Superior Doors for MTL Ribside Boxcar

Doug A. Sep 11, 2020

  1. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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    Howdy and Happy Friday! Does anybody know if someone currently makes a Superior boxcar door to fit the Micro-Trains modern/no-roofwalk 50ft ribside sliding door boxcar?

    (Just in case I don't have the terminology correct, I'm looking for something like the door in this photo versus the standard MTL door. http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=417138 )

    Also, anybody know of any "decent-fidelity" Z boxcars available by other means...i.e. Shapeways? By decent-fidelity I mean something that was purposefully done to represent a prototype car, not something generic. I'm not asking that it be perfect, just representative of a certain type or at least class of car. Shapeways search is so terrible, it's tough to know what really is out there. I would just love to have a few boxcars to "mix it up" versus the ubiquitous MTL cars. Especially would like a double-door car to do a Galveston Wharves car, maybe an SP, et al. Anything BNSF-centric would be good too, would love a 50ft hi-cube. My era is mid-2000s so just about any fairly modern roofwalk-less car would pass muster. A lot of boxcars were dropping out about that time but I don't mind fudging a little bit.

    Sorry for hijacking my own thread, lol...but it's pretty closely related stuff.
     
    Last edited: Sep 11, 2020
  2. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I can make peel and stick overlays out of .011" black Polybak. You would need to sand down the original door flat, then peel and stick on the overlay, prime and paint. I like a bit of variety with my body styles. These are all from the first release of this body style in August 2006, and I only had .015" white Polybak to work with then.

    This is the car I started with:
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    I just sanded down the doors flat, made new door overlays, custom decals, and painted to get these 3 different style car doors in BN:

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  3. Zscaleplanet

    Zscaleplanet TrainBoard Supporter

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    Robert,
    A) Superb work! Very nice and the replication of detail on each door is very evident.
    B) Where are you getting your .011 Polyback from? (I am looking for other thicknesses as well.)
    C) Assuming you are using a laser cutter to cut it, what settings and number of passes are you using? I am experimenting with some scrap left-over .024 Polyback non-stick and getting some mixed results. But also barely had enough to even make 1/2" passes on. Need more to continue my experimentation.

    Lance
     
  4. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I got all my Polybak from Karin Snyder, Chris Tatarian, and Rich Shepard years ago, but you can still buy it online from random hobbiests. You have to buy pallets of it, so people sell their excess or go in halves with others, as it's designed for the formica countertop industry. There are guys who bought more than they can use and setup their own webshops to unload their excess out there.
    Try:
    Laserboard Supplies
    Encompass Media

    I used my old 35 watt Laserpro Venus to cut those doors, but I sold that laser to Joe D'Amato years ago.
    I currently have a 30 watt Laserpro C180, and it (.011 black) cuts in one pass at about 30% power 100% speed 200PPI.
    I make my own peel and stick by sanding a sheet of polybak with 400 grit with a random orbital sander, and wiping the dust off, then applying 3M 465 Transfer Adhesive with a rubber J Roller

    I use only the highest quality laser engravers, materials, and tools, so it ain't cheap, but the results speak for themselves.
     
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  5. Zscaleplanet

    Zscaleplanet TrainBoard Supporter

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    Thanks Robert! Noted on the highest quality equipment and the expense certainly yields the expected results. I am experimenting with the most basic entry level 15W ORTUR just to get my bearings on what laser cutters can do, and build a few things for my own layout. Have had some fun and success too, but obviously not on par with the better equipment. However, somewhat impressed by what I have done thus far with a minimal investment and alot of experimentation.
     
  6. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    My lasers costs $15K, so they can do a bit more, but with a laser like yours, there are a few mods you can do to dramatically improve the quality and effective power of your laser if you are willing to modify it a bit.

    1) Get some aluminum Egg Crate diffuser from somewhere to make a vacuum exhaust table. Make a box with a hole to connect your shop vacuum. Place the egg crate on top, then your lase on top of that. This will draw the smoke down, and when the laser punches through the material, it will have the effect of cleaning up any charring on the edges of the cut. You will get cleaner cuts, and have a finer kerf.
    1.jpg

    Make an air assist. Get an aquarium pump and tubing, and make and air assist nozzle then route the flexible aquarium pump tubing to the nozzle. When cutting and blowing air, you almost double your cutting power because the air blowing on the flame will push the flame down through the cut, and you are in effect "Plasma Cutting" at this point. This will take your quality of cuts to a whole new level. Here is an example of what another guy did, but you can just buy a mini funnel, drill a hole in it for the aquarium pump hose, cut the funnel spout to 1/8" above the focal point of the laser so you have an 1/8" gap between the nozzle and your material, and glue that tiny funnel centered over the laser aperture.

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    I think for under $50 worth of investment you can do these mods and really be pleasantly surprised with the results.
     
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  7. Zscaleplanet

    Zscaleplanet TrainBoard Supporter

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    I'm already looking into air assist, but the egg crate diffuser and exhaust table below the laser is something I never considered. Great suggestions. Indeed, not working with a $15K unit, but having alot of fun with this basic table top unit. There is alot that can be done with a small investment. Once I get a project or two completed, will share with the forum.
     
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  8. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    Also of note... If you cannot cut Polybak as nice as paper, you can buy peel and stick paper or plastic labels from the office supply store and cut those, then stack as many layers as needed to get the job done. This will let you create all kinds of nice things like door relief or window sashes. You can even print peel and stick brick sheets to stick on styrene structures, and once painted, it will look 3D and amazing.
     
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  9. Zscaleplanet

    Zscaleplanet TrainBoard Supporter

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    Dang, why didn't I ever think of that..... This has the "wheels of imagination" on my little locomotive spinning now... LOL Hence the reason for this forum. Gotta love it.
     
  10. Mike Skibbe

    Mike Skibbe TrainBoard Member

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    I remember the BN car project way back when. Don't think it ever came to fruition, but if doors and decals were made available I'm all in!
     
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  11. Doug A.

    Doug A. TrainBoard Supporter

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  12. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I did these more than a decade ago:
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    And I did platforms to help hide the couplers:
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    Doors:
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    These were all back in my pickle power days:
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    More Pickles:
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  13. JoeS

    JoeS TrainBoard Member

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    I remember that layout of yours always liked it. Do you still have that time saver layout?
     
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  14. rray

    rray Staff Member

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    I still have then all, ready to take to train shows.
     
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  15. HemiAdda2d

    HemiAdda2d Staff Member TrainBoard Supporter

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    I have a partially built GP30 kit I bought from you, eons ago. Never finished it. I'm a king of procrastination and unfinished projects! I remember it's laser cut.
     
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  16. Kurt Moose

    Kurt Moose TrainBoard Member

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    Those are beautiful!:D
     
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