Some recent work on the In-ko-pah RR

[Ray Dunakin]

A little more progress on the power house...


I made the ceiling for the interior. It is detailed with rafters, and will be attached with screws so that I can remove it to access the interior:




I also adding some frame detail to the inside of the front wall. This detail had to be carefully placed so it would line up with the removable interior:




These shots through the side window shows how it all comes together:






Next I started on the corrugated metal exterior. I had previously used real, galvanized, corrugated steel from Rainbow Ridge on my Assay Office building, and considered using it again on this one. But this building has more windows and also many more angles and joins, and the steel is difficult to cut or bend. So I went back to making my own corrugated metal out of .001" thick shim brass sheet. This comes in a 6" wide roll, and I cut into 4" x 6" sheets. I heat the sheets of brass with a plumber's torch to anneal them. Then I place each sheet between two pieces of the corrugated steel, and scribe the groove using a dull pencil:




I start at one end, and scribe a short section at a time until I've gone more the half the length of the piece. Then I turn it around and start scribing the other end, and meet in the middle. Next I flip it over and scribe the other side. When it's done, I trim off that piece (about 1" wide), remove it, place the remaining brass in between the steel, and start over on the next piece. Tedious, but eventually I get it all done. The pieces of corrugated brass are then sprayed with oven cleaner to wash any residue off. After rinsing with water they are set out to dry.

I glue the corrugated metal to the structure using Dynaflex 230 paintable sealant. At this time I have completed covering the exterior walls and have just started on the roof:






There is no need to apply metal to the rear walls, since they will be up against the cliff and not visible. In this photo the rear walls have been removed:




Here are a couple shots showing how it will look on the layout:







That's all for now.

[Greg Hile]

Looking good as usual! I have not worked much with metal, so I'm especially looking forward to seeing how this part comes out ...

[finescalerr]

Beautiful so far. -- Russ

[Design-HSB]

Hi Ray,

once again a great work.
However, please look at this tool to help you make the corrugated iron very easy.
Paper-Crimper

[Hydrostat]

So far about daunting projects . My suggestions comes too late, maybe you can try it another time: After annealing the brass sheet you may plate it with a tinning paste to achieve a base for a galvanized look. Some blackening fluid from a tiffany supply helpps to convert it to different stages of decay.
To be honest: You've driven your painting that much to perfection that for sure it will be easy for you to achieve those results without using chemicals.
Great work, Ray, as usual. It's a continuing pleasure to follow your work. Wish I could see it one day in person.

Cheers,
Volker

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks guys.

Helmut, I have one of those crimpers and have used it in the past, but the corrugations it creates a bit oversized.

[Chuck Doan]

Very nice, Ray! Respect for all that custom corrugated work.

[1-32]

big build Ray

[Ray Dunakin]

I finally finished creating and installing the corrugated metal. Here's how it looks with all the metal in place:








This overhead shot shows how closely the building fits against the cliff:




Soon I can begin painting it. But first I have to do some work on the doors and windows.

.

[Ray Dunakin]

Before I can go any further with the building, I need to create the interior details. These will determine the locations of smokejacks, etc. I'm starting with the largest and most important item, the generator. This will be a "good enough" model -- something that will look good when seen through the windows -- rather than a precise scale model. I'm basing it on this diesel generator I photographed at the Diamond Tunnel mine in Eureka, NV:









I began by building up the "core" shape of the engine, using layers of 6mm and 3mm Sintra:




A piece of 6mm Sintra was added at one end:




I decided that the rectangular openings on the sides were a bit too small, so I cut a little off the top and one end to make the openings larger. The rounded top of the engine was made using a section cut from a 1" styrene tube:




Then the sides were laminated with .020" styrene sheet. The styrene wrinkled slightly in a few places when the glue dried, so I filled in those spots with Squadron white putty and sanded it smooth:





Next I added the arched extension at one end of the top of the engine. I also cut and sanded the top of the engine so that one side has a flat, angled surface, as on the prototype:







The next step is adding the various shapes that protrude from the "core". I began with the piece seen in these two photos:







And that's where it stands for now. More later!

.

[Ray Dunakin]

I've made a little more progress on the diesel engine...


This part was made from a piece of 6mm Sintra mounted on a sheet of .020" thick styrene. The bolt heads were made from thin slices of hexagon rod:






The plastic "pupils" from a set of cheap googly-eyes was just the right size for the disks on the side of the engine block:






At this point I realized that I had made a mistake when I added the arch at the top of the engine. There is supposed to be an overhanging extension at the front of the engine block, with the arch on top of that. So I added the overhang, then extended the front of the arch, and cut some off the rear of the arch. Here's how it all looks so far:










There are twenty small covers, plus ten large covers, on the engine, that look sort of like cookie jar lids. I've been trying to find an easy way to make them. Here's my first attempt. I think I'm on the right track, but this one is pretty rough. I'm going to try making another one, and if it turns out good enough, I'll try making a silicone mold and casting the rest of them:





That's all for now. Enjoy!



.

[Ray Dunakin]

I'm holding off on those covers for now, and doing something more fun. I started building up the thing that sticks out the front of the engine at the top. It's made of layers of Sintra with some styrene details:












.

[finescalerr]

It's shaping up nicely. -- Russ

[Lawton Maner]

I like the idea of access covers made from toy eyes.  I hope that there are no stuffed animals in your house who now need to use red canes.  Sent from the corner Russ has banished me to.

[finescalerr]

Lawton, you have paid your debt to society and may return from the corner. -- Russ