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2mm Products and Queries


Llangerisech
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After the success of Tony's Shop 2 thread, I thought it would be a good idea to have a new thread on the subject of 2mm products, both from the association and elsewhere.

 

As the current Products Officer, I will use the thread to ask questions of the membership about possible Association product developments and to update you all about what we have going on behind the scenes.

 

Also, I will stick my neck out and offer to point folk in the right direction for other products. As many products from members and small manufacturers get launched and then go quiet, newer modellers may not be aware of who does what and where certain items can be purchased. So a variation on any questions, but specifcally aimed at products for the discerning 2mm modeller.

 

If you see a question posted and can answer it, do feel free, as I certainly don't have all the answers. 

 

I am often asked at shows where such-and-such an item comes from, and the aim is to do the same on this thread.

 

I hope you all join in and make this a useful resource for 2mm modellers.

 

All the best

Nigel Ashton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Just to give you a flavour of the way I hope this will work. I was asked about conversions for the Fairburn tank using the new Farish hornblock system.

 

I was able to point the enquiry at the Small Suppliers section of the 2mm website to check out Nigel Hunt's etch for this locomotive. Using that and the products from the shop will give everything needed to convert that loco to 2FS standards.

 

Nigel

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I'd like guidance please as to which 2mm axles fit which RTR rolling stock makes.

 

Sadly there is no one size fits all as the manufacturers seem to alter the axle length from batch to batch. Essentially you need to take the N gauge wheel out and measure it. The Association has a range of axle lengths available.

 

Jerry

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I'd like guidance please as to which 2mm axles fit which RTR rolling stock makes. 

 

I've attached a table which shows the results of some survey work undertaken by members of the 2mm SA Committee a couple of years ago. Hopefully it is of some use. One thing I would note is that the 'coning' angle of the pinpoint end varies on the axles stocked by the Association, and can sometimes cause problems when replacing those on RTR stock.

 

If anyone has any corrections or additions to the table, please email them to me (chairman 'at' 2mm.org.uk) rather than clogging-up this thread with replies.

 

Andy

N scale RTR Wheels.xls

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Hi Nigel,

 

I'm glad you opened this thread.

 

I know the Association have plans for producing a 3D printed Universal Joint. Do you know when this will be available to order?

 

Thank you,

Hello Valentin

 

Well we have the files, so it is fundamentally a question of arranging some to be printed. I will liaise with the supply and chain and give you an update on this ASAP. No current date can be given, but good to know that there is interest in the product.

 

There is also the possibility of using the Branchlines item too if you need something in a hurry. It all works with 1.5mm shafts and can be cut to length, but may end up a bit long for some 2mm applications.

 

Nigel

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Hi Nigel,

 

I'm glad you opened this thread.

 

I know the Association have plans for producing a 3D printed Universal Joint. Do you know when this will be available to order?

 

Thank you,

I know this thread is about products but UJs are really pretty straightforward to make from telescopic brass tube and a wire shaft. It's outlined in the old handbook which I believe is available digitally in the members area of the website.

 

Jerry

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I know this thread is about products but UJs are really pretty straightforward to make from telescopic brass tube and a wire shaft. It's outlined in the old handbook which I believe is available digitally in the members area of the website.

 

Jerry

UJ's a problem that mortals like I suffer from  my  numerous attempts have been failures  I have a fairly nicely quartered Bob Jones chassis that has been awaiting a suitable / working UJ for some years  Paul Hodgson always extracts the wee wee at area group meetings at my inability to make one  :sarcastic:

 

Nick

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I have a little Midland 2F that I have to make the UJs for in the not too distant future. I will try and remember to do a photo sequence of what I do.

I don't know what the Association one will be like but the problem with the Nbrass one and similar are that they use a whopping great 1.5mm shaft which looks horrible. The little wire shafts of home brewed UJs are all but invisible.

 

Jerry

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I have etched U/Js similar to the ones Bob Jones supplies with the 9F/ Black 5 etch. Here's a pic of one.

 

 

post-12813-0-55346400-1522224795.jpg

 

The ends are inserted in some slotted 1.5mm I/D brass tube:

 

post-12813-0-30198800-1522224909_thumb.jpg

 

The wire in the middle is 0.3mm sprung steel, although 0.25mm would be better. The overall length is dependent on the length of the sprung steel used. I do find it necessary to tweak the etched parts slightly as can be seen in the first pic.

 

I probably have a few spare if anyone wants some, or I could offer them to the Shop.

 

Nig H

 

 

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I have a little Midland 2F that I have to make the UJs for in the not too distant future. I will try and remember to do a photo sequence of what I do.

I don't know what the Association one will be like but the problem with the Nbrass one and similar are that they use a whopping great 1.5mm shaft which looks horrible. The little wire shafts of home brewed UJs are all but invisible.

 

Jerry

 

The UJ waiting to into 2mm shop 3 has been designed by Julia Adams (based on a number of people requesting them) and comprises a pair of 3d printed ball and socket joints that fit onto the motor/gearbox shafts at the outer ends, and fit onto a thin wire shaft for the centre portion. Two sizes of socket have been designed to fit 1mm and 1.5mm shafts.

 

It is considerably smaller than both the Branchlines and N Brass items.

 

Hope that helps.

 

Andy

Edited by 2mm Andy
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All these ideas seem to my non-engineering brain to be overly complex. The arrangement I have on three tender locos is to have the shafts in both loco and tender ending flush with the face of the bearing.  The shafts each have a slot 1.5mm deep cut into their ends.  You can see that in this photo of the rear of the chassis for my 0-4-2 (I arrange the driveshaft to be out of sight under the footplate).

 

post-25077-0-97118400-1522234160_thumb.jpg

 

The driveshaft consists of a piece of .008" steel guitar string (same as Laurie uses for point rodding) with a circular loop bent on each end so that the overall length is c0.75 - 1mm shorter than the distance between the inner ends of the slots.

 

Seemples, Igor, and works for me.

 

Jim

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I have thoroughly studied then built many of the U/J desctribed here and in the handbook (the only one I have never tried is the "Branchlines"). I am sure there is something wrong with my skills as I couldn't make any of them to run satisfactory. That's why I am happy to give a try to another type of U/J.

 

The only UJ I made and I was very happy with it until it broke, was a modified N Brass.

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Mine are very similar to Jim's although I don't bother to drop the shaft below footplate level. I also make it captive at one end, an idea, like many of my techniques, nicked from John Greenwood. It means that the shaft can't fall out and be lost to the carpet monster! Below is the captive end on a Q6, more details can be found half way down this page http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/52798-bath-queen-square/page-14?

 

 

post-1074-0-07449900-1522240466_thumb.png

 

Jerry

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As this is a products thread I thought I would remind you of the 6 wheel

coach underframes I had done to suit the Alan Doherty/Worsley SDJR bodies. I have about a dozen left at £11 each plus p&p. I'm unlikely to do another batch.

I will have them with me at York this weekend.

 

post-1074-0-86606000-1522270484_thumb.jpg

 

post-1074-0-43330700-1522270631_thumb.jpg

 

Jerry

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Thanks Jerry

 

A very good example of what we intend this thread to achieve. I will try to keep track of items that are available for future reference, but I take the point that in this case, it is a grab 'em while you can moment.

 

Nigel

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Nigel - perhaps you could outline how new products for the shop are selected and what's in the pipeline. 

Selection of products is a very inexact process. Certainly we look to see what commercial items are out there and if there are simple ways of facilitating conversion to 2FS. So the current Farish hornblock-equipped locos are a good example. We only need to combine etched rods for each loco type with the existing generic shop products originally devised for the Jinty and you have a full conversion kit. Having said that, others have produced these etches and they are freely available, so there is no point in stocking them in the shop. One of the points of this thread was to point people in the right direction for these sorts of products.

 

Obviously a number of members have developed products for their own use and then offer them to the Association. If they are likely to be of interest to the mebership we will stock them. Of course this does tend to bias products towards areas of personal interest, but we have sufficient spread that this shouldn't be a problem.

 

This thread can be used to suggest or request items too. I can then see what resource and skill we need to deliver the item.

 

As for what is in the pipeline - well, quite a bit....

 

There are etched replacement chassis being developed for the Farish Large Prairie GWR 51xx, Dapol Hall, 28xx. There are rod etches in development for the Duchess and Castle classes. Various L&Y wagon underframes are at test stage and the ongoing research to ensure wheel production of all types continues.

 

After a bit of a hiaitus the milled brass chassis for the Dapol/Ixion Manor (which can also be used for the Hall and Grange) is now showing on the shop listings (3-701) along with full instructions to download. The etched Hall chassis mentioned above will give an alternative approach.

 

Fundamentally it looks like Dapol conversions will offer bearings and whole chassis options if possible - an A3/4 chassis etch is also being developed.

 

Like Tony's Shop 2 thread, we will try and give tasters at the appropriate stages. However, don't expect anything in a rush (usual caveats etc.).

 

If you want to suggest something to fill a gap and we feel it worthwhile rather than a one-off, we will look into the viability of production.

 

Best regards

Nigel

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Good idea for a thread, Nigel.

 

If I can mention that I still have a few of the reduced London Road Models Coal Tank etches left - both Nigel Hunt and Nick Mitchell have produced lovely looking locos using them, with Nick's appearing in the latest magazine.

 

£15 a set (chassis and body) plus £3 p&p per order.

 

Thanks,

 

David Varley

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  • 1 month later...

At our recent Area Group meeting, I mentioned to our Products Officer that I had taken up the Chief Shopkeeper's kind offer of supplying custom wheelsets with combinations of wheel/axle length other than those stocked by the shops. Nigel suggested that this thread would be a good place to share my findings, so here goes:

 

Farish SR Pill Box Brake Van

 

6mm 3 hole wheels on 14.2mm axles. Fitted perfectly.

 

An excellent model with very little extra detailing required beyond the bits in the bag, though the plank lines are a little chunky.

 

Farish BR Pipe Wagon.

 

6mm 3 hole wheels on 14.2mm axles. Fitted but needed a little extra clearance to run freely, achieved using the expedient method of squeezing the axle boxes with the axles in place.

 

The underframe is not bad by RTR standards. I removed the tie bars between the axleguards which were horrendously chunky and replaced them with plastic strip (though I feel I should tip my hat to Farish for having a go at including it, unlike on their standard BR vans).

 

DJM Mermaid

 

6mm 3 hole wheels on 13.7mm axles. Fitted perfectly.

 

A decent model although the tipping mechanism is a bit chunky and I'm not entirely convinced by the wheelbase dimensions. The moulded chains on the ends are pretty awful and should be replaced by real chain (note that it should cross over before being fixed to the underframe).

 

Farish BR CCT

 

7mm disc wheels on 14.2mm axles. Required an axlebox squeeze to get the wheels running freely.

 

There is an excellent Association replacement underframe but I have a lot of these to convert so I prefer to work with what is there and add the missing detail.

 

Farish BR Presflo

 

Requires 6mm 3 hole wheels on 14.8mm axles. Best achieved by a few strokes of a file on the ends of some 15.2mm axles. [Edit - 14.8mm axles are available from the shop - Doh!]

 

I have not converted these as yet as I need to work out exactly how much extra detailing is required. The ladder looks chunky and some prominent handrails appear to be missing. The underframe looks fairly detailed but more homework to do on this...

 

Revolution Class B Tank.

 

I am awaiting delivery but I am hopeful that the 6mm 3 hole wheels on 13.7mm axles will work. More information in due course.

 

[Edit - 14.2mm axles fit perfectly (see post #36)]

 

 

Hopefully anyone else with similar information to share will add it to this thread.

Edited by RichardBenn
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Revolution Class B Tank.

 

I am awaiting delivery but I am hopeful that the 6mm 3 hole wheels on 13.7mm axles will work. More information in due course.

 

 

Hopefully anyone else with similar information to share will add it to this thread.

 

I think Ben mentioned the axles were 14mm long so it may be the 14.2mm are a better bet.

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Farish BR Pipe Wagon.

 

6mm 3 hole wheels on 14.2mm axles. Fitted but needed a little extra clearance to run freely, achieved using the expedient method of squeezing the axle boxes with the axles in place.

 

The underframe is not bad by RTR standards. I removed the tie bars between the axleguards which were horrendously chunky and replaced them with plastic strip (though I feel I should tip my hat to Farish for having a go at including it, unlike on their standard BR vans).

 

I have had etch artwork for a chassis for these sitting around for years and years, perhaps time to dust it off.

 

Chris 

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I have had etch artwork for a chassis for these sitting around for years and years, perhaps time to dust it off.

 

Chris 

 

Chris,

 

A couple of questions. Would it also be ok for the Parkside kit which has rather more subtle plank lines and, at £1.95 from Shop 2, is considerably cheaper. Also, what brake gear did you design it with? LNER fitted or BR 8-shoe would be quite nice as a change from the RCH 4-shoe.

 

David

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