# Using drink cans, plus some bits and pieces as well.



## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi, 

I have been making 3 (cosmetic) boilers, a horsedrawn wagon for one of them and some cradles for loading them onto a flatcar. 

The boilers are all different sizes, being made from 3 sizes of drink cans, doubled in thickness - wrap and glue another one round each, having removed the ends and slit the resulting tube, then they are wrapped in plastic, after adding (hidden) false ends, then riveted - using a lot of 1.5mm plastic rivets, fixed on with plastic cement. I now have a understanding about the tedium of riveting, and the sheer hard work involved in boiler making! The extra are bits of tube for the steam dome, and styrene and smaller bits of tube as well. 

The ends are covered with strips of more styrene, thus relieving me of drilling holes for the tubes as I suspect that the styrene will rip. 



The horse drawn boiler wagon is mainly Sintra board, the wheels are from an English company called 'hobby's, with Shire horses by Schliech, and a mule as an extra animal (or trace - for assisting for going up hills or such)l, which is a repainted 'Safari' Mule. All have the harness made from food tray aluminum







Here are some photos of the various parts 












The raw material, the smallest size of can. The ends have their caps on, the centre is .010, the ends .020, use UHU is will not melt the styrene sheet, and pre-roll the sheets. 










The first, complete but not painted, plus a scale rule to show the size of it - this is the smallest one.










Mark 2 boiler almost complete and ready for the paint shop; this one has a different fixing for the boiler - this style was suspended off cross girders, on top of the brick walls around the boiler when fitted in its location.On top are a manhole, and a fixing for a water pipe












Boiler (shell) on the scratchbuilt wagon, with a scale figure (from E-bay) for size. 











close up of Mark 1 boiler on its wagon, (now changed to a Mark 2 version) 











The wagon, and load etc complete 











as above from a different angle. This unit is 17" long and quite heavy. 










two boilers and cradles on a flatcar - the larger one still needs its labels. 












As above showing the cradle, the small crates are supposed to carry some 'bits' for the boilers, all are loose.












A side view of Mark 1 and Mark 2 boilers. Mark 3 (as the photo above this one - the left hand one is a Mk 3, the one without the makers labels) uses Fosters lager cans, and is 6.5 inches long x 2.5 inches diameter; Mk2 & Mk3 have both manhole covers on the top, and mud hole doors near the bottom of them. 


After a minor revision to my mistakes (Thanks Steve) today is a superb and warn day with that somewhat unusual thing in the sky for use - the sun, and warm as well; so I have been taking some photos outside in my usual paotion flat out on the ground!

The resultant photos of both my new vehicles together in the sun has been added -- 










Both together with a couple of figures for size comparison, one being half into this photo. The diver of the boiler wagon is the same source as the two standing figures, being off E-bay in China, all have additions and surgery, the driver off the Butcherrs cab isd I think a Carlo Spirito figurewith a new hat, modified arms, an added apron, and a replacement cigar - the resin one he had was very fragile.

Enjoy.



Yours Peter.


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

Great job! What did you use for rivets? 
Greg R.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Peter, as always you have created some great models. I really enjoy your horse wagons and the wonderful detail you do with scraps of this and that.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Greg R,


I am in the UK - the other side of the big puddle, there is a company here that makes plastic rivets - here is a link to them and the rivets themselves 


Being plastic they can be picked up on a liquid cement charged brush, which is generally an old one with a reduced through wear and tear, number of bristles, and deposited on the intended location. That location has had a quick small brush of cement (I do the locations in 4 or 5 at a time, then collect the rivet and drop it down the glue there to start with assists it to lie down at once. The rivets are one a sprue loop as you can see, they care cut off, which a curved blade scalpel whilst being covered up with your finger (above the blade!) - that is tio keep them down on the paper and not flying off to be permanently lost!

It sounds complicated, but is not really - just a working method; the rivets are triangular with the two upper faces being equilateral, like the top end of a drill.

In the USA Grandt Line make them here is a link http://www.grandtline.com/products/mrr/mrr details/augmentables.html part numbers 156 or 157 the method will be the same.

Yours Peter.


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## iaviksfan (Dec 27, 2007)

Ah, i see said the blind man.......Thanks, I thought you were drilling all those little holes. I've done that with Atlas track nails ( for Rivets) and was quite a task, not to mention keeping them in a straight line. 
Again nice looking wagons. 
Greg R.


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Another superb project, Peter... Very well done...


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Greg,



'All those holes' - Yes dead right! 



The spacing was 3mm apart, and keep an 'eye open' for any wiggles the straighten them out with a ruler pushing them into line , as they were being glued onto the styrene.

Still a long job, but made a bit easier by just gluing - in the USA you have a choice of sizes, my smaller ones were cut off 30 thou square strip.

Yours Peter.


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

The end result looks great. The limitless supply of materials we turn our hands to do model with is amazing. Top stuff mate.


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