HO scale machine shop

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I'm scratch-building an HO two-stall engine house and have left room inside for a small machine shop. I'm wondering if anyone out there has scratched any machine shop tools like a lathe or drill press and if so how did they do it? For me I think it would be easier (and cheaper) if I scratch built the tools myself than try to track them down and buy them.
 

hooknlad

Member
Hiya glenn,

The items that you are looking for are on Ebay - During my down time, i research all the HO trains on Ebay. Seems to be alot on there. Good Luck!!!
 

KCS

Member
I seen some just the other day at the local Hobby Lobby in the train section. They even have box's, crates, head stones and pallets. They are more based on small garage machine shops but can be used in some shops. If your talking about the huge press', and stuff like that for making side rods, I have no clue. I've never seen any of that size although it would be nice.
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
I think I'll be checking out Ebay for machine tools. I'm just looking for the garage type machineing types since I'd have to build another building the same size as the enginehouse for the big stuff.
 

zedob

Member
I don't know what the size of shop you have to fill, but a decent sized lathe (18 " swing), a shaper and a drill press will cover the "staples" of a basic machine shop. Milling machines are more prevailent than shapers today, but 100 yrs ago, you'd have a better chance of seeing shapers.

I also don't know what era you are modeling, but any OLD machines with an overhead line-shaft would work. Lots of those types of machines were used well past their 50th birthdays and can still be found in some backwoods job shops. Most had been converted to electric by adding a motor to each machine, or by dumping the steamengine and putting a big motor in its place to run the line shaft(s).

I would also add a small forge and anvil for quik forming, welding and bending.

If you need some ideas, I suggest checking out Lindsay Publications list of books that they sell. lots of good reprints of early 1900 "modern" technology. This may sound like a wate of time, but the more you know about basic machining can have a profound way that you look at designing and building detailed models.

Basic machining built the railroads, the rest is history...
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Actually I'm modeling mid-late fifties so early electric Lathe, drill press and mill are what I'm after. I already have a compressor and bench grinder in my details collection. I also have a forge and anvil set from keystone but I'm not sure if they would still be in a shop like this by my era so they'd probably be better in my logging area.
 

zedob

Member
I'd leave the forge in there even it it didn't get that much use. Left over from the earlier years. just pile up junk on top of it. you know, kinda like what happens to a workbench (or layout) in a matter of minutes.

It really depends on where you are modeling that will determine how backwoods the shop will be. I'm sure alot of the more modern RR's cleaned out outdated machinery by the 50's, but that's still up in the air. Railroads have no use for CNC types of machinery.

If you lean towards oldr machinery you will be safe from most of the rivet counters. Having too new of machinery can be almost like throwing up a flag.
 

doctorwayne

Active Member
I have a complete set of machine tools in styrene, HO scale. I wish I could remember who made them, but they're still available, as I saw a bag of them in the hobby shop last week.--- I've just returned from digging through a couple of Walthers' catalogues: nothing in the 2005 one, but I did locate them in the 1995 version. They're made by Noch, part no. 528-1104, and as I said, still available locally. The 1995 price is $5.99 and it appears as though I have more than one set. I'm unable to identify all of the machinery, but there's a lathe, about 11' long overall, a bank of four drill presses, about 6'6" tall, a large milling machine (I think), and two others, possibly a shaper and a boring machine, but that's just a guess. They're cast in dark grey styrene, with some detail cast in relief and a few add-on parts, like the drill presses need to be glued to the stand, I think the lathe is 3 or 4 parts. Nothing too complicated but quite well detailed, considering the price.
Wayne
 

KCS

Member
Well the one's at Hobby Lobby look good. Not sure what metal they are cast of but look good in detail. They also come fully painted. I think their like $10-15 a set with just about everything.
 

jon-monon

Active Member
pict4605.jpg


These were made from styrene. I should have a howto out later this month on http://www.2guyzandsumtrains.com
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
Glenn , Just to narrow it down for you, here is the link :eBay Store – KDC Model Trains: Search results for ho lathe.
__________________

Thanks for the tip Micheal, The lathe and Drill press are on their way.
 

Ralph

Remember...it's for fun!
Hey Jon! I was hoping you might post something about home made shop tools.
Nice!
Ralph
 

Glen Haasdyk

Active Member
The Lathe and Drill press arrived earlier this week. They look really good and are kits, assembling a could parts to make each. After assembling the press I'll use it to determine how high the workbenches should be and continue on with the project. Thanks again for all the help!
 

jon-monon

Active Member
Glen asked me to demonstrate how I made the grinder in my earlier post in this thread. I think I said it was plastic, but it was actually brass. Plastic would be easier for most people.

pict4587.jpg
 

jon-monon

Active Member
The grinder itself can be formed by chucking up some plastic rod 8 or 10 scale inches in diameter and forming it using a small file. If you want it less chunky looking, you might make it four parts; two wheels, the motor and a shaft cut or fine metal rod (brass) or wire. The four parts would be glued together.

The stand can be made by pressing a plastic or metal rod into a round or square base with a hole in it. Then glue the motor to the stand.

The assembly is then painted flat black, then drybrushed grey or machine tool green.

pict4597.jpg
 
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