Advice for a newbie to 7mm

[jim.snowdon]

What I can't work out is why anyone should want to clean off the leftovers from an acid flux with another acid (Viakal), other than that it leaves the rest of the brasswork shiny and/or someone else (a professional builder?) said it was a good thing.

 

Jim

[t-b-g]

Not cheap but I can thoroughly recommend the 150w soldering iron produced by ERSA. I got mine from a firm called "Blundells".

 

I saw most of the 7mm chaps at the Missenden Abbey modelling courses using them. They could solder big lumps of metal together with a tiny soldering iron.

 

When I decided to try my hand at some 7mm modelling, I got one and it has transformed my soldering completely. Being able to laminate several layers of 18thou with no trouble is lovely. It gets one end of a 7mm boiler so hot that you can't hold the other end without something wrapped round it as insulation. 

 

I use Templers "Telux" paste flux from Geo W Neale, together with standard 60/40 solder and end up with nice clean soldered joints.

 

It is one of those areas where there is never just one answer. There are many different approaches to soldering and most people will eventually find something that suits how they like to work. 

[hartleymartin]

If you are starting out in O gauge, I would recommend trying your hand at a few plastic wagon kits. I recommend Parkside Dundas and Slaters Plastikard. There are several options now for RTR locomotives which are very well priced - about the 220-British-Pounds mark.

 

Also, consider the possibility of using various materials. I have recently taken to building wagons using scale-timbers. Conveniently, most timber sizes are available for 7mm scale. Just look at the American HO scale range of scale timbers. Halve the specified dimensions and you've got the correct scale timbers you will need. Be wary of "O gauge" timbers as many are in fact 1/4" scale.

[brossard]

I can happily second the recommendation for Parkside and Slaters kits.  Excellent value.  All the Parkside kits that I have done have included transfers for Grouping and Nationalization eras as applicable.   Most Slaters kits, but not all, include transfers.  In some cases, like the Cattle wagon I just completed, only Grouping transfers are supplied.

 

It was Dapols 08 that got my attention and caused me to switch to 0 gauge.

 

John

[jcm@gwr]

Apart from Telford and Reading, you've got Kettering early next year as well!

[Poggy1165]

My advice is to focus. Because there is now so much lovely, tempting stuff available (and more promised) that it is very easy to end up buying something that doesn't really fit your project. It helps enormously to be self-disciplined - if only I were!

[brack]

My advice is to focus. Because there is now so much lovely, tempting stuff available (and more promised) that it is very easy to end up buying something that doesn't really fit your project. It helps enormously to be self-disciplined - if only I were!

If you can't be self disciplined, being poor is often a good substitute to stop you buying stuff on impulse.

[Simond]

I would second (well, third) the comments about focus. My butterfly days ended some twenty years back, I have since focussed on a gauge/scale/rtheme, an era, and more recently a specific area too.

 

This has its disadvantages: it's difficult to justify a 9F some twenty-odd years before they were built (much as I'd like to), and a Dutchess would be an oddity... but this does prevent absurd impulse purchases. (Except the Garratt)

 

Best

Simon

[ozzyo]

What I can't work out is why anyone should want to clean off the leftovers from an acid flux with another acid (Viakal), other than that it leaves the rest of the brasswork shiny and/or someone else (a professional builder?) said it was a good thing.

 

Jim

 

Hello Jim,

it does work don't ask me how but I think it's some thing to do with different strengths of acid in that the strong one is diluted by the weaker one and ends up as not a lot to be removed, or washed off using an alkaline cleaner.

Think how a squeeze of lemon juice kills vinegar on your chips, and both are acids.  IIRC one is citric acid and the other one is acitric (not sure on the spelling) acid one will start to kill the effect of the other one. Then it's just a wash off with water.

 

OzzyO.

[Marshall5]

Near enough Ozzy - it always was "acetic" but now we have to teach it as "ethanoic" which only confuses them!  I also use an acid - 'Shiny Sinks' which is citric acid based to clean off flux etc.but rely on thorough washing to dilute the acids rather than neutralize them.  It leaves the metal clean and slightly etched which I find helps key the paint.  Not saying Jim's wrong - just a different way of achieving the same result - clean metal ready for the next soldering or painting session.  Whether you use an acid or alkali or just plain water I believe the most important think is to remove the flux residues ASAP after each soldering session.

Cheers,

Ray.

[Simond]

I'm with Jim on the acid vs acid thing, but entirely agree with Ray on the "Shiny Sinks works" experience.

 

I have pretty much given up on the use of Powerflow flux (unless things are really difficult!) and now almost exclusively use citric acid solution, which in non corrosive, fluxes well, goes a bit sugary-sticky and washes off very easily in warm water. I still use Shiny Sinks as it does seem to leave a clean surface suitable for priming. I generally give the model a good scrub with an old toothbrush, rinse well under running hot water, and then a 10 minute blast in the ultrasonic cleaner.

 

Best

Simon

[Rm60009]

Thanks for all your replies, very much appreciated! Some very useful information learned.

 

I have joined the Guild, and decided to try some wagon kits to start with! A couple of JLTRT 12t vans and a Parkside brake van. Also got a few other odds and ends for when the time comes to practice soldering. Went with the Antex irons, if i get good I can always upgrade

 

 

[brossard]

Glad to hear that you've got some kits on the go.  I've built 3 Parkside brakes so far (LNER Toad E, Southern Pillbox and GWR Toad AA19).  In every case I replaced the plastic step hangers with brass wire bodges.  Plastic, IMO, is not the right material for this.  Slaters have it right I think, they supply lost wax brass castings in theirs.

 

I hope your iron does better than the cheapie I bought on the recommendation of my hobby shop.  The bit lasted 10 mins before it oxidized up.  I have a good Weller stand alone that is giving good service.

 

John

[jim.snowdon]

Depending on whichones they are, you may find it interesting to compare the buffer spacings on the JLTRT vans with those on the Parkside kit. Suffice it to say that the latter is correct.

 

As for the brake van footboard irons on parkside kits, some are more robust that others, depending on the design of the prototype. Even then, I have to say that I haven't suffered any breakages on any of mine and as they have spent most of their lives doing duty on the club's exhibition layout, they have probably been handled more than average. A key factor, though, is using the right solvent with them, as they are moulded out of ABS and not styrene, so need something like Butanone or MEK in order to get a good bond.

 

Jim

[ian@stenochs]

Thanks for all your replies, very much appreciated! Some very useful information learned.

 

I have joined the Guild, and decided to try some wagon kits to start with! A couple of JLTRT 12t vans and a Parkside brake van. Also got a few other odds and ends for when the time comes to practice soldering. Went with the Antex irons, if i get good I can always upgrade

There are a couple of reviews of the JLTRT vans in Feb 2017 Gazette. Vol 20 no 2 which you can access from the website.

 

Ian.

[brossard]

On my recent GWR Toad, I thought to give the plastic step hangers a chance.  I found that CA creates a very good bond.  However, with handling during the build I managed to break one of the outer hangers, so it ended up as a brass bodge.  Probably with everything assembled the whole has a fair bit of strength.

 

John