The kit building starts today. I am choosing to build in the sequence suggested by the Comet instructions. The first phase starts with the running plate and this is as far as I got today.

Generally I have had few problems, though folding up the initial large brass running plate etch was not so easy (see first post by Mallard60022 in this category for a comment on this aspect of the kit). Everything so far is brass, so relatively high melt solder has been the order of the day. Comet have a good philosophy of creating spaces where the solder will not show, as you will see.

The basic running plate etch looks like this:

After folding according to the instructions:

Some tack soldering has been applied to the folded side plates:

Very little solder can be seen from above:

But below it is a different story. The bolt is for fixing the body to the frame. Those holes are where the solder goes:

Turn it over and there is very little solder to be seen and much of that will be hidden anway:

Meanwhile at the front end:

Next etched top plates are soldered onto the stiffened running plate sides, giving detail and additional strength:

One top side has been completely soldered:

And now the other:

The running plate sides have been filled with solder and filed smooth:

Next front detailing including the buffer beam:

The AWS plate will not be used and was cut off:

Next the basic cab framework was folded up:

And soldered, together with outer detailed etches:

And that is it for December 20th.

Keeping flat plates flat and right angles at 90º are the key aspects of the build so far. Following a few small additional details to be added, the instructions suggest that the basic frame be build next so that the two can be trial fitted together.