I want a power grid for a particular electric multiple unit coach that I own, however I want it to be metal. Is there any local blacksmith or keymakers on the web that can melt down a metal part for model trains, or any sort of metal.
You're assuming everyone knows what a "power grid" is. Might help to illustrate or decribe it.
Walthers offers white metal (Temp Low?) that melts in hot water. Make yourself a mould if you can and pour it yourself.
Bob Boudreau
CANADA
Visit my model railroad photography website: http://sites.google.com/site/railphotog/
If you get lead sinkers in the fishing section of a sporting goods store, you can hammer them into shape yourself. Lead is very soft, and can be worked with an ordinary hammer on a steel surface. NOTICE: Lead isn't good for you. Work in a well-ventilated area, wear gloves, wear a facemask. Most of all, don't confuse lead with beef jerky and consume it.
Another option is metal flashing, used for finishing those places on a roof where there are interior angles, or where an upper-story wall meets a lower-story roofline. It's just thin sheet metal, which can be cut with metal snips.
Why do you want this to be made of metal? Styrene is much easier to build with, and you can paint it very realistically.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Are there even models of that car available? Or are you starting with another similar model? If so, I would thing that it would have that piece of detail included. It appears that that detail will need at least 3 parts. The 2 'boxes' and the metal 'frame' that they are mounted on. Casting something in one piece will result on a 'blob'....
Jim
Modeling BNSF and Milwaukee Road in SW Wisconsin
Railphotog wrote:You're assuming everyone knows what a "power grid" is. Might help to illustrate or decribe it.
I believe that he's talking about a catenary system. Catenary systems are probably more common in European layouts. Some model catenary systems are actually used to supply power to the locomotives.
Micro Macro Mundo sells them, but they don't have much in stock.
Here's a link to Gaugemaster's HO masts. Gaugemaster is a UK vendor.
They may be metal as they mention including insulators. I'm not if they're metal, but you could buy one and make molds to cast your own white metal ones. Just don't try to market them.
Best!
I didn't click on the photo for my previous reply, see two areas with arrows pointing to them, one is a box on the roof. I assume this must be the power grid referred to. Doesn't look like something that could easily be made from metal, but who knows?
Railphotog wrote:I didn't click on the photo for my previous reply, see two areas with arrows pointing to them, one is a box on the roof. I assume this must be the power grid referred to. Doesn't look like something that could easily be made from metal, but who knows?
The box on the roof looks to me like it might possibly be a transformer, though I'm by no means an expert on electric motive power. I guess one might call it a grid, but I always think of a grid as a network of wires. The other arrow points to a numberboard, so I guess we'll need to wait for his clarification.