I use SilPak urethane to fill the mold which is made from an etched brass master and various of other parts. The mold is built in a pressure pot with vacuum to eliminate air bubbles( it boils out air pockets) and imperfections. Then when making to casting –The pressure pot uses “Pressure” of 45 pounds is force the urethane into all of the small surfaces of the mold. And 20 min it is just like having a Choo-Choo in a bottle- As MMR Barry Bogs would say.
Wow, your really homing in on it. This is a great improvement. I'd go one step further. I see that 3751 has Silver Side Rods but, I'd Black it out, driver rods maybe dark gun metal, but all wheels black. It would look much more serious, it would give it that BRUTE look versus the shiney parts, which to my knowledge , most locomotives didnt bling anywhere. Just a thought. I think its a valid point to maybe consider. fatalxsunrider43
the short tendered versions will be using the (although slightly incorrect) GS4 tender frame for pickup and reliability. The long haul tender will be using Bmann trucks and will too have full pickup.
Thanks, keep in mind I built the engine yesterday. Milled the body out to accept the mech, milled the frame mech to accept the body, installed the handrails on the engine, primed the engine, painted the engine, rebuilt and installed the mech, added a decoder and posted the pictures. Made the corrections you suggested today! Its been a lot of work.
Following your impressive progress with particular interest. Was planning on buying a G4 to use with the engine shell from a dead Key Imports SF northern, and the tender shell from an equally dead PRB SF pacific. The Key smokebox is a scale 86"dia., the Bachmann scale 96", much closer to the prototypes that range from 99"-102" in their final forms. Not having a resistance soldering rig to attack the brass shells, makes your project very exciting. Congrats on your progress so far. My hopes for a very close model to SF3770 (the rods on this and a few other of the 3765 class very similar to the Kato mechanism) are getting higher.
$-8-4 progress Yes indeed, you've been very busy on this project, looking better everytime we see a new picture !!! Keep up the good work, which does take time, again we appreciate your efforts and you hearing our suggestions. Many thanks ! fatalxsunrider43
As for the siderods, they will be the stock siderods finish wise and all other changes like weathering will be uo to the end owner of the models. They came out of the shops as machined steel so why dirty them up in case someone wants freshly shopped unit.
I agree, most of my engines are heavily weathered, but at least one should be fresh from a ClassV shopping.
LOL, well if thats your engine, then I must have cloned it. I've got three of these Key northerns, two number 3784 and one 2929. And I am so looking forward to seeing this Kato conversion progress. And yes, the roundhouse is scratchbuilt. Work has stalled on the RH due to a fan belt relieving me of the ball of the tip of my index finger of the Xacto knife hand. I live in the beautiful valleys of western Arkansas. But will always model my native Texas panhandle.
Jr., ouch...sorry to hear that... You do such nice work. At least your keyboard fingers seem okay... Thanks for sharing your work! Otto, in SoCal
Drasko, been here, lurking quietly in the shadows. The casting quality looks awesome, I wish I had that kind of talent. Still waiting to see the final product... it's got be a LOT of work to do what you and Jason are doing! More power to you; I do love the Santa Fe Northerns! Here's one smoking it up at Summit, circa 1950, on my layout... All the best! Regards, Otto
Hey thanks for asking. I am building several for Robert Coffee now. Here is the first engine, it has been going thru all of the test to make sure all of the modifications will work well and no changes will need to be made before final details. The handrails and grab irons and pilot are going on tonight.
