I started chronicling the construction of my 09 on another blog elsewhere, but it did not seem to get much readership, so I have now started moving it across to rmweb where it might be of use/interest to more people.

5th Jan 2007. Was it really that long ago I started building my 2mm Scale Association 08 kit? This is what I wrote then:

After checking the box contents, and the contents of the CD on a laptop, construction started.The instructions are clear and well illustrated, but definitely not for the novice, as has been stated. It starts off with the jig: here it is on the etch, here is a photo of the completed item, get on and build it. Fair enough, no problems there. Next the bearings were soldered to the frames, fully populated for all axles gear driven, using the thought that it will be easier to leave out idler gears later than to add more bearings.

Now it was time to solder in the frame spacers. The quantity and positions seem to be at the whim of the constructor. The instructions state that various ones are optional, but does not indicate which ones, or why. The photos seem to be of two different sets of frames with different spacer populations. I eventually opted to put in 6 spacers. I remembered an earlier post on the 2mm VAG, so I made sure all the tabs were as close as possible to 90 degrees. The PCB strip was a lttle wide, so needed a little filing to fit. Also, my nice neat insulation gaps were too far apart, and had to be widened for some of the longer tabs.Trial fitting the gears will have to wait until next week, as the steel axle rod will need cutting up with a slitting disk. Therefore, I proceeded to put together the gearbox. Hmmm. The gearbox needs another bearing, but all the bearings supplied with the kit have been used up on the frames. Another job that will have to wait until next week.

Anyway, the results of my first session can be seen below, cruelly magnifying my untidy soldering, showing the jig on the left, the gearbox at centre, and the chassis to the right.