Whats on your 2mm Work bench

[Nig H]

14 hours ago, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

Was it enamel varnish? I tend to use Johnson’s Klear with these to seal them before using any other varnish.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

Yes it was enamel. I have/ had a bottle of Pledge Multi Surface cleaner with  'formally (sic) known as Klear' on the label, but I never thought to use it, though it seems to have disappeared, having just tried to find it.

 

Nigel Hunt

[yaxxbarl]

I've had a chance to do a bit more work on the J94 - firstly I still wasn't happy in the end with the coupling rods, so measured up and made another jig and soldered up another set - the previous ones had still been a tad too long.

 

Once I did that I was able to get the running pretty much sorted to the stage that I could fit all the crankpin washers - the first photo shows where we're at now.

 

 

I've also started work on the cosmetic side of the conversion. 68012 was one of the first J94s fitted with the raised bunker but this was found to be too high for coaling at Middleton Top on the Cromford and High Peak, so the raised bunker was removed. I had wondered if I'd have to put the hatch back in between the rear windows, but photos of the rear of 68012 show this plated over.

 

The EFE raised bunker, when the raised bit is removed, leaves two holes in the cab back - these need to be filled in. Also the top of the bunker is solid, so this was cut out and a new bunker base and backsheet will be made out of plasticard to allow coal to be put in and show a bit of depth to the bunker.

 

 

Next job after the cab will be the buffers and also seeing what I can do to the keeper plate to better represent the slope from the buffer beam down to the bottom of the frames at either end, probably using black plasticard.

 

 

[tapdieuk]

 

EFE Austerity 

 

Wheels skimmed and fitted with Assocation 9mm tyres.  Using MK 5 crank pins loctited into the threaded crank pin holes. Wheel base measured at 10.8mm & 11.8mm 

Temporary coupling rods for now, but shuttling up and down the test plank.   

[yaxxbarl]

12 hours ago, tapdieuk said:

 

EFE Austerity 

 

Wheels skimmed and fitted with Assocation 9mm tyres.  Using MK 5 crank pins loctited into the threaded crank pin holes. Wheel base measured at 10.8mm & 11.8mm 

Temporary coupling rods for now, but shuttling up and down the test plank.   

 

That looks rather good - even with the temporary crank pins! Where did you get the loco from too - I've not seen 'Robert' listed in the main batch?

 

Coupling rod wise, I've used the 08 rods off of the 3-205 etch with the rear portion shortened.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Chris Higgs]

16 hours ago, tapdieuk said:

 

EFE Austerity 

 

Wheels skimmed and fitted with Assocation 9mm tyres.  Using MK 5 crank pins loctited into the threaded crank pin holes. Wheel base measured at 10.8mm & 11.8mm 

Temporary coupling rods for now, but shuttling up and down the test plank.   

 

Scale wheelbase would be 10.81mm and 11.84mm. So spot on. 

 

Can you see through under the boiler on these models?

 

Chris

[2mm Andy]

1 hour ago, Chris Higgs said:

 

Can you see through under the boiler on these models?

 

Chris

yes - see https://railsofsheffield.com/products/efe-rail-e85501-wd-austerity-j94-saddle-tank-68075-br-black-late-crest

 

Andy

[tapdieuk]

Cheers guys 

John I pick it up at the Swindon show, Jerry had been dissecting a production prototype, working out how to convert.  Kenrow shop/stand was present with 1 of each colour. The main bulk was at the TINGs show. I just like the green colour!

Having drilled the rod blanks I want to see if it would run, before spending time on shaping the blanks. I did drill for 3 sets of rods, as predicted I have misplaced 1 set.....

 

Chris, yes you can. EFE have done well with the model, both from the fine body moulding, and the chassis. My only niggle is they do feel a bit light. Having said that when I ran it before the conversion it ran well, but I will try to get some more weight in it.

 

There is a hazy vision of a Cameo style layout. Either a grotty colliery line, with locos in wasp strips scuttling around or an early preserved railway with shabby blue and grey MK1s and brightly coloured Austerity's....

 

[A. Bastow]

Not worked on anything substantial in a while and after acquiring yet another loco (and accompanying chassis) etch, thanks to Dr Nick and Mr Hunt, I decided to move some things on that have been in my "in progress" box for a while. 

 

Two LSWR 6 wheeled carriages that I acquired from Andy Hanson - one from Derby last year and the other via the post after chatting to Andy at one of the L&Y meetings when he looked at me quite surprised when I produced the etch that he had put on the bring and buy. Both are of Etched Pixels provenance and both reside on some 6 wheeled chassis by Eastern and Midland Models. 

These were really my first go at doing some etched carriage kits. Asbestos fingers were definitely required for them! Or do I need to adapt my working methods? I'm sure I know which one I should do... Interiors still need adding but for now they can trundle around on a layout somewhere- probably on Yeovil when I go to visit Laurie Adams at the next NMAG meeting. Looking at that photo in all its enlarged glory I can see that one of the buffers is askew - need to fix that. 

 

 

 

With a bit of momentum behind me I also decided to build something else that wasn't to L&Y outline. Some MR wagons from parts in the 2mm shop(2). This is the first of two - the other being a 3 plank wagon with what looks like falling sides. I have one more etch without a top to play with. The midland railway study centre has some drawings on their website so the plan is to pick one of those to fit the midland 9ft WB chassis and draw it up for 3d printing. 

 

 

After these it'll probably be back on to an LMS brake van for 3d printing to diagram 1659. This is where it is at the moment. 

 

The plan is to use one of the 8 shoe fitted chassis etches from shop 2. The print will include cosmetic solebars and headstocks. The chassis will be used for the fold up bits and for the bearings, coupling mounts etc. - everything needed to make it functional. 

 

It's been nice to do some modelling after nearly two months of doing not much at all really - as always the pressures of life get in the way! 

Edited October 21, 2023 by A. Bastow
Typo

[Yorkshire Square]

It's time to get some uncoupling magnets installed on Hull Bridge - May might seem a while away, but it will soon pass and the layout will make it's debut in the fairly safe environs of the 2mm Expo at Derby.

 

The Seep units are proven and robust, but I like to have a couple of spares of this sort of thing when exhibiting. The format of the coil requires soldered connections, so I like to add some screw terminals which will allow for a fairly easy swap out if required. Hopefully not!

 

I did a batch of six this afternoon and will need a couple more as spares. The screw terminals will be glued to the plasticard base extension once I get some more hot glue rods. The screw hole in the base will allow simple attachment to the layout baseboards.

 

 

The magnets come with a push button switch which, as recently discussed on the VAG, are usually cheap and nasty - you can see how nasty, one came broken!

 

 

In any event, I'd like to just have one push button which will energise all coils simultaneously, avoiding the need to decide which button to push while shunting. There is no technical detail to speak of in the packaging that comes with the magnets, but a quick poke around with the multimeter indicates just under 1A at 12V. I'll go for a 24V supply which will make the draw 3A over the six units. I'll source a suitable pushbutton, non-latching and nice and robust.

Edited November 5, 2023 by Yorkshire Square

[nick_bastable]

46 minutes ago, Yorkshire Square said:

It's time to get some uncoupling magnets installed on Hull Bridge - May might seem a while away, but it will soon pass and the layout will make it's debut in the fairly safe environs of the 2mm Expo at Derby.

 

The Seep units are proven and robust, but I like to have a couple of spares of this sort of thing when exhibiting. The format of the coil requires soldered connections, so I like to add some screw terminals which will allow for a fairly easy swap out if required. Hopefully not!

 

I did a batch of six this afternoon and will need a couple more as spares. The screw terminals will be glued to the plasticard base extension once I get some more hot glue rods. The screw hole in the base will allow simple attachment to the layout baseboards.

 

 

The magnets come with a push button switch which, as recently discussed on the VAG, are usually cheap and nasty - you can see how nasty, one came broken!

 

 

In any event, I'd like to just have one push button which will energise all coils simultaneously, avoiding the need to decide which button to push while shunting. There is no technical detail to speak of in the packaging that comes with the magnets, but a quick poke around with the multimeter indicates just under 1A at 12V. I'll go for a 24V supply which will make the draw 3A over the six units. I'll source a suitable pushbutton, non-latching and nice and robust.

I would suggest a relay will remove all problems

[yaxxbarl]

5 hours ago, Yorkshire Square said:

It's time to get some uncoupling magnets installed on Hull Bridge - May might seem a while away, but it will soon pass and the layout will make it's debut in the fairly safe environs of the 2mm Expo at Derby.

 

The Seep units are proven and robust, but I like to have a couple of spares of this sort of thing when exhibiting. The format of the coil requires soldered connections, so I like to add some screw terminals which will allow for a fairly easy swap out if required. Hopefully not!

 

I did a batch of six this afternoon and will need a couple more as spares. The screw terminals will be glued to the plasticard base extension once I get some more hot glue rods. The screw hole in the base will allow simple attachment to the layout baseboards.

 

 

The magnets come with a push button switch which, as recently discussed on the VAG, are usually cheap and nasty - you can see how nasty, one came broken!

 

 

In any event, I'd like to just have one push button which will energise all coils simultaneously, avoiding the need to decide which button to push while shunting. There is no technical detail to speak of in the packaging that comes with the magnets, but a quick poke around with the multimeter indicates just under 1A at 12V. I'll go for a 24V supply which will make the draw 3A over the six units. I'll source a suitable pushbutton, non-latching and nice and robust.

I'll be interested to see what you go with pushbutton wise - for now I actually went with the button supplied with the SEEP uncouplers but I have had one fail mechanically on me.

 

I too feed the magnets off of 24V AC - previously I had used DC but was warned I risked permanently magnetising the iron core.

 

Old Mill Wharf is going to end up with 3 or 4, all switched by the one button so I'll want to go with something more up to the job.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Ian Morgan]

21 minutes ago, yaxxbarl said:

I too feed the magnets off of 24V AC - previously I had used DC but was warned I risked permanently magnetising the iron core.

 

 

Also, if you feed them DC, then you really need a diode across the coil, otherwise you will get huge sparks across the switch/button contacts when you switch off.

[Michael Edge]

7 hours ago, yaxxbarl said:

 

 

I too feed the magnets off of 24V AC - previously I had used DC but was warned I risked permanently magnetising the iron core.

 

 

Don't worry about that, some of mine have been running on about 20v DC for 40 years now and there's never been any sign of significant magnetising of the cores. You do need good quality push buttons though, cheap ones have been known to get welded shut - probably for the reason given above.

[Nigelcliffe]

15 hours ago, Yorkshire Square said:

 

In any event, I'd like to just have one push button which will energise all coils simultaneously, avoiding the need to decide which button to push while shunting. There is no technical detail to speak of in the packaging that comes with the magnets, but a quick poke around with the multimeter indicates just under 1A at 12V. I'll go for a 24V supply which will make the draw 3A over the six units. I'll source a suitable pushbutton, non-latching and nice and robust.

 

As indicated by Nick and Ian above, there needs to be something done to stop switches being destroyed.   A larger switch with a higher rating will still be damaged by the spike from the coils.   

It is the back-emf when the power is removed, that creates a big spike which then erodes switch contacts as they are opening.  Its also a lot of electrical noise which can upset other things on a layout, such as servo motors, any microprocessor driven device, etc - I've known a layout's entire control gear reset itself from those spikes, and the layout had a 20-Amp DC supply, so no shortage of power. 

 

 

Methods to deal with the spike, and protect the switch with DC power: 

 

Reverse diode over coil.  Fit as close to coil as possible.  Will protect switch from erosion.   Ensure diode is correct way round, or the coil won't work!   Use a decently sized diode: 5A rated for example.   But, still need high current switch and high current wiring.  

Relay near coil.   Moves the spike erosion from the switch to the relay contacts (though a diode on the coil will solve this).   High current is no longer at switch.   A simple relay alone may still be causing a spike from its coil to the switch, but a typical commercial relay module doesn't present such an issue.   

Mosfet switch module (or other transistor device).   Protects push button as only trivial small current flowing in switch.   Keeps high current under layout.   Doesn't need diode over coil.   Downside is typically they requires 3v to 5v at switch to trigger their operation - that is not hard to arrange with a few resistors if there is a higher DC voltage available in the panel.   

 

 

At a minimum with DC supply, fit the diode to the coil.   I'd use either a Relay module or a Mosfet module - either are a couple of pounds on Ebay or Amazon. 

 

 

- Nigel

 

[Lacathedrale]

Being an absolute numbskull when it comes to electronics - though I am trying to learn - I have bought a 5A diode to avoid any problems using a Seep EM1 with a DC supply.

 

Am I to understand from your instructions, @Nigelcliffe that it simply a matter of connecting the legs of the diode across the pads of the electromagnet, and ensuring that the positive from the DC feed goes into the same electromagnet pad which has leg of the diode attached that is on the 'bar' side? Like this:

 

 

I've done a few test runs with a 25V 3A supply and it seems OK but so far but for the sake of a few pence I'd rather make sure it doesn't do anything untoward.

 

Here is what I've been working on - the test track (base) with an uncoupler, and my first ever automatic couplers in any scale or gauge!

 

 

I have been advised that having loops on one side only makes coupling up a little easier (i.e. no loops clashing against each other), and I realise after testing that should mount the couplings a little further inboard of the wagon - but I'm very pleased indeed.

[Nigelcliffe]

1 hour ago, Lacathedrale said:

Being an absolute numbskull when it comes to electronics - though I am trying to learn - I have bought a 5A diode to avoid any problems using a Seep EM1 with a DC supply.

 

Am I to understand from your instructions, @Nigelcliffe that it simply a matter of connecting the legs of the diode across the pads of the electromagnet, and ensuring that the positive from the DC feed goes into the same electromagnet pad which has leg of the diode attached that is on the 'bar' side? Like this:

 

 

I've done a few test runs with a 25V 3A supply and it seems OK but so far but for the sake of a few pence I'd rather make sure it doesn't do anything untoward.

 

 

Yes, that's correct.      Ideal world the diode is close to the coil, so fixed onto the base of the electromagnet.   

 

Only constraints are now: 

a)   no longer works well on AC power, it is DC-only. 

b)   must connect to DC power the right way round.   

 

 

 

[Lacathedrale]

That works perfectly. Thank you very much. Using a DC power supply I’ve found I need about 6V to provide a robust uncoupling movement using DG’s and a Seep EM1, while keeping the hum to a minimum.

[Hendreladis]

With a bit of free time on my hands earlier in the year I had a go at etching. Finally starting the trial builds on half a dozen or so locos and coaches. 

 

Need to sort out extending the axles before going any further but this looks promising. 

 

Has anyone got a single pair of the old white metal centred 10mm drivers they might part with? 

[MarshLane]

7 hours ago, Hendreladis said:

With a bit of free time on my hands earlier in the year I had a go at etching. Finally starting the trial builds on half a dozen or so locos and coaches. 

 

Need to sort out extending the axles before going any further but this looks promising. 

 

Has anyone got a single pair of the old white metal centred 10mm drivers they might part with? 

 

 

Nice work with those.  Are the rivets half etched, or marked on the rear and punched?

Rich

 

[Hendreladis]

A bit of both. The more prominent, beefy rivets are half etched with the lesser ones around the buffer beams are pricked in from behind. 

[Hendreladis]

I lack the skills and patience for too much fine detail nowadays. Time is shortening and I need to start finishing things. 

 

With that in mind I've been trying to simplify coach construction to suit my cack handedness while allowing reasonably quick build times. 

 

The coach below, still grubby and covered in wonderful fluxite (I'm too set in my ways to come to terms with the liquid stuff) went together in about 6 hours. 2 of those were spent on adding bolection mouldings which had previously worked okay on some six wheelers. Never doing that again. 

 

Lots of fine detail to add but all relatively simple. Ideally the Bogies need 3d printed suspension bits. Another learning curve. 

 

I reckon it is possible to do 3 bodies and associated chassis in a week plus maybe another week on details which is progress of a sort. But not much. I'll revisit some of the parts to see what can be done to gain assembly time. 

 

The clerestory had problems on the artwork but I had included spare bits just in case so hopefully I can cobble something together. 

 

These can be assembled in both broad and narrow gauge version. I'll let you know how that pans out. The initial approach re the wider chassis needs tweaking bot not a million miles off. 

[ShadowinLinby]

What's not broken doesn't need fixing is the appropriate saying. I've used Fluxite for years and just like you it works perfectly. CCT replacement put together using the same.

[Hendreladis]

On 24/11/2023 at 08:13, ShadowinLinby said:

What's not broken doesn't need fixing is the appropriate saying. I've used Fluxite for years and just like you it works perfectly. CCT replacement put together using the same.

 

What is your preferred cleaning solution for fluxite? i chop and change various chemical soups in the ultrasonic cleaner with occasionally crusty results - brake cleaner to de grease, star drops, vim, dish washer liquid etc.

 

Your result look nice and crisp. What is the secret?

[Hendreladis]

A case in point. Almost an oxidised layer in the nooks and crannies. It can be easily rimoved with a scratch. Which means another trip to the cleaner. And more build up. Ad nauseam. 

 

In fairness the final paint layer usually kills it off but I often wonder whether it will fight back through to the surface. 

[ShadowinLinby]

The chassis in the photo hasn't been cleaned at all yet. I find a toothbrush and a bit of fairy liquid is all you need.