Jump to content
 

S7 scratch building


Recommended Posts

 I don't have any lead shot handy, so I settled on a large piece of brass 3mm thick. 

Lead flashing is about the same thickness. You might be able to pick up some scraps from a roofer or builder.  I have a supply salvaged when we had some roof repairs done several years ago.

 

Jim

Link to post
Share on other sites

what weight is the wagon?, the weight for a wagon recommended by the guild is 125mm which is what i follow, even though none of my wagons have compensation they the run fine

 

you can easily buy bags of lead shot from modelling suppliers like Eilleens Emporium

 

i pour it in a little bit of a time and set it with bog standard cheap superglue, which has has never yet failed, some kits come with chassis timber work and just need some extra partitions for the buffers and hooks like this below

27758367352_e464c0d9b6_k.jpgwagon gwr (4) by Sam, on Flickr

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

With the brass weight added they tip the scales at 100 grams but I have yet to fix the white metal axle boxes and springs. I will see how they perform and take it from there.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Many thanks for the kind comments. All the low sided wagons are L.N.W.R. made from photographs in my own collection. I will try and put some more pictures with more details on later in the week.

 

 

I was wondering where you obtained your 3-bolt LNWR buffers? I bought some from NMRS (I think) but they are way too big – more like G1.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Hi wagonman, they are from A.B.S. bought over 20 years ago. Adrian Swain has been very ill recently so I don't know when these castings will be available again. Like most modellers I put away lots of stuff away in the hope I would get around to build my own small railway. The time has come to start this project and the wagons and loco's and the first phase. My small workshop will house my small layout, but first I have to make some more room. That means I have to relocate all my railway books to my wife's "chill" room. If they are coming in here I want it redecorating said the boss, so that is what I am doing this week.post-20018-0-07658600-1495441492_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-95084700-1495441507_thumb.jpeg

Edited by airnimal
  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hi wagonman, they are from A.B.S. bought over 20 years ago. Adrian Swain has been very ill recently so I don't know when these castings will be available again. Like most modellers I put away lots of stuff away in the hope I would get around to build my own small railway. The time has come to start this project and the wagons and loco's and the first phase. My small workshop will house my small layout, but first I have to make some more room. That means I have to relocate all my railway books to my wife's "chill" room. If they are coming in here I want it redecorating said the boss, so that is what I am doing this week.attachicon.gifimage.jpeg

 

Ah thanks. Yes I'd heard about Adrian. Let's all wish him a speedy and comprehensive recovery. Nice work by the way – any chance of writing it up for the S7Group Newsletter? :-)

 

 

 

Richard

Edited by wagonman
Link to post
Share on other sites

Ah thanks. Yes I'd heard about Adrian. Let's all wish him a speedy and comprehensive recovery. Nice work by the way – any chance of writing it up for the S7Group Newsletter? :-)

 

 

 

Richard

 

I have never met Adrian, and I don't know his personal history, but he is apparently alive and well, and currently spreading much needed Truth and Light, in splendidly irascible style, concerning Kernow's highly questionable Gatestock on Model Rail Forum.  

 

I find increasingly that I need to go off RMWeb to find informed criticism of RTR products, and Adrian has certainly been quite a 'find' in terms of my own education!

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

Good to hear Adrian is doing well.

Not sure about doing articles for the S7 newsletter, I have done some in the past but I don't enjoy writing them. I left school at 15 with nothing more than my good name and not much else.

Having retired 12 months ago I worry I will run out of time to do all the things I have got on my bucket list. My ex work colleagues predicted I would be back at work within 2 months because I would be bored. I don't believe they is such a condition as boredom only lack of imagination.

Scratch building nearly everthing takes such a long time as well as other hobbies and family. My wife and I have 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren with a third due in September. And only one lives near by, the others live a long way away, one in this country and one in Aus.

A couple of photos of things in the pile.

post-20018-0-98040400-1495790101_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-09160800-1495790114_thumb.jpeg

Edited by airnimal
  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

Scratch building nearly everthing takes such a long time as well as other hobbies and family. My wife and I have 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren with a third due in September. And only one lives near by, the others live a long way away, one in this country and one in Aus.

A couple of photos of thinks in the pile.

Nice work, I like your choice of prototype. Scratchbuilding does take time but you have the satisfaction of making something ALL your own. Even if you choose a prototype which exists as a kit, or one appears just as you finish yours, it is a good feeling to refute the inevitable question ' is that the xxx kit?

 

Ian.

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I agree absolutely about boredom. I never have time to be bored, I just wish I had energy to do the stuff I've got in my head. 

 

I suspect the same problem applies to children. I have often seen it alleged that the six weeks summer holiday is 'too long' because 'children get bored'. Well, I never did. I was often bored at school and sometimes at work, but never in my own time. I think being bored is usually down to a lack of interests, something which is increasingly common in society as people have less and less leisure time and are put under great pressure to conform to social norms in how they spend what little they have.

 

The loco is lovely. Typically LNWR, simple to the point of austerity, but nonetheless with a unique character. Apart from which, I like old, small locos, irrespective of breed and think 7mm scale is ideal for them.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I went today to my local fishing tackle shop to buy some lead weights. Can not believe how much they cost ! See photo. There is only about 3/4 of an oz for such a small amount.

post-20018-0-89277000-1495827207_thumb.jpeg

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I went today to my local fishing tackle shop to buy some lead weights. Can not believe how much they cost ! See photo. There is only about 3/4 of an oz for such a small amount.

 

Have you considered using those small plated steel embossed tokens shops insist on giving you? They come in two convenient sizes providing multiples of 3.5g - not as dense as lead but good for a loaded wagon or van and certainly cheaper per gram.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I went today to my local fishing tackle shop to buy some lead weights. Can not believe how much they cost ! See photo. There is only about 3/4 of an oz for such a small amount.

As I said earlier, Speak to a local builder or roofer and see if they have any off-cuts of lead flashing.

 

Jim

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

Lead flashing isn't all that expensive, people just think it is, a quick 'Google' and a bit of selecting found some 150mm x 1m for £11.20 plus £5 delivery, so quite a few wagons worth there. I have used builders offcuts before simply because my dad was the builder but they tend to need a lot of straightening and cleaning up. A fresh roll is so much easier to work with.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Scrap lead is easily melted in an old tin ladle or even a tin lid over the gas stove or by using a little blow lamp. I cast it into crude moulds made from balsa wood and card shaped to suit exactly where I want to put it. I have also cast a thin sheet which is handy to cut and bend round motors. Only one thing, take care, keep everything dry and have a tray to contain any spills and wear safety specs. Ask your local plumber for some scrap, offer him a few bob it will be more than he will get from the scrappy,

 

Ian.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

I always use those stick-on lead weights designed for balancing wheels. You can get an absolute stack for next to nothing on e-bay. The only thing is the 'stick on' isn't reliable (though it should be given that it's supposed to stick to wheels revolving at 70 mph plus) and I always reinforce it with Evostick.

Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I always use those stick-on lead weights designed for balancing wheels. You can get an absolute stack for next to nothing on e-bay. The only thing is the 'stick on' isn't reliable (though it should be given that it's supposed to stick to wheels revolving at 70 mph plus) and I always reinforce it with Evostick.

 

I've looked at those but not bought because I couldn't work out how big they are - can you give dimensions?

 

I suppose I ought to be able to work it out for myself from the density of lead: 11.34 g/cm3... The ones that pop up first on ebay are steel (about 8 g/cm3) - so 60 g => 7.5 cm3; if 5 mm thick, that could be 5 cm x 3 cm which is quite big - depending on the aspect ratio could be tricky to fit in a 4 mm wagon.

Link to post
Share on other sites

They vary in size. The ones I have are 5 grams - about 20mm x 12mm. 10 grams about 20mm x 22mm. Sizes approximate as I have had to use a rule instead of calipers. Depth is about 3.5mm.

 

I have a whole box of these, but in the way of things I can't find it at first sight so have had to upend a wagon. The beauty of these things is you can work out exactly how much weight you are adding. The weakness is they do not always fit ideally into the desired space. If you have the full prototypical timbering below the wagon, you will do quite well to squeeze two lots of 5g in, which may not be enough. A lot of my wagons are rather plain underneath, particularly where I have used olde-worlde compensation. I am increasingly going the whole hog with underframe timbering - making more use of sprung W-irons (or axleguards as I am told we should call them) and this, I must admit, makes using these weights more awkward. Still life is like that, isn't it? Solve one problem create another.

 

Of course, if we are talking covered wagons, or opens with loads or with a tarp. on, that is another story. (So far I have too many plain unloaded opens. All that work creating nice interiors seems wasted if hidden, but it isn't very prototypical.)

Edited by Poggy1165
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I took all the advice and got hold of some lead flashing. I cut a couple of strips to fit under the small bolster wagon that has a hole in the floor for the bolster to fit through. Found a leather punch in my tool kits just the right size to punch the hole in the lead. I am not sure where it came from, picked up from a market stall many years ago for about 50 pence.

post-20018-0-90153000-1495957982_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-64303700-1495958006_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-72610200-1495958020_thumb.jpeg

  • Like 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

Good to hear Adrian is doing well.

Not sure about doing articles for the S7 newsletter, I have done some in the past but I don't enjoy writing them. I left school at 15 with nothing more than my good name and not much else.

Having retired 12 months ago I worry I will run out of time to do all the things I have got on my bucket list. My ex work colleagues predicted I would be back at work within 2 months because I would be bored. I don't believe they is such a condition as boredom only lack of imagination.

Scratch building nearly everthing takes such a long time as well as other hobbies and family. My wife and I have 3 daughters and 2 grandchildren with a third due in September. And only one lives near by, the others live a long way away, one in this country and one in Aus.

A couple of photos of things in the pile.

 

 

Ah well, you can't blame an editor for trying...

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
  • RMweb Premium

The brake van is from my own castings and having built 10 for other people it's about time I finished my own. The first few were made in the cream coloured resin before I modified the pattern. A few were the run off in pale grey before the production run was done in dark grey. This one is one of pale grey ones which will make it more easy to paint in the two tone early livery. I have altered the way I make the brake gear fit after l did a few mods on the w-irons. ( elongated the bearing slots and used round wire for the tie rods ) I like to make as many parts removable as possible to ease painting which I dislike doing.

The N.S.R. wagon has its basic body colour on and the first stages of hand lettering applied. I don't enjoy the painting aspect of our hobby and struggle every time in one way or another.

post-20018-0-94812300-1497171248_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-69774700-1497171267_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-55120200-1497171287_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-50005500-1497171301_thumb.jpeg

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I have started another new wagon. I should finish all the rest before doing any new one's but where is the fun in that. This van is a Wirral Railway 8ton van number 100. This outside my period that I am going to model but I will claim modellers licence.

post-20018-0-15758700-1497551907_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-10775200-1497551923_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-24041400-1497551938_thumb.jpeg

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Premium

I am not sure I am going to continue with this build. The scribe plank lines between the sides and the end of the van are hard to disguise and are a little rough. What will it look like after it has been painted ? Having taken about 5 hours to get to this stage do i scrap it now or will I be happy with it later. Anybody who scratch builds usually has scrap bin, and I have several both for plastic and metal.

I am not sure I am going to continue with this build. The scribe plank lines between the sides and the end of the van are hard to disguise and are a little rough. What will it look like after it has been painted ? Having taken about 5 hours to get to this stage do i scrap it now or will I be happy with it later. Anybody who scratch builds usually has a scrap bin, and I have several both for plastic and metal.

I am not sure I am going to continue with this build. The scribe plank lines between the sides and the end of the van are hard to disguise and are a little rough. What will it look like after it has been painted ? Having taken about 5 hours to get to this stage do i scrap it now or will I be happy with it later. Anybody who scratch builds usually has scrap bin, and I have several both for plastic and metal.

post-20018-0-96534200-1497599468_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-60252000-1497599484_thumb.jpeg

post-20018-0-79816300-1497599545_thumb.jpeg

Edited by airnimal
  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...