Can diecast models be soldered?

[Londontram]

Here's a question can "mazak" type metal body's of the type that say Corgi models are made of be soldered?

I have if I want them access to two Corgi 1/72 scale 4 wheel London trams cheap and have an idea to try a cut and shut them to make one of the longer London E1 8 wheel bogie trams but it all depends if the type of metal can be soldered.

 Thanks for any help and advice

 

The idear is to use two of these as the starting point

To make one of these

Edited September 18, 2021 by Londontram
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[kevinlms]

7 minutes ago, Londontram said:

Here's a question can "masak" type metal body's of the type that say Corgi models are made of be soldered?

I have if I want them access to two Corgi 1/72 scale 4 wheel London trams cheap and have an idea to try a cut and shut them to make one of the longer London E1 8 wheel bogie trams but it all depends if the type of metal can be soldered.

 Thanks for any help and advice

No, because the main ingredient is zinc.

 

Your best option is to drill and tap it, that way you can use strips of brass etc to hold it together or to attach wiring. Drilling and tapping still isn't easy, but a lot depends on what the mazak consists of.

[Londontram]

Thanks for that it was just a thought but if it's going to be to complex I might think else where.

 

 The reason I  ask is I also dabble in classic cars and I've seen articles where a badly pitted "Mazak" boot lid casting had been repaired by having the pitted areas cleaned out and filled with solder and then once the surface was redressed the casting was rechromed to look like new!

[burgundy]

It may well be possible but it defeated me!

I tried to solder some bits on a Mantua "General" (the American loco, not a London bus) which was cast from Mazak or Zamac. I found that it was horrible stuff to try to work. On advice, I tried the C & L silver flux and solder but I could never get a joint with any strength. In the end, I settled for Araldite to make any joints that were unavoidable.

Good luck 

Eric   

[Nearholmer]

You can sometimes solder to it by tinning the Mazak first. It’s difficult, needs a lot of heat, and seems not to work on all ‘blends’, but sometimes …….

 

But, having done that, I’ve only ever soldered pre-tinned brass to it, never another Mazak component.

[decauville1126]

Carr's used to do a solder suitable for mazak/zamak. I used it and it worked but also required a special flux, which they also supplied. But lots of heat required as has already been mentioned.

[GoingUnderground]

I tried a solder repair donkey's years ago on a Trix bogie without realising it was suffering from Zinc pest/rot. It was a hopeless failure. Whether that was down to the rot or my technique I don't know, probably both.

 

If you do try it remember to use lead free solder as it is lead as an impurity in the zinc alloy that causes zinc pest. I don't know if the lead in such solder could cause rot where it touches the zinc alloy, but it is probably better not to find out.

 

The cut 'n'shut idea is good, but you'd be binning an awful lot of the donor model just to get an extra window bay.

 

The other thing is that those Corgi models aren't 1:72, they're 1:64 even though the wheels run on "OO" track. Put next to anything in 4mm scale like the Original Omnibus Feltham and they'll look wildly oversize. I have a couple of the Corgi 1/64 models myself.

 

If you want an E1 and being 4mm scale is important then search around for  the Tower Trams kit, but you probably already know that.

 

One of my "To Do" jobs is the reverse of what you want to do and cut down a Tower Trams E1 to make the 3 window Class M tram.

[Londontram]

Well I've found something interesting on Google, there's a tutorial on some chap in America repairing a "hot wheels" model car with a cracked Mazak body and once stripped of paint he used a simple home copper coating kit and he claimed after that any type of solder and flux could be used so maybe that's something to look at.

 As you can tell by the name I'm no stranger to this but sold off all my previous tram models about 7 years ago and have since been working on my other interest which is Scottish steam cir 1900 but over the time have built the white metal Bec E1 class, felthams and 4 wheel cars. I've also built and super detailed some of the Kiel craft trams as well.

  I did go down the same route as you making an "M" class car from a tower trams E1 using the tower trams E1 and plasticard chassy frames with drilled holes and thin rod for the heavy rivet detail and run it on a Bec 4 wheel bogie. I've also built an "A" class open top and a few HR2 with altered window boxes and panaled flush sides.

  I was awear of the scale size of the corgie trams but fancied doing a small end to end on the conduit or simple loop again with or without overhead and thought with a limited number of other vehicles the size difference wouldn't be a real problem.

 Any way it's just thinking aloud at this stage but it was the offer of the two Corgie trams for a sub £10 price for both that made me concider this option.

Here's the link to the tutorial 

 

Edited September 18, 2021 by Londontram
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[wainwright1]

Hi London Tram.

 

Have a look at KW Trams. They have acquired the old ABS tram kits which includes other kits which came from various sources.

They also market a selection of mechanism and transfers to suit.

 

They do not appear on their current list, but I think that some work was being done to produce a selection of London E1 trams with various detail differences, but am not sure how far that has progressed. There are however several kits for LCC cars and departmental vehicles.

 

All the best

Ray

[Londontram]

1 hour ago, wainwright1 said:

Hi London Tram.

 

Have a look at KW Trams. They have acquired the old ABS tram kits which includes other kits which came from various sources.

They also market a selection of mechanism and transfers to suit.

 

They do not appear on their current list, but I think that some work was being done to produce a selection of London E1 trams with various detail differences, but am not sure how far that has progressed. There are however several kits for LCC cars and departmental vehicles.

 

All the best

Ray

Thanks Ray that sounds well worth checking out.

[CKPR]

Regarding soldering zinc, it can be done (I used Carr 'Black Label' flux for steel),  but it's complete pig to do and you run the risk of actually melting the zinc itself as I found out trying to solder up some etched zinc coach side and ends. I know it's somewhat heathen when it comes to assembling metal, but using Araldite and screws is probably the best way to proceed - the copper coating approach sounds interesting but it seems like an awful lot of faff to me.

[Il Grifone]

I believe it is theoretically possible but I have always seen it as, "Not recommended!"

 

I would go for the drill holes and nut and bolt metal strips behind (or both sides if possibly) method. Then, using proper heat setting Araldite, fill all the joints and bung the lot in the oven on low heat for a while. (See instructions for how long and perform the dirty deed in SWMBO's absence preferably).

I have seen the die-cast car restoration fraternity use baking powder mixed with instant glue for reconstruction/filling, but, not having tried it myself, I can't comment further.

[RobMG]

That was an interesting video.  I didn't realise it was possible to copper plate Mazak and then solder.   It is something I will try sometime. 

I want to try plating anyway to see if I can nickel plate brass parts I make, such as buffers coupling rods etc. 

I know can make these bits using nickel silver, but I just want to try it.

 

Rob