Mike G's Workspace.
- Thread starter Mike Garwood
- Start date
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
Phil
It's surprising what you can get done in 2 hours uninterrupted work, so long as you plan what it is you want to accomplish. I now tend to do most of my modelling in the late evening.
Mike
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
Ends completed and the roof now glued on.
The reason for this photo is to show that I've improved on my 'roof gluing' technique. By not jumping straight to the chassis and leaving this the last thing to be completed, I've now got some compression on the middle section of the coach. I know my brain works incredibly slowly these days, but I really should have thought of this years ago!
Despite how this looks, I put the 3 roof off cuts into a vice and squeezed them so that they fitted between the solebars. Ideally they should sit as the roof does on the sides, in between and not on, as in this photo. 2 of them need more bendification!
This will have set properly by tomorrow evening and I can tackle the under frame. In the home stretch now....
Stay safe
Mike
The reason for this photo is to show that I've improved on my 'roof gluing' technique. By not jumping straight to the chassis and leaving this the last thing to be completed, I've now got some compression on the middle section of the coach. I know my brain works incredibly slowly these days, but I really should have thought of this years ago!
Despite how this looks, I put the 3 roof off cuts into a vice and squeezed them so that they fitted between the solebars. Ideally they should sit as the roof does on the sides, in between and not on, as in this photo. 2 of them need more bendification!
This will have set properly by tomorrow evening and I can tackle the under frame. In the home stretch now....
Stay safe
Mike
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
Quick question - who's your supplier of choice for HSS drills?
Mike
Mike
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
A second shout here for Drill Services (Horley), I haven't bought drill bits from anywhere else for years. Spend £10 for free postage.
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
A few evenings work and this is finished.
I reckon my 50 watt temp controlled iron has lost a few horse power. Mind you I have had it nearly 20 years, so it's earned it's keep. I had trouble sweating on the board steps. Usually 350 degrees covers all problems, but I had to turn the temp to max before the solder flowed nicely. Good job Father Christmas is just around the corner!
No real problems with the build - other than those of my own making.
Next up is an LMS D2159 Corridor Composite. 2 down, 2 to go. But there will be a delay starting this...I have no 0.5mm HSS drills despite ordering them 10 days ago. So that will give me time to catch up on the brakes for the County.
Stay safe
Mike
I reckon my 50 watt temp controlled iron has lost a few horse power. Mind you I have had it nearly 20 years, so it's earned it's keep. I had trouble sweating on the board steps. Usually 350 degrees covers all problems, but I had to turn the temp to max before the solder flowed nicely. Good job Father Christmas is just around the corner!
No real problems with the build - other than those of my own making.
Next up is an LMS D2159 Corridor Composite. 2 down, 2 to go. But there will be a delay starting this...I have no 0.5mm HSS drills despite ordering them 10 days ago. So that will give me time to catch up on the brakes for the County.
Stay safe
Mike
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
What do you do when your wife is ill? Well, obviously tea and sympathy, maybe some paracetamol? SWMBO has been well and truly struck down with the latest virus that's doing the rounds. So while she's suffering in bed, I made myself useful downstairs...normally I clean upstairs, but as my other half is snoozing the day away...it would be 'unwise' to take on my normal household duties.
I was going to set about the County, I didn't. Here is where I'm at with the LMS D2159.
This hasn't happened all today, this is the work of 13 hrs. 8 hrs yesterday, the remainder today. As the roof is setting, all I can do this evening is the County.
Still things to do on all 3 coaches including building the couplings and the corridor connectors. I have to say I'm quite pleased with the way these have all gone together.
Stay safe
Mike
I was going to set about the County, I didn't. Here is where I'm at with the LMS D2159.
This hasn't happened all today, this is the work of 13 hrs. 8 hrs yesterday, the remainder today. As the roof is setting, all I can do this evening is the County.
Still things to do on all 3 coaches including building the couplings and the corridor connectors. I have to say I'm quite pleased with the way these have all gone together.
Stay safe
Mike
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
Well the home stretch did not go without incident. Having completed the interior, I put the body on the chassis, only to discover I'd built the interior in reverse 
. Third class should have been first class etc...Having accepted that I'd been an idiot, I ripped it all out to start again this morning.
I also put together the couplings, but I think I'm going to have to redesign these as there's too much fuss to get them to work correctly. The holding screw of the body to chassis rubs against the top of the bogie. Trust me when I say it's a lot of filling and checking to get these right. Shouldn't take long in CAD to make it work this time.
If you're wondering why the bogies on this coach has 9ft GWR bogies that because the MJT castings cover all this and I cannot find sprung 9 ft bogies anywhere.
Without the rubbing on the bogie they roll along really nicely.
The last coach in this M set will be a Hawksworth brake third. This will use Comet sides and chassis, but the roof and interior will be from the Hornby body. Roll on March next year when I shall have the time - and opportunity - to get the paint on. They will all be in BR maroon.
Friday sees a much needed visit to Barrow Road.
Stay safe
Mike
. Third class should have been first class etc...Having accepted that I'd been an idiot, I ripped it all out to start again this morning.I also put together the couplings, but I think I'm going to have to redesign these as there's too much fuss to get them to work correctly. The holding screw of the body to chassis rubs against the top of the bogie. Trust me when I say it's a lot of filling and checking to get these right. Shouldn't take long in CAD to make it work this time.
If you're wondering why the bogies on this coach has 9ft GWR bogies that because the MJT castings cover all this and I cannot find sprung 9 ft bogies anywhere.
Without the rubbing on the bogie they roll along really nicely.
The last coach in this M set will be a Hawksworth brake third. This will use Comet sides and chassis, but the roof and interior will be from the Hornby body. Roll on March next year when I shall have the time - and opportunity - to get the paint on. They will all be in BR maroon.
Friday sees a much needed visit to Barrow Road.
Stay safe
Mike
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
This snippet comes just after returning from Barrow Road - and I could not have wished for a more successful afternoon. The coaches performed faultlessly and then there was the County...
Thanks to Robin Whittle for the time on his metals and to Morgan Gilbert for pointing out the faults.
Have a great weekend all - I know I will.
Mike
Thanks to Robin Whittle for the time on his metals and to Morgan Gilbert for pointing out the faults.
Have a great weekend all - I know I will.
Mike
45609
Active Member
Er, ‘scuse me. What faults? I didn’t see any today
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
But it was you who found the faults I fixed...
45609
Active Member
A good point, well made
Mike Garwood
Western Thunderer
End of Term Report.
Before I get to this years progress update, here's where I am with last of the M set coaches and their bogies. A couple of days ago I received a package from PPD. In it where various trial etches, including the steps for the 9" pressed steel bogies. I have more artwork to send to PPD for a coach connecting system, similar to the old one, but with less installation problems.
Having built a crude jig, I set about preparing the bogies for the steps, all 12 of them. This involves removing some of the supporting rim of the bogie in 8 places. There are 4 steps per side. I'm pleased to say that the steps fit the bogies as intended. To be fair there's a lot of work involved in producing an accurate bogie side and if I had more than 3 coaches to do then I'd probably commission some 3d printed ones.
The holes have been drilled for the Hawksworth brake third coach hinges and doors grab handles etc...
The conundrum of what to use to attach the steps to the sides still remains - superglue or solder. I favour solder. But I can see problems. My shaky hands being just one of them, but also the fact that I will be soldering in close proximity to some very fine detail. Careful with that soldering iron Eugene!
So to my years summary, built 5 wagons, built one sketchy runner - the 51xx, finished the County after 10 years of faffing about with it and built 5 coaches. 1 finished and 4 to go through the paint works this March. Not bad, most of it has been fun.
My thanks to all who've commented and added to the knowledge base. My deep thanks go to the mods who run our website, without whom none of this would be able to be recorded or the work of others enjoyed.
Happy Christmas all, see you in the new year. Stay safe
Mike
Before I get to this years progress update, here's where I am with last of the M set coaches and their bogies. A couple of days ago I received a package from PPD. In it where various trial etches, including the steps for the 9" pressed steel bogies. I have more artwork to send to PPD for a coach connecting system, similar to the old one, but with less installation problems.
Having built a crude jig, I set about preparing the bogies for the steps, all 12 of them. This involves removing some of the supporting rim of the bogie in 8 places. There are 4 steps per side. I'm pleased to say that the steps fit the bogies as intended. To be fair there's a lot of work involved in producing an accurate bogie side and if I had more than 3 coaches to do then I'd probably commission some 3d printed ones.
The holes have been drilled for the Hawksworth brake third coach hinges and doors grab handles etc...
The conundrum of what to use to attach the steps to the sides still remains - superglue or solder. I favour solder. But I can see problems. My shaky hands being just one of them, but also the fact that I will be soldering in close proximity to some very fine detail. Careful with that soldering iron Eugene!
So to my years summary, built 5 wagons, built one sketchy runner - the 51xx, finished the County after 10 years of faffing about with it and built 5 coaches. 1 finished and 4 to go through the paint works this March. Not bad, most of it has been fun.
My thanks to all who've commented and added to the knowledge base. My deep thanks go to the mods who run our website, without whom none of this would be able to be recorded or the work of others enjoyed.
Happy Christmas all, see you in the new year. Stay safe
Mike