4mm An EM Workbench: Mineral allsorts
- Thread starter AJC
- Start date
AJC
Western Thunderer
Where Nature and Swindon (who did things that way) intended them to be?
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/bogies/h703b23d#h703b23d
The real thing looks like a casting - it might be easier to fabricate that from plastic. I shall have to remember that, though, it sounds like a good wheeze for other sorts of pressings.
AJC
Western Thunderer
A minor update. A solution to the oblong hole issue has been devised and it seems to work. I won't do it next time because a better option has occurred to me - I'll explain that in a minute. What I did in this instance was to file the end of a length of 2mm brass rod to a rectangular section, heat it on the gas ring and melt the previously drilled round holes into oblongs. Laborious and not all that tidy if truth be told, but since the bolsters on the real thing were subject to all kinds of rough treatment this can be easily hidden by distressing them later.
What I should have done was to make the bolster tops from a laminate. First a layer of 40 thou, marked out and drilled at the appropriate centres, then apply a 20 thou' layer over the top from strip; two strips down either side, short lengths in the middle to match the holes. Fiddly? Yep, but it would look better. The 'deluxe' version, of course, would be to do the top in two layer of 10 thou' so that the metal 'socket' that exists on the real thing could be represented. In 4mm, life is far to short. Might be worth a go in S or 7mm though. EDIT: Though in those scales, square tube - which is available - would be an acceptable size.
The other little job was an amendment to my Coil Ks to bring the solebar closer to the tops of the bogies. A couple of layers of 10 thou have been solvent welded on last night and trimmed this morning. The full clean up will have to wait for a few days until it's hardened off and will be followed by a flash of primer over the top prior to the rivets going on.
All good fun allegedly.
Adam
What I should have done was to make the bolster tops from a laminate. First a layer of 40 thou, marked out and drilled at the appropriate centres, then apply a 20 thou' layer over the top from strip; two strips down either side, short lengths in the middle to match the holes. Fiddly? Yep, but it would look better. The 'deluxe' version, of course, would be to do the top in two layer of 10 thou' so that the metal 'socket' that exists on the real thing could be represented. In 4mm, life is far to short. Might be worth a go in S or 7mm though. EDIT: Though in those scales, square tube - which is available - would be an acceptable size.
The other little job was an amendment to my Coil Ks to bring the solebar closer to the tops of the bogies. A couple of layers of 10 thou have been solvent welded on last night and trimmed this morning. The full clean up will have to wait for a few days until it's hardened off and will be followed by a flash of primer over the top prior to the rivets going on.
All good fun allegedly.
Adam
AJC
Western Thunderer
In the odd five minutes I had to do bits and pieces I've turned my attention to the Cambrian Gloucester bogies which, while the one piece frames are a boon leave something to be desired in their overall appearance. The chief problem to my eyes are the bolsters above the springs which on the prototype stick out quite a distance. They're also rather crude and slightly lumpen in appearance.
Here's the real thing: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/bogies/h20004d98#h20004d98
And here's a three-quarter view which shows the amount the bolster casting protrudes:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbolsterd484/h2581317d#h2581317d
And here are my modified efforts:
This is possibly a step too far, and doesn't cure all the problems but makes enough of a difference to satisfy me. Just as well really, because I'm likely to be the only person who notices.
Adam
Here's the real thing: http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/bogies/h20004d98#h20004d98
And here's a three-quarter view which shows the amount the bolster casting protrudes:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbolsterd484/h2581317d#h2581317d
And here are my modified efforts:
This is possibly a step too far, and doesn't cure all the problems but makes enough of a difference to satisfy me. Just as well really, because I'm likely to be the only person who notices.
Adam
AJC
Western Thunderer
More dodgy photos, but at least they show some progress in that the bolster pins and their retaining chains are fitted and a start has been made on the brakegear.
The bolster pins are a typically neat etch from Masokits, laminated from two thin layers to form a much stronger unit than a single, thicker etch would be. The chains are simply lengths of twisted tinned copper wire with the rings at the end formed around a 1.5mm drill. These rings are then cut to loop them through the holes in the bolster pin. A touch to the soldering iron and there you are. A bit of a fiddle, but a detail well worth adding - the original can be seen here in this Paul Bartlett picture:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbolsterd484/h2edcd928#h2edcd928
The rivets are still to add...
A side view and evidence of some bodging - sculpted Miliput contours in the turned centres. Time will tell what they look like once painted but I'm reasonably hopeful.
Finally, evidence of the brakegear; spare Parkside brake cylinders, etched V hangers from goodness knows where and the vac' pipe which, for whatever reason, was suspended from the underside of the chassis rather than bolted to it. Shown here:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbolsterd484/h2edcd928#h2173d355
Anyone still interested?
Adam
The bolster pins are a typically neat etch from Masokits, laminated from two thin layers to form a much stronger unit than a single, thicker etch would be. The chains are simply lengths of twisted tinned copper wire with the rings at the end formed around a 1.5mm drill. These rings are then cut to loop them through the holes in the bolster pin. A touch to the soldering iron and there you are. A bit of a fiddle, but a detail well worth adding - the original can be seen here in this Paul Bartlett picture:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbolsterd484/h2edcd928#h2edcd928
The rivets are still to add...
A side view and evidence of some bodging - sculpted Miliput contours in the turned centres. Time will tell what they look like once painted but I'm reasonably hopeful.
Finally, evidence of the brakegear; spare Parkside brake cylinders, etched V hangers from goodness knows where and the vac' pipe which, for whatever reason, was suspended from the underside of the chassis rather than bolted to it. Shown here:
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/brbolsterd484/h2edcd928#h2173d355
Anyone still interested?
Adam
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
I'm still reading too
john lewsey
Western Thunderer
Excellent stuff
Jon Gwinnett
Western Thunderer
Me four! six!
AJC
Western Thunderer
Thanks folks, even if the viewing numbers go up, you can never tell. Anyway, while I was twisting little bits of wire about my Pipe received some door securing chains and a start made on the brake gear. The Bobol D has acquired another set of V hangers which came with the Cambrian bogies (for some reason, this design didn't have vac' cylinders acting on the same shaft as the hand brakes), but I'll spare you pictures of that until such time as I've tidied them up and made some progress on the associated linkages.
Little steps, little steps.
Adam
Little steps, little steps.
Adam
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AJC
Western Thunderer
It's a tricky one - partly, I work in 4mm because dad does and there's a degree of sense in having compatible trainsets. Not to say that we haven't built a few 7mm wagons, mostly for a club competition (which, I admit we have both won), but I like the size and achievability of 4mm and that you can have trains in the landscape without possession of an enormous amount of space or relatively limited ambitions. A bogie bolster D in 7mm, for example, would be the better part of a foot and a half long! Based on the odd issue of the Gauge O Gazette I see, I suppose that 7mm is still something of a loco' builder's scale and the stock remains very much in second place and the scenery somewhere in the rear (I know this is far from universally true). Apart from anything else, I'm a long, long way from retirement and can't abide Tweed. [joke] 
There is also the issue of cost: it isn't only the upfront cost of the kits, it's the time in finding out the additional information needed to achieve the levels of detail I'd want, it's things like paint - it's amazing how much more a 7mm wagon requires - additional space in simply storing stuff and on a junior academic's pay this isn't cumulatively practical.
Those new DJ Parkins wagons are rather nice - and relatively affordable - and whenever I see Dragon Models at a show, their pre-group 0-6-2s are tempting so who knows? Should I ever want to change periods - to say, immediately before nationalisation - a change of scale would be more likely. It might happen, but don't hold your breath.
Adam
There is also the issue of cost: it isn't only the upfront cost of the kits, it's the time in finding out the additional information needed to achieve the levels of detail I'd want, it's things like paint - it's amazing how much more a 7mm wagon requires - additional space in simply storing stuff and on a junior academic's pay this isn't cumulatively practical.
Those new DJ Parkins wagons are rather nice - and relatively affordable - and whenever I see Dragon Models at a show, their pre-group 0-6-2s are tempting so who knows? Should I ever want to change periods - to say, immediately before nationalisation - a change of scale would be more likely. It might happen, but don't hold your breath.
Adam
AJC
Western Thunderer
I found a spare half hour this morning and with the aid of some 5 thou and 10 thou plastic effected a further transformation. The bodies of these 12 ton Pipes were fairly plain open boxes but the solebars and below were quite crowded with brackets, door bangs and other odds and ends which make a real difference to the look of the thing.
There's still door bangs to go and some rope cleats, I think, before I get to the remainder of the brake gear. What you can't really see is that I've added some thin strips of 5 thou' to the tops of the side to represent the capping strips. Their clips need doing as well.
Adam
There's still door bangs to go and some rope cleats, I think, before I get to the remainder of the brake gear. What you can't really see is that I've added some thin strips of 5 thou' to the tops of the side to represent the capping strips. Their clips need doing as well.
Adam
BrushType4
Western Thunderer
How do you make those clips?
AJC
Western Thunderer
I have done it the hard way using strips of 5 thou' in the past (tacked on with cyano' and softened/secured with solvent), but what I think I'll do this time is something Colin Parks (of plastic EMU fame) suggested which is to cut some slots in the top of the sides in the appropriate place and set some small bits of 20 thou' in there before tidying up once they've set. Here's the link to the original:
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/36364-new-wagons-for-newhaven/?p=405510
I suppose that would probably work in 7mm, never needed to find out, but I'd probably go for the prototype approach and make them from strip in the larger scale.
Adam
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/36364-new-wagons-for-newhaven/?p=405510
I suppose that would probably work in 7mm, never needed to find out, but I'd probably go for the prototype approach and make them from strip in the larger scale.
Adam