sewer covers

[mgruber]

Any suggestions on what to use and how to install sewer covers on streets that are already in. Streets are made of styrene and are ho guage.

[jrbarney]

Mgruber,
You may be interested in the photo-etched manhole covers and street drains from Model Memories:
http://www.info-4u.com/modelmemories/hocity.htm#citydet
Scroll down, they are near the bottom of the page. I would think you could use a circle compass with a blade inserted to cut through the styrene. You could even bore through the substrate and make the sewer covers see-through. Don't think you need to model the sewage though. [:)]
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[willy6]

I took a piece of round styrene around 3/16, slice of a piece, squeeze it in a vice. The teeth marks of the vice make it look real. and if your vice teeth are rusty like mine, it's already weathered.

[cwclark]

take a 7/16" hole punch and stamp them out of a sheet of aluminum foil, paint them a gray or rust color, and them glue them dirctly to the road...

[CBQ_Guy]

I scarfed up a bunch of them in cast metal at a train show swap table several years ago for only 10 cents each!

To install I would just try to make a hole the exact or even a bit smaller diameter than the sewer cover, and not too deep, though it should be easy to fill or shim it up to correct height if you went too deep. Secure it with a dab of your favorite adhesive to the bottom of the hole.

Hope this helps . . .

[Seamonster]

Blair Line Signs makes manhole covers and storm drains printed on adhesive backed paper. The HO scale version is part #162. You should be able to get them at your LHS or Walthers has them in their catalog. I bought a sheet of the N scale version and they're pretty darn realistic and don't stick up out of the road that you'd notice, especially after a little weathering.
...Bob

[jrbarney]

Mgruber,
And, if you want yet another option, Alexander Scale Models (now a division of Tomar Industries) has cast white metal manhole covers:
http://www.tomarindustries.com/asm.htm
Scroll down, they're listed under Miscellaneous.
Bob
NMRA Life 0543

[Anonymous]

I actually bought the manhole covers that are made of Pewter or Lead type. They look silver colr and I just painted them gray. They came out nicely too. I have smooth it roads so I used a Xacto knife and traced around it and then cut it out and replaced the manhole cover for the true real look to it.