Guest Isambarduk Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 12 hours ago, Simond said: Ok, tank end drilling arrangements... Ah, yes! Spot on for whitemetal castings, Simon ... let's see you do that in brass It's coming on very nicely. David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 (edited) Thanks David Yes, I suspect brass might be more challenging, but then again, having made a starter hole into which the tip of the drill can be poked, you'd be in with a chance... That or cut a crescent-shaped flat using the tip of a slot drill in the mini-mill. Then you'd have to bolt everything down and do it properly, none of this "lining it up by eye" nonsense! btw - despite having given credit where it's due, I was complimented for my version of your floating pickups on the Duchess the other day, I'd copied the post to another thread to help someone who was looking at "bits of bent wire" wipers & Slaters, and I suggested the floating ones. T'was here; Will you be at Reading a/o Bristol? atb Simon Edited November 20, 2019 by Simond 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 Just looked at the photo in my previous post, the droopy buffer is not great! Job for tomorrow S Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted November 20, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 20, 2019 (edited) Simon, did you have a look at your Letraset ? My sheets are all falling apart. The sheets start to craze and crack before breaking up into little bits. They were all stored in a brown paper bag away from sunlight so I don't know if I have done anything wrong. Mike Edited November 20, 2019 by airnimal 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isambarduk Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Simond said: That or cut a crescent-shaped flat using the tip of a slot drill in the mini-mill. Then you'd have to bolt everything down and do it properly, none of this "lining it up by eye" nonsense! Yes, indeed, that's what one would have to do. Given that it was whitemetal though, I would have done just as you did. 1 hour ago, Simond said: I was complimented for my version of your floating pickups on the Duchess the other day ... Ah yes; remarkably I did actually spot it. Please, you take the credit, it was your version and I wouldn't claimed to invented the idea - at least, not uniquely. 1 hour ago, Simond said: Will you be at Reading a/o Bristol? Bristol is a fair possibility, if I can scrounge the customary lift with 'dibateg'. Maybe see you there? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted November 20, 2019 Share Posted November 20, 2019 3 hours ago, Simond said: Will you be at Reading Excuse the intervention, I certainly will and the list is getting longer and longer ! G 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 20, 2019 Author Share Posted November 20, 2019 Mike that looks a bit sad. I'm a tad perplexed as I replied to you a day or so ago, but it must have been lost in the aether. Let's blame the Russkies, or someone. I don't have any Letraset, more's the pity, I had a load, donkeys' years ago, but I do have a 20-year collection of transfers, offcuts, etc, so I hope I have the makings of something. I fear the APOC will have to be hand done, as it'll be 3-4 feet high on the prototype, so 20-some mm. At least it'll be accessible. I'll have to learn to hand letter, and whilst I'm at it, I'll have to learn some patience too! David, Grahame, hope to see you at the shows! atb Simon 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 (edited) I've seen APOC transfers on Ebay recently, in a collection for sale. Still on there, not sure if they are what you are looking for. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/O-Gauge-Wagon-Transfer-sets/123981412667?_trksid=p2485497.m4902.l9144 Edited November 22, 2019 by N15class 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 Thanks Peter, that’s a spot! They are exactly right. Trouble is, almost everything else looks to be BR, so not ideal. I’ll ask him if he’ll let me have the APOC ones for a fiver. Even if he won’t split, it proves that somebody made transfers for it. I’ll check out Fox, etc. thanks again Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 23, 2019 Author Share Posted November 23, 2019 As I remarked earlier, the whitemetal tank fittings were a bit crude, so I decided to try to make something better. There are two valve bodies mounted on top of the tanks, they seem to connect through an internal rod to a sort of cylindrical body below the tank, which had pipes to what appear to be 4 globe valves, two either side. The provided valves have whitemetal handwheels that are solid, on thin & fragile spindles. I reckon spoked brass wheels on brass spindles, in turned valves... the ones on top were easy: and the whitemetal covers are not too bad, so will be used. the globe valves were a challenge; I ground a form tool using a bit of tool steel, and a grinding disc in the Proxxon handheld. I did it freehand, and it’s not at all bad. this stub, with the valve body on it will be parted off long enough to be chucked on the milking machine for cross drilling. Once cross drilled, I’ll solder a short length of tube in to represent the valve gland, and a bit of rod for the spindle, and then put it back in the lathe to part off. I’ll pick up some etched wheels at the Reading show in a couple of weeks. This stub is a the two bodies that will be cross-drilled and mounted under the tanks. I suspect they were diverted valves to ensure the tank only discharged on the correct side. Again, they are left on the stub until cross drilled, they can then be parted off. It’s a key thing with machining, remembering that you have to hold the workpiece. all these bits were presumably bolted onto the tanks in 12” scale. You can certainly see a ring of bolts around th3 flanges of the globe valves, but I’m not going to try to replicate that! sorry, should have photographed the milling set-up, but I forgot. Cross-holes drilled, actually, to prevent the drill wandering, I used a 1.6 TC endmill of Chinese manufacture - they’re cheap, but cut well. The smaller sizes are fragile, but the 1.6 seems robust enough. anyway, here are the bits of brass before soldering and parting off. You can see I made 6 globes, I’ll use the best 4. I hope they don’t look oversize, they might be a bit bigger than scale, though they’re certainly less bulky than the whitemetal castings they’re replacing. More later, or maybe tomorrow atb Simon 2 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 23, 2019 Author Share Posted November 23, 2019 Sssshhhh, don’t tell anyone, i’ve just been appointed chief gavel-maker to a bunch of very small high court judges... Still a bit of fiddling to be done, but we’re on course. Atb Simon 7 1 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgman Posted November 23, 2019 Share Posted November 23, 2019 I hope that the jury's not out ! Nice work Simon 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Northroader Posted November 23, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted November 23, 2019 (edited) 5 hours ago, Simond said: As I remarked earlier, the whitemetal tank fittings were a bit crude, so I decided to try to make something better. this stub, with the valve body on it will be parted off long enough to be chucked on the milking machine for cross drilling. Nice craftsmanship, as ever, I just hope you remember to sterilise them before putting them on the teats. Edited November 23, 2019 by Northroader 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 12 hours ago, Northroader said: Nice craftsmanship, as ever, I just hope you remember to sterilise them before putting them on the teats. Yep, I just spotted that. Rudy Smellchequer at his best! atb Simon 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 Valves loosely installed. I think this will work ok. I must fix the droopy buffer! atb Simon 4 1 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 25, 2019 Author Share Posted November 25, 2019 Droopy buffer fixed. Valves attached by 10BA threaded stud with nut on the inside of the tank. If I’d thought about it earlier, I’d have turned the T pieces so I could have either soldered a nut or stud to the tank, and fitted a screw or nut from below. But then if my aunt had had a pair, she’d have been my uncle. Valve bodies soldered to top of tank. next step is to put it all together and make sure it all sits right and looks straight, then to drill a couple of holes in the saddles for locator pins. Then it’ll all go back together the same. Then, make up the pipework for the ends. Once thats done, I can glue the ends into the tanks, make sure there are no unsightly gaps, and give it a spray undercoat. then rivets then topcoat then transfers / lettering then final assembly! maybe end January? G’night Simon 8 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 28, 2019 Author Share Posted November 28, 2019 Glue has set from last night; tanks now fixed with two 10BA screws from below, meaning they can be removed, and refitted correctly. Had to have two bites at the cherry on one tank because the valve on top ended up a few seconds off plumb, and it showed. I eased the hole in the bottom of the offending tank, and the retainers, which are bits of brass approx 10 x 5 x 1mm, tapped to suit the screws, were epoxied in with the tanks “spot on”. I’d like to have soldered them, but it would have been ordinary 300C + leaded solder, and I couldn’t risk a meltdown of the adjacent whitemetal. I did consider the option of pretinning everything, and then using low-melt to join them, but decided it was too much of a faff, and used 5-minute epoxy instead. The brass retainers clamp the tanks to their saddles, so there’s no load on the glue once it’s all assembled. Of course, if it fails after I’ve glued the tank ends on, but before final assembly, the bad language in Kent will increase global warming by several degrees! Now onto the end pipework. Well, no, now to work, and maybe this evening... atb Simon 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted November 28, 2019 Share Posted November 28, 2019 I see the transfers reappeared on flea bay, so he didn't play ball. Wagon is coming on nicely, I do like your valves. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted December 3, 2019 Author Share Posted December 3, 2019 One dirty Mica, I wonder if I overdid it... Atb Simon 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted December 4, 2019 Author Share Posted December 4, 2019 Well thank you It’s better that they are “like”s rather than “agree”s Ill take that! cheers Simon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluemonkey presents.... Posted December 4, 2019 Share Posted December 4, 2019 Great Job on the build and the weathering. Really like the outcome and certainly not over done. 1 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted December 6, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 6, 2019 Looks good in my view, and close to this contemporary example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/svr_enthusiast/40913881782 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 (edited) Reading trade show yesterday. Got two more Mica wagons, an A, in the middle, and a B on the left The B is beautiful, a WEP kit, extremely well built, and absolutely lovely. OTOH, the A is not a pretty sight, but was cheap, about half the price of a new kit, no transfers, buffers not working, some other bits missing. And some bits not very well fitted together. It’ll be a challenge! So what to do? Obviously, take it to bits... Fix the axleboxes, Blacken the wheels, Blacken a set of Premier screw couplings, consider what to do with the brake gear fix non-functioning buffers stick it back together, paint it transfers varnish weathering a couple of weeks? atb Simon Edited December 8, 2019 by Simond 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted December 8, 2019 Author Share Posted December 8, 2019 And start sticking it back together at least it’s now square, and the joints are tight! I’ll try to rebuild the chassis tomorrow atb Simon 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Adrian Stevenson Posted December 9, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 9, 2019 Hi Simon, nice buys! Cheers, Ade. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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