Etched loco chassis

[Tim V]

That was the impression I got from your instructions Chris, which I'm impressed with by the way, thanks.

 

I used the association motor for my conversion.

 

I "may" remove the metal under the boiler, but at the end of the day, it's still the Farish pannier, which doesn't strike me as a "scale" model.

[bogieman]

That all sounds pretty difficult but I might still try the rear axle drive just to try to get the improved appearance. There's some nice photos of the chassis and motor on centre axle in the instructions and earlier in this post, does anyone have (a) similar photo(s) of the rear axle build?

[Chris Higgs]

That all sounds pretty difficult but I might still try the rear axle drive just to try to get the improved appearance. There's some nice photos of the chassis and motor on centre axle in the instructions and earlier in this post, does anyone have (a) similar photo(s) of the rear axle build?

 

Somewhere on RMWEB (or its previous versions) Richard Brummitt had details of the test build he did for me, which was of the rear axle drive.

 

Chris

[bogieman]

Somewhere on RMWEB (or its previous versions) Richard Brummitt had details of the test build he did for me, which was of the rear axle drive.

 

Chris

That's useful to know although my searching hasn't found it yet.

Hi Richard! Any ideas?

Maybe if it's no longer available on the internet you've still the photos on your computer? You already know my email address.

I'm currently thinking of building both chassis types from the one etch to try things (different motor fittings and amounts and sites of metal removal etc.) although I realise I'll only have enough parts to completely finish one that gets chosen to use. Then I could write up an article with the answers to my original query.

Thanks Tony

[2mm Andy]

That's useful to know although my searching hasn't found it yet.

Thanks Tony

 

Tony,

 

The June 2011 2mm Magazine has an article by Rich on the test builds of the 57xx and the 14xx chassis.

 

If you can't find your copy let me know as I have a pdf copy.

 

Andy

[bogieman]

Tony,

 

The June 2011 2mm Magazine has an article by Rich on the test builds of the 57xx and the 14xx chassis.

 

If you can't find your copy let me know as I have a pdf copy.

 

Andy

 

Thanks Andy, got it in front of me but not read it yet but will shortly. "Double Heading, a trial run" pp44-47.

[2mm Andy]

Thanks Andy, got it in front of me but not read it yet but will shortly. "Double Heading, a trial run" pp44-47.

 

Richard's blog entry is here;

 

http://www.rmweb.co....double-heading/

 

Andy

Edited April 26, 2012 by 2mm Andy

[richbrummitt]

Sorry, I've been on holiday. I can't remember everything and the blog entry and magazine article always differ because of the format. If you have any questions I'm back now. I had the use of carbide cutters on a big milling machine to remove the material in the body. It didn't seem to present any problem, but trying to work this stuff with cutting discs or grinding tools is very slow work. I didn't have my milling machine back then.

[bogieman]

Thanks for the blog url Andy most useful.

Thanks for the answers offer Richard, sounds like machining the body is going to be a pain!

Tony

[nick_bastable]

Chris

 

great etch for the J94 have spent today getting up to a rolling chassis, quartering looks pretty good I think I have sorted a suitable mount for the motor as will be DCC

 

It may not be pretty but its mine

 

will resume tomorrow but now it time for a glass of the red

[Valentin]

[...]

great etch for the J94 have spent today getting up to a rolling chassis, quartering looks pretty good [...]

 

Can the quartering be achieved without using the quartering tool?

 

Here are some photographs of my J94 chasis:

 

 

 

 

[nick_bastable]

Valentin it can just takes time if your stuck bring it along next week and I suspect between us we will be able to sort it

 

as for mine the worms not meshing properly suspect Ive built the gear box off-line and attempts to tweek it have proved fruitless shame as the quartering was good

Edited June 7, 2012 by nick_bastable

[Guest Natalie Graham]

Can the quartering be achieved without using the quartering tool?

 

Do it one axle at a time. Quarter the first one by eye. Then set the next axle as close as you can by eye, put the coupling rods on and tweak the wheels on the second axle unti it runs nicely without binding, then repeat for the third axle.

[Tim V]

I wasn't happy with the unsupported motor, plus I didn't like assembling the worm wheel inside the frame, so I've made these slight modifications.

A simple L piece of scrap nickel is soldered to a base plate which is screwed to the frames, using the existing spacer and 14BA screws.

The motor can be removed for setting up the wheels etc.

[queensquare]

I wasn't happy with the unsupported motor, plus I didn't like assembling the worm wheel inside the frame, so I've made these slight modifications.

A simple L piece of scrap nickel is soldered to a base plate which is screwed to the frames, using the existing spacer and 14BA screws.

The motor can be removed for setting up the wheels etc.

 

Hi Tim,

 

I think thats a very sensible modification. I have built my first pannier chassis pretty much as instructions and it is fine but, like you, am not happy that the motor can't be removed without brute force. I will probably leave that one as is but have another, (the spare that drives off an end axle) and will include a similar modification on that one. Look forward to your pannier having a test run on the colliery.

 

Jerry

[bogieman]

I wasn't happy with the unsupported motor, plus I didn't like assembling the worm wheel inside the frame, so I've made these slight modifications.

A simple L piece of scrap nickel is soldered to a base plate which is screwed to the frames, using the existing spacer and 14BA screws.

The motor can be removed for setting up the wheels etc.

I feel the same about motors/worm mounting (and indeed about the whole chassis assembly with brake gear etc) but in discussion recently somebody asked, how many times have you taken a chassis apart for repair once built and nobody could give a single example. Is it possible we are being too cautious?

[Nig H]

 

 

Can the quartering be achieved without using the quartering tool?

 

Yes, you don't need a quartering tool. The accepted practice is to quarter two adjacent axles first, then quarter the third axle with the first pair. You can do all three axles in one go. It usually takes me say 5 - 10 minutes. With the wheels in place in the frames, line up the crankpins at 12 o'clock on one side (left) and on the other side at 3 o'clock. Check both sets of pins are exactly in line. Attach the coupling rods and observe how the crankpins rotate in the holes in the coupling rods as you turn the wheels. Look for situations where one pin is hard against the left hand side of its coupling rod hole and one or more of the others is hard against the right hand side of its coupling rod hole at some point in its orbit. Then open out both holes slightly with a reamer and re-test/ correct. Do this inspection etc for both coupling rods. Its worth checking the crankpins are at 90 degrees to the wheel surface first, as well.

 

Regards,

 

Nigel Hunt

[Tim V]

I feel the same about motors/worm mounting (and indeed about the whole chassis assembly with brake gear etc) but in discussion recently somebody asked, how many times have you taken a chassis apart for repair once built and nobody could give a single example. Is it possible we are being too cautious?

Point taken, but having an "easily" removable motor means that setting up the wheels and gears will be easier, plus I didn't like the thought of pushing the motor through the worm in the frames. And there is still the problem of the unsupported outer end of the motor, as I intend using DCC having seen the benefits it brings to small scale models.

[DavidLong]

I feel the same about motors/worm mounting (and indeed about the whole chassis assembly with brake gear etc) but in discussion recently somebody asked, how many times have you taken a chassis apart for repair once built and nobody could give a single example. Is it possible we are being too cautious?

 

For me it's not a question of how many times I take the chassis apart after final completion but being able to do the same during the assembly process. I (and I suspect others) are not such good or expert chassis constructors that we we can accomplish the whole process in one hit and the ability to break the chassis down into into its component parts is very valuable. This has been the basis of my complaint about the tightness of the muffs that we use to join the axles. Opening them out to a fit such as they will grip the axles sufficiently to test the quartering but also not so tight that said quartering can't be fine tuned due to over-tightness of the grip. I would always test the completed chassis under power on the track and, if satisfactory, dismantle it again for any painting or blackening to take place. Having had it running satisfactorily 'in the raw' then I can be reasonably confident that on re-assembly it will perform just as well.

I think that Tim's contribution is very valuable and I intend to use a similar process in the chassis that I am currently building. Similar but not exactly the same as it is a different chassis.

 

David

Edited June 11, 2012 by DavidLong

[Donw]

It may be my ignorance but surely having fine tuned the quartering you do not want to disturb it so how do you fix the wheels?

Don

[DavidLong]

It may be my ignorance but surely having fine tuned the quartering you do not want to disturb it so how do you fix the wheels?

Don

 

I've always found that if the wheels successfully quarter once then they will do it again. I must say that my success rate with etched frames and rods is pretty much 100% which they should be if they have been drawn correctly in the first place. With scratch-built frames and rods it tends to be a more hit and miss process as it all depends on how accurate the marking out, drilling and cutting was in the first place. When I am ready for final assembly superglue is dropped into the holes that have been drilled in the muffs. This is usually sufficient for normal running but even that joint could be broken with a sharp twist if you did need to them apart again.

 

David

[Valentin]

Very useful information about the quartering for which I thank you.

 

Now, small progress with my chassis. I cut the worm in half and, with a little adjustment, I managed to fix it in place. Same with the gear.

 

[bogieman]

I'm building a couple of 57xx Panniers and the Jinty all at once using these Chris Higgs etched chassis. I'm writing it up as I go hopefully to get it published in 2mm magazine as I'm using the more radical approach to the bodies.

 

Because they have same size drivers, are all 0-6-0Ts and use the same gear ratio I'm hoping to compare the results of using three different motors.

 

My problem is that at this late stage I have just realised the Panniers have identical cabs styles, when I had planned to make one of each version (earlier 1929 Churchward 57xx style cab and later 1933 Collett 8750 style cab).

 

Mine are both the later Collett 8750 cab types with rectangular spectacles, in fact a spare I have is also of this type!!

 

Does anyone have a Grafar body of the earlier cab version with circular spectacles they would be prepared to swop or sell? Even just the cab alone as it's a separate plastic moulding that slides upwards and off.

 

Many thanks

Edited June 13, 2012 by bogieman

[richbrummitt]

I would always test the completed chassis under power on the track and, if satisfactory, dismantle it again for any painting or blackening to take place.

 

I always polish the wheel treads first, then paint the centres, build the chassis whilst the wheels are drying, paint the chassis, then assemble.

[Doncaster Green]

Hi there. I have just downloaded the parts list and instructions with the intention of doing an O3 as my first essay into 2mm chassis building (as opposed to rewheeling Farish 24s and 108/101s) and was just about to put pen to paper on a shop order. However, I can't find any reference to making the jackshaft. Will I have to make up two stub axles and use a muff or is there something else that will do the job? I have trawled back through this thread and can't see anything there to help although I may have missed something.

 

Any help gratefully received

 

John