White Metal Chassis Modification.

[Woodie]

Guys,

To complete the "dog box" passenger kit built set I an making, I need to modifiy a whitemetal chassis to fit the driver carraige. The trailers are already complete. I have modified a HO Athearn F7A Super PWA S P Daylight, removed the motor, extended the driveshafts, and fitted it perfectly to the new chassis, and runs beautifully, however the new chassis is too wide for the kit body. What is the best way to narrow a whitemetal chassis? I have a dremel. I need to take about 2mm off each side.

Thanks,

TOOT!

 

[shamus]

Hi Woodie,
The way I would tackle that job would be to strip it all down, and use a Belt sander at a machine shop. I very often go to my local machine shop and get someone or sometimes they let just let me use a machine. (lathe or drillstand)

NARA Member #24
http://www.badger-creek.co.uk

 

[Woodie]

Shamus,

I was afraid the answer might be something like that. Then a job like that needs doing properly I suppose.

TOOT!

 

[Bill Stone]

2mm doesn't seem like that much to remove. Lacking a mill, I'd just slap it in a vice and file the 2mm off each side. A large, coarse file will remove white metal pretty rapidly. You can finish up with a finer-toothed file. Keep a file card handy (a wire brush for cleaning the metal out of the file teeth.)
Bill

 

[Woodie]

Progress report:

I hand filed the chassis down to fit. Used a 12" fine flat file which gave me a good edge and lip to sit the body onto the chassis. Took about 2 1/2 hours of file.... fit.... file.... test.... file some more.... test.... file..... fit. etc.

The extension of the driveshaft proved problematic after a decent run.... out of balance and KERPUTWANG! (shaft snapped in half). Replaced the shaft (very difficult since I had superglued the shaft in place.

I also superglued one end of the universal joints at the bogie end. It appeared the "two uni-joint" mechanism I put into it caused the shaft to vibrate to a point of snapping. I only need a pivot mechanism at the motor ends of the shafts, not the bogie ends. Will be giving the drive mechanism a throrough workout before final fitting of the body and screwing it all together.

TOOT!