Thorin A couple comments.
.040 is very thick to be formed by hand or even mechanically with such a small footprint as an S Scale steeple cab roof. We have O Scale etched brass passenger car bodies that we have formed on a rather large press. They are only .025 thick and still pose some difficulty even using steel forming tools. A urethane membrane is placed between the female tool and the etched plate so the rivet detail is not obscured. If you roof has etched detail this will pose a problem for you. If it is not etched, I would substitute a much thinner piece of brass for the roof, probably somewhere in the .015 range. Although that is considerably thinner than what was apparently provided in your kit, you will find it very robust when soldered in place. If you are detemined to use the kit part, then anneal the brass to soften it significantly to form your bends. Good luck. Ron Sebastian Des Plaines --- In [email protected], Thorinn Marty <lagt...@...> wrote: > > Good morning, > I am assembling a brass steeplecab kit. All of the pieces come flat. > The roof consists of a piece of 0.040" thick brass. (Wire gauge 19.) I am > supposed to curve it to create a standard boxcab roof: flat with curves only > from side-to-side. The radius at the edge is about 1/4 inch and the rest is > a > wide, gentle curve. > > I just shaped the first roof for my steeplecab fleet. It was not fun and I > am > not trilled with the results. (Fortunately a wooden pantograph platform > will > cover most of the mess.) The piece is too wide for my bending brake. My > hands > are not strong enough to shape this 0.040 or 19 gauge brass sheet. It is > too > slippery for my vice to hold with a rod plus I am trying to not damage the > rivet detail. Do I need a specialty tool? > > This one is small at only 3 1/2 inches in length. I plan to build some big > boxcabs, starting with a NYNH&H EF-3b. These will be the same width but much > longer. > > I know these lists includes some masters of brass. How do you shape such > things? > Thorin > > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] > ------------------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/S-Scale/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
