S
SteveO
Guest
Cheers. Madam believes it to be a limited edition Paul Smith chopping board. I'm not so sure. And anyway, I've had a problem with this Paul Smith bloke ever since he tried to sell me a football for £250. Pah!
As I've heard about 'flooding' the area with flux, that is exactly what I did. It seems the solder has been flooded too. I will experiment with slightly less flooding tonight.
As I've heard about 'flooding' the area with flux, that is exactly what I did. It seems the solder has been flooded too. I will experiment with slightly less flooding tonight.
S
SteveO
Guest
I'd guess it's to keep those pesky slivers wrapped up in a gum ball. I'd also guess that they are less likely to come away individually too.
S
SteveO
Guest
I didn't have time for experimentation after all so thought I'd just bite the bullet and go for it. Surprised myself with the result. I may neaten it up with a torch or go over it again with the iron but over all for my first time soldering I'm quite chipper with the results.
Stanchions are next then see if there's anything else I can do. Sweating on solebar details maybe. While I'm on the subject of other things to do, I've read that strengthening folded corners with a run of solder is good practice. Is this correct?
Stanchions are next then see if there's anything else I can do. Sweating on solebar details maybe. While I'm on the subject of other things to do, I've read that strengthening folded corners with a run of solder is good practice. Is this correct?
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Looks good 
, one point though, it might have been easier to fold down the parts on the floor which I presume are for brake gear and such like, easier to do when the floor is flat and not surrounded by the walls perhaps?....if indeed you are going to fold them down.
I've also heard it is good cricket to run a bead of solder along half etch folds to strengthen them.
, one point though, it might have been easier to fold down the parts on the floor which I presume are for brake gear and such like, easier to do when the floor is flat and not surrounded by the walls perhaps?....if indeed you are going to fold them down.I've also heard it is good cricket to run a bead of solder along half etch folds to strengthen them.
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SteveO
Guest
Cheers Mick. I thought I'd leave the brake and axle folds until later - the floor is so flimsy that I wanted to preserve as much strength as possible while soldering up the sides. As it was, I had to tack the top corners so it would stay in shape while I soldered the floor to the ends. I may still put in some sort of floor strengthener.
Soldered on the stanchions, stanchion washer plates, vents and soldered the folded corners. I'm getting a thick head from the solder fumes so I'll call it a night there. Just a quick wash under the shower and I'll clean up the messy solder tomorrow.
Next up, a few more washer plates and the solebars. But that's another day. I must say, it's quite good building three in one go.
Soldered on the stanchions, stanchion washer plates, vents and soldered the folded corners. I'm getting a thick head from the solder fumes so I'll call it a night there. Just a quick wash under the shower and I'll clean up the messy solder tomorrow.
Next up, a few more washer plates and the solebars. But that's another day. I must say, it's quite good building three in one go.
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Washer plates -
, that is one for each kit. Good to see a prototypical term being used instead of some modelling expression from the days of the ark.
S
SteveO
Guest
A burst of inspiration (mostly from reading Buckjumper's old RM blog) has seen me clean up all the excess solder - or as much of it as I could get off - tonight, and I'm now prepping the solebars for another extended soldering session at some point in the near future.
I thought about the fibreglass pen issue for a moment and came up with a cunning, double-ended plan. What if I did the rubbing in the sink, filled with warm, detergentised(c) water? I could degrease the beasties, clean them up and wash away those pesky fibreglass slivers all at the same time!
I did it and it worked. Not a single sliver, despite running over a finger or two with the pen. When I bought this fibreglass pen I also bought a brass version to see if there was a difference. I can report that the brass pen is next to useless - it didn't remove nearly as much as the fibreglass pen, and would probably now make a rather nice chimney sweep for a doll's house.
I'm looking forward to the next bout, where I plan to have the solebars and as many washer plates soldered on as I can manage.
I thought about the fibreglass pen issue for a moment and came up with a cunning, double-ended plan. What if I did the rubbing in the sink, filled with warm, detergentised(c) water? I could degrease the beasties, clean them up and wash away those pesky fibreglass slivers all at the same time!
I did it and it worked. Not a single sliver, despite running over a finger or two with the pen. When I bought this fibreglass pen I also bought a brass version to see if there was a difference. I can report that the brass pen is next to useless - it didn't remove nearly as much as the fibreglass pen, and would probably now make a rather nice chimney sweep for a doll's house.
I'm looking forward to the next bout, where I plan to have the solebars and as many washer plates soldered on as I can manage.
lancer1027
Western Thunderer
Sounds good Steve but where are the pics??
Rob
Rob
7mmMick
Western Thunderer
Really enjoying this Steve, right up my street and a lovely clean build. Have the tabs for the vacuum and through steam heat caused any issue with keeping things square. I only ask as I like at every stage to use the old glass test to ensure the last solder run hasn't pulled anything out of square,
ATB Mick
ATB Mick
S
SteveO
Guest
Pics next round of soldering, promise Rob!
Thanks Mick! Those pipe fixings are really annoying sometimes. The bodies never sit straight but, like you, I get the square out when I've done something major and so far they haven't moved a smidge.
I know these are a far cry from something a professional builder could create but I've been pleasantly surprised, especially after wringing my hands for so long and finding excuses not to start. Finding the right balance of solder for the job is the next skill to master.
This kit is meant to represent something called a 'Cov B' but I can't find a picture of one anywhere, in fact the only mention of a Cov B is by Lochgorm about this kit. I've scoured Paul Bartlett's site and the closest I can get to is a LNER Dia 170 - are they one and the same?
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lnercoveredmerchandise/h2b2035b3#h2b2035b3
Thanks Mick! Those pipe fixings are really annoying sometimes. The bodies never sit straight but, like you, I get the square out when I've done something major and so far they haven't moved a smidge.
I know these are a far cry from something a professional builder could create but I've been pleasantly surprised, especially after wringing my hands for so long and finding excuses not to start. Finding the right balance of solder for the job is the next skill to master.
This kit is meant to represent something called a 'Cov B' but I can't find a picture of one anywhere, in fact the only mention of a Cov B is by Lochgorm about this kit. I've scoured Paul Bartlett's site and the closest I can get to is a LNER Dia 170 - are they one and the same?
http://paulbartlett.zenfolio.com/lnercoveredmerchandise/h2b2035b3#h2b2035b3
Buckjumper
Flying Squad
It's the jewellers' trick, and as you've discovered, it works well. I buy medical gloves (cue proctology jokes) in boxes of 100 for about a fiver for use when airbrushing and using fibreglass pencils. They are awful things, and the thought of getting fibres in eyes or lungs when using them is enough to make me wear safety specs and a P2 rated dust mask.
For some reason I seem to have missed some of your previous posts (me on planet Zog again
) but the vans are coming on nicely .
S
SteveO
Guest
Cheers Adrian. Any ideas on the Cov B/Diag 170 likeness? I know it's a bit out of your time zone.
Buckjumper
Flying Squad
It is a bit modern for me, but I think I have it. Whereas the LMS Cov Bs were built unfitted with single-side Morton brakes (with 3 link couplings and, I understand, LNE axleboxes), the LNER version were vac-fitted with clasp-brakes to Dia.161 and numbered 236xxx. Another example here. Later some LMS were fitted with double-sided Morton vac brakes with tie rods between axleguards. The Dia.170 were fitted with the vacuum brake but appear to have push rods rather than clasp brakes which someone else (Pennine?) might be able to explain the reasons behind better than I.
S
SteveO
Guest
I had a feeling this may have been a slow day so I brought in my solebars for filing, just in case.
I'm working my way through them quite nicely and I'm trying not to be concerned from lack of contact from my client...
I'm working my way through them quite nicely and I'm trying not to be concerned from lack of contact from my client...
3 LINK
Western Thunderer
Hi Steve,
I'm glad to see you are doing fine with the so called black art of soldering, there will be no stopping you now. I notice you are using 188 at the moment do you intend to use 188 through out the build ? Personally I use 188 for the main structural parts and then use 145 for the rest of the detailing, my reason for this is that you do not have to worry about working close to parts already soldered dropping off 
. You may already know this tip but just in case you don't.
ATB,
Martyn.
I'm glad to see you are doing fine with the so called black art of soldering, there will be no stopping you now
. I notice you are using 188 at the moment do you intend to use 188 through out the build ? Personally I use 188 for the main structural parts and then use 145 for the rest of the detailing, my reason for this is that you do not have to worry about working close to parts already soldered dropping off . You may already know this tip but just in case you don't.ATB,
Martyn.
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
Looking good Steve , I had some of these vans in 4mm. Where have you sourced the castings from to finish them?
, I had some of these vans in 4mm. Where have you sourced the castings from to finish them?
S
SteveO
Guest
Martyn, I'm doing exactly as you've suggested. The main part of the body and underframe will be soldered in 188 then I'll switch to 145 for the detailing. I learn't that here! I'm working like a dog at the moment but managed to clean up all the underframe components ready for when I get some time to solder them together. I'll also do the rest of the washerplates, which will just leave to doors and roof to complete the body.
Rob, I've been getting parts from a few different places. I got some cast brass buffers from a chap on ebay cheaper than I would have got them at retail prices and they are pretty nice ones too, I got the pipework and couplings from Gladiator at Reading and the vac cylinder from ABS, also at Reading. I already had some Haywoods wheels.
Hopefully by the time of the Bristol show I will have enough dough to buy a couple more kits. I was looking at the Haywoods vans I bought and I quite like them. They certainly look easier to build than these, plus they come complete. Depending on how much I have to spend I may pay a visit to Connoisseur too.
Rob, I've been getting parts from a few different places. I got some cast brass buffers from a chap on ebay cheaper than I would have got them at retail prices and they are pretty nice ones too, I got the pipework and couplings from Gladiator at Reading and the vac cylinder from ABS, also at Reading. I already had some Haywoods wheels.
Hopefully by the time of the Bristol show I will have enough dough to buy a couple more kits. I was looking at the Haywoods vans I bought and I quite like them. They certainly look easier to build than these, plus they come complete. Depending on how much I have to spend I may pay a visit to Connoisseur too.
S
SteveO
Guest
Best laid plans are best ignored, I've discovered. It was going to be a quiet day working from home, no urgent work to get out, so thought I'd prepare for a good few hours on the workbench. I'd planned to have each wagon complete with a finished solebar (including shunting handles) AND to have all the washerplates fixed by the end of the day.
You can probably tell it didn't work out that way. However, I did manage to do something, at least. The picture shows 3 sets of (laminated? bonded?) solebars. It involved something I hadn't even practiced before - tinning and then soldering two thin sheets together. I couldn't exactly work out how I was going to solder them together once I'd tinned one of the surfaces - I also wasn't sure if I'd have to tin both surfaces. In the end I tinned one side, stuck it to the other with plenty of flux and then ran a blowtorch over them. Seemed to work OK, though I had to revisit one end of each of them - I have no idea why it worked out that way.
I also noted, just while I was tinning the last etch, that there are some half-etched holes on the reverse of the decorative side. Was I meant to punch out some rivets? The instructions didn't mention anything about this. It's too late now, whatever the case. This is where a prototype image would come in handy! (Ed: more of that below)
At some point over the weekend I can probably bend up the shunting handles and cut out and file all the washerplates ready for the next opportunity to get the iron out.
I still haven't found any pictures of a 'Cov B' but on Paul's Bartlett's site I did find an LNER Diagram 170 van, which looks identical to me. I'm wondering if the 'Cov B' had provision for through steam piping but otherwise was a Dia 170 van?
You can probably tell it didn't work out that way. However, I did manage to do something, at least. The picture shows 3 sets of (laminated? bonded?) solebars. It involved something I hadn't even practiced before - tinning and then soldering two thin sheets together. I couldn't exactly work out how I was going to solder them together once I'd tinned one of the surfaces - I also wasn't sure if I'd have to tin both surfaces. In the end I tinned one side, stuck it to the other with plenty of flux and then ran a blowtorch over them. Seemed to work OK, though I had to revisit one end of each of them - I have no idea why it worked out that way.
I also noted, just while I was tinning the last etch, that there are some half-etched holes on the reverse of the decorative side. Was I meant to punch out some rivets? The instructions didn't mention anything about this. It's too late now, whatever the case. This is where a prototype image would come in handy! (Ed: more of that below)
At some point over the weekend I can probably bend up the shunting handles and cut out and file all the washerplates ready for the next opportunity to get the iron out.
I still haven't found any pictures of a 'Cov B' but on Paul's Bartlett's site I did find an LNER Diagram 170 van, which looks identical to me. I'm wondering if the 'Cov B' had provision for through steam piping but otherwise was a Dia 170 van?