Simon's workbench

Simon

Flying Squad
A bit more progress after this morning's dead heading and garden tidying ahead. Two coupling hooks now cut out of brass with extra long "tails" to hopefully facilitate a swivelling action.

This evening I cut out the required slots in the headstock and fabricated a representation of the coupling faceplate which is a double sheeted affair. Final finishing and bolt/rivet heads to come, but I'm happy with this I think.

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Simon
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Did a bit more today, both bogie centre bolts are fitted into bolsters, well and truly fixed with epoxy flooding. I then filled and rubbed back over the top of the epoxy to restore a flat base for the chequer plate floor panels, all of which are now cut out and ready to be fixed. Microstrip then solvented along the inner top edge of the side sections to replicate the prototype section, smaller angle sections cut and filed to form end "walls".

All now solvented together, this very bad photo shows the chequer plate sheets laid into place between side sections.

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It is beginning to look a bit wagon-ish, nearly time to start on the fiddly details, perhaps I'll do the trussing first.

I have also ordered what I think are suitable Southern buffers from Roger at Just the Ticket which should hopefully arrive soon.

Simon
 

Simon

Flying Squad
A lot of fiddly bits indeed...

I have made the two types of what I'm calling "stanchion brackets", which I intend to use as masters to make resin casts, as I need four of one and twelve of the other. Seen placed in position in this shot, together with the start of the chain securing brackets, of which there are 16 per side. I have "done" one side, but am stopping now as its driving me boss eyed. Sundry rivet heads and bits of bracketed are also attached. Picture of real one in background.

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Overall view of "done" side. marker pen dots show where stanchion brackets to go.

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There is a lot more to do....

Simon
 

Simon

Flying Squad
I finished basic forming of the chain securing brackets on the other side of the wagon and have spent a fair part of today making a huge mess of styrene filings and shavings as part of the process of making a pattern from which to cast the six bolsters required by the wagon. Here it is sat in one of the bolster positions. I will solvent it to a "foot" before forming the mould around it so that the casting has a finished bottom edge.

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I'm still pondering securing ring options, I suspect that whatever I do will need to be an abbreviation of reality.

Come to think of it I could do with abbreviating a few more bits of reality at the moment:confused:

Ahem, back to the wagon, next pattern is for the odd brackety thing, twelve of which are distributed around both bodysides.

Simon
 

D816Foxhound

Western Thunderer
Simon,

Another lovely creation in plasticard. For your securing rings, how about trying the marine modelling suppliers - brass rings, D-shackles, turnbuckles, chain etc. are all available in various sizes.

Already looking dreadful!!

Roger
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Thanks or your suggestions chaps. I don't have a problem making simple rings, but the "problem" is that this wagon has what I think are called "bow shackles".

I have quickly followed Roger's suggestion, but haven't yet found anything small enough and the prices are pretty eye watering considering that I need up to 32 of the blighters! I'm pondering other wire mangling bodges, I suspect the answer will involve copper wire.... In the meantime I have now made mould boxes for the details I hope to cast.

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I have otherwise this morning been de-daisying parts of the garden, a thankless task in every way.

Mass family Easter gathering time round any minute now and I'm in charge - I'd better go:confused:

Simon
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Well, I think it is a route to madness, but making reasonable representations out of copper wire and brass tube is do-able. About 45 minutes or thereabouts of eye crossing bodgelling has resulted in five of the things, thirty two required...

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In a slightly different but related direction, I have started mis-treating one of the Piko AAR bogie side frames I purchased. My intention is making a pattern from which I can cast a representation of the Gloucester roller bearinged bogie that was widely fitted to lots of stuff, particularly the 1961 bogie bolster E which is what the two short bogie bolsters that Dave made are modelled on. I reckon there's a decent chance of creating something useable, vandalism so far:

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The plastic is incredibly tough and not susceptible to any solvents - bring on the epoxy!

I must stop starting new things:rolleyes:

Simon
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Got to get back to the shackles, but the pattern for the Gloucester bogie side has made progress, here's a cruel enlargement of the state of play.

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Edit:

As of 10.00pm I'm calling it done, here's the result with quite a few more shackles soldered up too, one side's worth now done.

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Mould box next then it's casting time.

Simon
 
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Simon

Flying Squad
Very little modelling for one reason and another, although the Southern Borail is still making slow progress, all shackles on and finished, bolsters cast and fixed to wagon, and all stanchion pockets cast and fitted to solebars.

I did recently bring the Gloucester bogie casting malarkey to something approaching a happy conclusion though and I'm quite pleased with the result, they aren't perfect but look the part I think. Apart from anything else they are nicely visually "different" to the diamond frames of their bigger brethren.

First look in the sun yesterday, ride height issues to be addressed,

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Ride height sorted out and bogie castings given a waft of Halfords primer.

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So this represents the 1961 "Bolster E", still missing rivets etc but now sporting the correct bogies. I might just give it a vacuum pipe representation before further paint and lettering takes place. I am working on further set of my bogie castings for the second of the pair that Dave built - back in 2013 now, how time flies!
 

Simon

Flying Squad
Now lettered, managed the correct code by cutting and slightly re-arranging the spare set of lettering on my Railtec sheet from a year ago. It remains to wash weathering over the whole thing lose the gloss of the Johnsons Kleer across the transfers and generally tone it down a bit. It was starting to rain when I took these pictures, hence the extra dashes of gloss on the end.

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On to the next one on Monday, drilling out bogie castings for roller bearings and creating the bogie frame itself from bits of brass etc.
 
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