I'm doing the talc thing already, that was a BIG help. The second big help is designing the molds and the pours for the 'squish' method. This has worked wonderfully on the tender tanks, and also on the floor section of the boiler. Rather than pouring the resin in an empty mold, you pre-fill whatever you can, and then close the mold in, squishing out resin in all directions, but the excess air with it. Then you 'top off' the mold only. It's been near-flawless since I started that. Some of the parts are so darn small though.. the headlight is only 9" deep by 18" tall by 12" wide. Ive got drawings. It's just the sheer size of everything. Remember, the loco is only 27' long over the frame.
Well, here's the question. I see a lot of ways this could be done. 1. Raw parts, unfinished, you buy the Critter. Not taking off the flash. A craftsman kit, pretty much up there with a GHQ conversion. 2. Semi-finished parts, trimmed, drilled, tapped etc. Pretty much ready to glue up. 3. Assembled, with the critter, but unpainted. 4. Assembled and painted per Climax standards (from what I can tell, light-gray woodwork and black steelwork.) Comments?
Randy, I'd always assumed you'd be offering it either as 1.) or 2.), with the purchaser finding and buying his own Kato mechanism. Do you really have the time (or the hired hands) to get involved with options 3.) and 4.)?
I like all options. I think you would find that many people out there want all those options. As a craftsman object, your train is very sellable. But there are many out there who just love trains and either do not have the skills or the time to assemble it themselves. For instance a Dr. or lawyer who wants one of these might find it easier to simply purchase a custom one hand built by you. Signed and numbered of course. The unit is a unique piece of work. Please do yourself a favor. Go here and get the appropriate forms and protect your work: http://www.copyright.gov/forms/ It'll be the best 40 bucks you ever spent. Otherwise one of them will end up in china as a prototype for RTR models from another company.
Randy, Hard to photgraph these little buggers, isn't it? I'd do option #1, and probably trim anything that looked a little thick. I'm not sure what the market for these would be. I believe a lot of people who got into resin casting eventually got tired of the work involved. Still, this is a magnificent effort, and I hope it pays you the benefits due to your work.
Randy, Looks awesome! I would go for either options 1 or 2 - always figured that was the plan... Amazing as always! Aloha, --Greg
Thanks, Traingeekboy... I appreciate the reminder. It doesn't qualify for the 'advance copyright', but it does otherwise, of course. This is all very original work, as they say. I'm not even quite done yet with the parts, but as soon as I am, it will be copyrighted. I'm also trying to get permission from various sources to use some unpublished history photos in the instructions.
How about number 1. It'll be a snap after trimming pewter and brass, I tell ya - I have a soft spot for craftsman kits
At long last, I got the first one together with all cast parts. But the final toll... good LORD. I finished up with 19 resin parts and 3 metal parts per model for a total of 22 parts. It also takes 5 00-90 screws, and three sizes of wire. I've got so many molds and parts I can't do it in one pour, at least not with CR600 - it sets up way too fast. Even with 1/2 oz. pours, I'm throwing out 20% of the resin because I can't get it in the molds fast enough with a 7-minute pot time. May be time to go to the longer pot time stuff for the next purchase.
if it is this labor and material intensive then: -Start up your own Atlas like company -Copywrite protect this design -Send it to India or elsewhere where labor is cheap and quailty is high (try to avoid using China as tempting as it is) -Now you are a new wonderful supplier of N scale locos. One who will do them right with traction tires, all drive wheels geared, etc. -while mfg is making the run of these for you to sell, you can get working on making a 3 truck shay. then cab forward steam, etc.
I've been pouring parts like a ravin' lunatic. Everything has been working consistently well except the boiler and roof. Still some bubble trouble, erratic. I decided to 'finish' one thru painting and detailing at least for myself; and then to photograph one through all the various assembly steps for the instructions. That's what I'm doing tonight, just decided to check the computer. A "beta test" is now out for assembly evaluation by a very trusted third party! So I'm moving still. Haven't given up or anything like that.
Well..... Here she is. "Builders Photo" style, the only thing really missing is the decal that says "Climax Mfg. Co. Builders Corry, PA" and I'm working on that one. As it is black letters I can laser-print that. This is without the cab and wood bin cast metal weights, which are removable. I'm really pleased how well all the cast in detail showed up. I knew it was in there somewhere. This is Pollyscale grimy black and Floquil SP Lettering Gray. Man, you'd never believe that is almost a stock Critter in there.
Really looking good, Randy. Just wonder if those side windows might have been better off as an etching, though. That's the problem with blowing up N scale models to O scale proportions!
