Any Question Answered

[Chris Higgs]

This is very true, I'm lucky enough to have both a lathe and drill press but it's a good point. The Association often asks what could usefully be added to the shop, I would suggest that a set of 1.5mm jig axles would be a useful addition.

 

Jerry

 

Not really convinced tat the average 2mm coupling rods have sufficient rigidity to be used with such axles as they are in larger scales.  Witness the fact Keith still used the etched jig as well.

 

Not to mention they do not constrain the frames in the vertial direction. When used in 4mm scale with hornblocks this is not an issue.

 

Chris

[CF MRC]

Chris maybe right, I’ve fiddled with them on 4mm kits at Missenden with mixed results. I personally simply use long sighting rods through the axle holes to check for alignment and use the coupling rods as the initial drilling jig. Doesn’t help if your trying to resurrect a chassis with built in defects and oversize holes tho’.

 

Tim

[Lacathedrale]

Hi guys,

 

I'm building a few of the association wagon chassis and I realise I'm about to come across the same problem that I had last time - I have NO IDEA how to bend the brake handles. I'm building 2-327 (9' WB chassis for a 5-plank open) and the instrucitons are here: http://2mm.org.uk/products/instruction_sheets/326-instr.gif but the isometric view makes it very hard to tell exactly what I'm meant to be bending and where. I can see some half edged divots on the inside of the brake handle which I gather are the points I need to bend, and I'm assuming that I have to bend in the middle out and then back (in relation to the track centre if the wagon was on track) - but otherwise I'm somewhat clueless! Any ideas or where I might find the info?

[Yorkshire Square]

Hi guys,

 

I'm building a few of the association wagon chassis and I realise I'm about to come across the same problem that I had last time - I have NO IDEA how to bend the brake handles. I'm building 2-327 (9' WB chassis for a 5-plank open) and the instrucitons are here: http://2mm.org.uk/products/instruction_sheets/326-instr.gif but the isometric view makes it very hard to tell exactly what I'm meant to be bending and where. I can see some half edged divots on the inside of the brake handle which I gather are the points I need to bend, and I'm assuming that I have to bend in the middle out and then back (in relation to the track centre if the wagon was on track) - but otherwise I'm somewhat clueless! Any ideas or where I might find the info?

 

Have a look at the picture that accompanies 2-330 on the product page.

 

There is a guide on the edge of the etch that should give some indication of the shape.

[Chris Higgs]

Hi guys,

 

I'm building a few of the association wagon chassis and I realise I'm about to come across the same problem that I had last time - I have NO IDEA how to bend the brake handles. I'm building 2-327 (9' WB chassis for a 5-plank open) and the instrucitons are here: http://2mm.org.uk/products/instruction_sheets/326-instr.gif but the isometric view makes it very hard to tell exactly what I'm meant to be bending and where. I can see some half edged divots on the inside of the brake handle which I gather are the points I need to bend, and I'm assuming that I have to bend in the middle out and then back (in relation to the track centre if the wagon was on track) - but otherwise I'm somewhat clueless! Any ideas or where I might find the info?

 

If you can find some photos of the real thing they may well help you to understand what is happening.

 

Other chassis have a bending guide etched on them. Look for example at the etch photo of 2-366. This should give you an idea of how a typical brake lever shape is (look at the top centre of the etch). A gentle bend outwards, and then more sharply back in an a dog leg once the brake lever has cleared the axlebox.

 

Chris

Edited December 9, 2018 by Chris Higgs

[Caley Jim]

Immediately after the brake handle guide, bend out at right angles, then back parallel to the solebar. How you bend next depends on whether the lever runs at an angle from there to the pivot, or back in and then parallel with the solebar to the pivot. If the former,the next bend is at a slight angle in towards the solebar and then a final bend near the pivot to bring it parallel again. If the latter, bend at right angles back in towards the solebar and then at right angles again parallel with the solebar. If there is a half etched notch on the back near the pivot, it is the former arrangement. Either way the lever is bending out to clear the axlebox when it is pushed down to apply the brake.

 

HTH

 

Jim

[Lacathedrale]

Thanks chaps, I think I've got it - much appreciated!

[Lacathedrale]

Flush with success of that wagon, I've decided to take on the association 2-366 4-shoe SR underframe (and obviously, the triple-pack SR Van bodies that go with them). All of my other kits to date have had solebars that fold over - so my technique has been to tin both sides, fold and squeeze with tweezers/parallel pliers to align and then press down and sweat together. Is this technique still the best option for the solebars in 2-366, which are completely separate pieces?  (parts 3 and 4 in the following link: http://2mm.org.uk/products/instruction_sheets/pdf2-366_drwg.pdf )

[Caley Jim]

Do the two layers of these parts not fold over onto one another in the normal way?  There appear to be 'hinges' between the two layers.

 

Jim

[Lacathedrale]

Sorry jim, it's the lower etch of the two, without the hinge

[Lacathedrale]

I found enough common parts on both etches I was able to align sequentially with tweezers and sweat togther - thank you anyway!

[justin1985]

I think this is one of the kits that Chris explained he'd designed in expectation of the Association introducing a waisted top-hat bearing. This would have allowed the extra layers to self-jig on the bearing still, without needing the axlebox to be overscale on some designs (like this SR one where the axlebox cover is basically the same width as the bearings).

 

But that type of bearing has never appeared, so you just have to file off the top of the bearing once you've added the second layer. The rest of the layers just align by eye - I found mini bulldog clips handy to keep the solebars aligned while starting off the solder joint.

 

The axlebox covers on this design have a little half etched "handle" to allow you to hold them from below while you solder. You then have to file that whole "stripey" bit off. Took me a while to figure this bit out, even with the instructions.

 

Watch out that the brake lever isn't at all obvious on this design too.

 

Justin

 

edit: Chris posted photos of the prototype brake levers for this chassis a few pages back in this thread: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/38833-any-question-answered/?p=3372655

Edited December 10, 2018 by justin1985

[Lacathedrale]

Thanks, Justin - that picture is very helpful particularly with the brackets hanging from the solebar too (I'd almost forgotten to stick a vacuum cylinder in there, too).

 

With regard to the shouldered bearing/axlebox issue - I will give it a shot, but I think it might be easier to ream out the bearing holes on the solebar and just take the overscale cast axleboxes on the chin - all of the chassis are built with the brake shoes/etc. in place already. Luckily, I have three to experiment with.

[Caley Jim]

Sorry jim, it's the lower etch of the two, without the hinge

My apologies, William. I only looked at the 8 shoe etch. I see now what you are talking about.

 

Jim

[Lacathedrale]

In the end I snipped back the bearing cups and filed them down as Justin suggested, using them to positively locate the solebars which I fixed with Araldite. Definitely a lesson learned for next time.

 

I'm about to start painting my stock and I just wanted to check a few things:

 

1) I assume I should paint them without the wheelsets in? If so, any tips on keeping the bearing cups masked?

2) Though I have an airbrush, it feels like once the main colours are sprayed (i.e. brown, grey, etc.) for the body, I may as well paint the chassis with a brush rather than bother masking - any thoughts?

3) I assume prime, paint, gloss, transfers, gloss over the transfer, wash/weather (oils, pastels), then seal with a coat of matt/satin as appropriate?

4) I'm taking the RAL colours as close to written as possible, but I think they need to be lightened to account for colour scaling - has anyone done this or have any anecdotal advice that might be useful?

[Caley Jim]

I'll try and answer your points, William, with the procedure I follow.

 

Once I've completed the wagon and removed the wheels I put it in the kitchen sink and give it a spray with CIF bathroom cleaner and a scrub with a stiff artists paintbrush to remove all flux and solder residue.  This will also detach any bits which haven't been well secured, so do it with the plug in the sink!  Rinse well and dry on a radiator.  I then put a smear of vaseline into the bearings to act as both a mask and, later, lubricant, and spray the whole thing with a rattle can, colour depending on the finished colour (grey, black or red oxide).  I use matt enamels for the body and underframe, two thinned coats, brush painted.  I don't use black for the underframe or ironwork (where appropriate) but let down the black with a little grey. Interiors of open wagons are painted a yellow/brown/grey colour.  Lettering follows using white acrylic and then I weather with a dust of grey or, for mineral wagons, black, powder colours to varying degrees.  I don't varnish other than for coaches or npcs, when i use a thin coat of satin varnish.

 

The wheelsets can be replaced at any point after the spraying.  I don't bother to wipe away any of the vaseline but just pop them in.  Never had any problems with that.

 

HTH,

 

Jim

[Lacathedrale]

Thanks JIm, that's great.

 

Like a total dolt I didn't twig that undercoating was also painting and the bearing cups needed to be protected. What an idiot I feel now. I think the vaseline makes good sense for future work, but any ideas on how the heck I'm going to clean these bearings all out now? I used Halfords undercoat.

 

Current theory is to just keeping calm and carrying on, and then cleaning the bearings out with a dental pick at the end of the process.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Lacathedrale

[Valentin]

I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out where to gap the timbers for a tandem turnout but I couldn't go any further then the below (in red) . If I could figure out where to gap the rails I won't have an issue isolating the timbers. Based on the below drawing, could anyone help?

 

[Caley Jim]

Thanks JIm, that's great.

 

Like a total dolt I didn't twig that undercoating was also painting and the bearing cups needed to be protected. What an idiot I feel now. I think the vaseline makes good sense for future work, but any ideas on how the heck I'm going to clean these bearings all out now? I used Halfords undercoat.

 

Current theory is to just keeping calm and carrying on, and then cleaning the bearings out with a dental pick at the end of the process.

I've done that in the past, forgotten to put on the Vaseline first !       Don't worry, just pop in the wheels and the pin points are sharp enough to cut through the paint.  You might need to spin the wheels a bit to get them to run freely.   Unless you've totally clogged up the cups, in which case you'll need to pick the worst out with a sharp point  An old dental probe would be ideal! 

 

Jim

[Caley Jim]

I spent a couple of hours trying to figure out where to gap the timbers for a tandem turnout but I couldn't go any further then the below (in red) . If I could figure out where to gap the rails I won't have an issue isolating the timbers. Based on the below drawing, could anyone help?

You need to gap the rails where shown by the broad red lines below:

 

 

The two innermost crossing are electrically one with their polarity changed by the outermost switches.  The polarity of the third crossing is changed by the other switches, with one feed coming from the other two crossings and the other from the lower stock rail.

 

So, if the road is set for the upper track the two inner crossings will have the polarity of the lower stock rail.  If it is set for the middle track, they have the polarity of the upper stock rail and the third crossing has that of the lower stock rail.  If the road is set for the lower track, then all three crossings have the polarity of the upper stock rail.

 

Hope this is clear.

 

Jim

[Valentin]

After reading the explanations a couple of times, it became pretty clear. Many thanks, Jim.

[Ian Smeeton]

I had the same question a syou a month or two ago, and was kindly provided with this solution.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/130137-tandem-queries-scissors-slip-up/page-4&do=findComment&comment=3229909

 

Regards

 

Ian

 

Edit, Apologies for duplicating Jim's post, but all the rail gaps and sleeper gaps are on this one.

Edited December 15, 2018 by Ian Smeeton

[queensquare]

Thanks JIm, that's great.

 

Like a total dolt I didn't twig that undercoating was also painting and the bearing cups needed to be protected. What an idiot I feel now. I think the vaseline makes good sense for future work, but any ideas on how the heck I'm going to clean these bearings all out now? I used Halfords undercoat.

 

Current theory is to just keeping calm and carrying on, and then cleaning the bearings out with a dental pick at the end of the process.

I often forget or don't bother to mask the bearings and have never really had a problem. The pinpoint seems to quickly rub the paint away from contact surfaces.

 

When I do remember I use a little spot of Maskol but Jim's Vaseline idea is worth remembering

 

Jerry 

[2mm Andy]

I've used little bits of blu-tac to mask the bearings before. Seems to work quite well as long as you remove it shortly after the paint has dried.

 

Andy

[Lacathedrale]

Hello chaps, happy christmas to you all In a down moment between cooking and herding relatives I've been pondering my little cameo layout - and I'm about to take the plunge in setting track to boards. I've got a crossover and two points, each are glued to some card to bring the plain pcb-soldered track to the same height as the easitrac, but I'm a little unsure as to how to proceed. Turnout actuating holes have been drilled, as have those for uncouplers.

 

Should I fix my first point in place and then work from that, or fix all my points in the locations they should be and join between them?

 

My thought was to use an easitrac base to 'span' joints between two pieces of rail to ensure alignment, but is there a better way?