Jump to content
 

Kenton

Members
  • Posts

    8,756
  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    9

Blog Comments posted by Kenton

  1. That TH Vanguard really looks the part. Even more so being scratch built.

     

    I have the JE kit on the bench (I hope it doesn't take me years to finish, but is going slow ATM, just because there are too many other projects - but it certainly will not have a BB drive)

     

    I was doing a Google search for prototype photos and this popped up in the search - I don't frequent the blogs here much as they ceased to function correctly, so missed this post altogether.

     

    Just had to pass comment though as it looks really good.

  2. On first thought it would seem like a good idea - practice on scrap, but I think you will find that once you have made a couple of joins brass-to-brass, white metal-to-white metal and (the slightly more adventurous) white metal to brass, you will rapidly get bored and wonder why you didn't just buy a kit.

     

    With an etched kit, you get scrap brass in the form of the etched fret surround (certainly sufficient to "have a go"). White metal scrap is harder to find (though there is quite a bit on ebay) already made up into various items.

     

    You will find that the most challenging is white metal soldering - that is because it is a quite different technique (more about filling and using the solder like a hot glue.

     

    25W for brass - anything less and you will have problems or get into bad habits.

    15W for white-metal but even that might not be enough for loco kits (big lumps of white metal)

     

    Carrs Red flux works for both white metal and for brass. (Green is fine for brass but not very good for white metal)

     

    Never lead free solder and avoid multicore (its good for electrical and track but not really for kits)

     

    Spotless shiny clean metal always (don't even think about it unless it is bright), as little solder to get the job done - you will always use too much - so easy to think a little bit more won't do any harm - but remember you have to clean it up.

     

    some basic tools: fine flat double cut file and an old single cut file for the white metal, wet'n'dry (finest) paper, glass fibre pen, tooth picks/wooden pegs/small block of wood (preferably hard wood)

     

    Any problems just ask - there are quite a few on RMWeb who build kits every day.

  3. As I had mine switched on and was attempting what would be near impossible (ok, just difficult) with a normal soldering iron ...

    body_30.jpg

     

    A 0.6mm x 3mm length of wire soldered flat end-on onto an etched gear lever (no hole etched for the wire as the gear lever is only 0.4mm.

     

    The gear lever held in place on the plate with a magnet a tiny dot of solder paste, file the end of the wire flat and dip in flux, holding the wire with fine tweezers place end-on in solder cream dot, apply carbon electrode to wire on a low setting wait for phizz and switch off. All done - not for those of nervous disposition :lol:

     

    It is another one of those fairly expensive tools that when you finally get round to purchasing - and using ;) - you wonder how you managed without it.

    • Like 1
  4. First time I have seen one of the LRM units. I must say there are not as many options as with the Ganderton RSU that I have - but I expect it will do as good a job.

     

    I will caution about sharpening to a point the carbon tip. I just did mine again today (just like a well used pencil it blunts itself) but the finer the point the more current is localised at the tip and you really do need to "plug" it down a setting (or two) - I forgot and vapourised the part I was adding :(

     

    Brass plate is not the best option either. You will soon see why after a while when you start soldering parts to it as well as each other !! Steel plate is very difficult to solder to and although seems less conductive it functions well. The other really big disadvantage is that brass does not 'take' magnets. Magnets and RSUs go together along with card insulators really well and work so much better than wood blocks. You can insulate parts (away from that massive heat sink) on the card and then use a magnet to provide a bridge of conductivity back to the plate. It means that a lower setting can be used.

     

    Best used with solder cream - I now use that for most work - you require so little that cleaning up afterwards is so much easier.

     

    Getting into the habit of turning off before removing the tip is a bit of a challenge, also you have to try to think of the shaft of the iron as being surrounded by white metal - touch any part on the work piece other than the carbon tip and sparks will fly !

     

    Too high a setting and you are into arc welding - mine will happily knock a hole straight through brass sheet.

    • Like 1
  5. Is this a swanage models unit. If so I'm waiting for min to be delivered.

    In earlier text it was described as "one of Dick Ganderton's 'Graskop' units" This is what mine also is and mine was one of the last one's sold by him. The London Road Models and Swanage units are essentially the same as this one (as are they all) and although the settings might be labeled differently their use remains the same. It is an expensive bit of kit to spend your cash on £100+ and they are heavy to post. But if you are an avid (near daily) kit builder you are likely to find it an invaluable tool. I wish I had bought one much earlier.

     

    Solder cream beats solder paint on convenience every time as the amount used is so small. Solder paint still has its uses for tinning parts but requires care when used for overlays. The trapped flux can boil off very rapidly and blow off the overlay if not held firmly together.

     

    There is a real risk when using an RSU for overlays, that is localised heating. The part is expanded by the heat and with thin overlays this can lead to buckling and distortion.

  6. My comments:

     

    Yes from the photo it looks like the same RSU but mine has no black terminals. I generally always put the base terminal (crocodile) in the highest coded terminal - do not know why.

     

    My main comment is that I think you are doing it all wrong. Sorry.

    You have one massive heat sink and electrical continuity issue.

    The RSU works by generating heat at the point of highest resistance. This should be at the point where the two pieces of metal to be joined are in contact only through the liquid flux/paste. In all your examples you have electrical metal to metal continuity through the "solder station" the result is that you are using a far too high a setting, generating too much heat and destroying you carbon tips. An indication of this is they are glowing red.

     

    Try again. This time insulate one of the pieces to be joined from the "solder station" using a thin piece of card. Do it so that the only way electricity will flow is through the insulated part, through the join and to the other uninsulated part. Also realise that that massive heat sink is causing as much trouble as it would with conventional soldering, so also insulate it with card. Use the magnet or a small uninsulated area to provide electrical continuity.

     

    Also I have found that when using paste the points to be joined have to be exceptionally clean and despite the use of solder cream the join still benefits from adding liquid flux. It is amazing how little cream is required to make a join - if you can see it - it is probably too much.

     

    One final note: do not use the RSU for jobs that are better handled with a conventional soldering iron - typically seaming (if you do then use the RSU on the outside of the seam not the inside - but beware of arcing when you remove the carbon tip without turning off the power.

     

    The RSU is a great tool to have but it doesn't replace the conventional iron. It is best used for those tiny joins of small components to large components. These are best handled off the "solder station" by attaching the black lead to the main component and the anode to the small part being added. It is then that you appreciate the power being used and the heat generated by the low settings. As on too high a setting the small part can be vapourised.

  7. during your trials - don't forget to put it on setting 6 'A-D' - you will soon realise why you don't ever use it on a kit - even in 7mm. But it makes you realise what happens when too much heat is used. Even on 3 brass wire gets vapourised.

     

    Don't forget to acquire some square edged magnets these can prove more useful than a fence with some work as you can sandwhich a business card between the etch and the steel plate, providing electrical and thermal insulation, use a magnet at the edge to provide electrical continuity and you have the perfect arrangement to solder on things like door handles/hinges - using setting 1 of course.

  8. In my opinion and definitely only an opinion I would expect whitewash to be used internally. The reason is simply that these were places where people worked and all available external light would be used. The reflective nature of whitewash would be much greater than the GWR "stone" or any other colour.

     

    However we also have to remember that whitewash deteriorates rapidly and especially in smoked or busy use. The white would probably exhibit a distinct fade to grey depending on period since last wash.

     

    The ironwork is a different matter. Here the two tone black/dark stone lower and white/light stone upper or even simply grey may have all been possible.

    Without colour photos it is all going to be speculative. We always have to remember that there was little in the way of "fast" colours available pre-1960's - and pre-grouping most paint mixes were prepared locally to local instructions and poor charts. There will have been plenty of variation. At least with white and black there is clarity. Unfortunately both of these colours "scale" very badly and look stark and unreal anywhere on a layout.

    • Like 1
  9. so I have gone for a factory with large doors that will generally be closed but can be open to take photos through.

    That is an excellent solution as it will also add some visual depth to the viewing side. The other option would be some sort of bridge, but I don't see that working in this scale - the viewer will just expect to see into the tunnel/bridge.

    This way you could even have a door nearest the viewer partially open/ajar adding even more depth but without letting the viewer "see" through the side panel.

     

    What height did you settle on in the end? it does look a bit on the low side - but then if it was too big it would make the whole layout look out of proportion - I understand the dilemma.

×
×
  • Create New...