The Skill Deficiency___Tram Kit

[roythebus1]

a comment on the tram engine soldering, it seems you're not using enough flux and too much solder, also not enough heat. Try with the iron at say 425 degrees, that way you get the base metal nice and hot and a little solder will go a long way. Run the tip of the iron along the joint, don't dwell too long with it. 

 

Even with whitemetal, I fund using a specific Carrs low-melt flux is excellent. Iron at about 200 degrees for larger parts and a 150 degrees solder, just don't dwell too long in case you melt the whitemetal. I use the lower 150 setting for small parts and have to be carful not to melt them. For fitting whitemetal to brass etc, tin the brass with normal solder first, then use low-melt flux and low melt solder to join the whitemetal to the base metal.

 

Remember in and out quickly as the actress said to the bishop. :)

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by roythebus1

[relaxinghobby]

If there are any Bishops on the website perhaps they can confirm that quote?

Yes Roythebus I am probably guilty of not using enough flux, I have the little yellow tub of Fry Power Flux from the plumbers merchant. It seems very acid.

There is no temperature gauge on my soldering station just yellow orange and red settings the red being the hottest. so perhaps I should just keep it st to hot?

Definitely an art to be learnt through having a go.

 

But there has been progress with the chassis.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Side view.

 

 

 

 

Top view.

 

 

 

Under view. The insides of the right hand set are jammed against the frame.

 

 

Friday. Lost a day looking for tiny screw, found it four foot away and I'm sure it had pinged off in the other direction.

 

 

Monday 9th Oct 23.

Spent a bad weekend trying to setup the new chassis configuration with screw in spacers. They are made from some brass tube, K and S I think, anyway the type that comes in telescopic sizes so two lengths from the smaller one are cut and two from the larger one. And they can be slotted inside one another. A drill is used as a vice as a drill chuck is just right for holding round things whilst they are being sawn through. With the tube firmly held I used a jewelers saw which is like a super fine fret saw.

 

Again the tube is held whilst I taped a 10 BA thread from each end all very fiddly and took all weekend until my home made spacers where done and tried out. Seems I can’t measure for toffee so they are too long. The motor now drops through the frame sides which is good but the chassis frame is too wide and jams against the wheel backs.

 

Onwards and upwards.

 

 

Edited October 9, 2023 by relaxinghobby
editing

[roythebus1]

You can always make big things smaller, not so easy is making small things fit bigger things! Measure twice cut once. 

 

I've just managed to melt an MTK bogie sideframe trying to undo a soldered joint made many years ago. Pah.

[Enterprisingwestern]

1 hour ago, roythebus1 said:

I've just managed to melt an MTK bogie sideframe trying to undo a soldered joint made many years ago. Pah.

 

You've improved it then?!!

 

Mike.

[roythebus1]

Not quite, it was one of their better efforts! the trouble now is finding a suitable match for the power bogie, a Black Beetle with MTK sideframes. I was going to use the Lima one as I have loads of them but their plastic is un-glueable!

[sagaguy]

On 09/10/2023 at 12:36, roythebus1 said:

a comment on the tram engine soldering, it seems you're not using enough flux and too much solder, also not enough heat. Try with the iron at say 425 degrees, that way you get the base metal nice and hot and a little solder will go a long way. Run the tip of the iron along the joint, don't dwell too long with it. 

 

Even with whitemetal, I fund using a specific Carrs low-melt flux is excellent. Iron at about 200 degrees for larger parts and a 150 degrees solder, just don't dwell too long in case you melt the whitemetal. I use the lower 150 setting for small parts and have to be carful not to melt them. For fitting whitemetal to brass etc, tin the brass with normal solder first, then use low-melt flux and low melt solder to join the whitemetal to the base metal.

 

Remember in and out quickly as the actress said to the bishop. :)

 

I suppose it comes down to how many brass kits you will eventually building .I'm building 0 gauge loco kits and the  question of soldering came up.Because of the large areas of brass,I had to upgrade my soldering station to 100w but the biggest boon to me is that I recently purchased a resistance soldering unit and makes life pretty easy as it just heats the area where you are soldering. It's made the assembly of coupling rods a doddle.

 

        Ray 

[roythebus1]

Maybe I should have invested in one of those years ago. I understand they're good for doing lattice-work like OHLE and signal gantries. But do they work with low-melt solder or just solder paste?

[Enterprisingwestern]

34 minutes ago, roythebus1 said:

Maybe I should have invested in one of those years ago. I understand they're good for doing lattice-work like OHLE and signal gantries. But do they work with low-melt solder or just solder paste?

 

Depending on the power setting, as long as there is solder on at least one of the surfaces, they will solder anything.

Whitemetal castings onto a brass sideframe gets a bit tricky, but other than that I manage to cope, so I'm sure anybody with a modicum of skill can manage.

Other than for the initial tinning, my Izal vans have gone together with an RSU only so far.

 

Mike.

[sagaguy]

33 minutes ago, roythebus1 said:

Maybe I should have invested in one of those years ago. I understand they're good for doing lattice-work like OHLE and signal gantries. But do they work with low-melt solder or just solder paste?

I don't think you can use them for low melt solder but they are ideal with normal solder for seams,just follow the iron with the solder but solder paste,ie. Carrs,is the cats whiskers for small items. 

 

       Ray.