David's Workbench

[Galteemore]

Straight and level on the track is always good! Looking good with that bogie and rear truck detailing 

[David Holman]

Starting to look like an engine

 

 First job this time was to fit the motor and pickups. Normally make up the latter as I go along, but this time I actually thought about it first and soldered both the pickup and electrical wires on [2 different temperature solders], before gluing the copper clad to the frames. A frame spacer means the latter is split in two for each side, with a further piece on the frame spacer to take the electrical wires on their way to the motor. This part meant that when I got the polarity wrong [only 50-50, so why do I do it every time?], I didn't need to unsolder the wires from the motor terminals and risk damage. I've also used the wire runs to hold the motor in place, as seen below.

 The pick ups still need adjusting, but the chassis runs ok now under its own power.

 So, back to the bodywork. 

 No boiler is supplied as part of the etches, so it was a case of rolling my own. This is where a GW Models Rolling Machine comes in so useful. In the scrap box, I also found two brass discs of exactly the right size to use as inner formers for the boiler. Soldered some brass strip in the centre to take an 8ba bolt for lining the firebox end up with the cab front.

 Next was making the inner sides for the water tanks. Just rectangle of 15thou brass, though I added a couple of additional bits of brass to the inside faces to rest the tank tops on. A piece of round brass rod went in the inside front corners too, so these could be rounded like the outer corners. The tank tops won't be fitted until after I know how much lead will need adding to help adhesion.

 The latest piece to be done is the smokebox. This is a single fold up etch, plus the wrapper, which needs rolling to shape. Happily the latter is just a half circle with straight sides - so no nasty reverse curves to form. Soldered up, it proved to be slightly bigger than the boiler, but by adding a wrapper to the end of the boiler [one millimetre longer than the smokebox, so it protrudes slightly, it works out pretty well.

 Nothing is fixed in place yet, but the main superstructure is shaping up. A long way to go yet though, with the firebox and cab details, coal bunker and a host of other details including all the boiler fittings too.

[Tullygrainey]

Lovely lovely!

[David Holman]

 Pretty much used up all the etches this week, so everything else on the loco is now scrapbox or scratch building. There were two small square etches that I had no idea about until I finally came across a picture of No 10's bunker and there they were.

 Other etches make up the firebox, sandboxes and cab steps, while the bunker extension etch includes some neat  points for using the rivet press.

 Inspired by Galteemore's  recent post on the PP's cab, I spent a mostly happy morning today, cobbling together bits and pieces for the firebox and other controls. Nothing fancy, as only a representation is needed, given that it will be a pretty enclosed space, especially once the crew and roof are in place.

 I found a few useful castings in the scrap box, while a brass washer was used to make one of the gauges. Copper wire from multi strand cable makes the pipework, while a cut down point lever suffices as the reversing lever. Looking through photos, it appears that Swilly locos were right hand drive, with lever, rather than screw reverse, though am happy to stand corrected.

 The list of details runs to at least 30 odd items, so lots still to do!

[Mol_PMB]

Superb! lovely work there. A bit of improvisation from bits in stock is always very rewarding, and the result is excellent.

[Galteemore]

Very tidy backhead David. Something rather lovely about glimpsing that worn copper and brass through the cab doorway. The firebox door looks like it could work ! 

Edited Friday at 21:14 by Galteemore

[Paul 34F]

David,

There is a picture of the cab of the LLSR No. 12, the big 4-8-0, on the Irish Railway section of the transportsofdelights.smugmug.com website.

It might be of interest.

Paul

 

[David Holman]

Thanks Paul. Not a million miles away, but if I ever do a 4-8-0, there will be no excuses!

[David Holman]

 With no instructions to follow, the next things on the 'to do' list tend go go on a bit of a whim and therefore decided yesterday afternoon, it was time to get the lathe out and have a go at the main boiler fittings.

 I use the word lathe advisedly. Mine is about as small [and cheap] as they come, but have so far managed to produce three sets of chimneys & domes, plus several buffers; however high tech it ain't, while I am very much self taught.

  A useful tool that came with the lathe is this plastic gizmo, which is helpful in find the centre of the brass rod, then a hole is drilled to take the pin at the tail end, with the other clamped in what I think is called the headstock. As well back and forth/in and out wheels to move the cutting tool, screw plates at the back of the lathe allow a degree of movement to accommodate larger pieces, up to about 15cm in length.

 It goes without saying that personal safety is a prime consideration - especially for someone a bit cavalier like me. So, safety goggles are a must, as well as making sure the metal rod is firmly secured in the lathe, with none of the tools still attached either. I've come close to forgetting a couple of times...

 Anyway, turning a piece of solid brass into a dome or chimney is, for me, pretty much trial and error. The key tool is a vernier gauge, to transfer measurements from the drawing and then basic logic to decide which sections need doing first, though clearly you start at the outside and work inwards.

 I've got a small selection of cutting tools, but also find files very useful. Otherwise, it is a case of taking my time. The lathe motor isn't very powerful, so you can't remove much metal in each pass - probably no more than a 0.25mm, but after an hour or so of passing to and fro, the shape I want gradually emerges.

 Once satisfied, the piece comes out of the lathe and it is cut from the original rod with a hacksaw [in a vice], after which comes the somewhat taxing job of filing the base so chimney/dome sit nicely on the boiler. The top of the chimney needs drilling out, of course, done in the usual way be starting with a small drill and gradually using larger ones to achieve the right sized hole.

 Chimney and dome can be seen below, perched on the loco, but [as with everything else], not yet fixed. That will be the next stage!

[Galteemore]

Delightful. And modest too. That chimney’s a fairly complex shape ! 

[jhb171achill]

WOW!!!!