SimonD’s workbench

[simond]

Nice, good irons, looks like the same business end as mine but with an older handle. the screw that retains the bit is not brilliant.

I did nip out to the garage last night to see if I could find my “externally fired” iron, but can’t put my hand on it. If I can, I’ll post a pic at the weekend.

atb
Simon

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Nice, good irons, looks like the same business end as mine but with an older handle. the screw that retains the bit is not brilliant.

I did nip out to the garage last night to see if I could find my “externally fired” iron, but can’t put my hand on it. If I can, I’ll post a pic at the weekend.

atb
Simon

I expect it will be like mine at the front of the picture below! I took this photo to show my armoury of soldering tools for a talk I gave before the lockdown.

Ian.

 

[simond]

Thanks Ian, very similar, but with a wee bit more “heft” I suspect! It looks like you’ve used it - I have never used mine, kept it more as a curiosity.

I also have one of the tiny Antex, and a slightly bigger one attached to a temperature controller for whitemetal.

I see you’ve sorted the bit securing screw on the big Weller.

the new RDS80 arrived at the office today, 10/10 to RS for customer service. If it goes the same way as its stablemates, I’ll either get a Weller RT81, or splash out on a Nano or I-com1.

The Ersa will be baptised this evening on the brake gear of the riding van.

Cheers
Simon

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

Simon,

That was my first soldering iron, given to me, and taught how to use it, by my Grandfather. I last used it to caulk the seams on the tender tank of my Burrell Traction Engine.

Ian.

 

[simond]

Riding van knitting completed.

Never seen brakes like this before, and there doesn’t appear to be a handbrake, which surprises me. Perhaps there was but it’s not represented by the kit.



Couple of roof handrails and lamp irons needed on the riding van, and lamp irons on the tool van, and we’re good for priming, if the weather gets better over the weekend.



A question for the users of acrylic paint. Does it get damaged by the use of Methfix transfers?

cheers
Simon

 

[Heather Kay]

They’re Dean brakes. I think they’re the first design of vacuum-operated clasp braking that came out of the drawing office at Swindon sometime in the 1870s. It’s wonderfully GWR, and a proper fiddle to put together. I’ve done it a couple of times on some broad gauge stock.

 

[simond]

Thanks Heather, that certainly makes sense. The van was apparently converted from, or built on, older coaching stock chassis.

New one on me, never built them before. I thought it was going to be more difficult than it was to be honest, but it just sort-of worked. The etches in the kit are very good, very fine too, which helps, and they thoughtfully provided spares of many parts, though I think I only lost one bit to the monster under the bench.

Right-oh, lamp irons and roof handrails, good weather forecast for tomorrow!

cheers
Simon

 

[Dog Star]

Never seen brakes like this before and there doesn’t appear to be a handbrake..]

At least one of the riding vans at Didcot has a handbrake, a vertical column in the vestibule between the sleeping compartment and the tea-drinking end. Given that these vans would be parked in sidings for most of their life... without the benefit of a traffic brake van... then a means of securing the pilot vans against movement was (is) required - I expect that the tool vans had a handbrake column as per the riding van at Didcot.

regards, Graham

 

[simond]

Thank you Graham, that would make perfect sense. I could imagine it operating on the same shaft as the vac cylinder.

There’s no provision in the kit, nor any interior detail, and I’m not inclined to add it! I have added a brass bulkhead between the doors to stiffen the body, and provide a view blocker.

The Tool & Packing van has a DC cross shaft & levers operating on the outer axles, you can see the arrangement in one of the earlier photos.

I understand that both vehicles are at the SVR, hopefully I’ll get a chance to visit at some point. It’ll be nice to visit Didco5 again too!

thanks again
Simon

 

[Rob Pulham]

A question for the users of acrylic paint. Does it get damaged by the use of Methfix transfers?

cheers
Simon

Yes, but you can use microsol/microset instead of meths which doesn't seem to affect the acrylic paint. I haven't used meths to apply methfix transfers for a long time.

I always add a layer of varnish before applying transfers too.

 

[simond]

Thanks Rob,

still in two minds about this, could go acrylic matt and risk the silvery line and issues with paint lifting (though I do have some microsol) or varnish on acrylic matt, to avoid the silvery line, or just hit them with gloss rattle can, apply transfers and then matt varnish...

the latter approach has lots to recommend it, I think I’ll go that way. Once the cookery’s done...

cheers
Simon

 

[simond]

“Just hit it with the rattle can”,

then wash it in acetone

then go for Covid jab

then paint it again.

well, one of them came out ok...

 

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks Rob,

still in two minds about this, could go acrylic matt and risk the silvery line and issues with paint lifting (though I do have some microsol) or varnish on acrylic matt, to avoid the silvery line, or just hit them with gloss rattle can, apply transfers and then matt varnish...

the latter approach has lots to recommend it, I think I’ll go that way. Once the cookery’s done...

cheers
Simon

I would gloss varnish at least the area that you will be applying the transfers to, or you will have the devils own job adjusting them if you don't get them right first time - speaking from the voice of experience...

 

[oldravendale]

You tease, you.....

Which one came out OK? I can't say I've ever hit anything with a rattle can...... thrown my rattle out of my pram, maybe, and possibly even chewed on a rattle can.....

Brian

 

[simond]

Thanks Rob

they’re now both gloss Rover Russett brown on the sides. The roofs & ends are still grey.

atb
Simon

 

[simond]

You tease, you.....

Which one came out OK? I can't say I've ever hit anything with a rattle can...... thrown my rattle out of my pram, maybe, and possibly even chewed on a rattle can.....

Brian

the riding van was fine but in my caution not to get brown on the ends, and not wanting to mask them, I was holding the van so the paint was sprayed from a shallow-ish angle so it would self-mask, and got a paint curtain on the sides of the packing van. I’d perhaps have got away with the little bit on one side, but the other side was just awful, so out with the acetone...

Having screwed up at 1pm, we’d gone for a walk and I’d had a text at 2pm about Covid, and the appointment at 4. After getting home & washing it, I had time to prime it with acid etch before nipping up to the Civic Centre and being jabbed - really efficient - full marks and a gold star IMO - and then back, mask the roof and have another go. Happily I didn’t make a b....x of it second time round!

more soon!
Simon

 

[oldravendale]

Covid jab - 5*****. Figures suggest, extrapolating from data from 500,000 (yes, half a million) immunisations in Israel that the Pfizer jab gives 90% protection after three weeks, with no second jab. Potentially the second jab will top this up. No official data on the Astra Zenica one yet but it's suggested that this may be just as effective but no firm data on which to pin the tail on the donkey.

What chances for Guildex this year then, chapesses and chaps?

Brian

 

[simond]

Given the way that vaccination is going, with a fair wind, and no unfair variants, I guess it might be possible. Hope so.

I shall not be there either way.

If I have a fair wind, me & my 1977 Moto Guzzi LeMans will be leaving for the centenary of the factory in which it was built, in Mandello del Lario on the banks of Lago di Como. Rather more pictureskew than Stafford showground, I guess you’ll agree.

Still some work to complete, but carbs are rebuilt, new front discs and pads & steering damper ready to install, need to helicoil the level screw on the bevel box, and change the oil therein, and arrange an improved side-stand, fit a LED front daylight riding lamp, and convince the French to give me a Crit’air Carnet (they do allow for historic vehicles, but assume their owners can drop into the local traffic office, rather than buying their carnet online), and a myriad of little things that are overdue being sorted.

g’night
Simon

 

[Rob Pulham]

I was really impressed to get a call yesterday asking me to attend for my jab on Tuesday. I am only 57 and I am being jabbed under our surgery's clinically at risk group, so it seems I have finally found something useful about being diabetic...

 

[simond]

I wouldn’t wish it to put anyone off, but arm rather sore this morning. Not painful, just a bit stiff & a dull heavy ache.

forewarned is, as they say, forearmed.

see what I did there?
Simon