# First attempt



## BK R

I'm gonna have a go at building a structure for my HO thingy.










Cut 6 of 'em into about .8 mm sheet (it's skinny)










Then cut to the bottom of the holes with my 4" angle grinder with a thin cutting wheel in it.










I took me longer to clean the thing up then to do the job, the deburrer off the lathe came in handy.

More as it happens


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## broox

Nice job. did it take you long?

I remember knocking out something similar, in wood, for my kids battery thomas trains... did it with my old man... took forever... too many chiefs I reckon!


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## tjcruiser

You didn't say what! An aquaduct? Bridge? Do tell!

TJ


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## Steve S

tjcruiser said:


> An aquaduct?
> 
> TJ


The ancient Romans had trains?

Steve S


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## tjcruiser

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Marple_Aqueduct_Train_0333.JPG

http://nabataea.net/hejaz6.html

TJ


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## BK R

I think this photo will give the game away.
I took it to my mates today, he has a small bender.










If that doesn't, this one will


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## tjcruiser

Ohhh ...

I should have come 'ROUND to that deduction, sooner or later! Gonna look great ... ambitious custom build. Do keep us posted!

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

Can't wait to see how this comes out!


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## BK R

I think I have too much wall above the doors, opinions welcome.:thumbsup:


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## Prospect193

OOOHHH!!!! That is looking great BK!!!

Cheers
Pat


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## NIMT

Yep I agree too much wall. Unless you pitch the roof to the back, then just put some windows above the door ways.


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## tjcruiser

Or put some stepped facia / molding trim high up, just below the roof overhang. I think that would break up the space nicely. I haven't compared pics of real roundhouses, but I'd have to think that the ceilings inside would be quite tall, for gantry chainfalls and the like.

TJ


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## BK R

OK, I'm gonna shorten it by 1 " this could be nasty as I'm useing my "gut pincher" snips.










I cut down 1" on each bend, then bent that back into the inside, the side walls have a fall of 1 1/2" with a 1/2" bend on top to stiffen them up.



















I think it looks better, also gives the roof something to attach to.


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## Prospect193

Very smart idea with cutting a lip.


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## tjcruiser

Nice chop ... looks good!

With that sloped roof (front to back), you have a bit of geometry puzzle to fabricate the roof itself out of one flat sheet. It certainly can be done, but I assume you'll want to make some sort of paper/cardstock template, first, to get the conical taper right? Curious as to your approach here ...

Cheers,

TJ


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## BK R

I know the diameter of the turn table, so mark it out on the roof, drill a hole in the centre, drive a nail in, tie a marker pen to it and you can mark any radius you want.


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## BK R

*Container crane*

I'll slip this one in here and keep 'em all in the one spot.

It was nearly 40 C. again yesterday so no shed work, then this kit arrived in the mail so I sat in the air con and built it.










Just wont lift high enough.










Or low enough.










Don't believe everything you see on a box.










I'm quite happy with it though as it's only for show and when I get the safety stripes on it, it will look the part in the yard.


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## BK R

Hot again today so worked in the air con masking up my Bauchmann turntable, I didn't like all the gray between the rails.










It got masked.










Then it got sprayed with a can of "Pot belly black", I tend to use what I have.










That looks better to me.??


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## broox

yeah looks heaps better IMO :thumbsup:


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## BK R

We had a bit of relief today from the hot weather so I got a bit done in the shed and cut the roof out for the roundhouse.


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## Prospect193

Looks Awesome BK can't wait to see it done!!!

Pat


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## BK R

A bit more done today, I cut 3 of these out.










Then soldered them together.



















With my home made soldering iron.










Powered by one of these.










All three done.


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## broox

Where are they gonna live, BK?


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## BK R

Ladies, gents, disabled. :laugh::laugh:
Up on the roof, sorta skylights.


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## broox

awesome, cant wait to see em in place


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## tjcruiser

We get guys building stuff here out of balsa, styrene, cardstock, etc. Not too many guys bold enough to build out of galvanized steel. "You da' man!" as we say in the States.

Looking forward to the progress!

TJ


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## BK R

Needs a bit of touch up paint.


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## BK R

I've cut some old brake pipe to use as chimneys above each track, glued to the roof with an epoxy glue.










Every chimney needs a "cap" so I'll use the heads of these tank bolts.










More epoxy to fit them.










Now I want some windows in the house so I marked the centres.










Then used a hole saw.










This is as far as I got yesterday, more today if it's not too hot.


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## tjcruiser

Nice progress ... details beginning to jump out.

You could have used the bolts through the brake pipe with a nut inside the roof to hold the chimneys in place, rather than having to use epoxy, right? You already have the bolt going down into the pipe ... could have carried it through a hole in the roof. ???

Why didn't you do that ... just out of curiosity ...

TJ


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## BK R

The base of the pipe is cut at an angle, the top is square, I thought if I tried to fit them your way the nut would only touch on one side and not be very effective.

I did drill a small hole under each from the inside so I had a burr for the epoxy to bond to, put a strip of masking tape under the hole to stop the glue from leaking out.


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## tjcruiser

Ahh ... got it. Good thinking on your end.

Thanks,

TJ


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## BK R

Getting a bit closer to a finish.


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## tjcruiser

I like the color scheme!

What'cha' got going 'round the windows on the side?

Any thought to gluing some foam (or similar) to the inner face of the sheet metal in way of the arched entrances, and then carving it to match the arches ... essentially adding some brick "thickness" to the front support columns? Paint same color as "brick". Just a thought ...

TJ


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## BK R

I'll put an awning over the windows tj .
Umm, I see what you mean about the doorways, they are skinny.


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## Prospect193

Its looking good Bernie!!!

Cheers
Pat


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## N scale catastrophe

WOW! :thumbsup:


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## Carl

Impressive.......like the color scheme


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## BK R

Thanks for the comments.
tj, how's this look??


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## broox

Gold :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser

Ohh ... that was brick around the windows. I saw somthing in your earlier pic, but I couldn't see exactly what it was.

As to how it (and the awning) looks ...










TJ


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## Sawdust

Very nice BK R. I have to agree with TJ this is my first project to see done in metal. I know several modelers in The Land Down Under & you guys make do with what you have to avoid shipping costs. I'm impressed especially the calculations you had to do with the door openings & the roof. I like how the roof vents turned out & the sky lights on top. I needed some vent stacks on a Coal Mine project of mine & had to improvise. I used the tapered rubber faucet washers turned upside down & a piece of round styrene. I sanded the smaller bottom ones to fit the slope of the roof. :thumbsup:


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## tjcruiser

Sawdust,

You are the MASTER of odd-object recycle/reuse. Faucet washers ... LOVE IT!

TJ


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## BK R

Does this take the "skinny" look off the doorway??


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## broox

You still need something inside the frame, I think, to give it a bit more depth. In the real world that wall might be 1-2 foot thick.


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## broox

Something like this?


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## tjcruiser

I like where this is going ... doors, wall thickness. Go, man ... GO!

TJ


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## BK R

It's coming together slowly, today I was going to glue the skylights on......I can't find the ruddy things, not a happy chappy tonight.


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## NIMT

A strip of styrene wraped around the doorway will give it wall thickness too!


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## BK R

OK, due to public pressure I used a hole saw and cut some balsa.










Then got it ready for painting, by putting masking tape on the back it stops them blowing away when you hit em with the spray can.










A bit of super glue and I now have a wall thickness of 9".


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## BK R

This is now working on the layout.


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## Carl

One can not argue with the quality of metal work for your model railroad.


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## tjcruiser

BK,

From your first "teaser" hole-saw pic, we were all curious as to what craziness you had in mind.

Well ... the facts have revealed themselves. The roundhouse is superb! Beautiful, custom craftsmanship throughout ... in sheet metal, of all things ... something we don't see 'round these parts too often.

Nice choice of colors. And the loco fleet brings the whole thing to life, of course!

Thanks for sharing,

TJ


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## gunrunnerjohn

Yep, not too many people model in sheet metal, and it came out great! Nice turntable too.


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