Riveted grain silos?

[sirenwerks]

Does anyone make an N scale version or material to easily make an N scale version (not HO sold as N) of the grain silos in this picture: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/Petersburg_Texas_Grain_Elevator_2010.jpg? I know I can create my own in styrene using Archer rivets, but a ready-made version would save me effort.

[SkipGear]

I've not seen any exactly like that.

I don't know if I would even bother with rivets. An appropriate piece of PVC pipe with some very small styrene glued on for the ribs, or even scribe the ribs would be fairly easy.

[Dave Schneider]

Bryan,

Are you sure that those are rivets?  I zoomed in but couldn't say for sure. From a manufacturering perspective welded panels is also a possibility. 

Best wishes, Dave

[cv_acr]

The vertical lines do have a certain dotted effect to them...

[sirenwerks]

Bryan,

Are you sure that those are rivets?  I zoomed in but couldn't say for sure. From a manufacturering perspective welded panels is also a possibility.  

Best wishes, Dave

Dave,

These rigs have a thin protruding rib that runs horizontally around the silo at the top and bottom of each panel and the verticals are rivet lines where panels join (often sort of a board-and-batten design), as well as rivet lines with a wider distribution holding the skin to the internal structure. Here's a close pic of a set of the silos:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/latitudes/5251037905/sizes/o/in/photostream/

And here's a pic that shows more detail of the rib and rivet lines:

http://www.fotolia.com/id/30023495

The latter pic also shows the steel cable belts that were added over time to some silos (similar to what you find on wooden water towers). These silos have flat, conically peaked, or dome tops; and often have an entry door at the base as well as a protruding pipe with a riveted round cover panel (I have no idea what they're called).

[Dave Schneider]

Thanks  for the clarification. I was reading this thread on my phone and didn't see what you were talking about. That is a lot of rivets to deal with. Archer decals might drive you crazy, but this is a very straightforward etching problem. I suspect that you could get this done by a commercial vendor for a fraction of the price ($ + effort) of decals.

Best wishes, Dave

[sirenwerks]

This may be a good job for rapid prototyping, do one level of panels to make a stackable system. If only I had a sense of the real dimensions and new CAD to create the digital file.

[cfritschle]

I don't want to be overly technical, but grain bins like the ones pictured are assembled by bolting the panels together, not by riviting them together.

This link shows the difference between the grain bins built with cast iron panels that were rivited together, and the newer grain bins built with steel panels that are bolted together.

http://www.horizonview.net/~ihs/GrainElevators/GrainElevator_Types2b.html#El_SC_RB_Sl

Carter

[James Costello]

I don't want to be overly technical......

This is the place for it....

[sirenwerks]

I don't want to be overly technical, but grain bins like the ones pictured are assembled by bolting the panels together, not by riviting them together.

Um, a rivet has a rounded head and a bolt is threaded do-hicky, right? So in both the pics I posted the panels were riveted together, not bolted, right? So... However, my bad, bolts - not rivets - are used to secure the panels to the infrastructure.

This link shows the difference between the grain bins built with cast iron panels that were rivited together, and the newer grain bins built with steel panels that are bolted together.

I don't see any visual examples of my mistake.

[SkipGear]

Um, a rivet has a rounded head and a bolt is threaded do-hicky, right? So in both the pics I posted the panels were riveted together, not bolted, right? So... However, my bad, bolts - not rivets - are used to secure the panels to the infrastructure.

They are carriage bolts. Round head with a square shank under the head. The nut to the bolt is on the inside of the silo. Makes assembly faster as you only need one tool/person to tighten them.

[John]

This is the place for it....

For not being overly technical - or being overly technical ????