Whats on your 2mm Work bench

[Ian Smith]

13 hours ago, tapdieuk said:

A half dozen  P O wagons.

2 diffrent wagon bodies to give a bit of varation. The older mouldings needing some internal details. 

 

 

A  bit tedious at times, but progress is being made. 

 

 

I assume that one of the half dozen is lying to the right of the underframe etches and has been printed in (very) clear resin 

 

Ian

[tapdieuk]

OK just to prove 6 wagon  bodies 

 

 

I am just going waft a bit of primer on this lot. 

 

 

 

Far from finish, but ready for the painting and transfers. So far a mostly enjoyable build. 

The brake handles are my nemis. Although I have had enough to practice on! That and Nickel Silver wire which I lost count stbbing my finger tips! 

 

 

 

[Yorkshire Square]

On 18/04/2021 at 09:46, Ian Smith said:

I assume that one of the half dozen is lying to the right of the underframe etches and has been printed in (very) clear resin 

 

Ian

Ghost train! 

[Sithlord75]

ZAG members may remember the discussion back in March of the first foray into etching by one of the Australian members based in Wodonga.  Bruce is interested in building a model of a Victorian Railways branch to 2mm fine scale standards with 10.5mm track for the 5’3” gauge Victorian system.

 

His first etch was of the VR 10’6” 4 wheel goods under frame.  The etches arrived last week from PPD and Bruce sent one up for me to test build.

 

The build took less than 45 mins although isn’t complete as yet - I’ve got to find my 0.2mm wire for the brake shoe connections and put the lever and a few other bits on.  
 

Bruce has identified some tweaks but for a first up I reckon he did a great job.

 

 

[-missy-]

20 minutes ago, Sithlord75 said:

ZAG members may remember the discussion back in March of the first foray into etching by one of the Australian members based in Wodonga.  Bruce is interested in building a model of a Victorian Railways branch to 2mm fine scale standards with 10.5mm track for the 5’3” gauge Victorian system.

 

 

It has come out really well Kevin. What was Bruce doing for axles again? I don't remember if it was discussed previously.

 

Julia.

[Sithlord75]

9 hours ago, -missy- said:

 

It has come out really well Kevin. What was Bruce doing for axles again? I don't remember if it was discussed previously.

 

Julia.

13.7mm axles.  Ideally with spoked wheels so I think we shall have to see if the Elves, Goblins, Leprechauns, Pixies or whatever they are currently called will do some for us.

[2mm Andy]

1 hour ago, Sithlord75 said:

13.7mm axles.  Ideally with spoked wheels so I think we shall have to see if the Elves, Goblins, Leprechauns, Pixies or whatever they are currently called will do some for us.

 

Although Leprechauns should I guess be quite good at making wheels for 5'3" gauge, the current team of wheel assemblers are the Northern Trolls. It's quite simple - Trolls make wheels, Goblins make gears (although confusingly the current Gear Goblin is also a Troll!), the Elves (now retired) mostly live in East Anglia and Pixie is that chap from Bracknell who pops up occasionally on here with a workbench full of very nice Diesel Hydraulics and other tasty morsels to show us all.

 

Anyway, you'll have to speak nicely to Mr Sales Officer about spoked wheels on 13.7mm axles - technically we can do any wheel type on any axle length. Might be a bit of a wait though as we've just finished another batch of 1000 wheelsets (the third since December!).

 

The wagon etch looks very nice btw.

 

Andy

[Bryn]

 

It's mostly been trees passing over the workbench this week, you can see more photos of the completed work over on my recent blog post.

 

Link to Blog Update

[tapdieuk]

It's easier to start a project than finish.....

 

I always find having to wait for a part or even paint to fully harden, annoying when I just want to get on with what ever the project is. 

Most times I lose the inertia, so when what ever it is has arrived or paint harden, the project sits in a box/ pile

Something I am try hard not to do or leave for too long in this scale.

 

A couple of the LNWR vans have need transfers and couplings to complete. 

The transfers dropped through the letter box today. 

Also the blacking fluid was delivery so the DG couplings etch can be treated, made up and fitted. 

 

 

 

[tapdieuk]

All the PO wagons have been wheeled and painted (not the neatest, but should look OK weathered) , and a start on transfers. 

The LNWR transfers going on well.

A productive couple of hours  Saturday, and a enjoyable anniversary ZAG session 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 24, 2021 by tapdieuk
Photo link edit

[MrSimon]

Hello everybody, 

 

Over the last few days I’ve been working on this:

 

There’s a slight kink in the straight line where I think the Blu-tak wasn’t as load bearing as I thought, but it’s a smooth kink so might be ok... I think I might have another go at the crossing on the curved blades, the gap between the stock rail looks a little big.  Also, on the curved blades crossing I don’t know whether to insert an extra timber so the crossing nose is supported... what do you think?

 

As a first tandem turnout (A6 left, B8 right) I’m happy with how it’s turned out!

 

Cheers

Simon

[Caley Jim]

Yes, Simon, the crossing nose should be supported on a timber.  It would have been better if you had spotted the issue beforehand and adjusted the positions of the timbers slightly.  An extra timber will look a bit odd and I expect it will be a bit of a faff to move one at this stage.

 

Other than a cosmetic issue the wide wing rail gaps on the centre crossing shouldn't cause a problem, other than perhaps a wee bump as wheels go over them.  As long as the wing rails line up with the nose of the crossing and the checkrail gaps are right, things should run through OK.

 

Jim

[Donw]

I agree with Jim on this. As regards the alignmen of the wingrails and the crossing nose  the left hand crossing the nose looks a fraction in board of the wing rail. It may be that the check rail is keeping the wheels in place  but if not there might be a slight risk of a flange hitting the crossing nose unless it is just the camera angle. Nice bit of work. It can be difficult getting the support under the crossing nose  especially if you stick down the timbers first.  Tandem points can require a bit of adjustment of the timbers.

 

Don

[MrSimon]

Thanks both,

 

In hindsight I should have moved the left hand crossing back one sleeper then the centre crossing could have been on one too - trouble was I build everything except the centre crossing  first and then couldn’t get it to fit and be in gauge and sit on the sleeper.  
 

It’s only the second point I’ve made, I used some tracing paper and the paper templates to plan it out, then used the plain rail points jig to keep the sleepers in place while I soldered it together; if I’d used templot (or similar) I’d have spotted it.
 

I’ll have a look at the wing rails again, I’m not sure if the wing rail with the big gap is actually doing anything as a check rail! 

 

Thanks again

Simon

Edited April 24, 2021 by MrSimon
Can’t spell

[Izzy]

I find using a thin steel ruler helpful for assisting with rail alignment as they can be placed vertically in the crossing and checkrail gaps to check as you go along. It’s saved me quite a bit of grief at times with things going unnoticed until checked. If you are prepared to re-make the middle crossing I am sure placing it further along down onto the next timber will bring everything into proper alignment for the A6 inner rails and crossings.  As you have use soldered construction with chair plates such fettling is fairly easily done...I  rarely make track work that doesn’t need some adjustment.....so have some experience here! My only real concern is with adding tie-bars given the two sets of blades seem to overlap. As you say this is something using Templot may have avoided.

[Yorkshire Square]

 

[Caley Jim]

21 hours ago, MrSimon said:

- trouble was I build everything except the centre crossing  first and then couldn’t get it to fit and be in gauge and sit on the sleeper. 

I would suggest that that was your mistake.    This sequence of photos from a tandem I recently built for our projected group layout will show the order in which I build them :

 

The Blu-Tack is just to hold the temporary tie bars in place for testing.

 

I use a piece of rail as a spacer for check and wing rails, with the bottom and sides marked with felt tip pen to stop it getting soldered in.

 

Jim

Edited April 25, 2021 by Caley Jim

[martin_wynne]

Hi Simon,

 

You have a check rail missing here:

 

 

You haven't left yourself much room for fitting the stretcher bar on the second switch. Or much space for it to open behind the first switch blade.  It's better to build either a tandem turnout (second switch completely beyond the first switch), or a 3-throw turnout (both switch blades coincident).

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

[Caley Jim]

16 minutes ago, martin_wynne said:

You have a check rail missing here:

Oops!  Missed that! 

 

Jim

  (Note to self :- pay more attention at the back there, boy!)

[Donw]

1 hour ago, martin_wynne said:

Hi Simon,

 

You have a check rail missing here:

 

 

You haven't left yourself much room for fitting the stretcher bar on the second switch. Or much space for it to open behind the first switch blade.  It's better to build either a tandem turnout (second switch completely beyond the first switch), or a 3-throw turnout (both switch blades coincident).

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

 

Interestingly I have somewhere ( I hope) a drawing of a GER three way point and the blades are not all coincident . Ah it can be found here https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4649

 

Don

[martin_wynne]

23 minutes ago, Donw said:

Ah it can be found here https://www.scalefour.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=4649

 

 

Hi Don,

 

That 3-throw switch scan is copied from the Templot web site:

 

 

The blade tips are staggered by one timber space for practical reasons, but coincident for geometrical purposes. Each switch consists of one long blade and one short blade.

 

cheers,

 

Martin.

Edited April 25, 2021 by martin_wynne
typo

[Donw]

Different interpretations of coincident Martin. I came by the drawing from another source or I would have acknowledged Templot. I just picked that up quick to save hunting for my copy.  I am doing a tandem now the first I have done since Templot included the Tandem function, worked very well for me even with it curved through the main middle road.

 

Don

[Izzy]

Lots of interesting details, the jogged stocks rails etc. Just can’t see how to provide tie-bars in 2mm that would work and be robust enough while not weakening the blades. Mind you I would still find it a challenge in such as 7mm but that’s my lack of skill.

[Bryn]

Some various posts about my tandem point and getting around around short switch rail issue:

 

 

 

[-missy-]

Teeny Tiny Wagon Chassis...

 

 

Had to make my own bending jig for it...

 

 

Julia