Any Question Answered

[Jan W]

20 hours ago, Nigelcliffe said:

 

So the wheel sounds like it is similar to the 03/04 diesel shunter.

 

I'd make a chuck which locates the wheel on the bore (insulation pushed out), but clamps the wheel at/near the rim.  So, any turning pressure is only in the rim area.   Something like this is pretty quick to make and hold in a collet chuck.  Left part cylindrical, with axle to slide into wheel, threaded at end to take clamping nut.  Middle is clamping plate with hole through centre.  Right is clamping nut to engage on thread (washer optional).  Exact dimensions depends on wheel in question.  

 

 

 

 

This is exactly how I replaced the rims on my Dapol Terrier, altough I used the tailstock to press the wheel against the mandrel.

 

This is my Taig lathe with the tools I made up to hold the wheel. A mandrel with a spigot which is a sliding fit for the wheel. No damage to the axle hole because no pressure is needed to push the wheel on. End of the spigot is turned down to 1mm and fits in the part that presses against the wheel.

The first red arrow points to a plastikard disk with 400 grid abrasive paper to transfer the lathe power to the wheel. Hole is large enough to clear the inside of the wheel boss.

The other arrow points to the part that presses the wheel against the mandrel. 1mm hole to engage with the spigot and a shallow larger hole to clear the front of the wheel boss and only apply pressure to the outside of the wheel.

 

Step 2: wheel placed on mandrel (with plastikard disk behind it)

 

Step 3: turning down the rim. New rim is placed on the pressure part so it is easy to test the fit without disturbing the setup.

Step 4: turn a 0.25mm deep recess to clear the front of the new rim. Outside diameter of the pressure part is the same as the inside of the new rim so the depth of cut is reached when the tip of the tool touches the pressure part. This is quite important because the new rim can be pressed against it and will run true.

You can just see it in the view below.

 

The three stages. 

Unfortunately I can't remember how I turned down the back of the wheel. I think I used a piece of plastic turned square with a hole in it for the wheel rim. Push fit and the wheel supported by the tailstock to prevent it from working loose. Very light cuts until you reach the new rim.

 

Jan

Edited September 12, 2020 by Jan W

[SandHutton]

It just so happens Jan, that we have the same type of lathe - peatol / taig so its great to see how its done on the same model I have. 

 

Guy

[Jan W]

Guy,

I've edited my post to add an important step.

And I'm very happy with this little lathe. I started with a Chinese lathe which worked ok but the Taig is much nicer!

[MrSimon]

Hi all, 

 

I started to make a 3-743 Dapol BY underframe kit, and when I held it up to the donor vehicle it was 5-6mm longer than the body. 
 

Obviously, I was using a CCT which has a different underframe - I’ve only ever seen the CCT, does Dapol make a BY/a kit available, or do I need to cut and shut 2 bodies to make a BY?

 

Thanks in advance

Simon

[Chris Higgs]

51 minutes ago, MrSimon said:

Hi all, 

 

I started to make a 3-743 Dapol BY underframe kit, and when I held it up to the donor vehicle it was 5-6mm longer than the body. 
 

Obviously, I was using a CCT which has a different underframe - I’ve only ever seen the CCT, does Dapol make a BY/a kit available, or do I need to cut and shut 2 bodies to make a BY?

 

Thanks in advance

Simon

 

Dapol did make a BY, although googling it you would struggle to prove it. Looks like it will be difficult to find one now.

 

Chris

 

[DavidLong]

I've found the BY at several retailers in the last couple of days as I'll probably be ordering one. Here's an example:

 

https://www.hattons.co.uk/197002/dapol_2p_012_504_maunsell_brake_van_s766s_in_br_southern_region_green/stockdetail.aspx

 

I better get the order in or they'll all be gone!

 

David

[2mm Andy]

11 minutes ago, Chris Higgs said:

 

Dapol did make a BY, although googling it you would struggle to prove it. Looks like it will be difficult to find one now.

 

Chris

 

 

Plenty still around, but you need to search for "Dapol Maunsell van" or similar;

 

http://www.kernowmodelrailcentre.com/p/54906/2P-012-203-Dapol-Maunsell-Passenger-Brake-Van-number-422

 

https://www.petersspares.com/Dapol-2p-012-504-maunsell-coach-br-brake-van-sr-green-766-n-gauge.ir

 

https://footplate.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=32_104_106&products_id=4711

 

Andy

[MrSimon]

Thanks all - I hadn’t realised Dapol had started calling it a ‘Maunsell Brake Coach’ instead, I’ve got one ordered now

 

Many thanks

Simon

[Lacathedrale]

I am building a GWR Toad association etched kit into the AA13 variant. The penultimate step I had completed was to align external washer plates over the wagon sheeting and solder down, then fix in the stanchions. Unfortunately two things occured:

 

1) I was very slightly off in my alignment, so all the plates pieces are about 0.1mm too high up - but I didn't realise this until I had cut away the surrounding etch

2) when trying to fix one of the stanchions in (and having trouble because of #1) the whole thing shifted.

 

 

What's going to be the best process to remove the stanchion and realign the washer plate? Is it just a case of applying heat to the whole area slowly and as soon as it moves, to grab it off?  Is there an obvious way to re-align the washer plates, now that the etch has been removed? They all need to be shifted but such a tiny amount!

 

[Caley Jim]

I'm not familiar with the kit, but I from the photo it looks like the stanchion has tabs which fit through slots in the washer plate and then into corresponding slots in the body side.  Is it possible to apply heat to the washer plate and then use the tabs in the stanchion, fitting them into the slots in the w/p, to pull the latter down until the tabs fit into the slots in the body?  Alternatively, un-solder the w/p, slip it onto the tabs on the stanchion, then fit that into the slots in the body side?

 

Jim

[Lacathedrale]

That is correct - the stanchion has tabs that fit through hole in the washer plate, and into holes in the body. The challenge is holding the stanchion vertically and applying vertical pressurewhile applying heat to the washer plate. Maybe an idea to chamfer the edges of the stanchion tabs into a trapezoid of sorts...

 

EDIT: removed stanchion, washer plate came loose. used scalpel blade as a tapered wedge to hold the washer plate against the sheeting hole at the widest extent, and went on fine. If only there were swann morton blades thinner than the thickness of an etch for this kind of thing...

Edited September 15, 2020 by Lacathedrale

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, Lacathedrale said:

Maybe an idea to chamfer the edges of the stanchion tabs into a trapezoid of sorts...

I always design the tabs on my etches as trapeziums (trapezii?), making the edge of the tab c0.01mm narrower on either side than the root.  I also often file the sides of the tab to a slight knife edge if the slot is a wee bit tight.

 

You caould also use a bit of scrap etch, filed as above and coated with vaseline or oil( to stop it attaching to the side) to locate the w/ps.

 

Jim

[Lacathedrale]

Thanks, I'll give that a shot!

 

My other question was regarding the filing of bullhead vee components - when I'm filing using the association jig, as expected I end up with the web missing between the head and foot of the rail. In larger scales it seems the solution is to file one side, then bend that filed face flat with the original rail direction, turn it over, and file again. The problem I have is that I can't seem to consistently bend a long, filed vee back parallel - it ends up curved or bent. Is there a track I'm missing, or should I just forget about the re-bending process and simply blunt the crossing nose enough that it removes the unsupported head/foot?

Edited September 16, 2020 by Lacathedrale

[Ian Morgan]

I only file a chamfer of 4 or 5mm length, then bend the end so that side is straight again and the web is at the edge, then I file the longer 'slope' on the other side using the V filing jig. That chamfer is not particularly long either, as the two rails forming the V are staggered, and do not both reach the tip of the V.

 

Edited June 23, 2023 by Ian Morgan
re-loaded image

[Lacathedrale]

Understood, but how do you bend the chamfer back so the side is straight again? I've always ended up with it curled around

[Izzy]

I bend the end of the rail first, then file flat, followed by filing the opposite edge to the angle needed. The splice rail is then done the same just bent in the opposite direction. Only the initial bend is required.  I am sure I posted a few shots of doing this somewhere hereabouts but I am blowed if I can find them at the moment. Perhaps someone else can...!

 

Izzy

[Lacathedrale]

Aaah! Pre-bending - it all makes much more sense now!

[Caley Jim]

There are the two different approaches to this - file; bend; file, which is what you have been doing, and bend; file; file which is what @Izzy is recommending.  If using the first method, you have to grip the rail at the inner end of the taper when bending the taper back in line.  You don't need a particularly long taper, only 5 or 6 mm, but filed back only enough to remove all of the head and foot at the end.

 

Jim

[Izzy]

Okay, found the images if not the post, so at the risk of boring everybody (!) here they are again. Hope they are of help.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

cheers,

 

Izzy

 

 

[John57sharp]

Evening all! I’ve finally reached the point where I’m about to lay some track. My current query is how best to deploy droppers, I get that you need to apply them to the underside of both ends of all rails, but:

 

Just solder flat to the underside and 90 degree bend to the hole through the baseboard?

What kind of wire, multi strand or solid? Does it matter? 
is it far better to use brass sleepers for this?

 

I have looked around but all the discussions appear to be about DC vs DCC and less about the basics. I’m just dc right now but could move up in the future, it’s a simple plan....

 

cheers in advance 

 

John currently a little distracted by OpenReach working outside in a telescopic arm at gone 10pm. Must be serious,
 

[Caley Jim]

I use copper wire c0.5mm diameter ( happen to have a big coil of it I inherited from my father).  Cut a piece long enough to go well through the trackbed and baseboard top, flatten 1-2mm at one end, bend this to 90° and solder to the underside of the rail.  Once laid I twist the projecting ends underneath together and solder them.

 

Jim

[John57sharp]

Thanks again Jim.

 

John

[Ian Morgan]

I use single strands from multi-strand hook-up wire. It looks like 5 Amp fuse wire so with a strand at each end of the rail, and only being 3 or 4 cm long, I have not managed to melt one yet. The bus-bar beneath that the droppers connect to needs to be more robust, of course, to avoid voltage drops.

 

For bus-bars, I have used stripped mains twin-and-earth copper soldered to brass screws, and I have used copper tape. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

 

 

[John57sharp]

Thanks Ian.

[Lacathedrale]

I tried both file-bend-file and bend-file-file and found the former easier when using the filing jigs. For file-bend-file, I found that to bend the filed face back parallel with the rail was made easier by using a bright metal plate, with the corner acting as a fulcrum and the vee held with a fingernail.

 

Here's my first 1:10 with a fully supported vee tip, I'm quite happy!