The Chronicles of Canary Sidings - the Tale of an Untidy Workbench

[JimG]

Btw does anyone know a trick for quickly removing WM bits from the teeth of files? Mine are all getting clogged again...

If you take a bit of brass and rub it across the file teeth it should take out the white metal clogging the teeth. The rubbing action on the brass causes the cross sectional shape of the file teeth to be cut in the brass and this cleans out whatever is clogging the teeth.

Jim.

 

[simond]

You need to rub it diagonally, so the file teeth cut parallel grooves in the edge of the brass

something like this:


the other way is to use a worn scalpel blade, again following the file teeth

 

[David Waite]

Rubbing some white chalk on files before use will help to prevent build up of soft metal it doesn’t stop it but it
keeps you going longer and rubbing chalk on moulds to prevent white metal from sticking to them when pouring bearings.
David.

 

[Herb Garden]

Simon, Jim,

That's worked a treat! Thanks gents

G

 

[Herb Garden]

Rubbing some white chalk on files before use will help to prevent build up of soft metal it doesn’t stop it but it
keeps you going longer and rubbing chalk on moulds to prevent white metal from sticking to them when pouring bearings.
David.

I like the sound of that idea... Will go and try that

 

[chigley]

talc does the same thing

 

[Herb Garden]

So talc definitely works in keeping files unclogged and I had made my workbench smell lovely.

So here we are at the last post in 2023. The thread is a year old now and thanks to everyone for reading. I hope it's been enjoyable as it's much for your entertainment as mine that I keep posting. If anyone would like to see more of something or less or has any suggestions or improvements to the posts let me know.

On with 407


Yet another issue with the wills finecast kit is the solid bunker but with a bit of chain drilling and filing it has been hollowed out.

As you can also see I've started putting in the cab interior. I'm not usually a fan of plasicard but I decided to give it a go and am really enjoying working with it. It beats risking putting a soldering iron in that cab.

I really like the inner cab steps


Looking forward to 2024 - the year of the buckjumper. Happy new year everyone!

 

[James Spooner]

So talc definitely works in keeping files unclogged and I had made my workbench smell lovely.

So here we are at the last post in 2023. The thread is a year old now and thanks to everyone for reading. I hope it's been enjoyable as it's much for your entertainment as mine that I keep posting. If anyone would like to see more of something or less or has any suggestions or improvements to the posts let me know.

On with 407

View attachment 205391
Yet another issue with the wills finecast kit is the solid bunker but with a bit of chain drilling and filing it has been hollowed out.
View attachment 205392
As you can also see I've started putting in the cab interior. I'm not usually a fan of plasicard but I decided to give it a go and am really enjoying working with it. It beats risking putting a soldering iron in that cab.
View attachment 205393
I really like the inner cab steps
View attachment 205395

Looking forward to 2024 - the year of the buckjumper. Happy new year everyone!

View attachment 205396

Thank you George for sharing your modelling journey with us through 2023 and very best wishes for a happy, peaceful and prosperous 2024!

Nigel

 

[Herb Garden]

Well happy 2024 folks!

Last year I said my focus for the year was to complete certain projects and I completely failed in achieving that so let's try again.

The main focus this year is to get Skeetsmere up and running for workshop wise and to get enough working rolling stock to be able to run a skeleton service.


The reason for that second point is that this is the only working DCC fitted EM loco I've got currently although it needs a new chassis as it's on a tenshodo bogie and therefore goes like the clappers

Pictured with it is about a third of the usable EM wagons.... Yep there is a lot to do

So on with 407


The bunker is now filled in with plasicard


And the back of the cab made up. I'm not going for as detailed an approach as in did on 74 with this purely as it's an enclosed cab and not as much will be seen. Just want to give a hint something is there

 

[Herb Garden]

Well I said I wouldn't make a detailed cab interior...

And then I started making it...



I'm lucky in the novelty to have on this project a full set of drawings by John Gardner (available from the GERS for a very reasonable price). So instead of guessing like on 74 I've been able to follow accurate info as to cab layout







One more day until I'm back at work so I wonder what else I can get done.... I'm thinking brake stantion, reverser and cab window surrounds next

 

[Herb Garden]

As I've stated before having access to the John Gardner drawing collection does really help with these projects

But it has meant that today I spotted an issue, namely the cab side cutout is too small!

Quite a bit too small it seems! And yes I wish I had spotted this before I put all the cab details in but you can't have everything.

So here is before:


And after:

Some gentle filing and the effect is so much better



It was said by @Joe's Garage recently that you can't have too many pannier tanks. Well the Great Eastern equivalent must be that you can't have too many buckjumpers. Well....


Yes I have another one from the SE finecast stable. This one as yet untouched and I thought you fine people might appreciate the comparison between the unmodified and the improved. Still a bit to go but we are getting there.



Oh and what's the plan for this other one you ask? Well it will be used as the starting point for a model of a T18 class (J66 for those of you who are only fluent in LNER) but that is a project for another day and is not high on the priority list.

 

[Phil O]

A bit late to this party, but I mostly use Emery boards (used for nail manicures) for filing whitemetal, they're pretty cheap, especially when compared to files. If space is restricted you can cut them down to suit.

 

[Herb Garden]

A bit late to this party, but I mostly use Emery boards (used for nail manicures) for filing whitemetal, they're pretty cheap, especially when compared to files. If space is restricted you can cut them down to suit.

Not late at all Phil, plenty more filing to be done here.... I will be sure to try your tip

 

[Liver & Fry]

So here is a brain teaser for you. According to this WT how does the Kenton loco get to laxfield for the early morning cattle service?

Is it plausible to suggest that it double headed the last service the day before as a positioning move?

I'm pretty certain they used to do this on the Watton branch (at least in later days)

- James

 

[Herb Garden]

Is it plausible to suggest that it double headed the last service the day before as a positioning move?

I'm pretty certain they used to do this on the Watton branch (at least in later days)

- James

Now that's a possibility certainly....

 

[Herb Garden]

So there has been some great news on a personal level today so I'm bouncing off the walls and getting on with some modelling despite now being back at work


Job for today has been the cab opening beading a bit of brass strip curved to shape




To add the rails out came the drilling jig fro the build of number 74.


But modified so I could get the bent profile I to it


It still works!


Out came the soldering iron


And a bit of fettling to fit and it's glued in place.

Just got to fit the other side now...

 

[Liver & Fry]

So there has been some great news on a personal level today so I'm bouncing off the walls and getting on with some modelling despite now being back at work

View attachment 205732
Job for today has been the cab opening beading a bit of brass strip curved to shape

View attachment 205734

View attachment 205733
To add the rails out came the drilling jig fro the build of number 74.

View attachment 205735
But modified so I could get the bent profile I to it

View attachment 205736
It still works!

View attachment 205737
Out came the soldering iron

View attachment 205738
And a bit of fettling to fit and it's glued in place.

Just got to fit the other side now...

Excellent work! Really looking forward to seeing this one done!

- James

 

[Herb Garden]

Is it plausible to suggest that it double headed the last service the day before as a positioning move?

I'm pretty certain they used to do this on the Watton branch (at least in later days)

- James

So it looks like James @Liver & Fry is on the money. (Obviously throwing a kit kat at his head many years ago had a possitve impact)

I quote from Peter Payes Mid Suffolk Light Railway tome:

P133: the Kenton engine and brake then shunted into mill siding before attaching to the 10:00am down mixed train ex Haughley. This was double headed to Laxfield to enable the Kenton engine to work the 4am cattle train ex Laxfield the following morning.

Next question is of course how to represent this in miniature.... Lucky I use DCC

 

[Herb Garden]

So now I'm back at work the pace of modelling decreases. Fact of life unfortunately.

However I'm having a lot of fun working in plasitcard. It's a material I've avoided for years but now finding how much funit can be to use


Today's job adding the boxes (sorry don't know technical term) either side of the boiler backhead

 

[Herb Garden]

Well after a frustrating day in the office the mist relaxing thing I could think of to do was make a little reversing lever


Just some bits of scrap brass etc bit of wire and a nearly burning my fingers later



And that's another bit of the cab done.... Only thing left is the hand brake but that's for another day