'Melting' whitemetal (from soldered kits)

[Mallard60022]

Just before I do the deed can I ask if there is anything I should beware of when returning a badly constructed WM kit to its' original parts (having used Low melt 78* solder?

I was planning to use a saucepan (not a good one) or, as someone suggested, carefully placing in steam from a kettle.

Many thanks

Desperate Dan

 

[34theletterbetweenB&D]

If going the saucepan route, use a trivet to keep the whitemetal pieces off the saucepan base. You don't want a w/m casting in a puddle of woods metal getting direct conduction from the pan base to take the temperature above boiling point.

 

Needs a steam jet cleaner to do the job. Insufficient heat transfer from water vapour from a kettle unless you have very small and thin section w/m castings to separate.

[decauville1126]

Put it in a saucepan (old) and bring to the boil or just under. Shake gently and then remove from heat. Pick out parts with metal tweezers as the now-molten solder can reattach if just tipped out onto a cloth. 

[great central]

I've used a plastic or foil container, not used for food by the way, and poured freshly boiling water on the castings. Unless it's a large lump of whitemetal there's plenty enough heat to do the job in one go. No risk of overheating the castings either.

[Mallard60022]

I'm just taking a delay on this meltdown as I may have a solution to the problem and it involves glue and plasticard and a little "I can ignore that little glitch".

news soon.

P

[Mallard60022]

Before

 

After

 

Not a great deal of difference but there are two pieces of plasticard from the rear of the FP by the cab, to the rear of the Motion Bracket. I was going to put a couple of smaller bits to rear of the cylinders but it looked weird. There is still a gap between the Deflector tops and the handrails and I might just get out some etched ones from my spares box and replace these; not immediately though.

As far as I'm concerned the gap under the boiler is acceptable and won't be seen so clearly from the 'viewing height' of my layout. It was that that I was going to alter by meltdown and refit but I really CBA.

Phil