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Building a first etched brass loco

BrianH

Entry posted by BrianH

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I have created this Blog to describe the creation of a first loco. I know that the end result is a bit rough, but I am pleased with my little engine for a first attempt.

 

The engine has been created from the excellent little starter loco kit from Connoisseur Models, go to http://www.jimmcgeown.com/ for an excellent entry kit to this hobby.

 

I wouldn??™t want this kit to be criticised because of my poor technical skills, we all have to learn some where and many mistakes have to be made to reach perfection.

 

Any way, believing I had at least two weeks to buy a soldering iron and solder etc before the kit arrived I was pleased when it turned up only five days after ordering it.

 

So the first Job was to cut out the foot plate, buffer beams and valance sides. The brass is thin enough that it can be cut with a sharp Stanley knife blade, and then file any small nibs off that are left behind.

 

Mistake number 1: Read the manual from cover to cover and then put into practice the advice there in.

 

When Jim says, don??™t use any old solder and flux that you have laying around the house, believe him. Trying to solder the buffer beam to the footplate was an exercise in torcher. Ordinary solder has a higher melting temperature then low melt solder. Try holding the buffer beam square on and in the correct position whilst trying to get the brass and the soldering iron hot enough to melt the solder means very sore fingers. Even trying to hold the parts with tweezers or pliers had me frustrated as one or other of the components would move just as the solder melted and then it would need to be relocated again.

 

Once I got the low temperature solder life became so much easier, but I would recommend creating some small jigs to hold things in place squarely for soldering.

 

A block of wood cut to the inside dimensions of the buffer beam and valance pieces will hold hold them squarely whilst they are tacked in place. A fillet of solder can then be run all round once the pieces are there and the wood former removed. Hind site is a wonderful thing and next time I will do this myself.

 

My next entry I will discuss soldering the sides and beading.

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Mikkel
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Hello Brian, many thanks for making this blog. This kind of introduction to etched loco building is really useful for many of us I think. Will follow with interest. As for reading manuals before starting the project, that's going to take some real discipline! biggrin.gif

 

 

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Kenton

Excellent to see someone else venturing into the pleasures (and pains) of brass kit construction. You will often find it frustrating but hopefully also very rewarding. It is often the pleasure of the build rather than the end product that brings the most satisfaction.

 

I have one curiosity on the build - you mentioned using "low melt" solder - that is very unusual and I'm not sure that is what you meant to say. The term "low melt" is usually applied to 70' solder (which actually is not really solder) that is used for "gluing" white metal kits together. It does not stick very well to brass (you normally have to "tin" brass with normal solder to get it to stick). Did you just mean "lower" melt such as 145 solder?

 

Solders do come in quite a wide range. But again I would never recommend dropping to a lower melt solder until you get to the finer detail. There is nothing more infuriating when you are building a kit that just when you are putting a small detail on some other detail, usually an overlay, slips or drops off.

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-missy-

Hello :)

 

I was intreagued as on the home page of the blogs this entry comes up as "Building a first etched bra..."

 

Missy :P

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BrianH
Excellent to see someone else venturing into the pleasures (and pains) of brass kit construction. You will often find it frustrating but hopefully also very rewarding. It is often the pleasure of the build rather than the end product that brings the most satisfaction.

 

I have one curiosity on the build - you mentioned using "low melt" solder - that is very unusual and I'm not sure that is what you meant to say. The term "low melt" is usually applied to 70' solder (which actually is not really solder) that is used for "gluing" white metal kits together. It does not stick very well to brass (you normally have to "tin" brass with normal solder to get it to stick). Did you just mean "lower" melt such as 145 solder?

 

Solders do come in quite a wide range. But again I would never recommend dropping to a lower melt solder until you get to the finer detail. There is nothing more infuriating when you are building a kit that just when you are putting a small detail on some other detail, usually an overlay, slips or drops off.

 

Hi you are quite correct.

 

I ordered 145 degree solder and Carrs Red flux, what a difference it makes, never used 70 degrees solder.

 

Thanks for the input.

 

Cheers, Brian

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BrianH
Hello Brian, many thanks for making this blog. This kind of introduction to etched loco building is really useful for many of us I think. Will follow with interest. As for reading manuals before starting the project, that's going to take some real discipline! biggrin.gif

 

 

Thanks for the feedback.

 

Cheers, Brian

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BrianH
Hello smile.gif

 

I was intreagued as on the home page of the blogs this entry comes up as "Building a first etched bra..."

 

Missy tongue.gif

 

Ooops, brass reinforced or what, thanks I had a good giggle at that, must be more careful in the furture.

 

Cheers, Brian.

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