Jump to content
 
  • entries
    19
  • comments
    82
  • views
    24,572

About this blog

Something in brass for Easter 2010?

Entries in this blog

Brackets and Brakes

Finding a small box I have put the gussets aside for now.   The instructions now continue adding more detail, the front footplate hand-grabs, more lamp brackets, more resin mouldings (the lights) and the buffers. As already indicated I do not like adding this sort of detail until the heavy handling is complete and I really don't like adding buffers and their springs until after the model has been painted - or just for show. So all these will be left off for now and hopefully remembered later.

Kenton

Kenton

Gussets ! ! !

Gussets!   OK I give up, what, where and why?   I have found them on the fret but haven't a real clue which way round they go and at what position. I think I have found the lower front ones [55] and rear ones [54] on the plan drawing but at what height? The top leading ones [64] are so small - blink and you will miss them. Anyway I did take the precaution of punching out the rivets on [54 & 55] before removing them from the fret.     The instructions state "on this loco they are rat

Kenton

Kenton

Handrails and radiator

There is still quite a bit of detailing to add to the engine casing.   Starting with the engine top cover which was made by first laminating together a half-etched top and [51] and [50] followed by a bottom spacer [52] that is slightly smaller all round. Before assembly, these parts were all rolled on the mat to impart on them a gentle curve. This assembly was then soldered to the top of the engine casing. There is no reference mark for its position but the drawing with the kit and photographs

Kenton

Kenton

Engine casing (formed)

A quick thank you to those who seem to pop back to this blog everyday and are following despite all the yeas and nays in favour of and against these blogs. A special thanks to Michael Edge for putting up with all the criticism of his kit, yet still continuing to post useful hints.   I have to add that this kit really does not take this length of time to build. I never build one kit at a time and especially when stopping to photograph and describe every step, there is even more delay. The only

Kenton

Kenton

Engine casing (flat)

Once again I am going to deviate slightly from the instructions. Why ask for instructions? I hear you cry out. Well sometimes the experience gained indicates there are more than one approach to constructing some parts and this is another example. You have seen with the cab that I prefer adding flat detail to etches while they are still on the fret, or at least flat on the table. I have found that it is easier to hold parts in place flat rather than vertical when they tend to slip out of alignme

Kenton

Kenton

The lid goes on

Designing the cab floor attached to the frames allows the roof to be soldered on from the inside and still gives access for painting and glazing later.   The roof [22] is supplied as that 4th fret and is half-etched across most of its surface leaving only the rain strips on each side. I am so used to having to add rain strips from flattened wire this seems a nice touch.   However, the roof does need to be rolled/formed into shape. This is done by forming the large radius curve first by roll

Kenton

Kenton

Cab basics

The cab window beading [34-37] can be fitted before or after assembling the cab. My preference is always to fit such items before as this enables them to be fitted flat and even before removal of the cab panels from the fret. These parts are very delicate and must be at the limit of the etching process. The cab side windows [36] are even half-etched. I found the removal and subsequent filing off of the tags very difficult to do without some distortion of the part taking place.     The ea

Kenton

Kenton

A nut allergy

... or at least it could feel like that ...   The superstructure of this kit is built on its own baseplate which is bolted to the footplate.   This baseplate [10] the cab floor [11] and the footplate support [12] were removed from the fret and the tags filed off. Noting that part [12] has two tabs that should not be mistaken for tags and not removed.     The baseplate is attached to the footplate with seven 14BA screws and nuts through the holes etched in each part. There are nine hole

Kenton

Kenton

One small step

Now for some detailing of the footplate.... Steps   Once again start by identifying the parts on the fret the footplate angles [7a,7b], the front steps [13,14], the battery boxes [44, 45], cab steps [15,16] and the jackshaft crank guard [17]. Before removing the parts, note that the front step casing [13] has rivets to be punched. Once again I recommend a small parts tray - and a pair of magnifying goggles/headband as we are moving into the realm of parts that are less than 1sq.ft. on the prot

Kenton

Kenton

Buffer beams

Continuing with the footplate the next addition is the buffer beams.   These are made up of several layers laminated together. The front buffer beam is made up of five layers [8a-e] while the rear buffer beam is made up of 4 layers [9a-d]. the reasoning for the front buffer beam being thicker is so that more weight is added to the front of the loco. A lump of lead might have been easier and more effective?   Do not remove any of the parts from the fret just yet as there are half-etched rive

Kenton

Kenton

Onwards and upwards

The footplate of most loco builds is the platform for the rest of the locomotive and needs to be a substantial structure - I have seen (and built) several kits where the footplate is so flimsy that an inevitable curve is later introduced by the addition of the superstructure. I am not expecting such problems with this kit, however I am aware that there are parts in the design that may cause me some challenges - not least the use of some serious overlays (buffer beams) and the nuts and bolts (lit

Kenton

Kenton

The basic frames

So the indecision is silenced and off we go... I guess most of those who know me guessed which way was most likely but the discussion on what is the best suspension for an 0-4-0 will no doubt continue well after this kit is complete.   The best place to start with any loco kit build is with the the chassis (sorry frames). Getting these straight and true is essential and if not made as such will ruin the rest of the kit build.   First identify the parts required using the instructions and t

Kenton

Kenton

On the start line

Instructions read and re-read, yet I cannot get over the fact that they remain incomplete as a whole, making too many assumptions of the kitbuilder's knowledge of the prototype, kit locomotives and building this type of kit. A good description of the process in text referring to numbered parts in a list and on the fret does not give the builder any real idea where a part happens to be used on the prototype or on the model. Not all parts are clearly identifiable as a locomotive part. The drawings

Kenton

Kenton

Hornblock Factory

A short diversion from the kit to produce some Alan Gibson hornblocks (one of the packs shown on the previous page).   The pack (4M60) is supplied with parts to make up 6 hornblocks for 4mm loco/tender springing. The parts are small - very small - and you need to be aware that small parts - especially springs - have a habit of finding their way off the workbench and into the carpet or between the floor boards.   So start by emptying the contents of the pack into a suitable tray and sorting t

Kenton

Kenton

The Postman sometimes knocks twice

Excellent service from Alan Gibson. I ordered the wheels, buffers and bits for this kit by telephone on Tuesday. Colin answered the phone on the first ring and took my order signing off with "it will be in the post tonight". It was, and was delivered this morning (first class) despite the current postal industrial action.   Here are the bits:     So now I have everything to start this kit. The gearbox can wait as it is not required until a long way into the build and should give me time

Kenton

Kenton

Prototype Revealed

OK - Perhaps it is time to expose the prototype   The prototype is the North British MAN 225hp 0-4-0DH Specifically the third batch D2745-D2780 that were introduced from January 1960.   Yes. It is another kit from the Judith Edge range. Michael Edge has previously started a thread on RMWeb discussing the early development of the kit. This has now been released as two kits one for the second batch (D2720-D2744, June 58 - April 1959) and one for the third batch (D2745-D2780, January 1960 -

Kenton

Kenton

Out of the box

I couldn't wait any longer, I just had to unwrap it all and check that everything was there.   The parts list is included with the 6 sheets of A4 that make up the instructions. Not for one moment did I even think that there would be anything missing, but I did need to get a feel of that brass.   Three very clean frets - not that my photography in this room helped show them to their full glory but you get the impression of them being well laid out with nice fine fret tabs and just about enou

Kenton

Kenton

We start with a box

So this is as much an experiment in blogging as it is in describing a new kit build. With the former I feel very much like a fish out of water for the latter .... let's just say "well here we go again".   Last weekend I attended my first Manchester show - in fact the first time I had been to Manchester. The show was most enjoyable and entertaining but I'll reserve judgment on the city. Some stunning layouts there with my top 3 being Crumley & Littlewickhill, Blackmill and Harlyn Road. But

Kenton

Kenton

×
×
  • Create New...