Jazz 7mm Workbench

[jazz]

A running session this afternoon at Trenruth.  Here is a quick photo shoot especially the finally finished Taff Vale Models R class in the first and 4th pictures.  The saddle tank is a Scorpio kit and the other loco by the signal box is another Taff Vale Models.

 

 

Two more just before packing up for today.  Ist one a County tank from an 88D kit the second 45xx from a Warren Sheppard  

 

 

Edited June 20, 2021 by jazz

[O-Gauge-Phil]

Definitely no shortage of motive power!  Very nice.

[Shez]

Is this your own layout Ken?  Do you have a thread on it?  How big is it? Trackplan?

 

I am still becalmed in modelling terms waiting for the house move with everything packed up. Looking unlikely till mid July at earliest. However the good news is that not only do I get a workshop shed at the new place, but the powers that be have granted me an L shaped space approx. 14 x12 in one of the spare bedrooms for a layout, so exciting times!

[jazz]

Hi Shez. That sounds very exciting. I wish I had that space.    Yes, that's my humble relatively small layout by 7mm scale.

 

It's in the two car integral garage and shares the space with the car.  It's 19' long by 20" wide. Includes a 4' fiddle yard.   I do not have a thread about it.  I could draw a track plan though.

[jazz]

In response to Shez's query.  Here are some shots of my small layout.  (I forgot to take the camera out of close up some they are a bit out of focus)

 

Entrance to the fiddle yard and also the access to the warehouse.  The narrow gauge loco is coming from the quarry crossing over the mainline.

 

 

Looking towards the head shunt in the distance.

 

Again looking towards the fiddle yard with the cattle dock on the left.

 

Looking towards the head shunt with coal siding to the right with the loco shed, goods shed and office blocks.

 

Finally a long shot from by the loco shed to the fiddle yard.  The layout is still awaitng me to comple the builing and yard lights to be coupled up.

 

 

A better shot showing the end of line shunting area.

Edited June 21, 2021 by jazz

[jazz]

I've been dabbling with the next build,  A Majestic Models J37.   So far so good. Not a difficult build, on the tender anyway. Just down to the detailing now.

 

 

[jazz]

Detailing all done. 

 

[doilum]

There is something both simple and elegant about a coal rail tender.

[jazz]

Hi. Just returned from a very nice break in Northumberland. Lucky with the weather too.  Now back on the WB and continuing with the J37 body.  Going OK so far.

 

[jazz]

A bit more done today after tidying the garden post our stay in Northumberland.   no too bad to build as long as you check and check again before committing to solder it.

 

[jazz]

Nothing done yesterday but have caught up today with the build.  Almost there now.  The cab so finish and sort out pickups and coupling tender to the loco.

 

The detailing went quite well.  Sorry the photo is a bit rubbish. The light was poor and using the WB strip light, not a good idea.

 

[jazz]

Well this took some time to get it running something like.  The problem being the etched bush holes in the coupling rods were way too large and did not match the etched holes in the frames. So three days later and much filling and drilling has had it running on the track.  Painted and ready to go.

 

 

[DOCJACOB]

Thanks, excellent vignette as one in the “stash” 

[jazz]

Now another one under way. This is a Javelin Dean Goods.  A change to have a nice kit to build

 

[jazz]

Plodding on with the body now.  Going OK.   I decided to use the cast corners instead of the etched fingers. A little bit tricky to do without burnt fingers.

 

[jazz]

That's the tender built.  Went together just fine.

 

 

[Simond]

I had no doubts, but it’s good to know, as I have one in the stash…

[nsl714]

Hi Ken,

 

Your attachment of whitemetal castings to the brass is always so clean and neat. How do you prefer to secure them? Are they soldered from the back or is it done by some other method?

 

Thanks,

Zach

[jazz]

1 hour ago, nsl714 said:

Hi Ken,

 

Your attachment of whitemetal castings to the brass is always so clean and neat. How do you prefer to secure them? Are they soldered from the back or is it done by some other method?

 

Thanks,

Zach

Hi Zach.    I use low melt solder or super glue. It all depends on the access, for instance the axle boxes were solder from the rear on this model as there where etched holes for the spigot on the axle box, so that was easy.  The water filler was soldered from the inside and the lid superglued.  The lifting hooks were too small to safely solder on, again superglued.

 

Like wise with the buffers, they were a bit to iffy to solder. Had they been more substantial I would have solder them on.

 

My way of adding white metal castings is to tin the brass and place the casting in postion then apply the iron quite near to the casting to melt the solder.  I use plety on flux on the casting though.   I do use a high temperature  (450 deg) and I am very quick with the iron or you end up with a nice lump of white metal.

[jazz]

That's the loco chassis done.  a very vice one to build too.   Drilling the coupling rod bush holes to 2.5mm required no easing to have a perfect running chassis.. Very pleased.  The only thing to watch for is soldering the twin brake pull rods to the white metal brake cylinders. Some deft soldering required there .

 

[nsl714]

20 hours ago, jazz said:

Hi Zach.    I use low melt solder or super glue. It all depends on the access, for instance the axle boxes were solder from the rear on this model as there where etched holes for the spigot on the axle box, so that was easy.  The water filler was soldered from the inside and the lid superglued.  The lifting hooks were too small to safely solder on, again superglued.

 

Like wise with the buffers, they were a bit to iffy to solder. Had they been more substantial I would have solder them on.

 

My way of adding white metal castings is to tin the brass and place the casting in postion then apply the iron quite near to the casting to melt the solder.  I use plety on flux on the casting though.   I do use a high temperature  (450 deg) and I am very quick with the iron or you end up with a nice lump of white metal.

 

Thanks for the explanation, Ken. The mixture of superglue and solder from the back depending on the particular casting explains it. In the past, I've had mixed results with soldering. I do about what you do, but probably use way too much low melt solder. The casting doesn't go anywhere after being secured to the puddle of low melt solder, but a lot of cleanup is necessary. Your methods are on the whole much cleaner. I'll have to try some of that on the next kit I do.

 

-Zach

[bgman]

May I assume that you do all of the soldering first and then superglue the remaining parts Ken otherwise there could be trouble at mill !

[jazz]

19 hours ago, bgman said:

May I assume that you do all of the soldering first and then superglue the remaining parts Ken otherwise there could be trouble at mill !

Hi. I use SX SIROFLEX Trade Strength superglue.  It seems to OK using the solder iron near it.  I never linger with the iron which is why I use such a high temperature. Things never get too hot to cause problems.   Having said that I mostly glue then solder anyway.   As Simon pointed out, it's dangerous to get the superglue hot as it has very dangerous fumes.  That's what I meant by it never gets too hot to cause problems, so do not get the iron too close.

Edited July 17, 2021 by jazz

[jazz]

3 hours ago, nsl714 said:

 

Thanks for the explanation, Ken. The mixture of superglue and solder from the back depending on the particular casting explains it. In the past, I've had mixed results with soldering. I do about what you do, but probably use way too much low melt solder. The casting doesn't go anywhere after being secured to the puddle of low melt solder, but a lot of cleanup is necessary. Your methods are on the whole much cleaner. I'll have to try some of that on the next kit I do.

 

-Zach

Zach.  You should aim at using as little solder as possible.   Too much and you do spend ages cleaning it off.  Practice and you soon learn just the right amount to use.

[Simond]

Ken

 

do beware, cooking superglue leads to some right nasty fumes, which might also include cyanide!

 

Take care

Simon