Neath and Brecon Sharpe Stewart 2-4-0T

[Nick Dunhill]

Hi all.

I don't usually post this sort of stuff, but, as well as big long scratchbuilding projects I also do a bit of kit buiding to keep me in 'Gin and Fags.' This is a loco I built for a customer of a Sharpe Stewart 2-4-0T loco sold to the Neath and Brecon Rly around the turn of the last century. Apparently other companies such as the Barry Rly and Metropolitan Rly had very similar locos. A few were converted to 2-4-2T to carry more fuel.


I recorded the build for a video that was part of the GOG Virtual Show. If you haven't seen the film it is below;

Warren Haywood made a top drawer job of the paint, and here's a few (barely adequate) photos of the finished build. Diane Carney etched the plates, my good friend Evan Griffiths painted the (Stadden) figures and lots of help and encouragement came from Julian Wynn from Taff Vale Models.

And here's a sneeky picture of a queen class I built earlier this year.

 

[adrian]

I recorded the build for a video that was part of the GOG Virtual Show. If you haven't seen the film it is below;

I did watch it during the show and thoroughly enjoyed it including the musical score. I did have one question though but not about the kit build - fantastic as it is. More about the photography - what arrangement were you using for taking the video? I've been experimenting with a couple of instructional videos but I still haven't found an arrangement that I'm happy with - hence my query about your setup.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Hi Adrian
I'm only a lowly amateur at this, and I improvised a bit. Ian Allen gave me a few tips about what to do (he's a pro camera/lighting guy), and he said the most important thing was the light. I bought a cheapish ring light off Ebay and positioned it in a way that did not cast too many shadows. This depends on where your bench is. Mine is in front of a big window and light streams in during the summer when this was all shot. So I had the natural light plus the ring light and an angle poise work light with a daylight bulb. Ian recommended a DSLR camera to try. I already had an old Nikon DSLR camera which turned out to be worse than my phone camera, so in the end I used that. I have a newish Samsung Galaxy Note 10. It has the advantage of having loads of memory, and this becomes an issue if you record lots of footage. The phone was mounted on a repurposed old lamp base. The base of the lamp is very heavy so I was able to bend the stem and reinforce it so I could mount the mobile phone with the lens above my work area. I used an old car phone clip thing to attach the phone to the lamp. I suppose if I were to become a vlogger I might invest in the DSLR camera Ian recommended, and then pretty soon I'm sure loads of other kit would follow.

For the record the editing was done in Shotcuts ('cos it's free!) and I got the music from Epidemicsound.

Hope it helps

Nick

 

[adrian]

Thanks for that info - it gives me a few more things to try. I have an angle-poise with a daylight bulb and a magnifier lens with a ring light so I will experiment further. It was more the camera positioning as I was after that sort of hands on view in your video - I've tried gaffer taping webcams to a headband or my collar but not being stabilised it's too jittery. I've tried positioning the camera above me but not found anything that works so far either the perspective looks strange or my head keeps getting in the way. Having watched your video again I suspect I'm hunched over my work bench too much and the fault is in my posture rather than the video setup.

As a predominately Apple user I have iMovie but I have been looking at Shotcut as an alternative as I can use that on my Linux machine.

 

[Genghis]

Brilliant!

I have never thought to remove the etching cusp as you do - with hindsight it's an obvious method.

Dave

 

[Deano747]

Great video! Asbestos fingers??
How do you keep the wheels clean when soldering so close? ie the flux spatter? (My wheels rust if they're in the same room as the flux!!)

Regards, Rob.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Hi Rob
If you look closely there are lots of wads of emery paper between my fingers and the brass. I did work in catering for 25 years though and kitchen staff have a reputation for asbestos hands....

I wash up each day after work with sodium bicarbonate to neutralise the acid in the flux. Also it only took 10 days to build the kit and the corrosion doesn't have a chance to get established.

Glad you enjoyed the vid.

Nick

 

[spikey faz]

Hi Nick

I really enjoyed watching your video. If only I could build my locos in 8 minutes!

Your soldering iron seems to make light work of anything you throw at it. Do you mind me asking what make/wattage it is?

Regards

Mike

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Hi Mike
I build model locos all day every day for a living so I invested in an ERSA iCon-1. It works a treat.
Nick

 

[spikey faz]

Hi Mike
I build model locos all day every day for a living so I invested in an ERSA iCon-1. It works a treat.
Nick

Hi Nick

I currently use an Antex 18 watt iron and an Antex 100 watt iron. I would love to replace them both with a solder station similar to yours. Do you think I'd be ok with one that goes up to 80 watts, or go for a 100 watter? I'm not familiar with using a solder station so not sure how they compare with the traditional old school type irons. I'd be grateful for any tips of advice.

Regards

Mike

 

[GrahameH]

And here's a sneeky picture of a queen class I built earlier this year.

Lovely loco's, may I ask is the Queen a Scorpio kit ?
I have one to build and if it turns out like yours I will be most pleased.

Grahame

 

[mickoo]

Hi Nick

I currently use an Antex 18 watt iron and an Antex 100 watt iron. I would love to replace them both with a solder station similar to yours. Do you think I'd be ok with one that goes up to 80 watts, or go for a 100 watter? I'm not familiar with using a solder station so not sure how they compare with the traditional old school type irons. I'd be grateful for any tips of advice.

Regards

Mike

I use an ERSA RDS80, it's an older model and it copes with pretty much everything I do, I use a very big tip too but occasionally that gets soaked up when sticking larger pieces together, even when pushed to 400°C, in which case I resort to the Proxxon micro torch.

When it dies then the i-con1 will be the replacement.

My RDS80 averages 20-25 hours a week use.

 

[Longbow]

Mick/Nick - as professional builders I'd be interested in your thoughts on resistance soldering units.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

Hi Mike
I have had an identical experience to Mick, the icon1 will do all but the heaviest jobs with ease, and I bet if I got a bigger tip it'd cope with them too. It's a big investment for the hobbyist though. I used to use a cheap as chips antex 20 quid Maplins iron and an old massive stained glass window frame iron. They worked well, but for constant use the solder station is just easier. It won't improve your soldering technique (you have to practise for that!) but it does make it easier.

Yes Graham, it's a Scorpio kit. And a very good kit at that. All the etches fit, it's very comprehensive but fiendishly complicated. I think the prototype with all the Victorian elegance makes it so. All the awkward corners and beading and reverse curves will test your skills but it does all fit together properly.

 

[Nick Dunhill]

I have to confess that I've never used either a blow torch or an RSU. I've never found the need for either. Perhaps I've missed a trick?

 

[mickoo]

Mick/Nick - as professional builders I'd be interested in your thoughts on resistance soldering units.

I'd love to try one, I've mailed them (the site I can't remember right now) a couple of times to try and buy one as I think it'd be a godsend for fixing really small parts, for example lamp irons or parts where it'll be hard to clean up any excess solder afterward.

Currently I use the Proxxon, small flame, in and out fast, but it does run the risk of upsetting other parts if the heat transfers too quickly.

Nicks the professional , I'm just the youf in training

I find that even with the biggest tip at 400° the RDS80 will struggle with bigger pieces, mainly due to the thicker material used in some kits, the DA A2 was quite heavy in the tender sides/footplate area. Other kits tend to use a lighter gauge which solders much easier.

 

[adrian]

I have to confess that I've never used either a blow torch or an RSU. I've never found the need for either. Perhaps I've missed a trick?

I'd say yes and no!! Just in my opinion but I'd say you have missed a trick with the blow torch and no to the RSU.

This goes back to my earlier query about videoing techniques as I'm trying to produce a video about silver-soldering and how easy it is. Giles has already shown some of the benefits but for producing small details for kits it is a real god send. You can make small details items by silver soldering then you can soft solder them to the loco without any problems of the previous silver soldered joints failing. So a blow torch is essential but the rest of the items are very simple and cheap to try.

As for the RSU - as I've said many times in the past they are a marmite tool. You will either love them or hate them, I'm certainly not against RSU's per se but they are just another tool for a specific purpose. The problem I have is where modellers evangelicise about RSU's being a universal tool to make soldering easier where as far as I'm concerned that is far from the truth. My point of view is that a modeller has to understand the mechanics of soldering first and do that with a standard soldering iron (or soldering station) once you have learnt those skills then the RSU can help for specialist tasks but it cannot replace a soldering iron. Some of the comments and claims I've seen about RSU's are quite frankly are utter rubbish and it is quite frustrating when new modellers think an RSU is required to get good results when nothing is further from the truth.

I have used RSU's in the past, my Dad actually was one of the first traders to bring them to the 7mm UK market in the mid 80's, I also picked up a London Road model in the past and they both gathered cobwebs on my workbench so I sold them on. I very rarely have sold any tools but the RSU's were quite simply redundant. Thats why I want to make some videos to demonstrate that it's perfectly possible to obtain the same results without an RSU. If you have a look at some of my other threads I model in 2mm finescale and they are all made with the ERSA RDS-80 solder station and require minimal clean up. For a soldered joint the emphasis is on clean materials, a close fitting joint , suitable solder paste and flux and getting the heat into the joint and that can be done as easily with a soldering iron as an RSU.

Personally speaking if you have the money available then a solder station ERSA RDS-80 or i-con1 is a better investment than an RSU.

 

[Longbow]

I'm learning to use both an RSU and a moderately priced Hakko soldering station on brass kits, and I'm finding they complement each other well. No doubt more practised modellers could get excellent results from either.

 

[oldravendale]

As a far from expert model builder I say this:

I use an Antex soldering station as my "go to" tool. When it packs up I'll probably go to Ersa but that rather depends what's available at the time. I use the RSU only occasionally but when I have a need find it indispensable - or perhaps I should say "very useful" - I know I could get by without, but it makes life easier. I (personally) don't get on well with solder paste or cream. I tried cream most recently on the beading for the Royal Scot and I just can't get it to flow. However, tin the parts with 180 degree solder and wield the Antex at around 350 degrees and Bob's your mother's brother. Or my mothers brother at least.

Which only goes to prove.... You'll need to build up your own body of experience. I've never silver soldered but can see the potential value.

Adrian's comments about evangelists for RSUs are well made. Quite a few years ago I remember an article in one of the mags by someone who set out to build a complete kit using an RSU, just to see whether he could. Sorry, I have no reference at all but most likely in Railway Modeller. The long and short of it was that it's possible to do so but not the most efficient or easiest. That probably just about sums it up.

If possible, before you buy an RSU try to borrow one and try it out. IMHO great on lamp irons.

Brian

 

[Dave Holt]

Must admit, I bought a LRM RSU after seeing an rather good demonstration at Scalefour North a couple of years ago, but I've never plucked up the courage to actually use it. The demo showed it to be a good way to attach small details and secure laminations together. It was presented as being a supplement to conventional soldering iron use rather than as replacing it. Must get round to trying it some day.
As for silver soldering, I bought a tube of solder cream to use on the crank axle of my Scot but it wouldn't flow and the attempt was a disaster. Perhaps the cream had the wrong type of flux for steel.
Dave.