Jazz 7mm Workbench

[jazz]

OK. Onwards with the Jubilee body.  Not going quite as well as the chassis. The boiler and s/box had to have some trimming along the joints to fit around the formers. Not a difficult job, I know.  The firebox was quite easy the form after annealing.  The problems were when joining all three together. The front and rear of the boiler required trimming to get them to sit vertical at the joints and straight along the bottom.  The footplate was easy using bending bars with resorting to annealing.

 

The next problem was with the cast saddle.  It would not fit until a fair amount of metal was removed from the chassis spacer to allow the saddle to sit down.  When that was done all fitted well.  All told not too difficult at all.

 

Body etches

 

Body now basically ready for detailing.

[Sandy Harper]

Hi Ken,

I know you build these kits under different arrangements to most of us on here, and probably not as you would for yourself, but I hope your painter will be able to hide these offensive boiler bands under a layer of grime?!!!!! Otherwise nice model but I am surprised at the amount of 'fettling' you have needed to carry out to get to this stage. Not what I would have expected for a 'quality' kit.

 

Kind regards

Sandy

[jazz]

Hi Sandy.  The boiler bands do like a bit heavy in photo. They are the usual thin etch though.  I thin the shadow highlighted them.

 

Her is todays work on the body.

 

Also another Gladiator loco from a while ago, the boiler bands look OK when painted.

 

The alternative is to not fit them and rely on the lining tapes as I used to do on 4mm builds. But never done that on 7mm and larger. 

 

I was surprised that the boiler was so far off on this kit, I have to admit. Most unusual for a Gladiator. Thankfully the rest of the kit is fine.

 

 

 

 

[Sandy Harper]

Hi Ken

As you say it is probably the photo that makes them look bad as the Princess in grey looks ok. If the final livery is lined boiler bands then I usually leave them off or, if a single colour, then I use thin self adhesive tape before applying the primer.

 

I am planing to build a couple of the LMS Class 7 rebuilds in the future and I trust they will have better fitting boilers! Must speak to David when I next see him!!

 

Best regards

Sandy

[jazz]

Hi all.  Not been able to get to the WB for a few days but have now started the paint work on the Jubilee.  Here is the body in primer.

 

Also have now started one for my own collection.  Originally one of my NSR Kenscale creations, this one was found on ebay and being marketed by Chowbent.  Not quite the one I developed at all. The one I was producing was a L Class, this one is the New L but will still go into my collection. 

 

[jazz]

Hi again.  Have got a bit carried away with the NSR New L class. As I mentioned above, this is the Chowbent New L kit. This is not the Class L that I designed and sold as the my Kenscale offering.   I built the chassis and as I was starting the body I made the decision to change it from the New L into the earlier L Class.   The chassis is identical, only the body is a bit different.

 

This entailed cutting off the raised section off the bunker and adding coal rails.  Scratch building replacement cab front and rear spectacle plates. Also scratch building replacement cab side plates.  A replacement roof will be scratch built.  Also the belpaire cast firebox had to go.  So that entailed adding a round top firebox to the rear of the boiler and adding a round top backplate.

 

Looking at the drawings, the etched boiler bands were in the wrong positions so those were filed off and new ones added. I have added correct style grab rails too.

 

Before moving back to finishing the Jubilee Class, here are photos so far.

 

 

 

 

 

[jazz]

Hi. Just finished the Jubilee. I enjoyed building this one Gladiator do produce some decent kits overall.

 

 

 

Now onwards with the NSR L Class. It's well under way almost down to the detailing.

 

 

[jazz]

Hi all.  Almost finished the NSR L Class after a fair bit of scratch building to alter the kit from a New L to the earlier L version. Having produced the L class under my Kenscale range I just had to do it.

 

I used Fox transfers and did the lining with the Bob Moores pen.

 

Awaiting and improvement in the weather to do the varnishing and final finishing.

 

[sej]

That's lovely Ken, what do you use for varnishing?

 

Cheers

Simon

[jazz]

Thanks Simon. I use Phoenix satin and airbrush it on.  I wait until it's a dry day with low humidity after a few disasters with blooming in the early days, so I don't risk it these days.

 

I have just unpacked the next kit, a DJH Britannia. A big, heavy kit it is too.  Laid out on the WB it's very impressive with superb lost wax & white metal castings. I think photos of each stage of the build may be in order here.

 

In fact I'm so impressed I am ordering their BR Class 2MT tank, hopefully it is in stock. This will then be another one for my display case.

[jazz]

Right then. Here we go with the DJH Britannia, staring with the tender as usual.

 

Some of the main etches for the tender.

 

Etches to start the tender chassis.

 

 

[Deano747]

I'm looking forward to this one!!

 

Regards, Deano.

[jazz]

Onwards with the tender.  It's progressing very well with no problems. Just a couple of minor tweaks to get the coal hopper to sit exactly right. Plus a small amount of filing on the tender tops for the hopper to fit snugly in the gap.

 

 

 

 

[Deano747]

I go to work for the day and the tenders almost finished!!!

Normal pace then, Jazz?!

 

Regards, Deano.

[jazz]

Hi Deano.  Almost back to my normal routine.  The wife is away with her sister in Devon for a long w\end, so it's when the cats are away the mice will be play kind of scenario.

 

 I think life will calm down after the Telford bash.  I do have some interesting kits coming up after the Britannia and then two Princess class. One of them is a DJH Clan class, that is a first for me.

[Deano747]

I look forward to those future builds. Although I've been model making since the late 60's, I'll never be in the 'premier league', more like Sunday local footy, but so much is learnt from your threads, and the many other talented builders who take the effort to post on here.

 

I'd love to get to Telford this year, and I'm scheduled to be off, but my work is so flexible that may change?!

 

Keep 'em coming!!

 

Regards, Deano.

[Brinkly]

Lovely work Ken (Jazz), really inspiring stuff.

 

I do like 7mm, but lack the space.

 

Kind regards,

 

Nick

[jazz]

I look forward to those future builds. Although I've been model making since the late 60's, I'll never be in the 'premier league', more like Sunday local footy, but so much is learnt from your threads, and the many other talented builders who take the effort to post on here.

 

I'd love to get to Telford this year, and I'm scheduled to be off, but my work is so flexible that may change?!

 

Keep 'em coming!!

 

Regards, Deano.

 

Hi Deano.  That's a lot of years modelling experience you have acquired.  You say you will never be premier league. Well, it took me a few years to learn a few tricks that help in building a model to the standard I can achieve today.  One is not to follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter. His method my be fine for him BUT is rarely for me. I only glance through them to check on where parts go if I'm in doubt.  I work out the best way to tackle the build that suits me, usually adding soldered detailing before the actual assembly begins. That means soldering is done from the unseen rear of the etch.

 

The other thing I do is mark each part with marker pen and cut and prepare a batch of parts that I will complete in one session. This means a faster build that most folks my now necessarily need.

 

Clean up each stage as finish for the day. That save a lot of time spent trying to clean up the whole model at the completion of the build.

 

Finally a note on the soldering.  Cleaning the parts is essential for the solder to run. A clean iron and enough heat for the job in hand. I use a temperature controlled Antex 50W for ALL the soldering. Adjusting the temperature and solder to suit.  145 solder i used for almost everything. Low melt for the small white metal parts. 60/40 for the really strong joints mostly on some places of the chassis, but even then rarely.

 

Flux is very important. I use MBO Z60.      This makes the solder really run, so great care is needed to prevent locking up of valve gear etc.  For that I use Carrs red flux as the solder does not run so easily. It's OK on brass, nickel silver and steel.  

 

Hope the above helps.  Regards Ken

[jazz]

OK this is todays progress. The buffers and brake bearings to add then on to finish the chassis.  All very straight forward stuff today so and easy day after sorting out the garden this morning.

 

 

 

 

[Deano747]

Hi Deano.  That's a lot of years modelling experience you have acquired.  You say you will never be premier league. Well, it took me a few years to learn a few tricks that help in building a model to the standard I can achieve today.  One is not to follow the manufacturers instructions to the letter. His method my be fine for him BUT is rarely for me. I only glance through them to check on where parts go if I'm in doubt.  I work out the best way to tackle the build that suits me, usually adding soldered detailing before the actual assembly begins. That means soldering is done from the unseen rear of the etch.

 

The other thing I do is mark each part with marker pen and cut and prepare a batch of parts that I will complete in one session. This means a faster build that most folks my now necessarily need.

 

Clean up each stage as finish for the day. That save a lot of time spent trying to clean up the whole model at the completion of the build.

 

Finally a note on the soldering.  Cleaning the parts is essential for the solder to run. A clean iron and enough heat for the job in hand. I use a temperature controlled Antex 50W for ALL the soldering. Adjusting the temperature and solder to suit.  145 solder i used for almost everything. Low melt for the small white metal parts. 60/40 for the really strong joints mostly on some places of the chassis, but even then rarely.

 

Flux is very important. I use MBO Z60.      This makes the solder really run, so great care is needed to prevent locking up of valve gear etc.  For that I use Carrs red flux as the solder does not run so easily. It's OK on brass, nickel silver and steel.  

 

Hope the above helps.  Regards Ken

 

Hi Ken

 

Many thanks for the information! Every little tip is useful, and the one thing I've learnt over the years is that you never stop learning!

Soldering can be a minefield and I've noticed from many threads touching the subject, that it can be a very 'personal' subject. I generally use Carrs yellow and red, pretty much the same as you, with 179 and 145 deg, (Yellow in place of MBO Z60) but I've experimented with the Laco from WIckes with reasonable results. You still have to clean up but its not so urgent! 

 

Enough of a hijack!

 

Regards, Deano.

 

Edit: ps, Not all those years were railway modelling. Many were/are Radio controlled planes and helicopters!!

Edited August 1, 2016 by Deano747

[jazz]

Well that concludes, almost, the tender. I have the buffers to sort out and will do those along side the loco set.

 

A slight modification to the intentions of the kit design, I removers the upturned end of the tender frame cross braces and made them removable by adding slots for them to sit in behind the frames. It works very well and can be fixed in place with a spot of locktight after all the painting is completed if preferred.

 

 

 

 

 

[jazz]

A start made on the loco chassis.  Parts were removed from the frets and prepared. There are a LOT of etches for the loco and thankfully a lot of them have the part numbers etched on, that is a big help.

 

Anyway the chassis so far has gone together with the minimum of fuss. The instructions rely on good exploded drawings which are very good and easy to see where everything fits.  A big help when so many parts are involved.

 

Parts prepared for today session.

 

The two sub sections made up.

 

Todays parts all done.

 

 

[Deano747]

As the great Tommy Cooper always said, "Just like that!!" 

 

Regards, Deano.

[jazz]

Well, painting the garden fencing took quite a while, what a boring job that was.   Back on the WB again and some progress on the Britannia chassis. All still going quite well. at the instruction are not that clear on exactly where some of the castings are supposed to be positioned, so some logic was applied and comparing the chassis to the prototype.

 

Here it is so far.  Still looking forward to building my own DJH Ivatt 2-6-2 though.  Should be here end of next week so they say.

 

 

 

[jazz]

Todays work was a bit tedious.  The valve gear.  After studying the motion in action on youtube I felt confident to assemble it in a prototypical manner. (Unlike a lot of the models to be seen on google)

 

I think it will be obvious how the action will work from the photos.

 

 

 

I will be away from the WB for a few days with other projects.

Edited August 8, 2016 by jazz