Headlight reflector - 1
I
washaving troublefind-
inga suitableheadlight
reflector for abrass loco-
motive Iwasdetailingand
painting for a customer, so I
decided to try tomake some.
Simplematerials
and techniques
eliminate the need
for a commercial
part ...
Headlight reflector for
O scale locomotives
– RayGrosserMMR362
Model Photos by the author
1. RayGrosser built a
convincingheadlight
reflector for a client's
custom-paintedO scale
steam engine.
Theheadlight on the locomotiveand theback-up light on the
tender are the same size, somaking twowas as easyasmak-
ingone. I think they turnedoutwell for afirst-timeattempt to
make something like this.
I startedwith some .010” thickbrass sheet stock, andafter
trying several different approaches, I settledonusingheat to
anneal (soften) thebrass, turninga3/8”diameterwooddowel
in thedrill press for thepunchor forming tool, andmillinga
concavearea intoawoodblock for thedie. Heating thebrass
toa cherry red color and thenquenching it softened it suffi-
ciently toallow thebrass to form the reflector in thedie (2).
Once thebrasswas annealed toa softmaterial, I began the
processofmaking the reflector by chuckinga3/8”dowel ina
drill press andbringing the turningdowel down to thebrass
plate, to force it into thedie in thewoodblock (3).
2
2. The brass is heatedwith a plumber’s torch, near a
bowl of water to quench the brass, tomake it very soft.
MRH-Apr2014
