Sandy Harper Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 First I must apologise for the crappy pictures. Since my Lumix packed in I have not had access to a camera with a Macro feature. Anyway I am pleased with the last two days efforts to get the motion brackets attached, in the correct place, and the cylinders and slidebars erected. This was not without issues, as you would expect! Using the etched slots in the chassis frames to locate the front and rear plates of the cylinders looked straight forward until I attempted to fit the cylinder wrappers. They were nicely etched in N/S with edge bolt detail but, were too narrow to fit around the front and rear of the cylinders. Decision time. Do I make new wrappers or move one of the spacers? I decided to assemble the cylinders, as a unit, off the model and to fit the wrappers as they were and adjust the sots in the chassis to fit. I also made the decision to make the cylinder unit removable (not catered for in the kit). The cylinder wrappers needed annealing as there was a 90 deg. bend at the top with about 1.5mm of turnover, another slight bend half way down the cover and then curved for the rest of the wrapper. Annealing made the bending and fitting very easy but left the N/S tarnished. It will probably help with paint adhesion later. I decided to adjust the front slot in the frames and had to take off about 1mm to get the unit to fit. This can just be seen on the photograph showing the front of the cylinder block. By fitting a vertical spacer in front of the front cylinder cross piece, I have managed to disguise the gap. I drilled this spacer 2.2mm clearance for a pair of 8 BA bolts and drilled (1.8mm) and tapped the cylinder spacer 8BA to secure the cylinder block. The slidebars and crosshead units are from the Laurie Griffin range and were included in the kit when I got it so, it seemed churlish not to use them! They do need a lot of fetteling up to get a nice sliding fit, using needle files, grinding discs and abrasive rubber wheels in the Dremel and once soldered on to the rear of the cylinders look the part. Now that I have got this far the rest should be straight forward, if the outside motion fits ok. But of course it will! Regards Sandy 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 On my V3 I remade the cylinders as the wrapper was no long enough. They were also to small. You are cracking on well with this. I wish I could of used LG’s crosshead and sidebars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted August 6, 2017 Author Share Posted August 6, 2017 Hi Peter LG's castings made it very easy to complete this part. The rest may not be so easy! Still, I like a challenge!! Kind regards Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted August 6, 2017 Share Posted August 6, 2017 With most of Aces valve gear it's just a single layer etch. Which for 4mm is OK. I soldered all the bits to some 010" nickel silver so I could make forked joints where needed. It also gave it a little more strength. I don't have any problems with the kits as I know I have to do some work. And in reality I feel you get a lot of loco for the money. The S15 came in at about £300 all in (the cost of most kits of this size), I know that some parts didn't cost me anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted August 9, 2017 Author Share Posted August 9, 2017 (edited) A way back in post #819, I showed a CCW 14xx kit that I was asked to refurbish. Remove the GWR lettering and turn it into a BR version! The paint job was pretty bad and I suggested a complete repaint which my friend readily agreed to. After closer inspection of the model I found that it had been glued together so as I didn't want to take the chance of it falling apart in the Cellulose thinners, that I normally use for paint stripping, it was a case of mechanically removing the paint. It too 3 days!! I also replaced the over scale hand rail knobs and added a smokebox lub. pipe cover which I had in my spares box. Screw link couplings and lamp irons were also added. At the time I finished the model I forgot to take the completed photographs, so here is one now. Regards Sandy Edited August 9, 2017 by Sandy Harper 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted August 9, 2017 Share Posted August 9, 2017 Well what an improvement. It looks really good. Shame about the coupling rods. Can't you persuade the owner to change them for less toy looking ones. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 Hi Peter, the chassis is what it is! No brakes, no flange on the rear driver, no sand pipes etc If I had done anything with the coupling rods I would have to have gone the whole hog with the rest of the chassis but there was a cost constraint to consider as well and I did a lot more to the body that was initially requested. The owner is very happy with it and that's what counts. Regards Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted August 10, 2017 Author Share Posted August 10, 2017 Again, apologies for the rubbish photo! I was right, the reversing block was probably a good idea on the CAD screen at the time but in practice, not so. The rear part of the 'block' is separate from the front face and is designed to have 'tabs' ,top and bottom, bent over at 90 degrees to fit in a slot at the bottom of the outer face and a recess at the top. The half etching failed to etch properly o the rear face so I used a triangle file to create a half etch bend line but, even when I managed to fold the tabs over , they were too short and did not give the clearance needed between the two faces of the block. I used some scrap etch top and bottom and soldered the lot up. I like to put my valve gear in forward drive so used a 12 BA bolt and nut to hold the rod below the pivot point. It will be held in place when the reversing drop link is attached.RegardsSandy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted August 29, 2017 Author Share Posted August 29, 2017 Well that's the valve gear on! My therapist says that with rest and recuperation I should recover with no lasting ill effects! It was a fight! The worst bit was the Radius arm appearing to be too short but, as it turned out, it was the motion bracket that was in the wrong position. After some careful measurements another set of slots were cut in the frames to fix it in it's new position and all was well. The photos show the motion temporarily attached to ensure it all worked as it was supposed to. It will now be taken down and put away until the rest of the chassis is completed and painted. Got to get my kit together now for Guildex. Yipee! Regards Sandy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 (edited) My eyes boggle at that intricate work Sandy, I would be a jibbering wreck requiring restraint down at the engineers funny farm. Looking very good though. See you at Telford for a chat. Best Edited August 29, 2017 by Barnaby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted August 29, 2017 Share Posted August 29, 2017 Very nice Sandy. I suppose the conjugated part comes after Telford. Have a good show. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 I always get super fired up on return from a show and this morning I fitted a sound chip, that I picked up from DCC Supplies, to go into an 08 that I bought a few weeks ago. That went successfully and so I also took the opportunity to get the weathering powders out and remove the 'as new' look. Regards Sandy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted September 4, 2017 Share Posted September 4, 2017 Same same here too Sandy, I glued up the 2 x tool holders I got from Poppy's stand took all of 2 mins. Which manufacturers 08 did you buy? It's looking dirty like it should. Best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 4, 2017 Author Share Posted September 4, 2017 Same same here too Sandy, I glued up the 2 x tool holders I got from Poppy's stand took all of 2 mins. Which manufacturers 08 did you buy? It's looking dirty like it should. Best. It's one of Dapols best. Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 Having got the chassis somewhere near complete I decided to continue with the footplate. The driving wheel splashers were next to go on and surprisingly, they fitted reasonably well, with only some slight modifications to the rear ones. This was followed by the flat boxes that sit on the footplate, above the cylinders, which were straight forward, and then I tackled the smokebox saddle. I fully expected this to be a bit of a trial but, fair doos, it went together, again, reasonably well. The top plate, the part that the smokebox sits on, according to the instructions, should be two plates. Fortunately this has been replaced with one etched item but, with no rivet detail. I think, looking at photos, some engines had riveted plates and some were plain but I wanted the riveted version so it was out with the rivet press. Bending the single etched plate, after the rivets were impressed, was straightforward using the rollers and, after a little fetteling to the height of the sides, it all went together very nicely. The photos show the component parts and the saddle fitted to the footplate. There is still a bit of gap filling and cleaning up to do but I am pleased with the result so far. Sandy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 I can now see why there was no problems with the side of the front splasher not being complete. Looking better each post Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 24, 2017 Author Share Posted September 24, 2017 Sorry for the lack of postings on this 'beast' recently, but the only working camera in the house had to go to Alicanti for a week. I didn't get invited to go with it! Girlz only!! So I managed to crack on with the upper works. And what fun I had. They have been built and 'blowlamped' three times before I got them somewhere near right!. However, despite WA's best efforts I think I now have something that is beginning to look like an A3. It all started with the cab sides which I decided to put together in the flat. There is beading, handrails, window surrounds and the sliding inner window frames to be added. All was going well until I realised there were no inner frames in the kit of parts! A phone call to WA and I had them in two days! However, after finding a nice photograph of Flying Scotsman with the driver hanging out the cab between the engine and tender I noticed that the cab ends curve in!!!! Nobody told me and there was nothing in the instructions about it! Silly me, fancy expecting a detail like that. Anyway after some judicious setting up in the vice with bars etc I managed to put a bend in the cab sides and without damaging any of the previous work. At the top of this post I said that the boiler unit was a bit of a trial. After saying in a previous post that the smokebox saddle was a pleasure to put together, I found that is was sitting 1.5mm too high tipping the boiler unit up. So off it came and the requisite amount of brass removed before refitting and getting the smokebox and front part of the boiler level. It was then plain sailing, through a Hurricane, to get the rest of the boiler and firebox attached together and finally fitted to the cab front. At this point I noticed that the handrail knob holes did not line up. Was I surprised? No, of course not. So a length of 1.2mm rod was tinned and soldered into the holes, filed flat and polished smooth. Then the new hole locations, were marked and drilled, ready to accept the handrails and knobs. The joints between the front part of the boiler and the coned portion, and between that and the firebox, were not perfect and I didn't think that my usual tape boilerbands would suffice so to hide them so I decided to use the brass boiler bands supplied. The area at the vertical shoulders of the firebox, where it joins the coned part of the boiler, still needs to be attended to as there are some gaps with nothing in the kit to fill them!. No surprise there. The photograph shows the story so far and the whitemetal parts and just placed on to give effect!! The missing boiler band will be fitted after the dome is attached Regards Sandy 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PAD Posted September 24, 2017 Share Posted September 24, 2017 Hi Sandy, It looks like you are having to walk on water with this one. I have looked at the Ace website many times and thought the A3 might be worth a punt. The more I see of your build the more I am convinced I was wrong. Hopefully the David Andrew's kit will be available if I want one. In any case despite the designer's best efforts, you are making a great job of it, and will end up with a fine model. Looking forward to the next instalment. Cheers, Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 24, 2017 Author Share Posted September 24, 2017 Hi Peter I will not be beaten! Sandy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted September 24, 2017 Share Posted September 24, 2017 Sandy I think you have discovered WA's design criteria. Make all the parts just enough out to make assembly a challenge and test the metal of the kit builder. Says he who is daft enough to build them more than once. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 25, 2017 Author Share Posted September 25, 2017 If there was a doctorate in Model Railway Kit Building, this would be the final exam! Sandy 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandy Harper Posted September 30, 2017 Author Share Posted September 30, 2017 .....and the saga continues. I have managed to get the beast together. Any resemblance to the prototype is purely accidental. Parts found missing so far; Drag beam, inside cab window frames, front steps and supports, only two rear steps, but need 4. Not enough handrail knobs. No internal boiler unit supports. No cylinder drain cocks/ operating levers, no ejector pipe or fittings. Lubricators and pipes are the next job but I need some clearer photos. Regards Sandy 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 The list you give of missing parts most seem to be missing in most of his kits. Never had drain cocks although holes are there, boiler disks if there never right size or enough. Looks the part now. At least the hard part of the wrestling is now over. All up hill now to the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 All issues aside Sandy, you are making a fine job of it and it certainly looks the part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barnaby Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 (edited) A true labour of love, good work Sandy. I'm afraid if it had been me I would have beaten it to death Basil Fawlty style. Best Edited October 1, 2017 by Barnaby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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