Ho scale hood sides


R

railflyermodel

Member
Guys,

A new project we've got in production are hood sides for EMD/GMDD locomotives.

Here are test samples for the SD38/40/45-2 Clean Air Room roof.

This is a 3D milled styrene project. The roof section will have the correct radius, drilled holes, and all plate detail, features including flag holders will be machined into the sides.

The kits are cored to accept either Cannon or Railflyer hood doors and components.

They will be ready to start delivery this weekend. I am doing the production on our Datron M7HP. In the near future new frames, fuel tanks, and decks will appear. The decks will also be 3D milled styrene.

Links to the kits:
http://www.railflyermodel.com/collections/detail-parts-hood/gp38-2
http://www.railflyermodel.com/collections/detail-parts-hood/gp39-2
http://www.railflyermodel.com/collections/detail-parts-hood/gp40-2
http://www.railflyermodel.com/collections/detail-parts-hood/sd38-2
http://www.railflyermodel.com/collections/detail-parts-hood/sd40-2

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All the best,

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com
 
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I have the radiator roof sections in the CNC. On the road until tomorrow, might do a trade show in Toronto for mould supplies but that said, the roof sections will be done Friday/Saturday and then the sides put on the table for the SD40-2 series. I am working on the CAM for the sides tonight. Done the rough passes.

FYI - Will be consolidating the SKU's because there is only 0.0022" difference between the Cannon and Railflyer doors. I can change my design for the radiator screens so the hood is the same for both.

So to answer your question, shippable product will be available this weekend.

That is why I fought so hard the past year to bring our production and tooling in house - I now have full control.

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com
 
the above is some of the CAM for the SD40-2 sides, the geometry sets up the boundaries for surface detail, the top image shows the first roughing pass
 
Thanks for the reply. When you have gp-38-2 sides ready to ship, I will happily take a set.

All the best getting things going -

-bill
 
Test

Guys,

I ran these tests last night with just a 3MM and 1.5MM cutters. I also drilled out the drain holes with a #83 drill.

This is not a final sample, I broke my smaller cutters the other day and replacements are on the way to run the tool path's that do the fine detail and clean out corners.

I was going to run the curved sections of the radiator roof but the post had errors and it was 330AM so I just went home.

I am expecting the new cutters tomorrow, will run revised parts ASAP.

The most time consuming part is the set up, getting the speeds and feeds right, and also making the most effective cuts. Once nailed, other models just need simple geometry changes so the rest of the Dash 2's will be started next week.

All the best,

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com

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the 3MM was little pain in the rear last night, its fine before on the exact same speeds and feeds then it just started welding the styrene until it formed a blob over the cutter after already cutting other samples perfectly.

that's some of the grain you can see in the pockets where the doors will be, got it fixed but I am going to run some more tests to nail everything.

the lip around the drain holes is only 0.003" wide. our CNC can also cut injection mould tooling so once business picks up after this past year that decimated us, we can restart all of our lost tooling in house.

f$%ck using China!

Christopher Howard
Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com
 
New test images

I ran a new test with 6mm and 1.5mm cutters after doing the drilling on the hood side. I got the speeds and feeds nailed. The quality is much better. The additional surface detail and radius reduction on corners will be handled with smaller cutters.

I also tested the radiator section of the roof.

Some minor CAM changes are required but if the smaller diameter replacements show up today as they should, I am running SD40-2 production tonight.

The GP40-2 and SD38-2 versions will be run this weekend. GP38-2 and GP39-2 by next weekend.

Due to the large number of variations, please get your order in ASAP so I can match production to actual orders to avoid delays. The SD40-2 versions can ship this week.

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Guys,

The set up for the hood sides is done. Production will start Tuesday.

Here is a pre-production sample. Some minor modifications to improve quality will be done, however the machined sides lead to a very easy assembly. The surface detail easily beats anything done in China.

This is the first product done from R&D, part design, CAM, and machining on-site, no third party involved.

Please support it, there is much more to come!

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.railflyermodel.com

Entire Assembly
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It will fit either Railflyer or Cannon cabs. This cab is a T1 sample of our Spartan Cab, the supplier went dark a year ago, we will retool this on our own.
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Cannon or Railflyer parts fit.
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The outline for the access door and filter screens where tested in a Ball. The flat was used for the weld seams. I will change the CAM so all detail is done in the Flat except where 3M milling is required.
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The back of the walkway light.
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A minor setting change will add the walkway light detail, it is there but the height was wrong. This will be fixed, the hole has a lip and there are four bolts missing.
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The drain holes are all drilled through 0.010", a perfect 0.016" lip is surrounding it. See the weld lines, these features are different on some variations. The clean air room on this model is also the correct size. Most models are too short.
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these are the CPR bolts as seen on the GP38-2 and SD40-2. they are used in place of the flag holder and lift ring at the end of the hood beneath the radiator screen. the OD on the washer is 0.034", the hex bolt is 0.023".

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none of the of the major model releases used for "prototype" models have any attention paid to dimensions or surface features.

here is a perfect example. the Athearn SD40-2 have a clean air room that is too short, around 8 scale inches which throws off everything else.

if you are going to go to the effort to detail and accurately model a locomotive, the hood sides are a great starting point.

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I was done, then discovered when I moved some of the layers, not all where selected.

This is the EMD GP38-2 mid version. With this file completed, I can hit the remaining versions and carry into the early GP38-2 and initial phases of GP39-2.

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After I get a few more versions done, I am setting up a test of new tread-plates done in 0.005" styrene sheet.

The Railflyer treads we have already all feature exact scale treads with plate and weld detail, however the problem with photo-etched metal is getting it it down and also modifying generic kits to tight cut outlines.

Using the micro-machined styrene will resolve the adhesive issue and enables the treads to be cut with a standard hobby blade.

The test also sets up the tool path's for our new decks for the locomotives which will feature the treads machined into the surface.

All the best,

Christopher Howard, Railflyer Model Prototypes Inc.
www.raifllyermodel.com
 
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Chris - on the website the GP38-2 hoods are not called out by phase. Can you contact me before you ship these so I can tell you which phase I need?

thanks,
-bill
 
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