Making a missing piece

[DianneB]

I am working on a Master Creations 2-6-6-6 kit from 30 years ago - don't ask my critique of the kit because my mother tried to teach me not to swear! - and it is missing the left half of the firebox and I have two right hand pieces. It is made from cast.

I need TWO firebox halves, not one, and the only way I can think of is to build it up from brass sheet. Unfortunately, if I do that, it will not have the detail of the original. I don't suppose anyone knows how to make a mirror image of a casting (without spending $$$$)?

Any and all ideas are welcome!

[Rico]

I think brass would work, should be fairly simple to emboss the rivet detail although I've never tried it.
Other than maybe making a reversed resin casting I would think styrene may work?

[ianacole]

I would consider using styrene sheets for the major details and rivet decals for the minor details. The other option would be to get a CAD drawing, which would be easy to mirror image, then go to Shapeways.com to have it produced.

Or, depending on the visibility of the object, I would consider taking a photo of the side you have, reversing the image in Photoshop, and then scaling a print of the reversed photo to the right size and gluing it to an appropriately shaped and thick supporting structure.

[DianneB]

It is VERY visible so I like the idea of PhotoShopping it!

I already made the styrene firebox from some heavy scrap I had. Now I can get on with the body filler, filing and sanding and make it look pretty before detailing. With the 'quality' of these castings, I need a pound of body putty and an angle grinder!

[ianacole]

Can you scavenge from another manufacturers kit or a parts only unit on ebay?

[Rico]

This would be a great project for 3D printing!

[Y3a]

UGH!! It reminds me of the Arbour H8 kit. Good luck with it. Have you thought about buying a damaged, scrapped Plastic H8 and making your firebox casting from a plastic master?

[DianneB]

UGH!! It reminds me of the Arbour H8 kit.

It IS an Arbour! Arbour sold to Master Creations so it is the same thing. Worst kit I have ever built! I have built a steam engine from raw foundry castings and it was easier than this thing!

It doesn't look to bad with a styrene firebox so I am not going to worry about it for now.

[Cjcrescent]

I had one of those back in 1977! It took me a year and a half to finish it. After painting it looked really good. At the time, I only had a 6' test track to run it on, where there it seemed to run well. I took it to a friends layout to see what it could do. After running down the track for about 15', it started shedding parts faster than a Rambler going down the interstate! I picked up all the pieces I could find, put it in a box, and didn't open the box for almost 20 years.

When I finally did, the only pieces that hadn't turned to dust from the "disease" was two airtanks.

[DianneB]

That's sad to hear Care. A shame to go to all that work and have it disintegrate!

My test track is only 3 feet so I can only hope mine doesn't "start shedding pieces" when I get it on a longer track.