Plywood Madness…

[RoughboyModelworks]

Just published a short article on http://roughboy.net on how I make Boxwood/Brass plywood for use in building up locomotive running boards and the like. I've found this particularly useful on operational shay models, as the running boards are susceptible to damage from handling. These pieces are two of several that are destined for the Lima Shay 122 currently in the works in the shop.



Basically it's a .010" T. layer of brass sandwiched between two .015" T. layers of Boxwood, all cut and trimmed to size in a Preac saw, textured then stained and weathered. Overall thickness is just under a scale 2" in 1:48 so they can easily represent a 2x8 or 2x10 plank. A more complete description of the process is posted on the blog. The outside edge is finished off with a trim strip of Boxwood which replicates the lip edge of the running board and hides the brass line.

Paul

[MrBrownstone]

Hey Paul,

Very Nice.... I like it alot... I can think of a few applications

Thanks for sharing...

Mike

[finescalerr]

Clever, Paul. I think you taught that trick to Dick Christ, right? -- Russ

[RoughboyModelworks]

I believe so Russ. The first time I did this on a shay we were still living on the east coast so that would make it at least 15 years ago. Boy, time sure does fly by...

Paul

[marc_reusser]

Neat trick.  Thanks.

Did you roughen the brass surfaces to get better adhesion with the ACC?

M

[John McGuyer]

Clever idea. If you have access to a mill, you could notch one side and pretty much bury the brass inside.

John

[marc_reusser]

John,

I had a sim thought. I was thinking you could just cut one piece thicker and then mill a recess into it (leaving a lip on all for sides, then just fit the bras onto the recess. then just attach the other wood piece over the whole thing, and lightlt sand any seam showing at the sides/edges. This though sounds like more labor work than Pauls solution.

Marc

[lab-dad]

Why not just use brass for the whole thing?
Grain it like wood and paint it. Who'd know?
I must be missing something here.
-Mj

[John McGuyer]

Marc!

Great minds quite often work together, even if they are both somewhat warped. I'll bet I could throw one piece on a wavy parallel and make a pass with an end mill while they are still thinking about gluing strips around it. The reason for doing it this way is that it is a whole lot easier than trying to grain and paint a piece of brass to look like wood.

Yesterday I was doing a similar thing in brass. When I do vertical brake shafts, I like brass, but it is somewhat fragile sticking up there. Remember my models get knocked around a lot. So I use brass tube with a core of piano wire. I've also done the same trick with handrails.

John

[Chuck Doan]

I too still like wood to represent wood, at least in O scale up. I just finished another window...real wood, real glass, real putty...pretty real!

John, nice tip. Do you find piano wire alone troublesome to paint?

[RoughboyModelworks]

I use wood to represent wood, it's as simple as that. Brass just can't produce the needed combination of weathered wood colour and texture, at least I've never been able to achieve that with metal. I tried something similar John, milling a recess on one piece to inlay the brass sheet, but I found that it was a lot easier and quicker for me to go this route. Ripping a thin strip of boxwood for an edge piece is only a matter of a few minutes work on the Preac and I usually rip enough stock at once to do all the necessary outside edges. Yes Marc I do put a fine texture on the brass, usually just a quick dip in some acid etch is all that's needed. The boxwood machines to a smooth metal-like surface when cut (at least with a sharp blade) so I usually treat the mating surfaces with a light pass with 400 grit, just to give it a light texture. I've got planks that were made using this process over 15 years ago and they've held up just fine, no separation and absolutely no warping or dimensional change.

Paul

[John McGuyer]

Two reasons for brass with wire core. First, brass solders much better. But more important, I leave a small portion of the hole at the top so I can put one of the simulated brass nuts in it. Very tough to drill a .020" hole in the end of a .045" piano wire.

John