Wichendon Machine Shop (restart)

[deemery]

End walls are glued on:

A problem with large/long wood buildings is clamping them.  The advantage of this particular style (woodworking) clamp is that you can center the clamping.  Other clamps would be very lopsided (I know, because I tried with an "F clamp" and that just wanted to pull the entire structure over.)  There are little pinch clamps to hold the side to the framing.  The big clamp holds the center of the walls to the 2nd story ceiling.  Note the paint bottle (right) and solder container (left) used to hold the two ends of the long clamp.  In retrospect, I should have thought a lot more about how to do that clamping, and maybe I'll figure out clamp holders for a future project.  (Ideas welcome!)

dave

[ACL1504]

Dave,

The machine shop is look good. Thanks for the explanation on the clamp. Look like a handy tool to have around.

Tom

[deemery]

Today's progress:

Here I'm using bar clamps to temporarily hold the back wall in alignment. 


I went back and measured how far that wall sticks down below the end walls.  It's hard to see the pencil mark.

On one end, it was about HO 4", and HO 3" on the other end.  So I cut HO 4x8 and 3x8 to length, painted, and glued them onto the bottom of the end walls.  The hole on the top right is the chimney for the forge hood.  The hole on bottom left is for the steam line from the boiler to engine.


I also did a test fit of the boiler room.


And then I glued the floor to the walls.  I'm using full strength carpenter glue, with the hope the floor won't warp any more once it's glued to the walls.  And that's clamped with the heavy weight.  When that's fully cured, I'll go back and add a piece along the back edge of the boilerhouse along the foundation. (previous photo.)


dave

[PRR Modeler]

Great looking progress Dave.

[friscomike]

Howdy Dave, looking great.  Congrats on the end wall assembly.  Did you have any warping?  Have fun, mike

[deemery]

Howdy Dave, looking great.  Congrats on the end wall assembly.  Did you have any warping?  Have fun, mike

No.  I was careful to paint both sides, and weigh after painting.  And the kit comes with these thin strips that represent the interior framing of the building, which helps a bit to prevent warping.  I did have one window pop out during assembly, it'll be easy to glue back in.  (If glazing pops out, that would be a bigger problem...)

dave

[GaryMc]

Nice looking work Dave.

[Dave Buchholz]

Very impressive progress!

Waiting to see what miniature parts those machinists turn out. With working lighting, they can run second shift! They will be profitable in no time...

 That's if time actually exists on a model railroad?

Fifth Dave to the right

[deemery]

Back wall glued and clamped:


I need to think a bit more before I do the front wall.  Not visible here is a piece of wood I cut for the front wall side that serves as a 'caul' to provide a broad surface for that side of the clamps to press onto.

Note the jury-rig set-up to help keep those 2 heavy deep-throat woodworking clamps from tipping over.

dave

[deemery]

Very impressive progress!

Waiting to see what miniature parts those machinists turn out. With working lighting, they can run second shift! They will be profitable in no time...

 That's if time actually exists on a model railroad?

Fifth Dave to the right

Dunno about that.  I model 1890s, when electric lights would have been possible, but quite new.  And I'd have to add a generator to the set-up.  

dave

[PRR Modeler]

Excellent modeling Dave.

[deemery]

Test-fit of the clear front and roof panel:



Definitely coming together!

dave

[Larry C]

Dave having a clear front wall has to be one of the slickest things I've ever seen in modeling. Are you going to light'er up?

[Bernd]

Those windows look like they are hanging in mid-air. Aught to look neat lite-up at night. Now if you only had motorized those line shafts that would be really neat to whatch.

Bernd

[deemery]

Those windows look like they are hanging in mid-air. Aught to look neat lite-up at night. Now if you only had motorized those line shafts that would be really neat to whatch.

Bernd

Bernd, getting an HO machine tool to turn would be a REAL challenge!  Probably the easiest to do would be a lathe.  Part of that challenge is installing actual continuous belts.  (The two ends of my belts don't meet, the gap is at the bottom of the tool's pulley where it can't be seen.)

dave