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Rich's de-stress project


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  • RMweb Gold

It was a typo but I thought it was mildly amusing so left it :)

 

The N7 reminds me of my childhood, being behind 69621 on the shuttles it did when it was actually running on the mainline in preservation. I then also went behind it in the quadarts at the north Norfolk a bit more recently.

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  • RMweb Gold

In zombie mode today, having been awake since 02:30. My brain hates me sometimes.

 

So rather than anything fiddly, I realised from Gobbler's carriage building thread that I hadn't done any checking of the ride height of the loco. Whilst it's a kit rather than scratchbuilt like Gobbler's fantastic achievements, you obviously can't assume anything. However, I think I'm OK - 

 

post-31681-0-88031000-1520605305.jpg

 

Excuse the screw - it's being used as a counterbalance as there's not much metal at the front compared to the back.

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  • RMweb Gold

Mental note - you're obviously too tired to be wielding a soldering iron when you try and use an unfolded paperclip as solder...

 

Meanwhile, I'm getting there with the roof. Still needs some gentle tweaking but fits better.

 

post-31681-0-95592700-1521037907.jpg

 

post-31681-0-24861900-1521037914.jpg

 

The elastic band isn't putting much compression on - just stopping it falling off.

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  • RMweb Gold

 

As to why the right one isn't in the kit?  I suspect the kit manufacturer didn't have the correct existing component in their range, didn't want to buy one in or make a master for one to cast, and thought that it's an insignificant internal component which no one will bother about.  Or just didn't do their research...

 

 

Curious. I've found another Stelfox kit - a J17. And it has this in it:

 

post-31681-0-95019100-1521123576.jpg

 

Now I don't know which kit they produced first but there's the correct standard. Looks a similar build to the N7 (not that I have any intention of starting it yet!) with the obvious addition of a tender.

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In zombie mode today, having been awake since 02:30. My brain hates me sometimes.

 

So rather than anything fiddly, I realised from Gobbler's carriage building thread that I hadn't done any checking of the ride height of the loco. Whilst it's a kit rather than scratchbuilt like Gobbler's fantastic achievements, you obviously can't assume anything. However, I think I'm OK - 

 

attachicon.gifIMG_20180309_140912.jpg

 

Excuse the screw - it's being used as a counterbalance as there's not much metal at the front compared to the back.

Rich, I like the buffer height gauge. Is it home-made or bought?

 

Tim T

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  • RMweb Gold

It;s taken a while to pick up the courage to fit some brakes. The middle set are a bit too far away from where the wheels stop but the other two aren't bad. The castings are soft enough that I'm hoping to be able to tease them a little closer to the wheel when they are on permanently.

 

post-31681-0-97282900-1521536628.jpg

 

It's a shame the rigging rod things were produced on the body etch rather than the chassis which is a smidge thicker. They are very delicate...

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  • RMweb Gold

Well, after lots of spinning with a battery drill and attacking with nail files - the boiler fits. I'm undecided about taking the bands down any more as the closer it gets to the main boiler diameter, the more of the actual boiler I remove... and leaving as-is will give me a guide for lining!

 

Some tweaks needed for the tanks unsurprisingly.

 

.post-31681-0-38812900-1522157651.jpg

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • RMweb Gold

Progress is inversely proportional to work wanting me to do stuff so a bit quiet modelling wise at the moment :(

 

Have done some small tinkering bits but nothing worth documenting. I am looking for a special screwdriver though as getting fed up with trying to get screws into awkward places. Does anyone know of a UK source for something like this:

 

https://www.amazon.com/SE-7507SDS-Slotted-Precision-Screwdriver/dp/B008CO88XW/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_tr_t_2

 

Thanks :)

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  • RMweb Gold

As above, time is still very short at the moment :( But I have done a little bit - quite a brave little bit - hacking out the boiler for the motor:

 

post-31681-0-15457900-1524125306.jpg

 

I've smoothed off the cut edges to reduce the likelyhood of any wiring damage. Speaking of wiring, you can see the rather long wires that come with the chosen DCC decoder. Think I need to shorten them somewhat but I still would prefer to retain the connector. I've also been looking on how to mount it. I got some U channel and shortened one arm (?) to clear the components. I think I'll also put a strip of plasticard underneath to join the two pieces of channel together.

 

post-31681-0-19051800-1524125315.jpg

 

I need to work out where the handrail knobs etc. will fit before settling on the exact fit - but the boiler barrel is thick enough that I could trim back any handrail knob spigots etc.

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Progress is inversely proportional to work wanting me to do stuff so a bit quiet modelling wise at the moment :(

 

Have done some small tinkering bits but nothing worth documenting. I am looking for a special screwdriver though as getting fed up with trying to get screws into awkward places. Does anyone know of a UK source for something like this:

 

https://www.amazon.com/SE-7507SDS-Slotted-Precision-Screwdriver/dp/B008CO88XW/ref=pd_lpo_vtph_469_tr_t_2

 

Thanks :)

 

Rich,

 

I bet that you didn't know that you already had one of those in your toolkit.  If it's not on your workbench, it's probably in the office...

 

Here you are:

 

post-3210-0-51392300-1524394769_thumb.jpg

 

Pinch a very small amount off and smear it across the top of the screw.  It works for either cross-head or slotted screws:

 

post-3210-0-81963000-1524394889_thumb.jpg

 

post-3210-0-86957600-1524394908_thumb.jpg

 

You can then have it held securely in the screwdriver, place it precisely, and twist it into place:

 

post-3210-0-35051700-1524395029_thumb.jpg

 

Normally there is a chassis between the screw and the loco body, but this was easier to show the principle ;-)

 

I use this for lots and lots of body fastening screws, etc, etc.  If nothing else, when you're removing the screw, it usually avoids kneeling on the floor and worshiping the Great Carpet God!

 

HTH,

Flymo

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As above, time is still very short at the moment :( But I have done a little bit - quite a brave little bit - hacking out the boiler for the motor:

I've smoothed off the cut edges to reduce the likelyhood of any wiring damage. Speaking of wiring, you can see the rather long wires that come with the chosen DCC decoder. Think I need to shorten them somewhat but I still would prefer to retain the connector. I've also been looking on how to mount it. I got some U channel and shortened one arm (?) to clear the components. I think I'll also put a strip of plasticard underneath to join the two pieces of channel together.

 

attachicon.gifIMG_20180419_083540.jpg

 

I need to work out where the handrail knobs etc. will fit before settling on the exact fit - but the boiler barrel is thick enough that I could trim back any handrail knob spigots etc.

 

 

That is a very neat solutions, to install runners to mount the chip in.  It reminds me of assembling IKEA furniture ;-)

 

It would certainly, with proper planning, be a way of keeping the chip away from handrail knobs and other internal protrusions.  I'll share with you my way of doing it:

 

post-3210-0-26113800-1524396676_thumb.jpg

 

post-3210-0-25961200-1524396697_thumb.jpg

 

Heatshrink around the chips, and across any joints in the wiring.  I bought a bag of assorted sizes from Maplin - so get there quickly before the stores close, but if you can find some it will be at a decent price - and find it very useful.  I do the shrinking bit by waving a soldering iron gently at it.  You can use the iron really close to it as long as you don't catch the wiring, as the heatshrink is surprisingly robust.  I don't know if you've used it before but it was a real revelation to me.

 

I do exactly the same as you in hacking out the underneath of the body with a Dremel.

 

post-3210-0-99987300-1524396723_thumb.jpg

 

The thing with wrapping the chip up so that there is no accidental electrical contact possible is that I can then shove (roughly, from behind) the chip, motor and gearbox up inside the boiler and they will settle into their own places.  The long wires are then useful to allow the chip to find its own location, and flex around to suit, IYSWIM.  The ones on your chip do look a *bit* excessive though, but if there is room, it's easier than cutting them and re-soldering.

 

HTH

Flymo

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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks :) Might try the blu tac but I would still like a grippy screwdriver as I am terrible at dropping screws all over the place!

 

Google Ikea Trofast - I recently had to change the runners on my daughters toy drawers which might have influenced it lol! I did consider heatshrink over it but I'm not sure how much heat is generated when up to 1amp is passing through the thing. I will of course be making any cable joints with heat shrink.

 

I think the decoder has a conformal coating on it as when I unsoldered the leads from it  had to clean it off first. I decided it was easier than unsoldering from the 8 pin connector as that looked like it might fall apart!

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  • 2 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

Right, where was I?  :jester:

 

I think I've finally finished a major component - well construction wise:

 

post-31681-0-01421800-1531813464_thumb.jpg

 

post-31681-0-66675600-1531813474_thumb.jpg

 

Interestingly the drawing shows a rod from the brake rigging angle bracket to the floor - but then that would mean the trailing truck wouldn't go on so I've left that off.

 

I'll clean a bit more of the excess solder off, degrease it then chemically blacken it. I've not used that stuff before - but I expect I shall then paint it black as well. At some point I need to think about pickups I guess as well...!

 

Apologies for the break in service - work decided they wanted a few pounds of flesh and it's been crazy manic. Still is, but not quite as bad!

Edited by Bucoops
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  • RMweb Gold

Little bit more done. Chimney, dome and snifters are from the kit, the safety valves are Alan Gibson as the one I am modelling has a cover of some sort at the base, whereas the ones in the kit are individual. It's a smidge too tall but not too bad.

 

post-31681-0-54849300-1532007550_thumb.jpg

 

Plucking up the courage to drill the holes for the washout plugs. Again not using the ones from the kit as there are only 4 and they don't look right. I have some Markits ones that look better.

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Thanks - quite pleased with it, just wish I could pick the pace up!

 

 I know how you feel. I've managed a small 0-6-0 chassis, which still isn't totally finished and thats taken me since the beginning of April to get done. Some people can put that together in a couple of sessions!

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  • RMweb Gold

Not overly impressed with my drilling for the washout plugs. I think it was a combination of the marking out and then the drilling rather than just the drilling. Need more practice lol!

 

post-31681-0-39927500-1532525213_thumb.jpg

 

They sit a little deep due to the thickness of the boiler. Might have a think of the best way to sort or just use some solder to fill it and re-shape.

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  • 2 months later...
  • RMweb Gold

Cor, how long :(

 

Been doing dibs and drabs when I can, but it's not been much.

 

After a LOT of filing the smokebox door is flat (enough) and soldered on - I was toying with buying one from SEF but that also includes the front plate so would also need a lot of work. Whatever the little valve things are below the door are on (I've deliberately put them against the actual plate rather than slightly spaced off for strength), and hole for the handrail knob drilled. I used the average position on the few photos I have of this particular loco to choose where to put the dart.

 

post-31681-0-21038300-1538744761_thumb.jpg

 

A few detail bits added to the tanks, and I've preliminary marked the handrail run. You can see how bad I drilled the washout plugs :( hoping the handrail will hide that to a certain amount...

 

Any tips on marking out something in this direction on a tube?! I've essentially guessed.

 

post-31681-0-42088900-1538744774_thumb.jpg 

 

This beading was fun - I finally got around to trimming the bunker back plate down and put the Eileen's half-round beading on. That took a while! I need to trim it back slightly on the cab ends.

 

post-31681-0-87847900-1538744814_thumb.jpg

 

Slowly slowly...

Edited by Bucoops
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  • RMweb Gold

Thanks John :) It's been teasing me on my desk but just been so busy :(

 

Really want to finish something - one so I can say I've properly finished a kit, and two, so I can crack on with another (and the A1 and BTH of course!).

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Good to see you back! And the loco is progressing nicely too. When it comes to marking out, maybe a scribe held at a constant hight in some form of mount, and then pull the model (pre-'coloured in' with a Sharpie pen) to get a horizontal line? I can picture in my head what I mean.....just don't know the name of the tool that holds the scribe! I'll see if I can find a picture

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  • RMweb Gold

I think I know what you mean? Something like this? https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/392125042017?chn=ps

 

Good thinking!

 

Meanwhile - I found this the other day at my parents' - I have finished something lol! Well, not sure why I never put any battery boxes on, and the roof has yellowed a bit. And of course it needs weathering, But *I* built it - and another one but I think that's possibly still in a display case at Mangapps.

 

post-31681-0-36049800-1538809806_thumb.jpg

 

20+ years old :O

Edited by Bucoops
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I think I know what you mean? Something like this? https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/392125042017?chn=ps

 

Good thinking!

 

 

 

Yep that's the one..... I first saw this on a video I watched by Tony Wright. Some screen shots below, so not the best quality, but you get the idea. I've never needed to try it myself yet though, as the Hudswell Clarke I built had holes pre-etched, and I've not quite got that far on the Manning Wardle I'm currently building.

 

post-32089-0-73881100-1538815636_thumb.png

 

post-32089-0-66011700-1538815726_thumb.png

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