it, so I went with plastic.  Note - the "newer" kit didn't include any cardboard, so it must be supplied by the modeler.

I should mention that the plan template really didn't fit the pit casting, so I used the parts and did the old score and snap to make the ends.  Then, disaster.  Seems that the thin CA I have, was thinner than water and ran every where.  Even with coated fingers I managed to pry the parts off the cutting mat and get them together.  With fingers full of CA, I didn't any photos.  I think I'll stay with the medium CA; at least it comes out in drops.

[PRR Modeler]

You're doing a good job that has to be really tedious.

[Oldguy]

I need to expand on my score and snap procedures on the plastic side pieces.  Once I got the metal casting squared on the plastic, I marked the outline with a pencil.  Then using a straight edge, I use the back side of the Xacto blade to score along the lines.  One needs to use a straight edge that one doesn't really care about, as the blade will remove material on it as one scores the plastic.  Here, I used a triangle with bad angles.  I should note that the plastic is 0.40" thick and snaps easily on a straight line.  Again, I used a sprue cutter to cut through the short section and then the remaining section snaps off easily.
The side piece needs a cutout for a between the rails apron.  The ends were cut with a razor saw and then back to the score and snap.  Since this piece was so small, I used a miniature slip joint pliers to grab the part and slowly work my way along the line.
Prior to priming, I need to straighten out the various bent pieces.  The squaring jig again comes in handy.  A gentle push with a flat rounded end of a lace draper made quick work of it.
Because the end and intermediate towers are made of two pieces, I decide that I need to prime, paint, and weather the insides prior to gluing them together.  If I am priming the inside, I might as prime everything, right?  I figured that I'll just used the rattle can primer and get'er done.  Well, yeah.  I must not have gone across fast enough as too slow it puddled something fierce, so I slowed down.  Interesting results.  If I was looking to form huge rust balls, I found a new technique.  Looks like I shot it with gravel.  Good thing that I am building two of these suckers.  Broke out the venerable Badger 200 airbrush (as it came with a bunch of glass bottles) and Badger primer to prime the other kit parts.  I have had this air brush for at least 30 years and have never got around to use it.  Now is as good a time as any.  I think I'll stay with the air brush from now on.  Lesson learned.  Hopefully an overnight soak in mineral spirits will remove the rattle can efforts.

[Oldguy]

After cleaning up some minor storm damage, it was time to get back to the build.  My delay allowed my gravel painted parts to soak in mineral spirits for 48 hours, then followed by 5 minutes in an ultrasonic leaner.  Happily that worked and got rid of the offending paint.  While was drying went on to painting the parts form the other kit.  My options were to hand paint the primed parts or to hand paint.  Figuring the time of cleaning the air brush; hand painting it was.  Another lesson learned.  It took two afternoons of painting.  So much for being quicker.
To paint the wheel and sheaves, one first needed to drill out the axle holes, place the wheel on the axle wire and paint away.  After one side is done, let it slip off the axle wire and load the next one.  Being 8 of these, it worked slick. 


I painted the "steel" parts black.  And there are bunch of them.  After drying, it was on to cut down the black sheen and add some rust looking stuff.  So I used some oil burnt sienna and made a wash.  I also used a stiff brush to stipple some of the oil paint and wiped it off a bit for a rusted look.  Eventually, it;ll all get some rusty powders. 


Once the painting was done and dry, it was finally time to put stuff together.  On the two piece towers, I wanted to remove any paint to allow the AC to stick to metal and not paint.  Once cleaned, it was glue up time.  Then on to check on how the main tower is to go together.  Let's see, two sets of sheaves, upper and lower.  Hmmm.  Something ain't right.  I took a closer look at the sheaves and lo and behold, there is a little extra material on one side, but not the other.  Been nice if that was mentioned somewhere, but at least I figured it out. 

A little bit of touch up a bit here and there, and I'm calling it a night.  In person the wash doesn't look as garish as shown in the photos.

[PRR Modeler]

Nice job Bob.

[postalkarl]

Hey Oldguy:

You are moving right along. Looking great so far.

Karl

[Dennis Bourey]

I Agree Great Job!!!! Dennis