7mm Mickoo's Commercial Workbench

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Once I trimmed the brake hanger wires everything seemed to find its own space, albeit tight! Your photos will help a lot with the next few steps. Thank you!

Paul
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
It's been a very slow week this week, lots of parts but little overall visual progress.

I've been pondering the little hinges for the inspection hatches, there's a dozen of them and all need hinges cut from 0.4 mm copper wire. There's a couple of issues here, consistency and retention, cutting anything this small runs a high risk of projectilus disappearus.

Originally I've super glued them in place or used expensive loctite 480 or some such adhesive so this time I'd try soldering, you need the merest sliver to do the job but it is possible. I used the micro flame and the trick is to waft the heat and warm it evenly and slowly, too fast and the flux spits and flicks the solder off like some sort of demented flee.

So here's the first four in place.

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I don't like images this close, they show all the flaws and untidy work in a bad light, but these hinges are tiny so needs must.

Making them all the same was the next issues, actually it came before the fixing above, so I devised a little jig from some scrap etch, the base plate is this long as it can be clamped to the bench with those little plastic springy grippers you can get.

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Simply slide the wire in from the right and using the guide at top, cut the wire to the required length, there's a two fold advantage here, they're all the same length and the stop at left prevents them scooting off when cut.

Now it's a case of cut one, use one; rather than cut five, find two and use one, loose the other type of scenario before.

Sometimes it's the little things that have the biggest pleasures :D
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Slowly slowly catchy monkey.

Looks like a lot of work, but the two piece resin boiler and smokebox do save a lot of time. Most of the week has been on the footplate at the front end and the two resin parts will be bonded together tonight, hopefully I'll get the cab shell in place tomorrow and finish off the last few items at the front, lamp irons and buffers.

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Overall the resin is a pretty good fit right out of the box though the base does need leveling on the left firebox area and right smokebox saddle area before it's finally bonded together.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Dave , I could of but wasn't sure there'd be enough 'tin' to securely fix the hinge in place in the groove, they have a habit of going walkabout when scrubbed with a fibre brush if not well and truly fixed.

Slow week this week, lost three days to a thumb injury followed by it getting infected and thus four hours in A&E whilst they poked around trying to get the errant splinter that had snapped off inside the thumb, they failed; but it came out of it's own accord last night so finally got a decent day at the bench.

Finished off some bit's around the front, just the steps to add but won't until the very end, they tend to be fragile and prone to damage so they and the valve gear go on last. Most of the cab structure is now completed and fitted, just the rain strip, sliding vents, handrails and cab door hinges to complete.

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mickoo

Western Thunderer
Peter, no, for a couple of reasons.

A:- it's an out of the box build......mind so was the County and that ended up having nearly 75% of engine upper works replaced from scratch.....so if it's not in the box then it's not added. That doesn't mean to say nothing gets added/changed/replaced/upgraded, lots of little bits do and that's part of any kit building (the inside cylinder base being a perfect example), but this part is a fairly large item so falls outside of the out of the box build criteria.

B:- as noted above it's large item and to do the job properly would require the whole stay assembly between the frames to be etched up or scratch built; you cannot get away with a couple of triangles tacked together and some weathering.

C:- If you're going to add a correctly formed support and stay then you really need to add that square opening in the boiler cladding and that's harder than it looks and to write, especially as it's not full depth.

Frankly, if you cannot add something that is as near 100% accurate as possible, then don't bodge it.

Having said that I have not discounted it completely as a possible item for the future. But, being as the Princess Coronation kit is quite modern and I have the B1, plus the kit after that....and the one after that lined up on the slipways, then it'll be a while before we get to upgrading this puppy I'm afraid.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
A little more progress, cab is complete sans fall plate and doors, the backhead will be completed post vacation.

Most of the boiler fittings are on and deflectors fitted but not secured as yet. The first section of handrail adjoining the smokebox is removable to allow the whole resin boiler to be removed for painting. Hopefully finish off the deflectors and other sundries at the front end over the weekend and then it'll get stored away until after the vacation.

The smokebox door isn't quite complete so only placed in position, same for the chimney which is the wrong type (semi) that took some time to work out :eek: and only after much swearing, filing, sanding and even more swearing.

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mickoo

Western Thunderer
Small update, the respite whilst I was away on walk about has allowed the brass to tarnish a little, so it all needs a jolly good clean and scrub.

The plan was to complete by Doncaster, that's clearly not going to happen, but it won't be many weeks after as the list of things is getting smaller.

I'm holding off on the remaining lubricators until I've seen Warren, I've an idea where by they can be fixed and he can still paint behind, but it'll need a pint or two to wriggle out the bugs.

That just leaves the remaining AWS parts and pipework to fit to the footplate, whistle and backhead. The backhead is a stand alone module so can be worked on once the main kit has gone for paint and eases the work load/pressure/deadline slightly.

Down below it's pipework, valve gear and steam cocks and other little odds and sods (speedo, steps, washout plugs etc) to fit.

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P A D

Western Thunderer
Hi Mick,
Hope you had a good holiday.

Does the boiler come off? On my Gladiator build I copied what Richard did with his Duchess and as such all the lubricators and pipework were fitted before painting and Warren had no bother with it.
Looking good though.
Cheers,
Peter
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Yes, the boiler comes off.

The problem with fitting the lubricators is that it's then near impossible to line the middle splasher face effectively and neatly.

Some people make them detachable to aid lining, I'm not so keen, given the 20+ oil lines that need to be run or connected once painted.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Might be a daft question, but given the lining challenge, would it be possible to arrange for the difficult splasher(s) to be glued on after painting?

Best
Simon

(Who recognises that this require would more forethought than I have ever demonstrated in my model building...)
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
The splasher face (that which is lined) is folded up from the main footplate etch, to which the top is formed and attached; thus not easily removable or refitable.

However, a dummy face in 5 thou accurately shaped to the same profile, might just be able to slip behind and be adhered to the main face after the lubricators have been fitted.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Don't know how Warren would deal with lining the middle splasher, but I made my own transfers on waterslide decal paper obtained from the USA. It had a much thinner backing film than anything obtainable in the UK. I also made "Methfix" transfers after Peter C sent me a load of paper. It is mighty useful to be able to discuss things with builders to assist both parties, but in the main, I suspect Pro painters have to deal with the models they are given and the best appear to do so successfully.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I work closely with all parties so that we all have as easy a task as possible.

The initial request was for lubricators to be left off, they do have threaded studs but are cast threads and quite frankly not suitable, I'm of that opinion for any cast thread where ever, not just in this isolated instance.

I'd be happy to cut them off and replaced with turned studs, actually I'd probably just replaced with rod and do a quick smash and dash with the solder tip once painted. But, my main concern is the mass of oil lines that would need refitting into all the outlets and securing, it's just an open door for CCU and his crew to party on in.

It'll get sorted in the end but no lining is not an option.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Nearly there, big push to get it over the line now.

Tomorrow will be wheels, couplings rods and pick ups and then testing on some Peco set track points and the 6' curve, so far there are no shorts when it's pushed through the crossover but powered might find something. IMG_7315.jpg

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It's slowly beginning to tarnish now, the three week break wasn't good for it, so the sooner it gets into pain the better now.
 

Brian McKenzie

Western Thunderer
Just a thought . . . . . . is there anything (a liquid ?) that a soldered brass or nickel-silver fabrication can be safely stored in to stop tarnishing between modelling sessions ?
 
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