I'm looking into my first kit bashing/ scratch building project. I'm looking at making a 1700 series caboose, specifically 1714 (the one that sets in Lamar park.) Any tips on kit bashing. What material should I need/keep on hand? I've got a 40' box car and an Athearn BB kit caboose I can use. Need to get the measurements of the caboose before I start the project though. Ethan
I'll tell you some items I seem to use a lot. A wide variety of styrene sheet in various thickness along with dimensional lumber and various scribed siding sheets. CA glue and wood glue. A scale rule and small metal square, sharp #11 blades, razor saw, tweezers, brass wire, needle files, old large round plate from a microwave oven for a work surface, there is definatly more but that's a good start. You'll figure out what you need as you go. Others will add to this short list.
Not to mention your favorite beverage, music, and a little snack food that doesn't leave oils or debris all over your hands. Cheese puffs are a no-no! LOL. All seriousness: pictures. Pictures from all different angles of what you are wanting to make. Builders plans if you can find them are the bee's knee's! Weight out if working on top of an existing model is best, or going completely from scratch. With styrene, .020 sheets for sheathing for laying on top of another body. .040 for use by itself. Take your time and make accurate measurements so you can convert. Quite often, in styrene, the exact size isn't going to be available, so you have to "fudge" it. We are only talking "ten thousandth's" or "hundred thousandth's" of an inch, so don't panic. Evergreen has excellent resources on their web site. Be patient. Work slowly but diligently. Have fun and off to the races you go!
I'd like to steer Ethan on how to obtain prototype dimensions and making a working drawing from a photo, but I don't know of any links to articles and I don't know how to explain it here on the chat board. I could show him in person, but it's hard to explain in just words. Can anyone help with a link? Thanks, Tom
Tom, I have a backup plan in case I can't get a hold of some blue prints, make my own. And not from a picture. 1714 is setting in the Lamar park. About all I would need to do is call and get permission to climb around on it to take measure ments and walla I can make my own "blue print." Also now that I remember it there is a photo or two in the book Frisco in Color that would provide some help as to how that built them. It's in the caboose section. Ethan
Tom, it seems that I recall somewhere seeing an article years ago about how an individual would use a 6' long board painted in alternating 1' black/white stripes that they'd use to take measurements by photos. When the photo was taken at the right angle, it was pretty easy later on to use the measuring stick as a basis, with dividers to get pretty close measurements. Hopefully someone can steer to the proper resource. I think there may be drawings around here somewhere of the 1700s that would also include dimensional data? Best Regards,
I was thinking about the process of drawing X's diagonally across the photo (Of a car of known length) to determine the center, quarters, eighths etc. and then being able to determine the location of windows, door, ladders so forth. The tecnique has been covered in Model Railroader and Kalmbach publications several times. It's just hard to explain in words alone. Using that 6' board was part of the article I remember. Tom
Once you get the measurements, if you have access to one, I would use a CAD program to make your drawing. If not, if you will send me your pictures, and measurements, I will draw the caboose for you in my CAD program; but in exchange you must write me an aritlce about your construction for the Meteor.
Ethan, There are still plenty of Atlas HO Scale 1200 series w/v cabooses available. Wouldn't that be a great platform to start off with? I found some, including one here for $26.99. Beats paying $250 for the brass and may still give you some kitbashing opportunities. Frisco 1277 Atlas 150-62101
There is a six pack of Atlas HO Scale Frisco cars of various types including the 1275 w/v caboose for a Buy-it-Now, $119.95 Ebay: 250851541824
Ethan, You have taken on quite a project for your first kit bashing project my friend, but you are up to the task. You have gotten a bunch of great advise here. I would like to suggest a set of needle files for your tool supply. Measure 2-3 times and cut once. Styrene is kinda like using Metal in the sense that you can weld a little back if you cut too much. Try not to be too reluctant of making mistakes, because we all make them when building models. I feel we learn much from mistakes, and in the end appreciate the results of over coming those mistakes even more. The most intimidating part of this is getting started, so when you are satisfied with your measurements, "get it going" (Frisco content) I am with you all the way. There is no perfect model, Ethan. I would like to see you enjoy the results of your work. It is a good thing you are doing some hands on type modeling. I am very much looking forward too, and with great anticipation, seeing the results of your endeavours. You can do it. Please carry on. Tom Holley
Do not use Squadron Green putty to fill gaps. Take one empty paint bottle, fill it half way with MEK; you can use Testers cement which is MEK, or buy it in quanity from any paint store, hardware store, etc. Now take your scraps of styrene and fill up the rest of the bottle. The MEK will slightly desolve the styrene into a putty. Apply the styrene putty to your model to cover any gaps, etc. The MEK will evaporate and the styrene will bond completely to your styrene model. It can then be sanded, filed, etc. to make your gaps completely disappear. The bueaty of this method is the patch will not shrink at all since it is the same material you started with. Squadron Green, no matter how hard you try, will always shrink as will any other putty you use even if only slightly. Secondly, since everything is styrene, it will all paint the same.
No it does not work that way. The styrene melts in the bottle because the MEK can not evaporate, but once you put it on the model, it evaporates with no harm done.
I went back and read the post a little more carefully. So what do I dig the "putty" out with and apply it with? Tooth pick? Ethan EDIT Is MEK a liquid or a jelly like substance? I have some testors plastic cement (number 3502) and it doesn't harm the plastic, but it'll take paint off if you use 2 much.
Probably a small flat screwdriver with a slightly wider (than normal) blade. What would be a miniature "putty knife." Tom G.
