It is always better to cut through these tabs rather than try to punch out the parts by breaking
the tabs. This is particularly true of laser cut plywood. Plywood is much more difficult to laser cut
than basswood. You may have to cut through not only the tabs but portions of the part outline
that did not cut completely through the sheet. Turn the sheet over and cut from the backside to
release the part without damage.
Britannia Metal Fittings
There are many Britannia (white metal) parts and fittings in this kit. First, remove any mold joint
flash with a #11 hobby blade, then file or sand with fine sanding stick or sandpaper. Second,
wash fittings in dishwashing liquid and warm water to remove traces of mold release agent and
the body oils your fingers deposit. Allow the parts to dry thoroughly before applying primer and
painting. For applications where it is required to glue a Britannia part to wood, it is a good idea
to rough up the Britannia gluing surface with a sanding stick or sandpaper.
Wheel Hubs and Axles
The wheel hubs in the kit are precision machined. The axles are cast Britannia metal. It is impor-
tant to check the fit of the hubs on the axles at the outset before beginning the kit. Being cast,
the axles will likely have a tiny bit of flash preventing a running fit on the hubs. Use a sanding
stick to work the axles until the hubs fit and run freely. The axle can be easily bent, so work care
-
fully. If you should happen to bend an axle, it can be straightened, also avoid paint build up when
painting the axle.
Working with Brass
The brass in the kit is a photo-etched sheet. Use care when cutting the square nuts from the
sheet.
The etching process causes a slight angle on the edges of the square nuts which you may wish to
file square for greater authentic detail. The brass rod will need to be formed in a U shape using
small needle nose pliers.
Glues:
White or Weldwood glue will work well for most applications. Five-minute epoxy provides
extra strength for some cases. Super glues, such as Jet, Flash, or Zap, produce quick adhesion. For
most applications, the medium viscosity, gap-filling variety is best. The thin type is recommended
for filling a narrow crack and wicking into laminate joints. We will refer to super glues as CA (cy
-
anoacrylite).
A word about gluing laser cut parts. Laser cutting burns through the wood and leaves a charred
surface. This charred surface does not make good glue joints. It is recommended to lightly sand
or scrape away the loose char before gluing. It is not necessary to remove all the char, unless a
finished wood surface is required. In some cases simply scraping with a # 11 blade is sufficient.
Clamps:
Clamps are an essential part of the model building experience. In the full size boat
building arena it is often said, “A boat builder cannot have too many clamps.” This is true of model
building also. There are so many situations in the course of building a model that require a par-
ticular type of clamp. The photo below shows a typical collection of clamps that are useful in
model building.
Summary of Contents for Western Mountain Buckboard Wagon
Page 33: ...Reference Photos...
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