7mm Mickoo's Commercial Workbench
- Thread starter mickoo
- Start date
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Slow but steady pace, most of the major components assembled and test fitted, the firebox is secured to the cab but the boiler and smoke box combined assembly is loose, the smoke box door is simply fitted with stiction.
There's a little kick in the firebox which is lifting the front left corner, easily rectified, what isn't going to be so easy is the difference in radii between the smoke box and saddle. At the moment I cannot fathom why it's so different, the smoke box is nice and round as the door (trimmed and turned on the lathe) drops in just peachy.
The saddle also assembled right out of the box with no known errors or gaps. I think it's going to be the saddle in all honesty as the trial fit shows a small gap at the boiler base next to the throat plate, indicating that the saddle is a little too high. It'll be a case of taking off the flange plate, reducing the height of the arc base and dropping the fillets accordingly.
The instructions mention to line up the boiler with the firebox before fitting, quite hard to guesstimate this and almost always ends up in hand rail knobs not being aligned. A simple trick is to slide a length of wire through the hand rail holes, in this case the boiler and Mk I eye ball head on, easy to see if the boiler is actually level this way.
Add a couple more in the firebox and then you can double check the alignment against each other, or if fitting the smoke box, add them there and cross reference the two to make sure your handrails are level.
There's a little kick in the firebox which is lifting the front left corner, easily rectified, what isn't going to be so easy is the difference in radii between the smoke box and saddle. At the moment I cannot fathom why it's so different, the smoke box is nice and round as the door (trimmed and turned on the lathe) drops in just peachy.
The saddle also assembled right out of the box with no known errors or gaps. I think it's going to be the saddle in all honesty as the trial fit shows a small gap at the boiler base next to the throat plate, indicating that the saddle is a little too high. It'll be a case of taking off the flange plate, reducing the height of the arc base and dropping the fillets accordingly.
The instructions mention to line up the boiler with the firebox before fitting, quite hard to guesstimate this and almost always ends up in hand rail knobs not being aligned. A simple trick is to slide a length of wire through the hand rail holes, in this case the boiler and Mk I eye ball head on, easy to see if the boiler is actually level this way.
Add a couple more in the firebox and then you can double check the alignment against each other, or if fitting the smoke box, add them there and cross reference the two to make sure your handrails are level.
john lewsey
Western Thunderer
There is something very appealing about these engines
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
P A D
Western Thunderer
Me too!
Peter Cross
Western Thunderer
Add another.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Oh dear Tony not a good day at the office, that transition ring is a hefty old lump, you did well to extract it and not buckle the half etched firebox wrapper 
I wish the boiler and smoke box core were half etched material as well, trying to roll them in full gauge was a bear fight with the rollers.
I wish the boiler and smoke box core were half etched material as well, trying to roll them in full gauge was a bear fight with the rollers.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
That's what happens when you build two together and check the same one twice. I thought the firebox was flimsy, so I re enforced it with 4mm scale bullhead rail.
I also modified the loco rear drag beam as it should have lightening holes, that might have been updated since...:-
I also modified the loco rear drag beam as it should have lightening holes, that might have been updated since...:-
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Not on mine it hasn't, I've still got that to do, hence the drag beam being missing in the photos. That's Sunday's little task, as well as fitting all the wash out plugs, mud hole doors and regulator gland to the kettle bit; then joining it all up to make the body core.
Interesting view on the firebox, I found it very easy to form, perhaps too easy, so you need to take it steady. Once it was attached to the cab, throat plate casting and cast base pieces I've found it remarkably strong.
Interesting view on the firebox, I found it very easy to form, perhaps too easy, so you need to take it steady. Once it was attached to the cab, throat plate casting and cast base pieces I've found it remarkably strong.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Picked up Bude at Reading from Warren for reassembly and running in after paint.
Glazing, hooks and back head to finish it off then it'll be off to the DCC guru.
As is usual after reassembly, some minor scratches to be treated, predominately wheel rims where they've been getting their elbows out with the brake rigging.
Glazing, hooks and back head to finish it off then it'll be off to the DCC guru.
As is usual after reassembly, some minor scratches to be treated, predominately wheel rims where they've been getting their elbows out with the brake rigging.
P A D
Western Thunderer
Absolutely!
Photos don't do justice to Mick's and Warren's work. I dropped off the GCR 11F yesterday and Warren showed me Mick's Armstrong which he has for painting and it's better than magic even in bare metal. Can't wait to see it in all its finery after Warren has done his work.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
You're just too kind lol, in fairness, despite the few niggles it was a nice project. Not sure I'd do another back to back but next time it won't be so much of a chore working out what goes where.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Nearly finished now, someone asked at Reading how I would be doing the pick ups, so here it is, may as well share with all.
I'm sure there are many ways to skin this cat but this is how I do it. A pair of copper clad strips are joined with insulated bus cables, these are 1.5 mm and are rigid enough to stop the copper clad strips from twisting, therefore only needing one fixing screw.
The front screw also doubles as the motor mount, in this case a simple single coil of 0.8 mm brass, it's rigid enough to support the motor but has a slight give in it to allow it to float.
Wipers are 0.5 mm phosphor bronze wire with a little nook in them to centre them on the rim, they tend to be less prone to dirt this way.
The back head is finally finished and having taken the photos, I've just noticed some unsatisfactory solder that needs cleaning up on some of the oil lines. It's near unnoticeable by eye but once blown up on the screen really obvious, and now that I know....it has to go. A waft of paint and picking out of details will complete the sub assembly.
Next up will be glazing, lamp lenses, doors, hooks and other niff naff, leaving only the scratch built firebox base and sides to add along with the blast nozzle assembly which is easily viewed down that massive hole of a chimney.
I'm sure there are many ways to skin this cat but this is how I do it. A pair of copper clad strips are joined with insulated bus cables, these are 1.5 mm and are rigid enough to stop the copper clad strips from twisting, therefore only needing one fixing screw.
The front screw also doubles as the motor mount, in this case a simple single coil of 0.8 mm brass, it's rigid enough to support the motor but has a slight give in it to allow it to float.
Wipers are 0.5 mm phosphor bronze wire with a little nook in them to centre them on the rim, they tend to be less prone to dirt this way.
The back head is finally finished and having taken the photos, I've just noticed some unsatisfactory solder that needs cleaning up on some of the oil lines. It's near unnoticeable by eye but once blown up on the screen really obvious, and now that I know....it has to go. A waft of paint and picking out of details will complete the sub assembly.
Next up will be glazing, lamp lenses, doors, hooks and other niff naff, leaving only the scratch built firebox base and sides to add along with the blast nozzle assembly which is easily viewed down that massive hole of a chimney.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
A quick splash with the wet stick and I'm moderately happy with the first pass. I'll stick this to one side for a few days and revisit, anything that jars or I don't like I'll tend to.
I can already see some tiny strands of fibre brush that need flicking off, they're hardly visible but just catch the light occasionally.
I'm after a care worn effect, not ex works but not the week before scrapping either.
Inside the engine it's pretty dark, even worse once the tender is coupled up, so getting any decent shot of shot requires a lot of light and contrast, it's a lot more toned down in real life.
I can already see some tiny strands of fibre brush that need flicking off, they're hardly visible but just catch the light occasionally.
I'm after a care worn effect, not ex works but not the week before scrapping either.
Inside the engine it's pretty dark, even worse once the tender is coupled up, so getting any decent shot of shot requires a lot of light and contrast, it's a lot more toned down in real life.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
Looks good.
Before coupling the tender I would drybrush gunmetal paint onto any foot pedals and areas which would have been scuffed by boots i.e. probably towards the base of the firebox where it have been kicked.
Before coupling the tender I would drybrush gunmetal paint onto any foot pedals and areas which would have been scuffed by boots i.e. probably towards the base of the firebox where it have been kicked.