7mm Rob Pulham's Work Bench - Back (again) to the LNER 06 (MOK 8F)

[Phill Dyson]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Very nice Rob, how have you attached  the white-metal to the brass ? (it looks very neat ) 

Phill 

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Very nice Rob, how have you attached  the white-metal to the brass ? (it looks very neat ) 

Phill 

Thanks Phil, I soldered the castings on the chassis but I waited while all the soldering was finished and then stuck the castings on the body with Gel Super glue after reading somewhere that heat weakens super-glued joints. I do like the Gel version (I use some produced by Loctite) it doesn't get everywhere like the running stuff and it doesn't bond instantly giving you a small amount of adjustment time.

 

[Ressaldar]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Hi Rob,

another good one in the making there, keep going.

regards

Mike

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Cheers Mike, I hope to start on the chassis tomorrow if I get through fitting some cupboards in the garage in good time.

 

[28ten]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

I wouldnt want to be the crew crawling along the tunnel 
I have those coach sides sat on my desk, I must get round to posting them  :scratch:

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

They would certainly have to crawl on this one!!!! ;D

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

I was full of big plans to have rolling chassis by the end of the day but alas my master chassis has beaten me. I got the rods jointed and prepared this morning. I had preprepared the Slaters axles so that they would fit into the Hobby holidays bearings. I assembled the master chassis jig , oiling it all up and fitting the rods to create the spacing to find that although I had given the "axles" a rub down with emery cloth to smooth the rough edges they need quite  bit of smoothing to get the HH bearings to go through them

I have mounted them in the pillar drill and I'm using fine emery cloth to ease them down (no lathe here sadly). So far I have been at it a couple of hours and I have one that will accept a bearing about a third of it's way up the length of it. I could use coarser cloth but I don't want to over do and it's a task that will only need to be done the once (thank goodness).

 

[Ressaldar]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Hi Rob,

try getting hold of a 3/16 hand reamer (Squires or Eileen's) and pass that through the hornblocks. I know you won't have it for tomorrow, but you should have it within two or three and it will save an awful amount of time and pay for itself in no time.

regards

 

[Graham Powell]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Hi Rob, I have had Slaters axles very slightly oversize before now. In fact I sent one lot back. I'm in the fortunate position of having a lathe so I just put bearing  in the chuck and run a 3/16 machine reamer through it.  If you get really stuck then you can  send them down to me and I will ream them out for you. Sometimes I have had to drill them out using a 4.8mm drill which cuts slightly under than but slightly more than 4.7 ( nearly 3/16).
Mention of the Hobby Holidays jig reminds of a friend of mine has problems with the axles used rusting and been told to keep away from Paste fluxes. Apparently some of the pro painters are refusing to paint models made using it. I use a car rust proofer called Jenolite for flux which I buy in two litre bottles for about ?6. Never fails  , well it doesn't here anyway. I never bother with chassis jigs which I regard as a waste of dosh. I still say ( being very old fashioned) that a modellers best friend is a vertical drill.
I have made one DJH kit which was a 9F. It went together okay, some parts were missing which were supplied. It runs quite smoothly using the Delrin chain. Would I build another?. Jury is still out on that one. Quite impressed with some bits, disappointed with others.
regards
Graham Powell

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Hi Mike, Hi Graham,

Thanks for the input and the offer to ream them. I have a 3/16 hand reamer but all the bearings are roller bearings as opposed to the usual fixed bearings so it will be difficult to run the reamer through them (not sure how I would stop the centre from rotating to allow the reamer to cut through).

Funnily enough the Slaters axles allowed the bearings to slide on with just a minor rub to smooth the burrs off. It's the "axles for the Jig that need smoothing down a bit.

With regard to the jig and flux I use the water based safety flux that Simon Varnam sells. It doesn't seem to have the same corrosive effects as the more common fluxes while still doing the job on everything I have soldered with it so far.

With regard to DJH the only other DJH kit I have built  (and I have yet to finish completely) is a 4mm scale Q7 which has the slab frames that the early kits had. I have managed to improve the chassis no end by a bit of scratch building and the use of some test etch spares from a gent who is doing an etched version if the Q7.

 

[28ten]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Would I build another?. Jury is still out on that one. Quite impressed with some bits, disappointed with others.
regards
Graham Powell

I think that is the case with most kits, especially as you scratchbuild and have your own way of doing things.

 

[Graham Powell]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Hi Rob, It would be very difficult for me to ream out the roller bearings. Not sure how I could do that. The subject of fluxes has come up again on the Yahoo 7mm e group.  Is that the tender chassis for your A3 in the picture?. Quite a  chunky beast. Most kits have much thinner metal in them these days. I use thick material myself ( if I'm not feeling too lazy). Once its drilled on the vertical drill and with spacers turned up in the lathe it all fits together straight away. The 9F was the DJH one which had a very long gestation period. I'm quite pleased with it now and it certainly runs smoothly and quietly. The 8F is from a David Andrews kit and is my third 8F. It has split axles on the engine and tender , ABC motor and gearbox and runs very nicely.  All I need now is some warm weather to get it painted. I'm building a Slaters Midland Compound at the moment which I was given!. Its going together very well. Parts fit nicely and are of good quality. Only thing haven't liked are those fold up hornblocks and choosing which engine had what fittings and what tender is a bit of minefield. I think I saw 41123 which was the last one in Gloucester.
Started on the body last night and has it has a multi level footplate its built on a jig. Not bad for a 1985 kit. Not sure what to suggest re the Hobby Holidays axles. You could try ringing them and see what they say.
rgds
Graham Powell

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Thanks Graham,

The chassis in the picture is the one for my 4mm DJH Q7, I just posted it to show what you can do with some thing so basic if you want to.

The A3 tender chassis is quite thick material too as are the loco chassis frames, 0.9mm thick if I remember. With regard to the jig axles I have not had chance to make progress with them so far this week but I hope to get back at them tomorrow. I think I have them almost there now and as I said it's one of those jobs that only need doing the once although I might have wished that they fit their own bearings. If I don't manage to make them fit I will give Phil a ring at HH and see what he suggests.

The 8F looks pretty good I have heard nothing but good things about David Andrews kits, I have an MOK 8F in the to build pile. That too was a gift but from the wife out of her redundancy money. I look forward to seeing the compound develop.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Well two weeks later than planned, I finally have a rolling chassis for my A3.

Everything was going to plan when I discovered that the 'axles' on my Hobby holidays jig needed quite a bit of polishing to get the Hobby Holidays roller bearing hornblocks to go over them. It's one of those jobs that you only need to do once but with my primitive methods it took about five hours in total over a week and a half to get them how I wanted. But the patience has paid of and it rolls sweetly down my length of track.

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Progress has been slow but steady on the A3.

I have completed the Pony Truck, and Cartazzi Truck and the cab. I have also done the basics on the back head. once the back head is complete I am undecided as to whether to continue detailing the chassis or start on the footplate.

 

[Ressaldar]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

Hi Rob,

looking really good, I would leave the backhead and build it up later - out of the cab so that you can do all of the detailing/painting of it and then fit it in after painting the loco and fitting the windows - but keep making sure that it fits and also leave any seats/reaversing gear out until the end as they may interfere with locating the backhead. Sorry to state the bl**ding obvious -  I've reached/passed the same stage with the West Country.

regards

Mike

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

I haven't been feeling at my best this week so I decided to have a distraction from the A3 and build one of my stock of Conniosseur Models wagon kits.

it's quite a simple design and an enjoyable build the only thing I am not keen on and will need to rectify is Jims method of sprining the buffers/coupling. The idea is sound but the wire provided bend the first time I tested it after fitting

Other than that it's a cracking kit and I am sure a stronger bit of wire will sort the buffers.

 

[28ten]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

That looks like a nice little kit  the only thing I would say is that the chain looks a little chunky, but that might just be because it hasn't been blackened

 

[Rob Pulham]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

It is quite fine but as you say it's a bit bright. my meta black for the non ferrous is out in the garage and I am not venturing out unless I have to at the moment

 

[iploffy]

Rob Pulham's Work Bench - DJH A3

I have a pair of snow shoes if you want them and a blow torch to unfreeze the locks 

Ian