BrianH

This is the most critical phase of the build, soldering the boiler and ensuring everything is square. Having soldered the overlap joint of the boiler I had to add the half circle the firebox end and the half etched ring the cab end. These went remarkably cleanly and now with the boiler soldered up, you must offer it up to the inner tank sides. This went fine until I tried to solder the boiler to the tabs on the inner tanks. Strangly the whole boiler decided to sit up 1mm on one side adding a nasty twist to the whole upper body. I then had to desolder the boiler and make sure that the boiler went down square. I did this by using a craft knife and soldering iron to remove as much solder as possible until the boiler was free. I then measured the distance from the tank tops to the etchings for the hand rail holes on both sides to ensure the distance was the same. Having squared the boiler off I resoldered the inside of the boiler to the tabs on the inside of the tank sides. I deliberately left the cab roof off as I wanted to paint the inside of the cab after the engine was painted. The lower melting point of the solder made soldering the coal rails quite easy, I found that getting a peice of wood and cutting it the size of the coal bunker and bending the rails around it made it very easy to bend and fit the coal rails. The chassis is next to be built, a good tip hear is again to cut a wood tmplate around which to bend the chassis. Its easy enough to bend and solder the chassis etchings, but its also easy to solder them out of square. Even by soldering the copper bearings into the side plates and passing the axles through the bearings is no guarentee that the chassis will end up square. I have now made a solid brass spacer to go between the chasis around the back axle to ensure that the sides and bearings all sit square. I then soldered the spacer between the chassis sides to ensure that the chassis doesnt twist. I used a hacksaw to cut the spacer to length, roughly and then used my lathe to square it to the exact size. By drilling a hole slightly bigger than the bearing 2 mm deep either side into the spacer and a hole right through the middle slightly larger than the axle it is then easy to wrap the chassis around this spacer, which keeps the chassis square and stops it twisting when the engine is under load. It also adds a little more to the wieght. Next the motor.

Hi All So the next stage was to start with the sides, first step is to add the beading around the door way, I did this by starting at one side of the door and tacking with solder the beading around the door entrance, only once I had attached it all round did I cut the waste from the door entrance. The photo shows the beading still tacked across the door before I cut it off. The beading is supplied etched on the back with a channel so to attach it after cleaning the etch with a wire brush, paint on some flux and then tin the beading with solder, if the beading is clean the solder should easily flood down the channel and across the back of the etching. then take the beading and roughly shape it to the opening and start by tacking to one side of the door. When hot the solder is shiny silver, as it cools it goes dull like lead. once the first tack has cooled you can tack around the opening. and then once securly in place take the iron all round the beading and the solder should melt out behind securing it in place. I found for the first tack I had to hold the beading in place with a screw driver until the solder had cooled, after that first tack it was much easier. I used my old 30 Watt iron with 145 degree solder and Carrs Red Flux. The solder flowed easily and I found I could tack the beading and then gradually bend the beading with the screw driver to force it into the corners, tacking as I went around the door surround. The next step was to tack the sides to the foot plate, again a jig would be helpful hear because if this step goes out of square the whole build will be a wonky. As my dad used to say, measure twice and cut once, well with this ensure that after tacking the sides lightly to the footplate that you check that both sides are square and level with a set square. I used a Stanley adjustable square. Adding the front cab spectacle plate adds reinforcement, again check for square before fully soldering in place. This brings us to the little matter of rivets, above and below the spectacle rings. Jim says use a riveting tool or a scriber to create the rivet detail. This didn??™t mean much to me as I wasn??™t about to spend ??80 on a rivet tool. I tried creating rivets using scrap brass from the edge of the fret and a masonry nail and hammer. No matter how I tried I could not create a set of rivets without bending and twisting the brass, so I decided to drill out the etchings and use very fine pin heads from a needle craft shop to create the rivets. I bought the pins and then (not having a pin vice and fine drill) decided to use a needle point file to drill out the holes, I found by pressing the point of the file into the etched marks where the rivets should be and twisting to file through, that it formed perfect rivet heads on the opposite side. No need to drill or file right through just press hard to form the rivets. I am now going to design my own riveter that will allow the user to form perfect rivet heads, at a consistent distance apart with consistant pressure. So having soldered a 6 BA nut in place at both back and front of the footplate and added the sides, the back spectacle plate and front spectacle plate, I used superglue to glue the floor casting and coal bunker front in place. The next step was to form up the inner tanks and get them soldered into place. More tomorrow.

Ooops, brass reinforced or what, thanks I had a good giggle at that, must be more careful in the furture. Cheers, Brian.

Thanks for the feedback. Cheers, Brian

Hi you are quite correct. I ordered 145 degree solder and Carrs Red flux, what a difference it makes, never used 70 degrees solder. Thanks for the input. Cheers, Brian

I have created this Blog to describe the creation of a first loco. I know that the end result is a bit rough, but I am pleased with my little engine for a first attempt. The engine has been created from the excellent little starter loco kit from Connoisseur Models, go to http://www.jimmcgeown.com/ for an excellent entry kit to this hobby. I wouldn??™t want this kit to be criticised because of my poor technical skills, we all have to learn some where and many mistakes have to be made to reach perfection. Any way, believing I had at least two weeks to buy a soldering iron and solder etc before the kit arrived I was pleased when it turned up only five days after ordering it. So the first Job was to cut out the foot plate, buffer beams and valance sides. The brass is thin enough that it can be cut with a sharp Stanley knife blade, and then file any small nibs off that are left behind. Mistake number 1: Read the manual from cover to cover and then put into practice the advice there in. When Jim says, don??™t use any old solder and flux that you have laying around the house, believe him. Trying to solder the buffer beam to the footplate was an exercise in torcher. Ordinary solder has a higher melting temperature then low melt solder. Try holding the buffer beam square on and in the correct position whilst trying to get the brass and the soldering iron hot enough to melt the solder means very sore fingers. Even trying to hold the parts with tweezers or pliers had me frustrated as one or other of the components would move just as the solder melted and then it would need to be relocated again. Once I got the low temperature solder life became so much easier, but I would recommend creating some small jigs to hold things in place squarely for soldering. A block of wood cut to the inside dimensions of the buffer beam and valance pieces will hold hold them squarely whilst they are tacked in place. A fillet of solder can then be run all round once the pieces are there and the wood former removed. Hind site is a wonderful thing and next time I will do this myself. My next entry I will discuss soldering the sides and beading.

Absolutely superb model. How do you do the rivet detail?