jonte
Western Thunderer
Thank you, gentlemen.
Will apprise you presently.
Best,
Jon
4mm Monks Ferry LNWR
- Thread starter jonte
- Start date
Thank you, gentlemen.
Will apprise you presently.
Best,
Jon
jonte
Western Thunderer
As promised, a brief update on the plastic signal ordeal.
As it turned out, removing the cranks and cramps wasn’t quite the ordeal I was expecting.
A very early (crack of dawn) start before pending family visits to celebrate Father’s(Grandfather) Day, saw me snipping off the pivots at the rear of the signal, left of generous length to allow sufficient surface on which to apply s’per glue. Transpired that the glue hadn’t travelled far enough into the hole provided fora good fix and so it was a simple task to push them out using a needle. Due to only the slightest amount of cement having been used to secure the cramps on the front face of the signal to avoid the earlier unwanted bonding of crank to cramp, I recall three of them coming away with the pivot, the remaining being removed with the knife blade.
If I’d considered the previous day’s construction an ordeal, it was nothing compared to the catastrophe ahead. To say threading on operating wires to these tiny cranks without the pivots falling off and trying to remember which went where as they kept moving around, even with the use of tweezers (a hindrance more than a help!), was a fiddle would be an understatement. Then trying to attach the pivots to the trimmer without something moving out of place ……….. Anyway, to cut a long fiasco short, I managed to burst the hole on two of the cranks in the process. Attempting to glue just shrivelled ‘em. It was obvious that their use was a bum steer, and that’s how that modelling episode yesterday ended. As I shut up shop for the day (breakfast), it was apparent that if I were to use these signals, it would be back to plan A: please see the (clumsy) example in my previous modelling photo. Frankly, I was a bit lost at this massive disappointment and wasn’t really sure where to start.
But after the Day’s joyous festivity, I developed a more positive and robust approach to this quandary, and an APB put out for a missing (or remains of) a Finney kit proved dividends after it was recovered lurking between some railway books in my wardrobe. What it was doing there is anyone’s……..
To save waffling and giving a full itinerary of bits, please see the accompanying photo:
It was apparent that if this was to have any chance of working, more materials were required , so before I climbed the stairs to Bobos, I’d left an order with Wizard’s for some handrail knobs, handrail wire and tubing. Still not sure whether I’ll use the tubing as it might look a little clumsy, but as I’m already finding, wire alone as a fulcrum might not be up to the job. We’ll see.
In the meantime, I’ve gathered a couple of the four handrails in the packet and a piece of very thin wire which was enclosed (0.45mm?), and which turns quite freely within. As an experiment, I’ve grabbed the shunt bracket signal (a bit more room to practice with than the more complicated bracket) and placed the items on the trimmer to see if my mind modelling was a go-er or just the usual bum steer.
A start was made using the holes provided in the trimmer which I opened gradually to a millimetre. I think it’s probably more like 0.9mm for the handrail bases but the drill set doesn’t have one unfortunately.whilst it would make gluing them more effective, it’s a bit of a nuisance playing with them as there’s a tendency for them to lift out of the holes whenever I’m anywhere near them eg when threading the very thin wire through the eye holes. Anyway, as ‘a picture paints..’, here’s a photo to give you a better idea than my rambling:
Frankly, I’m not sure whether the (only piece thin enough) wire is long enough fir the job, but as I won’t be able to get back to it for a couple of days after today, Iwant to try and make a little more progress to see whether it’s a go-er, so will probably press on with it.
Incidentally, the little brass brackets on the fret in the picture are what I’m hoping to solder to the ends of the wire, the outer holes having to be opened up to accommodate the stouter steel wires in the kit. There also a couple of bits I’m hoping to use as brackets to go between the handrails to prevent unwanted travel. These parts are so tiny, what’s the betting I gum everything up with solder……. I’ve ciggy paper somewhere and some ancient three in one lurking on the shelf in the garage which I’m hoping will assist as a (can’t think of the appropriate term at present).
Hope all that helps, and many thanks once again for your kind and welcomed interest.
Fingers crossed.
jonte
As it turned out, removing the cranks and cramps wasn’t quite the ordeal I was expecting.
A very early (crack of dawn) start before pending family visits to celebrate Father’s(Grandfather) Day, saw me snipping off the pivots at the rear of the signal, left of generous length to allow sufficient surface on which to apply s’per glue. Transpired that the glue hadn’t travelled far enough into the hole provided fora good fix and so it was a simple task to push them out using a needle. Due to only the slightest amount of cement having been used to secure the cramps on the front face of the signal to avoid the earlier unwanted bonding of crank to cramp, I recall three of them coming away with the pivot, the remaining being removed with the knife blade.
If I’d considered the previous day’s construction an ordeal, it was nothing compared to the catastrophe ahead. To say threading on operating wires to these tiny cranks without the pivots falling off and trying to remember which went where as they kept moving around, even with the use of tweezers (a hindrance more than a help!), was a fiddle would be an understatement. Then trying to attach the pivots to the trimmer without something moving out of place ……….. Anyway, to cut a long fiasco short, I managed to burst the hole on two of the cranks in the process. Attempting to glue just shrivelled ‘em. It was obvious that their use was a bum steer, and that’s how that modelling episode yesterday ended. As I shut up shop for the day (breakfast), it was apparent that if I were to use these signals, it would be back to plan A: please see the (clumsy) example in my previous modelling photo. Frankly, I was a bit lost at this massive disappointment and wasn’t really sure where to start.
But after the Day’s joyous festivity, I developed a more positive and robust approach to this quandary, and an APB put out for a missing (or remains of) a Finney kit proved dividends after it was recovered lurking between some railway books in my wardrobe. What it was doing there is anyone’s……..
To save waffling and giving a full itinerary of bits, please see the accompanying photo:
It was apparent that if this was to have any chance of working, more materials were required , so before I climbed the stairs to Bobos, I’d left an order with Wizard’s for some handrail knobs, handrail wire and tubing. Still not sure whether I’ll use the tubing as it might look a little clumsy, but as I’m already finding, wire alone as a fulcrum might not be up to the job. We’ll see.
In the meantime, I’ve gathered a couple of the four handrails in the packet and a piece of very thin wire which was enclosed (0.45mm?), and which turns quite freely within. As an experiment, I’ve grabbed the shunt bracket signal (a bit more room to practice with than the more complicated bracket) and placed the items on the trimmer to see if my mind modelling was a go-er or just the usual bum steer.
A start was made using the holes provided in the trimmer which I opened gradually to a millimetre. I think it’s probably more like 0.9mm for the handrail bases but the drill set doesn’t have one unfortunately.whilst it would make gluing them more effective, it’s a bit of a nuisance playing with them as there’s a tendency for them to lift out of the holes whenever I’m anywhere near them eg when threading the very thin wire through the eye holes. Anyway, as ‘a picture paints..’, here’s a photo to give you a better idea than my rambling:
Frankly, I’m not sure whether the (only piece thin enough) wire is long enough fir the job, but as I won’t be able to get back to it for a couple of days after today, Iwant to try and make a little more progress to see whether it’s a go-er, so will probably press on with it.
Incidentally, the little brass brackets on the fret in the picture are what I’m hoping to solder to the ends of the wire, the outer holes having to be opened up to accommodate the stouter steel wires in the kit. There also a couple of bits I’m hoping to use as brackets to go between the handrails to prevent unwanted travel. These parts are so tiny, what’s the betting I gum everything up with solder……. I’ve ciggy paper somewhere and some ancient three in one lurking on the shelf in the garage which I’m hoping will assist as a (can’t think of the appropriate term at present).
Hope all that helps, and many thanks once again for your kind and welcomed interest.
Fingers crossed.
jonte
jonte
Western Thunderer
Hmm….
I fashioned a jig of sorts from balsa to seat the components whilst wire threaded:
It worked for the collars, but once handrails were in place it proved useless for fixing on the cams at the end. Not the best soldering result but will work. I think fir the bracket signal/doors I’ll opt for cams soldered to tubing for ease.
Then I customised two of the parts on the fret to act as cams:
The holes were too far apart for this job so I drilled another closer to the end and opened it out to hold the steel operating wire. There were four other smaller ones on the fret bu I’m saving those for the bracket.
The results:
Yep, not my best hot-bitting but I’m going with it.
At least the apparatus can afford 180* of movement which is more than the plastic cranks in the kit could, and probably more than required.
I’ll remove them next and wash off the flux before gluing the knobs into the holes in the trimmer. I might fit the operating wires before gluing - or may not. I’ll see which is easiest.
Thanks for reading.
jonte
I fashioned a jig of sorts from balsa to seat the components whilst wire threaded:
It worked for the collars, but once handrails were in place it proved useless for fixing on the cams at the end. Not the best soldering result but will work. I think fir the bracket signal/doors I’ll opt for cams soldered to tubing for ease.
Then I customised two of the parts on the fret to act as cams:
The holes were too far apart for this job so I drilled another closer to the end and opened it out to hold the steel operating wire. There were four other smaller ones on the fret bu I’m saving those for the bracket.
The results:
Yep, not my best hot-bitting but I’m going with it.
At least the apparatus can afford 180* of movement which is more than the plastic cranks in the kit could, and probably more than required.
I’ll remove them next and wash off the flux before gluing the knobs into the holes in the trimmer. I might fit the operating wires before gluing - or may not. I’ll see which is easiest.
Thanks for reading.
jonte
Phil O
Western Thunderer
Hi Jon,
Don't take it too hard, we all have days when it would have been better to stay in bed. Take a day off, do something different and regroup and come back to it refreshed. I always have several jobs on the go and if something starts coming apart, put it down and look at something else and if it's after 3pm, it's time to go and have a couple of beers, and leave it until tomorrow.
Don't take it too hard, we all have days when it would have been better to stay in bed. Take a day off, do something different and regroup and come back to it refreshed. I always have several jobs on the go and if something starts coming apart, put it down and look at something else and if it's after 3pm, it's time to go and have a couple of beers, and leave it until tomorrow.