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-missy-

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Blog Entries posted by -missy-

  1. -missy-
    Hello
     
    One thing that I have is tenacity. I find it very hard to give up on something, especially when that thing is a challenge. Sometimes it works against me so much that I end up getting very frustrated with it and I will admit, loosing my temper.
     
    My poor Peckett has been a victim of this, some of you know that the chassis has been rebuilt as a result of it bouncing off a door after a flight across my living room. Fortunately the chassis was salvageable afterwards and was rebuilt to working order. I use the word working order lightly as me being me I wasn't happy with the way it was working, some might be happy with the results but not me. The rear wheels were not concentric and the result was the engine had a slight wobble to it when it traveled along the track. This meant that I have now spent a full weekend on the chassis to try and correct it, the end result is what you see below...
     



     
    I have found that the problem lies with the 3D printed wheels. I dont know though, if its a result of the printing or the way I am assembling them but right now I have managed to get 2 wheels out of 6 I am happy with. As you can see from the photo there are a few which just did not survive the numerous assemblies and disassemblies which happened over the weekend but I am now looking to get some more wheels printed to try and get 4 that I am happy with.
     
    This does raise a few questions though...
     
    1. Is the fault with the way I am assembling them? If so then how can I change or things to solve that problem or tweak the design to aid assembly.
    2. Are the wheel rims workable with the printed rims?
    3. Is 3D printing in FUD upto the quality to print the wheel centers yet?
    4. Would it be better to print the wheels without a central hole and add one after fitting the rims?
     
    I do know though that it is possible to produce a working wheel using 3D printed centers, though its just not as reliable as I would have liked though right now. Having to scrap 4 to get 2 good wheels to me isnt really good enough. One thing for sure though is I am not giving up on this little engine but until I get some more FUD wheels from Shapeways through the post, its going to one side, something I would not normally do...
     
    Missy
  2. -missy-

    Cattle Dock - Done?

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    I have spent this morning finishing off the cattle dock as I seem to be collecting unfinished projects!
     

     

     
    I have tried to make it as dirty and unloved as possible, please let me know if it looks right.
     
    Missy
     
    ADDITIONAL:
     
    Steve posted a comment that the cattle dock looked a little too clean so with thanks to Steves advice, below are a couple of photos with a little more mud added...
     

     

     
    M.
  3. -missy-

    Tanks a lot...

    By -missy-,

    Hello Again
     
    I have indulged myself a little over this weekend. I did plan to get some more point rodding completed but instead my test etches turned up in the post...
     



     
    Part of this etch was a long waited for Anchor mount tank wagon chassis, its something that has been on my to do list for a while now as they seemed to be the mainstay of oil traffic along the DNSR from fawley in the south. Sadly there isnt anything in 2mm that fitted the bill so armed with a scale drawing (which took some finding, thanks Andy) I drew up a chassis etch.
     
    Itching to give the etch a go I made a start. Now, one of the difficulties with the chassis was the fact you could see so much of it so I couldnt really use a 'standard' 2mm chassis etch as the base is very solid. Using an idea I got from one of Stephen H absolutely fantastic kits I came up with a solution to adding the cross members under the chassis...
     



     
    It made into a surprisingly strong chassis (I can now see why they did it in real life!)
     



     
    The tank itself was made from a piece of brass tube but for the next batch I am hoping to get the tank cast in resin. I have now given it a coat of black paint ready for transfers and weathering..
     



     



     



     



     
    To be honest I didnt expect the etch to go together as well as it did. There are some tweaks to do to the drawings but there wasnt anything that stopped me from building this one. I must be getting better at this etching lark! Only about another 29 to build now, along with CoT MkIV, Peckett MkII, and of course, more point rodding.....
     
    Missy
  4. -missy-

    Printed Wheels?

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    Today I have had a break from the point rodding and tried out some of my printed wheels instead.
     

     

     

     
    The next thing is to finish the chassis off and try it out. If this works it then opens lots of doors including possibly drop in 2mm wheels for RTR stuff...
     
    There is a step by step description on these wheels on my other blog if anyone is interested http://modelopolis.blogspot.co.uk/
     
    Missy
  5. -missy-
    Hello
     
    This is one of the hardest kits I have done so far! I have spent most of today making a start on the roof, trying to get one end to fit the streamlined shape of the cab. Below is how far I have got and to be honest I dont think I can get it any better. Since the last post I have finished the cabs on both ends, below are a few pictures on how far I have got...
     

     

     

     
    The last picture shows how I am making the roof. The main section is a piece of brass sheet which will eventually sit ontop of the etched sides and ends. The PCB on the underside helps locate the roof and will have the LEDs fitted to it for the lighting. The shape of the roof ontop will be formed from plasticard once I have finished the other end. Its all taking an awful lot of filing and sanding but please let me know if it looks ok, I can only study the prototype photos so much!
     
    Missy
  6. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    In my previous post I had some photos of my newly created 3D model of a Peckett tank engine. For those who cannot remember it looked something like this...
     

     
    and this...
     

     
    I then duly uploaded it onto the Shapeways website and promptly placed an order for one in the classic FUD. A short while later the body turned up through the post and I excitedly opened up the package, unfortunately what I came across was rather disapointing to say the least...
     

     
    The finish of the model was very rough. You have to bear in mind that the photo was taken after I had a go at cleaning up the rough areas (3), scrubbing the body with a toothbrush and washing up liquid, and primered the whole thing in Grey primer so it would be easier to photograph it. Now I was expecting a small amount of cleaning up of marks like area (1) but to my surprise the saddle tank of the engine (3) looked very similar to the boiler (5) but the worst parts by far were the footplate (4), running plate, and boiler details (2) with a finish similar to course sandpaper.
     
    I sent an email to Shapeways complaining about the quality of the model and a complaint was raised. About a week later I hadnt heard anything so I send a quick email to ask what was happening and I got this reply..
     
    "I have received a feedback about your complaint in the mean time, but I am afraid we can't arrange a reprint for this model. Quality of these supported parts were bad because of the design"
     
    Now I am a bit peeved with this reply. Mainly because I know Shapeways can do better than what I was supplied but I feel like their reply is a bit of a 'cop-out' blaiming my design for the poor quality of the model. I know that they recommend getting bits printed separately but surely that wouldnt affect the finish that much? or is that just an excuse to charge me more for getting bits printed separately? Plus if there was a design fault with it then why was it printed? Who knows!
     
    Anyway, if that is the quality of 3D printing I should expect then I think its not the solution I have been looking for and I will wait a bit longer until the technology evolves a little! That or find an alternative company...
     
    Sorry its a bit of a whinge-fest but Im not a happy bunny..
     
    Missy
  7. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    As the title says really I am really trying to get motivated on the layout once again. Its just been sat around untouched for nearly a year now but now one board is unpacked and sat on my kitchen table.
     
    Stage 1 is to take some photos to remind myself why I am doing it...
     



     



     



     
    Missy
  8. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Ever since I posted in a past blog entry about a possible new gearbox I have been working on I have had quite a few people asking me about it as they are very interested which gave me the incentive to get it done. The idea I had was to get one together and take it to the St Albans show (which I really enjoyed btw) so people could see it finished. Unfortunately things didnt work out how I would have liked so I didnt get round to finishing it...UNTIL TODAY!
     
    OK, for those of you who dont know this is my first attempt at making a 'universal' gearbox that I could use on different engines, it came about as I was drawing up an engine for chassis for etching and I thought to myself "I could make this removeable and use it on other engines". It comprises of an etched frame, the new motor from the 2mmSA shop (3-257), and gears from my favorite gear supplier Mikroantriebe (https://www.shop.kkpmo.com/). Amazingly I have managed to get an impressive 128:1 ratio which would suit a shunting engine a treat! The drawing below shows the dimensions of the gearbox...
     

     
    It uses all plastic gears so it is a bit on the quiet side, and if put together well it runs very smoothly (and slowly!). The motor is double ended so there is also the possibility of fitting a flywheel if I wanted to(and if there is room!). Here are a couple of photos of my first attempt at building one...
     

     

     
    Of course there is a down side, because of the gears I used to get the ratio it unfortunately means the wheel axle can only be upto 1.5mm in diameter which therefore means I will have to use a solid wheel axle and insulate the wheels with a plastic bush but I feel thats a small price to pay for something like this.
     
    Its my first attempt so I would love to hear any thoughts or comments on this...
     
    Missy
  9. -missy-

    Im still going.....Just!

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    As the blog post says I am still managing to get some modelling done although the enthusiasm isnt what it should be.
     
    Firstly I had a great time at the St Albans show, which is now I think my 4th year there. I thoroughly enjoy myself there and thanks goes to David and the CMRA for inviting me once again. It was a great opportunity to meet up with friends once again plus also meet and chat to others so thank you to all those that took the time to come and say hello.
     
    As usual I didnt get that much modelling done at the show (but I never do!). I took the opportunity this year to have a go at my MkII version of City of Truro..
     



     
    I managed to get a little bit done at the show but decided to try and do a little more today to check out a few more bits of the design. Unfortunately there are still a few errors and design improvements needed (it is my first ever engine!) so there will be a MkIII, the good thing though is that this time I got further than the MkI version!
     
    Secondly, those of you that saw me may of noticed my yard crane, the majority of it is built now...
     



     



     
    I now have to build the hook and pulley (as I lost the first one) and paint both of them. I will then assemble the whole thing together as I dont want to paint the chain I will be using. All I can say is thankfully I have two etches done!
     
    Missy
  10. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    Things havent stopped yet, I have made a bit more progress and have managed to get the second board ballasted now. Que a dodgy photo....
     



     
    Also I have a question, hopefully you guys remember these?
     



     
    I am not sure where I need to plant them, is there anyone that can help? I know I am bending the truth a little with the layout and period with the track plan, signals, and now the single line apparatus but I am thinking add them to the layout as disused but still there.
     



     
    They need to go in roughly the same area as the signal, any thoughts?
     
    Thanks.
     
    Julia
  11. -missy-

    All Change

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    After much consideration I have decided not to continue posting details of my modelling and stuff on RMWeb so this will be the last post you will see from me here. If there is anyone out there in RMWeb world that has even a slight interest in my modelling and things then join me on my other blog here...
     
    http://modelopolis.blogspot.co.uk/2014/09/all-change.html
     
    I havent decided what I am going to do with my blog on here but I am considering deleting my RMWeb account in the near future.
     
    Thanks for all the support you guys have given me in the past and I hope to speak to some of you in the future.
     
    Julia
  12. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    One of the 'smart' ideas I had for Highclere was to add point rodding to the layout. Its something that you dont see that often on layouts, especially in 2mm Scale. Little did I know how much of a pain it would turn out to be!
     
    Now for a little background info for those who dont know what I am on about...
     
    The point rodding for the layout is based around two parts. The first is some 0.4mm square Nickel-Silver wire which I buy from Model Signal Engineering, it comes in a pack of 10 x 12" lengths. The second part are the 'stools' which I persuaded Ivan from Southwark Bridge Models to etch, reduced from his 4mm scale range. Trust me, it took some persuading as they are VERY small! Below is a picture on how they come.
     

     
    Using a collection of jigs I then solder the stools at 12mm intervals along the length of the square wire. For each point I have used 2 lengths of wire, one for switching the point and the second for locking it in place. This is the time consuming bit as each stool is individually soldered in place, for each 12" length of 2 point rods there are roughly 75 point rodding stools. The stools are then soldered onto a small section of PCB and then glued to a similar section of plastic to represent the concrete plinths they are mounted on in real life. The picture below shows you roughly what I mean.
     

     
    To me though, its worth the effort. Once its painted and on the layout it adds another little bit of detail that helps it come to life.
     

     
    The thing is though I have been working on this now for what seems an eternity! I am now concentrating on the area of the layout where the majority of points are so there is quite a bit of rodding to do. Considering that currently its taking around 3-4 hours to complete a 12" length of rodding its keeping me busy!
     
    I have tried about 5 different jigs now to assemble the rodding, the jig below I made out of cardboard which I made because as the point rodding gets closer to the signal box on the layout it gains more rodding as its passed more points.
     

     
    At the moment Im working on 4 rods in parallel as the picture below shows.
     

     
    The saying "practice makes perfect" is so true! I havent given up yet....
     
    Julia
     
    (More can be found on my new blog http://modelopolis.blogspot.co.uk/)
  13. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Well, the Ally Pally show is over for another year. I really look forward to going along to the show every year as its one of my favorites. Not only is the show a good oppertunity to meet up with friends, but also there is a good selection of layouts to see and it all take place in a fantastic venue. Its about my 6th year now I have gone along and sat on the 2mmSA stand at the show and I hope its not the last time..
     
    This year way a bit different for me, for the first time I went along and spent the day on the stand with Noel, Brian, and Mark who I dont usually see that often plus I had to take the 2mmSA 'Roadshow' equipment along as it was passed onto me last weekend after the Nottingham show. I decided to take along my latest etches which I had done recently and have a go at building a few bits from it, this meant I could take a lot less stuff than I would nomally take. Thankfully I didnt have to haul it all up the hill this year either!
     
    So, this is the stuff I was working on...
     

     
    I made a start on the yard crane for Highclere. I had previously drawn the crane jib and had it etched to test if it actually worked! There were quite a few people interested in seeing how this came out and several said they would come back toward the end of the show to see how I had got on with it so I cut out the etched jib and soldered it together. Fortunately it went together ok so today I spent a little more time on the crane and got a bit more done.
     

     
    The plan was to keep this a bit quiet until I was confident it went together ok but its been one of those 'worst kept secret' things so here it is, The beginnings of my kit for a 2mm scale City of Truro. Unfortunately I have found several mistakes on the etches so far so I am unsure if to carry on with this particular model or wait, redesign the bits and get it etched again. It has dented my confidence a bit but in retrospect its only the second thing I have ever designed for etching! Luckily the faulty bits can be easily redrawn so its just a matter of time...
     
    It was nice to meet up and chat with people like Andy, Chris, and Tom (to name a few) once again and I am looking forward to next time.
     
    Missy
  14. -missy-

    Peckett Progress

    By -missy-,

    Hello.
     
    I have decided to take a bit of a break from the layout. It was getting a bit frustrating and I wasnt doing as good a job with it as I could, that plus the fact I had to remind myself that its a hobby after all and it should be enjoyable!
     
    Refreshed with this in my head I have turned once again to my favorite side of the hobby which is designing and building engines. The latest one on my workbench right now is a little 0-4-0 Peckett saddle tank engine...
     

     
    After a very useful advice from someone with regards to Shapeways and the way to send files I resubmitted the body once again for printing and the finished body this time was much, much better with it needing only a little bit of cleaning up which I will move onto once the chassis is finished.
     
    There is still work to do on the chassis but the photos show my progress to date. The chassis is built by soldering each etched Nickel Silver sideframe onto some 0.3mm thick PCB and then filing out the shape through the etched bit to keep the profile. Both sideframe sandwiches are then soldered onto some solid 1/4" square Brass bar with gaps added for the gearbox, and then filed to suit the sideframes. The gearbox is one of my 138:1 ratio designs I did a while ago. This makes into a very rigid and strong chassis for its size, it also adds valuable weight too.
     

     
    The wheels are 6mm Driving wheels using 2mm Association turned wheel rims onto 3D printed centers. The rest of the bits come from an etch I designed.
     
    Its comming together quite well, its runs really quiet and slowly which has made me very happy! Dont forget too that the engine is just 40mm long bufferbeam to bufferbeam...
     
    Julia
  15. -missy-

    Dedication...

    By -missy-,

    Hello.
     
    Apologies if I havent posted anything for a bit. To be honest I havent really been concentrating on toy trains for a bit and my attention has been other things...
     
    Highclere is quite a big layout. Not very large compared to some other layouts around but for my little BMW it was too large and meant I had to make several trips if I ever wanted to take it anywhere. For about a year now I have had an idea in my head on getting something a little larger which I could fit the whole layout into and maybe even possibly sleeping in if I ever needed to. Today was a little milestone for me as I picked up this....
     

     
    The plan is to convert it into a mini camper but that will happen in time. For now the worst bit is over and finally I can carry the layout around without any trouble.
     
    Is this dedication to the hobby? I dont know...
     
    Missy
  16. -missy-

    More Virtual Stuff

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    Ever since the social gathering that was the RMWeb meet my modelling has once again turned to some more virtual modelling in a desperate attempt to get some projects finished off.
     
    Here are a few sneeky pictures of what I have been working on....
     

     

     

     
    More details (of course) at http://modelopolis.blogspot.co.uk/
     
    Missy
     
  17. -missy-

    2012 - 2013

    By -missy-,

    Hello.
     
    Modelling wise 2012 has been a strange year for me. Throughout the year I have moved away from my layout Highclere and spent quite a bit of time 'playing' around with new technologies to me like etching and 3D printing. This has meant that over 2012 I havent really had that much to show for myself, my occasional blog entries have been a bit random and sometimes without meaning. Highclere has taken the hit and I havent really doe much work on it this year with the only notible progress being the fiddle yard which was completed just in time for the Abingdon Show in March of 2012. I will be honest now and say that enthusiasm for the layout has dropped over 2012.
     
    Fotunately my faith in modelling has been helped by the fact I am now Products Officer for the 2mm Scale Association and as a resuly I have been working on a few ideas for the Association.
     
    So, I now am looking towards 2013 and my mind is now thinking about where I am heading and what I want to achieve. Here are some of my thoughts...
     
    1. Carry on with Highclere and hope that my enthusiasm returns. I would love to see the layout finished but its becomming more obvious its a long term project, a much longer term project than I thought when I started it years back. In 2013 the layout currently has two outings in May and June.
     
    2. Continue with the experiments with etching and 3D printing. I enjoy this but I know that it almost always ends in unfinished projects and disjointed bits and pieces as my mind and thoughts jump from one thing to another. I still have alot of ideas and thoughts concerning these technologies that I woild like to try out.
     
    3. I could shelve Highclere for a year (or two) and have a go at a smaller layout, something that is a little more manageable and something that can be built in a much smaller timescale. This of course opens up the potential problem of having another unfinished layout, compounding the problem with Highclere.
     
    As you can see I am struggling a little with direction right now, the result in 2012 has been a lack of finishing any projects and loosing lots of confidence in my abilities. I would like more than anything in 2013 to change this but I really do need to get some direction and more importantly stick to it.
     
    2mm Scale on RMWeb continues to grow and now there are some VERY interesting threads and blogs from prople with some great 2mm content, fingers crossed that in 2013 I do not continue to let the side down...
     
    Your thoughts and ideas on my waffling about would be very gratefully recieved....
     
    Missy.
  18. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    Today Highclere reached another milestone. For a while I have been beavering away on the layout to get the rest of the track finished for the layout in the form of the fiddleyard and the curved end boards to change the layout into a complete circle (or roundy roundy). As I havent enough room at home to set the whole layout up an ideal oppertunity came to try things out in the shape of the 2012 Abingdon and District MRC annual show where I agreed to take the layout to so I could test everything out...
     
    When I got there Friday evening I was faced with the fact that only the sceninc boards had been previously tested (at the RMWeb show last year) so I was very nervous as I had a 50/50 chance the layout could work well or equally it could have been a total disaster.
     




    Setting up Friday night with the help of Andy (2mm Andy)


     
    At this point the layout was set up and all the electric tested but nothing had ran around the layout. I was a bit scared to try anything! I finally got my Warship out and let it run round with fortunately the only fault with the fiddleyard boards being a 6 inch length of track with no power as I missed a dropper wire to the power bus bar, this was quickly fixed and I managed to go home in the knowledge that the layout was all working well.
     
    Saturday came along with help in the shape of Andy (2mm Andy), Steve (Pixie), and Paul (Kempenfelt) which was a great relief, especially as Steve brough along his vast collection of wagons with Andy also helping out with his newly converted DMU which gave a sterling perfomance all day. Throughout the day my confidence with Highclere grew and grew with the only niggling faults being the lack of weight in the wagons causing them to derail too easily plus some couplings in dire need of some tweaking. Below are some photos I managed to take of the days activities...
     




    There was some interest in the layout but it proved quite difficult to take photos of it!


     




    Part of Steves impressive mineral wagon collection pulled by my Pannier Tank


     




    The 'Egg Train'


     




    The fiddleyard in full action with Paul doing a bit of 'fly shunting'


     




    My warship on a freight train



    (which is amazing as it didnt have any proper couplings!)


     




    Andy looking puzzled early on in the day.


     
    So, in retrospective did the layout achieve what I wanted it to? Yes, the aim was to test the new fiddleyard out and it surprised me on how well it worked with next to no adjustment needed. I can now relax, confident that I can set the whole layout up next time and things will line up and work. I can also turn my attention onto the more enjoyable scenic bits with just little tidying up needed to the fiddle yard. OK, so the layout was running an eclectic mix of rolling stock but in time I will get more things made that suit the model a little more.
     
    I would love to hear peoples comments and thoughts, especially as Highclere doesnt 'get out' much. I know there are some videos of some quite impressive length trains running so post them here or on the Abingdon show thread http://www.rmweb.co....48-abrail-2012/
     
    Finally thanks again to Andy, Steve, and Paul for all the effort helping me on the day, I wouldnt have been able to operate it without them. Thanks to Steve (smokey bacon) for the loan of the engine for the day and also a big thanks for all the positive comments I got from people. Its given me lots of encouragement to carry on...
     
    Missy
  19. -missy-

    Elvis is alive!

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    It seems like an age since I have last posted and I am scared to check to see when the last post was!
     
    I havent given up on things though. I was hoping to post some swanky piccies of all the many things I have finished but sadly not, so you will have to make do with these shockingly bad (taken on my phone) photos instead..
     

     

     
    Elvis is alive!
     
    Well, to be correct, Elvis now has wheels! It also has a working chassis (well it worked until I removed the temporary wires so I could paint the chassis. I did have to chop the body slightly to get the bogie sideframes to fit but its now sitting at the right height and the bogies seem to have some movement in them too so fingers crossed it will go around corners!
     

     
    Secondly, the crane is now complete. I have now fitted the hook bit and the chain (which was a pain to fit) then weathered it a little. Sorry the pictures dont really do it any justice but the peeps who have seen it said it looks good!
     
    Missy
  20. -missy-
    Hello again
     
    The holiday break hasnt been nothing but parties and stuff. I have managed to get a little done...
     
    I managed to get a few wagons built, they still needs couplings, weathering, and some need glazing too..
     



     



     



     
    Secondly this has been on my mind for a while and i seemed a good opportunity to scratch build one, no doubt when its finished it will find its way onto a wagon...
     



     



     
    Finally some bits I have actually manged to get Shapeways to print...!
     
    Some universal joints, so far so good but how long they will last is another question...
     



     
    ...and following on from the GW self contained wagon buffers, here are some GW square shank coach buffers...
     



     
    Sorry about the rubbish photos.
     
    Missy
     
    EDIT:
     
    Below is a screen grab of the universal joint...
     



  21. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    I forced myself today to get the joint between the two scenic boards on Highclere finished off. I have been putting it off now for too long and it was slowing progress on the layout (as if it could get any slower!).
     
    So I can now say with some confidence that I can now run an engine from one end of the layout to the other...
     



     
    Its a really nice feeling knowing that I am now comfortable with the track, points, and joins and now I can start to look forward once again, although unfortunately all the points are out of action as I still havent got the MERG servo controllers working (I have some new boards on order) but the way I designed them means I can operate them manually.
     
    Finally here is the state of the join just in case anyone was wondering. Its now just a case of a bit of tidying up around the join to totally finish it off.
     

     
    (A much happier) Missy
  22. -missy-

    July Things

    By -missy-,

    Hello
     
    Well July has been a bit productive on the layout. Its probably because all the long drawn out bits are done and its now down to the scenics really (well, apart from a few bits and bobs). I enjoy scenics and it can come together relatively quickly too, I have even added a few details...
     



     

    This is an overall of the station forecourt area.Bits I have done include adding a field (of something) in the foreground, the station building now has some flowers around it, the station master now has a nearly completed vegetable patch, and there are a few more trees.


     



     

    This is a close up of the station veg plot with some potatoes, onions, and some (rather flat) rhubarb amongst other things. I still need to add some beans on one of those frame things.


     



     

    The field of something. I was aiming for sugarbeet!


     



     

    People are even popping up! A group of servicemen await a train.


     



     

    The station building needs a bit of repairing now but I can do that when I do the interior.


     



     
    Julia
  23. -missy-

    Back to the point (rodding)

    By -missy-,

    Hello again.
     
    My modelling mojo has returned once again. I think its down to a combination of things, shows, steam railways, and quiet weekends have all helped. Using this new apparent enthusiasm I have once again turned my attention to the never ending point rodding for the layout. Its been something that has slowed progress on the layout to an almost standstill. Below is the next installment in the long running saga of Highcleres point rodding, some of you might have already seen some of these elsewhere on RMWeb...
     



     
    I took another approach this time. A section of rodding roughly 2ft in length is 4 rods wide and I didnt really fancy the idea of individually soldering 5 rodding stools every scale 6ft or so. This meant a rethink to try and speed things up a little so above was the beginnings of a different approach, a 0.3mm thick length of Brass which has 0.5mm wide x 0.7mm deep slots with a 0.7mm pitch milled into it.
     



     
    This Brass 'comb' was them cut up into sections which could hold 4 rods, which in turn was soldered to a short length of 2mmSA PCB sleepering. For cosmetic purposes (is anyone really going to ever see them for real?) I then soldered 2 etched stools to each end.
     



     
    The point rodding (0.4mm square stuff from MSE) was then easily slotted into place and the whole thing was held together with a little solder. Care was taken not to hold the soldering iron in place for too long so to unsolder everything (it happened a couple of times which was a pain).
     



     



     
    Ok, so not the best quality photos (taken with my phone) but this is the impression the point rodding gives. This particular section still needs to be painted then stuck into place properly (its resting on top in the piccies). To me, this is a mini milestone as producing rodding using this method has made it so much easier, so much so that the rest of it doesnt look anywhere near as daunting to me. Sadly though I didnt produce enough of the bits so it will be back to the beginning soon to produce some more.
     
    I hope it looks alright and is worth all the effort?
     
    Missy
  24. -missy-
    Hello.
     
    Well as the title says I have been busy trying to resurrect my modelling mogo and I have found the solution at the moment with etching stuff. For years I had a mental barrier regarding etching and how to draw things for etching. This fortunately has recently been lifted with the help of talking to others and trying out various things in Acad and the first results have arrived back from the etchers today.
     
    I was racking my brains as to something which I could use as a trial to see if my theory about etching worked and it came in the form of a Nn3 V tipper wagon. The first 'prototype' chassis was drawn up and passed onto Pixie of RMWeb and 2mm fame who helped me out and came back a few weeks later. This to my surprise worked out fine and went together fine so my attention then turned to tweaking the first design (to make the chassis a little smaller) and then onto designing a V tipper to fit the chassis. This time I decided to go it alone and I then fitted several chassis and tipper bodies onto a sheet which was then sent off to the etchers. As I mentioned above these came back today...
     

     
    I couldnt resist putting one together, if anything to see if the wagon actually worked so with the help of Andy H (again of RMWeb and 2mm fame) one was soldered together, the results are shown below alongside my NN3 diesel for scale...
     

     

     
    It works! This is quite a milestone for me as its something I wanted to figure out for ages and was cause for a little mini celebration! Along with the wagon I had a little bit of room left on the sheet so I added a little gearbox which I have been working on for a future project...
     

     
    If this fits together well it should give me a final gear ratio of 138:1 and should easily be adaptable to fit several engines.
     
    There is loads more I am working on, hopefully each time tweaking my etching skills......As the saying goes, watch this space....
     
    Missy
  25. -missy-
    Me again
     
    Im still working on the flying banana. Things have now turned to a bit of detailing plus adding the bits for the lights. The roof proved to be a bit more of a pain than I first thought getting it to fit flush onto the top of the sides but now its nearly there plus it seems to 'clip' on so I dont think I will need to hold it in place with anything else. Anyway here are some pictures...
     

     

     
    The above two photos show how far I have got with one end. I have added the buffer pins with little foot steps above them, also handrails and the beginnings of the lights. The tube in the roof was a real pain as it had to be drilled through the brass bit of the roof at a really small angle. I managed it by firstly drilling the hole at right angles to the brass then slowly working the drill to the correct angle by treating it as bit like a file.
     

     
    This shows the underside of the roof and the brass tube that will eventually hold the fibre optic. The plan is to fit the LED to the backof the cab which will line up with the fibre optic once the roof is fitted, hopefully it will also light up the cab too.
     

     
    The final picture shows the tubing and C section brass that is fitted behind the buffers inside the fairing. This is for the buffer lights and once I have found some larger diameter fibre optic I will also fit one for the red tail light.
     
    Thats it for now.
     
    Missy
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