m davies

Good morning Michael,

 

I use this excellent torch from B&Q. You can regulate the flame from small to fierce. I only use fierce on large parts. Small parts, I use about 50% - 60% flame.

 

 

Not sure how it's possible to destroy parts. I have an old pair of long nose pliers and work from the top of the piece holding the torch in one corner untill cherry red then slowly and evenly move across, move down a little and back across until the whole piece has been heated to cherry red. (You are not trying to get the whole piece red all over at the same time, just as long as the piece has become red before moving along it).

 

As in all things, a little practice gets the right feel and touch.

 

The metal does work harden. Also after a short time it becomes harden off. The firebox on the Patriot is just fine already.

 

FOOTNOTE On large pieces, I only anneal the area of it that actually needs bending. I never anneal half etched pieces such as the cab roof and the like with half etched detail. The metal is already easy to bend. If I'm using the rolling machine, again, I do not anneal first.

Ken, thanks and sorry for the late reply, I'd clean forgotten I'd even asked , I'll try your technique, I've got a blow torch but I think the flame is a little fierce, its better suited to hot water pipes and the such, more a needle type flame rather than a broad flame I suspect yours gives, picture added.

Re damage to parts, it was a class 57 roof panel with grills etched out, the thinner bars ofthe grills heated quicker than the surrounding roof panel and they all bowed up, luckily being reasonable soft by that stage they rolled back flat and some tweaking with various impliments made them all straight again, with two more panels to do I'm not keen to repeat my mistake.

Gorgous looking loco, I have a real soft spot for the LMS 4-6-0s, not too keen on the unrebuilt Scots (though unrebuilt Patriots are much better proportioned IMHO), much prefer Staniers rebuilds or Jubilees, I think the deflectors really give them a nice touch !. Funds permitting I hope to aquire one later in the year, Gladiator or David Andrews, both kit ranges seem very well recieved by people.

Kindest

Michael

Thanks John. Anneal until a nice cherry red, cool naturally. Then I use a scratch brush to make bright again where you need to solder.

 

Works just the same on nickle silver.

Can I ask how you heat your materials to anneal please ?, in 7mm there quite big and a plumbers tourch seems to fierce and the heat to concentrated, which nearly resulted in the death of one roof panel on my Class 57, I've held off the others until I can work out the best way to avoid that happening again. Once annealed and shaped, how do you get the strength back ?, it seems very soft once annealed.

Best

Michael

The lads at Bristol Parkway have been playing with their new toy (suspect a tad of showing off to the audience as well!!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TXrqH2nkd1U

 

She may have looks on its mother could love but I am liking how they sound. Any RTR model will need to have a stonking sound chip as standard!

Nice to hear a big decent 4 stroke engine again ! (though I do like the EMD 2 stroke as well), if it runs like any big US GE plant then it'll chug like crazy under heavy load, much like the 56s and 60s do, sounds great, mixed feelings on the looks, cant wait till one gets to Ipswich next week, may even be lucky enough to pick one up at Felixstowe when at work next week ( fingers crossed ).

Best

Michael