Whats on your 2mm Work bench

[2mmMark]

I'd recommend a clock cleaning solution. Various types are available.  I've been using Horolene and it works very well.  All you need to do is leave the parts in the solution for about 30 minutes and they come out very clean.

[Hendreladis]

On 25/11/2023 at 20:09, 2mmMark said:

I'd recommend a clock cleaning solution. Various types are available.  I've been using Horolene and it works very well.  All you need to do is leave the parts in the solution for about 30 minutes and they come out very clean.

Following Mark's advice I tried an ammonia based cleaner. Works a treat. Ideally I'd like something capable of doing away with too much scrubbing but wiggling a paint brush into nooks and crannies while in the ultrasonic cleaner shifts a surprising amount of crud. 

 

This was meant to be a quickie. I reckon I've spent as much time so far trying to file enough clearance under the boiler for the drivers as has been spent assembling the etch. 

 

These things seem to go together okay with only a couple of rookie errors on the etch. Next step will be to attempt to 3d print some roofs and springs for the Bogies. Then final chassis detailing and handles before they get consigned, as ever, to the boxes of semi finished tat in a drawer somewhere. 

[Yorkshire Square]

Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt.

 

I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here, but I'm doing it anyway. I'm sure it will turn out okay in the end. Maybe... 🤣

 

Thank you to Ant Yeates for the inspiration and Andy Hanson for the DAS!

 

Edited December 3, 2023 by Yorkshire Square

[DavidLong]

On 03/12/2023 at 09:10, Yorkshire Square said:

Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt.

 

I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here, but I'm doing it anyway. I'm sure it will turn out okay in the end. Maybe... 🤣

 

Thank you to Ant Yeates for the inspiration and Andy Hanson for the DAS!

 

 

Most courageous if I may say so. I haven't dared to try it yet!

 

David

[Caley Jim]

2 hours ago, DavidLong said:

Most courageous if I may say so. I haven't dared to try it yet!

It's what I've always used.  Watered down to the consistency of thick cream and applied with a soft No.6 artist's paintbrush.

 

 

Jim

[Matt.S.]

Since I last posted here wagon 42 for the winter season left the workbench along with a couple of mermaids (which I would thoroughly recommend), an LMS van, Chivers tube with assoc fettling and some conflats.

 

Next stop LMS/BR CCTs and the sunny painting season!

Edited December 5, 2023 by Matt.S.

[A. Bastow]

Back at the digital workbench after another hiatus - at least this enforced break was shorter than the last. 

 

Back on with doing the LMS D1659 brake van to 2mm scale. Just got a few lamp irons to do but that'll go fairly quickly. They need to go on the outside of the roof supports on the sides, and another on the roof support in front of the door. I haven't decided whether I'll put some guide holes in for wire handrails yet...

 

I think it looks alright considering I did it from an outline drawing. I have modelled it to photos from Essery's book on LMS wagons. 

 

 

The plan for the chassis: I have decided to try and cut and shut one of the 8 brake shoe fitted chassis from shop 2 and slightly lengthen it to 12ft WB. I'll have to see if it looks the part once printed! 

 

Other projects have been bubbling away in the background too but I'm not ready to share those just yet! 

Edited December 7, 2023 by A. Bastow

[Matt.S.]

Meri Kirihimete!

 

Slowly plodding along with this pair 

[t-b-g]

After a couple of false starts, trying to use some etched components that really needed too much adaption to be suitable, we have the first of the cylinders for the Class U.

 

The main block is machined and filed from a lump of brass and the cylinder/valve fronts and backs are turnings.

 

Just got to make another one for the other side then on with the valve gear.

 

[2mmMark]

Merry Christmas from the workbench.  Recent activity has been narrow & transatlantic. Some proper photos soon.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/FQcbVUerIpc?feature=share
 

[tapdieuk]

Hope every one has has a good Christmas.

I have been working though quite a few part complete projects mostly and wagons. But this trio of Midland NPCS (open and closed carriage truck (David Eveleigh) and Parcels van (shot down etch?)) has been edging forward with painting of the raised beading, roofs to follow.  None of My limited Midland books show what and how the lettering was laid out on these vehicles, My question is does any one else know or have a clear photo? I have the Midland Coach transfers from the 2mm shop. 

 

 

[bill-lobb]

On 27/12/2023 at 16:45, tapdieuk said:

Hope every one has has a good Christmas.

I have been working though quite a few part complete projects mostly and wagons. But this trio of Midland NPCS (open and closed carriage truck (David Eveleigh) and Parcels van (shot down etch?)) has been edging forward with painting of the raised beading, roofs to follow.  None of My limited Midland books show what and how the lettering was laid out on these vehicles, My question is does any one else know or have a clear photo? I have the Midland Coach transfers from the 2mm shop. 

 

 

If at all possible try to get sight of "Midland Carriages" by Jenkinson & Essery or V2 of Lacy & Dow's "Midland Railway Carriages". I am not sure if copyright would permit me to upload photos here. 

The photos in J&E show all with very small lettering.

The parcels van has the word "PARCELS" in the waist panel below the central panel which looks to be divide in 2. In the waist panel 2 to the lsft of that are the letters "M.R." - with full stops. The panel 2 to the right of the central one has the number - 27 in the photo.

The OCT has "M.R." in the panel to the left of centre and the number (181)  in the one to the right.

The CCT has "M.R.) in the pane; just below the windon on the left hand door and the number in the corresponding panel on the right hand door.

I believe that the lettering would have initially been gold but changed to yellow in the latter part of the Midland's existence.

For what it is worth here is my interpretation of David's CCT. I have never been able to decide what the lining would be on these - studying the photos suggests none at all, but I find it almost impossible to distinguish black and crimson in a monochrome photograph. A question on the Midland Railway Society's equivalent to the VAG didn't come up with anything. My interpretation is different to yours, but don't let that put you off - it is a guess. Indeed if you have any further information I'd love to see it.

 

Bill

 

 

Edited December 28, 2023 by bill-lobb

[Compound2632]

On 27/12/2023 at 16:45, tapdieuk said:

My question is does any one else know or have a clear photo?

 

15 hours ago, bill-lobb said:

I believe that the lettering would have initially been gold but changed to yellow in the latter part of the Midland's existence.

For what it is worth here is my interpretation of David's CCT. I have never been able to decide what the lining would be on these - studying the photos suggests none at all, but I find it almost impossible to distinguish black and crimson in a monochrome photograph. A question on the Midland Railway Society's equivalent to the VAG didn't come up with anything. My interpretation is different to yours, but don't let that put you off - it is a guess. Indeed if you have any further information I'd love to see it.

 

I had a hunt on the Midland Railway Study Centre online catalogue: https://midlandrailwaystudycentre.org.uk/catalogue.php; but annoyingly the relevant photos aren't there as thumbnails. (Yet.)

 

I think lettering remained gold; it was the lining that was changed from gold leaf to yellow paint in the early 1890s, because these types of vehicles were not washed - which gives a hint to the degree of weathering wanted!

 

I had an unsuccessful hunt for your question on the MRS IO Group - it must have been some time ago?

 

Interesting that you've given your CCT the LH-facing Morton brake lever (with, presumably, RH-facing on the other side) - I think this fits with the period around 1905; hand-brake lever on one side only came c. 1899 IIRC; before that, these NPCS vehicles only had the vacuum brake and if built before the mid 1880s, originally no brake a all!

[Yorkshire Square]

On 03/12/2023 at 09:10, Yorkshire Square said:

Oh. My. Giddy. Aunt.

 

I'm not quite sure what I'm doing here...

 

Not a lot got done over the Christmas break as I seem to have acquired a raging cold and chest infection.

 

The DASing did get finished though and is just about coloured to my satisfaction. There was an awful lot of cleaning up to do, particularly along check rails and through crossings. I'm pretty pleased with the way it has turned out, especially as only a month ago I didn't know exactly how I was going to do it.

 

Happy New Year!

 

[bill-lobb]

On 29/12/2023 at 15:05, Compound2632 said:

 

 

 

 

I think lettering remained gold; it was the lining that was changed from gold leaf to yellow paint in the early 1890s, because these types of vehicles were not washed - which gives a hint to the degree of weathering wanted!

 

 

If the lettering was done by transfers that would make sense. No point in having a different set for NPCS. Re examining Jenkinson and Essery they do mention the lining changing so I might have over extrapolated.

 

On 29/12/2023 at 15:05, Compound2632 said:

I had an unsuccessful hunt for your question on the MRS IO Group - it must have been some time ago?

 

The photo I uploaded is dated 2012, so it will have been before then. Would that predate the current IO group? It also means I can't remember all the design choices I made.

 

On 29/12/2023 at 15:05, Compound2632 said:

 

Interesting that you've given your CCT the LH-facing Morton brake lever (with, presumably, RH-facing on the other side) - I think this fits with the period around 1905; hand-brake lever on one side only came c. 1899 IIRC; before that, these NPCS vehicles only had the vacuum brake and if built before the mid 1880s, originally no brake a all!

I don't think any of the photos I have seen of CCTs show a brake handle. I think the inspiration for mine came from plate 206 in J&E which shows a horsebox with a left facing lever so I assumed other NPCS would be the same. The other side does indeed have a right facing lever. My period is about 1907. The levers, incidentally, are spares from Association MR wagon chassis that I modelled with one side only brakes.

 

 

Bill

Edited December 31, 2023 by bill-lobb
Speling corrected (sic)

[Nig H]

On 03/10/2023 at 16:56, Nig H said:

I have been working on some LMS Stanier suburbans for what seems like ages. The first one I did, the maroon one, I had to repaint because the masking over the sides took the paint with it when I removed it after painting the ends and underframe. Once I'd successfully repainted it, John Aldrick kindly agreed to do the lining on the sides, and very good it is too. For the crimson ones, I brush painted the ends and underframe so I didn't need to mask off the sides. It tuned out to be easier than I thought, though it took a long time. I 

 

The next stage was to apply coach numbers and class 1s etc transfers. I started with some CCT number sets for the coach numbers as these include the correct number ranges for these coaches. The colour of the transfers is yellow, which is wrong for the pre-1956 crimson livery (it should be old gold). I thought I might be able to run an orange felt-tip pen over the transfers but this didn't really work. The number sets went on OK, but when I cut out the 'guard' lettering for the guards compartment door, I found the transfer lifted away from the backing paper. I applied these anyway. I wasn't totally convinced by the results of all this, the colour just looked wrong.

I planned to airbrush the transfers with a protective layer of vanish, as is usual practice. I thought the transfers might be blown away by the airbrush so it seemed a good idea to brush over the transfers with some satin varnish. Doing this caused the lettering on the transfers to disintegrate. Has anyone else have this happen? So, in the end I removed the CCT transfers from the crimson coaches, and used Fox transfers instead. Although these were the correct old gold colour, I had to make up each string with individual digits and letters. This was quite tedious but not as bad as I thought it would be. So that's where I'm up to - see pics below. 

 

Next step is to varnish the sides and spray the roofs. Then fix the glazing and seats inside the bodies, and attach the roofs.

 

Nigel Hunt

Well, I finally finished these coaches and here are a couple of pics. As I'll be making a couple more, I'll leave the weathering until later. 

 

 

They're not perfect but I'm reasonably happy with the results. 

 

I started on the next coach by forming the tumblehome (or turnunder) on the sides. I have used a plasticard former to do this as shown here.

 

 

The metal rod or tube is forced down along the bottom edge of the side and against the angled edge of the former to bend the bottom section the side to a slight curve. Its best, I find, to get the bend slightly too tight, then it can be flattened slightly if needed, with a steel rule pressed down on the side.

 

Next I'll solder the door ventilator hoods in place.

 

Nigel Hunt

 

[Nig H]

On 04/01/2024 at 16:11, Nig H said:

Well, I finally finished these coaches and here are a couple of pics. As I'll be making a couple more, I'll leave the weathering until later.t

 

Nigel Hunt

 

The sides I'm working on are from Worsley Works. The position of the ventilators is not marked in any way so after tinning sparingly along the top edge of the side, I soldered the outer door ventilators in place, positioning them by eye as best I could. I then held a steel rule against the bottom edge of the two attached ventilators and taped the rule to the coach side. Then the rest of the vents were added, held against the steel rule for the vertical position, and by eye as accurately as possible centrally on the door.

 

I hold the vent down with an old Exacto knife blade. The theory is the point stops anything slipping whilst soldering, and minimizes the heat sink affect, though the steel rule will be much worse anyway.

The tape is Kapton heat-resistant. Its useful for lots of things.

 

Once I'd soldered all the vents on, I soldered the sides to the ends. Not the easiest of jobs, but it gets easier the more sides are attached, and if you tack solder everything at first, you can make adjustments to the joins so that sides and ends are attached accurately.

 

Here's an end view after soldering the floor unit inside the sides/ ends. Its worth checking the solebars end level with the ends so that the buffer beam is level with the ends when soldered to the solebars.

 

The WW floor pan includes fold-up trussing, which I don't like, so I used my own or Ultima trussing instead. The centre of the floor pan is still quite flimsy so I soldered a rectangle of double-sided pcb to the inside of the floor pan. I don't know why I used pcb, I could have used scrap metal sheet instead.

Pcb in place and also 12BA nuts for bogies.

 

And the underside.

 

More to follow soon.

 

Nigel Hunt

[tapdieuk]

Having pontificated for long enough about the small size of the transfers I just got on and applied when on the ZAG meeting. Thanks to Compound2632 and Bill-lobb for the  feed back on livery and details. Numbers wise I went with the letter sets on the transfer sheets. Only had trouble with 2 sets, one getting completely folded over. The Railtec transfers can take a mauling. A sealing varnish is drying so the comparatively easy bit of roof painting and couplings.... 

 

 

On 28/12/2023 at 23:34, bill-lobb said:

If at all possible try to get sight of "Midland Carriages" by Jenkinson & Essery or V2 of Lacy & Dow's "Midland Railway Carriages". I am not sure if copyright would permit me to upload photos here. 

The photos in J&E show all with very small lettering.

The parcels van has the word "PARCELS" in the waist panel below the central panel which looks to be divide in 2. In the waist panel 2 to the lsft of that are the letters "M.R." - with full stops. The panel 2 to the right of the central one has the number - 27 in the photo.

The OCT has "M.R." in the panel to the left of centre and the number (181)  in the one to the right.

Thene; just below the windon on the left hand door and the number in the corresponding panel on the right hand door.

I believe that the lettering would have initially been gold but changed to yellow in the latter part of the Midland's existence.

For what it is worth here is my interpretation of David's CCT. I have never been able to decide what the lining would be on these - studying the photos suggests none at all, but I find it almost impossible to distinguish black and crimson in a monochrome photograph. A question on the Midland Railway Society's equivalent to the VAG didn't come up with anything. My interpretation is different to yours, but don't let that put you off - it is a guess. Indeed if you have any further information I'd love to see it.

 

Bill

 

 

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Edited January 14 by tapdieuk
Spelling and correct photo

[queensquare]

5 hours ago, tapdieuk said:

Having pontificated for long enough about the small size of the transfers I just got on and applied when on the ZAG meeting. Thanks to Compound2632 and Bill-lobb for the  feed back on livery and details. Numbers wise I went with the letter sets on the transfer sheets. Only had trouble with 2 sets, one getting completely folded over. The Railtec transfers can take a mauling. A sealing varnish is drying so the comparatively easy bit of roof painting and couplings.... 

 

 

blockquote widget

 

They look excellent Will.

 

Jerry

[Nick Mitchell]

There's not been a lot happening on my workbench of late, however back in the summer I was persuaded to start building a OO gauge loco for my eldest son as a side project.

The loco he asked me to build is an LNWR 18" goods (a.k.a. Cauliflower) from the London Road Models kit. It occurred to me that I had been keeping a set of "shot down" etches for this self-same kit in the "too hard" section of my gloat box for over a decade... and being in a position where I have five almost finished (bar final details and painting) locos sitting around, but none at the head-scratching stage, I thought it might finally be time to dig it out.

 

Having gone mad some time ago, I decided it would be a good idea to try and build the same loco in two different scales. At the same time. This might not be as crazy as it sounds? Despite the old adage "never model a model", I've often looked at 4mm models to get a 3-dimensional sense of the details when building a 2mm model that drawings and photographs can't always convey. My idea is to build the 4mm model (which must surely be easier) as a learning exercise for putting together the 2mm version.

 

Here are the etches, side by side for comparison. The brass for the 2mm version is 8 thou, which is more than half the thickness of the 4mm version, which has already brought some challenges in getting things to fit.

 

 

I started with what I thought would be the most tricky bit, which is the boiler. As you can see above, the 4mm kit comes with the boiler cut out and ready-rolled, just requiring the seam along the bottom soldering.

I imagined I would need to use a length of brass tube for the 2mm boiler, with the etch perhaps as an overlay, but I was able to roll it up and form the firebox, and it seemed to be okay!

 

 

The comparison photos of the boilers above looked odd until I realised the 4mm version was designed to be paired with a Belpaire firebox. Unfortunately the rest of the kit was for a round-top firebox (like the 2mm version), but John at LRM was able to quickly furnish me with a replacement.

 

The second-most tricky part looked to be the characteristic wavy footplate. Here the kit provides a fold-up frame to attach the valances to the footplate and keep everything straight.

The photo below is the 4mm version, with red marks where I've needed to filed the footplate back to accommodate OO gauge wheels.

I had the opposite problem on the 2mm version, where the width over the outside of the wheels was too great to fit between the splashers.

 

 

 

I'm trying to progress the two locos step by step. Here they are with the boilers (4mm one with firebox this time!) places inexplicably back-to-front on the footplates. After 20 years, I'm starting to realise just how small 2mm scale is!!!

 

 

I deviated from the instructions in the order of construction, adding the cab sides to the footplate, but the cab front to the firebox. There is a nice half-etched line in the cab front showing where the firebox should fit, and it felt much easier to fit the firebox to this line with the cab front flat on the bench. I could then line the cab front up with the sides, and file the firebox sides to be a nice fit to the footplate before fixing the boiler/firebox unit in place.

 

While I was working on this on the 4mm version, the 2mm boiler decided to burst apart at the seam...

 

 

Below you can see the boiler repaired, with the beginnings of the smokebox in place, and the footplate ready to accept it.

As mentioned above, it was necessary to move the splashers out in order to accommodate the 2mm wheels.

After soldering the cab side sheets in place (there were slots in the footplate to locate it), I filed the footplate away right up to the inside of the side sheets, and measured the gap. I opened the gaps for the splashers to match this dimension.

 

 

When it came to adding the two layers smokebox wrapper, the 4mm version was much easier. There are holes for handrails (or something!) in the boiler and the wrappers, so I could thread a small broken drill through these to get the layers perfectly lined up.

The inner wrapper goes flush to the front of the boiler "tube", then the smokebox front is soldered on, with the outer wrapper overlapping.

On the 2mm version, because the metal is proportionally thicker, the holes in the wrappers didn't line up, and I had to adjust them with a broach.

You can see in the photo below how the hole has become more of a slot so that a 0.3mm drill could pass from one side of the smokebox to the other.

 

 

The other side (below) is a similar mess. I used a larger drill down the hole where the chimney will fit to keep everything lined up in the other dimension.

 

 

With the boiler unit fixed in place on the footplate, it is starting to take on the basic shape of the loco... lots of cleaning up to do however...

 

 

Below is the view from below. I soldered a 14BA nut onto the footplate before fixing the smokebox saddle in place:

 

 

Here's the 4mm version built up to the same state. It is absolutely HUGE!

 

 

Before I go any further with the loco body, I need to work out the chassis arrangements in such a way as the top and bottom will fit together.

The firebox is roughly the same width as a standard set of 2mm frames, so I'm thinking about using the kit frames, with an inner layer added to form a gear tower.

Below is a sketch of how things could be laid out, driving on the rear axle, with the worm and first stage reduction gear hidden in the firebox/ashpan. The cab has a false floor. Raising it a fraction should clear the gear on the rear axle. The universal joint housing will fit between the cab inside splashers, and should be reasonably discreet.

 

 

The 4mm kit comes with a set of lovely castings, which are handy because I can measure them and halve the dimensions ready for making my own...

 

Edited January 22 by Nick Mitchell
Corrected exaggerated number of inches

[65179]

2 hours ago, Nick Mitchell said:

There's not been a lot happening on my workbench of late, however back in the summer I was persuaded to start building a OO gauge loco for my eldest son as a side project.

The loco he asked me to build is an LNWR 19" goods (a.k.a. Cauliflower) from the London Road Models kit. It occurred to me that I had been keeping a set of "shot down" etches for this self-same kit in the "too hard" section of my gloat box for over a decade... and being in a position where I have five almost finished (bar final details and painting) locos sitting around, but none at the head-scratching stage, I thought it might finally be time to dig it out

 

Great work Nick. I've managed to avoid the temptation to model a Cauliflower as I don't think they got closer to Chorlton than Trafford Park. I was expecting to see a 4-6-0 when you mentioned 19in Goods. Was the Cauliflower the 18in? I'm not well up on LNWR types.

 

As you are doing 2mm and 4mm side by side builds, I believe Brassmasters have a nice kit for a ...

 

Simon

[Nick Mitchell]

2 hours ago, 65179 said:

I was expecting to see a 4-6-0 when you mentioned 19in Goods. Was the Cauliflower the 18in? I'm not well up on LNWR types.

Sorry, @65179! You're absolutely correct about 18" - a typo I'm afraid.

[garethashenden]

5 hours ago, Nick Mitchell said:

Having gone mad some time ago,

I know the feeling, but its so funny to read this. 

[Donw]

Grand job Nick. I wonder if building the 4mm one is actually making it easier to build the 2mm one. I know what you mean about size I looked at one of my 7mm wagons compared to a 2mm one.

 

Don

[CF MRC]

Try working on a 3.5” gauge loco for a contrast in size!

 

Tim