4mm Jan's 4mm Workbench

[AJC]

A little aggressive, yes. That said, leave off judging until you've put the bends in; once these are in you'll be better able to tell what more easing is needed (probably not as much as you'd think!).

This image seems fairly typical: BR 13ton steel bodied Medfit open (as used by engineers) ZAV ZVV ZAO ZDO | DB457759 ex Medfit @ Longport Junction 80-08-03 � Paul Bartlett w and this one BR 13ton steel bodied Medfit open (as used by engineers) ZAV ZVV ZAO ZDO | DB457822_diag_1-019__m_ shows the bends.

Adam

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Would dearly love to impart my knowledge of such matters, Jan, to help ease your angst, but as per usual, I don’t have any

FWIW, I prefer the less pronounced ‘bend’ of the second if that’s of any use?

Oh, btw: your friend Ping has some ‘spring’ as I’ve just found prodigal No. 4 languishing in my bedroom carpet

Good luck!

Jonte

Hello Chum,
Thanks! Any voice in the darkness is a good voice. Unless it’s one of the many in my head..

Ah.... I have no need of No. 4. We’ve gone with 7 and 10. I’m not sure if it would have been easier with a drawing, but anything had to be better than this:



(Bottom left is the closest approximation - AGBE due to no GA ).

Cheers

Jan

 

[Lyndhurstman]

A little aggressive, yes. That said, leave off judging until you've put the bends in; once these are in you'll be better able to tell what more easing is needed (probably not as much as you'd think!).

This image seems fairly typical: BR 13ton steel bodied Medfit open (as used by engineers) ZAV ZVV ZAO ZDO | DB457759 ex Medfit @ Longport Junction 80-08-03 � Paul Bartlett w and this one BR 13ton steel bodied Medfit open (as used by engineers) ZAV ZVV ZAO ZDO | DB457822_diag_1-019__m_ shows the bends.

Adam

Hi Adam
Again, my grateful thanks. Ive been forward and back through Paul’s site looking for a reason why the AMBIS lever sports such sinuousness. I would note that - to me - the clutch lever side has a slightly different origami to it than that of the ‘plain’ side. I think I’ll need to add the brake lever guards to work out what, where, and when. It’s fun, right?

Cheers

Jan

 

[AJC]

Hello Jan,

Yes, there’s more curve on one side than the other - with the clutch the geometry would have to be different - but why curved at all? I guess it’s one way of getting a bit more stiffness/length and thus leverage into quite a short lever? The bends in the vertical plane take the worst of it out from memory, but I think it’s perhaps a little overdone in the artwork. Nothing that pliers can’t sort out of course...

It’s fun, right?

Cheers

Jan

So they tell me! Good luck.

Adam

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Hello Jan,

Yes, there’s more curve on one side than the other - with the clutch the geometry would have to be different - but why curved at all? I guess it’s one way of getting a bit more stiffness/length and thus leverage into quite a short lever? The bends in the vertical plane take the worst of it out from memory, but I think it’s perhaps a little overdone in the artwork. Nothing that pliers can’t sort out of course

Adam

With thanks to Adam and Jonte for their knowledge and encouragement, we’ve moved forwards. Well, mostly... we moved vertically last night when the wagon succumbed to gravity, and hit the Works floor. Unlike West Ham, a few bonds were broken, but the majority was intact.

We’re not convinced that this straightened sinuousity is correct, but once it’s been hidden by the brake lever guide and remastered by The Paint Shop Boys, it might pass muster.

In other news, we’ve gone a little mad, and inserted a fillet (other cuts are available) in the V. This mimics the prototype, which shows a little curve above the lever on the clutch side.

Cheers

Jan

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Hanging Around
More messing with the Medfit. And my head. Like a brewery thief, I’m lacking the Courage of my convictions. Or maybe it’s my perception. Despite spending an hour looking at every one of the prototype images in Paul Bartlett’s site, I’m still wondering if I’ve done the right thing. Maybe it’s me, but I can’t help thinking that my butchery is wrong, and The Ambis Conformity is right. Despite all the evidence. Perhaps this is symptomatic of a larger issue.. Anyway, here’s a before and after.

The second photo shows the results of my butchery. The bends in the handle (a cunning half-etch section that AMBIS get top marks for) pass - as per prototype - over the axlebox. So radially, it’s right. It’s just the door of perception that’s locked me out.

The fettled forgery sits - loosely - in a Bill Bedford RCH brake lever guide. That was another thing I had issue with, as the only way I could make it work - have the representation of pin holes inter outside - was to have the half etch lines on the outside of the bend. Which - instinctively - is just plain wrong. And the Craig Welsh ones (lovely work with excellent instructions) are the wrong hand for these short lever wagons - being suited to a lever guide anchored to the more routine RHS of the axlebox). So I might have to have a go and fillet some of the Bedford’s.

Cheers

Jan

 

[matto21]

Amazing work!

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Amazing work!

Thanks Matt

Up Down Turn Around
Oh you’ve got grey eyes....
I broke - try it, you’ll find it’s easy as - a Craig Welsh brake guard. Then, the buildup of strangeness in my system led me down a strange path, at the end of which lurked an even weirder epiphany. I could rework it.... So, ladies and gentlemen, courtesy of some 63/47 rosin core and a steady hand (for once) I give you the reversed Craig Welsh RCH brake hanger...

I’ve fixed it with Loctite, and drilled the solebar for a 0.4mm pin that is fitted to the top of the brake hanger. It’s still there, but I’m going for a lie down...

Cheers

Jan

 

[jonte]

Don’t beat yourself up, Jan; your doing a great job. I never knew was there was so much to (forgive me) a humble wagon.

This is the sort of craftsmanship, wealth of knowledge and going the extra mile type stuff usually only found twixt the pages of MRJ. Commendable.

Don’t think I’ll ever look at ‘just’ another wagon in the same way again

Keep on keeping-on

Jonte

 

[NHY 581]

Crikey!

Rob

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Don’t beat yourself up, Jan; your doing a great job. I never knew was there was so much to (forgive me) a humble wagon.

This is the sort of craftsmanship, wealth of knowledge and going the extra mile type stuff usually only found twixt the pages of MRJ. Commendable.

Don’t think I’ll ever look at ‘just’ another wagon in the same way again

Keep on keeping-on

Jonte

Thanks, Chum
It’s just the everyday companion of self doubt. But I’ve never had to go through these doubting-what’s-staring-me-in-the-face machinations before.

You’re very kind, but I don’t think this is up to MRJ standard. Unless they’ve gone seriously downmarket But I’m very grateful for your rose-tinted glasses

Ah... Wagon Love; once bitten, forever smitten. Go on - you know you want to.... The Humble Wagon (other ex-Springwatch goods conveyance methods are available) is a constant source of fascination. I really must treat myself to the Doug Hewson book this year...

Thanks again

Cheers

Jan

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Finals Day
It is with some happiness - and a lot of relief - that we can report completion of the fabrication stage of this project.

The final moments of the build were spent constructing some semblance of the vacuum brake system and linkages between the solebars. Here, we were ably helped by representatiorns of the brake cylinder from 51L (UC012) and pipes (LMS VP03). Hooks were also LMS (CH04), and the Instanter links were AMBIS (CCEI-4) and Bill Bedford. Other bits and bobs - including the hose dummy (more madness visible) on the buffer beams - came from Stores.

Thank you to Richard Hollingsworth.
It’s over to the Paint Shop now.

Cheers

Jan

 

[AdeMoore]

Brilliant Jan, one day I hope to be able to emulate something like this far cry I know, enjoying the inspirational posts.
Cheers

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Brilliant Jan, one day I hope to be able to emulate something like this far cry I know, enjoying the inspirational posts.
Cheers

Thank You, @AdeMoore
I appreciate your kindness. I think maximum kudos should go to all those that enable us to humour our idiosyncrasies. I couldn’t have even contemplated this without the specialist traders who serve the hobby so well. Mind you, adding all the bells and whistles do push the cost of construction up; and that’s without accounting for the 20-odd hours of research and then the build.

It’s been an interesting journey. It’s given me a fair idea of what I can do, and what’s practical - and practicable. For me, a MedFit is far from a tray on wheels, and - one day - I might have a go at the plain Morton version.

Thanks again. I think your wonderful wagons speak volumes of your skill and eye for detail in their creation. And you’re in a good place here; WT is a great place to learn and gain confidence. And have fun.

Cheers

Jan

 

[jonte]

It seems a shame to hide the wealth of detail under a coat or two of paint....but we know it’s there

To all intents and purposes, this little ‘tray’ is more than just a model.

Well done, Jan.

Jonte

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Unpalletable

While the burbling Ruston shunts the Medfit through to the Paint Shop, we’ve taken a moment to begin the ungluing of an ancient approximation of a Palbrick. We believe that this is the old Keyser incarnation, and as such delivers several kilograms of additional whitemetal that will need excising. Not to mention a similar amount of Evo-Stik...

The resurrection of this leaden lump - and it’s similar sister - will no doubt utilise the lifting link chassis we have in stock. And recourse to Geoff Kent’s build of one in his Wild Swan library of wagons. In addition, Bartlett has a grainy quintet of Palbricks that still have their sides, and a couple are lifting link. We’re therefore hoping that our best foot is not only going forward, but is firmly placed upon the path of right.

Cheers

Jan

 

[LarryG]

Always surprised this hasn't been done ready-to-run. Block traffic and all that...

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Always surprised this hasn't been done ready-to-run. Block traffic and all that...

Hi @LarryG
Yes; me too. Relatively straightforward, I’d have thought. I wondered why Parkside never bothered; perhaps it’s the myriad variety. I know @Bill Bedford has one in the pipeline, and there’s an NS kit (9 pages of instructions, and 250-ish images in the instructions) from ian@nmacdonald.co.uk in the Works queue here. And I think Crownline used to do one, too.
I think the Palbrick is very interesting. I’m toying with the idea of making one up as a shell carrier. The lack of RTR versions makes any that turn up on eBay - in any incarnation or condition - a source of reasonably daft bidding.

Cheers

Jan

 

[Lyndhurstman]

P(r)icking Holes In Things

The restoration of the Palbrick B’s moves forwards slowly. One of the little - but rewarding - jobs is to get rid of the flash around the springs. As well as bringing daylight, it also serves to add a bit more depth to the area. This is done with an old Swann Morton No 11 blade in a No 3 handle. This seems to be a favourite tool, at the minute - useful as a spot clamp, too. Above is the before and after.

Interestingly -or not - and unlike the Medfit (which has 1) the Palbrick B’s have W irons with 2 holes for shunting hooks in them, or so
it seems from our research. There will need to be a tiebar between the W irons (which may stay - but the cast brake gear will probably go).
Also in the scrap pile will be one of the ends; these early Keyser versions of this Diagram were made with both ends plain - presumably for robustness sake. Part 1 of Geoff Kent’s wonderful work has the truth of the channeled adjuster end, and some sheet to fabricate same is on order from Eileen’s.

Cheers

Jan

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Reconstruction Time Again

Open-ended basic boxes need support, and - whilst waiting for the order from Eileen’s (here’s hoping it hasn’t done a Midnight Runner) we have spent some time in reworking What Lies Beneath. The Stores has MJT RTR units aplenty, having bought a joblot from a concern in Ireland who couldn’t get on with them. The usual rules apply; both are rocking units, but one has been stymied bu the insertion of 20 thou plasticard packing pieces superglued in place. Gibson 3-hole discs are the circumferential conveyance choice, having their pinpoint protrusions flattened with a file, as they are surplus to requirements in this arrangement.

We have also taken the opportunity to remove the brakegear. This will be replaced with something that can be aligned with the wheels, rather than the 9” offset that would have resulted if we’d kept them. One good thing about these boxes is that the floor is nice and flat, so no major surgery of the area is needed for this work.

Cheers

Jan