enginear joe Posted February 2, 2017 Share Posted February 2, 2017 I'm starting another build. There has been a request for a more detailed post on what exactly I do. I'll try and get the facts down and help anyone who desires it. The first tip (I'll call them) is to obtain as many drawings or pictures of the exact model and road number for the engine you wish to build as you can find. That includes the year desired to model. I learned that while building my first SD70ACE and even more on the MP15AC build. If you look at different versions, you'll never nail down the exact detailing. There are different models, phases of the builds, and then road specific details that the builder does for the order. Some stuff gets changed later on from upgrades. Some engines are involved in crashes or just worn out. When they get rebuilt, they can be upgraded. So looking at pictures from different years of the exact same engine can cause confusion. Now a picture is flat. So obviously to make a accurate 3d model, we need another picture or drawing from the top of the engine. When we get several angles and views of each panel on the engine, we can use the known dimensions to help with any unknowns. I have used the published specs for the wheel diameter, overall length, width, etc., to determine what I'm looking to make elsewhere in the photo. You can either blow up the drawing or photos to match the desired scale or, you will have to calculate everything you make. Double check all the calculations to make your life easier. The one thing that helps me the most, is that I like the modern era engines. So far the ones I've built, are all made of straight panels at various angles. Not having curves to duplicate makes the builds straight forward and easily repeatable. The cabs do have many angles though. I like to miter the plastic panels together for more gluing surface and that makes things tougher for me. Butt joints are fine and should be re-inforced inside critical areas with hot melt or more plastic pieces. So blah blah blah, I'm sounding like I know it all. I hope others can add anything going forward on this post to help any newcomers build models here. G scale does not have many new releases very often. Almost every operator I talk with, has at least one engine they desire that's not been offered yet. So I hope that they will try a build to gain experience. It opens a new set of eyes, to look at the rest of the hobby all over again. I need to start transferring picture downloads here so I'll be back! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 2, 2017 Author Share Posted February 2, 2017 I may as well make a few extra pieces for a SD70ACe while the saw is running: 3) The long hood of the new GE ES44 The desired model: 2) Put the pieces together: #1) A ruff cut of the sides: Well they're not in order but......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 2, 2017 Author Share Posted February 2, 2017 some rough holes for vents and stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 2, 2017 Author Share Posted February 2, 2017 Adding end mitered pieces. Added mitered top engine and exhaust panels. I also made rough support panel for radiator section of long hood: Built heat exchanger section with radiator section rough in that will house the speaker: Making radiator support section: ( I haven't finalized the design) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrown7713 Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Wow. Joe, this is great, makes me want to start a build. This is great, now one can see exactly how it is done. Keep these pictures coming. I am sure others appreciate these too. Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 3, 2017 Author Share Posted February 3, 2017 OK, here goes again. Get a fine lead draftsmen pencil, even a cheap one. I prefer to use the mm scale on my cheap rulers to be more accurate. I always draw my lines a little larger than what I want. We're working with plastic. So the cuts don't have to be perfect. Make some rough cuts leaving your line and even a hair more. Then, fine tune the cut remembering that plastic melts when over worked with power tools. So I use everything I own to work the cuts. I can even scrape with razor knifes to remove plastic. I always oversize the parts and zero them in. I do all this even with my beveled cuts. I can take out any curves in the cut when they were made extra large. Sometimes the plastic will bow during a cut on the table saw forming these curves. So I expect that and leave material to work with. Remember that the angle cut is half of the desired finished angle of the pieces. Because my eyes are old, I rub a pencil on the edge to show what needs to be removed as I work the joints. The nicest thing about a mitered joint instead of a butt joint, is the ease of assembly. Even using Gorilla super glue, I can work the joint to near perfection. Lay the parts together on the bench and use scotch tape to hole them as reasonably tight as possible. When you fold them together, the tape acts better than most clamping can. You still will have a few seconds to adjust. I would recommend a dry fit test run to check for gaps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 3, 2017 Author Share Posted February 3, 2017 Too many pictures so I'll try again... The square that comes with that cheap little saw, is very toy like. I added a simple lock washer under the knob to make it useful. It's good enough for rough cuts. You have to hold it from twisting though. I wouldn't rely on it for precision! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Posted February 3, 2017 Share Posted February 3, 2017 Did that cheap table saw have the power to cut plastic? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 3, 2017 Author Share Posted February 3, 2017 No, but I've worked with so many tools over my life that I make it work. It will only cut about 1/16" at a time. So I do a rough cut, and then fine tune it. I can score the plastic with the saw, and then about three or four passes gets it all the way thru the 1/8. I have to wait for the speed to return to the blade. It is a cheap blade so I'm not sure of the capability fully yet. A carbide, or a sharper multi tooth ply blade would be needed to test it. I could not find the fine tooth blade I was after. I should add that having a tiny saw right on my bench is a big help. Previously, a had to go outside, or hack away with my dremel. This thing makes a mess and is rough, but it's right next to me. A large table sander would be a great help to this. If I had the money, I would have got the micro mark tilt version. Being broke makes you work harder! I may have to sell off a few more things to get my finances in order. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 3, 2017 Author Share Posted February 3, 2017 I was going to build this section in more pieces. I rushed these panels together so I could show the process. I will probably refine the build? It should be just radiator supports. I haven't finalized their construction. Anyways I always dry fit every piece together. These panels started about 1/16" too big in each dimension. I filed and sanded them to fit. The last one was about 1/32 oversized. I sanded it too heavy and it ended up about 1/64 too small of my marks, Luckily, I'm always on the heavy side so it'll work with the glue. So try the pieces in the exact position they will end up. If you have several angled pieces that are a hair off, it multiplies and exaggerates the fit. Here, they are just laying in place: then taped for fit : and finally flipped for applying glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Razor_Antilles Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Looking good so far! The GEVOs are engines that I devoutly hope and pray someone kits up and releases into the mass market now that Polk is all the way gone, and with it the hope of more dash 9s. I'd love to have an NS ES44 with that longer, thicker radiator housing compared to the dash 9. Are you building in 1:29 or 1:32? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrown7713 Posted February 4, 2017 Share Posted February 4, 2017 Hey Joe, it is all packed up and ready to go, I will send it Monday. I am sending two thumb drives, don't know which program it uses, but you or that website that you found should be able to figure it out. Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 5, 2017 Author Share Posted February 5, 2017 This is in 1/32. I contemplated building in 1/29 to match the USA engines. I think I may go back and cut them down to 1/32 or just leave them alone? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrown7713 Posted February 7, 2017 Share Posted February 7, 2017 Joe, this information is great and I am soaking it up. It is nice getting tips for future projects that I have never tried, helps quite a bit. Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 7, 2017 Author Share Posted February 7, 2017 I lost steam on this project and haven't done anything more. I think the flu bug tried to bite and has knocked away some energy. I will get back to it soon. I imagine there are many ways to do all this. I'll just share what I do. When I work outside in the cold with styrene, it tends to get brittle. So if it's summer time, I tend to do more of a finish cut with less work after. Anyone who's done vinyl siding in different climates, knows what I'm describing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 Well I'm trying again. I went to use my old computer to load a laser program and had to update it. It's taking all day so I started back on this. I made the rear cooling section removable for now. I may just glue it on. I'm not sure I'll need the access like the O scale has? I think this whole section should be brass. I could solder on the pieces. I just don't have the means to handle, cut and bend the brass strips properly. So it's plastic again for this one. Wish I had the laser up and running! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted February 14, 2017 Share Posted February 14, 2017 That is coming along nicely ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 14, 2017 Author Share Posted February 14, 2017 The best thing about the most modern of the diesels, is the massive size of the cooling sections. The hardest thing to model, is those cooling sections! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrown7713 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Joe, what type of plastic do you use, and how thick? Doesn't look really white like urethane like I would expect. I am asking because I don't know. You are building fast, faster than I am. Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 I have the two brand's sheets that the hobby store sells in various thicknesses (Plastruct and Evergreen). The plastic is relatively soft. I also went to a plastics store in Buffalo and got some of their plastic (styrene) sheets and scraps. It measures about 1/8" thick and is much harder. So I prefer to use that as it's much more stable and easier to machine to better edges because of that. The main flaw is most of what I got has a rough side. They do have smooth on both sides but not any precut pieces that day. Otherwise you have to buy the whole sheet or pay for cuts I think? I bought a lot of their 1/4" plastic too that I haven't used much of yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 Joe What glue/glues are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rbrown7713 Posted February 16, 2017 Share Posted February 16, 2017 I use medium viscosity super glue. I also use the accelerator with it. It is like welding is to steel. Bob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 16, 2017 Author Share Posted February 16, 2017 Yeap. I have tried a bunch of glues and chemicals. When they don't work right, the part will snap off just from handling. Even the chemical that the plastic supplier sold me did not work fully. It did melt the plastic. It still did not bond fully? I have had very good luck with Gorilla super glue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nscaler711 Posted February 17, 2017 Share Posted February 17, 2017 Have you tried using Tenax 7r? It is essentially a plastic weld. Since you are using styrene it should work even better than the Gorilla Super Glue that you are using. I have used it on a few kits and generally speaking the parts would fail before my joints would. If you do use it, it dries extremely fast so it's a bit easier to brush it on while the parts are close together, but not touching persay... also great work on 2010, I am excited to see what you are going to do with the UFO lighting on the frame sill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
enginear joe Posted February 17, 2017 Author Share Posted February 17, 2017 I bet we each have glues and methods that work. I built a SD70ACe and handled it a lot while building it. Stuff kept breaking off. It was frustrating. I would get the fumes from the cement that would make you sick! After enduring those fumes and still having stuff fail, made me almost quit building. Since trying the Gorilla, nothing falls off. I think that it has some kind of rubber component that handles shocks better? I do re-enforce any body joints with hot melt inside when possible. So I stay with what works for me. I try not to breath in any of this stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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