7mm Mickoo's Commercial Workbench

[Focalplane]

As an amateur/jack-of-all-trades may I add my 2 centimes worth? I only started building 7mm brass/NS kits a few years ago and my first efforts were what one might expect, a lot of solder under the primer but happily a loco that works. Having seen Mick's work (and others but this is his thread) and met him at Telford and seen his work in the raw I can say that his approach is one I now try to emulate even though the reasons are not commercial at all. The principal reason is one of self-improvement. There is something satisfying about cleaning up, even polishing, a firebox after forming it, soldering it and feeling it's a job well done.

Paul

 

[P A D]

Can i ask what the facination with cleaning is ? Surely as long as your flux residue is washed off thats all that needs to happen . If of course the model is going to remain in its raw state and never be painted then i understand but most will be painted so isn't it just a waste of good modelling time ?
I will now withdraw to a dark corner where the bricks cant hit me .

Hi Paul,
It's a valid point to which I agree and no bricks are coming from my direction. As long as excess solder and flux are removed, the extra cleaning won't make any difference either to the adhesion of the paint, or the ultimate quality of the finish. However, I don't like to post photos where the model is covered in tarnish, but as Mick says, that does not mean models that are not clean are not good. It's just my personal preference and as to being a waste of modelling time, I view it as part of the overall building process, which I enjoy.

Cheers,
Peter

 

[Peter Cross]

Not clean and tarnished are two totally different things. I like to see clean joints etc. But as far as tarnishing goes, I'm not overly worried. Over here the brass goes brown whilst you're working. I also agree that a nice shiny brass model does have a big wow factor.
I've also found a lot depends on the age of the kit. More modern ones seem to use a harder brass, which stays tarnish free a lot longer than the older ones.

 

[mickoo]

Peter, that's an important distinction to make .

All of my models are clean, it's the level of tarnish that's relevant in this context, that's where working with nickel silver has it's benefits due to it tarnishing less.

 

[paulc]

Generally there isn't and this hasn't been cleaned other than to wash off the flux and make sure all the joints are solder free (outside of the joint).

MOK kits are very good with their hidden tabs and frankly there is very little solder to clean up on the visual surfaces anyway.

The only models I keep really clean for the duration of the build, are ones where photographs are needed for the instruction documents or press photos; in which case dirty or solder stained work is simply not acceptable (as far as is reasonably practicable).

Regarding commercial work, it's amazing how many customers respond positively to a clean model, even when they know it's going to be painted, it gives them the confidence that it's been made well and is all good and solid. It is also one of the few ways a commercial builder can demonstrate his build skill set. It keeps customers coming back and attracts new ones, which is important for me as in the near future this will be my main income if everything goes to plan.

That does not mean to say models that are not clean are not good, far from it, as already noted, once painted who knows. It can be an emotive, personal or subjective view, but there is no holy mantra that models have to be cleaned to within and inch of their demise, it's whatever you're comfortable with.

Hi Mick , it wasn't you specifically that i was talking about and i apologise if you took it that way . It just seems that everyone is busily buffing brass . I did enough of that when i was a kid and we had brass stair rods to clean .
I can understand if you're a professional builder and need that wow factor but for the average person i do wonder why . I'm not a fast builder so maybe i begrudge the time , anyway i will go back to my mostly resin kit of an LNWR Special tank .

 

[mickoo]

Paul, not at all, it's a valid point and one that crops up on these boards periodically.

Apart from the wow factor, polished models do also have a benefit in construction, a polished boiler or tender side will show the smallest dent or ding in it's reflection, allowing you time to repair or fill long before paint and gloss lacquer is applied.

I suppose it's fair to say "I clean because I choose to, not because I have to".

 

[LarryG]

Polished of not, I treated all locos to the same thorough wash in celly thinners as if I were getting rid of flux or Brasso and other suspects from under boiler bands, smokebox saddles etc. The worst that could arrive was not rusting chassis but polished locos that had been clear lacquered. The latter were usually ready-to-run brass, but the ones from Taiwan arrived in black paint. When removed it could reveal brass or nickel silver, and even gold plating!

I trust the Armstrong is coming along well...

 

[mickoo]

I trust the Armstrong is coming along well...

Not to shabby to date.

Rolling chassis....pseudo... as I still need to fit the bogie pivot bearing.







The bogie is a nice little kit in it's own right and took as long the rest of the chassis to get this far, only the axle boxes and springs to finish it off. The springs will be fitted post paint but need to have the shackles added and snubber/tie rods made up.






I also seen I need to clean the cusp off the axle box openings as well.

I also have to confess that the bogie has had a quick 2-3 minute polish with a soft fibre brush.

 

[7mmMick]

I like the hefty motion bracket and cylinder block mate, are they castings, etchings or a mixture of both?

 

[mickoo]

All castings, the fit and quality of the castings is sublime, virtually no cleaning up required and everything is square and just fits.

 

[paulc]

Not to shabby to date.

Rolling chassis....pseudo... as I still need to fit the bogie pivot bearing.

View attachment 113570

View attachment 113571

View attachment 113572

The bogie is a nice little kit in it's own right and took as long the rest of the chassis to get this far, only the axle boxes and springs to finish it off. The springs will be fitted post paint but need to have the shackles added and snubber/tie rods made up.

View attachment 113573

View attachment 113574
View attachment 113575

I also seen I need to clean the cusp off the axle box openings as well.

I also have to confess that the bogie has had a quick 2-3 minute polish with a soft fibre brush.

Hi Mick , i thought the front bogie had been superglued then spotted a trace of solder around the bolster . Beautiful work mate .

 

[mickoo]

Hi Mick , i thought the front bogie had been superglued then spotted a trace of solder around the bolster . Beautiful work mate .

Yes, saw that in the photo, it has now been erased

Below, another spot the solder competition , drag beams and interior surface exempt.

 

[mickoo]

Well, that's the hard part over and done with, it's worth taking the time to make sure the footplate is formed as close to the profile as possible, less solder required = less clean up later.

The chassis has come to a halt (brakes and inside motion) as the replacement crank (original lost) turned out to be a De Glehn.....a corrected replacement is on it's way

Plus, I'm still waiting for the ABC gearbox combo, I was hoping to get this done this week, might have to get creative if it doesn't turn up in time.

Hopefully with a fair wind I'll get the rest of the major upper core structure finished tomorrow.











And now, a little grumble, why oh why would you etch text on the outside of the frame overlay, really really not helpful



Am I the only one with this failing, I cannot believe that after 8 (nigh on 9) years this has not been corrected. Yes I can fill it with solder or Milliput and then spend ages getting it perfectly smooth...it has to be smooth as it's lined right through here....but why should I.

Having voiced the above I do then have to counter, that on the whole, the kit so far has fitted perfectly, which is why something like this then tends to have more weight/stress than it really should.

 

[Scale7JB]

More to the point, is it even necessary??

Looks amazing all the same.

JB.

 

[Scale7JB]

Unless of course, the 'footplate angle iron' that is already fitted to the loco, fits 'on top' of the brass you have attached to the overlay??

JB.

 

[mickoo]

Unless of course, the 'footplate angle iron' that is already fitted to the loco, fits 'on top' of the brass you have attached to the overlay??

JB.

Not quite, the overlay has the side of the angle as a full depth section (that which the text is on) and the rest is half etch, kind of an odd way of doing it really, normally you'd just etch the angle as one small piece and solder that to the frames. None the less it works and achieves the same effect.

Above that, and attached to the base of the footplate, is another thin strip of brass to replicate the other side of the angle that's bolted to the footplate underside.

If there were something to go on here then I'd expect to see something in the instructions.....well maybe not, there are some big gaps here and there.....or something in the photos, or better yet, a long squiggly shaped piece of etch to match the frame curves; there's none of the above.

 

[warren haywood]

I think that is an early kit Mick, I’ve seen the text before on paint jobs I’ve done. The one I’m in with now has no text etched in. Also might explain the problem with the tender and the supplementary etched parts.
Mine has revision F or loco and revision E for the tender on the instructions

 

[warren haywood]

 

[warren haywood]

This is the very first one I painted, as you can see the text is visible

 

[mickoo]

Warren, that'd explain a few other things not quite fitting perfectly as well and missing sundries etc.

Hell of a shelf queen I've got here then, at least eight years old.

Oddly my instructions Rev E are still dated the same?