With the radiator grills, fans and long hood end cut out and prepped for Cannon & Co. parts, it is time to turn
my attention to the dynamic brake hatch. As people who know me, it is natural that I was not satisfied with just
using the as is Kato DB hatch. Ideas started swirling in my head. I had to have open grills and it just so
happened that Athearn once again blessed us with a first in plastic. Open DB grills.
my attention to the dynamic brake hatch. As people who know me, it is natural that I was not satisfied with just
using the as is Kato DB hatch. Ideas started swirling in my head. I had to have open grills and it just so
happened that Athearn once again blessed us with a first in plastic. Open DB grills.
At first I thought, I'll just mill the side of the DB hatch and make it look like the way Athearn did the SD45T-2
hood. Using the mold parting line as a guide, which is the perfect reference line because that is where you
would want to cut to. I milled the side till the Athearn DB grill part fit perfectly up against the Kato hatch. Well, it
turned out the leading edge of the Athearn part was just a tad longer than the Kato hatch. I quickly come up
with the next best idea and in reality is the better way of doing it because you do not need a mill to do it this
way.
hood. Using the mold parting line as a guide, which is the perfect reference line because that is where you
would want to cut to. I milled the side till the Athearn DB grill part fit perfectly up against the Kato hatch. Well, it
turned out the leading edge of the Athearn part was just a tad longer than the Kato hatch. I quickly come up
with the next best idea and in reality is the better way of doing it because you do not need a mill to do it this
way.
I just cut out the grill area and frame. I first cut the grill from the Athearn part and squared them up. I dug out
another Kato hatch and secured it in my mill and proceeded to cut the grill out. You can do this same process
with some nippers, a sharp knife and a flat file. As I got closer to the outside of the frame area I took smaller
and smaller cuts until the grills fit in snuggly.
another Kato hatch and secured it in my mill and proceeded to cut the grill out. You can do this same process
with some nippers, a sharp knife and a flat file. As I got closer to the outside of the frame area I took smaller
and smaller cuts until the grills fit in snuggly.
Here you can see the finished cuts. When I mention cutting out the frame, I am refering to the strips on the
ends of the grill area that have the bolt detail on them.
ends of the grill area that have the bolt detail on them.
Here are the finished grills.
As you can see here, I have removed the DB fan detail. I used the same process as I did with removing the
radiator fans. I then needed to remove the cast on exhaust hatch detail as well as the DB vent.
I just did not want to sit there all night filing and sanding. I mounted up a real aggressive dove tail router bit in
my mill press. I first used my Zuron nippers and clipped the stack flat to the hatch. I then put a small aluminum
block under the hatch as support. I then lowered the but just a bit and locked it. I am using my drill press.
Holding the part firmly, I moved it under the bit till it was all chewed away. I then lowered it a bit more and did the
same thing until I was at the DB hatch surface. After that I did a little scrapping and wet sanding.
radiator fans. I then needed to remove the cast on exhaust hatch detail as well as the DB vent.
I just did not want to sit there all night filing and sanding. I mounted up a real aggressive dove tail router bit in
my mill press. I first used my Zuron nippers and clipped the stack flat to the hatch. I then put a small aluminum
block under the hatch as support. I then lowered the but just a bit and locked it. I am using my drill press.
Holding the part firmly, I moved it under the bit till it was all chewed away. I then lowered it a bit more and did the
same thing until I was at the DB hatch surface. After that I did a little scrapping and wet sanding.
This is the finished hatch ready for adding detail parts. After test fitting all the parts to it, the hatch really looks
good. I really like the effect of the see through grills.
I will not assemble the parts until I am finished completing construction of the hood. The the fun of adding all the
parts begin.
good. I really like the effect of the see through grills.
I will not assemble the parts until I am finished completing construction of the hood. The the fun of adding all the
parts begin.
Looks like it is time to add a bunch of Cannon & Co. parts. Yes, but not just yet. I still need to build the clean
air room. That will be my next task. Once that is done, I can glue the hood to the deck and then add all the
parts and finely detail the hood.
air room. That will be my next task. Once that is done, I can glue the hood to the deck and then add all the
parts and finely detail the hood.