This year’s challenge builds are going to resemble tin toys from the 40’s and 50’s with printing on the inside (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
pondering different ideas…this journal box casting and the channel I made…
one thought is to bend the channel to make a frame which can ride on the wheels…lets see if that works out.
soldering some parts together and it becomes pretty solid…sand off the paint on that side as needed, apply solder with the iron and it seems to stick. put the pieces together and heat with the iron…yep seems to do…
I am liking where this is going.
And yes we are very much taking on the tin toy look aren’t we. One of the reasons I enjoy the challenge so much is the level of imagination and ingenuity we all have. The wide vision of what cans can be made into at the hands of artists is amazing
This is a fun build to watch. Can almost hear the gears turning as you think through it all 
Eric Schade said:
pondering different ideas…this journal box casting and the channel I made…
You do realize that’s a standard British journal box?
I got a little distracted this morning, had to run a train in the rain!
Rob Mesite took this photo. I am fireman, you can just make out my glove and face in the cab! lots of fun and lots of concentration required.
after I got back I did some more playing in the shop…
I tried one of my old chainsaw gas cans against my frame…
It could make a good mine tub, or capped a tank but I have a different idea…
cutting the can in half is a little tricky, i used my Nibbler…starting in a drilled hole…nibble nibble nibble…
… lots of little bites …
Eventually I have half a can…marked out for more cuts…
I cut out “doorways” with the nibbler.
I cut some lengths of my Channel and soldered them to the bottom of the can then added the skip frame. Soldering to the bottom of the can was hard, my iron wasnt powerful enough. I tried a torch which “worked” but it wasnt pretty.
Joe climbs aboard to try it out for size.
Oh gee,
I feel so bad for you. I mean having to put down your MIK challenge project because you were FORCED to run the #9. My heart bleeds for you.
1:1 wins every time… 1:20.3 comes in a distant 2nd…
Dave T.
Toot! Toot! Full scale is cool, ill share photos of my on going project there one of these days.
https://www.facebook.com/100005420616816/posts/1524395131084493/?sfnsn=mo
I put wheels on the little tin car, and took Big Joe for a spin. How to photos follow.
As Pete said, the white metal journal boxes are British standard, I want simple…no springs, no moving parts, no breaking, or braking either.
I’ll start with brass rod in my old lathe…drill for the axle and part off to length.
and a brass mounting bracket
to get 4 of each piece to silver solder together.
soldering these to the frame was a little fussy. too much metal to heat with the iron so the torch would have to do. it all gets painted so if can’s paint is scorched a little, guess that’s OK>
I had hoped that they could be bolted on, I have plenty of scale screws but the geometry didn’t work as planned…see sketch…not actually an engineering drawing. I do own a ruler but it doesn’t get any use on a Mik’s project!
It was a nice day after yesterday’s heavy rain so I could take stuff out side for a spin. Joe wanted to see how it works. He says he wants seats and maybe a roof but is generally pleased.
he said a few creature comforts wouldnt go amiss. and maybe some colorful paint.
Joe’s got a cool new ride (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)I like the no frills wheel journals, those should out live the rest of the car.
Eric,
I think I say this to just about everyone, but you are one of my favorite modelers. You model on the philosophy that I do. Not looking to count rivets (yet here i am literally counting rivets) but you make such unique models that no one else makes and realistic is in the mind of the beholder. Beautiful work as always. But I am somewhat disappointed that Moose hasn’t made a courtesy appearance
Way to lay down the gauntlet Devon!
A great job on this one!! The competition is getting strong for the top of the heap
Well Joe wanted a little fiddling done…so…
The cut edges around the top of the car hurt Joe’s hands even with his gloves on. So I found some copper tubing and sawed a slit in it so I could slip it over the sharp edges.
I annealed the copper so it was soft enough to bend around the curves of the car body…
i thought about soldering the tubing on but decided my little soldering iron and my skills were not up to the task so I cheated and just ran a bead of CA around it. most of it soaked in and it seems pretty secure.
this is for the Aussies so they dont have to get a crick in the neck like the rest of us trying to see this right side up…
The beaded edge kinda matches the can’s original beaded bottom edge.
A little paint would help…I sort of messed up the print from the original can. first mask the wheels so they stay black…
Dark red primer first. several light sprays including the bottom.
and some nice green … I added masking tape to keep the inside primer red.
Joe also complained about having to stand the whole ride while cutting his hands holding on for dear life…No springs remember!
they are made from a Cedar Plank carved slightly to fit Joe’s posterior, I mean Caboose! a little framing under the seats and some nails hold them secure and a little more green paint to tone down the nail heads.
that looks a little more civilized…
I Have been spending two days a week at th Wiscasset Waterville and Farmington Railway Museum working on a recreation of one of our original coaches. the prototype was built in 1894. We started work on ours last january, but missed a couple of months last spring due to Covid
one of the museum members lives in Texas and has a nice wood shop so he spent a couple of years now prefabricating parts for us. all the studs and roof rafters are his work. we have been making stuff too so he doesnt get all the fun. this week we are making quarter round timbers for the corners and door frames. they are Fir 4x4’s and we sawed a rough curve into them then I used a hand plane and sanding block to finish rounding the surface.
I also ran the diesel on Monday to put a way a steam locomotive. I am a qualified engineer on it in the yard (not passenger qualified yet) and I am qualified as fireman on our steam loco. these guys are all two foot gauge thus my interest in 7/8th scale on 45mm track.
Joe’s ride is looking really sweet. Hard to see the original can. Fabulous transformation!
Jim, I would bet that no one that hasn’t seen Eric’s build log would ever guess that Joe’s ride started as a can.
“…So I found some copper tubing and sawed a slit in it so I could slip it over the sharp edges.”
Eric, I have to ask: How in the world did you cut a slit in that tiny copper tubing?
Pictures are all
missing! It
NEVER MIND, really slow to load up. Because I’m out in the middle of nowhere
Both your model and 1:1 project are looking fantastic!