Ian Smith

Very nice Jim.  It's nice to see colour photographs of your work (most in the mag over the years being in black and white).  

Out of interest I notice that the leading tarpaulin'd wagon has a representation of ropes - I have and will want several wagons with tarpaulins over them, and am interested to know what you've used for the ropes - I considered very fine wire (I have some 0.003" stainless steel wire that I thought might be useful if I could colour it (probably by chemical blackening)).

Ian

Pendon use a square of hardboard, rough side down,  weighted and mounted between two bogies as a simple wagon that can be run round the entire layout. Of course their track is pretty clean to start with. I find Isoprop good for cleaning wheels but I'd like to find something better than cotton buds to apply it with.

Jim,

Mick Simpson suggested "micro brushes" for cleaning wheels with IPA.  I bought some from e-bay to try and they work rather well.  Here is a link to some (not the ones I have but to illustrate what I'm talking about) http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100pcs-Small-Disposable-Eyelash-Extension-Micro-Brush-Applicators-Mascara-3mm-/111470817727?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item19f42db1bf

Ian

Could I ask you what kind of track your wonderful wagon is sat on?

Phill,

It looks like the Association's "Easitrac" to me (with the Association's Bullhead rail).

Ian

On some layouts that have been set in the Victorian and Edwardian period and have GWR buildings painted in the later style look quite odd to my mind. I look forward to seeing a 517 with Indian red frames running in to a GWR station with the earlier structure colour application.

Hopefully I will be able to satisfy your desire at some point, although an open cab 517 will be a challenge in 2FS - will a Metro Tank do? :-)

Ian

Hi Ian,

 

As you can tell, my actuators are on the crude side of stone age compared with yours!  As far as the electronics are concerned i am an ignoramus in that department - volts, amps and ohms I can cope with, after that I'm out of my depth!  ;-(

 

Jim

Jim,

My actuators are probably Bronze Age then :-)  I too am lacking in the electronics understanding side of things, hence a collaboration with John Russell who is an electronics guru doing that sort of thing for a living.  I originally had a play with a Memory wire kit (based on your article in the 2mm Magazine), and had some concerns with the temperature that some of the components were reaching (because of the 13.8 volt supply).  John advised the 2 resistors to drop the voltage to the regulator (and hence the temperature of that component), and also suggested the capacitor each side of the regulator too.  I decided assembling the components on a separate board would allow me to have a spare board or two available to facilitate a swap out in the event of any future failure.

The turnouts are connected to the actuators in their "Normal" position (i.e. the spring will return them to Normal), so the current draw only occurs when they are "Reversed".  I assume that you have yours connected in the same fashion.

Ian

Jim,

I am also using Memory Wire actuators on Modbury.  Because I had some I have built mine on 5mm acrylic sheet (which can be joined with "Canopy Glue"), the electronics have been built up on a piece of veroboard and are stuck to the Memory Wire actuator board with servo tape (a thin sponge with strong double sided tape on each side).

To power these actuators I am using a 13.8 volt supply which is capable of delivering up to 15 amps - It is actually a power supply that I used to use for my other hobby (radio controlled car racing) to provide power for chargers/tyre warmers/etc.

Because the voltage supplied is far higher than I need to supply the actuators, the circuit I have built (in conjunction with John Russell of the Midland Area Group) uses 2 x 12ohm 3 Watt resistors in series to bring the voltage down a bit before hitting a 5 volt regulator, the Memory Wire being fed with 5 volts and is in series with another 12 ohm 3 Watt resistor.  The current drawn by each actuator is about 0.3 amps.  For the turnouts I have a relay in parallel with the actuator which is switching the crossing vee polarity.

Original TOU / Actuator with a relatively large base area (Actuator horizontal), drive to TOU by thick guitar string to provide flexibility to compensate for the over-run of the crank.  The thin yellow and blue wires are connecting the loose heel switch pivots to the relevant stock rail feeds.  Despite how it looks the blue one is NOT connected to the Memory Wire!!

Alternative TOU / Actuator with the Actuator vertical allowing a smaller base area.  This particular one is switching the catch point at the exit to the goods loop/yard.

Electronics stepping the voltage down through a 5 volt regulator to feed the Memory Wire

Ian

Thought I'd post an update on the bridge project for Kirkallanmuir.  I found that it was easiest to build the long retaining wall 'off site' as the garage is a bit cold to work in for any length of time these days.  I printed out a template and used this to get things roughly in the correct relationship and then did a lot of 'trying in' and adjusting to get the alignments right.  The photo shows the bridge abutments finished along with the roadway on the far side, while in the foreground you can see the first bit of the long retaining wall (it is 860mm long in total).   Since taking the photo I've improved the joint between the lengths of embossed styrene stonework and added the parapet wall and the copings.  The platform ramp can be seen poking out from under the bridge.  Everything is taped to the printed template here.    I will try and start a separate thread for Kirkallanmuir soon.

 

2015-01-17-1075_1.jpg

 

One wee question.  I notice everyone else's posts have a string of icons in the bottom right hand corner, but not mine.  Am I missing something in my posting?

 

Jim

Jim,

I think that the icons are there to allow others to provide a form of feedback to you the poster (obviously you probably wouldn't want to rate your own posting).

Just out of interest what make of plasticard sheeting are you using for the stonework?  I am looking to make a start on my own overbridge while it's chilly out in the workshop, and have a couple of different Slater's sheets (one of which seems to have pretty small stonework on it) that I had thought about using.

Ian

Here's a track question. Which of the 2mm track systems do people think gives the best representation of pre-grouping bullhead track? I surmise from the name that easitrac is the easiest but I am more concerned with which will give the more accurate appearance. It won't be a big layout so the work involved is not an issue, besides I like making track. Any opinions would be welcome.

Graham,

For pre-grouping, Great Western Baulk Road is the way to go 

Ian

 

That attractive and knowledgable lady, my wife, will be operating again. She's not too keen on the diesels but I do have a couple of steamers to shunt the colliery!

 

Hopefully she'll approve of an excursion from St Ruth of Edwardian Elegance that I've got planned :-)

Ian

Simply stunning.  I particularly like the choice of a quite subdued Indian red (not trying to re-open that debate, I just like the tone you have chosen ).  Are the chimney top and whistles turned in metal or painted?

Rabs,

Indian Red is a Precision Paints version.  A coat of Humbrol Satin Varnish (which annoyingly has dried very matt) has probably toned it down bit (it has the Pre 1928 green).  The chimney was turned from phosphor bronze rod (I'd copper plated the chimney on my saddle tank with copper sulphate solution and a PP3 battery), the whistles are also pretty rough turnings in brass but are good enough from normal viewing distances.

Problem with the half cabs is they need a backhead and crew (another reason my MR 1F has a full cab!). Also, I think I would be tempted to give the paintwork a bit of shine to reflect that Edwardian spit and polish.

 

That said, I think that's a stunning piece of work, really looking forward to seeing her in the flesh.

 

Jerry

Jerry,

She will get a back head and a crew (probably not in time for Warley), and the Humbrol Satin Varnish that I'd used was supposed to give a bit of a sheen (it did on my saddle tank!!).  So I do need to re-do the varnishing (but that will require some careful masking or a re-paint of the black afterwards).

Thank you all for the kind comments and "ratings of 'Craftsmanship/Clever' and 'Like'"

Regards,

Ian

Just about to come off my workbench is my GWR Small Metro Tank...

I still need to turn up the spectacle plates in brass to add to the cab front (I might get those done today before taking her over to Wolvey tonight for the Midland Area Group meeting tonight), but she will at least be ready for the Warley exhibition later this month.  Hopefully, I will be able to convince Jerry that he really needs an interlude of Edwardian elegance on his 1970's operation of Highbury

Like my saddle tank, she still needs a boiler back head and other cab details (including the crew!!), and there is still some detail to add to the chassis but I don't think that what isn't there really detracts too much.

I will update my blog soon to more fully describe what I've done since the last instalment to get her to this current state.

Ian

I've discovered some slides that I took in the early 1980's showing a couple of 2mm scale layouts (and my own N gauge layout).  I have no idea where I took the photos (I suspect that it may have been at an Association event at Market Harborough as I think I only ever went to one 2mm event).  They are not particularly good images as they were taken without flash, and the depth of field is pretty poor.  But hopefully for your enjoyment I have digitised them (taking new photos of the projected slides).

John Greenwood's "Bodmine"

Nick Dearnaley's "Bollingrove" (I think it was Nick's layout)

Ian

A quick snap of another of my slow burning projects, MR 1F  0-6-0T which will be finished as  No. 1874 which was the resident shunter at Bath's Midland Bridge Road yard for many years.

 

Jerry,

I'd have thought that you would have done a half-cab one :-)

Now that you've got a little milling machine, it's time to throw away those chassis sides and mill a new one in solid brass too :-)

Lovely work by the way.

Ian

A selection of photos of the 2FS layouts at the Farnham/Aldershot exhibition yesterday :

Freshwater :

Lambourn :

Llangerisech :

Enjoy :-)

Ian

Tucking Mill :

Well I've finally managed to complete my set of Worsley Works coaches...

On the subject of small drills can anyone explain the price difference for 0.3mm HSS bits between Chronos at 72p and Eileen's at £5.60? Is there really a vast difference in quality?

 

Andrew

Andrew,

I really have no idea!!  I have bought quite a few drills from Chronos (normally buy the really small ones in 10's or more).  I have had no issues with them except that I do sometimes overwork them and break the little devils (usually breaking the very last one when I'm trying to get something done on a deadline) :-)  Incidentally, I don't throw the broken shafts away as they can be sharpened to a D bit which can be used in plasticard quite happily (in fact at a push I have used them on brass or nickel silver too).

Ian

Problems with pin vices.

 

I have a (cheap) Eclipse branded set from a local tool shop that are, frankly, rubbish. An Expo one with four collets, also poor and a set of 4 "English Pattern" from Eileen's that are marginally better. None of them are really very good at gripping drill bits.

 

It seems to me the problem is the way the "chuck" is formed by cutting two perpendicular slots in the end. When you tighten the collar it only squeezes then very tips together. In a 3-jaw drill chuck the faces of the jaws remain parallel and grip along the length of the bit.

 

So, is there such a thing as a pin chuck with something more like a miniature drill chuck? Would Eileen's TLSMC01 Mini chuck be any better? It's difficult to tell from the picture.

 

[Edit] Should I be looking for a pin chuck rather than a pin vice? This looks like it may be better http://uk.farnell.com/eclipse/160/pin-chuck/dp/442926

 

Andrew

Andrew,

In the past I have put a plastic sleeve from multi-core wire around the drill shaft to enable the chuck to grip a little better.  It probably has a little give in it too so may prevent the drill bit snapping too.

Ian

I could do with a few items off that etch, in particular the seat end, signal box windows and shunt ahead signal. Would quite happily by a complete etch if that's the simplest way. If possible, please contact me off-list

 

Mark A

Mark,

I PM'd you yesterday.  However, since then I have looked at my etch a little closer, and I think that I've made the seat ends to big - DOH!!  I've scaled them such that the seat back is 3' high, in reality I think that they should be 2'6".  Rather than going to the expense of getting a new etch done for these I will probably put it down to experience.  When I actually come to needing some I for Modbury (some time off yet!) I will either look to see if I can lose about 1mm off the total height of these or bite the bullet and get some more etched.

Ian

Just appeared on my workbench is the result of my first attempt at producing artwork for the chemical etching process :

On here, there are plates for both the 1854 Saddle Tank (1752) and the Metro (615), but also for a 1076 Buffalo (1601), a Dean Goods, an Armstrong Goods and a Duke (Fowey).  There are also some plates for some of the other members of the Midland Area Group of the 2mm Association too.  I've also produced the windows for my signal box and also some GWR station seats with the curly monogram ends (oh and of course some Shunt Ahead signal arms and "S" plates for them as MSE don't seem to do those in 2mm).  That lot should ensure that my retirement is a busy place  

Ian

My model started off powered with a Faulhaber 816. The chassis had to be attached to the body with the motor loosely screwed to the chassis, then the motor tightened up to mesh when inside the boiler tube. At some point the motor seized up and has been replaced with a Nigel Lawton 6mm diameter motor, so at least its easier to get the motor inside the boiler.

 

Nig H

Nigel,

How do you find the Nigel Lawton 6mm motor?  Initially I had thought about putting one of these inside my Metro Tank, but found that by boring out the boiler I could fit an 8mm one instead (although it will be a tight fit even replacing the standard wires of the NL motor with some enamelled wire).  I have one of Nigel's 6x12 motors ready in case I really struggle fitting the 8x16 one but worried about the torque and hence pulling power of the loco if I go down that route.  I would be interested to hear of others experience with these tiny motors.

Regards,

Ian

Apart from the fact that it is very small something that doesn't seem to be holding you back very much, I would suggest that having the body in a few component parts would be a good idea. I know that my friend who paints 0 gauge locos finds it a great help. The main problem I can forsee is the holding of the parts during the build. I  would think that making each peice with a screw to fix it to the footplate would be a start.

The fittings for the boiler look very well made. How do you produce the fit to the boiler?

Don

Don,

The bases of each of the boiler fittings were fly cut on my lathe with a tool I made from a broken drill shank (3mm I think).  The drill shank was ground and sharpened, and fits radially through a piece of steel, and clamped in place with a 4BA bolt down the end of the steel.  The cutting part can be adjusted for radius of cut by moving it in and out before clamping with the 4BA bolt.  The fly cutter is held in the 3 jaw chuck, and the brass (or phosphor bronze bar in the case of the chimney) clamped to the tool rest on centre and perpendicular to the rotating tool.  Once the base has been formed, the bar is turned to the required shape.  The finishing fit is made by rubbing the finished part's base up and down a suitable piece of boiler/smokebox diameter bar wrapped with emery paper.  The dome and chimney still need to be finished properly, which I will do by super gluing to a purpose made mandrel, once finished a little heat from a soldering iron will soften the super glue allowing the finished part to be removed from the mandrel.

Ian

One of the items on my workbench is a second loco.  This time a GWR Small Metro Tank (a 2-4-0).  I have milled a chassis and gearbox from solid brass, and the intention is to fit an 8mm diameter Nigel Lawton motor in the boiler pointing back towards the cab.  Because my modelling period is Edwardian, the loco needs to have an open cab (I love making things nice and easy for myself!)

Before I can progress any further with the chassis, I need to determine what body components need to be removable - The original intention was to have a separate boiler/smokebox with the motor secured within it driving the gearbox via a "Peg and Bar" connection :

This would allow the motor to be completely disconnected from the gearbox thus allowing easy removal of it within the boiler.  A discussion with John Russell at the last Midland Area Group meeting has caused me to rethink this original concept, and consider fixing the motor to the gearbox assembly.  The chassis and gearbox can be seen in the photo below (the gearbox has a forward projection through which I intended to bolt it to the main chassis block (there is a small peg at the other end which locates in a hole in the main block too to ensure that the gearbox does not move).  I could potentially mount the motor on that forward projection albeit with a bit of extra brass soldered on to give a bit more land) :

However, I still need to determine whether it would be possible to slide the motor into the boiler as an attachment to the gearbox if all of the body was one piece, and to that end (while the rest of the family are busy doing other things) that I have been working on the body (only the cab today!) :

The cab/tank assembly is separate, as is the boiler/smokebox, and also the footplate assembly.  Obviously the boiler fittings have just been plonked on too to give me an idea what it will look like.  An initial check seems to indicate that I will still have to have the boiler as a separate item.

Out of interest, has anyone got any experience of having the body of the loco as separate components that are effectively bolted together around the mechanism?  (I suspect that many 2mm locos have been built this way) but is having the motor separate from the gearbox as I originally intended a sensible way to go?

Ian

Nick,

I like the idea of keeping the Easitrac sections on their sprues to provide a constant distance between each traverser road.  I imagine it took some threading though!

Ian

Just a few photos from the Kidderminster Supermeet (I apologise for there only being one non-St Ruth one!!)

And finally Tiviot Dale !!!

Ian