1/4" C.H.B. Wilamette Loader

[lab-dad]

I have been working on a ¼" scale Willamette loader engine. The kit is a C.H.B. DE-1000. From what I have been told by Brett at Sierra West this was one of the last projects Charlie Brommer worked on. Brett also told me only about 100 kits were ever produced. I also have the oil tank/burner option. Only about 40 of these were known to exist. That said I am very honored to have one of these kits. This particular kit has a sorted history and has made it's way back and forth across the country, I'm glad I finally got it!

I wanted to depict a machine in the beginning of it's life, not run down and ready to explode. I used a new technique (for me) to color the castings. The kit is entirely metal so I first blasted it with baking soda. After cleaning I gave all the parts a dunk in blacken it. After the blacken it had dried I painted on Windsor & Newton lamp black artist oil. After about 10 minutes I used a stencil brush to "burnish" and/or wipe away any excess paint. I like the effect it gives.





I have lots to do (these are early on in the construction) and some surprises along the way also.
I hope you enjoy.
More soon.
-Marty

[Mobilgas]

Marty,    Look's good so far Ill be following along on this build, looking forward to see how you go about painting & weathering the Willamette Loader 

[Malachi Constant]

Marty --

Good looking finish you've got going there ... looking forward to your build.

Cheers,
Dallas

[marc_reusser]

Marty.

I am not sure I understand what you are trying to do with the finish. I understand that you want this to be a newer in use machine, but I don't get the metal look....If I recall correctly, I am pretty sure, Willamete painted all their donkeys....but I can check the catalog.

If you are going to keep the metal look, the boiler looks better than the water/oil tank...on that the sanding or wirebrush marks are really distracting and strange looking.


Marc

[jacq01]

   

I have been working on a ¼" scale Willamette loader engine. The kit is a C.H.B. DE-1000. From what I have been told by Brett at Sierra West this was one of the last projects Charlie Brommer worked on. Brett also told me only about 100 kits were ever produced.

  Thanks to Marc and through Russ I am the proud owner of 2 of these CHB DE-1000 kits. This is a fantastic model an in my opinion the CHB donkeys are the best 1/4" donkey ever produced.
  One has been built and is waiting to be installed on a 50'0" sled.  I have the matching fairleads and I am (still) searching for a suitable watertank. I intend to install this unit on a number of disconnects for transport from the workshop to the "woods" in the storage area.

looking forward to how you will finish it.

Jacq

 

[Philip Smith]

looks like a beauty Marty

[lab-dad]

Thanks guys!
Marc,
I agree the lines/streaks are very distracting, but, this was early on in the build.
Multiple layers are/will be applied. The lines are actually brush strokes in the oil from the stencil brush.
After a few more layers it is gone.
As far as "paint"  I am unsure. Trying to look at B&W images to discern color is very hard.
I am trying to achieve what I think the paint would look like from the heat of 3 years on a boiler.
Looking at the reference images I am trying to match the "sheen" I see.
Also wouldn't a well loved new machine have been wiped with oil to keep it pretty?
I appreciate any additional info.
-Marty

[jacq01]

Marty,

what are the dimensions of the oil/water tank ?  I am looking for a water tank for wood burning variant  or a oil/water tank + piping and additional info to make one of the units an oilburner.

  Jacq

[Chuck Doan]

I will be interested in your adventure as I also have one of these about 1/2 done and stalled for some years now.

[chester]

Marty, first of all congrats on acquiring (from what I hear) is a very nice kit. I like the look you have achieved so far. I have a question regarding the use of Blacken-It on cast parts. Do you (or anyone) have any problems with glue holding on parts that have been treated?

[lab-dad]

Jacq,
The o.d. is 5 feet, will check the length when i get home.
Do you have the book "in search of steam donkeys"?
lots of good info there.
Also a Willamette catalog from the same publisher has more than enough info for the conversion.
Then again I am sure Marc could provide a lot of info too.

chester,
Thanks!
you have to remove the oxidation (black) in order for the adhesive to work

[Mobilgas]

Chester,    I have had no problems with glue holding when i used Blacken-it......and i used it on all the white metal parts on my O scale tow truck project    [I used gel-super-glue on this build]

[TRAINS1941]

-MJ

Looks good.  I'm sure as you weather it slightly the lines will start to blend in.

Jerry

[marc_reusser]

Marty,

All the photos (not catalog images, as these were often retouched or shot with the equipment in a "photo grey" paint finish) of the new donkeys show them being painted in black, or black and some color (since you reference "In search of Steam Donkeys". there are numerous images in there that clearly show the paintd finish).

I couldn't find a paint spec/finish note in the Clyde or Willamette catalog, however...and this goes directly to your point of "newer but used equipment", in the Washington Iron Works Catalog (another large mfr of logging equipment) it states under the section titled "A Few Suggestions For The Care And Maintenance Of Logging Engines [donkeys] And Boilers" ...."When laid up for the season, engine and boiler should be toroughly cleaned, greased, painted, and housed, and the stack covered to keep water off tubes and the boiler head."  Likely what you are seeing as "sheen" in the images of units in the woods, is either still from the original paint luster, or from being wiped down with oily rags...or just a lighting result....but almost most definitely not silver metal, as this would oxidize very quickly.

Marc

[marc_reusser]

Jacq,

If you cant find it in the book (or don't have the book) I can probably pull you images and diagrams of the oil burner piping and set-up.


Marc

PS.  I may have another CHB oil & water tank in my stuff...I'll check and let you know if I do.