7mm Mickoo's Commercial Workbench
- Thread starter mickoo
- Start date
mickoo
Western Thunderer
No
I'd looked at stainless steel blacking but it's not cheap or as simple as brass or steel apparently, someone said turn some new ones so I had a rummage and found a mild steel bar of the perfect diameter and off I went. I don't usually turn steel, it's mostly 99% brass I do so I soon found out my tool is blunt
So what I saved on blacking I need to spend on a bench grinder, I should have got one years ago truth be told.
I'm told they're stainless steel by them wot know, that'd fit as magnets don't stick to them.
I'd looked at stainless steel blacking but it's not cheap or as simple as brass or steel apparently, someone said turn some new ones so I had a rummage and found a mild steel bar of the perfect diameter and off I went. I don't usually turn steel, it's mostly 99% brass I do so I soon found out my tool is blunt
So what I saved on blacking I need to spend on a bench grinder, I should have got one years ago truth be told.
Ian@StEnochs
Western Thunderer
If you only use standard shape tool bits an oilstone is all you need to keep the edge keen.
A dremmel type cutting disc in the mini drill also works if you need to grind a bit more off to restore the shape.
A dremmel type cutting disc in the mini drill also works if you need to grind a bit more off to restore the shape.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
I actually broke out a set of tools I’d bought with replacement tips and consequently broke two. They’re not as robust as ground bar but give a nice cut and seem to work better on steel.
I’ve got a slip stone and dremel slitting discs so will have a go at sharpening the tip, never thought to do that
I’ve got a slip stone and dremel slitting discs so will have a go at sharpening the tip, never thought to do that
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
The style and lengths of the crank pins together with the boss insulation suggest that the wheels were sourced from Alan Harris.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Harris or Woods, makes no odds, both equally difficult/tiresome to work with.
I'm not sure the cosmetically better hubs outweigh the extra workload to be honest, more so if single insulated
Oh and the infuriating slipping on the axles, I must be near ¾ slippage rate on the sets that have passed through here, tedious extra man hours bonding and setting up the quartering again.
Dan Randall
Western Thunderer
Hi MickHarris or Woods, makes no odds, both equally difficult/tiresome to work with.
I'm not sure the cosmetically better hubs outweigh the extra workload to be honest, more so if single insulated
Out of curiosity, I was just wondering if the wheels supplied by and used on the MOK 4MT build are any better in that respect?
Regards
Dan
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Yes and I’d expect them to be as they’ve been produced commercially and are equal to Masterpiece and Lee Marsh and I think in part from the same factory.
I’ve done two MOK with zero failures and two Woods likewise, but seven or so (I’d have to check later) Harris and five failed.
To be clear it’s not the wheels fault they’re slipping so my gripe is with the machinist and what ever adhesive they’re using, in some cases the crank pins have worked loose, that’s a bitch on the return crank to say the least.
The one other aspect of Harris wheels are the flat backed spokes so they’re no better than Slaters visually, Woods does at least have profiled rears on most if not all and MOK even supply raised flat areas to fix the balance weight to so it’s perpendicular to the ground, something all other wheels need packing out to do.
I know many are die hard Harris fans and that’s fine, we’re all different.
I’ve done two MOK with zero failures and two Woods likewise, but seven or so (I’d have to check later) Harris and five failed.
To be clear it’s not the wheels fault they’re slipping so my gripe is with the machinist and what ever adhesive they’re using, in some cases the crank pins have worked loose, that’s a bitch on the return crank to say the least.
The one other aspect of Harris wheels are the flat backed spokes so they’re no better than Slaters visually, Woods does at least have profiled rears on most if not all and MOK even supply raised flat areas to fix the balance weight to so it’s perpendicular to the ground, something all other wheels need packing out to do.
I know many are die hard Harris fans and that’s fine, we’re all different.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Another week rolls by and more JLTRT Modified Hall progress, joined this week by the Finney7 tender.
All very much in progress and ad hoc throw the instructions away progress. I seem to be missing an awful lot of important bits, they're not listed in the instructions so you've no idea if that are actually in the kit and lost or just never supplied.
It's a mute conversation as new ones need sourcing anyway so their absence is kind of academic.
The blue lump is verboten (available to anyone in exchange for some shekels, dinars or even otter noses) so a whole new lump on top needs to be fabricated. I'm tending toward a 3D smokebox with door (the supplied WM one is tired so really needs a new door), chimney (the chimney casting is missing to the trolls of past yore) and saddle (again rather tired casting) all integral; then get the crayons and scissors out and cut a new boiler and firebox.
All very much in progress and ad hoc throw the instructions away progress. I seem to be missing an awful lot of important bits, they're not listed in the instructions so you've no idea if that are actually in the kit and lost or just never supplied.
It's a mute conversation as new ones need sourcing anyway so their absence is kind of academic.
The blue lump is verboten (available to anyone in exchange for some shekels, dinars or even otter noses) so a whole new lump on top needs to be fabricated. I'm tending toward a 3D smokebox with door (the supplied WM one is tired so really needs a new door), chimney (the chimney casting is missing to the trolls of past yore) and saddle (again rather tired casting) all integral; then get the crayons and scissors out and cut a new boiler and firebox.
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Can't get enough weight in it, plus client doesn't 'like' (it's before the watershed) them.
To be honest I'm on his side (weight withstanding) as I don't like them either, I'd personally rather scratch build all new; which is a bit of a catch 22 as I embrace 3D (though to be fair I have more control over that than kit resin lumps) but I'd not do it for large blocks ike this, it's just not the right medium.
I feel (personally) the same way about the A4, W1, Coronation and BLP lumps, the BLP I partially got around with the full metal jacket etched pack, the A4 and W1 are a devil you must walk hand in hand with and no one (so far) is prepared to pay the extra to do the Coronation in metal. Having said that, this client is prepared to pay so he gets what he wants.
They have their fan base and I'm happy for them but I'm not a member, that's fine, because we're all different.
To be honest I'm on his side (weight withstanding) as I don't like them either, I'd personally rather scratch build all new; which is a bit of a catch 22 as I embrace 3D (though to be fair I have more control over that than kit resin lumps) but I'd not do it for large blocks ike this, it's just not the right medium.
I feel (personally) the same way about the A4, W1, Coronation and BLP lumps, the BLP I partially got around with the full metal jacket etched pack, the A4 and W1 are a devil you must walk hand in hand with and no one (so far) is prepared to pay the extra to do the Coronation in metal. Having said that, this client is prepared to pay so he gets what he wants.
They have their fan base and I'm happy for them but I'm not a member, that's fine, because we're all different.
simond
Western Thunderer
Thx, I’m surprised, it’s bloody heavy. The downside from my PoV is that there’s nowhere easy to put decoder, speakers and capacitor.
The latter can go in the tender, but it sounds odd if the speaker is too, and you end up with an elephants trunk for the wiring.
While I think on, Warren Shepherd does a set of etches for a Hall boiler. I used them to build my 28xx
The latter can go in the tender, but it sounds odd if the speaker is too, and you end up with an elephants trunk for the wiring.
While I think on, Warren Shepherd does a set of etches for a Hall boiler. I used them to build my 28xx
mickoo
Western Thunderer
This one oddly isn't, nor is it hollow, it's filled with a balsa wood core which I could dig out but the resultant space is not going to get a lot of weight in.
The last engine I did for this client was 2Kg, that wasn't enough, it needs to be 3Kg and I'm not going to get that in a resin block.
I try not to put any DCC in the tender, as you say you end up with a birds nest of wires and some means of disconnecting to ease handling, maintenance etc. Speaker in the tender is very layout centric, if you model a depot than yes it's odd, if you have 40' x 20' layout then once it's a few feet away it's academic and once it's 30' away it's near silent.
I had bad medicine with the WS County boiler and firebox etches, woefully incorrect, they went in the bin and I made a new one, a baptism of fire for my first commercial build so I'm used to this path of stony pain.
The last engine I did for this client was 2Kg, that wasn't enough, it needs to be 3Kg and I'm not going to get that in a resin block.
I try not to put any DCC in the tender, as you say you end up with a birds nest of wires and some means of disconnecting to ease handling, maintenance etc. Speaker in the tender is very layout centric, if you model a depot than yes it's odd, if you have 40' x 20' layout then once it's a few feet away it's academic and once it's 30' away it's near silent.
I had bad medicine with the WS County boiler and firebox etches, woefully incorrect, they went in the bin and I made a new one, a baptism of fire for my first commercial build so I'm used to this path of stony pain.
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
A solution for blackening stainless steelSolved the buffer heads, just made some new ones that will blacken
View attachment 244510
Is to heat it to red heat with a flame. It will blacken on cooling. I use it as technique when making valve gear that I don’t want to take soft solder, but may well have already used silver solder on the component.
Tim
warren haywood
Western Thunderer
It’s also textured so difficult to get the paint perfectly smooth, unlike brass, nickel silver which is a doddle.
simond
Western Thunderer
Don’t hold your breath but it’ll likely come your way at some point…
mickoo
Western Thunderer
Yeah this one is pretty bad, sort of a built in orange peel effect and that’s before a witness coat so I’m sure it’ll look pretty grim. It’ll take as long to prep for paint as it will making a new one I reckon; in fact I don’t even think it’d get good enough without loosing some detail.
Smoke boxes you can get away with (as resin or 3D) if you flatten them but the boiler and firebox will look dreadful. I’d only use (by choice) resin or 3D for those parts if the model is going to be toned down or weathered where little or no shine is required.
Having said that, some people seem to view objects/shapes differently and are quite happy, it’s one of the things learned doing commercial work, people have all sorts of varied expectations and criteria’s.
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paulc
Western Thunderer
Hi Mickoo ( is it Mick ? ) I've had some buffers like that recently and on the off chance i tried some rust convertor on them . It worked a treat on most but one just poked its tounge out and said nah so i painted it , that'll teach it . I win .The client asked for some final RTP (Ready To Play) studio shots before wrapping up for delivery, it seemed rude not to share
For the life of me the tender buffers will not blacken, wash, scrub, rough up just sit there gleaming at me, no idea what material it is so might swap them out for some I can blacken before hand over.
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View attachment 244497
View attachment 244498
View attachment 244499
The others will probably disintegrate in a few years .