S7 scratch building

[airnimal]

 Not a lot of progress today because of domestic duties including fixing the 11 year old washing machine. Earned a few brownie points there. And then got a rocket for not cleaning behind it while her in doors is at work ! I mean how often do people remove fixed items for cleaning ? Wasn't even that bad, just a bit dusty. Can we ever win.

 

I have packed up the w-irons with 20 thou plasticard because it was sitting a bit to low and changed the solid spoke wheels for split spoke ones. Started to add the bolt heads and made the first of the couplings. Still plenty to do.

[airnimal]

Is there anything more silly than cutting up hundreds of tiny cubes of plastic to represent bolts. It's one of those jobs I can do sometimes but I have to be in the mood. I get to the point when I have done one side and then realise I still have the other side and the complete interior to do that spirits dwindle.

[Compound2632]

14 minutes ago, airnimal said:

and the complete interior to do

 

Can I offer the comforting idea that, if the construction of this 1860s wagon was like that of later Midland wagons, the bolt-heads on the inside were countersunk so flush with the interior ironwork and not visible?

 

On the other hand, what we see on the outside [Midland Wagons Vol. 1 plate 34] are square nuts with the ends of the bolts protruding...

Edited May 18, 2020 by Compound2632

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

30 minutes ago, airnimal said:

Is there anything more silly than cutting up hundreds of tiny cubes of plastic to represent bolts. It's one of those jobs I can do sometimes but I have to be in the mood. I get to the point when I have done one side and then realise I still have the other side and the complete interior to do that spirits dwindle.

 

Yes, well just as silly, cutting up row after row of individual paper squares to be used as slates on a roof. The thing to bear in mind is that once it is done, it is done, and if one is sensible need not be repeated. I always cut a few (hundred extras) just to be sure. 

 

BTW are your bolt heads cut from the end of a square rod section or cut from strip section. I would imagine the latter would be less tedious and avoid the dreaded pinging off of plastic into the great unknown.  

 

[airnimal]

Compound, do you have evidence what the iron work was used on these early wagons ? 

I seem to recall seeing a photograph of a similar wagon with the door down and there was only bolts showing without any strip material. Would there be strip behind all the other outside corresponding bolts. Did these wagons have the tapered knees on the inside like later wagons ?

 

The bolts are cut from Evergreen 10 X 20 strip on a small cutting mat and picked up on the point of a scalpel.

[Compound2632]

25 minutes ago, airnimal said:

Compound, do you have evidence what the iron work was used on these early wagons ? 

I seem to recall seeing a photograph of a similar wagon with the door down and there was only bolts showing without any strip material. Would there be strip behind all the other outside corresponding bolts. Did these wagons have the tapered knees on the inside like later wagons ?

 

No evidence, only inference I'm afraid. The washer plates on the sides and ends only cover the four planks so I'm pretty sure there must be the usual knees on the inside, otherwise there's nothing holding the body to the frame. In addition to the usual side knees, there must be end knees lined up with the washer plates on the ends, taking the place of the later outside end pillars/stanchions.

 

As to whether the bolts through from the side knees were countersunk or protruding, I think that's anyone's guess - I was simply trying to keep you from despair! Likewise the bolts through to the hinges and corner plates. Midland dropside wagons of the 1860s were constructed in a similar way: the end seems to be held in place by three knees [Midland Wagons Vol. 1 plate 32]. There's a c. 1870 photo [plate 33] showing several of these wagons - one has no washer plates on the inside corresponding to the hinges on the outside, just bolt heads, but two behind do have washer plates - from the state of the paintwork these may be newer wagons. 

[Adam]

1 hour ago, airnimal said:

Is there anything more silly than cutting up hundreds of tiny cubes of plastic to represent bolts. It's one of those jobs I can do sometimes but I have to be in the mood. I get to the point when I have done one side and then realise I still have the other side and the complete interior to do that spirits dwindle.

 

The same exercise for a 4mm model? The resulting effects are impressive, but dear me, it can be soul-destroyingly tedious. I can only aspire to your deftness of touch and overall neatness of execution, however.

 

All best,

 

Adam

[airnimal]

I think I have finished the outside with just the inside knees to do. I also need to fit the safety chains. This close up shows my poor alignment of the rivets and the label clip. How do the 2mm boys do it ?

 

Edited May 18, 2020 by airnimal

[Lacathedrale]

Lovely stuff, as usual - I have a couple of questions if that's OK?

 

I see you're using pencil to mark out the bolt heads - what are you using to fix them? I'm mostly using Tamiya Extra Thin poly cement which does a great job at not melting things, but has a habit of lifting any pencil marks and/or evaporating quite quickly!

 

Secondly, for your brakes and brasswork, do you have a method for transferring drawings to the metal, or do you re-mark/measure directly on the brass?

[airnimal]

Lacathdrale, the glue I use for any large plastic is Mek Pak but use Limonene for any thing under 15 thou. 

Limonene is slow drying and doesn't melt thin plastic. 

As for the brakes and metal work, I tend to place parts over the drawing and compare them to see how they are going to fit and modify accordingly. The brake block here was one of my own brass castings from the brake van kit I produced a few years ago. As you can see against the drawing only the brake block was used after it was filed to shape and the push rod was removed. I then cut a notch in in the block at the location where the push rod was going to exit from.

The push rod was a bit of scrap etch which had a couple saw cuts like the one below the casting here. 

It was then bent into a u shape and soldered into the block. All the other brass or nickel parts were marked out on the material used and cut out comparing with the drawing as I go along. 

 

 

 

[Lacathedrale]

That's very helpul, thank you!

[Chrisbr]

...and a follow up to Lacathedrale's question if  may - what do you use to apply the Limonene to the very small pieces so as not to leave solvent marks on the finished pieve?

 

Chris

 

[airnimal]

Chris, nothing hi tech I am afraid. I use a very old Slaters Mek brush that has been around a very long time. I stripped out most of the bristles to leave a pointed shape at the end. 

Because Limonene tends to fill the brush with lots of liquid I brush most of it on to a paper tissue leaving the brush almost dry. Then there is so little to flood the bolt heads. 

[Schooner]

On 17/05/2020 at 18:39, airnimal said:

...

 

That coupling is unreasonably good-looking! I'd love to see some more on both prototype and your method of construction. The end result is a thing of rare beauty, bob on my own form:function sweet spot.

 

Top work, as ever, and all whilst O'ing SWMBO...show off

[airnimal]

Hopefully it is finished now I have put the interior bits in. With any luck I will be able to get some paint on it today. 

I made a bit of a mess last night because I managed to spill a dollop of Mek over one side which had an effect on one of the plank lines. I have tried to fill and re-scribe it but it looks a mess. I have tried filling it with 10 thou plastic and doing it again all to no avail. The only recourse I think I have it to paint it like a replacement plank.

 

The couplings were made from parts ready available. The top link are GWR D links from Exactoscale and the middle links are just chain from Eilleens. The bottom link is just a normal one from any 3 link. I try and solder any gaps now but when I started I use to just squeeze them together.

 

The washing machine has come back to haunt me because it has packed up completely.

A new one has been ordered to keep her indoors happy. She is a good egg and the rocket I got was just tongue in cheek.

If fact she bought me a lathe when we had little money when the children were small as well as building my workshop before having a new kitchen. 

[airnimal]

I took advantage of the sunshine and painted my wagon as Lee Marvin would say. There is still a long way to go but it is showing promising sign of progress. The other side is not as good where i got Mek all over the side. I will paint a replacement plank before I take a photo of it. 

[Compound2632]

It's a reasonable supposition that a wagon built in the late 1860s would still be on the books in the late 1880s, when the large M R lettering was adopted. In photos, it could easily be mistaken for one of the bought-up PO wagons - I shall be keeping my eyes open whenever I come across a hoto from the period that has Midland wagons in it. They're not common but one of the best places to look is photos of locomotives posed in front of a coaling stage ramp - there are often a handful of wagons on the ramp.

[airnimal]

Compound, if you find any I would be most pleased to see them.  I have done the other side and it's not turned out as bad as I was expecting. Just got to paint and fit the other parts before I weather it.

Edited May 19, 2020 by airnimal

[airnimal]

99% there now. Just the couplings, buffer heads and  axleboxes. 

It's been intresting experience but I got there in the end.

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

I do like the way you've done the replaced plank.

[airnimal]

Malcolm 0-6-0, thank you for your comment. The interior is painted with Tamiya XF-57 buff and then just brushed with powders. Before I applied the powders I masked the plank inside with Humbrol Maskol so it didn't look like the other planks. 

 

Just the the safty chains to make and a bit more dirt and rust to add. The axleboxes have been scratch built because there isn't any available commercially. What to do next ?

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

Splendid modeling.

 

What to do next? well if it was me I'd have a rest by spending a day or two just running trains.   

[richard i]

21 hours ago, Malcolm 0-6-0 said:

Splendid modeling.

 

What to do next? well if it was me I'd have a rest by spending a day or two just running trains.   

Cup of tea first surely, as a reward for a job well done?

richard 
 

[Tricky]

48 minutes ago, richard i said:

Cup of tea first surely, as a reward for a job well done?

richard 
 

And then, after a well earned cuppa, plan the layout that all this wonderful rolling stock can run on...!

[airnimal]

Gentlemen, many thanks for your suggestions, I would dearly love to start building my layout and watch trains.

But like everyone else I am hampered by our lock down situation. 

We were going to move house this year so I was waiting to see what space I am going to have available in the new abode. 

This doesn't look likely for some time to come if at all. I can't even go and buy some wood and build a couple of baseboards to use here. 

 

So what do I do for the time being ? Well I did say I wasn't going to do any locos because I don't enjoy making them. 

But I still have a couple of unfinished projects in boxes that I should try and rescue. 

I have the chopper tank which is probably 95% complete and I have the parts for this dock tank which is in bits but with a working chassis. The reason I pulled it all apart was the footplate was uneven and the side panels were wrong. 

What would I have to do to make it into a decent model. New smoke box front, new tank, replacement footplate etc etc....

 

I may tinker with a few bits tomorrow and see how the mood take me. I think I made a reasonable job of the boiler fittings most of which I made when I was still working so it seems a shame to waste these.