Batch-building freight cars 101part 2- 9
44: Apin visewith a #76 bit is used to open holes that
have been filledwith paint by themanufacturer.. Keep
the drill perpendicular to thework, and apply light
pressure as you drill. You can expect tobreak some
bits regardless of how carefully youuse them. I stock
upwith extras so I won’t be looking for a bit to finish a
model onSundaywhen the local hobby shop is closed.
Drilling techniques
Manyyears ago, oneofmymodelingbuddiespointedout,
“nobody likes todrill out holes for grabirons.”Unfortunately
this activityoften comeswith the territory. If parts suchas gra-
bironsor ladderswon’t easilygo into thetinyholes, then the
holeswill have tobedrilledoutwith thepinvise.
Expect todo this, andyouwill bepleasantly surprisedwhenyou
don’t have todo it.Whenusing thepinvise, trynot topush too
hard, andkeep thebit perpendicular to thepart beingdrilled.
It isnormal tobreak thebits, sobuy them inquantity. I always
drill byhand. Thepreliminary
constructiononyour test kit
will tell youhowmuchdrill-
ingwill benecessary.
45
45: The50-foot express reefer on the left is coupled to
theMDCmilk reefer awaitinga return trip toWilloughby
atHetch-Hetchy junction. These “shake-the-box” kits
were improvedwithA-line ladders, grabirons and stirrup
steps. I havealways liked thegraphicson thesecars, so
I decided toupgrade themabit.
Grabirons, stirrups, and ladders –
detailing and repair of rolling stock
Over theyears, I haveundertaken several projects tomake
someofmy carsmore realistic.Most of thetime, theseare
funprojectson cars that are favorites for some reason. The
upgradeprocedureusually includes shavingoff themolded-
ongrabirons/ladders and replacing themwithwiregrabs and/
or scale ladders.Oversizedplastic stirrup stepsusuallyare
replacedaswell. Areasunder thegrabs and ladders get some
touchuppaint and someweathering (39).
44
MRH-Apr2014
