O WTF am I doing?

[Ed Kapuscinski]

MTH having trouble squeezing electronics into an O scale tender.

N scalers be like, “HAHAHAHAHA!!!  Let us show you how to do that with room to spare.”

DFF

Right?

What's funny is that I'm planning on, in the same space, fitting a modern sound decoder and a deadrail battery setup (eventually).

I think the issue is that MTH developed their hardware for a certain form factor and this is significantly smaller than that target.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

The insanity continues.

I'm repurposing some second hand oNeTRAK frames for somewhere to at least photo my projects.



And a progress shot of two nights of assembly on my ND cabin car. I had initially thought about backdating it to an NC, which would be a bit older and into secondary use in the early 20th century, but I decided not to go off script on my first wood kit in 20 years.



The "well seasoned" basswood took surprisingly long to cut through with sharp #11 blades. Is there a better tool for the job? I still have doors to do.

[wazzou]

The "well seasoned" basswood took surprisingly long to cut through with sharp #11 blades. Is there a better tool for the job? I still have doors to do.

You could try a #24 blade in the bigger handle.

[davefoxx]

Looks like you struggled with that Xacto knife and may have overcut the corners.  Hopefully, the trim will hide the cuts.

If that wood is that thick or tough, I'd probably drill a hole at the corners and go at it with my jeweler's saw that I use when I'm building turnouts.  A coping saw with a fine blade would work, too.

DFF

[Dave V]

Looks like you struggled with that Xacto knife and may have overcut the corners.  Hopefully, the trim will hide the cuts.

If that wood is that thick or tough, I'd probably drill a hole at the corners and go at it with my jeweler's saw that I use when I'm building turnouts.  A coping saw with a fine blade would work, too.

DFF

I've learned to copy the measurements over to the back and cut from the back whenever possible.  I always, always, always have at least one cut where the blade overshoots.  It's always the blade's fault, too...never my own!

[DKS]

I've learned to copy the measurements over to the back and cut from the back whenever possible.  I always, always, always have at least one cut where the blade overshoots.  It's always the blade's fault, too...never my own!

https://youtu.be/A3Jk0-6IJ7k?t=555

[Ed Kapuscinski]

I've learned to copy the measurements over to the back and cut from the back whenever possible.  I always, always, always have at least one cut where the blade overshoots.  It's always the blade's fault, too...never my own!

Looks like you struggled with that Xacto knife and may have overcut the corners.  Hopefully, the trim will hide the cuts.

If that wood is that thick or tough, I'd probably drill a hole at the corners and go at it with my jeweler's saw that I use when I'm building turnouts.  A coping saw with a fine blade would work, too.

DFF

Haha, yeah. That was frustrating. It was one of my first ones and the following ones have gotten better. I actually used a straight edge to protect some of them.

I wish I could've done them from the back but lining up the cuts with the boards was important and really had to be done from the front.

Similarly, the construction is somewhat annoying because you're supposed to attach those blocks to the back and THEN do the cuts (to join two pieces of siding in one case). I should've done it the other way around in retrospect.

Oh well it's my first time and I've heard that that hurts a bit.

[basementcalling]

Buy a bunch of those Rapido reefers Peteski hates so much for the gaps in siding and kitbash them. Should be about right for O scale.

As for the electronics Dave, install the package in an N scale steamer, then install the N scale engine in the O scale tender and hook it up. Should work.

[DKS]

I wish I could've done them from the back but lining up the cuts with the boards was important and really had to be done from the front.

Little trick: using a very small drill, make holes in the front that align with the boards and establish the size of the window. Then cut from the back, using the holes for reference.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Little trick: using a very small drill, make holes in the front that align with the boards and establish the size of the window. Then cut from the back, using the holes for reference.

Yep. That makes sense.

I think I'll do that for the doors that I'm planning on tackling next.

[davefoxx]

By the way, since it got lost in the discussion over cutting the caboose window and door openings, this photo is pure filth.  The removal of the striping was the right call.  This looks much more realistic than the gussied-up version.  Love it!

Kudos,
DFF

[Point353]

The "well seasoned" basswood took surprisingly long to cut through with sharp #11 blades. Is there a better tool for the job? I still have doors to do.

[Ed Kapuscinski]

By the way, since it got lost in the discussion over cutting the caboose window and door openings, this photo is pure filth.  The removal of the striping was the right call.  This looks much more realistic than the gussied-up version.  Love it!

Kudos,
DFF

Thanks!

Just wait until I get some ground cover, ballast and Martin Welberg tufts going

[amato1969]

Damn that looks great @Ed Kapuscinski !  So much more real estate for detailing and weathering...

  Frank

[Summit]

The one thing I really wish I could do is find a properly sized tender.

This one is on for later "Lines West" engines but I like the smaller one. Originally MTH advertised them with those but I think they couldn't figure out how to cram all their DCS stuff in it.

Would a Bachmann On30 2-6-0 tender be more to size?  I have a spare one collecting dust that needs a new home.   I do like this new project you have embarked on, I thought about going to O gauge myself several years back . I made the four foot rule the six foot rue instead.