michl080

I am using a simple, cheap ultrasonic bath for that purpose. Just drop the plastic container with the ink into the bath filled with cold water. Sonicate it for 10 minutes and all agglomerates should be gone. I cleaned my 30 year old Rotring pens recently in the ultrasonic bath. They look like new. All sticky residues inside the pens were coming out easily. I cleaned them with hot water without any additive. You wouldn't believe how long black clouds were emerging from the pens. I am also using it to prepare paint before spraying it in my airbrush. In this case, I am aslo using hot water to warm up the paint. I think the surface will be smoother then. I am just using a cheap 30€ ultrasonic bath. Michael

Morning, it might help to sonicate the ink for some time to break up agglomerates. Michael

I like the G - threads, because they belong to the very few threads that are known in continental Europe, the UK, in Asia and even in the USA. I use them commonly at my job because of that. It is virtually impossible to get NPT threads components in Europe and likewise metric threads in the USA (impossible means at a decent price :-) no level crossing incidents arising? Michael

Believe it or not, there is even a DIN standard for the same thread. Did you ever try to find any 1/4" dimension at a G1/4" thread? (maybe it's because I can't figure out how to use my caliper for fractional dimensions) Michael

I used to use a solid electrical wire for the pipes. They can be bend as desired with flat nose pliers. Looks much better compared to the original plastic pipes. Michael

good to see that there is at least a little bit of wire chaos visible on your circuit. Seeing my own workbench in comparission to your very tidy environment depressed me a lot. Michael

Morning! If it is M1, then the pitch is 0.25mm, there is no fine thread for this size. 14BA would be 1.102mm in diameter and have a pitch of 0.229mm. I would be surprised if this would fit. :-) A very exensive list of different threads can be found here , although this is in German. The BA-thread is derived from the Swiss Thury thread, which is a watchmakers thread actually. If you need some screws and can't source them in the UK, there would be a German supplier for "mini" screws here . Sorry, another German language link :-( Michael

It is a link. You can click on the underlinded link above or copy and paste this http://www.hp-pfeiffer.de/digi_umbau1/motorola/br041_roco_auf_3L_digital/br041_roco_auf_3L_digital.html link. Michael

long ago, I had to open my BR41. If I remember correctly, the problem is at the trailing bogie. The frame has some kind of retainer that holds the complete assembly in place. The frame bends laterally at the bogie. I remember that this was a very strange design. Check HP-Pfeiffer's site. It describes mainly how to digitize the older model, but the page gives some insight about disassembly. Contact me if you need help with translating the hints. Hope this helps, Michael

hmm, doesn't left hand drive at railways imply that you are driving on the left track? It is like that at least on the continent. If my assumption is correct, signals wouldn't have to be located between tracks. Michael

nice stuff, isn't it? I prepare the solder bar by melting a large chunk on a heat resistant surface and dropping my vice onto the liquid blob. It spreads out very nicely and forms sheet of metal about 0.5mm thick. Much easier to handle that way. Michael

May I ask how your Reed switches fail? Typically, they have a lifetime in the millions actions. However, they do not like to switch loads, always use some electronics to amplify the signal. Inductive loads are even worse, no relay switching please. Michael

Simon, I have used "Roses metal" instead of "Woods metal" with success. The melting point is slightly higher (94C vs 77C), but it doesn't contain Cadmium. The same procedure applies, brass / N/silver parts need to be tinned with 145C solder. Michael

Thanks Steven, that looks very promising, Michael

thanks for all the response. I start to get a better picture. Looks like Exactoscale and C&L are going independent ways today but were closer in the past. There are still quite a few references on the C&L website left. Apparently, C&L seems to be the easier way to go. I couldn't find any kit on the exacotscale website and the different types of chairs listed on their site don't go together to a complete set needed for a turnout. I guess I will try C&L. regards, Michael

Good evening, I am planning to build a short piece of track, perhaps with one or two turnouts. Searching the internet and this forum, I found C&L as the only kit manufacturer. Although the quality is great, I was wondering if there are alternative manufacturers of high quality trackwork kits. For continental -- mainly German -- layouts, there is e.g. https://wenz-modellbau.eshop.t-online.de/epages/Store_Shop00671.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/Shop00671/Categories/Spur_0/Gleisbau_in_0 , which is great, but no UK track unfortunately... Any thoughts? Michael

> The criteria for me to spray paint in the house was no paint smell. > I bought one of these > https://www.graphicair.co.uk/product/benchvent-bv300s-d-airbrush-spray-booth/ looks good. I got one of https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Expo-Werkzeuge-Tragbare-Spray-Booth-Absauganlage-Ersatzteil/332955934130?epid=5012666386&hash=item4d85b85db2:g:yoUAAOSwmuVaUMva:rk:50:pf:0 these. They are quite cheap in comparison and I am happy with the performance. It works well with my smaller airbrush, but it is overcome by my 0,3mm airbrush with 3 bar pressure. Michael

Kevin, chicken and egg? Are the signals on the left side because the driver is on the left or is it the other way around? If the driver is on the right, the signals are as well. :scratchhead: Michael

my spray booth is using a single 120mmx120mm fan that delivers 111cfm of air. It has about 50 Watt. The one above has about 5 Watt, so even two of them will have only 20% of the required flow for a cabinet. In fact, if I increase the pressure at my 0,3 mm airbrush to 3bar, the fan cannot handle the overspray any more. So I would recommend some 75 Watt for a reasonable spray booth. https://www.rapidonline.com/x-fan-rah1238b1-120-x-120-x-38mm-axial-fan-230v-ball-bearing-37-9117 that's the one in my cabinet. Michael

these trains are big news in our German magazines. There is a line operating the mentioned Alstom trains successfully which causes a lot of interest around the country. I am wondering how the German train can have the tanks in the roof where the UK version needs a tank with some 2-3 meter diameter. The continental loading gauge may be 50-80 cm larger, but this wouldn't explain the big difference. However, the German trains were built around the fuel cell concept. I assume that the actually used tanks are MUCH smaller than shown in the diagram. Is this an official Alstom drawing? Regarding the hazard of hydrogen: to move a train over a certian distance, you need an agent to contain the energy. Hydrogen, petrol, diesel or coal, the energy is immanently stored in the moving train. If the tank is reasonably crash proof, where's the problem? Michael

Hi, not sure if such a layout would be realistic. Obviously, the topmost track is to connect the factory, but the middle track is quite useless, because it is not accessible from either side. Here are some examples of real layouts, all from privately operated lines, so they were designed very economically and real "micro" layouts. All these layouts are located in Baden-Württemberg, south-west of Germany. Merklingen is only about 200m long. EG is "Empfangsgebäude" station building, GS is "Güterschuppen" freight shed, Raiffeisen LH is a agriculture trade building. Bröckingen has about the same size. Gaildorf has both functions "sequentially", it is only 2 tracks wide. The length is also about 300m. Gussenstadt is even smaller and has only three turnouts. Kochendorf is really minimalistic. The bypass is also used to supply the company named Hänel. Another factory is "Gebr. Bachert". Heimerdingen is only about two miles from my home. It has actually three companies with their own tracks. If you need any further information or translation, just ask... Michael

ebay is probably giving the best prices. I like to combine writing the text and header with my computer and add pictures with my smartphone camera. This is nicely integrated into the mobile app. No need to take pictures with the digital camera, transfer them to the PC and upload them to ebay any more! I start always with 1€ auctions. That gives best results. Michael

Morning Andy, you are right. The spokes need to be elliptical to minimize the mechanical stress. Here is a picture of a Bavarian S3/6 wheel. Sorry, I couldn't find a British example... Please note that the dimensions are metric :-) Michael

Jamie, unlike mentioned above, I would strip all paint and restart from scratch. On my first self painted loco, I stripped the paint three times until the result was OK. I think that sanding the runs down is too dangerous. It happens easily that some details in close proximity disappear. Michael

evening everybody, here is a copy of the list I received some four weeks ago. Just in case somebody needs some other article. regards, Michael