One Last Shorty

Where users can chronicle their builds. Start one thread and continue to add on to it.

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ccvstmr
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Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by ccvstmr »

DETAILS - Balls 'n Balusters, Part 1

Have had a few inquiries when I was going to get to this part of the build description. Guess this is as good a time as any. Some readers got glimpses of this during my long-winded epistles. Tried to select photos to go along with the descriptions that didn't give away forthcoming secrets. But now, it's time to let the cat out of the bag. Perhaps the post title will be a giveaway.

What am I talking about? The sometimes "crown jewel" of rear end passenger train observation/parlor car deck...the railing. Wanted to do something for the back of this car train that was special. After all, wasn't expecting to make another one of these again...ever. A lot of time and effort was expended to pull all the parts 'n pieces together.

While there are enough photos of rear end observation car railings, Peasleecreek did his best to keep sending me ideas. One such sample was this...

xrear platform railing 1.JPG
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Notice the rounded glass corner windows? Okay, could heat a piece of acrylic glazing and form that over a round/cylindrical shape. Thought that would take up too much of the rear platform.

There were plenty of examples on the internet where the rear railings had all kinds of swirls, circles and other ornate shapes. Looking at those, was trying to figure out HOW to fabricate those and HOW could such shapes be repeated consistently? Here's another rear end railing example. This railing is from the East Broad Top railroad...

East broad Top wood observation platform end with elegant railing design.jpg
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And then I got this...a photo of the Elisa business car from the Guatemalan railroad. Not only that, the Elisa looked very similar to my car #7. Here's an artist rendition of the Elisa...

Elisa-business-outside-GT-36in.jpg
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And then here's a photo of the real Elisa back end. Looking at this railing, I thought...nice looking, no swirls or curls, but certainly elegant enough for the prez of the railroad. So I said to myself..."Self...we have a winner!"

FEGUAguastatoya950.jpg
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And here's a close up view of the railing...showing a bit more of the railing detail.

railing.jpg
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Finding a suitable railing was easy enough. You wouldn't think such a "simple looking" railing would get so involved...but it did. Little did I realize how much material, time and effort would be needed to pull this entire decoration together.

Nobody that I know off makes 1/8" scale end of train railings. As such, would have to fabricate the entire railing. Like any project like this, needed a drawing to start with that had dimensions worked out and at least something in 2D where the appearance could be checked before building something for our 3D world. Sat down with the CAD program and tickled the computer keys for a while and came up with the following...

railing cad drwg-1.JPG
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Having a few photos of something that existed in the real world and a drawing (modified a number of times), was ready to start making chips. And that's where I'll pick up next time. Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
ccvstmr
Posts: 2230
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:37 am
Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by ccvstmr »

DETAILS - Balls 'n Balusters, Part 2

At this point, had some photos...had a drawing that had been modified several times...was ready to start making chips.

Had a sufficient supply of square brass stock on hand in various sizes. Decided the posts on either side of the gates (qty=4) would be made from 1/2" square brass and the posts in the center of the end beam (qty=4) would be made with 3/8" square brass. There would be (8) posts total. All of the posts would be drilled/taped on the bottom end for a 10-32 threaded stainless steel stud. Eventually, the studs would be shortened as needed and a #10 stainless washer and an 8-32 stainless steel square nut...re-drilled and tapped for 10-32 would be used to secure each post.

Started by mounting the 5C chuck in the lathe and using that to center drill, drill and tap the post bottoms. Had a way then to support the railing as the parts 'n pieces came together.

With this railing, didn't want to use round, tapered posts again as used for the other end beam railins. Honest Dave had an end mill that was ground with a 1/16" radius on the end. This was perfect for machining a "foot" on the bottom of each post. The 1/2" square posts would be cut down to 3/8" square...and the 3/8" square posts would be cut down to 1/4" square. Staying with "standard" sizes would allow further post machine work.

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While the posts were still being "shaved" to their final dimension, the (4) 1/4" square posts were drilled for the cross rod. This was made from 1/8" brazing rod. The (2) end 3/8" posts were drilled with blind end holes. All of the brass rod holes were drilled to .136" diameter. Wanted the brass rods to slide thru as easily as possible. Had a hunch those would be installed and removed more than a few times as the railing came together.

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Wanted to "kick things up a notch" again for the railing. Instead of drilling/tapping 2-56 square nuts for a 4-40 thread to hold the top railing bar in place as used on the other railings...decided to "cap" each post with a brass ball. Found someone selling 5/16" diameter brass balls on-line and bought a small quantity.

Next...how were the brass balls going to be drilled/tapped? Once again called the 5C chuck into service with a 5/16" collet. Easy enough to draw the collet in to hold the ball in-line for center drilling, drilling and tapping.

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When necessary, a thin piece of sheet metal would inserted between the collet fingers to flip the ball out.

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By this time, the tops of the posts went back into the 5C chuck with the appropriate sized square collet and were drilled/tapped for a 4-40 thread. Why? Needed a way to secure the top railing to the posts and hold my balls properly (yes...play on words there).

IMG_6805.JPG
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When all of the posts had been drilled at both ends, 4-40 stainless thread rod cut to length, was able to mount the balls proper. A spot of Loctite on the end each 4-40 stud allowed ball and mounting stud to become one piece. During the course of this detail fabrication and assembly, these balls would be inserted and removed several times. In particular...the balls on the corner posts.

At this time, here's how the rear railing on car #7 was looking.

IMG_6824.JPG
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Whittling the posts down to their final size was completed. Next post, will continue to build up the railing. Don't go away for too long! Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
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NP317
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Location: Northern Oregon, USA

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by NP317 »

Very cool work!
Looking forward to the next chapter.
RusN
djjh87
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Re: One Last Shorty

Post by djjh87 »

Nice I think Mr. Vanderbilt will be pleased.
No problems just solutions.
Odyknuck
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Re: One Last Shorty

Post by Odyknuck »

The railings are a very nice touch. Are you sure you're not a rivet counter lol
Rwilliams
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Re: One Last Shorty

Post by Rwilliams »

This business car is beginning to look like something that should be photographed in the scale shop scene of Jack Bodenmann. Almost as if it was being given the final touches in the H. L. Holomon Co. shops in San Francisco way back in 1906. A few sepia toned images and not many would know if it was the real deal or a scale model.
ccvstmr
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Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:37 am
Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by ccvstmr »

Russ, Jim and Ody...appreciate your thoughts. Thanks for keeping tabs on the car #7 progress. There's still a few tricks in the bag yet, so stay tuned. And Ody...no, still not a rivet counter. BUT...can tell you, when it was all said and done, there's over 100 parts to pull the entire rear railing assembly together. As some might say...too much fun!

RWilliams...can certainly look at playing with the color correction in the camera software to recreate a sepia-toned photo(s). There's something about making something new...look like something from long ago (even if that was only last year).

Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
ccvstmr
Posts: 2230
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:37 am
Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by ccvstmr »

DETAILS - Balls 'n Balusters, Part 3

Still moving along with the rear railing. Fabricating more parts and adding those to the railing assembly.

Next piece needed was the actual railing across all the post tops. Needed something to "tie" the posts at the same distance as the mounting holes in the end beam. Grabbed a piece of 1/8" thick brass sheet stock and cut that strip extra wide. Wanted to create a "bulge" where the brake stand would be located. Holes were drilled for the brass balls with their threaded studs. Ends of the railing were rounded with a belt sander. Didn't want any sharp edges which have a nasty habit of reaching out when least expected...and drawing blood!

IMG_6829.JPG
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At this point, decided to work "off-line". Didn't want to risk damage (accidental or otherwise) to car #7. Built a plywood mock up of the rear deck. Moved all the posts over to the mock up and secured those with nuts/washers underneath. Surprisingly, with the top railing in place, could pick up the entire assembly as one piece. Can also see where 1/8" thick "washers" were added to the tops of the gate posts to dress out the (2) post tops. Those posts would eventually support the deck gates.

The thought HAD crossed my mind to drill more horizontal holes in the posts and add more horizontal rods. That would have been simple...but thought that might have looked a little too modern for the period. The point of all this was to create something special. If a little more effort was needed...might as well get that out of the system now. Seriously doubt I'll ever build another railing like this.

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Working with Honest Dave, we made a forming fixture to stamp .030" x 1/4" wide brass strip stock into balusters. Was happy to find brass strips in 36" lengths. Else, there would have been a lot of waste! Would locate, drill and deburr the 1st hole in the baluster strip metal for the brass cross bar. Place that strip in the forming fixture and use an arbor press to push the offset into the baluster. While still in the forming fixture, the 2nd hole was drilled and then deburred as well. This way, all the holes had the same spread.

For the first part of the rear railing, two balusters would be placed open side to open side...creating the opening between the balusters.

IMG_6869.JPG
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Eventually, moved the operation back home. Used a 12 ton laboratory hydraulic press to push the brass strips and then drill the 2nd hole. In all, (and I'm still not counting rivets)...44 balusters would be needed for the rear railing. And they all had to be formed one at a time.

The baluster forming fixture can be seen at the bottom of the next photo. There's (2) guide pins and one baluster locating pin.

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The 1st results after stringing a group of balusters together did not yield a stellar looking railing. Since the balusters were now acting like springs...too much spring would make the center portion of the balusters deflect. Egads...that looks like carp! In other words, the group of (8) balusters were too wide for the post opening.

IMG_6866.JPG
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The solution...used a smooth jaw pair of pliers to "tweek" the offsets at both ends of each baluster. By reducing the offset slightly and "stretching" out the balusters, this would shrink the distance between pairs of balusters. After enough tweeking, the result would look like this...


IMG_6868.JPG
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Next time, will continue work on the balusters and more. Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
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rmac
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Re: One Last Shorty

Post by rmac »

OMG
Odyknuck
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Re: One Last Shorty

Post by Odyknuck »

Fantastic workmanship. Yep, and he keeps claiming he's not a Rivet counter Lol.
ccvstmr
Posts: 2230
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Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by ccvstmr »

RMAC...thanx.
Ody...still not a rivet counter. Maybe a baluster counter! And you'll soon find out why!

Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
ccvstmr
Posts: 2230
Joined: Sat Jan 04, 2003 10:37 am
Location: New Lenox, IL

Re: One Last Shorty

Post by ccvstmr »

DETAILS - Balls 'n Balusters, Part 4

This will be a short entry as the rear railing balusters are brought to a close.

Would have thought the forming dies for the balusters would have produced more consistent results. Had no choice but do the best I could with what I had to work with. A year from now...probably wouldn't make any difference.

Tried to shim the forming dies to adjust the offset that was being pressed and got mixed results.

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Slowly started to "populate" the railing with balusters. Each time a new section between posts was going to be filled with balusters, had to partially disassemble the railing to "open" that section and then slide the post back in place when the proper number of balusters were inserted.

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And when the balusters for the rear railing were all in place...this was the result. Okay Ody...there's (44) balusters in the rear railing. They're easier to count if you count the balusters in pairs. However, the project still needed more balusters...for the side gates.

IMG_6878.JPG
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While the spacing between adjacent balusters was getting better (figured out how to tweak the ends), realize when it was time for final assembly, would most likely brush on some contact cement between the long balusters surfaces and stick 'em together.

The rear railing project isn't done yet. Check back soon...and we'll get going on the gates. Carl B.
Life is like a sewer...what you get out of it depends on what you put into it!
I don't walk on water...I just learned where some of the stepping stones are!
I love mankind...it's some of the people I can't stand!
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