Jesse, I'm not sure that the geometry of the gate permits the pins. It slides in at an angle so the pins can't just be straight in. I've looked at this interface for many hours and can't seem to come up with a fool proof system. If it was a vertical drop as I originally conceived it, pins would have been perfect, but the sliding sideways tangent the the door engages the jamb seems to defy making that kind of indexing.
Started work today on the cooling tower while I wait for some more supplies to arrive. I've ordered more LEDs including flashing red and white for the tops of the flare tower or any other tall objects that could interfere with imaginary air traffic. I've also ordered the brass materials to make the chain link fencing. I have to go to a fabric store and get bridal tulle for the fencing and some finer "screening" for the screens in the cooling tower.
I printed the Illustrator images out to use as templates/guides to cut the styrene. I bought some Evergreen "corrugated siding" for the body sides. I use the full suite of Northwest Shoreline styrene cutting tools which greatly simplifies this work and increase accuracy. All the parts were laid out on the surface plate using my Starrett Surface Guage. I had originally bought all these high class layout tools in the mid 90s to build live steam engines. That never happened, but I have used them all with great precision in all the scratch-build work I'm now doing. It's hard to believe that I didn't attempt scratch-building anything until I was in my mid-50s, and not really full-steam ahead until my mid to late 60s. It's never too late to learn new stuff.
The front and rear screen frames are built out of four layers of styrene parts. The two main parts are cut from flat stock and then styrene strip stock builds out the front frames and adds stiffening to the rear.
Here's the front of the finished frame
And here's the rear
And finally, I just set it up for the picture. I will put corner reinforcements during the glue up. I also will need to cut a floor and roof. There's piping going to this unit with hot water in and cooled out. There would also be electric hookup like it would for all the pumping stations. I may or may not add that. I think (I hope) I have enough I-beam stock for the foundation framing. If not, I'll have to buy some. I believe I have enough Plastruct railing to build it, but I will have to buy more caged ladders... darn!
