Wantage Tramway Jane No. 5 in 4mm

[AdeMoore]

Picked this up again. Having a go in the van on lunch!
Studying Dave‘s photos I thought I needed to make a motor mount on the cab front.
Photo 1 Marking up the hole.

I was off Centre, next a better attempt.

Next out with the new piercing saw to cut the 2 half moon shape out.


Then more studying of photos I realised where I thought the fire box and boiler level either side the cab front they are not. So need to make up the firebox and backhead. Then I could see Daves motor mount was actually part of the gearbox. So I’ve got the gearbox out and started on that first.
Need some broach reamers so looking online to buy a set right now.
More soon.

 

[michael mott]

Too much! I have seen it all now converting the steering wheel to a workbench and using a jewelers saw! its Brilliant.

Michael

 

[AdeMoore]

Gearbox shenanigans, holes opened out to 2mm for shafts. Bushes for axles opened out. Next up some in the van soldering in of bushes. Fold etch and solder strengthen folds



A few of Daves photos printed for referenc.




More tomorrow.

 

[spikey faz]

Hi Ade

Really pleased to see that you've persevering with your build. I managed to build a 7mm/1ft model of Jane, and whilst I enjoyed the process I don't think I could cope with a smaller scale build, so total respect to you.

Just out of interest did you ever upgrade from your Woolworths soldering iron? The reason I ask is that I only recently took the plunge and bought a WEP soldering station from locosnstuff.com Best thing I did. It really helps with my soldering and wasn't massively expensive.

All the best

Mike

 

[AdeMoore]

Hi Ade

Really pleased to see that you've persevering with your build. I managed to build a 7mm/1ft model of Jane, and whilst I enjoyed the process I don't think I could cope with a smaller scale build, so total respect to you.

Just out of interest did you ever upgrade from your Woolworths soldering iron? The reason I ask is that I only recently took the plunge and bought a WEP soldering station from locosnstuff.com Best thing I did. It really helps with my soldering and wasn't massively expensive.

All the best

Mike

Hi Mike thanks for the interest.
Yes I did, I think I started a thread over on RMweb. in the end I went for CSI Premier75W Digital Temperature Controlled Solder Station with 75W Soldering Iron
After buying an eBay cheapy that wasn’t up to spec.
Apparently the one above is made in China I declined the advice on it initially, but then many chimed in to say they were pleased with it I took the plunge. Very pleased with it.
Cheers for looking in.

 

[Dave Sutton]

Hi Ade,

She's not easy but you're getting there. That also is the best use of a van steering wheel I've ever seen, if I tried that in the truck it would be all over the floor with the first bumpy road.

Dave

 

[AdeMoore]

Hi Ade,

She's not easy but you're getting there. That also is the best use of a van steering wheel I've ever seen, if I tried that in the truck it would be all over the floor with the first bumpy road.

Dave

Cheers Dave, if it wasn’t for you I’d never have kept going. Not that I have but at least among my many other projects I haven’t abandoned it. The van steering wheel thing goes back to 2018 I think when I was back to work but couldn’t walk far. So made that up from a kitchen book rest bought for a fiver and an aluminium plate I had. Built plenty on it since then. Just 20 mins and not every day but enough to make some progress.
Cheers for looking in.

 

[AdeMoore]

Gas soldering iron is rather good!
165 deg or was it 175 deg can’t remember the thread where I noted it isn’t available on RMWeb to confirm.
Didn’t have a problem clean, flux, solder loaded tip, boom.
Ran out of time to fold and solder the half etch as in the instructions.





Perhaps not more tomorrow bit busy at work.
Maybe Friday.
Cheers for all the likes and comments.

 

[AdeMoore]

Tiny bit done today.

 

[chigley]

citroen vans good for something

 

[Chas Levin]

Hello Ade, very much enjoying your use of one-off jigs, home-made clamps etc. I find this one of the most enjoyable parts of building things - working out ways to hold things to work on them, or while glue or paint sets. It's so satisfying when you find the right combination of things to do the job, isn't it?

 

[AdeMoore]

Hello Ade, very much enjoying your use of one-off jigs, home-made clamps etc. I find this one of the most enjoyable parts of building things - working out ways to hold things to work on them, or while glue or paint sets. It's so satisfying when you find the right combination of things to do the job, isn't it?

Cheers Chas for looking in, yes I do find it satisfying and a necessity for me! I’ve no experience of building a loco kit at all so nothing to base it on. I’ve kind of followed Dave Sutton now more than the Laurie Griffin article, as 7mm practice has its limitations in 4mm. Dave has built one and ran it I think! Probably wasn’t my best days work starting out on this but once your in your kinda hooked! Dave has been a superb chap and sent me free etches and would accept nuffink for em! Top chap so that has aided me no end. More on the gearbox tomorrow.

 

[Chas Levin]

Yep, Dave's a top bloke; in these days of social distancing and so few shows and Society meetings, the internet's a very valuable way of feeling some sense of community.
I look forward to further gearboxing - I'm a big fan of High Level 'boxes too.

 

[Dave Sutton]

Cheers Chas for looking in, yes I do find it satisfying and a necessity for me! I’ve no experience of building a loco kit at all so nothing to base it on. I’ve kind of followed Dave Sutton now more than the Laurie Griffin article, as 7mm practice has its limitations in 4mm. Dave has built one and ran it I think! Probably wasn’t my best days work starting out on this but once your in your kinda hooked! Dave has been a superb chap and sent me free etches and would accept nuffink for em! Top chap so that has aided me no end. More on the gearbox tomorrow.

Most people call me many other things...

I've not long moved house, but I'm sure I saw something when I packed stuff up that would be of help to you, I'll look for it again...

I've built Shannon in 4mm and 7mm, and Robin Gay who helped me has done No5 in P4 and it's a beauty. I just don't think we can have enough of these lovely engines.

 

[AdeMoore]

Most people call me many other things...

I've not long moved house, but I'm sure I saw something when I packed stuff up that would be of help to you, I'll look for it again...

I've built Shannon in 4mm and 7mm, and Robin Gay who helped me has done No5 in P4 and it's a beauty. I just don't think we can have enough of these lovely engines.

Fine upstanding fellow of the community Dave calling you other things never .
As always you’re too kind!
Yes I think Robin messaged me on RMweb a photo of his. It is a beauty as you say. Looks very different to yours with the cab.
He had a copyright on them anyhow so I couldn’t repost here. Though with RMs loss of photos it may not be there now.

 

[AdeMoore]

Did manage a bit more today, solder strengthening the half etch on the 90 fold.
As per the instructions.
Ran out of time to clean them up.



See if I can do a bit tomorrow at lunch.
Cheers

 

[Dave Sutton]

I used a high level box (I think the same as yours), I did have to carve it about a bit to get it into the top of the firebox, I mounted it on the motor and then marked what wasn't required, it looked a bit brutal but worked fine.


I did change the wires as they were too thick to fit inside the boiler.

I found the pic of Robins Jane, I put the copyrite note on it as quite a few pics were downloaded from the rmweb thread and seen elsewhere, I wasn't bothered about my work but thought it ought not happen to Robins.

 

[AdeMoore]

I used a high level box (I think the same as yours), I did have to carve it about a bit to get it into the top of the firebox, I mounted it on the motor and then marked what wasn't required, it looked a bit brutal but worked fine.
View attachment 159916
View attachment 159921
I did change the wires as they were too thick to fit inside the boiler.

I found the pic of Robins Jane, I put the copyrite note on it as quite a few pics were downloaded from the rmweb thread and seen elsewhere, I wasn't bothered about my work but thought it ought not happen to Robins.

View attachment 159915

Cheers for the info. Dave,
Yes I did ask you about the gearbox way back when! So got the same one.
My theory is to mount it on the motor and then make up the firebox around it. Though carving up as you did is not out of the question. Noted on the wires I did note to use some transformer winding wire as it’s thin and insulated not tried it yet though. Thanks for posting Robins photo that was on my reference A4 sheet of photos I saved.
Cheers for looking in.

 

[AdeMoore]

Had to resort to the bench indoors this evening as I needed the cutting disc to cut the shafts.
Then realised putting together it was 6mm to the mid point of the worm not the face!
Had to use the vice in the shed and no lights out there to sort it now!
More tomorrow.

Dave looks like you soldered the shafts in the cage? But with melting the plastic gears seem unlikely.
Also any reason you went for the motor the way round you did as that way it hides the screws, supposed to be different centres for different motors in each plain vertical to horizontal. But I got the same motor weird.
One last question think you cut the motor shaft off with the cutting disc as well?
Cheers in advanc.
Ade

 

[Dave Sutton]

I think I mounted the motor with the flats on the side so I could feed the wires down the sides rather than the top/bottom, it's veerrryyy cramped in the firebox but there is a smidge of space at the sides. If I mount that way I do have to open out the screw holes. After bodging and grinding the gearbox to cut away the excess, I did think about soldering a piece of scrap etch across the top to strengthen it, but it seemed absolutely fine so didn't bother.

I do put a tiny spot of epoxy or solder on one side of the shafts just for peace of mind that they don't move, if I solder it's a very quick in-out with the iron then clean up with a file.

Yep I use a cutting disc in an expo to cut the shafts.