Kaslo Shops caboose kits

[hon30critter]

Hi everyone!

I have just purchased two Kaslo Shops CPR 35' 5" caboose kits (actually my buddies at work gave me a gift certificate to my LHS on the occasion of my retirement - great people!).

I have a couple of questions:

First, has anyone had any experience with Kaslo kits, and if so what insight would you offer into their assembly?

Second, I know that some detail manufacturers offer kits with grab irons etc. to finish similar craftsman models. Does anyone know of any such products for the Kaslo kits? My search at Walthers came up empty.

Third, the kit is apparently not made from styrene (they reccomend CA to assemble). What do I need to do to paint it properly? Also, for those experienced kit builders, do I paint first and then assemble, or partially assemble and then paint....? Please help me with the logical process.

Fourth, the instructions give dimensions in prototype inches. My scale ruler is really not that convenient for converting proto inches into HO size. Is there a better method?

I am really looking forward to the challenges these kits will offer. Heck, I just retired - I can take 10 years to build the things if I want

Thanks in advance for your sage advise.

Dave

[Mark R.]

I've built many of the Kaslo engine kits, and they were all very well manufactured. As you mentioned, the kit is not plastic, but rather resin castings. Plastic glues won't touch this stuff - CA would be the recommended adhesive as well as 5-minute epoxy in some cases.

Prior to painting, the resin needs to be cleaned of any mold residue. The are products called Resin Prep, I've have equal success giving them a good cleaning with alcohol. If your paint scheme requires any kind of masking, I'd recommend a good primer coat to assist in paint adhesion - Tamiya Fine Surface Primer works extremely well on the resin kits.

As for the order of painting / assembling - a lot depends on how you are painting it. If it's all one color, you can probably assemble most of the entire kit. If possible, if there are components a different color, if possible, paint them separate and assemble the painted components when they are dry, this saves a lot of masking and usually gives you cleaner color separations.

Craftsman kits usually require you to bend your own railings and grabs. You'll have to supply this wire yourself usually. I use piano wire for all my grabs and railings - it's harder to work with than brass, but once made, it's very durable.

Not sure on the trouble you are having with the measurements - scale rulers are marked off in feet and inches - you can usually come close enough with one. One thing I have found with any of the Kaslo kits - the measurements and templates for railings, etc. are not anywhere near accurate ! The handrail templates on most of the engines I have done were anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4" longer than the shell ! .... work from the kit itself.

Mark.

 

[hon30critter]

Thanks Mark

I kind of figured that I would have to work off of the model to fabricate the railings. No problem, I have done that before with other kits. I have used phosphor bronze wire in the past. I find it to be very easy to work with and very sturdy when installed, plus if you need to solder a piece to it (as the Kaslo instructions seem to indicate) it solders very easily.

I appreciate your advise.

Dave

[Flashwave]

Mark, I've been looking to get ahold of the GP10 kit sometime. Not being of any great patience with wire, is there any reason one couldn't get ahold of a GP7/9/etc set of railings, or is that just as much work. It also doesn't help the ladders on the ends I realize, but that's not as big s detail for me.

[Mark R.]

Provided they will fit (correct length), I see no reason why you couldn't use a set of mass produced handrails. There are no holes in the shell for the stantions, so you don't have to worry about aligning pre-made holes. However, that being said, you would have to drill the holes for whatever factory handrails you decide to use. Work slowly and measure numerous times to ensure the stantion's holes are space accurately else they'll pull the handrail out of alignment (which isn't a concern when the handrail and stantions are separate).

Mark.

 

[modelmaker51]

Tichey is a good source for detailing parts for freight cars, including preformed curved and straight grabs, brake details, etc. I believe they also have ladder stock, if not, then Walthers does. http://www.tichytraingroup.com/

To prep resin for painting, as Mark suggested a good scrub with alcohol will get rid of most of the mold release, but I always do this at the very beginning when building a resin kit, so that the glues will adhere better, I always finish with a wash in warm water and a degreasing dish detergent (like Dawn) and let it air dry.

I use both thin and medium CA (superglue), the medium CA gives you a little more adjustment time and also fills small gaps. You should also have some CA accellerator on hand. If you need more adjustment time for a joint, use 5-minute epoxy like JB-Kwik.

If you're trying to build models with an achitect's scale rule, do yourself a favor, buy a steel HO scale or multi-scale ruler, it'll make life a lot easier.

Lastly from me, spend some time doing some research and download as many pictures as can find of the model(s) you're going to build, don't rely on just the kit drawigns.