Building a London Road Models K2/2 Kit

[resin001]

Hi Richard 

 

The Moleroda polishing discs will last longer if you use minimum of 3 discs on the mandrel - As per several U tube video’s 

 

Fantastic work - your loco looks great so far 

 

regards

Robert 

[cctransuk]

25 minutes ago, resin001 said:

Hi Richard 

 

The Moleroda polishing discs will last longer if you use minimum of 3 discs on the mandrel - As per several U tube video’s 

 

Fantastic work - your loco looks great so far 

 

regards

Robert 

 

True - but then you are using discs at three time the rate of using single discs - swings and roundabouts !

 

For my money, single discs are ideal for getting rid of the last residual traces of surface solder in tight crevices without affecting the underlying metal. I scrape off the majority of the solder with a 10A scalpel blade, and tidy up with the abrasive discs.

 

Then, into the ultrasonic cleaner (Lidl) with a drop of washing-up liquid and a pinch of caustic soda crystals in warm water and - lo and behold - a pristine model, and an unbelieveable quantity of gunge left behind in the cleaner bath.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

[30368]

Thanks so much Robert and John for the advice, it really is appreciated.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[30368]

Continueing to detail the body and cab. Cab interior given first coat of paint. I tend to paint interiors plan black but I know there are different views on how BR painted steam engine cab interiors. Cream to the base of the side windows?

My thanks to Tony Wright for confirming (as far as one can) that the K2's were RH drive.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[30368]

Cab interior almoust complete, needs a bit more painting/weathering. Will have to mask carefully when loco painted.

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Scale7JB]

Hi Richard, looking good.

 

Purely fyi, you would be able to tell left or right have drive by which side the large ejector exhaust pipe is, that travels the length of the boiler into the smokebox.

 

JB. 

[30368]

Thanks JB - I thought that was the case but wanted to be sure. Many thanks for your information.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

PS Thanks Jack, hope all is well?

 

 

[Daddyman]

You really are making a good job of this, and have come on in leaps and bounds since the J36. 

 

It does look like the abrasive discs are causing some surface damage, though. 

 

You've made a very good job of the boiler bands. However, they remain too thick. I'd recommend using transfers. I use Fox boiler bands after priming and before topcoat (meaning that the colour of the bands doesn't matter). Transfers give you much more freedom/time to position and, when doubled up, give something nearer correct thickness (lay one transfer first, and once it's dry lay another on top). You can use Tamiya masking tape cut to the correct width when positioning the transfers, and to give a straight edge - for example, if the first band starts 12mm from the cab front, cut a strip of Tamiya to 12 mm and position it against the cab front to space off the boiler band. 

Edited December 20, 2019 by Daddyman

[Blandford1969]

What a lovely model this has turned into. The cab looks good. A daft question, I thought the K2s had a vertical screw reverse like the Pacific's?

[30368]

Thanks Daddyman. I am not too bothered with the surface marks on the boiler - by the 1950's these were fairly old loco's and despite new boiler cladding being fitted from time to time would be fairly "rough". That is not an excuse for shoddy workmanship!

 

I do agree re the boiler bands and have considered using transfers before now and will give them a try on my next build. I will take the edge of the boiler bands which will make them look less prominant.

 

Blandford, I really am not sure regarding the reverser - the ratchet reverser was supplied with the kit (and was fiddly to build!) and the cab floor etch designed for it. I don't have and can't find a cab view of the K2. I agree that some form of screw reverser would have been appropriate on a then modern pre WW1 loco. All the LSWR H15's built at about the same time as the K2s had screw reversers.

 

Thanks for the comments,

 

Richard B

 

 

Edited December 20, 2019 by 30368

[Daddyman]

The bands, I suppose, will be less obvious on a lined loco as they will be hidden by the lining. 

 

I'd recommend a ring of capillary tube on the blower pipe just before it bends to enter the smokebox - makes the pipe look less like a piece of bent wire! 

[davelester]

18 hours ago, Blandford1969 said:

What a lovely model this has turned into. The cab looks good. A daft question, I thought the K2s had a vertical screw reverse like the Pacific's?

 

The GA Drawings I have show the type of reverser Richard has built.

 

I'd be surprised if anyone thought it worth changing this item; Doncaster was always running on a very tight budget.

 

Dave

[davelester]

4 hours ago, 30368 said:

Thanks Daddyman. I am not too bothered with the surface marks on the boiler - by the 1950's these were fairly old loco's and despite new boiler cladding being fitted from time to time would be fairly "rough". That is not an excuse for shoddy workmanship!

 

 

Could I suggest some alternative methods to remove excess solder?

• To get rid of large blobs, try using a solder sucker (example here); care's needed to not take off components you've already soldered.
• Worth a thought, though I don't usual use it, is braided copper -- a bit like scaletrix pickups (youtube demo here).
• A bit brutal, but very effective are PCB cleaning tools. I have one tool which has one end like the top right, and one like the bottom left (the link items are expensive, so shop around: amazon link to show shapes); and finally:
• Use a piece of scrap etch -- from the kit you are building. Provided it doesn't get work-hardened, it will be precisely the same hardness as the kit you are building, and won't mark the surface. One quick hack is to put the scrap etch into a pin-vice -- this makes it much more comfortable to use -- and is safer as well.

Of course one way to make all this easier is to not put so much on in the first place! I do this by tinning each component, and then holding the components together, with flux between them, and heating.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Dave

[30368]

Dave,

 

Some great advice, thanks. My soldering is getting better but I agree, you can always improve. I do tin surfaces (or use solder paste) where I can. De-solder braid works well but I couldn't find mine, a lame excuse but true!

 

All of this discussion around soldering and cleaning up after same is very good and much appreciated by me and, I suspect, a number of modellers. As Jack Benson has said on many occasions, a skill not shared is a skill lost!

 

No progress today - off to see the latest Star Wars film with youngest grandchildren. Pretty good so long as you view it as Cowboys and Indians in space!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[30368]

5 hours ago, Daddyman said:

The bands, I suppose, will be less obvious on a lined loco as they will be hidden by the lining. 

 

I'd recommend a ring of capillary tube on the blower pipe just before it bends to enter the smokebox - makes the pipe look less like a piece of bent wire! 

 

I agree Daddyman - but the (blower) ejector pipe is a piece of bent pipe!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

[Daddyman]

2 minutes ago, 30368 said:

No progress today - off to see the latest Star Wars film with youngest grandchildren. Pretty good so long as you view it as Cowboys and Indians in space!

 

Could be worse - could be Cats. 

 

Suede brushes (for shoes, etc) are also useful for removing excess solder. And thinning the solder "pool" out with the iron (spreading it over a wider area) makes it less lumpy and more susceptible to gentler tools such as fibre-glass and suede brushes. 

[Daddyman]

Just now, 30368 said:

 

I agree Daddyman - but the (blower) ejector pipe is a piece of bent pipe!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

No, more to it than that - they have flanges and collars. You can make them like this (these were actually window surrounds, but the idea is the same - do the trimming with the collars-to-be attached to a metal backing to ensure they're square and to facilitate holding): 

[micklner]

Any scratches I personally would either fill with solder or Green Stuff and rubdown flat . Once you get a coat of paint on the metal, any scratches will stand out like a sore thumb, and ruin the look of the model and that would really bug me personally., especially if you have spent a lot of time and effort on the model.

 

Locos never show scratches on the surfaces, unless they heve been derailed and have rolled over. Bent handrails and occasional dents however were quite normal on old locos.

Edited December 20, 2019 by micklner

[30368]

Sorry Daddyman, I wasn't being serious about the pipe, yes such pipework consisists of a number of components and I will take your advice, thanks.

 

Re scratches on steam loco's. My experience of steam was primarily in the 1950's and 60's on the Southern and my recollection is a little different. Many loco boiler cladding sheets became damaged and very rough this included some quite deep scratches and dents. Perhaps the wonderful loco's of the LNER (and I am not being sarcastic, they were) never experienced scratches etc.... although this view of one of Peppercorns fabulous A1's suggests otherwise....

 

 

with the very best of intentions,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

 

 

 

[micklner]

1 hour ago, 30368 said:

Sorry Daddyman, I wasn't being serious about the pipe, yes such pipework consisists of a number of components and I will take your advice, thanks.

 

Re scratches on steam loco's. My experience of steam was primarily in the 1950's and 60's on the Southern and my recollection is a little different. Many loco boiler cladding sheets became damaged and very rough this included some quite deep scratches and dents. Perhaps the wonderful loco's of the LNER (and I am not being sarcastic, they were) never experienced scratches etc.... although this view of one of Peppercorns fabulous A1's suggests otherwise....

 

 

with the very best of intentions,

 

Richard B

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes but that is on a full size Loco  , scratches dont scale down well on 4mm Locos, and they are not a good practise , not to me anyway, dont forget a 0.5mm scratch is 1 1/2 inches deep on a full size Loco.

Edited December 20, 2019 by micklner

[Michael Edge]

4 hours ago, davelester said:

 

 

Could I suggest some alternative methods to remove excess solder?

• To get rid of large blobs, try using a solder sucker (example here); care's needed to not take off components you've already soldered.
• Worth a thought, though I don't usual use it, is braided copper -- a bit like scaletrix pickups (youtube demo here).
• A bit brutal, but very effective are PCB cleaning tools. I have one tool which has one end like the top right, and one like the bottom left (the link items are expensive, so shop around: amazon link to show shapes); and finally:
• Use a piece of scrap etch -- from the kit you are building. Provided it doesn't get work-hardened, it will be precisely the same hardness as the kit you are building, and won't mark the surface. One quick hack is to put the scrap etch into a pin-vice -- this makes it much more comfortable to use -- and is safer as well.

Of course one way to make all this easier is to not put so much on in the first place! I do this by tinning each component, and then holding the components together, with flux between them, and heating.

 

Hope that helps,

 

Dave

You don't have to solder cladding bands on all the way round from the outside, put a blob of solder at the top (from the outside), then put plenty of flux round the band and apply the heat from the inside. You might need a biggish iron for a brass boiler but the solder will spread round by capillary action leaving very little cleaning up to be done.

[30368]

Hi Michael,

 

Met you on your stand at one of the shows and bought one of your/Judith's B9 etches. Will build it eventually but I will be hard pressed to justify it running on my SR layout based on 70D Basingstoke Shed. Still it's my train set so....

(Hope I have got the correct Michael Edge!)

 

I very grateful for all the advice, I generally lightly tin the bands at the top and 2/3rds around and then tack on the top of the boiler and then the sides. I agree, you only need a little solder. The K2/2 looks fine now it has been cleaned up.

 

I use a grey etching primer to help me spot all the unacceptable blemishes and then, as micklner has suggested, greenstuff fill and correct.

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

[Michael Edge]

Yes, as far as I know there's only one of me but most people in this business call me Mike. If you look at what I build and Judith sells you will see that as far as possible all soldering is done from the inside and I don't have much solder to clean up.

[30368]

Many thanks Mike, I always try to solder from the inside honest! I am still learning (I guess we never stop doing so) so all advice welcome.

 

My prototype loco, 61784, was one of the Scottish loco's fitted with a rocking grate so have tried to represent this from the photo's available.

 

 

Must straiten those lamp irons!

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B

 

 

[30368]

The loco is vertually complete now, just a few handrails and cylinder drain cocks to fit. Soon be time to mask the cab and apply the grey etching primer.

 

 

 

Kind regards,

 

Richard B