Buy/Make Anything Cool Lately (Tinplate Version)

jhz563 posted:

Got this little beauty from Mrs. Z for Christmas,  just got it unboxed today.  

Combo roll, break, shear.   I have lots to learn,  but hopefully by next Christmas I can be pulling some nice looking homemade cars around the tree!

I have a 30" wide version from Harbor Freight. Sheared, bent and rolled a lot of sheet metal over the past 3 years. the brand is KAKA? I hope not. I found that these guys need some set up to work properly:  get your thickness gauges out and carefully set the gap between the blade and baseplate to 10% of the thickness of the sheet metal you are going to shear. Check the center carefully, mine has a bolt that allows tension to be added to keep the blade from bending. A little tricky to get that right. I shear steel and aluminum sheet from about .020 to .060 (aluminum only). with mine. The stop on the right side of mine was not installed at a 90% angle, that needed work. The rolls up top were not exactly smooth, had to work on those. and it is just a little tricky to do precise bends with the v notch. I found that putting a light BEHIND the tool while bending helped to get the sheet metal on the marks before committing to bend.  Hope that helps. Your tool might be a better quality machine than mine, enjoy, it's great to be able to work sheet metal and mine has certainly paid for itself many times over.

Jim

Jim,

 thanks for the insight! I got the stop on the right side as close to square as I could already.  As delivered the shear blades were going to collide.  I got them close but clear.  The most it can do is 18 gauge material, so I will have to find some feeler gauges and try to set a specific gap.  This is my first time with one of these so not sure what all I will try to do with it yet, but i have a few ideas.  I really like the idea of making some metal parts myself but went through shop class in high school as a wood worker, so I have lots to learn.

JHZ563

Looks great, would love to get one.

Question, does it have the box brake capabilities?

RonH posted:

Looks great, would love to get one.

Question, does it have the box brake capabilities?

These guys (at least the 30" one I have), do have sectioned v notch plates so you can remove and reconfigure to do box bends. I paid about $300 for the 30" and built a stand to attach it to so I have access from all sides.  I have sheared a lot of aluminum and a fair amount of galvanized steel with it, still shearing pretty well, will have to see what I have to do when it gets dull. I have heard that you have to remove the flat rest plate and have the edge reground, and remove the blade and get it's edge ground. That might cost as much as new parts!

Jim

RonH posted:

Looks great, would love to get one.

Question, does it have the box brake capabilities?

Like Jim said,  there is a v notch die in the middle for making 90 degree bends.  There is a shear at the bottom and rolls at the top.   It does not have finger break style set up so not the best for making boxes.   For me having the shear alone is huge. 

I won't really have time to play with this till summer but I have started YouTube videos to learn some techniques. 

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Picked this one up a few weeks ago.  A 7010 engine, which would be a Montgomery Ward's special engine from American Flyer, c. 1929-1930.  I had one, but its paint was not as nice as this one.

NWL

NWL,

Do you or does anyone know if there are any parts suppliers that would carry the handrails for these?

Will posted:

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Picked this one up a few weeks ago.  A 7010 engine, which would be a Montgomery Ward's special engine from American Flyer, c. 1929-1930.  I had one, but its paint was not as nice as this one.

NWL

NWL,

Do you or does anyone know if there are any parts suppliers that would carry the handrails for these?

I'm not aware of any, but I've certainly needed some in the past. Also there a couple of distinct styles.

Steve

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Will posted:

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Picked this one up a few weeks ago.  A 7010 engine, which would be a Montgomery Ward's special engine from American Flyer, c. 1929-1930.  I had one, but its paint was not as nice as this one.

NWL

NWL,

Do you or does anyone know if there are any parts suppliers that would carry the handrails for these?

I'm not aware of any, but I've certainly needed some in the past. Also there a couple of distinct styles.

Steve

As Steve indicated, there are 2 different styles of these handrails.  Additionally, some engines come without the handrails installed.  I know the 1270 does not have them and I also have an odd engine that did not have them installed originally.  Generally, the ones that did not have them originally, have the mounting holes covered in paint (ie the paint fills the opening and dried that way).  

As for any reproduction parts, no I am not aware of anyone making these.  You would have to find a junker with the parts you need in order to get some.

Here are a couple of the odd ones that came without handrails.

NWL

Nation Wide Lines posted

As Steve indicated, there are 2 different styles of these handrails.  Additionally, some engines come without the handrails installed.  I know the 1270 does not have them and I also have an odd engine that did not have them installed originally.  Generally, the ones that did not have them originally, have the mounting holes covered in paint (ie the paint fills the opening and dried that way).  

As for any reproduction parts, no I am not aware of anyone making these.  You would have to find a junker with the parts you need in order to get some.

Here are a couple of the odd ones that came without handrails.

NWL

Mine has flat handrails  on one side- slots on the other-and this odd light that I guess someone added. Also the circles on the ends that look like electrical box punch outs. I think it was repainted too, because there is no residual lettering at all.

Did any of these come with lights? Was there ever anything in that unused hole in the roof?

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Will posted:

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Picked this one up a few weeks ago.  A 7010 engine, which would be a Montgomery Ward's special engine from American Flyer, c. 1929-1930.  I had one, but its paint was not as nice as this one.

NWL

NWL,

Do you or does anyone know if there are any parts suppliers that would carry the handrails for these?

I'm not aware of any, but I've certainly needed some in the past. Also there a couple of distinct styles.

Steve

I think they could be made pretty easily from brass stock with a nipper and a Dremel grinder.

George

StevefromPA posted:

on another note- what the heck did I buy here? It’s a “3 in 1” train set with built rite cardboard buildings

 

This is a rare set 204/763GW made by Heinrich Wimmer in the 50s. Called construction train set 3 in 1.

There must be a retaining bolt on the red carriage, which can be used to remove the body. underneath there must be a cart with wood and you can also put the yellow body on it.

Arne

George S posted:

Steve "Papa" Eastman posted:

Will posted:

Nation Wide Lines posted:

Picked this one up a few weeks ago.  A 7010 engine, which would be a Montgomery Ward's special engine from American Flyer, c. 1929-1930.  I had one, but its paint was not as nice as this one.

NWL

NWL,

Do you or does anyone know if there are any parts suppliers that would carry the handrails for these?

I'm not aware of any, but I've certainly needed some in the past. Also there a couple of distinct styles.

Steve

I think they could be made pretty easily from brass stock with a nipper and a Dremel grinder.

George

I would be easier and less time consuming, and probably cheaper, to find a junker.  If you try and make one, you will likely have a lot of time into trying to cut it and get it correct.  The originals were made from steel and trying to make one out of a cheaper metal like brass is going to lead to one that will not hold up to lots of handling over time, as the brass will have a greater likelihood to bend and/or deform.

I have a very nice one that is missing a single handrail and I have owned it for over 15 years, and it is still missing the handrail.  I just don't see a need for it to be perfect, it is a toy after all, and the 1201/1218 engines are the lowest of the low, when it comes to American Flyer.  They were the cheapest and most mass produced electric engine, with one being able to find very nice examples for around $100 maximum.  

NWL

jhz563 posted:

RonH posted:

Looks great, would love to get one.

Question, does it have the box brake capabilities?

Like Jim said,  there is a v notch die in the middle for making 90 degree bends.  There is a shear at the bottom and rolls at the top.   It does not have finger break style set up so not the best for making boxes.   For me having the shear alone is huge. 

I won't really have time to play with this till summer but I have started YouTube videos to learn some techniques. 

Actually I have an update.   In watching videos it does have finger brake capability.   If you look closely you can see that there are joints in the brake mechanism.   I am now more excited than ever to try this out.

Good thing you edited your post. I was going to warn you about that feature to break fingers...

George

Arne posted:

StevefromPA posted:

on another note- what the heck did I buy here? It’s a “3 in 1” train set with built rite cardboard buildings

 

This is a rare set 204/763GW made by Heinrich Wimmer in the 50s. Called construction train set 3 in 1.

There must be a retaining bolt on the red carriage, which can be used to remove the body. underneath there must be a cart with wood and you can also put the yellow body on it.

Arne

Thanks for the info Arne- I’ve only heard of HWN. I just thought the trains, carboard buildings and track was a nice deal for $20 the other night so I jumped. I saw a boxed one was also for sale but don’t know how much that ended up selling at.

here are some pictures and a video:

With Santa Fe Box Car

Magic! Log car!

..turns into a passenger car

thought the engine looked very familiar to a Karl Bub engine I snagged in September or aoctober. Upon further reading the 2 companies briefly collaborated in the 60s. Unfortunately, the Bub doesn’t work.

Video to come after I free storage on my phone ha

And the video. The level grade crossing did not come with the set- I purchased that about a year ago. I ran it with just the tender because, even without the crossing creating a grade to climb(level grade crossing crating a grade- wow) it still doesn’t last too long. That said, for some reason, I’ve always been unnecessarily careful with wind-ups because I was scared as a kid I’d break it ha

Have purchased some things that haven't shown up yet... But to squish the bug a little bit, I went through my Marx electric stuff and cleaned all the goo and crap and yuck off of the motors. They run way cooler and much better on my little loop of test track.

from the continent this week. Bub baggage trio

Yay! Things are starting to show up! 

This is my first time with the Marx scale tin diesels. What a nice heft and really neat lithography. The only other "warbonnet" Santa Fe stuff I have is a WBB Alco PA passenger set. The CV is electric, but notice the little lever on top? I haven't tried it out yet but this may be a super old non-e-unit loco. Excite! Definitely worth a respray.

Edit: YES! That's exactly what that lever is for! Very cool old motor... (the wheels are wobbly though) and the giant EMD's look soooo bad going around O27 curves! 

Steamwolf :  I agree the Marx 21 Santa Fe Warbonnets are really cool.  I have set 45225 from the Allied Toy Distributors, New York, catalog of 1951-52 and I am enclosing pictures of both the engines and the consist.  This set came with track and a 50 watt transformer plus a lock on and wire.  The same set was also featured in the 1952 Marx "catalog".  My set actually shows that the box had originally been marked 45200 then over stamped 45225, the difference is that the 45225 set came with the tank car. Why over stamp the box?  - well Marx was famous for saving money, so why waste a perfectly good box

As you can see, these are the so called 3/16 " Scale cars but they ride on special "high" trucks designed to accommodate the higher coupler position of the 21 lithographed diesel.   Like most Marx I find, this one runs like a champ!

Regards, Don

Don McErlean posted:

Steamwolf :  I agree the Marx 21 Santa Fe Warbonnets are really cool.  I have set 45225 from the Allied Toy Distributors, New York, catalog of 1951-52 and I am enclosing pictures of both the engines and the consist.  This set came with track and a 50 watt transformer plus a lock on and wire.  The same set was also featured in the 1952 Marx "catalog".  My set actually shows that the box had originally been marked 45200 then over stamped 45225, the difference is that the 45225 set came with the tank car. Why over stamp the box?  - well Marx was famous for saving money, so why waste a perfectly good box

As you can see, these are the so called 3/16 " Scale cars but they ride on special "high" trucks designed to accommodate the higher coupler position of the 21 lithographed diesel.   Like most Marx I find, this one runs like a champ!

Regards, Don

Don, that looks absolutely AMAZING. What a fantastic consist. I'm going to have to scour the-bay and local train shows for that stuff. Thank you very very much for sharing. Could you pm more pictures please? I took the drive truck on the power unit all apart today and cleaned it up really really well, and with a little Trainmaster 4050 transformer at barely off 0, it flies. Literally. I had to catch it before it fell off the table.  Clean Marx motors are pretty amazing. Very cool story about the box too - like Hafner and their recycling.

Steamwolf:  I will post pictures of the consist as it appeared in the box.  Likely be a day or so as I am working tomorrow. Happy to share with you. Here are some descriptors in the mean time.

S.C.C.X 652 Shell Tank Car Yellow tank, red lettering, black dome and ladders.  This was the "extra" car that distinguished the

# 45225 set from the #45200.  Both were available 1951-1952

GAEX # 1950 Green and Yellow Box Car, lithographed, sliding doors

# 44572 C&O High Side Gondola, Black with white lettering and "rivets", lithographed

#1951 Santa Fe Caboose (red with black roof)

These all had "High Semi - Scale" trucks with metal "pickle fork" couplers.  The key to making this work with the #21 is to make sure any cars you get have these "high" trucks.  They only lasted a few years in the 50's and they were put on the cars specifically to mate with the #21 loco.  These same cars came with other Marx trucks / couplers but those are not fully compatible with the #21.

Good Hunting...these cars are not normally too rare nor too expensive and may be available on e-bay. I know what you mean about the Marx motors, almost without exception no matter the condition of the engine when I find them, the Marx engines run (spark, stutter, and otherwise make noise but run).

Thank you for the compliments on the set.

Regards Don

Finished this 'sanding station' today. The base is from a junk switch plate bottom and the sand tank is actually a HO water tank that was in really rough shape. Definitely would look better on say a green felt. Thought of tabs to hold the Erector house but opted with the screws for changing the light bulb.

Yay! More Marx in the mail. CV repaint from a really really nice guy named Rick... Can always have another CV!

John H. Shetler posted:

Finished this 'sanding station' today. The base is from a junk switch plate bottom and the sand tank is actually a HO water tank that was in really rough shape. Definitely would look better on say a green felt. Thought of tabs to hold the Erector house but opted with the screws for changing the light bulb.

That's very cool. Did the water tank have those long legs or did you fabricate that? How did you do the word "sand". 

Will

The tank I bought at a Keystone Div. show and was assembled/soldered together. The previous owner stated he thought it was a kit you could buy years ago but that's all he could recall. If it was a kit, it sure looks like handmade versus mass production. The rods are copper and the sheet metal is tinned. Originally painted black but most of that was gone. The lettering I added is from a dry transfer sheet of various font sizes/styles.

John

I decided I like the look of Marx scale tin on the "tall" trucks when pulled by my K-Line Marx 333 clone. Finally got around to fixing up a Marx tender and caboose to use with it.

The caboose was a 4 wheel 7" piece and the tender was a 4 wheel plastic piece. Both now run on 8 wheels held in Marx deluxe trucks. The earlier tin trucks would blend in better, but these are what I could find.

I made a tin base and pre-war style Luffa tree to enhance the standard gauge diner I made last year.

handyandy posted:

I decided I like the look of Marx scale tin on the "tall" trucks when pulled by my K-Line Marx 333 clone. Finally got around to fixing up a Marx tender and caboose to use with it.

The caboose was a 4 wheel 7" piece and the tender was a 4 wheel plastic piece. Both now run on 8 wheels held in Marx deluxe trucks. The earlier tin trucks would blend in better, but these are what I could find.

I always prefered the look of those trucks

Handyandy:  Caboose looks great.  The 7" tin cars always were pretty cool.  I don't know if you knew but Marx actually made the Nos 20110 through 20124 "Pacemaker" caboose in 8 wheel form using type D trucks, 1954-1958.  It also made a similar 8 wheel caboose, same shell, as numbered 1951, but lithographed AT&SF from 1951-53.  I also have the  AT&SF with Type G trucks, which were the "high" trucks made to match the type 21 Santa Fe lithographed F-3's.

STEAMWOLF :  Red CV looks really neat, but the tender is OUTSTANDING, looks factory fresh in both paint and lettering. Rick did one great job. 

By the way, you mentioned that you had cleaned your Marx motors - what method and cleaner did you use?  I plan to try the same thing on some of mine.  Thanks.

Don McErlean

Don McErlean posted:

Handyandy:  Caboose looks great.  The 7" tin cars always were pretty cool.  I don't know if you knew but Marx actually made the Nos 20110 through 20124 "Pacemaker" caboose in 8 wheel form using type D trucks, 1954-1958.  It also made a similar 8 wheel caboose, same shell, as numbered 1951, but lithographed AT&SF from 1951-53.  I also have the  AT&SF with Type G trucks, which were the "high" trucks made to match the type 21 Santa Fe lithographed F-3's.

STEAMWOLF :  Red CV looks really neat, but the tender is OUTSTANDING, looks factory fresh in both paint and lettering. Rick did one great job. 

By the way, you mentioned that you had cleaned your Marx motors - what method and cleaner did you use?  I plan to try the same thing on some of mine.  Thanks.

Don McErlean

 

 

Don, thanks for the compliment on not my hard work. I do agree it looks outstanding and am looking forward to seeing more of that 21!

My technique is quite straightforward. Using an old sour cream container with contact cleaner, first I remove the brush plate, brushes and springs, put the brushes and the springs in the tub to de-goo. The armature goes in there too. After that, I'll dip a q-tip in the ECC and clean out the brush holder holes, spray the windings down with ECC and then either rag or qtip the axles with brake kleen. Sometimes I'll just spray it right in there if the gunk is stubborn enough. Wheels and pickup shoe get cleaned with q-tip dipped in the ECC. If parts come off the inside of the body or the motor, they go in the tub of cleaner.

Once everything is super clean and before assembly, I'll take my Scratch Pen and deep deep clean the commutator, dipping it often in the ECC until it's new penny shined. Once everything is back together, the axles and armature get a drop or two of very light machine oil. I have some stuff I use for the oil cups in my old fans, I think it's sewing machine oil. The gears get a light coating of molybdenum disulphide grease. After that, I take it inside and run it for half an hour or so just to let everything get reseated and happy. After that I lubricate the bearings again and put the locomotive in a place out of the dust. 

A new arrival- a Bing Gauge One CLR ("Central London Railway") No. 24. I believe the Bing model number is 210/2560. Based on a photo in the back of the Bing catalog reprint volume, it appears to date to 1914, but I welcome further information as I am no expert at Bing model numbers! Decoration is in a very colorful litho- I particularly like the GBN logo on the hood. The motor is super basic, driving one axle only. And then there's the cloth-covered headlight socket, have never seen that before.

I thought I'd post my humble tree project in case anyone might find it useful.  I am making a winter version of a Lionel scenic plot for my Christmas tinplate layout. You can see this in the last photo. Still to come are hedges, walkways, fences, steps, snow. 

Here are the basic steps to the trees.

1. They are made from chenille stems from the craft store (we used to know them as pipe cleaners) twisted around a bamboo skewer. This is the artistic part of the process: how many and what shape are the limbs. I did a couple before i did one I liked. You could embellish with stranded wire for smaller branches and more realism, but this is a repro Lionel layout, so I kept them simple.

2. They are then trimmed with wire cutters and the ends of the branches are tapered with a cigarette lighter. I didn't show this step, just the before and after. 

3. I then made a slurry of Durham's Rock Hard water putty tinted with acrylic paint and liberally painted that on to disguise some of the twisty structure.

4. To simulate snow, I simply poked them through a cardboard box and dusted them from what is the top with gloss white spray paint. Then I did a judicious application of modge podge and sprinkled this with glitter while wet for some sparkle.

All in all, I am pretty happy with them.

Will posted:

I thought I'd post my humble tree project in case anyone might find it useful.  I am making a winter version of a Lionel scenic plot for my Christmas tinplate layout. You can see this in the last photo. Still to come are hedges, walkways, fences, steps, snow. 

This would make a nice step-by-step how-to article for the magazine, Will. I would need a series of hi-res step-by-step photos (plai, contrasting white or light background would be best) along with some finished photos to show the final product on the layout. Would be ideal for our next Oct. or Dec. issue, or even before, and you would get a couple of hundred bucks if it is published. Think it over and let me know if you are interested.

wow, great offer!

Allan Miller posted:

Will posted:

I thought I'd post my humble tree project in case anyone might find it useful.  I am making a winter version of a Lionel scenic plot for my Christmas tinplate layout. You can see this in the last photo. Still to come are hedges, walkways, fences, steps, snow. 

This would make a nice step-by-step how-to article for the magazine, Will. I would need a series of hi-res step-by-step photos (plai, contrasting white or light background would be best) along with some finished photos to show the final product on the layout. Would be ideal for our next Oct. or Dec. issue, or even before, and you would get a couple of hundred bucks if it is published. Think it over and let me know if you are interested.

Thanks, Allan, that's a very nice offer. When would the deadline be for one of those issues?

A little something special showed up while I was out of town. While these used to be easy to find,  now that I wanted it they all disappeared. This took me about 2 years one!

Will posted:

Allan Miller posted:

Will posted:

I thought I'd post my humble tree project in case anyone might find it useful.  I am making a winter version of a Lionel scenic plot for my Christmas tinplate layout. You can see this in the last photo. Still to come are hedges, walkways, fences, steps, snow. 

This would make a nice step-by-step how-to article for the magazine, Will. I would need a series of hi-res step-by-step photos (plai, contrasting white or light background would be best) along with some finished photos to show the final product on the layout. Would be ideal for our next Oct. or Dec. issue, or even before, and you would get a couple of hundred bucks if it is published. Think it over and let me know if you are interested.

Thanks, Allan, that's a very nice offer. When would the deadline be for one of those issues?

In effect, you pretty much set the deadline. Once you have an article ready to be submitted to me, I will work it into the schedule for an upcoming issue. Since the issues are planned several months in advance of their release date, I would just say that the sooner you get an article to me, the sooner it can be added to the publishing schedule.

But I realize that folks have "real lives" to contend with, so I would not want to rush you. Work on it at your convenience, and let me know when you feel you might have it ready. Send me an email (editor@ogaugerr.com) and I will send you a copy of our Author Guidelines by return email.

This isn't about tinplate but it fits here. When I find them I've been buying cast iron road sign for my layout. Previously I bought a no parking and last week I got a turn sign and a RR crossing sign. The paint on all was in poor condition and as you'd expect for the time they were made just a single color.  I usually find these in lots with some other junk I want so I get them pretty cheap. I can't believe the prices on that auction site, the small ones are listed for between $10 and $30 and the larger one I've seen as high as $60. 

Recently I saw some pictures of white Ives Standard Gauge trains, very nice but not in the budget at the moment ( or probably ever).  I liked the look so..... I bought a couple of junk Ives cars from that auction site and have stated making my own white train. The combine car is painted and I'm working on the observation and watching for an Ives locomotive I can afford. I'll order some gold Ives decals to finish the cars off while I look for a locomotive and a coach car.   Also if anyone knows where I could buy a couple of sets of stairs for the observation car please let me know.