7mm Mickoo's Commercial Workbench

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Thank you Mick

Eerie that we have ended up completing the same kit and choosing the same loco to model

Now where is that B1 !!!!!!!

Bob
Not my choice, the client decided on the engine, I just shook the box, waved the hot stick about and then sent it for paint.

B1 is progressing in the background :thumbs:
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
So moving on, another project passed by this way recently.

The initial remit was a new set of saddle tank overlays, the kit provides 3 and 5 plated sections, the client required 6, so grabbing the crayons and string, suitable notes and measurements were taken and a new set of overlays drawn up. They're due later this week (as are the 64xx cab side sheets) and in the mean time the remit changed to 'please complete'.

The project is part started, to a good standard, the chassis bulk is complete with lovely cast wheels and split-able axles, a nice ABC gearbox finishes it off and it runs well. It has a one or two very slight tight spots, probably due to being sat for a while, but these will soon bed in. Importantly it's square and runs which is a good start.

The upper work have just been started, no major issues here but a couple of really minor ones, a couple of the splasher tops had fractured their solder joints so off they came ready for refitting, the roof at some point unknown has got a little nick/ding in it, it'll probably straighten out but I decided to add a spare on the tank overlay etch as a replacement just in case.

The only issue/mistake is the footplate valances, they have inadvertently been fitted on the wrong sides, it's an easy fix, micro flame off, clean up and refit; it didn't take long and it did allow the footplate to be scrubbed up a little.

Some of the original solder looks like a multicore variant, in places the resin has dried to a sticky glue like property, paint won't stick to this very well at all and it's hard to break through it to solder new parts on.

So to begin with, it's had a bit of a mechanical and chemical clean, the errant parts removed and cleaned up and is now ready for reassembly and then on to completion.

I always take photos before I start something like this and these are all from before I started, I forgot to take photos of the saddle tank core which had been started and simply required a little smoothing and some fractured joints resoldered.

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This evenings work focused on the upper works, tomorrow will see the chassis stripped of wheels and motor and given a good dunk in cleaners to freshen it up.

The only negative so far is that there seems to be no brass castings at all, so I'll give Scorpio a ring in the morning and hopefully they can supply some replacements or I'll raid the other suppliers and make good from them once I know exactly what I need.
 
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Overseer

Western Thunderer
Mick, are these before or after photos of the body? I am sure the valences are on the wrong way round - the cab steps should be at the cab end.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Good. Just checking, I obviously didn't absorb some of the words before the photos.
Yes, there were rather a lot :p

It's not actually uncommon for people to go word blind, we're told at work to keep mails and communications to three short paragraphs, more than that risks the recipients glazing over.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Agree. I always write in short sentences on the assumption that other folk have the same difficulties as I. I smiled at the dyslectic valances ..:rolleyes:
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Agree. I always write in short sentences on the assumption that other folk have the same difficulties as I. I smiled at the dyslectic valances ..:rolleyes:
I can see how it happened and it took me a few hours to actually realise myself. It was the fact that I needed to drill the holes for the footplate handrail above the steps that threw me.....the steps were no where near the marked holes on the underside of the footplate.

I have to confess to doing similar things myself lol, such that one set of etches I did had two left cab sides :eek: I'd rotated one instead of flipping it over.
 

Focalplane

Western Thunderer
Agree. I always write in short sentences on the assumption that other folk have the same difficulties as I. I smiled at the dyslectic valances ..:rolleyes:
Me too, I have noted that I can be dyslexic when soldering footplates, I did it on my Bulldog, soldering the central plate in backwards. It wasn't until I went to add the splashers that I noticed. It all ended well, though. I may have mentioned this before (on another forum) that when I see “LLUP” on the other side of a clear glass door I always try to pull the door toward me. It took 70 years for me to recognize this as a trait. Too late to change now.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Some etches arrived today :thumbs: sadly I pushed the limits on one and some details failed to etch :(, so MkII is now off at the printers.

However the other two were just dandy, first some more 64xx cab side sheets to practice on.

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I've now got four attempts to get the cant rail bend in just the right place. There's also some replacement coupling rods....with the right size holes! Note to self....diameter not radius....diameter not radius :rant: I've also added an alternative tank top to allow for the raised firebox cladding as discussed a while back.

However, the star of the show was these. I'd fleshed these out one weekend afternoon in the hotel whilst in China and have not had the chance to send them off...more like remember.

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There's also a trial etch for a crank quartering jig which I'll make up later in the week.

The nameplates are 1/8th scale, so they're quite big and chunky. The idea is to keep all of the base polished metal, but the design lets a little solder through to some visible areas from behind.

Fighter Command will be light blue, Spitfire will be red, both with polished letter faces. I'm not sure of the Font and these are hand drawn off the works drawings so there may be some calligraphy errors.

At the moment the actual etch nameplate is held in place with some double sided tape, I'd like to solder it to get a nice clean edge, but then that'd make painting a bit difficult. The other option is to leave the combined nameplate and backing plate off the base, clean up, paint and then fit to the stand; bit hard to solder in there to be honest.

An alternative is to junk the base and just mount the nameplate flat onto the top of a polished wooden base, much like you stand model figures on, but longer :D

Still, I'll let them sit on the desk (Spitfire to do later) and ponder any corrections or improvements I can think of.

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I think the base works and the uprights are a throw back to the good old Airfix aircraft stands we all loved and enjoyed; which failed to hold the plane up, unless you turned them round the wrong way ;)
 

cmax

Western Thunderer
Mick,

The nameplates are very nice, Is this something for yourself only or would you be prepared to make available for sale ?

Gary
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Mick,

The nameplates are very nice, Is this something for yourself only or would you be prepared to make available for sale ?

Gary
These are primarily for myself and at present only Battle of Britain class engines, I don't have the works drawings for all the BoB names but they are available from NRM. Unlike many nameplates these are not standard sizes, each is tailored in length to the name so you do need the drawings to get an accurate representation.

I'd have to rework a few bits to make them more 'user' friendly, maybe increase the nameplate viewing angle to around 45° and making the support joints more robust in design.

For the future I've started to flesh out some Princess Royals and A3's (mounted on splashers) plus any others I take a fancy too, all at 1/8th which is a nice desk top size, though I might do some 1/6th just for giggles.

To answer your question, yes, more than happy to make them available once I've sorted the construction details; thought, due to the size and material thickness, they'll probably be a bit more expensive than a bag of chips ;)
 

cmax

Western Thunderer
To answer your question, yes, more than happy to make them available once I've sorted the construction details; thought, due to the size and material thickness, they'll probably be a bit more expensive than a bag of chips ;)

Well my piggy bank is full, and your plates look far more tasty than any chips I could buy near me, So if possible could you put me down for both plates, and if you have the drawings for Hurricane & 257 Squadron, would take those as well.

For the future I've started to flesh out some Princess Royals and A3's (mounted on splashers) plus any others I take a fancy too, all at 1/8th which is a nice desk top size, though I might do some 1/6th just for giggles.

If you have Britannia plates in your sights, can I claim 70024 please!

Many thanks for showing us Mick.

Gary
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Gary, no problems, let me do the revisions and stick them all on a sheet and I can get you a rough value by PM.

I have drawings for;

Spitfire
Hurricane
Lord Beverbrook
Lord Dowding
Sir Keith Park
Winston Churchill
Biggin Hill
Tangmere
Fighter Command
Fighter Pilot
Kenley
Hawkinge
Manston
Croydon
00 Squadron
000 Squadron

Best Mick D
 
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