Jazz 7mm Workbench

[jazz]

Hi Barry. Thanks for your concern. I am very well, thank you. Recently been through a bad spell with my 89 year old mother in hospital. She is fine now. Then sister in law was in hospital for two weeks with celulitis, very ill and now recovering plus been on two holidays. So a very busy time.

 

I have been back at the WB and just finished this Ivatt 2-6-2T. My friend collected it yesterday.

 

I was concerned I would bore the pants off everyone with every build I do, so have been cutting back on the posts.

 

I have just stated another one for myself. A long time favourite prototype, the L & Y 0-4-0 pug. This is the new Agenoria kit and enjoying the build. I will post some build photos later.

 

Here is the Ivatt. Built from the very challenging Acorn offering. Not very offen I paint a model to go.

 

[3 link]

Hi Ken,

 

Great to see you back on track (pardon the pun), and that's one thing you will never do "bore the pants off everyone " . I must say that it does seem a bit quiet of late on here, but things will start up again after the hols and the kids go back to school. That's where us modellers are different, come the winter when everyone else goes off to hibernates we just spark up the soldering irons . Must say I do like that B1 although even with modellers licence I just don't think they would look right on the Western region .

 

ATB, Martyn.

[Katier]

FWIW I love your updates Jazz. I'll never be anything like as good a modeller as you but lots of little useful snippets and lovely to see the work of an expert.

[jazz]

Hi guys, many thanks for the warm comments. I love you guys on this forum. Martyn, the B1 in a western layout, nah, this one is running on Gladiator clients layout and that's definately NOT a western a region.

[mikemeg]

FWIW I love your updates Jazz. I'll never be anything like as good a modeller as you but lots of little useful snippets and lovely to see the work of an expert.

 

Amen to that. Once again it's worth opening up this topic area to see what is/has emerged from your workbench. Just essential morning reading.

 

Cheers

 

Mike

[Kenton]

I was concerned I would bore the pants off everyone with every build I do

no chance on that.

 

The effort made to take pictures and post just for our entertainment and inspiration is much appreciated by me and, I suspect, many others.

[3 link]

no chance on that.

 

The effort made to take pictures and post just for our entertainment and inspiration is much appreciated by me and, I suspect, many others.

 

I second that, your time taken is very much appreciated.

 

ATB, Martyn.

[scot6p]

 

I second that, your time taken is very much appreciated.

 

ATB, Martyn.

 

 

I really like looking at your posts I wish I could build them as quick as you can.

 

Len Cattley

 

 

[jazz]

Hi all, very pleased y'all appreciate my posts, many thanks. Now, the Agenoria L & Y pug. This is a very detailed kit, the etches, all nickle silver, are superb, acurate and very sharp. (Sadly the lost wax castings are not as sharp and clean as I expected)

 

The chassis is well detailed and as such, quite time consuming and because it's a small prototype a tad fiddly when you are used to larger locos. I decided to use Slater's plunger pickups instead of the supplied wiper style. The leading axle is elongated for compensation which is a nice touch and saves me the trouble of doing it myself.

 

The dummy valve gear nicely fills the between frame spaces.

 

It is suggested that the cylinders are packed out with the supplied spacer etch. I had considered not doing this but found is was necessary as clearances are very tight.

 

As there are no white metal castings, everything is lost wax, so everything is soldered. To avoide parts just soldered on from falling off when attaching further small castings, I use three types of solder and a 100w iron for quick heat transfer that prevents the surrounding areas from getting too hot. I use regular 60/40 solder to start, 145 solder next and finally 70 low melt to finish. This also prevent the first part from falling off when the second part is attached and so on. Hope that all makes sense.

 

Here is the chassis.

 

 

A good example of using different temp solders is shown here on the chassis, with lots of small fiddly parts to solder together.

[Katier]

Do you use solder paint at all Jazz?

 

I did get some in the higher temperature but not had a great deal of success. I just use 145 for most stuff with low melt for white metal.

 

 

[jazz]

Do you use solder paint at all Jazz?

 

I did get some in the higher temperature but not had a great deal of success. I just use 145 for most stuff with low melt for white metal.

 

No, I have tried it but did not like the way it behaved like a Lama (spitting at me). To solder large cast cast brass parts to the body, I heat the part with the iron and add low melt solder and then quickly place part to pre fluxed (Carrs Red Label) area of the body. If you have heated the part sufficiently enough, you have time to fine tune the position before the solder sets. (Do not use your fingers, it will hurt) It takes just a little practice to judge the amount of heat or you are waiting quite a while for the solder to set.

 

I tin the small parts then using the 100w iron, touch them just enough to fuse the solder. Quick, efficient and does not get the parts too hot making nearby parts fall off.

 

The little blobs of solder that can be seen on the brake linkages are removed with a small dentists drill. (Very good quality and has a long lasting cutting edge. Again watch for getting the part over heated.

[Katier]

Fortunately in 3mm there is no such thing as 'large' parts but still a handy tip or two - thankyou

[jazz]

Ah, fond memories back in the 1970's when I had a 30' long 3mm layout in the garden, a loop at the bottom retuned trains to the 18'in the shed. Only snow and wind stopped play.

[Crewe North]

Sadly the lost wax castings are not as sharp and clean as I expected)

 

Surely they are an improvement on the ones supplied in his old College Models kits ?, as ' inherited' by Acme Models, most of which were blobs of brass that had to be filed/bent to shape to fit properly........

[jazz]

We are talking of Mike Williams? I've did not know that. I never built any of College models offerings. But have had some experience of Acme.

[Crewe North]

Acme bought the College Models range along with others.........I built their Ivatt 2MT 2-6-0 and 'Lizzie' both ex-CM.......and both hard slogs

[Katier]

Ah, fond memories back in the 1970's when I had a 30' long 3mm layout in the garden, a loop at the bottom retuned trains to the 18'in the shed. Only snow and wind stopped play.

 

3mm in the garden

 

 

Bet there aren't (or havn't been) many of those, although it is a size where I can see its' viable. The extra 50% over n/2mm sure makes a difference.

 

 

[51235]

Hi Jazz - would you recommend the L&Y Pug to someone with limited experiences of brass kits? It seems to be the better the design, the easier to build?

 

Thanks

Andy

[jazz]

Hi Andy. It is a VERY detailed kit which is OK in it self but will take some figuring out where the inside motion fits as that is left to a couple of basic photos.

 

The tank is the trickiest part so far, ie getting the bends exactly right. The tank front is a bit difficult to get right, you will need to make recesses for it to sit inside the tank to be a flush fit. That is all I am up to so far. Photos will be posted tomorrow.

 

If you are used to soldering and working in brass kits (this is all nickle silver, so solders much better than brass) you should be able to cope but it's not a 'beginners kit'.

[jazz]

Right, after a pleasant 3 days touring the Houses of Parliament & Buckingham Palace, a start on the body.

 

I start by using a fine tip marker to identify each part using the scanned plan of parts.

 

 

I then remove enough parts to have a good session of soldering. This saves having to keep stopping to remove and tidy up the parts.

 

I will post more photos tomorrow as there are some issues that have arose that need sorting as I build.

[jazz]

Got the L & Y pug finished. (Weathering to do over the w/end). There were a few things that need modifictions. The tank/smoke front is meant to sit just inside the tank. To do that you have to cut small recesses on the under side of the tank to allow this. The s/box saddle is too large so I just used the sides and trimmed them to fit. The cab rear is too narrow. I made thin extentios to solder to each side to make it the right width. If I was building another I would fold the bab sides before fitting the inside front laminate. Then it would probably be OK the instructions tell you to laminate first, then fold the sides back. This, I feel, is the reason the cab back is too narrow. As it's turned out, you cannot tell I have added the infill strips.

 

I decided not to use the tabs for fitting the roof. I deployed my usual method of a strip of scrap brass soldered to each under side and a tight fit inside the cab. This holds the roof firmly and is still removeable.

 

Other than that, I am pleased with how she has turned out.

 

Ooops, the roof needs pressing down at the rear

 

 

That's fixed it.

 

 

A nice selection of etched works plates for LMS & L & Y days included in the kit.

[jazz]

All finished and ready for duty on Pen Y Cwm. Med dirt added to tone everything down with looking neglected was the look I tried to achieve.

 

 

[jazz]

Hi again. Just been building another interesting loco for Pen y Cwm. This is the Eric Underhill white metal kit kit of the Fowler diesel mechanical loco. Built for GWR and numbered 1 was a departmental loco at Swindon.

 

A heavy and kit and all soldered construction. I aquired as a part ex and came untouched, complete with Mashima 1833, gears and wheels. There was no instructions though.

 

I modified the milled brass chassis to spring the leading axle. The only tricky part was quartering the cast fly cranks. (I do not use a quartering jig, just my eye and final tweaking before the slow setting adhesive sets.)

 

I have the lettering, crew and glazing to do, then a final weathering job.

 

Not sure whether to keep her or sell it on, as it would never have appeared in the locality of my layout.

 

 

[jazz]

Hi all. Just to let you know I'm still here breathing. Just been a bit busy enjoying the delights of Scotland & the Netherlands. Certain areas of Amsterdam were 'interesting'. Saw some delighful young ladies sitting in windows knitting.

 

On the WB at present and keeping me very quiet is the DHJ 9F Evening Star. My, is this a heavy brute. I would not like to have to sent this as a completed model in the mail and expect no damage.

 

The tender was remarkably quite to build. Not so the business end of the loco.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some have asked how do I make up the etched ladders. I drill a hole approx 2mm deeper than the rungs and fee the wire through the stringers, keeping the wire absolutely vertical. The work along the sringer until all the rungs are in place.

 

You will end up looking like this. Add the oteher stringer and trim off the excess of the rungs and clen up. Next photo shows the result.

 

 

Edited September 15, 2011 by jazz

[jukebox]

*snip*

Certain areas of Amsterdam were 'interesting'. Saw some delighful young ladies sitting in windows knitting.

*snip

 

A knee length carigan? Tea cosy? Surely not booties? I'm rather curious now as to just what a working girl would be crafting up! Are you sure those were knitting needles you saw... but I digress.

 

Love that you are back on a big loco, Jazz - they are always spectacular, even moreso in your hands!