Review wagon progress
Cassette jig
In the week, Geoff had been able to source some adhesive 'cardstock' sheets (US size) from 'Silhouette' and carried out various experiments.
He was able to produce a more than decent result.
The strapping detail was copied from the wagon drawings and assembled to produce a sheet for cutting in the new card.
Geoffs experiments had showed a 0.5 x 0.5 square for the bolts was a workable option. Other shapes i.e. hexagons and circles were possible, but not worth the extra cutting time. Panels of 10 x 10 bolts were produced and, using a scalpel tip, picked out and placed in position.
One problem found with scoring (light laser cutting into the surface) of external and internal planking lines was the basswood became very flexible and often broke. Geoff developed a closely spaced double-line detail that produced discernible planking without cutting too deep. At the same time, single lines produced an in-place template to position the card strapping details, all accomplished with one pass of the laser.
We now had a kit of parts of laser cut basswood body sides and card detailing. Some tweaking was still needed, but the basics were now established.
Stephen had brought a set of wagons made from the basswood body parts to which he'd added plastic strapping.
He practised adding card bolts and happily took away several hundred to carry on. He also demonstrated his method of fixing Kadee magnets. This used an M2 nut let into a plasticard strip (drill hole, add copious liquid cement, allow to soften and press the nut into place in a vice). The Kadee slips in through the headstock and a 6mm x M2 bolt locates it in place. (A shallower pan-head bolt will probably be used).
He practised adding card bolts and happily took away several hundred to carry on. He also demonstrated his method of fixing Kadee magnets. This used an M2 nut let into a plasticard strip (drill hole, add copious liquid cement, allow to soften and press the nut into place in a vice). The Kadee slips in through the headstock and a 6mm x M2 bolt locates it in place. (A shallower pan-head bolt will probably be used).
While all this was going on, Laurence was finishing off the other half of his jig set for drilling holes for the cassette 'safety blocks'. Here soldering a location plate to the side of the main hole plate.
For information, the basswood by Mid West Products (USA) ordered through Amazon UK.
