Beginners - kit building Brass kits

[PenrithBeacon]

These seem to be very similar to the ones Studiolith used to sell. I use an old Staedler propelling pencil type. Readily available from Eileen’s and Squires as are the refills.

[chrisf]

 

I find the string bound ones are the best , expensive compared to the eBay offering.

 

They are until the string becomes unbound!

 

Chris

[cctransuk]

They are until the string becomes unbound!

 

Chris

 

Lock the string binding with a touch of superglue before trimming back the string.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

Edited April 3, 2018 by cctransuk

[doilum]

Perhaps, this is where the old experienced modeller always has the advantage. Not in knowledge or practiced skills, but in the acquisition of alternative tools gathered over a lifetime and never discarded, even when worn or damaged. We also develop an eye for spotting tools and materials that will come in useful at a bargain price.

We all started somewhere, buying what we needed as we could afford, putting tools onto Christmas or birthday wish lists. Making quantum leaps as we were gifted old tools from older modelers who had given up or passed away.

The scratch building part of our hobby is facing a skills crisis. We have a responsibility to give gentle advice, positive encouragement and relevant tips to any newcomers.

And, to ensure that, when our time is done, that our old tools and useful junk find a new home.

[micklner]

They are until the string becomes unbound!

 

Chris

 

I tape mine in that area with masking tape, simply cutting it back as needed. Never come apart so far !!

[hayfield]

 

So, part one is here

 

Firstly, Grandpa's kit that I bought off ebay.

Typically your main problems besides missing parts, are tarnished brass (goes a rose or orange colour)  and cellotape - used by the kit maker to keep the fret on the cardboard used to hold the kit.

 

The answer, a great Australian invention "BRASSO" 

I use this libarally, applied with an old paint brush, and when I strike a "deep" problem, such as rose colour, where the etching solution has bitten too deep or is still eating into the brass, I will work this with a cotton bud.

Failing that, a Dremel with a soft BRASS circular brush will work that area quite well,  and the same for the discolouration of where tape has sat for 30 years.

A note for new users

If the blemish is light, apply brasso, wait a while, then rub hard with a tissue, or cotton bud, or paper towel. 

BUT  look ahead of where your doing this. IF the fret has small or THIN bits, ease up and work lightly here, or you might snag a part and rip it out of the fret. = uncool

ALSO

if the damage is bad, ie its really discoloured everywhere and rose bits.  Then cote it with Brasso, and go watch a movie.  When you get back the fret will be a dull sand colour, and you should to this.

Re apply a thin coting of brasso over your work, then use a paper towel, tissue, whatever to rub over it.  Your paper will quickly go black, so you rotate your tissue / bud and keep going.

You will go through a lot of tissues, and the harder you rub, the shinneyer it will look - BUT - you WILL damage smaller parts.  So speed is bad, even though it makes things look good quickly.

If people want, I will make a YouTube video and post it to show how I do it.

 

OK so here is Grandpa's fret from ebay

20180302_025214.jpg

 

And you clean it with Brasso, maybe once, maybe more, its amazing how it looks good after multiple cleans. 

20180302_031730.jpg

 

Then wash it off.

20180302_032447.jpg

 

I am going to post the instructions so the numbers of the kit will be meaningful.

My image here has highlighted the numbers etched in the brass in RED - which are easier to see when its clean.

20180302_033621.jpg

 

Now early this year I bought a load of brass from a retiring modeller who also sold me this "hold and fold" bending jig.  Which looks great, but somehow my bends were not perfect, but looked good.  Initially

20180302_043918.jpg

 

Now here is a tip for new brass users - take photos - lots of them, then zoom in and LOOK....  I missed this step here, I did not look and take notice.

When I looked from the top - I thought the sides were so thin it was naturally buckling, but if you stop and think about it. it buckles for a reason.  DUH,,,,

20180302_043935.jpg

 

So, as a macho beast does, I squared up the sides, cus I can, and heck it looked good when I did.   

20180302_044009.jpg

 

BUT  I was masking a problem I should have gone back to - to find out why....  Looking here,  its not so bad, is it ?

20180302_044303.jpg

 

IF   I had looked a little closer - like I am here,  I would have seen the clues in the photos I was taking but not looking at..... another DUH....

20180302_044315.jpg

 

Without zooming in, it looked ok, sat flat and was kinda square.  Depending on how hard you pushed the set square into the thin thin brass....

20180302_044326.jpg

 

Note all the black bits of paper from polishing the brass.

 

wasnt really square, but it WAS clean......

 

 

I have been quietly watching this project with interest, the Falcon Brass/Jedinco kits are renown as beasts to put together well and certainly ones which I believe beginners would do well to steer clear from initially. Having said this I have learnt quite a lot from everyone's input and with a couple of kits in the part/un-built stage have been given good tips on how to tackle what I believe are poorly designed and difficult to build chassis.

 

Please do keep up the discussion which has been very informative and perhaps choose a simpler kit next time for the outright beginners as both the poster and contributors clearly have a wealth of advice and help invaluable for the newby to building etched kits

[mikeandnel]

I have been watching  this thread and have seen some very useful advice and some not so helpful

Like many of you posters, I have used many Jidenco/Falcon Brass kits to obtain models which are not necessarily 'main stream'

These kits do have their ideosyncracies but on the whole , have been very useful and make up sufficiently well to satisfy me.

A case in point is the LSWR Railmotor attached. Look at the detail in the valve gear!

All this from a Jidenco kit

What else can I say?

Edited April 3, 2018 by mikeandnel

[polybear]

I wouldn't risk it. Especially since you can buy the proper tools quite cheaply.

 

https://www.hobbycraft.co.uk/modelcraft-glass-fibre-pencil/568802-1000

 

Refills seem to be out of stock, but readily available elsewhere.

 

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details.asp?code=GM634&style=main&strType=&Mcode=Gaugemaster+GM634

 

 

 

Jason

 

The only problem is that refills are blatantly overpriced IMHO and don't last long.

That link on Ebay was picked at random - there's a fair chance that there are those out there that don't have any form of detergent mixed in that MickLNER reported.

 

The best I have ever seen were those previously sold by the EMGS Stores - about 1/2" diameter, maybe 6" long and very tightly covered in some form of blue PVC.  Excellent, but sadly NLA, unless someone knows different...

[doilum]

The only problem is that refills are blatantly overpriced IMHO and don't last long.

That link on Ebay was picked at random - there's a fair chance that there are those out there that don't have any form of detergent mixed in that MickLNER reported.

 

The best I have ever seen were those previously sold by the EMGS Stores - about 1/2" diameter, maybe 6" long and very tightly covered in some form of blue PVC.  Excellent, but sadly NLA, unless someone knows different...

Those blue sticks were my favourites. All recent ones seem a tad gentle. Have just paid £18 for a box of 25 refills. These seem to vary in abrasiveness depending on source

[hayfield]

I have been watching  this thread and have seen some very useful advice and some not so helpful

Like many of you posters, I have used many Jidenco/Falcon Brass kits to obtain models which are not necessarily 'main stream'

These kits do have their ideosyncracies but on the whole , have been very useful and make up sufficiently well to satisfy me.

A case in point is the LSWR Railmotor attached. Look at the detail in the valve gear!

All this from a Jidenco kit

What else can I say?

 

 

You have both a quite exquisite model and hit the nail on the head. These kits seem to fall somewhere between being a kit and a scratch aid set of parts, which may be fine for an accomplished modeller, but something a novice should steer well clear of

 

With the wagons and vans the underframe is nighon unbuildable as designed, there have been some good solutions to work arounds on this post. Agreed in the right hands good models can be produced, but its all too easy to find badly built unfinished kits and untouched kits on the second hand market. Testimony  to the degree of skill required

[Enterprisingwestern]

Repeating from elsewhere.

To stop fibre glass cleaning sticks becoming a bio-hazard, either dip in dilute PVA or clean etches in water, (and before somebody comments, a little bit in a tray, not at the bottom of a swimming pool).

To prevent the problem in the first place, use brown sauce and a toothbrush.

 

Mike.

[doilum]

Repeating from elsewhere.

To stop fibre glass cleaning sticks becoming a bio-hazard, either dip in dilute PVA or clean etches in water, (and before somebody comments, a little bit in a tray, not at the bottom of a swimming pool).

To prevent the problem in the first place, use brown sauce and a toothbrush.

 

Mike.

Overnight in coca cola???????

[Enterprisingwestern]

Overnight in coca cola???????

 

Not much cop if you are building a kit in real time, could take years to finish one.

Hang on, that happens anyway!

 

Mike.

[stevejjjexcov]

Hi all, I've built a few jidenco wagon kits and find that with patience and care they finish up looking o.k. With stock like the bloater I solder a piece of brass wire allong the top edge pre bending I found it helps stop distortion

 

All the best Steve