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The most difficult part of this model is the
clestory roof built from solid roof stock so let’s
start there first. What we need is a
nice rounded end with the top roof rounding down to meet the lower roof at
the end.
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This stripwood shape has been available for forty
years or more and while its popularity has declined
it is still quite available today.
The grove near the top is where the windows will be formed
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We will begin by trimming away the uppermost edge
to where the formed end will eventually cut away. This will be at the end of the last
clestory window. The lower roof is rounded as required.
Note that several rounding schemes were used between different
railroad companies but once you decide on the desired curve
it should be duplicated on all four corners of the car.
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You can make your own templates for rounding the
roof curves or Labelle (now with a new owner) makes a laser-cut aid for the
curved roof trim. Note that this one
sheet provides trim pieces for (2) cars.
You can also purchase one template and copy as many trim pieces as
you need
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The most critical part of forming the roof edge
is the matching the two ends of the trim piece to the curve of the
roofs. Get the underside right and
the rest will be easy. The bottom of
the trim must align with the underside lip of the top roof edge and come in contact with the lower roof curve. The top roof is then
sanded to keep a constant thickness on the trim piece.
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The Completed end is now cut off at the end of
the trim and used to complete the roof and we are ready to start on the
roof proper
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Make a horizontal cut through the Clestory window
section. Don’t
worry about being precise as it is easy to sand the separated pieces to
size. All you need just a slight
step on the top-most section of the roof
Next make (2) vertical cut to
remove the center part of the lower roof. The
center part will be discarded. The outside bottom pieces should be long
enough to extend under the window section.
Be careful not to damage the grooving at the
bottom outside edge of the side pieces.
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I used the 3-in-one fixture to align the lower
roof pieces first, then the upper roof. The center portion is
used to build the side panels of the car including the windows. This side shows the lower roof and panel
side; the bottom has the guides for the upper roof.
The body is a piece of scrap lathboard
and the rest was scraps of unsused strip-wood
pieces.
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This is where the two end pieces are glued to the two lower roof sides. The fixture insures the critical surfaces
are held in alignment. The inner corners of the outer two sides
hold the roof pieces both horizontally and vertically in place. This jig is also handy for holding the
roof for detail work and protecting the bearing surfaces.
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This is the other side of the same fixture used
to glue the upper roof piece in place between the ends. Note that in the picture to the right
both the upper roof overhang and the lower roof bottom are in perfect
alignment
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This jig is used to make both the larger baggage
door and the two smaller end doors.
The vertical [muntin] boards laid in place first, then the remaining pieces are laid
in place in the gaps provided, pushed to the left against the spacers, and
glued in place.
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Make sure all pieces are firmly
glued in place when making the jig, then use Vaseline or some type
of petroleum product to seal the pourous wood
surface. This allows the finished
part to be easily removed. Powdered Graphite or Teflon may be used
and rubbed into the wood instead buy they can be a bit messy. Be sure to replentish
the barrier at first sign of the parts sticking
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There are many advantages of mass
producing more doors and windows than you need for a project. First, you can pick and
choose the best to use to complete your model. Another reason is to fill your parts box
with ammunition for your next project.
The best reason is that quite often the first part or two that you
make may not be the best. It is also
much easier to keep everything square and held in place by longer pieces
during the construction.
Note the two different types of clestory windows,
the baggage doors, and the different styles of end doors.
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