Lionel y6b to y6a conversion

I figured I might as well do it right the first time. Smoothed out the rough walkway that was filled in and the holes around the boiler. The lower half is getting a brass sheet that will be held down by screws inside the boiler. This will give it a perfectly round boiler shape and allow me to solder the new walkway and brass details on

New front end lightly glued in place on the boiler. Smokebox front has been soldered on. 

The original Lionel boiler has to be cut to length and then the boiler milled out to allow  for correct dimensions for an unlagged boiler. 

Time to get this back together. Lower half of the boiler trimmed and modified to allow the top half to slide over it. I have new walkways and the brass details to be soldered on. Rivets will be added too. 

The y6a has a railing at the back of the pilot unlike the y6b. This detail has been added to my model 

Let me rephrase that. Because of clearance needed for the addition of the SA FWH system, the Y6b has front handrails unlike any other of the Y class locos...

A day off spent etching parts. Number board, walkways, and other detail parts etching. I really like how the number board turned out 

n&wsteamfan posted:

A day off spent etching parts. Number board, walkways, and other detail parts etching. I really like how the number board turned out. 

I don't know anything about etching.  Would you mind explaining how you do the etching (and possibly show the tools), for example the number board?

pennsy484 posted:

n&wsteamfan posted:

A day off spent etching parts. Number board, walkways, and other detail parts etching. I really like how the number board turned out. 

I don't know anything about etching.  Would you mind explaining how you do the etching (and possibly show the tools), for example the number board?

I'll second that request. Also, that is the front number PLATE, not "number board", which turned out VERY nice too.

Some more parts today. I have a boiler strap etching to hide the transition from the brass boiler to the original Lionel. 

Search youtube for etching, plenty of details going over all the different methods in detail.  There's more than one way for sure.

The photo etching process can be difficult and there is certainly a learning curve to it but once you get through the learning stages you can create almost anything. Different parts can be layered to make a 3D effect. There aren’t any special tools to do this. A design needs to be drawn with a front and back. It’s printed on a special transparency and the brass is exposed to it under UV light. 

I don’t want to get ahead of myself though. The brass needs to have a special film applied to it called photo resist. This is laminated on the brass. The brass can then be cut to different sizes so you won’t waste any as the prep work to laminate the brass is labor intensive and very time consuming. One mistake and you’ve wasted time, money, and have to do it all over again. 

After you get expose your brass it needs to be devoloped. This is done with a diluted solution of sodium hydroxide. The diluted sodium hydroxide removes all the unexposed areas that were not hit with the UV light. The UV light hardens the resist areas and the unexposed areas wash away. 

Now you are ready to etch. I use ferric chloride for my etching solution. Timing depends on the thickness of the metal and how many details you have. 

TexasSP posted:

Search youtube for etching, plenty of details going over all the different methods in detail.  There's more than one way for sure.

There really isn’t more than one way to etch. There are really only a few etchants that can be used. The process to do them is all the same. Literally all the same. 

After etching the piece needs to have to remaining resist removed. This is done in undiluted sodium hydroxide. 

Starting to look like something. I’m not sure yet what that something is 😁

Boiler strap added this evening. A little more smoothing before it’s finished. I might even add another strap on top for more depth but you can see how the boiler and smokebox will blend together

Last detail for the weekend 

I made a new batch of etching solution. I ruined the fireman’s side walkway trying to etch with old, well used enchant. I’ll have to make a new piece to etch, hopefully this evening. When the etching solution is used the etchings take much longer and they don’t etch evenly as is the case of the walkway. The center etched too much while both ends weren’t etched enough. 

I spend hours searching through google and the nwhs page for picture references. What I have found shows that the y6b engine also had the rear railing on the pilot by the smokebox. I haven’t found a picture of one without it yet. Even the last y6b 2200 shows one. It’s really interesting to me to see the different variations of the y6b. It’s interesting to see 2171 with a swinging bell too  

I have a oval smokebox door that I had always planned on modifying a model to represent the early version 

Phenomenal, love seeing this slowly coming together. The raw color of the boiler actually looks like it is full scale to me.

I had to make a special etching tank to etch the longer pieces. A new and longer bubble filter. I was having a problem of the center etching out completely. Always have a catch pan underneath and a room that can be easily cleaned and ok to get dirty. 

This is a test piece

Very Impressive work...I enjoy watching this loco's transformation.

Real modeling!!!! Just love it.

Ron H

I may get around to getting this thing ready for paint today. It was a late night but the details have all been added. 

I didn’t like the smooth rod I had used so trying to stay close to prototypical I took 4 wires and made a new wire to recreate the wrapping. This is done by twisting the wires and inserting one end into a drill and holding the other end with pliers. Turn the drill and the wires will be tightly wound together 

Ron H posted:

Real modeling!!!! Just love it.

Ron H

Dave Funk posted:

Very Impressive work...I enjoy watching this loco's transformation.

Thank you! I have it ready to prime now 

I'm guessing there's a lot of people that will have no idea how much work goes into something like this, I'm sure it'll be a magnificent locomotive when you're done.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I'm guessing there's a lot of people that will have no idea how much work goes into something like this, I'm sure it'll be a magnificent locomotive when you're done.

Now this comment means a lot to me. I think so few people realize just how much work goes into doing something like this project. The time involved with research, drawing it on autocad, making the parts, soldering, redoing parts...etc. Now take into account I’ve taken a $1000 model and chopped it up just hoping it’ll look like a y6a when I’m done 😁

You're going to have a real one-of-a-kind - something you'll always be proud of.

n&wsteamfan posted:

Aaron,
Don't forget the other pipe going into the box.

49Lionel posted:

You're going to have a real one-of-a-kind - something you'll always be proud of.

It’ll definitely be a one of a kind....good or bad 🤣

Big Jim posted:

n&wsteamfan posted:

Aaron,
Don't forget the other pipe going into the box.

Hey Jimmy,

I didnt forget it. I put some paint on this evening. I’ll post some pictures tomorrow 

Messing around tonight and threw on the rivers and some paint. This will have to be repainted, not my best job but I wanted to see how the rivets turned out. 

Are those rivets the micro mark decal type ?... they look very good.

Dave Funk posted:

Are those rivets the micro mark decal type ?... they look very good.

These are made by Archer but they are a decal. 

It might sound crazy but I’ll usually paint a model 3-4 times when I’m doing something like this before it’s finished. Little imperfections or details missed show up when the paint is applied. It doesn’t take long to strip and repaint. I made an oops on the smokebox paint anyways so it will have to be stripped. 

I want to create a new walkway on the engineers side that matches the fireman’s side. Same diameter holes. Curved edge. Shorter mounting strap. 

I still have to add flanges to the feedwater pipe and box I made. Work continues at a snails pace.