railwayrod Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Nice work Chaz. I follow much the same method as yourself and it is nice to know that I am on the right lines when it comes to kit assembly. I dislike the plastic brake rod guides and usually replace them with metal ones superglued in place after the brake gear is aligned and the wheels rotate freely. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Wright Posted November 27, 2015 Share Posted November 27, 2015 Chaz, Looks great and it's coming along nicely. What glue are you using to glue plastic components together? Dave Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 Nice work Chaz. I follow much the same method as yourself and it is nice to know that I am on the right lines when it comes to kit assembly. Rod Nice of you to say so Rod but I wouldn't claim that any of my methods are "the right lines". They work for me but others might be happy to build the kits as they are designed. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) Chaz, Looks great and it's coming along nicely. What glue are you using to glue plastic components together? Dave I use EMA Plastic Weld, Dave. Chemically it's dichloromethane, pretty effective stuff for dissolving a variety of plastics. I have used Mekpak in the past which I have found to be a milder solvent (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) but providing you don't flood the model with it the EMA product is fast-acting and the joints are very strong. Chaz Edited November 28, 2015 by chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 Fantastic layout! I'd love to know more about the operation and see it running. Can you tell me if you'll be venturing nearer to London in the future, also where did you get the magnets and blocks you've used in building the kits. Apologies if I've missed any of this in the thread! Steve Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 Fantastic layout! I'd love to know more about the operation and see it running. Can you tell me if you'll be venturing nearer to London in the future, also where did you get the magnets and blocks you've used in building the kits. Apologies if I've missed any of this in the thread! Steve Thanks Steve. Nearer to London? How does St Albans suit? We are there in January (16th/17th). I have been trying to get an invitation to Ally Pally but so far no luck. Pity as it's one of my favourite venues. I bought the magnets and steel block from Phil' at Hobby Holidays. look at... http://www.hobbyholidays.co.uk/ No need to apologise - there are rather too many pages to this topic... Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Strathwood Posted November 28, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 28, 2015 (edited) Thanks Steve. Nearer to London? How does St Albans suit? We are there in January (16th/17th). I have been trying to get an invitation to Ally Pally but so far no luck. Pity as it's one of my favourite venues. I bought the magnets and steel block from Phil' at Hobby Holidays. look at... http://www.hobbyholidays.co.uk/ No need to apologise - there are rather too many pages to this topic... Chaz Speaking of requests, I don't suppose for one minute that you will be doing any exhibiting near me in the near future ie Inverness. So could I put a further request in please about your trackwork and those Peco turnouts as to how they look in close up on your layout once modified. Having just lashed out on a pair of sound fitted Dapol Terriers it would be nice to sort something out next year to run them on. Many thanks, Kevin Edited November 28, 2015 by Strathwood Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 Speaking of requests, I don't suppose for one minute that you will be doing any exhibiting near me in the near future ie Inverness. So could I put a further request in please about your trackwork and those Peco turnouts as to how they look in close up on your layout once modified. Having just lashed out on a pair of sound fitted Dapol Terriers it would be nice to sort something out next year to run them on. Many thanks, Kevin Sorry Kevin, some time ago the team discussed how far we might travel and decided that Manchester or Leeds would be our limit. None of us wanted to drive as far as Scotland. To see some photos of the Peco points being modified go to page 14. Of course most of my photos feature the track... Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 Regardless of how strong the bond will be between the brake levers and the V hangers they are vulnerable and can be easily dislodge by handling. You can increase the strength of the joint by mounting them on brass wire pins. it is easy on the "Y" side as the brake lever, if drilled can be mounted on the end of the cross shaft. On the X side the lever has the cam arrangement. What I do is put the drilled lever in position and use it as a jig to start the extra hole in the V hanger. Once there is a witness hole you can take the lever away and complete the drilling. I use a pin-chuck for this type of job - slow and careful is best with such thin plastic parts. The photo' below shows the wire cross shaft pushed through the V hangers and the brakes - I leave this overlong, it can be trimmed once the brake levers have been tried in position. The tube was cut to 32.5mm and then filed until it was a snug fit between the brakes. If you find it impossible to slide the wire all the way through you can ease the holes in the plastic parts and take any burr out of the ends of the tube with a five-sided cutting broach. You can see that I have slid the brake cylinder lever onto the tube but it's not yet fixed in position, in the foreground the cam fitted lever has had a short length of 0.8mm wire fixed into it. Provided it is a tight fit in the hole a spot of solvent will help retain it. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted November 28, 2015 Share Posted November 28, 2015 I use EMA Plastic Weld, Dave. Chemically it's dichloromethane, pretty effective stuff for dissolving a variety of plastics. I have used Mekpak in the past which I have found to be a milder solvent (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) but providing you don't flood the model with it the EMA product is fast-acting and the joints are very strong. My understanding from a fellow modeller who is a retired chemist is that Slater's Mekpak used to be Methyl Ethyl Ketone - way back when George Slater would smoke while demonstrating the product(!), but many years ago was reformulated and is now something like trichloroethane. Methyl Ethyl Ketone is still sold under the Butanone label by C&L. All very useful solvents in their own ways. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 28, 2015 Author Share Posted November 28, 2015 My understanding from a fellow modeller who is a retired chemist is that Slater's Mekpak used to be Methyl Ethyl Ketone - way back when George Slater would smoke while demonstrating the product(!), but many years ago was reformulated and is now something like trichloroethane. Methyl Ethyl Ketone is still sold under the Butanone label by C&L. All very useful solvents in their own ways. Thanks for that information. When I was in short trousers a master at my school ran a model club after school. Those boys who wanted to make plastic kits were introduced to the delights of Chloroform! Can you imagine the uproar if that was tried now.... I imagine that there were no commercially available safer solvents around then (late fifties). Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 (edited) I have a copy of J Russell's "Freight Wagons and Loads on the GWR" pub. OPC. Fig. 83 in the book is an excellent photo' of a plywood MOGO - diag. G43 - worth checking to see just how the details on these vans fits. Chaz Edited November 29, 2015 by chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 I have a copy of J Russell's "Freight Wagons and Loads on the GWR" pub. OPC. Fig. 83 in the book is an excellent photo' of a plywood MOGO - diag. G43 - worth checking to see just how the details on these vans fits. Chaz On plastic kits I usually replace the flimsy plastic tie rod between the W-irons with a length of suitably sized brass strip held in place with a dab of super-glue. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 On plastic kits I usually replace the flimsy plastic tie rod between the W-irons with a length of suitably sized brass strip held in place with a dab of super-glue. Good point but I suppose to do this job properly one should file away that section of the tie rod that is beneath the axle boxes and fit two brass pins, soldered into the brass and pushed into holes in the W-irons. Ths would make your "dab of super-glue" more secure. Hmm.... it would have been easier to do this work before the model was assembled. Of course here is a fair amount of flimsy plastic in the brake gear, not to mention those tiny door catches.... Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Dan Randall Posted November 29, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 29, 2015 I was wondering why there are two door catches each side, when the door hinges can only engage with the lower two. I then remembered that the end doors open around 270 degrees and that the top catches must be for them. Regards Dan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 I was wondering why there are two door catches each side, when the door hinges can only engage with the lower two. I then remembered that the end doors open around 270 degrees and that the top catches must be for them. Regards Dan Good point - I was also wondering..... now you say it's obvious! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 It ocurrs to me that the two Slater's vans will both need tie-bars between the axleguards. Slater's supply microstrip in the kit for this purpose. Now if the moulded tie-bar in the Parkside kit is considered flimsy how much more so is a glued-on microstrip going to be? As the Slater's kits have axleguards that must be glued to the solebars these two can(should?) be dealt with quite easily. Not sure if I have any suitable brass strip but if I have I will post details of the mod' later today. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 why are the brakes wrong in the model? fitted to the wrong side? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 why are the brakes wrong in the model? fitted to the wrong side? I don't think they are - why do you think they might be? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 It ocurrs to me that the two Slater's vans will both need tie-bars between the axleguards. Slater's supply microstrip in the kit for this purpose. Now if the moulded tie-bar in the Parkside kit is considered flimsy how much more so is a glued-on microstrip going to be? As the Slater's kits have axleguards that must be glued to the solebars these two can(should?) be dealt with quite easily. Not sure if I have any suitable brass strip but if I have I will post details of the mod' later today. Chaz Yup. I fit brass tie-bars to the Slater's vans and wagons and the supplied micro-strip joins the Evergreen stock. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Paul explained my lack of vision, so to speak. I didn't realise the model was t'other way round.btw, Chaz, have you tried using a syringe instead of a brush for applying solvent? You can dispense a small amount right into the corners, and much less waste and vapour. However, you need to to be careful not to inject yourself with nasties, The needles are not magnetic, either. The solvent will flow out of the needle without plunger pressure, you just tilt the syringe to regulate the amount deposited. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 29, 2015 Author Share Posted November 29, 2015 Paul explained my lack of vision, so to speak. I didn't realise the model was t'other way round. btw, Chaz, have you tried using a syringe instead of a brush for applying solvent? You can dispense a small amount right into the corners, and much less waste and vapour. However, you need to to be careful not to inject yourself with nasties, The needles are not magnetic, either. The solvent will flow out of the needle without plunger pressure, you just tilt the syringe to regulate the amount deposited. When I photographed it I didn't realise either! No, I have never used a syringe with solvent. It never ocurred to me to do so. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 Anyway, have just completed 6 months catch up on Dock Green and the fire escape and the view blocker factory are a masterpiece Chaz. Nice to have you back Paul. Regards, Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted November 29, 2015 Share Posted November 29, 2015 (edited) Anyway, have just completed 6 months catch up on Dock Green A couple of weeks ago I was in the position of having 10 months of RMWeb to catch up with. An impossible task really, but Dock Green was one of the few threads which did get my full attention, and well worth it too. Edited November 29, 2015 by Buckjumper Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
raymw Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) The plastic syringes I have, afaik, are made of a polypropylene type plastic, and are completely undamaged by the solvent, but the solvent is not stored in them, and they are emptied after each session. Cheap enough, too, https://www.medisupplies.co.uk/Syringes-Needles/Syringes/BD-Discardit-Luer-Slip-Syringes edit to add - the solvent I use is dichloromethane, which is the best I've found for sticking PLA, a plastic used in 3d printing. Edited November 30, 2015 by raymw Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now