Westdale Kits

[SouthernFan Ian]

Recently, I was lucky enough to purchase an unbuilt Westdale 2BIL. I have made a few of Dick Taylors kits in the past but was considering changing my build method for a 2BIL which has very large windows on the corridor side.
My question is this: Is there any merit in lining the insides of the coaches with, say, 10 thou plasticard for ease of fitting corridor handrails and windows?
If so, what would be the best adhesive to secure plasticard to aluminium?
Regards,
Ian

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I might be wrong but when bonding two different materials together especially in sheet form you might find it will bow as one side becomes uncompensated. To give you an example when we used to lay Formica onto ply or blockboard you had to bond a compensater on the other side so it stayed flat.
To prove the point a couple of years ago I stuck a plasticard pattern, for the miller, to a sheet of 9mm mdf , you could use it on the bottom of a rocking chair now

Col.

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

Thanks Col, good point well made.
Regards.,
Ian

 

[simond]

I’m curious.

Given that neither styrene nor ally are known for changing dimensions over time (though styrene may well lose plasticiser through evaporation) why would such a composite layer change shape? Would it curve & return to something like flatness at different temperatures?

I guess MDF (fancy cardboard, sort of) which is porous, and something non-porous like styrene, might act as a hygrometer, does that flatten if you dry it out? Is the MDF side bigger (the outside of the banana)?

 

[Eastsidepilot]

I’m curious.

Given that neither styrene nor ally are known for changing dimensions over time (though styrene may well lose plasticiser through evaporation) why would such a composite layer change shape? Would it curve & return to something like flatness at different temperatures?

I guess MDF (fancy cardboard, sort of) which is porous, and something non-porous like styrene, might act as a hygrometer, does that flatten if you dry it out? Is the MDF side bigger (the outside of the banana)?

Simond,
Yes the mdf has curled in the way you describe, it's 2mm plastic stuck on with contact adhesive. I was considering the difference in expansion and contraction of the two different materials, ali and plastic. It may well be ok.

Col.

 

[SouthernFan Ian]

I seem to recollect in a past issue of MRJ, someone lined the interior of a 4mm Comet coach with plasticard to great effect, I'll see if I can located that article, it may answer a few questions.
Regards,
Ian

 

[oldravendale]

Ian - I fitted Plasticard interiors to the brass Maunsell coaches I built a few years ago. I used a cyanoacrylate - can't remember which brand - and it's been reasonably successful although it's delaminated in one or two places. If I'd been more careful with the fitting when built I suspect there would have been no issues.

I didn't take photos of the interiors at the time and they are now rather difficult to see through the windows but this picture of the corridor side of the pull-push Brake may help. (Incidentally the windows are glass slides. IMHO nothing looks like glass quite like glass).



Brian

 

[oldravendale]

Hi again Ian. After time for consideration I realised that I didn't answer your original question!

The inside of the coach sides have all been lined with two layers of Plasticard which gives pockets in to which the glass slides and also provides easy mounting points for the interior hand rails. The interior compartment partitions are made in the same way but with the glass cemented in to recesses on the compartment side using canopy glue.

Brian

 

[LarryG]

Bonding plastikard or glazing to aluminium or whatever: I always use Evostik Impact because it remains flexible and will take up expansion & contraction with ease.

As an aside, it seems to me that lining the inside of a coach with plastikard with pockets for fitting glazing looks like making ones self a pile of hard work. For me, the fewer obstacles to fitting one strip of glazing on each side of a coach, the better. Corridor handrails can be drawn on the inside of the glazing with a draughtmans ruling pen.

 

[oldravendale]

Agreed, Larry. But I wanted to use glass and space the handrails, so I went my own route. In fact I have a set of Met Dreadnoughts where I've started to strip out the plastic glazing and fit pockets.

As for adhesive, I reckon Evostick Impact may well have been a better option for fitting the Plasticard lining to the sides.

B