Share |

Sample Club: Model Train Caboose

This laser cut and engraved model caboose makes a great gift or project for any train enthusiast.

Here we'll walk you through the steps of creating this piece as well as putting it together.

Materials:

Five 14.5" by 4.5" alder planks, 3/32" thick. We purchased ours from Colorado Heirloom.
Wood glue (we used Titebond II Extend Wood Glue)
3/16" dowel rod (available at any craft store.)

Click image to see close up of project. We recommend printing the full-size
picture to assist you in putting together your caboose model.


Files: Right click the file below and choose "Save target as." Open the file in CorelDraw 8 or later.
sc_caboose_top_back.cdr	sc_caboose_bottom_window.cdr	sc_caboose_front_wheels_side.cdr
sc_caboose_top_wheels_side.cdr	sc_caboose_windows.cdr	sc_caboose_dowel_cuts.cdr

To make the project as simple as possible, we've broken it up into six separate files. In CorelDRAW X4 we've already designated which lines will engrave and which will cut. The red lines indicate which lines have been set to hairline thickness and will cut. All you really need to do is insert the wood plank into your machine, determine your speed and power settings and press go!

Let's start by opening the first file, sc_caboose_top_back.cdr. Note how some portions are black and some are red. The red lines indicate where the engraver will cut.

Next you'll need to determine the speed and power settings that correspond with the system you're using. We used a 45-watt Helix and the following settings:

Raster Speed: 40
Raster Power: 100

Vector Speed: 20
Vector Power: 100
Vector Frequency: 500

Place a plank of alder in the engraver, manually focus the machine and send the job over.

After the job is done engraving and cutting, remove the pieces and set them aside. You'll want to repeat the same steps for all files in this project.

Now it's time to cut the dowel rod. These two small pieces will connect the wheels of the caboose so we can secure them beneath the frame.

Open sc_caboose_dowel_cuts.cdr. The file is comprised of three small cut lines. Simply insert the dowel rod into the machine and send the job over. The result will be two small rods.

After all of your pieces are engraved and cut, it's time to begin assembling the caboose. We recommend gathering all your pieces together prior to putting together the entire thing. When you're finished cutting and engraving all the pieces you will end up with 10 window frames, 10 edging pieces to go beneath the windows (smaller pieces go beneath windows on top, larger ones go beneath windows on bottom), five panels that make up the cupola (the windowed projection on the roof), four hand rails, four wheels, two bumpers, two wheel connectors, one base panel, one top panel and two panels that make up the front and back of the caboose.

Now it's time to begin assembling the caboose.

		Start by securing the dowel rods to the wheels and then glue those pieces to the base of the caboose. This will help provide a solid foundation on which to build the rest of the piece. Set the base aside to dry.
		Next, glue the frames to the outside of the windows and let them dry.
		After the window frames are dry, place the side and front panels on the base of the caboose.
		Next, secure the top panel to the pieces we've just inserted.
		Now it's time to add the cupola. The cupola is the windowed projection on the roof of the caboose. Insert the four side panels and the fifth on top to secure the structure.
		Lastly, we'll glue the remaining pieces, which include the bumpers and hand rails. After these are secure and the glue has dried, this caboose is complete!