Not for Peter, Pete's Workbench

[Simond]

looking good.

[N15class]

Keep battling on through Pete.

It feels asthough I am over the hump. It seems that after each session I am getting closer to the end. Rather than to the next problem.

Edited May 18, 2016 by N15class

[N15class]

One side of the valve gear done. A couple of minor adjustments are required. The screw heads in view will be thinned down to remove the slots. I seem to have got a tight spot appear which needs looking into now. I am halfway through the second side. But have to remake the union link as a hole broke out whilst enlarging to take the mounting screw.

 

All in all I am pleased with the result William seems to of caught the character of the prototype. I am not sure how it would of worked without moving the mounting for the expansion link forward about 5mm.

 

I keep looking at the bigend, I am going to have to add some form of representation of the wedges etc.

 

 

I have discovered I have lost the ashpan in the move to the upstairs room. I am sure it will turn up as soon as I have made anew one.

[Simond]

I know that feeling.  I have a spare set of King firehole door levers, if they're any use...

 

best

Simon

[N15class]

I am back. Well never actually been away, just not posting updates as the bench time has been zero.

 

I have been doing a little to the S15 but really need to paint the Dukedog. Started by re cleaning the loco ready. I had cleaned it a month or so back. But when they pushed the holes in the wall for the aircon pipes, my room was coated in brick dust. I thought it wise to spend another hour or so sprucing in up.

 

I am hoping that I can get some primer on it tomorrow. It should all be dry as it had a couple of hours or soin the midday sun.

 

 

Back to the S15 now.

[Sandy Harper]

Welcome 'back' Peter! Getting much sleep at night yet?

Sandy

[N15class]

Welcome 'back' Peter! Getting much sleep at night yet?

Sandy

Thanks Sandy. Yes more than normal. Alough we have the night time feeds. I am going to bed earlier and getting up later. When SWMBO is working normally showered ready to leave by 6:30. Odd office hours here.

[N15class]

Back to the S15.

 

Poor state of affairs when I sat back at the bench after clearing the accumilated clutter. First of all I had not put the loco away as last time there I was going back next day.

 

Well, while refreshing my mind about where I had got to. I found I was not only missing the ash pan, but the left hand union link I was remaking had gone, along a return crank, broken valve rod.

 

I restarted work by making the missing and broken parts. I also re did a couple of joins on the right hand side to matchthe better method used on the left.

 

Heres the right side modified.

 

The left side completed. All looking good.

 

 

I also fited themotor for testing. I think itis a MSC crailcrest and JH gearset. I did add some bushes to it to give more bearing surface. Plus it all fits into the firebox nicely.

 

 

I have now taken the motion off the frames so I can finish detailing them, while I work out what I need to add I went back to the body. I made and fitted the washout plugs none in kit. The holes for which were in the wrong place. I assume the boiler had been pre rolled inside out. This meant I needed to fill the existing and drill new ones. Not hard to do just a pain as it was unnecessary if rolled the right way

 

 

That's it for now. It has taken me a week to do this little bit.

[georgeT]

That S15 is really looking good Peter, what pick-ups will you be using ?...

[N15class]

That S15 is really looking good Peter, what pick-ups will you be using ?...

Thanks George

 

I will be using wiper pickups of some sort. I have not really thought about it yet.

[N15class]

Having finished the valve gear I went back to the frames.

 

I started by adjusting two sand boxes to be closer to the right shape as they where not in the kit, and nothing sent to me from william. these fit behind the slide bars and the pipes have to clear the rear of the bogie.

 

 

The next up was the spings. I used cast ones out of my spares boxes. This is because I cut the etched ones off of the frames, they just do not look beefy enough unless there are a few layers of etch to pad them out. The front ones act as keeps for the horn guides. the centre one are mounted on the side beams. front and rear are on the frames.

 

 

I then went onto the drain cocks, not in the kit, and the relief valves on the cylinder fronts, hole is in the kit but valve is not. The drain pipes are a bit thick but would be very fragile nearer scale size as very long. I need to trim back to buffer beam.

 

 

Well I think that it for the frames. Hopefully I can send them to the paint shop now. Time to press on with the loco and tender bodies. Must also look and see if the Dukedog needs any paint touching up.

[N15class]

Here's a quick update on the Dukedog. It has now had a coat of black. A few bits need tidying up but whether it needs paint or just a light sanding we will find out.

 

I had a strange thing happen while painting I had water condensing on the outside of the airbrush, if I did not catch it on a tissue it would get sucked of the end of the brush into the spray.

 

 

 

To show the result of water.

 

 

 

And the backhead and smoke box door in need of some more paint.

 

 

Hopefully a little more will be donr this week.

[Simond]

Pete

 

I'm assuming it's very humid with you at the moment. The air coming out of the nozzle will cool as it expands, and this in turn will chill the (presumably) metal body of your airbrush, hence the condensation, from the air around it. Same effect letting off a CO2 fire extinguisher, or spraying deodorant. Opposite to pumping up a bike tyre, and Diesel engines!

 

Apart from your tissue, I'm not sure what else you can do - I guess you could have two brushes and use them alternately, so they have time to warm up again, or have a de-humidifier (or air-con) running in the room in which you're working, or make a nice little insulating jacket out of something like wet-suit material! Perhaps you can push an o-ring or something similar over the end of the brush so at least the water drips off, rather than getting picked up by the spray?

 

The loco looks great. Perhaps a bit of metalcote oily steel on the backhead, rather than more black?

 

I met Warren Shephard a couple of weeks back, I swapped the 3500g tender that I got with my 43xx kit for most of a 2500g tender - he'll give me the rest at Telford - as I want to convert my Gladiator Dukedog to model Tre Pol and Pen as originally converted, back in 1929/30. The Gladiator tender will run with the Shephard Mogul. I'll be referring to your notes (and Sandy Harper's) as I go!

 

Best

Simon

[EKR]

Regardless the Dukedog looks really good.

[N15class]

Pete

I'm assuming it's very humid with you at the moment. The air coming out of the nozzle will cool as it expands, and this in turn will chill the (presumably) metal body of your airbrush, hence the condensation, from the air around it. Same effect letting off a CO2 fire extinguisher, or spraying deodorant. Opposite to pumping up a bike tyre, and Diesel engines!

Apart from your tissue, I'm not sure what else you can do - I guess you could have two brushes and use them alternately, so they have time to warm up again, or have a de-humidifier (or air-con) running in the room in which you're working, or make a nice little insulating jacket out of something like wet-suit material! Perhaps you can push an o-ring or something similar over the end of the brush so at least the water drips off, rather than getting picked up by the spray?

The loco looks great. Perhaps a bit of metalcote oily steel on the backhead, rather than more black?

I met Warren Shephard a couple of weeks back, I swapped the 3500g tender that I got with my 43xx kit for most of a 2500g tender - he'll give me the rest at Telford - as I want to convert my Gladiator Dukedog to model Tre Pol and Pen as originally converted, back in 1929/30. The Gladiator tender will run with the Shephard Mogul. I'll be referring to your notes (and Sandy Harper's) as I go!

Best

Simon

Thanks Simon. It's always humid here. Something to do with the forest I believe. I like the o ring idea. But not two brushes. I get into enough of a mess with one.

[N15class]

Cant believe how much I have got done in the last few days. I have a cold so have been relieved of baby feeding duty for a while.

 

I have never wished for a cold to last, but better get on while the sneezes fly.

 

I went back to the body today. Time to sort out the reversing rod etc. There are two sets of bearing blocks weedy etched ones or reasonable cast ones. These were drilled to take the shaft, this was curved under the boiler, a bit more so than it should be but I was not going to cut away some of the cladding. There were no levers so they needed to be made. The reversing rod to the cab was in the kit the front end was adapted to look a little more workman like. I also had to make the support to fit midway along.

 

I thought this was going to be easier than sorting out the smoke deflectors. I not quite sure whether I picked the right one to start on.

 

 

 

 

Still trying to figure out what to do about the smokebox door, the kit only had the Urie one. But I need the Maunsell one fore the Maunsell boiler supplied with the kit. Again not much luck with parts from William.

 

 

[N15class]

Cold is over so back to my baby duties. It has been hard not cuddling him.

 

I have done a little to the S15 mostly to bits that will be added in the fullness of time.

 

I started with the smoke deflectors, these have been made lower and shortened. Also cut out to go over the steam pipes. These now need the straps adding to the top and a  possibly some angle to hold the bottom in place.

 

 

 

I then got on with the loco and tender steps. It started off well I folded and fitted the lower treads. but when it came to the upper ones. Four of the upper ones can be seen lower right these bear no resemblance of what is require. I still need to figure out what to do.

 

 

 

 

Then onto the smokebox door. this is the one from the kit. Looks more H15 than S15, it is a Urie one anyway.

 

 

The one I am making. Just dogs and hinge to add now.

 

 

 

 

 

A few other parts were done too, but did not photo well.

[Simond]

I'm nowhere near an expert on such matters, but I'd bet a quid on yours...

 

Btw, my pal John, who does not inhabit these pages, is building a Norf Lunnun 0-6-0 tank from the same stable. He reports that "the castings are superb, and the etches seem spot on". I gave it a cursory glance when down at his place last week, (we were going to the pub, no time to lose...) and it did look quite crisp. I'll report further in due course.

 

Best

Simon

[N15class]

I'm nowhere near an expert on such matters, but I'd bet a quid on yours...

 

Btw, my pal John, who does not inhabit these pages, is building a Norf Lunnun 0-6-0 tank from the same stable. He reports that "the castings are superb, and the etches seem spot on". I gave it a cursory glance when down at his place last week, (we were going to the pub, no time to lose...) and it did look quite crisp. I'll report further in due course.

 

Best

Simon

They are all so different. he has the ex Meteor O2 which builds builds nicely, there are a couple of ex Sansperil kits. But there are also really  bad ones.

[N15class]

Smoke box door finished. Now need to press on with the rest of it.

 

 

I have added all the lamp irons, which came out of the stores. The hinges are the second attempt. I made a hinge then looked at the photos and realised it needed a forked end, after muttering  oh fork, I took them off and started again.

 

 

 

And the two together just to show the difference. All in all I am pleased with it. I think it looks the part. My only criticism is I think the handrail does not quite look right. That might change once fitted and surrounded by smoke deflectors.

 

 

[david.hill64]

That smokebox door really looks the part. Well done.

[Sandy Harper]

A massive improvement over the w/m offering. Nice work Peter.

Sandy

[Horsetan]

They are all so different. he has the ex Meteor O2 which builds builds nicely, there are a couple of ex Sansperil kits. But there are also really  bad ones.

 

The more I hear about them, the more I'm convinced it's like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates.

[N15class]

Back to the steps. I was prompted by a reply on WT that the steps in the kit did not look right. I decided to make new treads.

These are from  010´´ nickel silver for strength. Six pieces soldered together. This needs to be cut and filed carefully to make sure they all remain the same size.

 

The treads only have the front part of the sides turned up not the whole edge.

 

 

 

The loco steps

 

 

The front steps added to the loco, I just need to add a strengthening strip behind them.

 

Edited August 16, 2016 by N15class

[georgeT]

 Excellent work on the smoke box door Peter, you can't beat a bit of scratchbuilding...