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-missy-

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Blog Entries posted by -missy-

  1. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Still avoiding Elvis I have now made a start on a few jigs I will need in the future. I find jigs are so important as it makes life so much easier, especially in 2mm scale.
     
    The first came from the need to get my Q1 running much better. One of the main problems with the engine is the driveshaft I originally made isnt really a very good one. Its made from a length of steel wire which has loops bent on each end of it, the problem is the loops arent really good enough so it causes the driveshaft to run unevenly. I have decided to replace it with a new driveshaft made from 4mm scale handrail knobs...
     

     
    Firstly the handrail knob has a piece of brass rod soldered through the hole for the handrail. The hinge has been modified with a few holes. The larger hole (without the chamfer) holds the handrail knob in position, the hinge is then closed (the chamfered hole sits ontop of the 'sphere' of the knob) and a 0.4mm drill is then drilled through the entire handrail knob. The brass 'handrail' rod is then inserted through the holes in the brass spring clamp and then filed to length.
     

     
    This shows the final driveshaft before soldering to length (I dont know the length yet) The driveshaft is a short bit of spring steel (guitar string)
     
    I have also made a start on a small jig for soldering up the point rodding stools (as shown in a previous post). This has been bugging me for a while now as I wanted something easy to use as there will be quite a few of them to do. Its proving to be a bit of a toughie as the things are so small!
     

     
    I have been machining out a recess in some GRP to hold the stool in position, the idea is to layer these up depending on how many stools I need in parallel. The recess is two slots roughly 0.6mm long by 0.1mm deep. The slot drill is 0.5mm in diameter.
     

     
    The photo above shows a point rodding stool being test fitted into a slot. It seems to be a snug fit, lets hope it works!
     
    Missy
  2. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Just in case I dont manage to squeeze a blog posting out between now and Christmas Day I thought it would be a good idea to wish everyone a Merry Christmas
     
    I have revisited my 52xx this past week, tweaking and yet more tweaking to try and get the engine running much better (its being shown up by my pannier tank) so the chassis has almost had another rebuild! Oh, and the muppet that I am I also manged to loose the cab roof and so I had to scratchbuild another one too. Anyway, trying to keep in the spirit of the weather this Christmas below are a couple of pictures (in the classic RMWeb style of one colour and one B&W) of the reconditioned engine. Photoshopping smoke and steam is not easy! (as you can tell!) The photos were taken in the same way as I described in a previous post.
     

     

     
    Merry Christmas
     
    Missy
  3. -missy-
    Hello
     
    After running at the Abingdon Club last Friday it became apparant that my converted Farish wagons were not as free rolling as they should be and so my little pannier tank was struggling pulling them around the clubs layout. The problem is that the 2mm SA do not supply an axle the correct length for the wagons.
     
    Taking an idea I picked up a while ago for 4mm models I decided today to take a break from Elvis and made myself a 2mm equivalent...
     

     
    The tool I made was made from two pieces of brass tube that were a sliding fit with each other. I turned up from Brass some end pieces that slotted into the ends of the tubes and which had a hole in each end to take a short length of steel rod. The steel rod was then ground to a pin point and one of them was filed to make a simple 'D' bit. This was then soldered together as per the above picture.
     

     
    A spring was then fitted into the tube so the two parts sprung apart and added a little pressure onto the drill.
     

     
    The drill was then squeezed together and inserted into the axleboxes of the wagon. It was then rotated for a bit then the drill was turned 180 degrees and repeated. As the axleboxes are plastic it doesnt take alot to open out the pin point bearings.
     

     
    Through trial and error I now have a free running wagon, hopefully the next time I am at the club my engines will pull a few more wagons around! Its not a very neat job but the important thing is it seems to work.
     
    Missy
  4. -missy-
    Hello
     
    This is more of a post to say 'Im still here' than anything else. Things are moving forward with Elvis but never more than a slow crawl really. I am still very much bogged down in sorting the electrics out for it although I have had lots of help from Nigel and Ray but with 12 LEDs to wire up to a decoder its a little beyond my capabilities and its hard to get my head around it all. Other things that have been happening are I have now got some bogie sideframes courtesy of Allen at Worsley Works (thank you Allen) so those need to be assembled. The bodywork has now some big gaps on each side and there are also a few more details added too.
     
    Anyway I wanted to show a bit of progress so here goes...
     

     

     
    'Its all white''
     
    ADDITIONAL:
     
    Here is a sneek preview of Elvis with a freshly painted and lined body...
     

     
    Missy
  5. -missy-
    Hello
     
    I had the pleasure of helping out on Stephen Harris' 2mm FS layout Ynysarwed Sidings yesterday at the NEC / Warley show. In my eyes its probably the best 2mm / N layout around when it comes to the quality of the engines and rolling stock. Its one of my insperational layouts and I always feel honoured when Stephen askes me to help run it at shows.
     
    I always enjoy going to Warley, I love talking to people there, both traders and fellow members. This year was a bit special as the 2mm SA was celebrating its 50th anniversary so there was a special area set out for the association with some really good modelling. As always it was great to meet up with the other 2mm modellers once again.
     
    It was a bit of a shame I didnt really get alot of time to see much else at the show though but I did manage to pick up one of those spray booths that people are recommending at the moment (cant wait to try it out!)
     
    Finally, thanks to Nigel C I managed to get a picture of Elvis with his bigger brother (namely a gauge 1 model)
     

     
    Missy
  6. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Spured on by the positive comments from the Wycombe show this past weekend things have been moving forward a bit.
     

     
    Firstly I made this tool for forming some plasticard into the shape of the seats, its simply been filed from a piece of 0.4mm thick hard brass K&S strip. This tool was then scraped along a piece of 1mm thick plasticard to form the shape of the seat backs. I was going to use it for the bottom bit of the seats but didnt fit them in the end as I was worried it would make the seats too high.
     

     
    This shows the seats fitted to the inside of the railcar. You can also see how high the false floor is inside the railcar.
     

     
    The inside is nearly finished now. I am seriously tempted to fit a toilet to the loo although you will never see it once its all finished.
     

     
    The above photo shows the LED fitted to one end of the roof, there is also the resistor (towards the bottom) and you can just make out the fibre optic which passed through the brass tube. This is all going to be covered to stop the light bleeding into the rest of the railcar.
     

     
    The final picture shows the effect it produces. The roof doesnt quite fit properly as I used a bit of insulating tape to cover the LED temporarily to stop the light shining through places I didnt want it to.
     
    ADDITIONAL:
     
    You want a toilet...
     

     
    You got a toilet!
     
    Thats about it for now.
     
    Missy
  7. -missy-
    Hello
     
    I am sure there is someone who can help with a question regarding DCC decoders, wiring, and lights...
     

     
    On each end of Elvis I have 3 sets of lights, [A] is a single white marker light, is a pair of white marker lights, and [C] is a single red tail lamp. I would like to switch between either [A] and in the direction of travel only and the red tail lamp [C] will be on at the rear, to complicate things a little more I would also like to have the interior lights switchable and independant to the direction of travel.
     
    I have a TCS MC6 Decoder as I thought the more functions the better, but I am unsure on how to wire the LEDs to the decoder. Is there anyone who could help with how to wire them up? Currently LEDs [A] (both ends) are wired in series, LEDs are wired in series at each end, LEDs [C] are wired singly, and the interior LEDs (4 off) are wired in parallel. I dont mind getting hold of another decoder if I need to but it has to be SMALL as believe it or not space is a premium.
     
    Any ideas anyone? Its got me baffled!
     
    Thank you.
     
    Missy
  8. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Spured on by the positive comments from the Wycombe show this past weekend things have been moving forward a bit.
     

     
    Firstly I made this tool for forming some plasticard into the shape of the seats, its simply been filed from a piece of 0.4mm thick hard brass K&S strip. This tool was then scraped along a piece of 1mm thick plasticard to form the shape of the seat backs. I was going to use it for the bottom bit of the seats but didnt fit them in the end as I was worried it would make the seats too high.
     

     
    This shows the seats fitted to the inside of the railcar. You can also see how high the false floor is inside the railcar.
     

     
    The inside is nearly finished now. I am seriously tempted to fit a toilet to the loo although you will never see it once its all finished.
     

     
    The above photo shows the LED fitted to one end of the roof, there is also the resistor (towards the bottom) and you can just make out the fibre optic which passed through the brass tube. This is all going to be covered to stop the light bleeding into the rest of the railcar.
     

     
    The final picture shows the effect it produces. The roof doesnt quite fit properly as I used a bit of insulating tape to cover the LED temporarily to stop the light shining through places I didnt want it to.
     
    Thats about it for now.
     
    Missy
  9. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Yup, part ten and still going!! My modelling speed hasnt really changed, its still a bit on the slow side for my liking but I am still doing things. Distractions like trying to find a new job dont really help as lots of my spare time is taken up with that.
     
    Anyway, there has been a bit of progress and enough to squeeze another blog entry in. After plenty of 'tweaking' the chassis now fits into the body and I am very pleased with the fact there is next to nothing showing through the windows although at the price of some of the chassis showing below the side skirts.
     

     

     
    The lower photo was taken with a wagon to check the buffer height. As always comments always welcome...
     
    Missy
  10. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Got a bit more done this weekend. Saturday was spent in Stafford operating what is in my opinion one of the best running 2mmFS layouts ever. Today I carried on with the box that holds all the mains stuff.
     

     

     
    Its nearly there. I have another transformer to fit inside (for the LENZ thingy), the connector on the top, and then wire it all up. I will be really glad when all of this is out of the way so I can then concentrate on more exciting things!
     
    While I am here, does anyone know where I can get some 12v fluorescent tubes from? I am after some warm coloured tubes.
     
    Missy
  11. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Things are still moving slowly on the railcar. Although I havent totally stopped on my modelling I still have a way to go until I get my modelling mojo totally back.
     
    The chassis is now pretty much complete. I made the bracket for the motor today from a piece of brass and soldered it onto the chassis plus thanks to a tip-off from someone (thank you Brian) I found some screws that fitted the end of the motor so I could bolt it in place (they are M1.4 is anyone needs to know). I havent tried it yet by powering the motor but everything turns freely by hand.
     

     

     

     
    The final picture of the chassis below shows how much lower the motor now sits in the chassis, there is about 1mm clearance from the top of the rails which should be enough for Highclere and yes, you cannot see it through the windows.
     

     
    I thought I would also show a picture of what is the beginnings of the bits which will eventually hold the LEDs for the lower front lights, there are two shown for both ends which will be cut off once everything is soldered on. They have been milled from more PCB and are a push fit onto the brass 'C' section where the fibre optic will eventually go.
     

     
    Missy
  12. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Things are still happening albiet slowly on the flying banana. Since the llast post I have added a bit of detail to the roof in the shape of the roof vents and what I think is a bit of conduit which I have noticed on a few pictures. Although hard to see in the below photo I have also added the handrails and the bracket for the lamp on each end.
     

     
    I have also made a start on the chassis. I have used a Tomix chassis as recommended by Bernard earlier in the posts about the railcar, but after checking I found that when it was lined up with the body, the motor fitted well into the body and was very visible plus the the chassis was exactly the same width as the body, which didnt allow for any strengthening so I was kind of persuaded into rebuilding the chassis using the bits from the Tomix one.
     

     
    The photo shows how far I have got with the new chassis, the motor needs to be fitted along with the driveshafts. The original chassis is above (well whats left of it!).
     
    No doubt there will be more to come...
     
    Missy
  13. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Its been a while, the last time I posted it was a bit 'doom and gloom' as I had chopped one end of the railcar around a fair bit because it just wasnt right and I was faced with the prospect of completely rebuilding the end from scratch. I will be honest and this was a bit demoralising and it lead to a spell away from modelling with holidays and other things occupying my interest.
     
    This weekend I finally sat down infront of my modelling table and made a start rebuilding the end of the railcar...
     

     

     
    I can imagine many of you are getting bored of this and the many posts I have made about it which I apologise for but this is what I have been upto and its the way I do things. I can still see faults with the rebuilt end but I must move onto other bits otherwise I might give up with it all together, apart from the handrails I am now nearly back to where I was about 2 months ago!
     
    Missy
  14. -missy-
    Hello
     
    I have taken a big step backwards today with the flying banana, it has NOT been a good day...
     
    I found out that one end of the railcar was quite a bit shorter than the other end. The only thing I can think has caused it is because its the end I have chopped around a few times to try and get the front windows the right shape. Because of that it has been repeatedly sanded smooth and with every time thats done I have taken a little more of the roof.
     

     
    The above picture shows the state of the cab right now. Because it has been repeatedly cut then filled with solder, the solder has built up so I took the decision to strip it all back and 'wick' off all the excess solder which didnt leave that much left! The windows and roof line will have to be rebuilt now.
     

     
    This shows how far the roof has been taken back. The flat bit of Nickel is the correct width for the point of the roof so it shows the roof is now roughly 1mm too short.
     
    Thinking about it I will have to now do some serious rebuilding of the roof. At the moment I think it will probably be easier to cut the end of the roof off and rebuild it again from a fresh piece of brass. I wouldnt be able to live with the knowledge it has been 'cobbled' together, even if its been a VERY frustrating model to make at times.
     
    I still havent given up on it yet, although come close to it a couple of times now. It is taking a loooooong time to build though.
     
    Missy
  15. -missy-
    Hello
    The summer holiday away from my modelling desk has caught up with me and although I have finally sorted the front windows (hopefully!) things have slowed down to a very very slow pace.
     
    I do have one excuse though, it all happened yesterday and I am still smiling because of it.....
     
    Some of you might be aware of THIS POST I made a (short) while ago. This was the result of myself and a friend going over to the railway to see a pannier tank being 'delivered', we were kindly invited onto the railway to see it being off-loaded up and close which was great. After talking to a few people we were then invited to come back on the weekend to see it in steam which was fantastic.
    On Sunday myself and my friend walked round to the railway (I live next door to it) and were met by a guy called David who promptly invited us onto the footplate of the pannier tank. Hopefully the pictures tell the rest of the story...
     

     
    This is the engine I am talking about. Pannier Tank 6430
     

     
    About half way between Cholsey and Wallingford, its not easy to take good photos on moving steam engines!
     

     
    Time for a quick break at Cholsey before the trip back.
     

     
    Leaving Cholsey on the return to Wallingford.
     

     
    At Wallingford there isnt a run around loop so they have to use a shunter to release the pannier tank from the end of the line. This was amazing as I ended up driving (with expert guidence) it and shunting the coaches around!!
     

     
    Walking from the parked up shunter back to the train to repeat the trip again. My friend, David the driver and 'Norm' the fireman.
     
    It was an amazing day, something that was an absolute surprise and something that will stay with me for the rest of my life. I must say a big THANK YOU to David, Norm and the rest of the C&WR peeps for a fantastic time.
     
    Now, is that a good enough excuse to have not done any modelling?
     
    Missy
  16. -missy-
    Hello
     
    I know I have posted something like this back in the old thread but I thought it was worth posting something similar again on this blog..
     
    Highclere Waiting Shelter in 4 simple steps....
     
    1. I draw the waiting shelter in autocad then convert it into coreldraw as the laser software uses coreldraw. The red lines are for full cut and the black lines are for 'half etch'. The laser does use more colours but these are the two I use the most.
     

     
    2. The file is then uploaded to the laser and the end result is what you see below. This was cut from 0.6mm thick plywood.
     

     
    3. The parts were cut out then glued together with PVA glue.
     

     
    4. I then painted the shelter using a mix of enamels and acrylic paints.
     

     
    Missy
  17. -missy-
    Hello
     
    OK. Third time lucky?
     

     

     
    To me it looks much better and you can see by how much gap there is between the roof and the top of the windows how much I have lowered them. I havent figured out the best way to fill that gap yet!
     
    Missy
  18. -missy-
    Hello Again
     
    I have learnt a few things this week...
     
    1. Its not possible for me to survive a week on £10!
    2. There isnt such a thing as a 'standard' mountain bike part!
    3. Adjusting the windows on a flying banana isnt as straightforward as it first seems...
     
    I havent done much modelling this week mainly due to number '2' above, but I have managed to get one end of the flying banana changed...
     

     
    BEFORE.
     

     
    AFTER.
     
    I ended up cutting away the central window frame post thingy then splitting the top of the windows with a 0.5mm wide file. I then bent this upwards until the two parts met then soldered them together, after that I then replaced the window frame bit with an etch offcut plus on this end I had to replace the left hand frame too as I was a little too 'enthusiastic' with the sanding and it became a little too fragile. The roof was that hardest bit to reprofile hence there is a little more filler on this end than before.
     
    I really would like your opinions on this as its a fair bit of work to get it looking right. In my eyes its worth it because it would have bugged me rotten if I left it as it was.
     
    Missy
  19. -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
  20. -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
  21. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Things are still moving forward on the railcar. I have now been concentrating on the roof and this is how far I have got. Let me know if you are getting bored yet!
     

     
    I firstly laminated some black plasticard onto the brass roof profile I previously made. In this case it was 5 layers of 0.5mm thick sheet. The reason was because it was easier to get the sheet to fit the profile at the ends with thinner sheet.
     

     
    I left the roof overnight so the plastic had time to set after glueing then formed the roof profile using a collection of scrapers and emery paper. The picture above shows what an end looks like before I formed them.
     

     

     
    The final two photos show an end after I formed it again with scrapers and emery paper. The final touches were done with 400 grit just folded over itself a couple of times then lightly rubbed over the area. This worked wonders with smoothing off all the edges and rounding everything off.
     
    So thats how far I have got now...
     
    Missy
  22. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Like so many 2mm bods I have gained quite a bit of enthusiasm from last weekends 2mm Expo so, taking a break from the layout for a short while I have taken on another engine.
     
    At the Expo I picked up a 2mm Scale GWR Diesel Railcar aka 'Flying Banana' and armed with the book 'Great Western Diesel Railcars' by J.H.Russell I have made a start...
     

     

     
    So far all I can say is OMG this is going to be a little more difficult than I first thought. I have had to make a couple of new bulkheads at the cab ends as the ones on the etch didnt fit too well plus I have decided to make a floor from thin PCB but WOW, the ends really are origami in brass! I can now totally understand why Allen (of Worsley Works) says that he struggled with the kit. There are plenty of nice compound curves to think about. Right now I have been trying to figure out how the flat end windows change into a nice curve at the bottom!
     
    I am carrying on though...
     
    Missy
     
    ADDITIONAL:
     
    Hello It wasnt worth adding another blog entry but below are the results of the day. I am still in shock that this has taken me ALL day!
     

     

     

     
    The normal 'these are cruel enlargements' stands fast here and I know the top of the windscreen on the left is slightly out but at least I now have a template for forming the curved bit on the other end. It took a fair bit of tweaking today to get this far, let me know if its ok.
     
    Missy
     
     
  23. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Im sitting here tired but happy. The layout is safely back and unpacked from the short trip from Oxford and my mind is still buzzing from the show.
     
    For me the 2mm Expo show was amazing. I know it was a very specialised show and alot of people not really intersted in 2mm FS would find it a tad boring but so far this year it was definately the highlight in my modelling calander. The members of the 2mm SA are so friendly and welcoming and it was fantastic to spend time and talk to so many people new and old this weekend.
     
    I was glad to bring Highclere too and not all for the good, it was certianly a steep learning curve for myself and I have come away from the show having learnt a few valuble lessons. Everyone I spoke to said the layout looked great which was very encouraging but it also showed that its so important to get the track immaculate. On Saturday I was having 'issues' with the running on the layout which was really frustrating, so much so that at the end of the day I could have so easily dumped the layout in a skip! Fortunately I spent most of the day talking to people so I didnt really have much time to dwell on things. Sunday ended up being lots better, the track was given a good clean with a rag soaked with IPA instead of a rub with some fine emery and this totally transformed the running of the layout. There are still a few minor problems with the track but they are simple fixes but I have decided to have a break from the layout now for a coulple of months and concentrate of a few bits of rolling stock I have been itching to make.
     
    I dont have many photos from the show but below are a couple...
     

     

     
    If anyone else has any then please let me know, post them below, or send them to me.
     
    Finally a BIG thank you to Gina and Martin for helping me out this weekend and of course Mike and all the other organisers of the show.
     
    Missy
  24. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Recently I made a decision on how Highclere was going to turn up at the Expo. The choice was between having the curved end boards done so I could run something through the station or getting the uncoupling magnets done so I could shunt a few things around the layout. I decided the latter would probably be a more sensible thing to do so I made a start on the uncoupling magnets...
     
    A while ago I picked up some SEEP electromagnet uncoupling coil thingies to use on Highclere but I have since found out that the steel pin wasnt long enough to go through the foam baseboards I have used. The first idea was to replace the steel pin with a longer nail but after knocking the pin out from the uncoupler I soon found out that it wasnt going to work (the coils kinda un-wound themselves a bit!). There was nothing else but to make my own...
     

     
    Here are the component parts. I used some 6 inch nails which are about 5mm in diameter, some 'repair' washers which I drilled out to a push fit on the nail and also some PCB which I marked out and isolated 2 areas for the connections. Not shown is the wire which is some 0.27mm diameter enamelled copper wire which was cut to 35m lengths. They are 35m because that worked out at just over 12 ohms which is the same resistance as the SEEP ones. The washers and the PCB was then pushed onto the nail leaving about a 10mm gap between the two, I was fortunate that they were a tight fit but I added a bit of glue just in case.
     

     
    I then soldered one end of the wire to one of the isolated bits of PCB and then wound the wire round the nail using a battery drill (with speed control!) Once I got to the end of the wire it was then soldered to the other isolated section of the PCB while being careful to keep the wire under a bit of tension (otherwise it just uncoils as I found out!) I also found that its better to keep the wire even across the gap by guiding the wire back and forward across.
     

     
    And there you pretty much have it! In the picture above (from front to back) you have a finished and trimmed magnet, the original SEEP one, and finally one that hasnt been trimmed.
     
    Missy
  25. -missy-
    Hello
     
    Although I am not setting any world records for the speed of my modelling I like to think that slow and steady 'wins the race' (well thats what I keep saying to myself!). I got a few more things done this weekend, mainly some more scenics which I enjoy, I will let the pictures say the rest...
     

     

     

     

     
    Missy
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