chaz Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Chaz The wagons look lovely, as we have come to expect... The lowmac, have you dry-brushed the rivets on the deck - they seem to stand out a bit (which is good) and I wondered how you did it? Thx Simon I think so, Simon, probably dry-brushed enamels. Sorry to be vague but the lowmac was built and painted years ago. What will be new is a load. This wagon has never run on DG but before it does I will add a load. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 (edited) Hi Chaz, the well wagon..where did you get it from please ? Regards Strictly speaking it's a lowmac not a well wagon - it was built from a Connoisseur brass kit. I can recommend the kit, like all of Jim's kits it was nice to build and gave me an accurate model. It's an LNER Lowmac L - look at.... http://www.jimmcgeown.com/0%20Gauge%20Wagons.html Another snap... This is a well wagon to compare - actually an ex-LNWR Weltrol Hope that's helpful. Chaz Edited November 22, 2015 by chaz 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) I left the end of the Slater's van magnetted (!) to the steel block overnight. This morning I set up the other end and glued it to the floor too. I like the way the method gives you time to adjust the position of the parts so that they are spot on. The first picture is a close-up showing the floor adjusted to line up with the mitre on the end. I have positioned the magnets a bit further from the joint this time - less risk of them grabbing the brush ferrule... Switching to the MOGO - I have never been very happy with the arrangement of the axle bearings in some kits. I think the idea is that you don't push the bearings right home so that there is not too much end float (side to side movement) of the axle. I prefer to push the bearings right home and control the "slop" with spacers. Some time ago I had a batch of cotton buds which were mounted on plastic tube sticks. These turned out to be a running fit on a wagon axle. I cut two pieces about 2mm long (easily done by rolling the tube under a scalpel blade) and fit one on each end of the axle. A spot of superglue placed in the hole in the axlebox with a piece of wire and it's done. You will have gathered that I'm in no hurry to get these vans done - a bit of progress each day along with some work on the trees for the Furness Valley and I'm happy. Chaz Edited November 23, 2015 by chaz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 "A spot of superglue placed in the hole in the axlebox with a piece of wire and it's done." Golly - that's not very clear is it? It was rather late when I posted that. The superglue is used to glue the plastic axlebox onto the brass bearing, so retaining the the sliding part of the assembly in place on the W iron. Putting a small amount into the hole avoids any glue getting on the sliding surfaces so locking it all up solid - provided you don't use too much (don't fill the hole with CA!) There is no need to glue the spacer to the axle - in fact that's not a good idea I also should have said that the plastic sliding part needs a little work with a file to get it to slide freely. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 I did ponder.... But it was late and I thought it must be me.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 I did ponder.... But it was late and I thought it must be me.... I hope you didn't rush to get out your MOGO kit and then make a mess of it - all because of me? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Strathwood Posted November 24, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 24, 2015 (edited) This snap shows the whole layout, viewed from one end. All the track is cut and laid although at this stage there were a few alignment niggles that have now been fixed. It shows just how small a 16 x 2 foot layout is for 7mm.... The wagon in the foreground is standing on the end of the headshunt. To the left the uncorked area is where the stock cassettes will be placed. Immediately to the right is the second cassette area, at the end of a short downgrade - which I put in for the visual effect. On the extreme right is the warehouse siding. The tracks at the far end are (from L to R)... The arrival and departure siding No 1 goods siding No 2 goods siding - these two will have a loading platform with a canopy between them the exchange siding - to allow transfers between the BR metals and the industrial estate tracks The crossover in the estate area will allow the industrial loco, a Peckett 0-4-0ST, to run round a few wagons whilst shunting. Although when this picture was taken none of the buildings and bridges were yet installed, some have since been made and I will post pictures of them later. On the third board from the camera the baseboard top has been cut for the canal. Chaz Sorry to drag everyone back to the start, but I just wanted to know a little about the trackwork, for example whose plain track and points is it please? Thanks, Kevin Edited November 24, 2015 by Strathwood Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simond Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 I hope you didn't rush to get out your MOGO kit and then make a mess of it - all because of me? Happily not - I was in the Hilton Doubletree in Dundee - but had I been at home, it could have happened... Best Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 Sorry to drag everyone back to the start, but I just wanted to know a little about the trackwork, for example whose plain track and points is it please? Thanks, Kevin No problem Kevin. The track is all Peco bullhead. There is one Y point, directly behind the wagon in the photo', the rest are the standard "electrofrog" jobs. (I think Peco mean live crossings but they have always called 'em frogs). Later on I improved the points by cutting away the coffin (it's actually a switch housing) that sits between the point blades and spoils the look. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) A small job in a Parkside kit is glueing the collars to the ends of the buffer housings (guides?). This needs to be done accurately if the buffer rams are to work nicely but can be tricky. I know someone who just throws away the Parkside buffers and replaces them with ready-assembled white-metal ones, however there is an easy way to do them. You will need a 1.9mm drill (or a length of metal rod of that diameter - happy hunting!) and a short length of brass tube - I use a piece of KS127 which has an external diameter of 3.2mm and an internal one of 2.4mm. Leave the buffer housings on the sprue - handling them is much easier. Try the drill shank in the buffer housings and through the collars. The drill is a good running fit in the ones in my kit. If there is any flash in the holes you can use the sharp end of the drill to clear it. Remove the collars from the sprue and clean up the edges. With the drill shank in a housing add a collar and then the brass tube. Holding the job like I am in the photograph gives you a free hand. Pressing down gently on the brass apply solvent to the joint with a small brush. Keep the pressure on for a few seconds and then withdraw the drill. If you have used too much solvent the softened plastic may have tried to bond to the drill - rotating it should free it. Once you have glued all four collars on set the buffers aside. Curb your impatience! Leave the joints to harden off overnight, but when you come back to them I would check that the joints are sound before removing the housings from the sprue. You may think that buying a 1.9mm drill just for this job is OTT especially when you are not even going to use it to drill a hole. Some time ago I bought a set of drills with the sizes from 1mm to 6mm in 0.1mm steps. If you do a lot of modelling it may well be worth investing in a set such as this. Chaz Edited November 25, 2015 by chaz 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 A small job in a Parkside kit is glueing the collars to the ends of the buffer housings (guides?). This needs to be done accurately if the buffer rams are to work nicely but can be tricky. I know someone who just throws away the Parkside buffers and replaces them with ready-assembled white-metal ones, however there is an easy way to do them. You will need a 1.9mm drill (or a length of metal rod of that diameter - happy hunting!) and a short length of brass tube - I use a piece of KS127 which has an external diameter of 3.2mm and an internal one of 2.4mm. Leave the buffer housings on the sprue - handling them is much easier. Try the drill shank in the buffer housings and through the collars. The drill is a good running fit in the ones in my kit. If there is any flash in the holes you can use the sharp end of the drill to clear it. Remove the collars from the sprue and clean up the edges. With the drill shank in a housing add a collar and then the brass tube. Holding the job like I am in the photograph gives you a free hand. Pressing down gently on the brass apply solvent to the joint with a small brush. Keep the pressure on for a few seconds and then withdraw the drill. If you have used too much solvent the softened plastic may have tried to bond to the drill - rotating it should free it. Once you have glued all four collars on set the buffers aside. Curb your impatience! Leave the joints to harden off overnight, but when you come back to them I would check that the joints are sound before removing the housings from the sprue. You may think that buying a 1.9mm drill just for this job is OTT especially when you are not even going to use it to drill a hole. Some time ago I bought a set of drills with the sizes from 1mm to 6mm in 0.1mm steps. If you do a lot of modelling it may well be worth investing in a set such as this. Chaz Great tip Chaz. I have always found this to be a frustrating operation when building Parkside kits. Chris 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Great tip Chaz. I have always found this to be a frustrating operation when building Parkside kits. Chris Me too - and it was after a prolonged bout of fiddling and some fairly naughty words that I looked round for a better way. This morning I checked the ones I did yesterday, giving them a gentle twiddle, and the joints do seem to have bonded well. Onward! Chaz 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brianthesnail96 Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Lots of handy tips here Chaz, the building of Parkside and Slaters kits doesn't seem to be covered much online presumably because they are pretty much the bread and butter of the 7mm rolling stock world, but it's very useful to a relative newbie like me. I shall definitely be investing in some magnets, as the solvent fingerprint on the corner reinforcement of at least one of my Slater's vans proves I find getting the chamfered joints true & solid without getting solvent where I didn't want it can be a bit of a pain, three hands would be useful! I do assemble the buffers on the sprue but the 1.9mm drill for alignment is something I hadn't even considered. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Buckjumper Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Nice tip! I've always used a cocktail stick to do the same; the taper wedges in nicely and centres the collar on the housing, but the melted ABS from the bond can grip the wood a little, not enough to bond, but enough to roughen the inside and necessitate a little cleaning up on the inside of the joint, I'll use a drill bit from now on. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
81A Oldoak Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Lots of handy tips here Chaz, the building of Parkside and Slaters kits doesn't seem to be covered much online presumably because they are pretty much the bread and butter of the 7mm rolling stock world, but it's very useful to a relative newbie like me. I shall definitely be investing in some magnets, as the solvent fingerprint on the corner reinforcement of at least one of my Slater's vans proves I find getting the chamfered joints true & solid without getting solvent where I didn't want it can be a bit of a pain, three hands would be useful! I do assemble the buffers on the sprue but the 1.9mm drill for alignment is something I hadn't even considered. Here's a link to my simple method for installing 3-point compensation on Parkside wagons. Go to post #1044 : http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/80426-cwm-bach-a-south-wales-branch-line/page-42 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Nice tip! I've always used a cocktail stick to do the same; the taper wedges in nicely and centres the collar on the housing, but the melted ABS from the bond can grip the wood a little, not enough to bond, but enough to roughen the inside and necessitate a little cleaning up on the inside of the joint, I'll use a drill bit from now on. Here's a link to my simple method for installing 3-point compensation on Parkside wagons. Go to post #1044 : http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/80426-cwm-bach-a-south-wales-branch-line/page-42 Yes, Chris I am aware of your method having seen your posting when it was first up. I have always built Parkside wagons with their "loose" axlebox arrangement as per the instructions and it has worked well enough for me. It can be a bit bouncy and clattery through pointwork but the acid test for me is derailments, or rather the lack of them. Of course your method has the merit that if a wagon with Parkside's arrangement does misbehave it can be dealt with as you suggest as a later mod'. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Nice tip! I've always used a cocktail stick to do the same; the taper wedges in nicely and centres the collar on the housing, but the melted ABS from the bond can grip the wood a little, not enough to bond, but enough to roughen the inside and necessitate a little cleaning up on the inside of the joint, I'll use a drill bit from now on. Yes, I have been known to use cocktail sticks for similar jobs - as you say the taper is useful. If you use a 1.9mm drill bit you probably wouldn't have to worry about the finish inside the hole too much as the buffer rams are typically 1.55mm diameter. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Lots of handy tips here Chaz, the building of Parkside and Slaters kits doesn't seem to be covered much online presumably because they are pretty much the bread and butter of the 7mm rolling stock world, but it's very useful to a relative newbie like me. I do sometimes wonder when I post some of this stuff if everybody is thinking "Old hat, I know all this." So your comment encourages me to continue with the tale. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 (edited) Fitting the buffer housings into the buffer beams on a Parkside wagon you will find that they are a really tight fit - so tight that you might not be able to get them right in. In fact the shank at the back is 3.2mm - that's 1/8th inch in old money. However I don't like to drill them out 3.2mm as this makes them a sloppy fit - the drill probably cutting a bit over. Instead I ease the hole with a few careful strokes of a round needle file. it also helps to get 'em hard up against the buffer beam if you get a 4mm drill and twirl it for a few turns against the hole with your fingers, pressing lightly. This gives a very shallow countersink for any radius in the corner of the buffer back to fit in. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A bit more progress with the Slater's Vanwide. This morning I checked the joints where the ends are glued to the floor and they are very secure. One of the advantages of using the steel block and magnets technique is that if they are left in place overnight the joint is held firmly until all the solvent has evapourated - this makes the joint very strong. To add the main frame piece I file the ends of it until it will just about slide in. It needs to be a touch longer than you might expect as their are shallow slots in back of the buffer beam to take the ends. It's nice if you can get the part to click into these. It is a bit tricky sliding it, especially getting it past the boss that is moulded on the back of the coupling hook slot but it can be done with care. The solebars need trimming as well so that they will slide in sideways. The photo' above shows the central framing and solebars in position dry - not yet glued. When you are trimming the solebars to fit take equal amounts off each end (count the file strokes!) if you don't the axleboxes may end up out of line. A side view of the progress so far makes it look like the ends are not set at a right angle. They are, but the thin plastic is curving inwards. Glueing the sides on will pull them upright. Chaz Edited November 25, 2015 by chaz 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
railwayrod Posted November 25, 2015 Share Posted November 25, 2015 Hi Chaz. Don't worry about writing stuff that you think people already know. There are always newcomers tuning in and in any case some of us may well have forgotten these tips especially as if we are not using them on a regular basis. A timely reminder is ALWAYS useful - keep it up please. Rod Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Isambarduk Posted November 26, 2015 Share Posted November 26, 2015 "Don't worry about writing stuff that you think people already know. There are always newcomers tuning in ..." Also, as my first boss said to me when I was preparing a paper, "Don't worry about telling people things they already know; it makes them feel good!" David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 26, 2015 Author Share Posted November 26, 2015 (edited) Pete came round today and we spent some time fixing the uncoupler magnet mechanisms. These had gone out of adjustment and had, as a result, been out of use. Photograph shows one of the baseboards mounted upside down for access to the mechanism. We replaced the stop screws (visible on either side of the lever pivot) with longer ones - these had their points cut off so that the ends were flat. We also fitted the remaining stop blocks mounted on the rocking arms with metal plates so that the screws will be less likely to pit the surface. Finally a careful adjustment of all the screws ensured that in the up position the magnets lifted the Dingham coupling hooks but had no effect when down. This should cut down the number of times the HoG has to be deployed - I don't think we can completely eliminate it. Chaz edit - one weakness of this design (?) is the position of the stop screws. It was very convenient to put them on the central support - but with them so close to the pivot very small movements of the screws are amplified by the length of the lever. It does work but when adjusting only small fractions of a turn are needed. Edited November 27, 2015 by chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted November 27, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted November 27, 2015 I find the best thing for easing holes are jewellers broaches I have two sets one for small holes from about 0.4mm to 2mm the other for 2mm up to about 6mm. These are five sided and tapered. The five sides are supposed to kept the hole from wandering and the taper means you can open a hole to the size you want . They work fine in thin material where it is thicker I use the broach from both sides. They are among the most frequently used tools. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 I find the best thing for easing holes are jewellers broaches I have two sets one for small holes from about 0.4mm to 2mm the other for 2mm up to about 6mm. These are five sided and tapered. The five sides are supposed to kept the hole from wandering and the taper means you can open a hole to the size you want . They work fine in thin material where it is thicker I use the broach from both sides. They are among the most frequently used tools. Don So do I Don (see my next post!) - However I found the file easier. Had I have opened out the holes before I assembled the van body I might well have used a cutting broach. Chaz Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chaz Posted November 27, 2015 Author Share Posted November 27, 2015 Really strong magnets... ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- More progress today on the Parkside Mogo. I welded the V hangers to the solebars yesterday so that the joints had overnight to harden. There are no guide marks on the inside of the solebars but you can use the bolt heads on the outside face to help you position them. In front of the van are (nearest the camera) the plastic rod 1.2mm diameter for the brake cross rod. Parkside put this in the kit to be to be stuck between the brakes but I have never been happy with this arrangement - the butt joint is vey weak and if the wagon is handled is easily dislodged. I replace it with a length of wire (0.8mm brass) and a tube (Albion Alloys BT1 which is 1.6mm diameter) which will fit round the wire. I accept that the tube may be a bit too large but underneath the van this is hardly obvious. I had already drilled the V hangers 0.8mm but even so the wire is a very tight fit. I eased the holes slightly with a 5 sided cutting broach. It is possible to drill the hole in the lever that goes below the vacuum cylinder to 1.6mm to accommodate the brass tube. Do it in stages (1mm, 1.2mm, 1.4mm, 1.6mm) using a pin-chuck but don't use any pressure - let the drills find their own way. This will avoid splitting the part. Should you break this part it is an easy one to replace. I roughly assemble the brakes on the van with the cross wire in place and checked the orientation against Parkside's drawing. It is worth modifying a couple of ally' hair grips to hold small parts in place. I cut one of the legs off and bend the remaining ones inwards slightly to increase the grip at the ends. The brakes and safety loops on one side can be positioned and the clips used to retain them. I spin the wheels to make sure the brakes are not binding. If necessary they can moved slightly or dismantled and worked on with fine files. Solvent cement can be applied with a fine brush. It's relatively easy to get brush into the joint area without disturbing the clips or moving the parts. I leave this to harden off before doing the brakes on the other side. Chaz 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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