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7mm A4 MERLIN from a Martin Finney Kit


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It's nice to see the brake shoes fitted nice and close to the wheel rims, badly cast shoes or etches that do not follow the curve of the wheel rims are a pet hate of mine.

 

Martyn.

Yes: I just hope they are not too close!

 

Looking at it now I realise what I should have done: not fix the brake shoes to the upper wires and not solder the pull rods to the front brake tube. That way it would have been possible to get the wheels out without resorting to the soldering iron or saw. We live and learn..........

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Snip the wires that support the brake hangers off, leaving about 5mm still attached to the hangers. Unsolder and remove the wires from the chassis.

 

Replace with brass tubing having an internal diameter matching the brass wire, and the same length as the original wires.....or wahtever the length is across the insides of the brake hangers.  The whole assembly could then be sprung into place.

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Snip the wires that support the brake hangers off, leaving about 5mm still attached to the hangers. Unsolder and remove the wires from the chassis.

 

Replace with brass tubing having an internal diameter matching the brass wire, and the same length as the original wires.....or wahtever the length is across the insides of the brake hangers.  The whole assembly could then be sprung into place.

Thanks for the suggestion. I might just do this. Now to check my tube stocks...............

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  • 2 weeks later...

A business trip to the sub-continent put a brake on modelling but some limited progress has been made this week. Fitting the tender buffers has been irksome: the instructions note that some fettling is required and I have certainly found that to be the case! It would have helped if I had a lathe (and the competence to use it) to reduce the diameter of the buffer shanks, but I have neither so had too resort to drills, burrs and files and eventually got there. I had to loctite the steel retaining nuts onto the buffer threads and then reduce them to mere steel blobs so that they clear the tender frames and the buffers compress. Anyway done now. 

 

I have also folded up the tender steps and pressed out the rivets. The tender frames have holes that correspond to the rivet positions so I have decided that I will drill out the dummy rivet heads in the steps and replace them with small brass rivets. This will give perfect alignment and be easier than soldering the steps in position (I will solder the rivets in place). Trouble is that I don't have enough stock of the brass rivets here so another order - the third in two weeks - has this morning been sent to that well known emporium! Meanwhile I will be able to locate the steps with two rivets each and add the remainder later.

 

I'll post photos at the weekend.

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Some real progress today. Tender steps fitted (still missing some rivets) together with axleboxes, springs etc. The steam heat pipe is just fixed temporarily.

 

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Now I hope somebody can provide an answer to my question in the prototype section about the vacuum reservoir so I can get that fixed. Then I will just need to fit the vacuum pipe and vacuum and steam hoses and the chassis will be finished i think.

 

My steel rod for bending the tender sides has arrived, so I have no excuses not to keep going!

 

It's not quite the Great Orme. but occasionally Bangkok can look pretty!

 

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I am almost too embarrassed to post anything today, as I have been in dozy twonk mode!

 

The rivets that I need to complete the tender frames have been delivered, but unfortunately to the wrong continent,so I will have to wait while they are sent on. So time to get a start on the body.

 

The kit provides a nice jig for locating the front handrails for the different versions of the tender. This is also used as a template for cutting back the sides for the A4 version of the tender. I should have known that I wasn't on top form when I broke three fret saw blades, but I carried on. Next step was to bend the tops and front of the tender sides. No problems there and the next step is to add the beading. Cue stupid attack.

 

The beading is tinned copper. Much more difficult to straighten than anticipated but I got there in the end and soldered the beading in place, forming it around the curves at the front of the tender. Then I noticed that the lower edge of the beading was sitting clear of the sides. Then I realised that the beading is half round and needs the flat side soldering to the tender..............doh!

 

Now this is where I got lucky. I was able to unsolder the beading without deforming it and it fitted perfectly on the other side. An unjustified piece of luck but I was happy to take it.

 

The photos are not very good, but here are the sides:

 

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As penance for my stupidity I thought that I would form the rivets on the corridor roof, tank top overlay and coal chute.  I haven't counted them but it was mind-numbingly boring. Quite apt for today's skill level I feel. The corridor roof now resembles a banana but should straighten OK.

 

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Better progress tomorrow I hope.

 

 

 

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Seriously nice David...I have spent some time battling with the 4mm tender Martin Finney kit... had to borrow a GW rivet press and it took some time to get the pressure right. Thank goodness that I started in the coal section of the tender.. lets just say that there will be strategic coal filled to places to hide the rivets that I mucked up. It is good to see others have "off" days.... Well saved though! I look forward to more though yours is bigger than mine!  :scratchhead:

 

I may depending on the day have a start of the kit while listening to the Melbourne cup tomorrow! 

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A much better time this evening!

 

First job was to solder the tank top overlay to the tank top. A combination of an M2 screw and but through the hole for water tank filler casting, a couple of strong magnets and three bulldog clips held everything in position while a very hot iron was used to run 180 degree solder into the visible joins.

 

The division plate had me in a quandary. There are two supplied in the kit: one  for the A1/3 and another for the A4. Selecting the two from the fret that were identified in the plans as being suitable for the A4 resulted in a mismatch. Checking the other pair also showed a mismatch so it is clear there is an error in the parts' identification, but no real problem. So the division plate had its rivets formed and the overlay soldered in place. It is shown here resting on the tank top.

 

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Next I folded the coal space. The first reaction was that something was wrong as it isn't flat at the top. A quick check of the drawings and locating against the tender sides shows that it isn't supposed to be level!

 

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I wondered about forming the corridor, but decided that it is a job for tomorrow. The collection of bits is coming together!

 

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The rivets I need to complete the chassis have arrived, so that is a job for later today. Meanwhile there has been another session of rivet embossing:

 

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Followed by construction of the gangway and detailing of the tender rear:

 

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When parts have to be detached from the fret before they are required, I try either to mark parts that are large enough to carry a number by them selves, or for smaller parts stick them to a piece of paper. Next job is to assemble the front plate. I have started:

 

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Then we'll see if the various bits will fit together to form a tender top!

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I discovered that I still had  a couple of pieces to dd to the front plate, so I fitted them and the started to put the prepared parts together. The instructions say fit the rear to the right side first, but I found it easier to tack the tank top in place first as it aids getting the back square. All of the sub-assemblies were built using 188 solder, so I used 145 to join them together.

 

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The I added the division plate and strengthened the joints. The connection between the corridor top and the side is not my best work, but I think it is going to be hidden by the fairing.

 

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I then added the coal hopper, left side and front.

 

It looks like a tender!

 

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Still need to add the floor and do some fettling, but that can wait. It's now time for a beer!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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After a couple of days of not doing anything, this evening has been rather productive. Once the main floor was in place I was able to add the front floor support and floor.

 

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Then I could start adding the whitemetal castings and other details.

 

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The front lifting eyes were fun to build and fit.

 

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The unforgiving eye of the camera shows that I still have an amount of tidying up to do.

 

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But generally it is looking like a tender!

 

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I think two more sessions will finish this. There are the front plate details to add eg water levers, water gauge, handbrake, water scoop and smokebox door crank handle. At the rear there is the missing corridor cover, corridor piston cover, corridor bellows, angle plates on the division plate and tender rear and the fairing and fairing supports. Plus a couple of dozen rivets on the chassis, vacuum tank and supports, vacuum and steam pipes. Plus all the cleaning up and minor filling so perhaps 3 sessions not two!

 

Does anybody know how long the steam and vacuum hoses should be? The supplied ones are probably too long.

 

Now it is time to open the fridge door and liberate a bottle of ESB!

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The tender body is complete except for the gangway bellows and doors and is now in the paint shop. The chassis has started its journey through the paint shop.

 

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Looking at the photos I can see some touching up is required.

 

The hoses are at a funny angles as I have not yet added the retaining wires that will hook onto the 0.3mm hooks behind the steps.

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