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Creating Big Tanks


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Hi,

 

I'm going to be extending my 2011 challenge layout Roads A-C soon and I'm going to incorporate part of the 2 large red fuel storage tanks that exist at Aylesbury Depot:

 

Birds eye View

 

They are both around 20ft in diameter (they look to be about the same size of the 20ft container there) and not very tall. On the layout, they will be mounted at the front, blocking the view of the trains, making you look around them, but I'm going to cut them in half (about) to make them low relief

 

I've looked around for suitable kits I can bash into the correct dimensions, but all the tanks I've looked are two small and the ones from Bachmann I don't want to cut them up.

 

So how could I scratch build them and what's the best method of getting a smooth curved surface?

 

Thanks in Advance

 

Simon

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Couldn't see the tanks in question on the bing link. BUT - are the scale scenes ones no good. Assuming ur working in OO then you only need 80mm diameter and scale scenes will go up to 180mm.

 

But not sure how similar in appearance they are to what you need, but the construction method might let you find an alternative card to scratch build using that technique.

 

http://www.scalescenes.com/products/T015-Storage-Tanks

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Mini guttering is 75mm - get from DIY stores if this diameter will do. Usually available in brown, white and black. And it's ready sliced for what you want to do.

 

[Edit] You'll need to use solvent suitable for the purpose - Mek-Pak probably won't dissolve well enough.

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Some foods come in similar size tubs. These can be chopped up. When I last bought cherries from Julian Graves they cam in a tub that might have been suitable.

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Couldn't see the tanks in question on the bing link. BUT - are the scale scenes ones no good. Assuming ur working in OO then you only need 80mm diameter and scale scenes will go up to 180mm.

 

But not sure how similar in appearance they are to what you need, but the construction method might let you find an alternative card to scratch build using that technique.

 

http://www.scalescen...5-Storage-Tanks

 

Hi,

 

I looked at those, but there were a few things I didn't like, one is that they are the wrong colour, they need to be red. I don't really like building in card for structures like that, I prefer plastic for thick card and I don't think that my skill at the moment would allow me to get a nice smooth curved surface, plus my print won't stand up to printing it.

 

Thank you for the suggestions! I didn't think of using stuff like that!

 

Simon

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If you can cope with 3D CAD then (you can download packages for free such as ViaCAD) then you can make a computer model and get it made on a 3D printer.

 

Hi,

 

I was thinking of something like that, but with Laser cutting, seen as I have access to a new Laser Cutter at school, I was thinking of cutting the parts out and then shaping and glueing them together, but I don't know what the best way to bend plastic smoothly would be

 

Simon

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but I don't know what the best way to bend plastic smoothly would be

  • Round tin of tight size.
  • Several rolled up sheets of plastic inside the tin
  • Fill with boiling (or water hot enough to soften plastic)
  • Push plastic to outside of tin
  • Allow to cool
  • Remove plastic, clean and dry.
  • Put right sized bits back in the tin - more than a semicircle - they need to be forced to the edge
  • Laminate in the curve (hold sheets together and allow Mek Pak to get between by capillary action
  • Allow to set in the tin

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