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1. The pointed tips of a pair of calipers were used to measure both the width and height of the window openings of the dog house on a PBL K-37’s tender. 2. These dimensions were then used to mark lo- cations to punch two tiny holes through a piece of clear acetate that will serve as window glazing. The acetate was cut to be slightly larg- er than the window opening. 3. Using the wire to help guide it, the piece of acetate glazing was carefully slipped through the window opening. 4. After the glazing was inserted, it was carefully posi- tioned so that the wires were in the upper-most corners of the win- dow opening. The wire ends were then wrapped over the roof edge
4. 5.
to hold the acetate tight against the interior surface. 5. With the glaz- ing held in place, a drop of Future Floor Wax was applied to the low- er edge with the pronged or forked end of a sewing needle that had been modified with a Dremel tool and cutting disk. A small amount was applied so the wire would not be bonded to the acetate. 6. After the wire was removed, additional Future Floor Wax was applied around the edge of the frame, filling the holes and further sealing the acetate into the opening. 7. This close up shows the doghouse with the three pieces of window glazing secured in place with the Future Floor Wax. The liquid dries clear and fills in the tiny holes.
6.
could be used to help position the acetate inside the dog house windows. One end of the wire was pushed into one of the holes in the acetate and pulled through it about an inch or two. The end was looped back and pushed through the oth- er hole, then slowly pulled tight because I didn’t want to break the wire or cut through the acetate. The acetate was maneuvered through the window by gently pushing it diagonally through the hole, then po- sitioning it so the two wires were touching the top corners of the open- ing. By gently pulling on both wires, the glazing was drawn tight against the inside wall. Because it was cut slightly larger than the opening, there
7.
was a small amount of acetate overlap- ping the inside of the window. To hold the piece in place, both ends of the wire were carefully bent over the top railing on the dog house roof.
ture®
I then poured a small puddle of Fu- acrylic floor finish onto a plastic
lid and picked up a very small amount with the forked, prong end of my glue applicator. This tiny amount of liquid was touched to the lower edge of the acetate that didn’t have the wires sticking out of it. I was careful to touch just the glazing, not the wires. Capil- lary action did the rest, drawing the Future between the acetate and around the inside of the window. After a couple of hours had passed, I used a toothpick and tested the edge of the acetate where the Future had been applied to see if the glazing was firmly secured. Seeing that it was, I began the process of removing the strand of wire by carefully pushing inward slightly on one end to make sure it wasn’t glued to the acetate. After making sure the other wire was also loose, one end was cut short with a sharp nipper and pushed through the acetate with the tip of the dental tool. Once inside, the other end of the wire was gently pulled outward until it was completely free of the dog house. Additional dots of Future were ap-
RAILROAD MODEL CRAFTSMAN
plied around the edges of the window to fully attach it to the inner surface. The tender was laid on its side to pre- vent the liquid from flowing out of the window recess and onto the exterior surface. (I did one side at a time.) The most time-consuming aspect of
this process was waiting for the Future to dry. To be honest, it took longer to think of the process than to actually in- stall one piece of acetate. Once I was happy with the results, the other two windows were glazed using the same techniques.
While I mentioned that I used the pointed tips from a set of calipers to measure and mark the acetate, a pair of pointed drafting dividers would work as well. Unfortunately, since the advent of CAD programs, the pointed dividers that once were part of every draftsman’s tool kit in days gone by may be harder to find. You just need something to measure the exact inside openings of the windows. After a couple applications of the Future, the tiny holes in the upper corners are just about invisible because it dries clear. Since my first experience with this
technique, I’ve used it on a few more engines with success. I hope you will be successful too if you happen to give this a try.
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