HO Handrail Stanchion Drilling Jig

[modelmaker87]

In another thread somewhere here I was asked if I'd put together a tute on how I drill my handrail stanchions. So these are the images I used for part of my Powerpoint presentation covering - Jigs, fixtures and how I hold small parts - presentation a number of times at the various RPM meets here in the US.

 

A couple of notes: My model era is from June 1999 and just about all NS and mainly GE machines with a few interlopers as leasers, so I don't have very much experience with the popular but older EMD's such as GP7's, 9's and such until the GP38AC NS style time frame, but handrail stanchions are of different lengths. This means for each set of lengths a different drilling jig has to be made. Second, making these jigs out of scrap styrene they will wear fairly quickly so I urge you to make new jigs for each model then bin them after use. Obviously this applies to the drilling jig that is used more than most which is for the 10 to16 odd stanchions along the walkway each side. Those that are fitted around the step area are more often than not different either side and drilling jigs for these will in all probability last for as many engines as there are single length stanchions in these areas.

 

Another thing which I have seen modelers do when re-fitting the stanchions after removing them for painting the shell, weathering and hand drilling etc is to fit them in the incorrect positions. Although many of the walkway stanchions are the same length the profile of some of the stanchions at certain positions is different. Thus I advise you remove each stanchion and lay them on a sheet of paper with a very thin length of double sided adhesive placed on it one by one. The paper also allows you to make notes if you need to.

 

The drilling jig then.

 

First pic up shows the scrap parts out of my scrap box. The large base can be any shape you want, here's where you get to practice your artistic side. You can see that I have drilled the appropriate size hole to suit the particular manufacturers stanchion, each manufacturer, Athearn Atlas et al, all have the small stud slightly different in diameter, so measure it first before drilling the hole. The location isn't super important but somewhere close to the edge of the scrap base.

 

 

Next step super simple. Pop the stanchion in the pre-drilled hole, and for your own pride, align it nicely with the scrap piece edge. But that requirement is not mandatory.

 

 

Now position the long scrap piece against the stanchion and glue it in place.

 

 

 

Unfortunately at least one of the stanchions has to be drilled by hand, so practice on a piece of 1 x 1 mm square styrene section until you can get the drill thru the stanchion head in good alignment in all three dimensional views. As they say, straight, flat and true.

 

 

Using the same drill as you used when you manually drilled your perfect hole in the one stanchion, drill a hole in the other scrap piece. BTW, this piece I now make a little longer by 10mm to give a little more support to the stanchion head when drilling thru. Some stanchions are made of real bendy plastic these days. This is an old pic.

 

 

As you can see from this side view, and remember that this is an enlarged imagee, the drill is not at the same height as the hole drilled thru the stanchion, higher is the requirement, not lower.

 

 

Therefore the underside of this piece must be sanded down until the drill is in alignment with the stanchion hole and the drill can pass thru both with ease. As if both parts had been drilled together in unison.

 

 

I place the stanchion and styrene piece c/w drill inserted to monitor the height.

 

 

When I'm happy with my height adjustment I glue this piece of styrene in position alongside the stanchion on the side shown in the pic.

 

 

Like so.

 

 

This should be the end result for at last one size of stanchion and I have indicated where I now increase the length of the drill guide piece of styrene to support the stanchion head.

 

 

For the record, due to some uploading difficulties, there is no stage 6 or 8.

 

Hope this is helpful. I also have tute that I have presented at the RPM meets as part of a general tools and techniques presentation covering ideas and methods to drastically reduce small drill breakages. If any of you are interested in such stuff, let me know. Its all in the can, just have to spend some time uploading etc.?

 

Cheers, Tony

[modelmaker87]

Pete,

 

I believe I have posted this in the wrong place so please move it per your preference. Tell you what though, might be an idea to add a tutorial section....?

 

Cheers, Tony

[Jon Gwinnett]

Great stuff Tony. Many thanks.

[trisonic]

Tony, Brilliant!

 

I'm not sure Andy would agree to another sub-fora for tutorials (although I do like the idea).

Let's leave them here for the time being and see how many we get?

 

I would pin it but I know you dislike that!

 

Best, Pete.