Garden Whistle Apr 2012 - Sandman.org.nz

By Kevin Leigh (Christchurch)
The Garden Whistle - November 2011
The Garden Whistle - April 2012
NZR Chopper couplers 1/24
( fabricated in brass )
This article will briefly explain how I fabricated NZR style buffers for use on 1/24 scale or
‘G’ gauge loco’s and rolling stock. They are not 100% accurate to the prototype ,but they work
well and are convincing enough. They're inexpensive to build, using, readily available brass
stock from the K&S stand.
A
1
2
K&S Brass Shapes
1. 3/8” x 3/16” -hollow rectangle
2. 5/32” x 5/32” -hollow square
3. 1/8” x 1/8” -hollow/solid square
4. 3/32” x 1/32” -strip
5. 1/2” x 1/16” -strip,( to cut disc from) or .
5b. 1/2” -round bar, (cut discs
on lathe, or, by hand )
6. 0.8mm -brass wire or equivalent
7. 1/16” -brass rod / wire
The buffer face, shown here was cut from a piece
of 1/2 inch bar stock, with a 3.5mm hole bored
into it. It can alternatively be made using 1/2” x
1/16” flat strip and scribing 11.64mm circles and
drilling out the 3.5mm hole, cutting out the disc
with a piercing saw ,then filing the outer edge
smooth. The curve on the buffer face can be
formed once the whole buffer has been fabricated.
For now we only need a disc with a hole in it.
A
slot
3
B
4
The buffer head was formed by taking the length
of (3/8 x 3/16) hollow rectangle and drilling a series
of 3.5mm through holes about 20mm apart.
The hole on one side was then filed square to allow
the (5/32 ) hollow square to fit in.
A slot was made in the (5/32) hollow square only
big enough to allow space to get a file into the gap
later.
Don’t file the slot smooth yet. The remaining side
walls will be used to guide the 1/8 bar, and keep it
square while on the soldering jig.
A
slot
B
The hollow (5/32) square was then inserted into the
square hole in the (3/8 x 3/16) rectangle hollow
and pushed right in.
Once firmly seated the hollow square was trimmed
off .
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