Hey, anyone have suggestions for how one goes about assembling the boiler and fittings for the Bowser G5s? How does one attach the domes, the brass fittings, etc? Do you ream out the holes? Do you use screws? I think it's a sharp little model, but the instructions are not very thorough. A direct reply can come to snipped-for-privacy@maine.edu , or snipped-for-privacy@Juno.com . Of course, a reply here will be checked as well. Thank you for your help with this project.
Dick
You can ream out the holes so that you can bolt the parts onto the boiler. Some parts have tangs on them, these can be glued into the holes with epoxy or thick CA. Wash all parts in detergent and rinse, dry well before gluing.
Biggest problem with any diecast kit is to make the parts fit properly - you'll need one of those collections of needle files (aka Swis files or watchmaker's files.)
HTH&GL
"R.Glueck" wrote in message news:dm5rtm$vge$ snipped-for-privacy@tturner.unet.maine.edu...
On my kit, the sand dome and steam dome are attached with 2-56 x 1/4" screws, as described on the Bowser instruction sheet. I used the old Cary "super detail" kit brass parts to replace the pot metal air pump and power reverse. I made my own replacement air tanks, brackets for the under-running board air pipes, and piping, and then soldered all these parts to the brass running boards before adding the running boards to the boiler. I soldered wire representing the electrical conduit to the generator and headlight before mounting these parts to the boiler. The generator, headlight, bell, pop valves, and whistle were all press fit, supplemented by a little ACC super glue, into holes drilled into the boiler. If you are going to add the sander pipes and steam lines from the turret, install these before doing the handrails. On locos with straight handrails like the G-5, I usually install the handrail posts first and then run the handrail in though the installed posts. The handrail posts are installed the same way as the other boiler details, except that I like to put a short length of wire through the hole both to use as a handle and to properly align the hole in the post. I formed the right, left and curved section over the smokebox handrails out of one long brass wire, then thread the electrical junction boxes for the generator, headlight and markers onto the handrails, and then thread this handrail assembly into the posts on both sides of the boiler from the front. Geezer
R.Glueck:
It's usually best to start with the mechanism, when putting one of these metal kits together, but if starting with the boiler is easier for you, go ahead and do that.
Fully in agreement with Wolf's advice, with just a little to add. When putting fittings on the boiler, be careful that any that may mount with a single lug are level, straight, and square with the loco's centerline. I would build a cradle to hold the superstructure level with some surface, and use that surface to align to. You don't exactly need a surface plate, just a flat desktop and some care. Also be sure the running boards are level and straight. Take care to remove the flash from the boiler top, but take it slow so you don't cut off too much.
For reaming, I usually use drill bits or the tang of an old file (I hate to admit it). I have also ground bicycle spokes half off into makeshift reamers.
Finally, do a 'dry run' on all assemblies, without glue, to make sure they will fit together properly. Don't force anything; take off material a little bit at a time when reaming holes or cutting away flash. Beware of melting small parts with the soldering iron, or stripping screws and nuts. I think I have made every possible blunder in these areas. About half of them were on that $%^& Arbour kit. May the Arbour tribe find a rattlesnake hole in their teepee.
Keep on pumping the newsgroup for help, too...you may need more when you come around to the valve gear.
Cordially yours, Gerard P.
R.Glueck: I posted some other stuff through Google; haven't seen it yet, so I'll give it some time.
You might also look here:
Cordially yours, Gerard P.
If they're not in an area subject to a lot of stress, sometimes you can glue them on with some success, just use high strength epoxies or such.
Better is to pin them on with heavy brass wire. Drill through both parts for a snug fit on the pin(s), then use super glue. Two or more pins eliminates any subsequent rotation of the parts.
Best is often to screw them on. Either drill and tap the part or the boiler. Sometimes a screw or nut can be soldered onto the back of the detail part to facilitate this. Sometimes a thin piece of sheet brass can be screwed (unobtrusively) onto the boiler, and then detail parts (piping, tanks, etc.) soldered to that.
It's possible to copper-plate the boiler, then solder to it. Sadly, I've seen some efforts at this spoiled by the plating coming off in chunks (but this was after many years), taking the details with it.
Dan Mitchell ============
PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.