Hello,
Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding some .005" styrene riveted batten strips on a model. I thought I'd use the tried and true method of running a row of rivets on a larger sheet then cutting them into narrow strips. Now to add them to a carbody....should I use ACC or a quick evaporating solvent? I'd hate to have the thin styrene "melt" on me. I also would want to be able to make minor adjustments if necessary before they set up. Appreciate your help.
Bud Rindfleisch

As long as "everyone" is busy at Naperville, I'll put in my two
cents...
You will melt it with styrene cement.
I'd try "tacking" a strip at two or three places with a tiny amount of
ACC, and if you get it wrong, slide a blade underneath and pop it
loose. When you get it right, flow in more ACC along the edges.
Scott Pitzer


--- In STMFC@..., Bud Rindfleisch <BlackDiamondRR@...>
wrote:

Hello,
Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding

some .005"

styrene riveted batten strips on a model. I thought I'd use the

tried

and true method of running a row of rivets on a larger sheet then
cutting them into narrow strips. Now to add them to a

carbody....should

I use ACC or a quick evaporating solvent? I'd hate to have the thin
styrene "melt" on me. I also would want to be able to make minor
adjustments if necessary before they set up. Appreciate your help.

Bud Rindfleisch

Bud Rindfleisch wrote:
"Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding some .005"
styrene riveted batten strips on a model. I thought I'd use the tried
and true method of running a row of rivets on a larger sheet then
cutting them into narrow strips. Now to add them to a
carbody....should I use ACC or a quick evaporating solvent? I'd hate
to have the thin styrene "melt" on me. I also would want to be able to
make minor adjustments if necessary before they set up. Appreciate
your help."

Bud, I'd stay away from the solvent for 5 mil styrene as it'll make
your rivet strips melt. I recommend a very sparing amount of
thickened CA (ACC) if you want to be able to make minor adjustments
before the adhesive sets.


Ben Hom

Two suggestions:

Make the battens from shim brass instead of .005" styrene. This provides slimmer battens (probably more accurate thickness). And you can use ACC to tack one end, line it up and glue it into place. I've not tried that approach yet, but intend to.

Another approach that has worked for me - make the batten strips without the rivets, glue with solvent cement, then after its dry, apply rivets one at a time sliced off a discarded model. The battens should be manageable without little pockets to collect the solvent (and cause melting), and the glued-on rivet method is really not very hard once you get into it.

I like to have the rivets on the donor model coloured with a contrasting ink or light paint so once off the donor model its easier to tell which way is "up". Then I lay all the rivets for a given line on the line and use a dental pick, very tiny paint brush or whatever else works to line them up. It can take some poking and prodding, but there is knack that comes quickly. I find I can do an acceptably neat row by eye provided the rivets are all moved into place before any are glued.

Once content with the location of the rivets, I use that very very fine paint brush (it may have 6 strands or so) to apply a tiny bit of solvent near the rivet head. The idea is to allow just a tiny amount to creep beneath the rivet witout disturbing the rivet. Some are disturbed, but that's fixable. The amount of cement used at this point is not enough to cement a rivet permanently in place. Its just enough to make the rivet hold on and not fly out of the way with a heavy breath. One can still move them about at this point if need be by adding a tiny bit more solvent and pushing with a knife point. Once they are all in place, I then run the brush down the strip of rivets a couple of times with more solvent - this time welding them into place.

I do it all beneath an illuminated magnifier and am pretty happy with the results. I did a proto 2000 50 box car this way to add the ACR rivets - 23 rivets per row, many panels per side. It even worked without stripping the paint.

Rob Kirkham

Bud writes:

Hello,
Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding some .005" styrene
riveted batten strips on a model. I thought I'd use the tried and true
method of running a row of rivets on a larger sheet then cutting them into narrow
strips. Now to add them to a carbody... should I use ACC or a quick
evaporating solvent? I'd hate to have the thin styrene "melt" on me. I also would want
to be able to make minor adjustments if necessary before they set up.
Appreciate your help.

Bud Rindfleisch


Bud,

A tried, tested and trued method is to use a "slow" setting ACC, this will
give you plenty of time to make adjustments then once in place you can hit it
with accelerator.

Bud, you can make your rivet patterns, then cut the strips, depending on the
width, with the "twin XACTO blade" method. If you've never done it email me
off line I will fill you in instead of wasting band width. You can make double
rivet rows like this as well and add a rib in to use for a hopper or gondola
as well...

Greg Martin

<tgregmrtn@...> wrote:
Bud, you can make your rivet patterns, then cut the strips, depending on the width, with the "twin XACTO blade" method. If you've never done it email me off line I will fill you in instead of wasting band width. You can make double rivet rows like this as well and add a rib in to use for a hopper or gondola as well...

IMO, you won't be wasting band width. I would welcome seeing the "twin XACTO blade" method described. As far as I'm concerned, modeling techniques are always welcome.

Frank Greene
Memphis, TN

--- In STMFC@..., Bud Rindfleisch <BlackDiamondRR@...>
wrote:

Hello,
Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding some .005"
styrene riveted batten strips on a model. I thought I'd use the tried
and true method of running a row of rivets on a larger sheet then
cutting them into narrow strips. Now to add them to a carbody....should
I use ACC or a quick evaporating solvent? I'd hate to have the thin
styrene "melt" on me. I also would want to be able to make minor
adjustments if necessary before they set up. Appreciate your help.

Bud Rindfleisch

HiBud,I can,t vouch for this myself but the subject came up at one of
the Naperville clinics. It was agreed that MEK damaged .005 styrene. It
was suggested to use lacquer thinner. Regards, Don Smith

Greg,



I'd be interested in this technique also.



Doug Brown

You can use solvent cement for attaching .005" styrene to styrene without softening the edges or warping the strip. I can give you a technique which I use if interested by contacting me at <midcentury@...>
-Andy

benjaminfrank_hom <b.hom@...> wrote: Bud Rindfleisch wrote:
"Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding some .005"
styrene riveted batten strips on a model. I thought I'd use the tried
and true method of running a row of rivets on a larger sheet then
cutting them into narrow strips. Now to add them to a
carbody....should I use ACC or a quick evaporating solvent? I'd hate
to have the thin styrene "melt" on me. I also would want to be able to
make minor adjustments if necessary before they set up. Appreciate
your help."

Bud, I'd stay away from the solvent for 5 mil styrene as it'll make
your rivet strips melt. I recommend a very sparing amount of
thickened CA (ACC) if you want to be able to make minor adjustments
before the adhesive sets.

Ben Hom

Bud Rindfleisch

Thought you guys would be the source for advice on adding
some .005" styrene riveted batten strips on a model.

Have you tried Microscale's Micro-Weld? I think it is
citrus-acid based; it doesn't have MEK or other nasty
stuff in it. Supposedly it works on styrene.

Tim O'Connor