I just purchased 2 American Model Builders Caboose kits. I have never had a laser cut kit before, so first time building these.
Looking for some tips on how to paint and build the kit. I also purchased the Tahoe Model Works #TMW 105 Barber-Bettendorf Swing Motion Caboose Trucks. (reccomended from AMB website).
A little intimidating looking at the many parts in the kit. The instructions appear to be good and detailed.
What kind of paint and glue should I use. Will Elmers glue all work? For the red caboose paint what do I need. For the silver bits can I use rustolem silver (already have that).
Any other tips for building this kit is appreciated. Will the sections being glued together show? If so how do I fill the gaps.
Do I paint all the parts first then assemble?
It looks complicated, how long can I expect to spend building it.
There was an excellent step by step article in Model Railroader a few years back.
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I would find it and start there.
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For wooden kits I use yellow wood glue and brush paint everything with Vallejo Acrylic paints. That works for me, but I do not know if it is the best way to put one of these together.
AMB kits are very well engineered and go together easily. Just take one step at a time. Much of the assembly will use the peel and stick method. For the rest Elmer’s will work, although I like Sig’s yellow…or any yellow “carpenter’s” glue, which is much more economical. Paint everything you can before assembly. If you’re using acrylics, be sure to add bracing where there might be warping and/or pin the parts down to dry. Airbrushing avoids most warping issues. I’d be surprised if you have any gaps as the parts usually fit nicely. Get started and you’ll soon have a really nice model.
I would suggest priming all the pieces before removing them from the panels. Any cheap automotive primer will work (not acrylic). Paint both sides of the bare wood pieces but only the front side of the self adhesive bits. If you are going to be using lighter colours or blues/greens use gray primer. If you are going to paint the caboose red or brown, use red primer. Apply two or three light coats, alternating sides.
If you are using acrylic colour coats the primer will prevent warping, although additional bracing on the larger flat pieces is a good idea too, as was suggested in an earlier post.
You can still use wood glue to assemble the kit.
I have not built an AMB kit, but if they are as accurate as their Laser Kit window glazings are, they should fit together very nicely.
I am in the same camp as Dave on this one. I’ve built several laser-cut kits and I’ve enjoyed every one. One of the rolling stock kits was a New York Central wood caboose.
I pre-painted as many of the pieces I could using Krylon red oxide primer. I like Krylon as it doesn’t seem to build up as thick as other primers.
I suggest painting every exposed wood surface. The unpainted side may absorb moisture and lead to warping. When placing the very thin sectioned parts with the sticky backing I use a PVA glue from Faller, which is very thin, to seal the edges and prevent the part from peeling away. The thin glue will soak into the joint by capillary action.
Wow that Caboose looks great Ed. I probably can’t come close to that good. This will be a learning process for me. I have two of these so hopefully I will do better with the 2nd kit.
How did you attach the trucks? What screws do I need?
I used the self-centering Kadee T Section caboose trucks which came with their own #2-56 screws. I would have to take a look at the underside to see exactly how I arranged the bolster. As I recall the car came out a wee bit low but shims are easily applied.
I possibly used a strip of Evergreen styrene tapped for the screw and cemented to the wood floor. I’ll try to get a photo posted as soon as I get to the layout.
There was supposed to be a detail kit that was no longer available and I had to make my own railings. Not as good as Ed’s but it was my first attempt ever.
I painted parts separately and before window glazing.
Some of the early AMB caboose kits required you to use a plastic underframe from IIRC, an Athearn Blue Box kit? I have two of their NKP wood caboose kits and one has the plastic floor and the newer one is built-up of all wood construction with resin steps.
Poly(vinyl acetate) (PVA, PVAc, poly(ethenyl ethanoate): best known as wood glue, white glue, carpenter’s glue, school glue, Elmer’s glue in the US, or PVA glue) is an aliphatic rubbery synthetic polymer with the formula (C4H6O2)n
I find myself using the PVA/Canopy cement more often these days. Grab irons, brake wheels, sticking little people in a scene, I’ve even attached loose-fitting delrin handrails on locomotives with it and LEDs into locomotive shells. Plus the stuff can be peeled away from most non-porous surfaces which can be handy sometimes.
Using super-glue type adhesives have always caused me grief.
The screws will work but if I understand the package properly, you are only getting four of each size of screw. That works out to 32 screws @ $0.38 per screw. While I could see the assortment being useful as something to take along when you are going to the club or exhibiting at a train show, if you need larger quantities that will get expensive real quick. I suggest that you have a look at these guys:
Most of their stuff is in packs of 100. That usually means that you will have far more than you need, but you will always have them on hand when you need them.
Most of these are not stainless steel but I don’t think that is much of an issue.
Both the packs of 100 and the assortments work out to about $0.06 per screw or less.
I buy multi compartment plastic boxes like these to keep them sorted. I suggest using the type that has a separate lid for each compartment. The boxes with single lids and removable dividers can get messed up if a divider moves out of place:
So, if a package of 100 screws costs $6 and you use all of them, then they are 6 cents each. But if you only need to use 2 of the screws doesn’t that make the ones you use $3 each? [}:)]
I confess that I have a similar thought process when I have to buy paint. A gallon is always much, much cheaper than buying 4 quarts. But if I only actually needed 1/2 gallon, then I get stuck with an extra 1/2 gallon that costs me time and money to get rid of.
Okay maxman, I confess! My father bought ‘stuff’ just to have ‘stuff’ and I guess I am not cut far from the cloth.
What’s worse - having two screws when you need three or having 100 screws when you only need two?!? I vote for 100 screws. If I never come close to using all of them then I will call myself a collector![swg]
A while back I decided to boost my inventory of “layout screws” both pan head and flat head sheet metal screws (which I drive mostly into wood) from #4 up to #12, plus a bunch of small machine screws from0-72 through 6-32.
For a couple bucks more I got all stainless.
[banghead] [D)] [D)] [8o|]
Most of my drivers are magnetized and for installing Tortoise machines or tricky, contorted truck or coupler screws I like to “stick” the screw onto the driver to get it started. The stainless screws sit in the bins. At least they won’t corrode.
Duh — I went back and bought all the same screws, this time in carbon steel.
Much happier now [:D]
[edit]
Here are the photos I took of the underside and the bolster. One reason the self-centering Kadee is nice is that the centering pin and truck bolster contact the car bolster on a nice, flat plane.
—and one more look at the finished car. The queen posts and turnbuckles are very fragile, being cut from thin wood. I would get some styrene ones from Tichy or brass ones from Cal Scale or Precision.
