I'm working on scratch building some n scale conveyor belts for a gravel/ quarry operation.
what would be a good source of parts for making those? particulary for the side girders with the cross member on them.
walthers makes some in HO but not N so I want to make some from scratch. edit: this is for the big building to building conveyors not the little ones for loading trucks.
Maybe you can look at some of the lattice girders included with the Central Valley product.
http://www.hobbylinc.com/htm/cvy/cvy19005.htm
There are two sizes and the smaller ones might work OK for N scale. they come in two halves so you could glue them together in a channel shape rather than as a box girder. Half are solid and half are solid steel plate which would work for a newer (non-lattice) conveyor.
Perhaps the uprights can be made from the larger sections? For a more modern looking conveyor perhaps the Gusseted girders would be a better choice?
https://www.walthers.com/bridge-box-girder-sections-kit-standard-24-quot-gusseted
Good Luck, Ed
Another possibility is to build some pieces using some Plastruct girders. They come in a lot of sizes that would fit an N structure. There are quite a few different designs. This is a sample of some:
York1 John
I asked my doctor if I gave up delicious food and all alcohol, would I live longer? He said, "No, but it will seem longer."
Hello All,
I presume you are making static or non-operating conveyors between buildings.
To make trusses, I have had luck with Central Valley Laced Bridge girders.
As they come on the sprue they are in an "L" shape to be glued together to make a beam.
One side of the "L" is the lattice and the other is a solid piece.
You can carefully cut off the solid piece to make a lattice truss or glue the "L" base to base to create a channel with lattice sides.
Or a combination to make a more narrow channel with lattice sides.
The conveyor belt material can be made of anything from rubber bands to pieces of striping tape.
Rollers can be fashioned from tube or solid round pieces of styrene.
Other conveyor components can be kitbashed or scratch-built from other styrene shapes.
Hope this helps.
"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"
Conveyors are constructed a lot different today than decades ago. All our modern conveyors are simple channel iron with cross members and framed rollers mounted on top and return roller under. The old style truss type conveyors were a lot more complicated and maintenance headache.
Google Metso equipment or Lippmann for some pictures.
Pete.