Hi,

you have not said which kit it is but I would guess the Hunslet 16" saddle tank. I have not built and JE kits but would have expected the bearings for rigid construction to be included.

If you are unsure as to build rigid or compensated, and considering this is your first kit I would recommend going for rigid in 00 gauge. The most difficult bit by far will be the forming of the saddle tank, time and patience and "a little at a time" is the rule. I think some of the tanks on HE 0-6-0s were welded not rivetted, if you choose one of these they are a lot easier to form & work into shape, and when you solder up the joints you can file excess solder off without losing rivets -much better for a beginner.

Forming rivets is all about evenness of pressure, you will need lots of practise without a riveting tool. Consider the London Road one -as featured in MRJ (anyone know when? - it was a gravity device), it is a cheap "introduction" level tool.

Cheers Tony

Thanks Tony,

Its the 15" Hunslet 0-6-0ST.

I found a picture of a gravity rivet punch on Mike Calverts site Mike Calvert - Riveting Tool

It looks like a tool that could be made from bits lying round the garage!

I managed to find the London Road site

London Road - Components

It look like communication is by snail mail only.

Regards Andy

Well, there aren't that many rivets on this prototype, so buying a special bit of kit isn't essential. Mike Edge is a member of the forum so should be able to help with any queries. The lack of bearings in the box is a bit of a surprise so you might want to ask him about that.

Barring the metal forming, this should be a fairly straightforward kit to build, much more so than the NB diesel Kenton seems to have got most of the way through; it's a plainer prototype.

You seem to have understood the principle behind the compensation, the idea is that the equalised (see-saw) axles make the two point of a triangle formed by the rigid, driven axle, thus keeping at least 5 wheels on the rail at all times. I don't know what gauge you work in. If in OO or EM, compensation is something you can do, but on a prototype with a wheelbase this short, it doesn't, in all truth and having tried both, make a whole lot of difference.

I look forward to seeing your progress.

Adam

Looking at the pic of the frets, I can't see a hole on one side for the pivot NOT on the other? If there IS one, you take the frames off the fret, hold them together by PUSHING three of the bearings through BOTH frames at once, two from one side, one from the other, and use the existing hole to help you drill one in the other frame.

The links ARE on the fret, the larger ones,top left, bottom fret, just below the buffer beam and top right, middle fret, next to the buffer beam, unless I'm very much mistaken?

Personally, I WOULD go this appraoch with a short wheelbase loco, but the choice is yours.

Are you sure there are no bearings in with the wire or the castings? If not, e-mail Michael Edge about it, it may be an oversight.

Finally, look here: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=230415145155&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

I have no links with the seller, but it's a Metalsmiths item. If you are building in 00 you may need a new punch and anvil, see their site.

I've been considering a standard gauge layout for a while and would like to do something industrial, i've been tempted by this kit for some time. Looking forward to seeing this progress!

Good luck with your first brass kit, we all have to start somewhere. I got a bradwell WD for xmas and my approach to pushing rivits is to use a tool with a reasonably sharp point and hand pressure with the brass on a pice of MDF. I find that the broaches for reaming out holes are ideal but beware that if you have too sharp a point you can push through.

Philbax