ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.
Yes, another new guy. I'm doing an HO layout and I want to scratch build an arch style bridge out of tubing. How long, who knows as of yet I'm just planning this stuff in my head and I can see it but I need and idea for the rivet heads. I'm sure most of you out there are smarter than I am and can come up with the answer to what to use for the round heads. So, if you have any ideas I would appreciate it.
Oh yea, I'm retired from missile and other types of explosive work so I thought I would go back to something I enjoy. So as a kid I would disobey my grand mother and cross the road to head for the SP yard in Pittsburg Ca. and climb on the cars and talk to the hobo's. And then go home and the same SP line ran behind my house in Antioch Ca. And I'm one of the reasons the auto industry put sides on their haulers to protect the new cars going to dealers.
I've stayed silent till now because of all the great ideas and how to videos that you guys have got going for you all.
Thanks
Mike
Mike, you can use anything from a metal punch awl to a rotating wheel tool like those made by Trumpeteer. There's a nice video about making rivets at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kxgE0RVY38&feature=related. It's not difficult to do once you have a template but it is tedious, especially for a bridge, which may have thousands of scale rivets.
Thanks Jim. I think more of what I'm looking for would be something that I can just glue onto the out side, sort of a dot concept. I'll be using both square and rectangular brass tubing, so what ever I do will have to be from the outside. The assembly will just be soldiered together but on the plates at joints and anywhere two pieces of tubing some together is where I'll really need them. The plates could be done with a punch I suppose in the manner you came up with. And most steel bridges that I've seen have them all along the bottom which will be tubing.
Since the bridge is going to be brass, where the pieces join will be at gusset plates I'm assuming. The gussets can be made from thinner brass and can easily hace rivets embossed on them by the tools that Jim has mentioned. If the brass gets thicker, you'll need the Riveter and arbor press from NWSL.
Unless you're going to be building more than one bridge, etc, it can be expensive. I've had one for years and it still makes great rivets.
Edit; Come to think of it, Micromark may have one that is cheaper, not sure.
Hi Carey
I had to work out in the shop today. But, I remembered I just got a new Micro-Mark catalog yesterday. I went through it and found the press that they carry, and all the presses I have are too big. However, I got to thinking about aluminum pop rivets a little bit more. It's not the top that I would need but rather the button that pulls through and tightens the rivet up. the diameter is 3/32" on the small ones and all I would have to do is cut that bottom off and CA that to the the face of the brass. It all depends on the size of the gussets and the tubing as to how it looks. I also saw that small press they have for sale and they have the parts to give you the rivet look on flat stock. But since I have boxes of pop rivets in the shop I think I can spare a few. I'll give it a try to see how that will look.
It's not the top that I would need but rather the button that pulls through and tightens the rivet up. the diameter is 3/32" on the small ones and all I would have to do is cut that bottom off and CA that to the the face of the brass.
Have a look at some of the online photos of the expensive brass bridge models being made currentlly. Then have a look at Central Valley MW 150' Truss bridge. Those should give a good idea of whether you want to try to replicate all the detail in each member or just represent them with tubing or stripwood and cardstock/styrene. Even just doing rivets there are thousands.
As you will see, most members are not hollow but either latticed or beams.
Thinking of resurecting the 3' Truss that I built when 15!
I went out and measured the smallest rivet button that I have it comes out to .010 -.012 and they go up from there. I think that the longest I'll be making would be a span of about 18". I do a lot of woodworking and most will be made of wood. I just want at least one that I made from metal. I have a couple of CAD machines for woodworking and they will do not only wood but other materials short of metal. So I'll design a jig for the metal truss for each piece to lay into.
Another idea that I have for the CAD machines is to scan in a coach from a kit and then do the design work and then carve a coach out of an exotic wood for a display.
Your right about being pricey. What I want isn't a camel back, but then I don't think that would make it any cheaper. I want to make an arched bridge. I do like their stone piers.
Jim
I've always been interested in the balancing act of the draw bridge. I grew up in Antioch Ca and going to Sacramento along the river you cross back and forth and each time it was on that style of draw bridge
Ken
On that first bridge for that price that has to be plastic. It looks nice, it's the same principle of design as an arch-over style bridge. Even if the first one is plastic it still would be worth the price it's at just to get the dimensions for a metal fabrications. I bought a wood trestle bridge kit and of coarse it's plastic but for the price I got it as it makes for a good example for design of a wood trestle.
