TFW’s workshop

[Caley Jim]

Actually, a correctly sized incisor would even have a pilot hole down the middle and the composite matrix fibres (collagen) optimally aligned for strength.

But only the root of an incisor is circular in cross section and cementum doesn't have as good wear properties as enamel. An upper canine or lower premolar might be better. The latter running against the former would give you a decent reduction!

 

Jim

Edit to say BTW, don't try this at home!

Edited October 14, 2018 by Caley Jim

[Graham R]

Jim, I can see we are going to have to frisk you for dental instruments before we let you in to the next Forth and Clyde area group meeting ...

 

On the other hand, if Tufnol has similar qualities to ivory, maybe you could carve us all up sets of dentures from "Carp" brand SRBP ...

 

Graham

[CF MRC]

We have used Tufnol as a dentine analogue in crown - luting cement - fatigue load testing models.

 

Tim

[Caley Jim]

Jim, I can see we are going to have to frisk you for dental instruments before we let you in to the next Forth and Clyde area group meeting ...

In that case I'll have to leave half my toolbox at home!

 

Jim

[justin1985]

I found exactly the same with the supplied rods for the Jinty conversion kit being too thin, when I used them for the 4F. (Still need to finish the tender for that). It's a shame the more robust etched rods aren't available any more!

 

J

[Chris Higgs]

I found exactly the same with the supplied rods for the Jinty conversion kit being too thin, when I used them for the 4F. (Still need to finish the tender for that). It's a shame the more robust etched rods aren't available any more!

 

J

 

Are we talking about 2-305 here? These are still shown as available. It is 2-304 that is not in stock.

 

Chris

[Yorkshire Square]

Are we talking about 2-305 here? These are still shown as available. It is 2-304 that is not in stock.

 

Chris

 

Apart from the numbers you are correct Chris!

 

3-205 Coupling Rods: Farish Locomotives: Etched N/S, a bargain at £2.50.

 

Not sure what will happen with 3-204 although we still have the stainless steel variant 3-203.

[CF MRC]

My students have sourced these loupes:

https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB077Q8CJY2%3Fref%3Dyo_pop_ma_swf&data=01%7C01%7C%7C0f8863245f02428d37b808d633562ad1%7C8370cf1416f34c16b83c724071654356%7C0&sdata=VFULhafi0K6yV%2F1VjZWSttS0u5fNsnZ6AYTNMKpipQs%3D&reserved=0<https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB077Q8CJY2%3Fref%3Dyo_pop_ma_swf&data=01%7C01%7C%7C111d7a0efa6b41779f9f08d638bcc37c%7C8370cf1416f34c16b83c724071654356%7C0&sdata=N6DKQgXm%2BYhk%2Fnsm3FCXTe4li2XupoFOkje0TgPe4uk%3D&reserved=0>

 

They are incredibly good value,

with reasonable optics. They cannot be fitted with prescription lenses, however. Obviously, not quite in the league of the ones I use, but the box is pretty good anyway!

 

Tim

[JohnBS]

My students have sourced these loupes:

 

They are incredibly good value,

with reasonable optics. They cannot be fitted with prescription lenses, however. Obviously, not quite in the league of the ones I use, but the box is pretty good anyway!

Tim

Tim,

Thanks for that. Ordered a set yesterday afternoon and they arrived midday today. They look like the dog"s bxxxxxx and the case is great. Charged up the li-ion battery this afternoon and all seems to work fine, particularly like the concentrated light. I am still adjusting the width settings as I am having problems with double vision (sober as a judge) but I’m sure I’ll get used to them.

All in all, a good bit of kit - these days, I need all the help that I can get.

Best wishes,

John

[CF MRC]

Sounds like you need to adjust the convergeance as well as inter-pupillary distance John. The way to check that you have them set well is to put your two thumbs together at the working focal point. Close one eye and the thumbs should stay still, ditto for the other eye. Having coaxial illumination is a major boon. Loupes can give you a better posture because they encourage you not to stoop over your work.

 

Tim

[RichardBenn]

A little word of caution about these as it looks like there may be variations out there. I bought a set but the light wasn't working (no output from the battery pack). Amazon's returns policy is strange as there is no option to exchange a faulty item - all you can do is return it for a refund and purchase another, so that's what I did. The replacement turned up this morning and as well as being a different shade of blue (!) the loupes are completely different.

 

I hadn't yet sent the original back so I opened it up and compared the two. The original has loupes 35mm long and 32.5mm diameter but the replacement is 25mm long and 27mm diameter. The original came with a protective cover over the lenses whereas the replacement did not. They are both marked the same "2.5x-420" but the originals gave significantly greater magnification. I also found the wider diameter of the originals easier when setting the distance between loupes and they gave a bigger area in focus.The original is significantly heavier without the light, but by the time that is clipped on the difference is hardly noticeable.

 

Suffice to say i did a bit of mix n' matching   

 

I haven't yet used these in anger but I think they will be really useful so thanks Tim for letting us know about these. They also look like a lightweight alternative to lugging the magnifying lamp to area group meetings.

 

Richard

[Yarravalleymodeller]

Now there’s a thought. Ivory has similar properties to Tufnol. So we could make muffs from it and I’ve spent the last 30 years developing suitable adhesives for it. Hang on though, wouldn’t look good if 2mm modelling caused the decimation of the world’s elephants, would it?

 

Tim

 

PS (added after Nigel’s comment)

Actually, a correctly sized incisor would even have a pilot hole down the middle and the composite matrix fibres (collagen) optimally aligned for strength.

No problem with buying old ivory objects and recycling them is there? Would actually stop the death of the animal being completely needless in the long run if you went down to an antiques place and asked them to point the owners of any less than mint condition/low value ivory objects in your direction. (Just my personal opinion on the ethics of using the stuff I expect some will not share this point of view)

[polybear]

No problem with buying old ivory objects and recycling them is there? Would actually stop the death of the animal being completely needless in the long run if you went down to an antiques place and asked them to point the owners of any less than mint condition/low value ivory objects in your direction. (Just my personal opinion on the ethics of using the stuff I expect some will not share this point of view)

 

By buying it your're creting a demand for it.  And how do you distinguish between old and new?

[Nigelcliffe]

No problem with buying old ivory objects and recycling them is there? Would actually stop the death of the animal being completely needless in the long run if you went down to an antiques place and asked them to point the owners of any less than mint condition/low value ivory objects in your direction. (Just my personal opinion on the ethics of using the stuff I expect some will not share this point of view)

 

Currently in the UK its only legal to trade ivory from before 1947.  When the new law comes in (consultation 2017, law announced April 2018), you can't trade any ivory in the UK. There are a few exceptions which are allowed, but they're fairly tightly defined. Penalty is 5 years in prison, and/or unlimited fines. 

[Caley Jim]

Surely no one thought for even one second that Tim and I were talking about elephant ivory? For the avoidance of doubt, we are both members of the dental profession and were musing on the possible use of extracted human teeth. Very much tongue in cheek, if you'll pardon the pun.

 

Jim

[CF MRC]

Quite so Jim. It’s alright folks, we’re not Burke & Hare either (although Jim is Scottish).

 

Tim

 

PS.

Professionally, I have conducted dental biomaterials research using thousands of extracted teeth over the last 35 years. Whilst dentine would make an interesting muff material, it would become brittle on desiccation and with age so would not be an ideal material. You can now sleep easy in your beds.

Edited October 29, 2018 by CF MRC

[Jim T]

My students have sourced these loupes:

https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB077Q8CJY2%3Fref%3Dyo_pop_ma_swf&data=01%7C01%7C%7C0f8863245f02428d37b808d633562ad1%7C8370cf1416f34c16b83c724071654356%7C0&sdata=VFULhafi0K6yV%2F1VjZWSttS0u5fNsnZ6AYTNMKpipQs%3D&reserved=0<https://emea01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.co.uk%2Fdp%2FB077Q8CJY2%3Fref%3Dyo_pop_ma_swf&data=01%7C01%7C%7C111d7a0efa6b41779f9f08d638bcc37c%7C8370cf1416f34c16b83c724071654356%7C0&sdata=N6DKQgXm%2BYhk%2Fnsm3FCXTe4li2XupoFOkje0TgPe4uk%3D&reserved=0>

 

They are incredibly good value,

with reasonable optics. They cannot be fitted with prescription lenses, however. Obviously, not quite in the league of the ones I use, but the box is pretty good anyway!

 

Tim

 

Hi Tim

 

Sorry to jump back to this. These look an excellent idea but what do folks who need vision correction do? I'm becoming increasingly long sighted, but don't need correction for anything but close-up work so I have glasses but not contact lenses.

 

Many thanks

Jim

[CF MRC]

Loupes are available with conventional glass frames and indeed my working loupes are like this. It might be possible to engineer a fixing for these telescopes onto conventional framed glasses.

 

Tim

[Caley Jim]

for a few years now i have used the Lightcraft LED Support Glasses, which place magnifying lenses in front of your ordinary glasses.  A quick search seems to indicate that the ones I have, with three interchangeable lenses, are no longer made, but a 5 lens version with a more substantial frame is now available https://www.alwayshobbies.com/tools/lighting-and-magnification/lightcraft-5-lens-magnifier-led-daylight-glasses-set , albeit at three times the price I paid!

 

Jim

[Nigelcliffe]

Hi Tim

 

Sorry to jump back to this. These look an excellent idea but what do folks who need vision correction do? I'm becoming increasingly long sighted, but don't need correction for anything but close-up work so I have glasses but not contact lenses.

 

Many thanks

Jim

 

If you look around on Amazon's website from the link Tim gave, then there are what appear to be the same loupes available on a conventional spectacle frame.  That could, in principle, be glazed by any optician to a prescription.  If your local high street optician is sniffy about doing frames they didn't supply, then I've used Ciliary Blue (who appear to have retitled themselves to "Reglaze Glasses Direct") to glaze several frames against my current prescription - service was excellent, and considerably cheaper than high street prices. 

 

If your correction is just magnification for closer vision, then the loupes without anything else ought to work, just won't magnify quite as much.  If there is any other correction, then the prescription is needed. 

[Donw]

Generally long sighted means your focus range will not allow you to focus close up. I had no trouble at all until due to ageing  I foound my self holding things further away then finding the writing was too small to read currently I am using +2 reading glasses from Poundland. However I have a couple of pairs of +3.5 from Poundland that enable me to see 2mm bits (such as the easitrac chairs) . This must give me a 1.5x magnification I assume. If you are finding you just need a bit of help it might be worth trying a pair from Poundland at £1 at time you can afford to replace them when you sit on them (yes I have done that), leave them behind somewhere  (yes again) or damage them. Not up to the standard of the proper magnification but useful for general work in 2mm.

 

Don

[Donw]

Wonderful work on Mons Meg Tim, Oh for the confidence of a real craftsman. Having achieved the standard of finish at the first attempt (I wish! )  I wouldn't dare start again in case I couldn't repeat it whereas you calmly take it back to metal.  I suppose that defines a real craftsman who will only accept their best work.

 

Don

[CF MRC]

There were a number of memorial engines specifically so named after the Great War. One of these was Valour, made by the Great Central Railway. It’s name plate commemorated the employees lost during the conflict.

 

These engines have always been one of my favourites and very appropriate for Copenhagen Fields.

 

So this will be my next 2mm scale engine. Made a start on the tender frames this evening, so that at least I will remember when the model was started.

 

Tim

[queensquare]

An excellent choice Tim, very handsome locomotives.

 

Jerry

[Ian Smith]

There were a number of memorial engines specifically so named after the Great War. One of these was Valour, made by the Great Central Railway. It’s name plate commemorated the employees lost during the conflict.

 

These engines have always been one of my favourites and very appropriate for Copenhagen Fields.

 

So this will be my next 2mm scale engine. Made a start on the tender frames this evening, so that at least I will remember when the model was started.

 

Tim

 

 

An excellent choice Tim, very handsome locomotives.

 

Jerry

 

Tim/Jerry,

I can't see the images so I have no idea what sort of engine you're talking about :-)

Ian

 

EDIT: Tim, I've just had a look on Western Thunder and the images are not on that post (for me) either :-(

Edited November 12, 2018 by Ian Smith