7mm MK1 Brake Goods

[Dog Star]

We only intended the overlays to be used with the outer girders but then I think we mis-counted by putting 8 in. Obviously you can use them if you wish though, by widening the slots on the outer faces of the slots.

This caught us out on the initial assembly - we had fitted all of the gusset plates and so had to widen some slots (as shown in Ken's photos). What did create a challenge was working out on which side to widen the slots so that the longitudinal girder did not buckle.

 

[farnetti]

Hello Graham,

And so which side? I'm thinking part 5 might give me a clue. Therefore the side nearest the centre of the underframe?

Ken

 

[Dog Star]

DJP has given an answer just above... what is key is to widen the slot to the same side on both longitudinal girders.

ALthough this was not part of our initial assembly, I think that getting a piece of scrap fret to pass through the entire length of each slot is key to ensuring that halved joints go together at right angles rather than skew.

 

[djparkins]

Hello Graham,

And so which side? I'm thinking part 5 might give me a clue. Therefore the side nearest the centre of the underframe?

Ken

Ken - Correct - the brass is soft enough to do this with s scalpel blade.

 

[OzzyO]

Hello Ken,

have a look in the local chemist (or Boots) for a diamond nail file, nice and thin and cost a few quid. I got one last year for this type of job and it works well.

HTH

OzzyO.

 

[farnetti]

Thank you Graham, David and Ozzy. In the end I decided to laminate the said pieces and then cut through them with a saw and tidy up with a file, seemed like the easiest option and worked fine.

After that I laminated the central and intermediate cross pieces.

Then folded up the long centre sections, parts 8 and 9.


I wanted to use these to locate all of the cross sections correctly and that they would all sit down correctly on the main fret later.



Two things here, soldering not as always neat as I would like but I have never built anything this long and feel strength is important. Secondly, although I have a 6mm sheet of glass, it isn't completely flat when I look along the length of it. But it will do, have you seen the price of surface plates?



Centre parts 8 and 9 here again, just checking all the slots and tabs fit (I know, David, they always do).


So all of the cross members soldered in place ready to be cleaned up. The main thing for me here was to make sure all the slot and tabe would fit perfectly when I came to the final soldering up.



And sat on the nearly completed bogies.

Ken

 

[farnetti]

The instructions suggest fitting the flanges to the bottom of the crossmembers before soldering them to the main frame, and that the next action would be to fit the solebars. I decided, however to solder the inner long frame first feeling that this would give the whole structure a lot more strength before fitting the relatively solebars.

I spent quite a long time over this making sure the soldered join didn't leave any daylight gaps which would make fitting the body problematic. Having had some minor buckling when trying to run a solder fillet on one of the wagons I soldered the girders to the crossmembers and the left well alone.

You can see the solebars, bent to shape, lying alongside. My longest hold and fold thingy is 8" but I took the plunge anyway just introducing minute bends, sliding it along a bit and doing the same, over and over and over and over again. Turned out well though, no kinks or curvature, probably 20-25 minutes for each one

And here it is the right way up.

If you are wondering what happened to the bogies, the next thing was to fit the working springs. These are made phosphor bronze etching folded to shape, the angle of fold being important. The exact angle wouldn't be known until the full weight of the coach was sat on them so I will finish them later.
The bottom flanges soldered in place ready for cleaning up before the solebars are fitted, hopefully tomorrow.

Ken

 

[OzzyO]

Hello Ken,

for a surface plate have a look in Tesco, Asda Etc. for a granite chopping block, about 5/8" thick and about 12" long. £10 - £13.

HTH

OzzyO.

 

[farnetti]

Thanks Ozzy.

I have been mucking around with the new camera and in the process of converting file sizes to suit WT lost a few pictures. But here is what I am left with.
Solebars are now fitted, vertical pieces on the central girders, strengthening pieces and bogie mounting plate with nut soldered at each end. You can still see daylight in a few places between the main etch and the central girders but I am loath to correct this as, from past experience, I will only make it worse by buckling one of the parts. In any case it is a cruel picture backlit with no flash.

This shows the buffer housings on the left, and the dragbox pieces on the right, all folded up ready for soldering. I need to source some 3mm wire next for those large holes before proceeding further with these.

Now on to the underframe fiddly stuff.

Ken

 

[SteadyRed]

Following this with interest Ken, what are the longest folds you have had to do on this build?

Dave

 

[farnetti]

Following this with interest Ken, what are the longest folds you have had to do on this build?

Dave

The longest were the solebars at around 16" (around 18" for the passenger coaches). I did the folds in my 8" hold and fold. A 14" one would still have the same sort of problems and I thought about making one from aluminum extrusion.

In the end I made the etched lines deeper with a scrawky thing until them just showed through on the other side, widened them slightly with a triangular file and then bent them in my current hold and fold. I did this only a few degrees at a time and then slid them along in the hold and fold, did the same again, again and again zzzzzzzz.

The whole business took around 25 or 30 minutes for both solebars and I am very happy with the result. If you are making loads of these kits another solution would certainly save time.

I will probably get a GUV at some point and use the same method.

Ken

 

[farnetti]

I couldn't resist this.

I was looking in the box for the NS etch to complete the underframe and thought let's unwrap the body and sit it on top, so here it is.

The trouble (and future enjoyment) is all those tiny holes in the body need something to go in them, hinges, handles door bumpers etc.

My wife complains about how much I spend on model railways. My answer is that the cost per hour is very cheap when compared to the price going to the cinema to see a film. Anyway that's my excuse.

 

[SteadyRed]

The longest were the solebars at around 16" (around 18" for the passenger coaches). I did the folds in my 8" hold and fold. A 14" one would still have the same sort of problems and I thought about making one from aluminum extrusion.

In the end I made the etched lines deeper with a scrawky thing until them just showed through on the other side, widened them slightly with a triangular file and then bent them in my current hold and fold. I did this only a few degrees at a time and then slid them along in the hold and fold, did the same again, again and again zzzzzzzz.

The whole business took around 25 or 30 minutes for both solebars and I am very happy with the result. If you are making loads of these kits another solution would certainly save time.

I will probably get a GUV at some point and use the same method.

Ken

Thanks for that Ken.

I also only have an 8" Hold & Fold, sounds like a 14" would be better, but still not able to do the folds in one action.

I am either going to start with a BG, GUV or 57" suburban stock. Having only built 4 wheel wagons so far, 16" or 18" sole bars certainly put things into perspective.

Dave

 

[farnetti]

Stick to the 14" and be be gentle with the folds. It worked for me and the cheapest option, so more money to spend elsewhere.

What is that car, Subaru in Glen Coe?

Ken

 

[SteadyRed]

Stick to the 14" and be be gentle with the folds. It worked for me and the cheapest option, so more money to spend elsewhere.

What is that car, Subaru in Glen Coe?

Ken

Impreza hatch, Applecross pass.

 

[farnetti]

Thought so, I used to have a Prodrive altered one about 12 years ago, went over Applecross Pass in my TVR about 12 years before that.

 

[Ian G]

I use a 2'' & a 14'' Hold & Fold for all my kit building in metal, the only time I have had problem with length of fold is with Bo Plates, I think they are 14.5 inches long.
Previous to Hold & Fold was some angle Ali from B&Q

Ian G

 

[farnetti]

Thanks Ian.


This is the lovely NS etch for the underframe detail, small parts quite small.

I have started on the dynamo, mounting bracket and other gubbins here.


And a general view of underframe parts I am making into sub assemblies before fitting. I like doing this where possible so I get a better feel for where things go and don't end up with a couple of parts impossible to fit later.

Ken

 

[oldravendale]

I couldn't resist this.View attachment 40746

My wife complains about how much I spend on model railways. My answer is that the cost per hour is very cheap when compared to the price going to the cinema to see a film. Anyway that's my excuse.

.....or golf. .....or soccer.

Impreza hatch, Applecross pass.

Thought so, I used to have a Prodrive altered one about 12 years ago, went over Applecross Pass in my TVR about 12 years before that.

That's a superb road. Took my Jag XK over it a couple of years back. The problem with the trip was mixing the malt whisky with the driving.

Brian

 

[farnetti]

.....or golf. .....or soccer.




That's a superb road. Took my Jag XK over it a couple of years back. The problem with the trip was mixing the malt whisky with the driving.

Brian

Two things here. First thing was when I did it the weather was awful, rain and mist, so didn't see any views. Second it was in a TVR, so theventilation didn't work in the rain (15 out of 18 days) and my wife to be and I spent the holiday with 3" of water in the footwell.

Still with my wife but not with the TVR, what a beast in the dry though.

Only allowed malt whisky occasionally but if you are into it I can thoroughly recommend a wonderful book by Iain Banks called 'Raw Spirit'.

Off topic I know, but I started it and I don't mind, hope nobody else does

Ken