RMweb Premium Popular Post Kylestrome Posted November 8, 2019 RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted November 8, 2019 (edited) A new 2FS workbench thread, and where better to start than with ‘finescaling’ Farish N gauge wheels? Many years ago I bought my lathe, and all its accessories, with just this sort of task in mind. The machine has come in handy for all sorts of jobs but, curiously, this is the first time I’ve actually attempted to re-profile any N gauge wheel sets. Using the information from the 2mm Scale Association fact sheet, it has proved to be quite a lot easier than I was anticipating. Taking a set of Mk1 7mm diameter coach wheels as my victims, I made a start by facing off the fronts to reduce the tread by 0.4mm, which leaves them 1mm wide. The wheels are simply held by their flanges in the three-jaw chuck and gentle cuts are the order of the day. The next step is to turn the wheel backs down by 0.15mm in order to reduce the flange width to approx. 0.3mm. This is done by holding one wheel by the tread with the other end of the axle running in a ‘steady’, which is just a length of brass rod with a centre-drilled hole just large enough to hold the pinpoint. My first set was done entirely in the three jaw chuck but, unfortunately, the jaws are so sharply machined that they marked the treads. For turning the rest of the flanges I decided to use a collet instead. Because my collet set only has sizes 6, 8 & 10mm, I had to machine a brass liner for the largest collet, to fit the 7mm wheels. Here is the obligatory comparison shot of the wheels before and after machining. I rather like the newer Farish wheels which are mostly metal with only a very small plastic bush at the centre. It’s also very helpful that current N gauge wheels have a much better profile than in days of yore, leaving very little work to get them to go through 2mm pointwork. David Edited July 1, 2023 by Kylestrome 17 2 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn Posted December 9, 2019 Share Posted December 9, 2019 (edited) David, From your experience so far, have you found a preferable chuck rpm when taking these light cuts? Edited December 9, 2019 by Bryn Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted December 9, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted December 9, 2019 6 hours ago, Bryn said: David, From your experience so far, have you found a preferable chuck rpm when taking these light cuts? Bryn, I didn't actually note the exact RPM, but I would say 'medium fast' because we're dealing with quite soft material. The emphasis should be on taking very, very light cuts (not more than 0,1mm) with freshly sharpened tools. David 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D869 Posted December 11, 2019 Share Posted December 11, 2019 I did some with a single belt on my Unimat SL on the middle step of each pulley. Nominally 1600 RPM but it fluctuates with load. TBH I wouldn't get too hung up about speed as long as the thing is cutting nicely without undue noises, chatter, smoke etc. Just start with some wheels where you have a big surplus to practice on, in my case Farish coach wheels. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted February 21, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 21, 2020 (edited) When I was a kid I used to exasperate my parents by reducing new toys to their component parts, “to see how they work”, and then reassembling them. These days I have specialist tools … In case you ever wondered how Graham Farish Mk1 coaches go together, this photo should give you some clues. The body is clipped onto the underframe at both ends and in the middle. This is where an artist’s pallet knife comes in useful, being thinner than any screwdriver, to spring the bodysides outwards without damaging them. In the process of fitting new couplings, I will be discarding the self-centering spring-loaded mounts. A shame really, because some highly dextrous Chinese worker must have had a hard time getting those fine wires in place! David Edited April 11, 2022 by Kylestrome 4 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Hi David, I am looking to disassemble a Farish Stanier coach - have you done one of these? Do they come apart in the same way as MK1s? Many thanks Paddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted February 21, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted February 21, 2020 1 hour ago, Paddy said: I am looking to disassemble a Farish Stanier coach - have you done one of these? Do they come apart in the same way as MK1s? I don't have any Stanier coaches, but I would be surprised if they're not similar in construction. David 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold TomE Posted February 21, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 21, 2020 I find the hardest part of dismantling Farish Mk.1s is getting the glazing out in one piece, especially if the assembler has been a bit over enthusiastic with the glue! Some of glazing strips in the dozen or so I've repainted so far have more or less been welded to the side. Occasionally though you hit it lucky and get one that appears to have missed the glue line altogether. Tom. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
D869 Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Keep those springs - someone will lose theirs and be grateful for them. I did once ask Farish for a replacement for one that shot across the room never to be seen again. A good while later a letter arrived with one spring taped to it. Glue-wise some of my windows seem to have a hard time staying put... even though I haven't tried to take them out. Regards, Andy 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paddy Posted February 21, 2020 Share Posted February 21, 2020 Thanks everyone. I might look at an easier option such as Dapol B Set or older Farish coaches. Paddy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted January 21, 2023 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted January 21, 2023 I’m finally getting on with some more 2mm mischief. This past week I’ve been turning down all my eighty or so N gauge wheels to 2FS standards. The axles with pinpoints are relatively straightforward (see post #1), but when it comes to Farish diesel wheel sets there is no obvious way to support the axle when it comes to filing down the flange to the correct depth. I had the idea to drill a small dimple in the axle end, with a 0.5mm centre drill, so that I could use a live centre for support. I was favourably impressed by the quality of the Dapol and Farish wheels. There were only a couple with a slight wobble, and nearly all were concentric, which is a massive improvement over what was available when I started in 2mm scale in the 80s. Now that all my locos and coaching stock are ‘finescaled’ I have no more excuses for not finishing the layout for which they’re intended. David 11 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold 2mmMark Posted January 21, 2023 RMweb Gold Share Posted January 21, 2023 So would it be fair to describe your workbench as Chapel Swarf? 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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