Devon Sinsley said:
I am beginning to think I need to move to 7/8ths so I can at least try and hold this stuff better.
Ya do know that the parts are guaranteed to have enough mass not to vanish with a sneeze or a breeze in 1:1 scale.
(https://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Okay a photo dump of my progress. Besides the pulleys, I also made the end pieces that will attach to the boom logs and connect to the crane. I made coupler pockets that fit Kadee coupler boxes.
I made the brake wheel mount from a windshield wiper blade spring thing (the steps are made with the same stuff) The brake pawl is bits of styrene, and the handle is stolen from a Bachmann tender.
The roof top crane pulley mounts are styrene and fish hook eyes.
And an overall look of where the crane is at now.
I am done for the night. Tomorrows push will be to get the boom going if not done.
Devon, if you are not careful, you may be finished well before the deadline (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)Those coupler pockets are sweet. That took some patience. I’m curious how you made the boom log end pieces.
Actually the couple pockets are pretty easy. I originally, one the Forman car, had planned to make one as a master and mold them then cast them. But I figured it was easier to make them as needed. Something for you to consider printing.
The log boom ends are a piece of tubing with a styrene disk for a cap, then a piece of styrene bar on the end filled to shape.
If you havent guessed I have a large collection of styrene.
It kind of looks like you took a piece of styrene tubing and got the end hot and pinched it together and then shaped it with a file. I love your vision to see the possibilities of putting odd pieces together to get what you need. Great work.
Looks great Devon. This is going to be a fine addition to your MOW fleet. You do have an MOW fleet don’t you? If, not - this is the beginning of one.
Jon,
This basically the beginning of my MOW fleet. On page one is the foreman’s caboose which will double as the boom support for the crane. I am also about half way done with a rail/tie flat car I started right before the challenge. I have plans to build few other cars and have a right nice MOW train
Devon Sinsley said:
If you havent guessed I have a large collection of styrene.
Just wait, you’ll want more. I made a goal of slowly acquiring 1 package of every type of styrene. I’m doing $20-30 at a time, so it is a slow process, but man it has come in handy when I need a specific strip size and can just grab it. My goal once I have one of everything is to start sorting out my assorted cut offs into different thicknesses. I almost never throw any scraps away unless then are smaller than 1/4" x 1/4".
Craig Townsend said:
Devon Sinsley said:
If you havent guessed I have a large collection of styrene.
Just wait, you’ll want more. I made a goal of slowly acquiring 1 package of every type of styrene. I’m doing $20-30 at a time, so it is a slow process, but man it has come in handy when I need a specific strip size and can just grab it. My goal once I have one of everything is to start sorting out my assorted cut offs into different thicknesses. I almost never throw any scraps away unless then are smaller than 1/4" x 1/4".
Craig,
I am the same way although I don’t sort anything that isn’t a full piece. It either goes back in the package or in a big zip lock bag. The fast majority of the plastic used thus far is from the bag.
Plastic bag? Nice try grasshopper…
Try two rolling Rubbermaid 3 drawer containers full of scraps. 
plus a few large sheets (2’x4’).
I am having a rough day again today. In and out of bed. I do what I can when I can. And I am managing to roll along. Got the side boards completed, painted, and stained. Dirtied up the cab a bit with oil paints. And got a start on the boom. I am glad Rick is doing a crane because I basically copied his boom design. Its a short boom, 15 scale feet. I had wanted longer, but the way I set this all up with the foreman’s car I became limited by the distance between the crane and the boom rest on the foreman car. I had considered an idler car between them but decided a short crane is fine. Its my world and in my world it works.
One issue I am going to run into is because the boom is short and my roof attachment is as far back as it is, when the crane is all the way down the rigging will hit the roof. This is a real world problem as well and the answer is to extend bracing like an a frame on the boom to attach the rigging to. I am going to do this and I think it ill actually add an element of detail to it that will make it interesting.
I keep mine on rolls (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Well the plastic bag is just cut offs. I have a bin full of construction materiels and a binder folder full of sheet materiel. Its no where near enough by any means. but it does make it handy for projects like this where scraps come on handy
My go to method of storing strip is to hang each thickness on a different peg on yhe peg board. All .010, the next peg has all .020 etc. Right now I think the row is about 4’ long, and I’m running out of space.
For a guy who is in/out of bed you are doing great! I would be impressed by your project if you were in the best of health, I’m beyond impressed given that you don’t feel good…
Thanks Jim, that actually means a lot. One of the biggest struggles is my dang eyes. This is the type of thing where I really know I am losing my sight. It’s so blurry that these little bits are just dang hard to see. Thank goodness for reading glasses they help.
But I am not complaining, this is therapy. Working on this project passes the time and takes my mind off my issues. I am having a great time.
Here I thought I was the only Styrene Strip Hoarder around, seems there are brother hoarders out there(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
I bought out a closing up hobby shops Styrene supply a few years ago on the really cheap. The supply of strips and shapes just about filled a case of beer size box. Like Craig I have all the packs sorted by size and shape and hung on the inside of my storage cabinet doors. Very handy. For sheet stock I buy the 12 X 24 pieces from a supply house in Texas, real reasonable that way. I sure am glad I bought that supply because when I go to the hobby shop or even on line the current prices of Evergreen shapes sure make me cringe(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)
Rick,
I made the mistake on not doing what you did years ago. Hard lesson to learn. For big sheets I buy them 4’x4 or even 4’x 8’ from a local plastic supplier. I normally use 1/8" for buildings, so its cheaper. Next time I think I will buy a 4x4 sheet of .040 and .060 as well. They even have sheets down to .010, but I don’t have the skills to cut nice straight strips out of a sheet that big.
Dan,
This one is for you. Here is one half of the boom hinge. I will screw them into the cab bottom sill as well as glue them.
Lots of little bits of styrene glued up there. A .051 brass rod threaded for 0-80 nuts
Devon, that looks darn good. Those are some small pieces. I don’t believe I can see well enough to do that.
