RMweb Premium Nile Posted November 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 23, 2019 Yep, what Annie said, which is why I asked. There is a knack to straightening copper wire by stretching it. Practise on some scraps and soon you will have nice straight handrails. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 On 23/11/2019 at 09:41, Annie said: If you slightly stretch the wire before forming the handrails you'll find it a lot easier to get them straight. I used to use tinned copper wire for handrails as well since it looks right to represent handrails that have seen some use, but are in good condition. 23 hours ago, Nile said: Yep, what Annie said, which is why I asked. There is a knack to straightening copper wire by stretching it. Practise on some scraps and soon you will have nice straight handrails. Thanks guys. That's something I'll have to practice. Also: 23 hours ago, Nile said: 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted November 24, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 24, 2019 The Garrat is an interesting build, but I fear that you need to put some stuff under the footplate under the boiler, as it seems not to have an ashpan.... It would also help to increase its mass a bit more, and stop it looking so top heavy... Andy G 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dickon Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 (edited) I'd been wondering what had happened to the Garratt so it's great to see it nearing completion. I love the grey 'works' livery, but I do agree that the centre section needs an underframe to support the weight of the boiler. It should be fairly simple to do in Plasticard with a nice deep ash pan inside it. Edited November 24, 2019 by Dickon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 26 minutes ago, uax6 said: The Garrat is an interesting build, but I fear that you need to put some stuff under the footplate under the boiler, as it seems not to have an ashpan.... It would also help to increase its mass a bit more, and stop it looking so top heavy... Andy G 2 minutes ago, Dickon said: I'd been wondering what had happened to the Garrat so it's great to see it nearing completion. I love the grey 'works' livery, but I do agree that the centre section needs an underframe to support the weight of the boiler. It does have an underframe, but granted, it does need some more bulk to it as it's rather flat at this moment. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 Started on my B12/3 tank conversion come commemoration of my late grandad. It's turned out looking very good, though Sem was right, there is a notable overhang at the back but it doesn't look terrible (though because of the way I made it - using a chunk of the original tender to support the cab and bunker - it has useless suspension on it) and I quite like the way it looks. I know what I could have done to sort that but it's a bit late now. Also took some inspiration from my good friend AVS1998 and dismantled my old ERTL Toby to turn into a Y7. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted November 25, 2019 Author Share Posted November 25, 2019 Grandad's tank is done, though I'm still not sure about what rank my grandad was to put in the name or even what number it should be. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 11, 2019 Author Share Posted December 11, 2019 (edited) OK. With the KLR works fully open again, here is the latest item on the bench... Some of you will be aware that I was working on this. Inspired by my good friend Alex's concept, I decided to turn my old, beaten up ERTL Toby into a scale G35. It currently has the boiler from an Airfix Pug. And here is the locomotive I intend to sacrifice to motorise it. This is that Model Power American diesel that I've had knocking around for the last few months. The chassis will need a bit of a trim and a bit of assorted jiggery-pokery but I see no reason why it shouldn't fit... eventually. Once I work out how to get the bloody shell off. I also have this, which you may recognise as the Fleischmann well tank I bought when I went to the King's Lynn show with Martin S-C back in August. Well... the damn thing broke the moment I took the shell off. Attached to the spur of wire highlighted badly in red in the blurry close up photo was originally a coil of very thin copper wire. This snapped off almost immediately just from me looking at it funny and I have no idea how to repair it, which is a shame as I really liked this little engine and thought it'd look quite cute when Anglicised. If anyone has any advice or suggestions to help with these two projects, feel free to say on this thread as I know I'm not overly experienced with the whole technical side of things. Edited December 11, 2019 by RedGemAlchemist 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Nile Posted December 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2019 I would try by-passing the broken coil with some wire, if you can see where the other end of it went. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 11, 2019 Author Share Posted December 11, 2019 2 hours ago, RedGemAlchemist said: I really liked this little engine and thought it'd look quite cute when Anglicised. Funnily enough, I just found this entry on Hattons where someone clearly thought the same thing as I did. And yes, the end result is very cute. 35 minutes ago, Nile said: I would try by-passing the broken coil with some wire, if you can see where the other end of it went. Hmm. Thing is Nile, I'm not actually sure. I'll probably have to analyse some photos for a bit to work out how to fix it. Also I'll have to look around to see if I have any wire that's actually thin enough to do the trick, and find where on Earth my soldering iron went. I'm still a little stunned that I'm talking to you of all people on such a casual basis. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sem34090 Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 18 minutes ago, RedGemAlchemist said: Funnily enough, I just found this entry on Hattons where someone clearly thought the same thing as I did. And yes, the end result is very cute. Not exactly the LSWR B4 that its number suggests it ought to be! Might look like one from a certain distance, if one was visually impaired... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 11, 2019 Author Share Posted December 11, 2019 1 minute ago, sem34090 said: Not exactly the LSWR B4 that its number suggests it ought to be! Might look like one from a certain distance, if one was visually impaired... Yeah. As noted on my kitbash-spotting thread, it looks more like an Edward Borrows & Sons loco. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Nile Posted December 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 11, 2019 How's your German? This video might be useful. Having studied it and some photos I reckon you only need a short link to get it working, marked in green below. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 11, 2019 Author Share Posted December 11, 2019 4 minutes ago, Nile said: How's your German? This video might be useful. Having studied it and some photos I reckon you only need a short link to get it working, marked in green below. Thanks for your help. As noted, it should end up as something approximating a Borrows well tank, all going well. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 12, 2019 Author Share Posted December 12, 2019 I've finally managed to get the body shell off the Yankee diesel. I also removed the huge lead weight that was around the motor for extra room, as well as the two lights as there's not enough room for them. The other weight will be necessary so thankfully it's not wide enough to cause issues. And here it is with the shell on, demonstrating what needs to be done yet. The red squiggles denote roughly where the wheels are... not that it really matters as you won't be able to see them anyway. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 12, 2019 Author Share Posted December 12, 2019 Well, that was way easier than I expected, though a little time consuming. Just needs some paint now. The buffer beams and side plates are from the Hornby Toby, cowcatchers are from the ERTL one, gaps in the plank moulding filled in with segments of the wire the light bulbs were attached with seeing as I have little use for them myself. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 12, 2019 Author Share Posted December 12, 2019 (edited) 38 minutes ago, AVS1998 said: This is looking splendid, Red, and you're going in a very different direction than I had expected with it! Very innovative. For my example, I imagine I'll most likely use a motor bogie (perhaps a Pacer) for the ease. What's the anticipated livery? Thanks. I just like to use what I have. Waste not want not. And wood tones, white roof, silver cowcatchers and KLR apple green on the side plates. Might try and get the roof looking better with proper pipes first. Edited December 12, 2019 by RedGemAlchemist 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 13, 2019 Author Share Posted December 13, 2019 So, here is Richard undercoated. I created a bell rope and a new pipe along the roof from different thicknesses of leftover copper wire. 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 13, 2019 Author Share Posted December 13, 2019 48 minutes ago, AVS1998 said: How did you grind off the bell rope? With a hacksaw. 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Annie Posted December 13, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 13, 2019 I would try black button thread for the bellrope. It might be difficult to find button thread in these modernist times as it is a stronger version of ordinary cotton thread. I forget where I got my spool of it from, but it was a good while ago now. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 13, 2019 Author Share Posted December 13, 2019 4 minutes ago, Annie said: I would try black button thread for the bellrope. It might be difficult to find button thread in these modernist times as it is a stronger version of ordinary cotton thread. I forget where I got my spool of it from, but it was a good while ago now. Hmm. The copper wire too thick, you think? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Annie Posted December 13, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 13, 2019 I think so. And the thing about a good cotton thread is that it will drape just like rope. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted December 14, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 14, 2019 Or you could try some .45mm wire, the same as used for handrails? It'll retain its shape and you can give it a droop. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium uax6 Posted December 14, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted December 14, 2019 How about fuse wire? Or a strand pulled from some bell wire or similar. It will droop too, but will be slightly less fluffy than button hole thread. 0.45 handrail wire will be too difficult to get a realistic droop on it, the fuse wire /strand will be able to be drooped much more convincingly. Obviously you need to make sure that you don't handle them by the roof! Also you need to fill that groove under the pipe on the roof, its far too obvious to leave. Andy G Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RedGemAlchemist Posted December 14, 2019 Author Share Posted December 14, 2019 1 hour ago, uax6 said: How about fuse wire? Or a strand pulled from some bell wire or similar. It will droop too, but will be slightly less fluffy than button hole thread. 0.45 handrail wire will be too difficult to get a realistic droop on it, the fuse wire /strand will be able to be drooped much more convincingly. Obviously you need to make sure that you don't handle them by the roof! Also you need to fill that groove under the pipe on the roof, its far too obvious to leave. Andy G I had some fuse wire on my desk so went with that. And with that, KLR No.11 Richard (formerly GER No.125 and WHTW No.125) is ready to join the rest of the Alnerwick branch line team! 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now