03-22-2010, 05:13 PM
Thanks, Dave, but I was also one who thought I "couldn't do it". What changed that was the Sylvan caboose shown a few photos back (the orange CNR one). My good friend Mister Nutbar, who's somewhat interested in the Canadian National 
asked if I would build one for him and offered to buy a second one, for my own use. I'd never built this type of craftsman-style resin kit before, so the whole project was a learning experience. Included were some very nicely-done photo etched stiles for the end ladders, and instructions on how to turn them into ladders. The soldering jig shown was originally made for that construction, although it's a somewhat improved version of what's outlined in the Sylvan instructions.
For the ladder construction as detailed above, the most difficult part is bending the stiles - all the rest is simple soldering, cutting, and drilling - take your time and be neat and you should do fine. I'm considering a modified version of the ladders for at least some of the ones that need to be built, with the stiles straight and ending at the end of the roof, and curved handholds made from brass wire added to the tops, much like those added to the top of the stock tender ladder on the Bachmann loco below:
[album]156[/album]
Wayne
asked if I would build one for him and offered to buy a second one, for my own use. I'd never built this type of craftsman-style resin kit before, so the whole project was a learning experience. Included were some very nicely-done photo etched stiles for the end ladders, and instructions on how to turn them into ladders. The soldering jig shown was originally made for that construction, although it's a somewhat improved version of what's outlined in the Sylvan instructions.For the ladder construction as detailed above, the most difficult part is bending the stiles - all the rest is simple soldering, cutting, and drilling - take your time and be neat and you should do fine. I'm considering a modified version of the ladders for at least some of the ones that need to be built, with the stiles straight and ending at the end of the roof, and curved handholds made from brass wire added to the tops, much like those added to the top of the stock tender ladder on the Bachmann loco below:
[album]156[/album]
Wayne