7mm On Heather's Workbench - Prairie ago-go

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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The motion has been refitted, odd clunking noises sorted out, and things toned down with some further weathering.

During all this, the body has been safely stashed in the airing cupboard, where it ought to have dried nice and hard. I think it’ll need some mild remedial varnish spraying in places, though.

Well, that there Christmas thing has arrived, all but. Best Beloved and I are definitely not leaving the house again unless we have to - until the new year. I’ve got lots of stuff I plan to do, besides all that eating and failing to watch things on the telly. With all this Tier 4 stuff, there’s every likelihood the forthcoming nuptials will be postponed, which is frustrating. Still, what can you do?

I may post elsewhere to wish one and all peaceful and safe festivities, but if I forget I’ve just done it there!
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
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Well, we still don’t know the wedding will be going ahead. We have decided to go for Plan B, where my parents don’t need to travel to us (they can’t anyway, thanks to being shifted up a tier as of Boxing Day) and a friend and his missus will be witnesses at the register office.

While following the unfolding chaos in my home county, I glazed the cab, installed the crew lockers and the whistles. There does need to be some remedial varnish work, which I think will be tomorrow. The carcass can head back to the airing cupboard for the "festivities", and I shall amuse myself having a good old tidy up around the house. Several unwarranted piles of old crap have accrued, and they must be dealt with before I lose the will to live. Wielding bin bags, dusters and vacuum cleaners will be more entertaining than being slumped in front of the idiot box scoffing unhealthy food for a couple of days, anyway!
 

simond

Western Thunderer
The loco is beautifully “crisp”, Heather. Looks very nice.

Fingers crossed things work out for your big day

atb

Simon
 

oldravendale

Western Thunderer
Hi Heather.

Your situation with BB puts our small issues in perspective. After all, you wait for 30 years and then some bu$$er stops it going ahead. Well, it's not happened yet but I'm hoping some sort of sense prevails. Our best to you both.

In the meantime I hope all our readers have a good if not great Christmas and I'm really hoping that this jab lives up to expectations. So Happy New Year as well.

Brian
 

jonte

Western Thunderer
‘Felicitations!’ to the groom-to-be, Heather, and I sincerely hope and trust he won’t mind my wishing you all the very best in his absence.

Here’s to hoping he’s of the generous sort that will allow you to continue to contribute to WT as you’ve done so quite admirably hitherto.

Oh, and Merry Crimbo!

Jonte
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Cheers all!

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A quick airbrush session was the first job today. Ha!

I am used to no paint coming out of the airbrush. No air at all is a totally different experience. I tracked it down to an issue with the trigger and valve, but nothing I have done so far (five hours on and off, including two bouts of ultrasonic bath) has made the slightest difference. The trigger simply won’t let air through the inlet valve. I can poke the valve with a blunt cocktail stick, and plenty of air, just not with the trigger. It’s like the trigger peg has lost a couple of millimetres of length and can’t push the valve open enough. Which is impossible. I can feel a little back pressure when depressing the trigger, enough to pop the trigger out completely (testing sans needle, of course) but no air flows.

I am, as they say, completely flummoxed.

The only remaining thing may be the tiny O-ring up inside the valve, which may have failed in some inexplicable way. It looks alright to me, but I’m not an O-ring sexer by trade. You can see it in the centre of the picture.

So, no varnish today. No further airbrushing at all until the new year. I don’t have a backup airbrush any more, either. That’s quite a lot of odd painting jobs I had planned shelved, then.

I had decided to invest in a top-fed brush in the new year, to supplement this siphon one. Time to go shopping, and also look for spare parts for the currently inoperable machine.

Happy Christmas!
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
you can borrow mine if it’s urgent.

Thanks Simon. That’s very kind of you. It’s not urgent, to be honest. I was hoping to get the prairie varnish finalised today, and then possibly a bit of model aircraft painting done over the break. Such things can wait, although with the loco just a gnat's crotchet away from being finished it’s a nuisance.

Then again, it’s small beer compared to what some folk are going through. I shall enjoy my downtime between the clearing up games!
 

michael080

Western Thunderer
Heather,
sorry to hear of your mishap.
I don't have the exact same model, my HP-C has a slightly different trigger, but I remember that I assembled it once with the trigger 17 reversed. I don't exactly remember what happened, but I sure remember that it didn't work. Same with part 18. It needs to be assembled with this part in the correct orientation, however your design seems to have part 18 and 20 combined.
Did you check the channel that connects the valve with the tip of the airbrush. It is the small excentric hole at the tip.

Screenshot (1).png


Years ago, we were living in an appartment with a very old fashioned oil heating system. It broke down three times in consecutive years on Dec. 24th.

Funny these things never happen at a convenient moment.

happy holidays,

Michael
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
Did you check the channel that connects the valve with the tip of the airbrush. It is the small excentric hole at the tip.

Yes, as far as I could. It came up in my internet search for likely problems. It may still be the fault, as I understand paint can get in there and gum things up. None of my cleaning implements are able to reach all the way down the tube, so it’s likely there’s something in there. When I can, I’ll get some good cleaner and give the barrel a nice long soak, followed by more ultrasonics.

:thumbs:

The parts you show are pretty much identical to what I have.

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I haven’t had to disassemble the needle guide/return spring system. I spent ages closely looking at the way the trigger fitted in the valve. There’s nothing amiss there, so it must be the air bypass/feed tube stopping air getting through.

Tidying to do. Have a great Christmas!
 

michael080

Western Thunderer
Heather,

I was a bit confused about your airbrush and though it would be a HP series model. Now I realized it is an Eclipse series model. I have an Eclipse HP-BCS that was recently purchased at an auction site. It's the same as yours except it has a suction cup. Mine is badly messed up and will need some serious servicing, but I could remove the air valve and tried to understand how it works. I couldn't get part 8 out of the main body, so I can only guess.
It appears as if seal 7 avoids the air to bleed towards the trigger compartment. So the recess at the upper end of part 8 guides the air to the hole mentioned in my mail above. The air passes either at the upper end of part 8 or through a cross hole in the recess. Assuming that the bore connecting the tip with the valve is not blocked, the cross hole is either blocked or part 8 sits too high in the hole.

But I guess you have other plans for Christmas Day. :)

Merry Christmas,
Michael
 
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