01/25/208
| BUILDING A READING SD45 or PSRL GP38 CAB USING THE CANNON & CO. THIN WALL CAB |
The goal of this additional page is to help you successfully build the cab you see above. TO
do this, you will need two Cannon & Co. cab kits. You could probably do it with just one, but
you better be VERY good at cutting plastic and truing it up. In the photo above, the number
board is not glued in place yet.
Before you begin, you must first clean the draft angle off all the parts as explained in the
previous pages. The basic construction of the cab is no different than what I have already
shown on page 1 & 2. For this project, you will need two cab faces.
do this, you will need two Cannon & Co. cab kits. You could probably do it with just one, but
you better be VERY good at cutting plastic and truing it up. In the photo above, the number
board is not glued in place yet.
Before you begin, you must first clean the draft angle off all the parts as explained in the
previous pages. The basic construction of the cab is no different than what I have already
shown on page 1 & 2. For this project, you will need two cab faces.
The first thing that needs to be done is to trim the door striker in half. See the little tab that the
blade is pointing to, that is the door striker. Using a very sharp knife, I trimmed this in half or
about half. Basically it need to be thinned up.
blade is pointing to, that is the door striker. Using a very sharp knife, I trimmed this in half or
about half. Basically it need to be thinned up.
These two photos are out of order. I need to show you something here that is important
though. The bottom photo is from the first cab I built and the top is the second cab that I am
using for this article.
Basically the cab extension is anywhere between 11" and 12". So that is 0.126" to 0.138". The
cab face measures 0.025". I chose to make the extension 0.001" shy of a scale 11". Actually it
will come out just a tad larger because the styrene is not dead on for 0.100 wide. I started by
gluing on two strips of 0.020" x 0.100" styrene. Make sure one end is trued up. This trued end
is lined up with the top of the cab as you see in the photo above. Do not concern yourself with
the length of the piece right now. Let it extend below the bottom of the cab. I showed you the
lower photo because you can see easily where the styrene sits on the cab face. Line up the
inside edge of the styrene with the outside edge of the cutouts for the number board. The
upper photo is to show you how I trued the styrene strip to the cab face.
though. The bottom photo is from the first cab I built and the top is the second cab that I am
using for this article.
Basically the cab extension is anywhere between 11" and 12". So that is 0.126" to 0.138". The
cab face measures 0.025". I chose to make the extension 0.001" shy of a scale 11". Actually it
will come out just a tad larger because the styrene is not dead on for 0.100 wide. I started by
gluing on two strips of 0.020" x 0.100" styrene. Make sure one end is trued up. This trued end
is lined up with the top of the cab as you see in the photo above. Do not concern yourself with
the length of the piece right now. Let it extend below the bottom of the cab. I showed you the
lower photo because you can see easily where the styrene sits on the cab face. Line up the
inside edge of the styrene with the outside edge of the cutouts for the number board. The
upper photo is to show you how I trued the styrene strip to the cab face.
Here you can see the two pieces of styrene glued in place and ready for the next step. Notice I
still have the styrene extending below the bottom of the cab.
still have the styrene extending below the bottom of the cab.
Next I took the second cab face and glued it to the styrene strips as seen above. I made sure
that the tops lined up perfectly as well as the sides. Let the glue dry good and solid.
that the tops lined up perfectly as well as the sides. Let the glue dry good and solid.
With the glue dry, I trimmed the styrene strips even with the bottom of the cab. I used a set of
PBL flush cutting sprue nippers for this. I then lightly sanded the bottom so it was all even and
made sure the cab could stand up straight as seen above.
PBL flush cutting sprue nippers for this. I then lightly sanded the bottom so it was all even and
made sure the cab could stand up straight as seen above.
Again as I stated above, the number board is not glued in place.
In this next step, I cut the outer cab. Here I cut just the cab parts away that were on the outside
of the styrene strips. I then scrapped and sanded the joint. I have a habit of using a bit more
glue than I should, but in this case that was good because it really filled the joint so the plastic
blended good and when finished I did not need to use any filler.
In this next step, I cut the outer cab. Here I cut just the cab parts away that were on the outside
of the styrene strips. I then scrapped and sanded the joint. I have a habit of using a bit more
glue than I should, but in this case that was good because it really filled the joint so the plastic
blended good and when finished I did not need to use any filler.
Now turn the cab around and cut away the cab parts that are on the inside of the styrene
strips. Note that I did not cut the bridge away at the top of the cab. This is needed for gluing
the cab roof in place.
strips. Note that I did not cut the bridge away at the top of the cab. This is needed for gluing
the cab roof in place.
The cab roof is basically 0.015" thick. So I cut a piece of styrene to lay in over the part
between the cab roof and the number board. It does not have to be perfect, just so that it
covers the entire section. After the glue dries, trim it to the cab face and sides.
Next, add the slopped side pieces. These are 0.010" pieces of styrene. Once again, they do
not have to be perfect. The angle was trimmed after the part was glued in place and the glue
dried. Just cut a strip slightly longer than you need and slightly wider. Glue it in place along the
slope of the cab roof. Once the glue has dried, I again used my PBL nippers and gradually cut
the angle from the cab corner the top of the number board as seen above.
The best way to know where to cut and to cut this angle straight is to take a very sharp blade.
Be it a razor blade or your #11 blade. Set the blade with the point at either the cab roof corner
or the edge of the number board. Set the blades heel at the other end. With the blade
contacting all along the angle you want to mark, apply slight pressure and drag it along the
angle until the point leaves the plastic. Trim to this line and you are done. Then sand it slightly
and finish it up.
The rest of the cab can be put together in the normal fashion as explained on pages one and
two.
between the cab roof and the number board. It does not have to be perfect, just so that it
covers the entire section. After the glue dries, trim it to the cab face and sides.
Next, add the slopped side pieces. These are 0.010" pieces of styrene. Once again, they do
not have to be perfect. The angle was trimmed after the part was glued in place and the glue
dried. Just cut a strip slightly longer than you need and slightly wider. Glue it in place along the
slope of the cab roof. Once the glue has dried, I again used my PBL nippers and gradually cut
the angle from the cab corner the top of the number board as seen above.
The best way to know where to cut and to cut this angle straight is to take a very sharp blade.
Be it a razor blade or your #11 blade. Set the blade with the point at either the cab roof corner
or the edge of the number board. Set the blades heel at the other end. With the blade
contacting all along the angle you want to mark, apply slight pressure and drag it along the
angle until the point leaves the plastic. Trim to this line and you are done. Then sand it slightly
and finish it up.
The rest of the cab can be put together in the normal fashion as explained on pages one and
two.
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