It depends on what size you buy, but it's more like 30 cents/ounce here buying Walmart house branded split shots - I'm sure the "Alaska tax" is rough on heavy items. Probably pennies (at ~11 cents/ounce) would have been a better choice on a build like this, since I don't care how much space they take up (within reason).
1800s boxcar scratch build
- Thread starter Vince-RA
- Start date
dgrafix
Well-Known Member
Coming on nicely 
For the weights you could make a sand mould to shape. Then melt the bullets/weights with a small gas torch, bunsen burner or a gas stove in a metal pot. Pour it carefully into the sand to get a nice flat shape that fits the carriage.
I can imagine it would give better center of gravity and stability than gluing the balls in.
For the weights you could make a sand mould to shape. Then melt the bullets/weights with a small gas torch, bunsen burner or a gas stove in a metal pot. Pour it carefully into the sand to get a nice flat shape that fits the carriage.
I can imagine it would give better center of gravity and stability than gluing the balls in.
Continuing to make slow progress on the "storage car" as well as the actual boxcars. The roof is 0.020" styrene sheet. I thought it looked a lot better than the 1/32" (~= 0.031") wood sheets I had. A little bit of Grimy Black and a shot of dullcote and it's ready for installation/weathering. I've prepared roofs for the boxcars using the same method. I decided to omit a roof walk - I played with a couple possibilities for low profile variations but didn't really like the look of them.
I added grab irons and corner straps, but left off brake gear and truss rod ends, reasoning that those would likely have been removed prior to conversion to a storage shed.
Paint as before is mostly-dry-brushed Roof Red from MicroLux. For the office door I worked in some Tamiya Hull Red and tried to make it look a bit less derelict, as this would have been a later addition relative to the rest of the boxcar.
Finished up with a few small touches:
- A beat up caboose chimney left over from another project
- Cut out a few bit of the siding and replaced them with "fresh" boards
- Roughed up a good bit of the siding, especially down low, and added more isopropyl/black paint stain to highlight those areas
- Weathered the roof with some light gray chalk, as well as some rust-colored chalk around the chimney
Still don't have anywhere to put it, but I like the way it turned out. Now, back to the rest of the boxcars without this excuse to get distracted
I added grab irons and corner straps, but left off brake gear and truss rod ends, reasoning that those would likely have been removed prior to conversion to a storage shed.
Paint as before is mostly-dry-brushed Roof Red from MicroLux. For the office door I worked in some Tamiya Hull Red and tried to make it look a bit less derelict, as this would have been a later addition relative to the rest of the boxcar.
Finished up with a few small touches:
- A beat up caboose chimney left over from another project
- Cut out a few bit of the siding and replaced them with "fresh" boards
- Roughed up a good bit of the siding, especially down low, and added more isopropyl/black paint stain to highlight those areas
- Weathered the roof with some light gray chalk, as well as some rust-colored chalk around the chimney
Still don't have anywhere to put it, but I like the way it turned out. Now, back to the rest of the boxcars without this excuse to get distracted
VTRailway
Active Member
1/4 ounce stick on wheel weights are another low profile option. Could go to an automotive shop and ask for used weights. You'd probably walk away with pounds for free most likely. Could sort them out by size and condition. Some will be new or close to new. Especially if the wheel balancer is an old version that isn't as accurate as a new machine. Only down side is wheel weights are now steel or some sorta heavy flexible material that feels similar to foam. At least thats what we have by state law here in Vermont. Lead weights were banned years ago. I understand why but i miss them. They were very easily cut into smaller segments that allowed for a more accurate balance on the kinds of cars I deal with daily.
I got a package of rolled lead sheet, 1mm thick - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BKL7RD66
These cut nicely with a chopper (single edged razor blade) or scissors and fit in great between beams on flatcars. A little more pricey than something like split shots, at close to $1/ounce. I definitely get why lead has been phased out in many applications but for this purpose, it's super easy to work with compared to other metals, and very easy to fit precisely into tight spaces.
These cut nicely with a chopper (single edged razor blade) or scissors and fit in great between beams on flatcars. A little more pricey than something like split shots, at close to $1/ounce. I definitely get why lead has been phased out in many applications but for this purpose, it's super easy to work with compared to other metals, and very easy to fit precisely into tight spaces.
