Jazz 7mm Workbench

[jazz]

Hi John. O aye, I know the advantages, I've had many a skidding moment with damp sand and trying to fill the boxes in pouring rain. Still makes them ugly up there.

[ozzyo]

That would only work if the shed had overhead sand pipes to fill the sand boxs. If not it would be a lot more carrying for the fireman or the shed men.

 

Helping to keep the sand dry is one thing. But in most big sheds they had a sand dryer, and then a lot of the newer classes of locos had a hot steam pipe that ran through the sand box before it was used to blow the sand on to the rails in front of the wheels.

 

OzzyO.

[Mike Boucher]

now talking of ugly, USA do not have the honour for building most of the uglies, we have our share. This rates high on my list of uglies. (I do not want to start a 'find the ugliest' I'm you you all know of at least one.

 

The main thing I find ugly is the boiler top sandbox domes that the States love and indeed the continental steamers too.

 

Wow! The **MAIN** thing you find ugly is the sand dome? That engine has so much ugly I never even noticed the sand dome sitting on top! (and as an American, I'm used to sand domes being there)

[N15class]

To me it is a sort of old tractor design, make the engine as big as posible to fit the wheel base. The someone realised they needed somewhere for thr crew, so they stuck the garden shed at the back.. Could of been worse they could of done it like those ugly cab forwards things.

[jazz]

OK. We are almost there. After freezing myself first thing in the garage painting the model, this afternoon I was able to make a start on finishing the valve gear.

 

I decided to leave the leading two sets of wheels in situe for painting for various reasons. The eagle eyed will note where I will have to touch up behind the spokes.

 

First shot is all the etches you get for the job in hand. So first up was bending the forks and lamainating the various etches, Running the drill through the varios holes and cleaning up.( I forgot to paint the flaming roof, it was the frost freezing the brain)

 

Then, the second is all I had time to do for today. Onwards tomorrow.

 

 

Edited December 11, 2012 by jazz

[steve fay]

thats looking nice Ken,

Ive read stories about the S160s when in use over here during the War and the fireman having to heave and haul buckets of sand up on top of the boiler to fill the sand boxes up.

[3 link]

Hi Ken,

 

Can you pass on any tips as to painting in these temperatures, do you keep the model and aerosols in the house at room temperature and then rush out to the garage and give them a quick blow over, or is there another way ?

 

Martyn.

 

P.S. Personally I think the USA tank is kind of cute, in an industrial way that is.

[gateman49]

I'm sat here in the warm, my aerosols behind me! (no pun intended)

Edited December 11, 2012 by gateman49

[jazz]

Hi Martyn. Painting in very cold weather is not a problem, except for freezing the whotsits off. Yes, I do keep all the paint in the house.

 

The varnishes are very difficult to use in cold/damp conditions, as such I avoide doing that at all costs.

 

So, to using the acrylics, Halfords spray paints and all other types. First, I set up the spray booth as outside painting is only done in a more moderate climate.

 

I prewarm the paint cans in very warm water whilst I make a cup of tea. (Be careful not to over warm the paint, just while the kettle boils should be enough). I then cover the car in a huge plastic sheet.

 

I keep the can/s warm by sticking them inside my sweater when resetting the model and the like. (Obviously not recommended when using an airbrush, tends to upset the wife.)

 

After setting up the model for painting, I use the hairdryer to warm the model then start the spraying. This is a case of playing the dryer on the model, point the airflow away and waft on some paint. Stop spraying and redirect the airflow to the model. Keep repeating until the job is complete. When finished spraying, quickly bring the model indoors and place in the very warm airing cuboard. (If you have no airing cuboard, then you will have to find the warmest spot.)

 

Finally make another cup of tea and sit by the radiator. Job done.

 

That last part is critical and also very easy for me as I have an intregal garage and the spray table is right alongside the door into the hall.

[Adam]

The USAs certainly did/do have bar frames, it's just that there an awful lot of bits in the way on what is, when all is said and done, quite a small locomotive. It's not amazingly evident on the real thing as the selection of prototype pictures in the current issue of Bylines shows. These pictures also demonstrate how much detail is absent in the kit (and what rough, crude machines these were). Whatever else, these were much easier to oil up and to maintain mechanically than almost anything Swidon ever built.

 

Adam

[jazz]

You are right there Adam. There is a LOT of detail missing from the kit. I could spend many more hours doing that. BUT will the client pay for those hours? I think not.

[Adam]

Hence my careful wording Jazz. It's the kit that's lacking, not yourself.

 

Adam

[Crewe North]

That would only work if the shed had overhead sand pipes to fill the sand boxs.

 

 

Which is of course exactly what the Americans had..........

[3 link]

Hi Ken,

 

Thank you for spending the time to explain how you go about spraying in cold temperatures, this is something I will have to try. I usually build up a variety of stock over the winter months and then have a blitz once spring is here.

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

[jazz]

Hi Adam, I did realize your meaning.

 

Not problem Martyn, always pleased to passs on tips.

 

Now this is the final photos of the USA tank. She is ready for Geoffs painter. It has CCW cast wheels, 1833 Mashima and Markits 40:1 gearbox. The final fitting of the valve gear did require some fettling and the clearances where the tightest I have ever encountered.

 

The low camera angle was meant to assume I was standing alside the prototype (Just messing about with the new camera. I still have to figure out how to set it to get the whole image in focus for macro shots though)

 

I am quite chuffed how it's turned out, I did have grave missgivings at the start of the build.

 

 

 

 

Oh well. I will be starting the 28xx next week. That should be a much easier build.

Edited December 12, 2012 by jazz

[Kev_Lewis]

You always amaze me Ken. You can make even the most challenging kit into a masterpeice.

 

I look forward to seeing your progress on the 28xx. What make is the kit?

[jazz]

Thank you Kev, appreciate your kind comment. The 2884 class a Severn Models. (From the Scorpio camp)So I am not expecting problems. The ten, yes ten bags of lost was & white metal castings look good too. (Well David Ennis does say it's a highly detailed kit!)

[dibateg]

NIce work Ken, considering the source of the kit. Jim did some interesting loco's but they could be pretty challenging - recall the K3 I built last year. If you are prepared for a bit of knife and fork work, you can eventually ( without too much swearing ) get a decent result as you have shown. Maybe its more like assisted scratch building.

I was interested to read you notes on painting, fortunately, not working to deadlines, I leave mine to the better weather.

 

Best Regards

 

Tony

[jazz]

Tony, Assisted scratch building is without doubt the best way to describe kits like that. I do like a challenge though. Nothing wrong in waiting for kinder weather conditions for painting, indeed I sometimes do just that. Although I hate have a backlog of unfinished models awaiting to be painted before completion..

 

Now, hopefully without boring the pants off y'all, the USA tank. I must have had another blank spot - of coures it has bar frames, I just failed to not that one, just cracking on with the build you kinda stop looking at things like that. A chassis is a chassis.

 

The short movie giving her it's first running in period shows the frames. (Click on the image for the movie)

 

[Kev T]

The low camera angle was meant to assume I was standing alside the prototype (Just messing about with the new camera. I still have to figure out how to set it to get the whole image in focus for macro shots though)

 

 

 

Hi Ken

If your new camera allows you to alter the settings, you need to set it to a high "f" stop number with a long exposure. The high "f" stop gives a narrow opening in the lens which results in a greater depth of field, ie more depth in focus. The closer you are to the subject, the narrower the lens opening is needed. You may need to go to f22 if it allows.

 

 

I love the video of the valve gear movement, it must have been a beggar to build.

Kev

Edited December 13, 2012 by Kev T

[Kev_Lewis]

Thank you Kev, appreciate your kind comment. The 2884 class a Severn Models. (From the Scorpio camp)So I am not expecting problems. The ten, yes ten bags of lost was & white metal castings look good too. (Well David Ennis does say it's a highly detailed kit!)

 

Ah, excellent.

I've been eying up the Scorpio Hall for a future project (I as originally looking at the JLTRT kit but that's a bit too expensive). It will be great to see how the 2884 goes together, especially with an expert like yourself manning the soldering iron!

 

Of course, I have a Slaters Saint and several rolling stock kits in the queue. But what's one more kit?

[jazz]

Kev T. Yes I have full manual controls plus a bucket load of presets. I have f22, It is going to take a while to get my head around it all. Prolem is, my old SLR from the 1970's and everything was manually operated, was easy using the light meter etc. But this being digital, it's like using a computor with press this select that etc etc.

 

But hey, it's a brilliant piece of technology for all that.

 

Now the other Kev. I have built a few Scorpio Halls and similar. You should have no problems with the build. The only exception is the dummy valve gear, it can be a bit confusing at first and as I always solder it all, it can be tricky as the casting very quickly melt if you linger just a bit too long. Also some of the kits castings can be a bit rough at times.

 

I do not like the lost wax handrail knobs, I always replace them. Some of the kits have white metal washout plugs. I prefer to replace those with brass ones too as they are too fiddly to clean off the flash and I think a bit too small too.

[Kev_Lewis]

Thanks for the great advice Ken.

 

All of the issues appear to be the same as with thier 14XX/58XX kit I built earlier this year. That's my shopping list for Bristol started!

[3 link]

Hi Ken,

 

Can I be cheeky and ask for a well detailed build topic on here, as one of these is high on the shopping list especially as no other supplier does the 2884 at present.

 

ATB,

 

Martyn.

[jazz]

I'll see what I can do Martyn.