Highland Bodgery

[uax6]

Hi Andy,

 

Ironically something that could have happened to my sort of Castle in real life!

 

I'll get my GWR coat...

 

All the best,

 

Castle

Don't take it too far though, 28xx chimneys are very close to the HR Castle ones, and I might end up using them!!

 

Andy G ;-}

[uax6]

As I need to have a chimney which is like a Straun Banker one, I've started to break up my badly built kit one so that it can be remade. This means that I have the chimney available to take a mould from. (as the kit has been out of production for donkey's I don't think anyone will mind)

 

First I put a bed of plastiscene and embedded the chimney halfway into it (the mould marks on the chimney are useful here!):

 

Then a tube to fill the chimney from underneath (to hopefully lessen air bubbles):

 

Then the tube from the chimney to the outside of the mould, three locating pins and the cardboard box around the mould:

 

The chimney and tubes were then sprayed with cheap silicone based furniture polish, then brushed with latex (to get a bubble free finish) and then the rest of the box was filled with poured latex.

 

This now has to set.

 

The other progress has been with the wheelsets. The fronts of the tyres have been cut back. The difference is shown here:

 

Hopefully I'll be able to get a rolling chassis sometime this week!

 

Andy G

Edited March 12, 2013 by uax6

[Physicsman]

First look-in for a while. Lots of things going on here that I'd never be trying on KL. I like the mold technique - good luck with the chimneys!

 

Jeff

[aberdare]

Andy

 

I'm looking forward to seeing how this turns out as I was thinking it was something I may need to do in the future. I was weighing up the cost of making moulds against buying the parts and I know the more parts I want the better it is, just a case of being selective of what to copy I guess.

 

I'll keep an eye out for the next update.

 

Jim

[uax6]

Ohh I'm not sure I'm the right person to copy for the mouldings... I've tried taking moulds off stuff before and they have never worked, and this is my first attempt at a two parter too! I think in the past the main problem has been the lack of mould release, and the silcone spray hopefully will make it work!

 

I'm going to try alumite (sp?) resin, I hope I can still find it in the garage! If not I wonder if I could inject mixed araldite into the mould with a syringe? Anyone actually done this thing before?

 

Ive also freed up the dome from the banker, but I might see if I can use a 15amp round pin earth pin for the flat version (it'll add a bit more weight to the body too) when I can find one.

 

Andy G

[uax6]

Well it's been a day! I had put the mould ontop of one of the kitchen units (SHMBO is beinging to moan about how my moddelling stuff is begining to take over the house!) and discovered that I had sprung a leak. The latex had found a hole and run out. Well looking at the result it seems that the latex has actually sealed the holes now it has set, so I've chanced my arm by just filling it up again.

 

Now I'm in work i thought I'd look at progressing the rolling chassis, only to find that I've left some stuff at home, Doh! Anyway I've got enough bits to have a look at the coupling rods, which has lead to a 'Coupling rod quandry'.

 

The drawing I have, has the rods at 1.5mm thick, and the ex-triang ones are 2mm. Do I file them down? Also, as i have played about with the wheelbase, I need to cut and shorten one end. Whats the best way to do this? I was thinking of making the cut towards the middle of the rod, and filing to get the correct length, and then soldering them up again with a bit of brass wire behind to strengthen the joint. Does this sound a good plan, or is there a better way to do it? I'll also have to do the same on the valve rods too as they are far too short, so I need a good way to do it!

 

Andy G

[aberdare]

Ohh I'm not sure I'm the right person to copy for the mouldings... I've tried taking moulds off stuff before and they have never worked, and this is my first attempt at a two parter too! I think in the past the main problem has been the lack of mould release, and the silcone spray hopefully will make it work!

 

I'm going to try alumite (sp?) resin, I hope I can still find it in the garage! If not I wonder if I could inject mixed araldite into the mould with a syringe? Anyone actually done this thing before?

 

Hi Andy

 

I'm just wondering how the finished product turns out to see what the detail is like with regard to the original. I have just got hold of some Oyumaru sticks to think about making a mould but wondering about what to use for the moulded item, like you I wouldn't want to break it getting it out.

[uax6]

It may be some time till i get around to casting, if I haven't sprung another leak, I'll try and make the other side of the mould over the weekend. Then I've got to find the resin! I presume the resin will be quite strong for a mass like a chimney or dome, I'm not so sure for cab steps, so might try to push some brass handrail wire in with the resin. (Note another mould to make if this one works!)

 

Andy G

[Andrew P]

Hi Andy, I have just popped in for a look and saw post 27 with that pot of whatever and a mould it frightend me silly, Don't Try This At Home,Hahahaaa, great stuff mate,

 

I WILL BE BACK

 

Andy

[uax6]

Not been a very productive week, feeling very larthergic and getting going is a struggle. Anyway I have done some odds and ends including giving the chassis block a slight file to reduce it's width, to give a little more sideplay to the improved wheelsets (which are now a tad tighter on the block....

 

Also yesterday I cut and shut the coupling rods (after spending two afternoons just looking at them!)

 

A 4mm section was cut out of them and then I soldered the rods back together with a bit of handrail wire to strengthen it up.

 

Showing what I chopped out:

 

Soldiered up:

 

Showing the extra thickness around the joint:

 

Coupling rod on a set of wheels in the chassis block to test:

 

Showing both modified rods:

 

The first rod took 20 mins to cut and shut, the second one took almost two hours (minus the interruptions for trains) of tring to get the things to line up square!

 

I'm going to try to get a rolling chassis today, but not going to hold my breath.

 

Andy

 

 

[Colin parks]

Hi Andy,

 

I have just read through your topic.  Some very interesting work you are doing - especially of interest is the turning down of wheels.  I had tried to make a mandrel for turning Hornby coach wheel flanges last week.  This ended in failure.  I can see now that the way to go is a bolt down a threaded hole to clamp the wheel tight, rather than a threaded spigot with a nut on the end, which was too weak.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[Ben Alder]

Very interesting, as altering a set of Hornby rods is a job on my lengthy agenda- what solder did you use for this?

[uax6]

Hi Andy,

 

I have just read through your topic.  Some very interesting work you are doing - especially of interest is the turning down of wheels.  I had tried to make a mandrel for turning Hornby coach wheel flanges last week.  This ended in failure.  I can see now that the way to go is a bolt down a threaded hole to clamp the wheel tight, rather than a threaded spigot with a nut on the end, which was too weak.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

 

Colin, when you make up your mandrel make sure that the the hole is central and the face where the wheel presses is square. My mandrel was made of rolled bar, so the whole lot was turned first (to make it truely circular) and then the end faced, and the shoulders cut. Then end drilled and tapped (not on the lathe mind!).

 

The bolt that goes down the middle has a tapered shoulder turned on the bottom of the head, so that when you tighten it down the taper centralises the the wheel on the screw, so the whole lot ends up central and doesn't 'spin out'.

 

Andy G

[uax6]

Very interesting, as altering a set of Hornby rods is a job on my lengthy agenda- what solder did you use for this?

 

Richard, I can say that I use my one soldier fits all, in as much as it is a reel of tin/lead resin cored electrical soldier. I have never used anything else (Not true I suppose, as the central heating has got lead free plumbers soldier on it!). I've used the same soldier on etched kits, but have not been brave enough to soldier w/metal kits yet.

 

The keys points are these:

 

As the rods are nickle plated (and I suspect also laquared) you need to file (yes file!) the surfaces that you are going to soldier until you can see the small file marks in them.

 

You need a decent sized soldiering iron. Mine is a Weller 240v 25Watt one with a 90* chisel bit in it. Get the iron hot, then with a damp paper towel, wipe the tip (which should get the dross off the tip) then tin both sides, and wipe again. You should have a nicely tinned tip. After every joint repeat this process, and also do it if you turn off the iron and turn it back on again at any time.

 

Now tin the coupling rods. Make sure that that you hold the iron on until you can put the soldier on about 3mm away on the rod and it runs, this shows how much heat you have to put into the metal, and also helps prevent tip erosion. The soldier will flow out and cover all the bit that has been filed. If you see any browney deposits in the soldier, let it cool, and then file the deposit out.

 

When both bits have been tinned I then soldiered a tinned bit of .45mm handrail wire on one end, and then brought the other end to the right place (this takes time), and then soldier that on. The joints need to be close to each other to prevent  flexibilty, and then flood with soldier so that hopefully it will get between the two cut ends and stiffen it all up.

 

Then let cool (don't blow on it, that can weaken the joint) and file down to a better shape.

 

The fluted Hornby rods will be easier as the wire can fit in the flute and the soldier brough up flush, so not becoming as fat!

 

Hope this helps

 

Andy G

[Ben Alder]

Certainly does- it's one piece of soldering I've never tackled before- thanks for the tips - to  make a dreadful pun!

[Colin parks]

Hi Andy,

 

Thanks for the advice re. mandrel making.  I shall never need to turn loco wheels, but Hornby coach wheel flanges are a different matter.  I shall have another go, following your instructions and make the bolt with a tapered shank.

 

All the best,

 

Colin

[uax6]

I managed to find a bit of time yesterday and actually got on with doing something constructive. I wheeled the chassis. It's not perfect as the insulating bushes on the Triang wheels need replacing with something better, which I'll have to investigate. But it did allow me to dress up the chassis to see how far I have got.

 

So boiler was fitted, and the footplate cut to fit around the chassis, the result is this:

 

 

As the wheelbase is slightly compromised, a thought struck me last night. The wheelbase is possibly 3mm too long, and the wheels are 1mm (over tyre, 2mm over flange) bigger than they should be, I could move the front bogie forward slightly, lengthen the bolier by about 3mm and lengthen the footplate to match. This would give the correct gap between the front splasher and the smokebox, so it would look more 'right'. The offshoot of this is that the cylinders would be moved forward which could mean that the driving rods might not need 'cutting and shutting'.

 

The difference being so short (whats a scale foot or so between friends?) I doubt anyone (apart from you lot) will notice.

 

Andy G

[Ben Alder]

That sounds like a practical idea- keeping the upper proportions more or less right.I think you can get away with discrepancies in wheelbase and diameters to an extent, as in most situations the eye is drawn to the superstructure.

[uax6]

Yesterday I got into work and settled in at the table to do a bit to the Castle. I first measured from the somkebox saddle to the splasher on the drawing and matched that up to the model. 5mm difference! A bit more measuring confirmed that the boiler is just long enough to reach the cab front (I had cut this back when neatening up the firebox end, oh why didn't I leave it long?).

So I cut the front off the original (mk1) footplate, which was longer that the mk2 one, marked it up 5mm longer than the Mk2 one, cut the Mk2 front off and glued the Mk1 front to the rest of the mk2 footplate. Then the saddle was put back on. The result is quite good, and as a bonus I now don't have to adjust the piston/con rods!

I then looked at the boiler height and how that was going to sit. I trimmed up the lower edge of the firebox slightly, but have realised that I need to get the splashers sorted now, so that I can see what bits of the firebox I can loose.

Sadly at this point the MOM (Mobile Operations Manager) turned up for a visit, and than we got the news that part of a overhead line mast was about to fall apart, so modelling had to stop.

 

Mk2 footplate before cutting:

 

the new combined footplate below the original front end of the mk2 footplate, showing the change in length. As this game is about things looking right, I think this will slight lengthening won't be noticable in the great scheme of things:

 

The new footplate mounted up on the chassis. It doesn't look too bad:

 

Hopefully today I'll get the splashers made, which will help with the boiler mounting. Must remember to take a book with photos in with me.

 

Andy G

Edited April 11, 2013 by uax6

[uax6]

Just noticed that hole under the boiler where the gears were. I hope that isn't noticable when the splashers are in place, otherwise I'll have to cover it up...

 

Andy G

[ianwales]

Sadly at this point the MOM (Mobile Operations Manager) turned up for a visit, and than we got the news that part of a overhead line mast was about to fall apart, so modelling had to stop.

 

 

Andy G

 

Hi Andy

 

Bit of a nuisance when work gets in the way of modelling! luckily we don't yet ahd OHL to contend with, just MOM's wanting tea!

 

Ian

[uax6]

MOMs can be good fun, the first one loves the signalbox thread on here (he worked many of the Ely and area ones) and he also enjoyed one of my daughters butterfly cakes yesterday.

 

At present there is nothing to report operationally wise, so the bits are going to come out in a minute so that I can get one with the splashers.

 

Ag

[uax6]

Well the first thing I noticed is that I forgot to bring the camera to work today doh! So no as it happened shots, but I don't think you would gain anything from them today anyway.

 

The splashers have been made, as usual with a compromise because the wheel diameters are a little on the large size. Mind you it would appear that they are only about 2mm taller, and 5 mm longer, but who will know (you are going to keep my secret arn't you??).

 

They look quite simple to make, but they have tricky corners, and with the small splashers for the rods, it's taken me all afternoon to do, with a lot of trail and error to make the sizes look right! And I haven't even got the tops on them yet!

 

My next problem is this: On the real thing the splashers don't go back to the boiler, they end at the front edge of the frames. Now the frames are quite a lot narrower in 00 so do I just take them back as far as I can to clear the wheels, and add the rear plate to the splasher and live with it? or is there another way around it?

 

I'll take some photos and put them up tomorrow morning.

 

Andy G

[uax6]

Just noticed that the bottom edge of the main splasher has a beading along it that follows the curve of the rod splashers, grr, thats going ti be a pain to make, but at least i have some 5thou in stock for it!

 

Andy G

[uax6]

Yesterday I got a bit bogged down. I fettled one of the splashers (after finding it wouldn't clear a wheel!) and decided to make some temporary brackets to hold the footplate at the right level. The work took best part of two hours, but there isn't much to show for it! I'm going to look at the cab today (I'm going to take a spare T9 one with me to check if it is useable) and them hopefully more progress will be made.

Here's the latest piccys:

 

 

Hopefully you can see some progress in there somewhere!

 

Fustrated Andy!