Mr Grumpy’s Workbench: MOK 9F occasional updates

[Deano747]

....remember to leave the tea pot and soldering iron at the top of your packing :-)

You won't regret buying them, the value for money is incredible!!

 

Too right!! ....and I'm sure I won't! At £37.50 ea they are good value. Wheels ordered from Peartree at £8 for 2 axles, can't go wrong!!

 

No connection with either, just a happy customer.

 

Regards, Deano.

[Mr Grumpy]

My cabin is finished. The windows and architraving fitted perfectly.

I wanted to get away from the cliche of rusted corrugated iron and just try for a finish that has weathered but been looked after. I have used several shades of cream for the walls, and I used a little green on the bottom of the door to represent a bit of damp creeping in.

The roof smells very nice as I mixed talc with green to make some lumpy moss, and I also added yellow for that stuff that tends to form on roofs.

This was a nice little building to put together and I would have been happy to have had the chance to try some more 'Tetbury' buildings if they had been available at the time.

I will need a couple of coal merchants buildings at some stage though:-)

 

 

Edited February 27, 2017 by Mr Grumpy

[Tove]

What a nice little shed!,

 

I also like the moss and the lichen, (yellow stuff!) on the roof as well.

 

Brian.

[Deano747]

Excellent weathering and 'growth' on the roof!!

 

Regards, Deano.

[Mr Grumpy]

I like to make the brake gear removable. I drilled and tapped the brake hanger and brake shaft brackets 14BA to accept screws.

I then wrap the wheel treads with 3 layers of masking tape, push the brakes up hard and solder them solid. Fingers crossed, the brakes should not touch the wheels when it's all back together :-) I done it this way on my 1400 and it worked perfectly.

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm going to have to be honest and say I can't explain how I got the motor in! Suffice to say, it's a very tight fit! However, once shoe horned in, it fits perfectly, and rocks and rolls with the rear axle:-)

The gearbox is the ABC mini mounted to a Maxon motor. It seems a crime to have to take it out again, but I'm hoping to get the sand pipes on and if the weather holds, get the chassis primed.

[Mr Grumpy]

The chassis is ready for its coat of etch primer. Once the balance weights are on the wheels, they can be done too.

[Mr Grumpy]

I've managed to get my wagons, tower and loco frame primed during a wind free dry spell in the garden.

I wanted to get the wheels done too, but unfortunately the balance weights supplied are the wrong size to fit my smaller wheels on the 7400 :-( So I shall either get some etched or resort to making my own.

 

On the plus side, I have made a start on the footplate. This has been straightforward with the detailed etch fitting perfectly over the stronger footplate with folded hanging plates. The outside face of the splashers fold up and the rear faces are soldered on. I used my recently purchased GW rolling bars for the tops of the splashers and I was very pleased at how easy it was to use:-)

[Mr Grumpy]

The rollers proved their worth in rolling the smoke box and wrapper. The internal section is an open elliptical circle, in that the ends are formed of a tighter radius. Most of this will be hidden in the tanks.

The smokebox was a delight to build and really well thought out. It will be fixed in place later in the build.

On the other hand, the etch for the rear splasher holes had not been adjusted for the 64/7400 smaller diameter wheels, so the resulting gaps in the cab floor were filled with scrap etch. The splashers have been dressed to remove the joint line between the top and sides .

[LaScala]

I was a bit puzzled by the top of the smokebox on my Warren Shephard 74xx until I realised it is all but invisible with chimney in place

 

it fixes to the rear of the tank front.  Ultimately it just supports the chimney and is all but invisible as you will discover.

 

This looks to be a lovely kit as you would expect from MOK.

[Mr Grumpy]

It is a nice kit, just as his others are:-) I really enjoy working with nickel silver. It solders much easier than brass and certainly stays

cleaner :-) The thought that has gone into the design and build quality is such a big help with the build. The instructions can be a tad frustrating when Dave has made an improvement or addition and fails to change the instructions to accommodate them. I'm getting used to this and as long as you look ahead you are usually ok.

I haven't tried any other manufactures steam loco kits, so I can't judge how effective their build quality and instructions are. They all appear to have their own quirks! Suffice to say, I will be buying another MOK kit or two as funds permit, and have my 9f patiently waiting its turn to be built, once I feel confident to do so:-)

[LaScala]

It is a nice kit, just as his others are:-) I really enjoy working with nickel silver. It solders much easier than brass and certainly stays

cleaner :-) The thought that has gone into the design and build quality is such a big help with the build. The instructions can be a tad frustrating when Dave has made an improvement or addition and fails to change the instructions to accommodate them. I'm getting used to this and as long as you look ahead you are usually ok.

I haven't tried any other manufactures steam loco kits, so I can't judge how effective their build quality and instructions are. They all appear to have their own quirks! Suffice to say, I will be buying another MOK kit or two as funds permit, and have my 9f patiently waiting its turn to be built, once I feel confident to do so:-)

Yes, NS is a dream compared to brass.

 

As for instructions, I reckon impossible to catergorise by source.

 

Take the 3 JLTRT kits I have made, or nearly made in case of 2251.

 

517 has old school Mitchell instructions probably originating on electric typewriter.  Excellent chatty style and informative.

 

57xx has excellent modern CAD isometrics but virtually no words.  Pretty easy to follow.

 

2251 most frustrating.  No meaningful words and little or no explanation except for inside motion.  Depends on a CD of pics produced by Ozzyo but don't necessarily match the kit version you have, (2004 or 2007). A good kit but so difficult to work out.

[Mr Grumpy]

The top coal doors as supplied are a little bare, also the fixing hole for a handle is too high. I annealed a piece of 0.8 wire, flattened the end and drilled 0.5. I made a double set in the handle and soldered it on with 0.5 wire through a new hole. The locking bars are 0.5 wire. It's not perfect, but gives a little added detail to the doors.

[ozzyo]

I like to make the brake gear removable. I drilled and tapped the brake hanger and brake shaft brackets 14BA to accept screws.

I then wrap the wheel treads with 3 layers of masking tape, push the brakes up hard and solder them solid. Fingers crossed, the brakes should not touch the wheels when it's all back together :-) I done it this way on my 1400 and it worked perfectly.

IMG_5576.PNG

 

Or you could use one layer of masking tape on the wheels and add two small strips to the brake shoes. Saving a bit of masking tape.

I tend to paint the wheels (all of them tread included) then set up the brakes using some thin card about 0.5mm thick. Then clean up the wheel treads, job done.

 

OzzyO.

[Mr Grumpy]

Or you could use one layer of masking tape on the wheels and add two small strips to the brake shoes. Saving a bit of masking tape.

I tend to paint the wheels (all of them tread included) then set up the brakes using some thin card about 0.5mm thick. Then clean up the wheel treads, job done.

 

OzzyO.

 

I used to always prime the wheels, including the tread. I found it a bit of a faf cleaning the treads after completion, and always chipped paint off the face of the tyre.. Not so bad when the wheels can be removed though. 

[3 link]

 

If you only wait say an hour after spraying, the paint on the treads will still be soft and will come off easily with a cotton bud dipped in thinners.

 

Martyn.

[Mr Grumpy]

If you only wait say an hour after spraying, the paint on the treads will still be soft and will come off easily with a cotton bud dipped in thinners.

Martyn.

Hi Martyn

I even managed to cock that up :-)

Edited March 7, 2017 by Mr Grumpy

[Mr Grumpy]

I got the window coal bars made up and fitted, and got the first of the cab overlays on. Dave supplied a tool for bending the coal bars to shape and a spacer to assist with soldering them in. Then all the bars are filed nice and flush inside the cab.

I popped the cab on to make sure all is square and the tabs all fit as I had to cut 5 slots which hadn't etched, but all is ok. I decided to fit the screw reverser before the cab is fitted as it's easier to clean up.

Edited March 7, 2017 by Mr Grumpy

[Mr Grumpy]

I'm after a bit of help if possible please!

Building the cab has ground to a halt as I cannot find any information as to the position of the front sanding lever. I can hazard a guess it must be adjacent to one of the rear splashers where they enter the cab.

If anyone has a photo or drawing of its location I would very much appreciate it. I think the lever must be the same for the 54/64/7400.

I'm told the info may be in GW Journal 42-43.

Thanks in advance!

Edited March 10, 2017 by Mr Grumpy

[Mr Grumpy]

With Mark JJ's help, I eventually found the lever position, so I can continue with the cab assembly :-)

Edited March 11, 2017 by Mr Grumpy

[LaScala]

I'm after a bit of help if possible please!

Building the cab has ground to a halt as I cannot find any information as to the position of the front sanding lever. I can hazard a guess it must be adjacent to one of the rear splashers where they enter the cab.

If anyone has a photo or drawing of its location I would very much appreciate it. I think the lever must be the same for the 54/64/7400.

I'm told the info may be in GW Journal 42-43.

Thanks in advance!

Pedant warning, but didn't 74xx have lever reverse? Edited March 12, 2017 by LaScala

[Mr Grumpy]

Pedant warning, but didn't 74xx have lever reverse?

I know the Lionheart 7400 has a lever reverser. I haven't seen a cab shot of a 7400:-(

I'll have to check it out before I fit the roof!!! :-)

Edited March 12, 2017 by Mr Grumpy

[LaScala]

I know the Lionheart 7400 has a lever reverser. I haven't seen a cab shot of a 7400:-(

I'll have to check it out before I fit the roof!!! :-)

http://www.gwr.org.uk/no-64xx.html

 

Warren Shephard does a nice lever reverser for his Dean Goods

[Mr Grumpy]

....unless the 10 BR built batch had screw reversers fitted, it looks like I'll be sending a Warren some cash :-)

Thanks for the info. Unfortunately I had literally soldered the cab in position before seeing your post!! Sod's law rules lol!!

[Mr Grumpy]

I spoke with Warren this morning and the lever is in the post.....just got to get in and remove the screw reverser.......then clean up the splasher.........