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Rookie Workbench (Slater's Lowfit)


commsbloke
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Parkside are probably as good as Slater's IMO.  Mouldings are crisp and accurate.  Instructions are good.  There are no brass castings and very few etched parts.  Parkside go for ABS plastic where strength is needed, so have some MEK handy.

 

If AVB fitted, I usually go with Slater's brake pipes.  Parkside use whitemetal which, to my eye, are overscale and crude.

 

Parkside LMS Banana:

 

P1010001-003.JPG.da03dc0d1022583b7b6fed0405645041.JPG

 

Steam pipe fitted.

 

Note the screw link couplings, these are Dapol, very good value.  Annoyingly Parkside usually supply only 3 link but include an ABS plastic instanter link in some kits.  Must straighten that buffer.

 

You need to watch the buffers too.  Parkside mostly supply the RCH type.  This is correct in most cases but do check pictures.

 

If you want sprung axleboxes, Slaters do very good etched kits.  Bill Bedford also does etched kits, these are found at Eileen's Emporium.

 

John

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I like Parkside kits: they cover a good choice, build well and good price but the underframe equipment tends to be on the heavy side, particularly the brake guides (the opposite of Slaters!) and the push rods (?) on their 4 shoe brakes. I spend hours filing them a little finer which I think makes a difference.

 

This is a Slaters van obviously but with brass safety loops and a thinned Parkside brake guide from the spares box after the Slaters one broke!

 

DSC_1062a.jpg.214dcd8b137154f38563bf8592d3dca5.jpg

 

 

 

 

 

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I've built two Parkside kits so far, and have to say I've encountered no problems at all with them, save needing to buy new couplings for fitted wagons. The Dapol screw couplings are gorgeous things anyways,  so no problem there. My next kit will be a Slater's standard 12t van, I think. 

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  • 1 month later...

Apologies for the long absence. I have had very little free time but I am nearly there now. For the construction I have just the rain-strips to do and perhaps some safety loops on the brakes.

P4027686.jpg.e8699698220ff4ca4a4c567c8005e455.jpgI had some problems with the vertical door bars. On both sides I had missed drilling the holes. Its all there in the instructions so totally my fault. On the other side I superglued them in upside down. Less haste more speed.

 

Bending the door handles to the right side was a bit of a pain. I have many oversize so I have saved them for later. On the other side I waited until my folding tool arrived from Eileen's which made the job a lot easier. (I did need to open up some holes to fit my brass rod though.
P4027688.jpg.ae87b5d12dc4fa8743104e51ef9ed3c8.jpg

 

Next step painting and thinking about transfers. Any thoughts on transfers.
HMRS do a couple of good sheets but that will almost equal the cost of the kit.
They will be enough for a whole bunch of wagons though.

Next wagon is in the queue, a BR Slater's Lowfit. Coincidentally a quick look through the contents had me ordering the Dapol screw links that I now see are mentioned above. I will give the Slater's screw links a try but there are no instructions and my eyes aren't what they use to be.

P4027690.jpg

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That is looking good.  Nice to see the full length vac pipe, something I like to do.  I do hope you do safety loops.  These are a pet peeve of mine, so many people leave them off.  Perhaps they don't know they are there since most kit makers ignore them entirely.

 

Here's one I did earlier:

 

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The brake linkages near the axles are copied in plastic from the Parkside system.

 

John

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

 

OK, the Vanwide is waiting for decals and weathering and possibly a little white paint for the lamp brackets and brake lever.

 

P5048369.jpg.5a8a1d016824b57b85742cb10e0d5d25.jpg

 

I am not sure about the bright steel rims on the wheels, I think that I will need to get the black paint out again.

I am thinking about a small shunting layout and am having second thoughts on scale couplings so a Dinghams kit has been ordered

In the meantime I have made a start on the lowfit. This time I have used the provided strip to make the "U" channel. Is it making a U channel or an I beam.
P5048370.jpg.2ad0e0fff7e8ec5b4ceca8d79834e1f5.jpg

I am leaving the sides and ends off for now to make painting easier.

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  • commsbloke changed the title to Rookie Workbench (Slater's Lowfit)
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6 hours ago, brossard said:

For the wheels, start with a black sharpie.  Wheels are not black, they are a sort of earth/dirt, rust with a bit of black.  Try mixing some grunge paint.

 

John

I tend to use railmatch frame dirt now as a stock colour which is the basically the same black leather blend I was doing myself but pre-mixed. I vary it between different vehicles underframes and body washes but I wouldn't bother just for wheels.

 

Just saves a little bit of preparation, cleaning and wastage only opening one tin.

Edited by Hal Nail
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Good to know Hal.  I can't get Railmatch here so must make do.  The excellent Polly S range which had a lot of useful colours was discontinued and I haven't seen a replacement.  I still have quite a few bottles.

 

John

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Guest WM183

What I do with the wheels is just cut holes in some cardboard big enough for the wheel face, but too small for the flange to pass through.  I wrap a small bit of masking tape around the axle tip, and then spray them with some primer and then grimy black. I weather over with rust or dirt dry brushing or powders,  and it's done!

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  • 2 weeks later...
17 hours ago, Baggies1961 said:

Thanks for putting your van wide build on, I have just started mine and its my first Slaters kit. Looks dazzling to me but you have helped no end cheers.

Regards

Julian.


Thanks for the kind words Julian, I am glad that it has helped. I think that was the original plan, If anyone is helped by my build and from all the other contributors then that is all for the good.

I have had some trouble with my Lowfit. Trouble is when it was not going so well I forgot to take pictures. I will update soon.

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OK here is where the Lowfit build all went wrong. All my own fault I know.

On the side fame, the one on the vacuum cylinder side, there is a raised "L" shape. This type of thing on a spare side frame.
P5168531.jpg.12f88d3001cb3e83766fa183b61ebb1d.jpg

 

As I am an expert, having previously 90% completed another Slater's kit. I know that this is where the vacuum cylinder fits. (NB it isn't)
You can even see the "L" in the instructions.
P5168533.jpg.f8eaa44eb35d3ba7ed8ddce3adb0da3a.jpg

Now not only did I fit the cylinder here. I also fitted some steel weights between the floor and the cylinder. Not only do they provide extra gravity but also an excellent surface to cyano the cylinder to.

Next step onto the brake V hangers and the extra bracket that butts up to the non vacuum side V hanger. All cyano'd in nicely and left overnight.

Next day on to fitting the shaft between the V hangers and the lever to the vacuum cylinder. While at this stage I fabricated I new T shaft that comes out of the vacuum cylinder. I found that the plastic one on the Vanwide was a little flimsy. So far so good.

Looking at the lever between the vacuum cylinder and the V hanger shaft it was not even half the required length.

I believed that I had put the V hangers in the wrong place and the were glued solid. A little work with a Stanley knife and some pliers had them out.

A this time I had a long look at the instructions and worked out that the V hangers were in the correct place before I ripped them out. It was the Vacuum cylinder that was in the wrong place.

The correct position for the vacuum cylinder is achieved using the notch in the extension to the vacuum side V hanger. It is all there in the instructions.
P5168532.jpg.6be84161032df0dd24af0bed9264c93e.jpg

 

The last part of this chapter was I needed to get the cylinder out. This was not only glued to the frame but was also cyano'd to the weight.
Not my proudest modelling moment but the cylinder was eventually removed with the help of a large hammer and a screwdriver.

So after a little mending this is where I am now.
P5168529.jpg.a9d7a2e4f9d991c69033c9fd0011005a.jpg

 

Nick

Edited by commsbloke
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11 hours ago, commsbloke said:

The cylinder was eventually removed with the help of a large hammer and a screwdriver.

:)

 

There was chat about modelling tools the other day but we all forgot to mention hammer!

Edited by Hal Nail
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Hi Nick,

Your comment on not having enough hands assembling body rang true.

My inexperience is showing as its my first box wagon and Im finding that a written set of instructions like Parkside do along with diagrams would help no end!

Following your path as I said is a great help.

Cheers

Julian.

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Close up of the brake levers, the brake lever I kept flat and bend afterwards then soldered the rear lift link on, then then the link that attach's to the brake rod then add the other lift link on top, if that makes sense.

When you come to the couplings remember the thread on the turnbuckle etc is handed, bit fiddly to get on as don't know if turning right way etc

 

Michael

IMG_3216.jpg

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Thanks Mike, that looks like it is going to be useful when I get that far.

 

As for couplings, I think that I will be going Dingham. I am just waiting for the chemical blackener to arrive before I make a start with them.

 

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