Scratchbuilding a PRR 'FM' 40' flat in HO brass

[jbvb]

I have '1mm x 0.3mm' brass tube from Precision Metals (which might now be part of K&S). It's .020 inside diameter, so worked as brake pipe connectors. I wrapped a copper zip cord strand around the bend for an angle cock and flattened the end to make a gladhand. There are nicer looking commercial products but this will survive operating.

[jbvb]

I cut another wheel off the Cal-Scale 190-289 sprue; it was cored for an .020 shaft. I punched a .0625 disk of .010 brass with a Micro-Mark die set, drilled it and soldered both to a phosphor bronze shaft, about 40" apart. The stirrup support and chain waited till the deck was done. So I filled my ultrasonic cleaner with well water and a sprinkle of trisodium phosphate for fluid:





The brake gear's epoxy was setting as I shot the photo. I used some extra to better secure one of the truck mount tubes; the frame had risen up when I retracted the drill bit, making the hole a bit loose.

Moving this thread from RR-Line to this point has taken a couple of hours, so time consuming but not impossible.

[ReadingBob]

Incredible! Thanks for sharing. 

[Zephyrus52246]

Wow.  Really craftsman work.

Jeff

[deemery]

Looking at this thread again...  I wonder if you have the risk of intermittent shorts with the trucks rubbing against the bolsters.  Maybe that can be resolved with paint.

dave

[ACL1504]

James,

Oh man, very impressive. I love all things brass. Fantastic brass modeling my friend.

Tom

[Mr. Critter]

Doin' it the hard way!  Bravo!

[jbvb]

Thanks, all.  The work above was done between Feb. 17 and March 25, 2021. Then I wasn't satisfied with the first decals I applied, plus I decided I needed to apply rivet decals if it was going to be judged. And the track work season began at Seashore Trolley Museum just after I'd installed the timber deck....

[jbvb]

The painted flat car before I installed the deck. I used ancient Floquil 'Boxcar Red' from a can I'd gotten from a modeler's estate:



And some comments on how I solder copied from the original thread:

1. I own NoKorode paste flux but haven't used it for models or track work since I discovered Tix flux 25 years ago. I find the grease base very tricky to clean up. I haven't been bothered by Tix going where I don't want it; you can always use a smaller brush than the one that comes with the bottle. And there is Tix 'Anti Flux", which keeps solder from wetting surfaces. I first used it a bit on this job, but I can't say I'm expert yet.

 2. I couldn't have done this without sweat-soldering. Only the flange/sill joints were heated and touched with wire solder. The coated parts don't fit perfectly until I apply pressure to the joint as I heat with the tweezers. When 360F is reached, it all liquefies and the parts go to their final positions.

3. I'm using 63/37 Tin/Lead, which is 'eutectic' (melts all at once at 360F/183C). I had a .032 diameter rosin core Radio Shack roll upstairs, so that's all I used. Downstairs I have a finer Kester dispenser, because that was where I built most of my signals. Yes, you mustn't put your fingers in your mouth while working with it. I find 50:50 inferior, and wouldn't even use it on full size plumbing pipes. And I was once sold a coil of 'lead free' that I only use for filling in switch frogs. I think lead-free plumbing solders have improved in 25 years, but I haven't experimented.



The deck, cut from Northeastern Scale Lumber 3x6 (HO) stock.

[jbvb]

I stained the HO scale 3x6 basswood deck with Minwax Dark Walnut and let the wood sit on a window sill till it felt dry. I spent a little while thinking about how to assemble the deck. I played with transfer tape, thinking about putting it on the underside of the wood. I decided the exposed stickum would accumulate dust.

Next I tried thinning Walthers Goo with Methyl Ethyl Ketone -- I have it for solvent welding styrene. I squeezed a blob of Goo into a metal palette dish and tried mixing MEK in. Mixed results; MEK is way too volatile for a stable mix, the texture was changing every couple of minutes. And even with the window open, the fumes were noticeable. Seems some are dipping a brush in Goo, then in MEK. I was dipping a wire in the Goo/MEK mix and painting the tops of the stringers.

At any rate, I like how it turned out - few threads and no blobs or threads visible from below:





The Goo bond has stood up to handling while decaling, Solvaset while undoing the first decal job, and trimming the projecting ends of a dozen boards.

[jbvb]

The last brass part was the bracket supporting the bottom of the brake staff:



The fine copper wire came from zip cord.



A little eye exercise installing it. A loop of copper wire holds the chain to the bottom of the brake staff.

[jbvb]

And here the epoxy that will hold the stirrup to the frame and floor is curing, with a little dab to retain the brake staff.



I lettered it with a mix of decals,  which I wasn't at all satisfied with. And Seashore was demolishing an old carbarn to replace it with new, and I was knee deep in dismantling the old track, storing it and reinstalling it for the new barn. So it sat for almost 3 years.

[tom.boyd.125]

 James, really neat modeling on this brass flat car ! Hope you earn all the merit awards needed for the award.
Tommy

[ACL1504]

James,

Just fantastic modeling my friend.

Tom 

[deemery]

That's almost enough to make me try a brass flat car!  Well Done!

dave