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Michael Edge's workbench


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5 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

Finished J27, grit blasted and ready for painting.

793194445_19-06lfJ27.JPG.097491e2d8af3c224336dfea0b46809f.JPG

 

 

That is a lovely finish Mike, what do you use to grit blast? I have a small grit blaster but I'm not sure whether it would be too aggresive. Maybe I'll give it a try on a test piece.

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Nothing special, it's just a small air brush type, runs off the same compressor. The finish on white metal is useful, shows the faults in a similar way to a coat of primer but the main purpose is to blast the cr**p out of all the corners before painting. The model is washed with Cif, rinsed in distilled water and thoroughly dried before gritting.

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Hi there,

 

I can strongly recommend grit blasting. I have been doing it for the last 35 years and find it makes painting a breeze even on brass. I do not have access to the various etching primers I read about on the forums so had to find another way to make the paint stick (especially to brass) and grit blasting was the answer. The fear of paint lifting when removing any masking was eliminated.

 

I use a Paasche air eraser with their aluminium oxide grit or Badgers.

 

Mark

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I'm a fan of grit blasting too but find it is imperative to put the model in an ultrasonic bath afterwards - even with a really good clean under a hot tap, you will find loads of dust, grit and crud comes off in the ultrasonic bath.  I promise you, once you have used one you will not understand how you did without it before!

 

I purchased a fairly large bath (sufficient for a 4mm bogie coach) for about £60 and it has a warming element too.  I find this really helpful for ensuring that any last flux is washed away - again the tap is not always as good as you might hope.  

 

A few more details here.

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I've not tried using an ultrasonic cleaner (yours wouldn't be big enough for 7mm work anyway) but I do make sure the models are clean and dry before grit blasting. Most of the grit is blown off at the end of the process - same equipment, just air/no grit - and then I rinse again, scrubbing with an old toothbrush into the corners. I don't think there's much left after this. 

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Back to work after the Christmas break, still on with the 7mm ROD.

IMG_0592.JPG.da1a43bc4d305cde0d9302215a2359a0.JPG

 

The Westinghouse pump is a nice casting from 62c models, some piping still to add, boiler fittings are leftovers from previous Gladiator builds.

 

IMG_0593.JPG.cab942a085dda89c636294cb443d2d14.JPG

 

The just visible reverser is another casting from 62c, reach rod still to be made. Mudhole doors and top washout plug covers machined and fitted, the lower washout plugs made by the usual lead sheet/ square brass method. Cladding bands and cleats are my own etches - half etched .015" brass.

Not much more left to add now before finishing the frames and running gear. Smokebox door, front platform and cab steps next, I'll leave the front steps until the motion bracket and slidebars are finished. The only remaining difficult job is making a pattern for the French style buffer housings.

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I quite like this tender with the Compound, gives it a much more modern look, I like the GNR(I) 4-4-0s with high tenders as well. I didn't notice the exhaust injector until 40936 was nearly finished, most of my photos are of the driver's side.

If anyone really wants one of these (it only ran with (40)936 and 40933), keep pestering. If anyone can find a photo showing the fireman's side of the front to verify that there was a fire iron tunnel it would be useful.

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I will if it works. Do you mean like these for the fire iron tunnel? - For clarity I own the negative of 40933 entering Euston and the image of 936 is from my photo collection and has no attribution on it.

 

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Edited by Blandford1969
clarity on images
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Thanks for those, it looks just as I supposed (but only after I had built the thing!). I notice that the tender sides in the photo of 936 are nowhere near as flat as mine - and it looks like new here as well. It's very difficult to get a model to wrinkle in exactly the right places though so I usually aim for flat.

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Last week's job was another Gibson (ex M&L) GWR kit, this time an 850 0-6-0ST

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Not as easy to build as the 0-6-0PT I did last year but it's gone together fairly well. A few handrail holes needed plugging for the loco wanted (1941) and the injectors had gone missing - I made these up from brass and copper wire. I used a Springside safety valve cover, this took some effort to form it round the shape of the tank, other fittings are the Gibson ones except the leading sandboxes (also missing). A few additional rivets added on the front with Super Steel epoxy.

 

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Next job, back to easy kit building - a 7mm EF1 from one of ours.

 

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Following the instructions for once (i did write them though) the first job is to construct the platform. This is a fairly substantial item once it is all soldered up - top layer, solebars, end plates and the bottom flange which is etched in one piece. The base for the body is bolted on to this with 10 12BA screws and nuts, cab ends are the first components to be added in half etched grooves.

Slightly out of sequence I have assembled the inner bogie frames and pivots so I have something to set it on while building.

 

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View of the platform from underneath, bogie pivot plates added. The bogies have the usual compensation system with swinging arms and a rocker for the inner axles. The drive will be on the outer axles with chain connection to the inner ones. Wheels are Slater's 7133 on 1/8th axles.

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Deviating from my own instructions I tried out finishing the sides before attaching them.

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Same side, inside and outside, this made it a lot easier to add the locking handles on the equipment doors at least. The North Eastern must have used more handrail pillars than any other railway - ten on each side as seen here and another eleven on the top of each end.

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Basic body assembly done, roof curved and just laid in place here. Next job to fasten the roof on and build up all the various stiffening angles and pantograph rails, I might get on with that this afternoon while I'm waiting for the two gearboxes to arrive, at which point I'll finish the bogies.

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11 hours ago, Michael Edge said:

I usually get it from Branchlines but others sell it as well. Sprockets come in various sizes, only the smallest two (8 and 10) are available for 1/8th axle, others for 3/16th, chain by the foot.

 

Also available from here:

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/str/Leisure-and-Hobby?_trksid=p2047675.l2563

 

I've used them for many years for delrin chain supplies.

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