7mm On Heather's Workbench - Prairie ago-go
- Thread starter Heather Kay
- Start date
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Heather Kay, the only person I know, with two pairs (at least) of hands...….
Unless you've borrowed one of dearly beloved's..... ?
Ha! Didn’t I tell everyone I had an extra pair of arms grafted on over Christmas?
(Sadly, just a prosaic iPad cover that props the thing at an angle and a timer on the camera app.)
Last edited:
adrian
Flying Squad
Hi thanks for that summary - in this instance my milage does vary. I must have a softer cutting mat as I find the etched components can distort a bit. Although it's usually the 2mmFS etches which are often paper thin anyway. I just use a bit of scrap etch underneath when cutting out with the scalpel.
Paul Cheffings
Active Member
Hi
I use one of these when cutting out parts from the etch using a scalpel
The Small Shop SMS015 Photo Etch Cut-Off Set Standard | Scale Model Shop
Basically its a piece of acrylic sheet which once covered in knife cuts can be replaced. I am still on the first side of mine and you get a pair in the set. The other parts do prevent small items from disappearing into the air / carpet only to be found when you've made a replacement or the item is complete.
Cheers
Paul
I use one of these when cutting out parts from the etch using a scalpel
The Small Shop SMS015 Photo Etch Cut-Off Set Standard | Scale Model Shop
Basically its a piece of acrylic sheet which once covered in knife cuts can be replaced. I am still on the first side of mine and you get a pair in the set. The other parts do prevent small items from disappearing into the air / carpet only to be found when you've made a replacement or the item is complete.
Cheers
Paul
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Did I mention I hate having to drill out castings? The game today has been to try and make the super detail kit brass castings work with etched parts not designed to take them, plus allow a tube for the piston rod to fit.
Most of the plugs on the backs of the castings have had to be removed, and carefully drilled to allow the tube to sit slightly proud of the cylinder block etch. The left hand cylinder is fitted now, and I need to do the right hand one. You can absolutely guarantee the bits will fall off again when I try to attach the wrappers!
Now the castings are in place, the etched slide bars don’t reach the front of the block. Rather than modify the bars, I shall add scrap etch supports to hold the front ends up. The bars can always be shortened on the outer end later, though the actual difference in length is only about a millimetre.
It’s all a bit of a faff, and I’ll be glad when it’s done.
jonte
Western Thunderer
I love it when a thread wanders off course!
For what it’s worth, and basically reiterating what the others have said, I use different tools depending on the job. Here’s my current armoury:
View attachment 117831
I, perhaps heretically, will say that I find the Xuron snips singularly hopeless. Unless used with extreme care, more often than not the cut will fail, with the component flipping up and between the blades. I tend to avoid them when I can. The end cutters are used to snip back long tags on thicker etch material, once extricated from the fret, where other snips can’t get to it without bending or distorting the material.
View attachment 117832
This is a pretty standard brass etch fret from our own David J Parkins. It comes from his Flightpath range of 1/72nd scale vehicle kits. This one will, one day, when I think my eyesight can stand it, be a Humber general service truck. With the parts economically and tightly packed on the fret, the safest option is a reasonably new No10 blade which can be rocked across the tag, close to the required component's edge, to break through the very thin material. If necessary, tags can be carefully trimmed back with the Fiskars scissors once the part is free.
View attachment 117833
I'm not sure what they make their blades from, but this pair of Fiskars scissors has been through about five brass and nickel-silver kits and are still keen. In this case, I’m using them to free the component from the etch, snipping away from the part as there is a healthy gap to get the scissors into. Sometimes, it’s necessary to attack - as Mick said - from outside the fret and cut through the supporting material before you can free the part you want. On hefty etches, that’s where the Draper snips come in. If the tags are thin enough, the Stanley knife will do the job well enough.
I find the standard self-healing cutting mat good enough to use knives and scalpels against when cutting parts out. Your mileage may vary, of course.
View attachment 117834
Here, I’m using the Fiskars again, this time aligning the blades with the edge of the part to trim back the remains of the tag. On this thick etch material, I’ll finish with a file, as there’s also a nice cusp to be dealt with. Small scissors like this can’t always deal with tags in awkward places, such as concave edges. In such case, if a knife can’t deal with it, I have to find a way to support the part and carefully file the tag away. The short length of the Fiskars blades also cause problems with leverage, where it isn’t always possible to snip off something using the extreme end. My generally weak and feeble fingers and thumbs don’t help there, either.
I hope that’s of interest. Like many of us, I’ve picked up tools and techniques as I’ve developed skills with kit building. Every modeller has techniques they like to use, and those above are just mine. I never profess to being an expert.
It’s very kind of you, Heather, to go to all this trouble on my behalf and for sharing your trade secrets.
I’m hoping to put it all to good use in the near future, and in the meantime, I can begin adding to that meagre tool set I’ve been gathering
My sincerest thanks once again, Heather.
Best wishes,
Jonte
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
No problem, Jonte. It’s one of the nice things about WT, that members are happy to share and learn from each other.
A classic lash-up, with cocktail sticks to hold the crossheads to the conn rods and no slidebars! Yet, it proves the point that once properly set up this will run as expected. I won’t say "well" just yet, because we all know what I’m capable of!
I spent some time making scrap etch shims to ensure the cylinder block is a good tight fit without any chance of moving about. The next job will be to fit the slidebars, work out the location of and fit the motion bracket support, and the lower motion brackets. Before that, I think it might be prudent to begin construction of the upper works so the top half of the motion bracket can be aligned with the lower part.
It's taken a while to get here, but it feels like progress.
A classic lash-up, with cocktail sticks to hold the crossheads to the conn rods and no slidebars! Yet, it proves the point that once properly set up this will run as expected. I won’t say "well" just yet, because we all know what I’m capable of!
I spent some time making scrap etch shims to ensure the cylinder block is a good tight fit without any chance of moving about. The next job will be to fit the slidebars, work out the location of and fit the motion bracket support, and the lower motion brackets. Before that, I think it might be prudent to begin construction of the upper works so the top half of the motion bracket can be aligned with the lower part.
It's taken a while to get here, but it feels like progress.
Phil O
Western Thunderer
I love it when a thread wanders off course!
For what it’s worth, and basically reiterating what the others have said, I use different tools depending on the job. Here’s my current armoury:
View attachment 117831
I, perhaps heretically, will say that I find the Xuron snips singularly hopeless. Unless used with extreme care, more often than not the cut will fail, with the component flipping up and between the blades. I tend to avoid them when I can. The end cutters are used to snip back long tags on thicker etch material, once extricated from the fret, where other snips can’t get to it without bending or distorting the material.
View attachment 117832
This is a pretty standard brass etch fret from our own David J Parkins. It comes from his Flightpath range of 1/72nd scale vehicle kits. This one will, one day, when I think my eyesight can stand it, be a Humber general service truck. With the parts economically and tightly packed on the fret, the safest option is a reasonably new No10 blade which can be rocked across the tag, close to the required component's edge, to break through the very thin material. If necessary, tags can be carefully trimmed back with the Fiskars scissors once the part is free.
View attachment 117833
I'm not sure what they make their blades from, but this pair of Fiskars scissors has been through about five brass and nickel-silver kits and are still keen. In this case, I’m using them to free the component from the etch, snipping away from the part as there is a healthy gap to get the scissors into. Sometimes, it’s necessary to attack - as Mick said - from outside the fret and cut through the supporting material before you can free the part you want. On hefty etches, that’s where the Draper snips come in. If the tags are thin enough, the Stanley knife will do the job well enough.
I find the standard self-healing cutting mat good enough to use knives and scalpels against when cutting parts out. Your mileage may vary, of course.
View attachment 117834
Here, I’m using the Fiskars again, this time aligning the blades with the edge of the part to trim back the remains of the tag. On this thick etch material, I’ll finish with a file, as there’s also a nice cusp to be dealt with. Small scissors like this can’t always deal with tags in awkward places, such as concave edges. In such case, if a knife can’t deal with it, I have to find a way to support the part and carefully file the tag away. The short length of the Fiskars blades also cause problems with leverage, where it isn’t always possible to snip off something using the extreme end. My generally weak and feeble fingers and thumbs don’t help there, either.
I hope that’s of interest. Like many of us, I’ve picked up tools and techniques as I’ve developed skills with kit building. Every modeller has techniques they like to use, and those above are just mine. I never profess to being an expert.
Sorry, I'm a bit late to this party, but can I add that if it's possible I use a fine tooth razor saw to cut as many tabs as I can, it makes cleaning up quite a bit easier and no distortion if the piece being removed is held firmly on a flat surface.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
It seems my mojo has decided to take up residence for a bit, so some actual progress made today. It won’t last.
I concentrated on getting the slidebars, steam and valve chest covers, pressure relief valves, cylinder wrappers and draincocks installed.
I think that’s looking okay to me. I think it may be prudent to start work on the running plate level next to ensure I get the motion brackets in the right places.
I know there’s some linkage to go with the draincocks, but I think I might just decide to leave it out. I might decide to add something, but sometimes there are limits.
The client has said I can choose any number I like for this loco, and it might be quite amusing to choose 4567. The model, however, is pretty much going to be based on 4555 as I have tons of good detail images of it in preservation. I feel I ought to point out I’m not aiming to make a truly accurate model of the loco in the mid-1930s, knowing some locos never received the outside steam pipes at all, and I currently can’t show whether 4567 was one of those at the time. It will be representative of the class as a whole as they pretty much ended up before the war. I think I can leave the ATC gear off, though.
I concentrated on getting the slidebars, steam and valve chest covers, pressure relief valves, cylinder wrappers and draincocks installed.
I think that’s looking okay to me. I think it may be prudent to start work on the running plate level next to ensure I get the motion brackets in the right places.
I know there’s some linkage to go with the draincocks, but I think I might just decide to leave it out. I might decide to add something, but sometimes there are limits.
The client has said I can choose any number I like for this loco, and it might be quite amusing to choose 4567. The model, however, is pretty much going to be based on 4555 as I have tons of good detail images of it in preservation. I feel I ought to point out I’m not aiming to make a truly accurate model of the loco in the mid-1930s, knowing some locos never received the outside steam pipes at all, and I currently can’t show whether 4567 was one of those at the time. It will be representative of the class as a whole as they pretty much ended up before the war. I think I can leave the ATC gear off, though.
DrIain
Member
Hobbyhorse
Western Thunderer
Coming along nicely Heather,
One thing I've done with that type of compensation is to run the axle in a tube as well, as one of my clients has a large layout with considerable runs, and we found that over time the tube that rested on the axle would wear way. Also it has less drag on the axle.
Simon
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
I have considered sleeving the axles. I might still do it, though I don’t think the loco will do extensive runs.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Tim, thanks for that. I shall now make a huge assumption.
If 4567 was built with outside steam pipes, it was also probably built with the curved running plate front drop.
Accurate guess? Will anyone notice if I’m wrong?
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Thanks Simon!
Belatedly, I’m checking over sketch drawings and notes on the 4500 and 4575 classes in Russell’s books. That confirms lengthened frames, narrow hanging bar with a kink out just behind motion brackets, curved drop frame and outside steam pipes.
My plan for today is to make up the running plate area to help me locate the motion brackets on the chassis. If I get further, it will all be a bonus.
Belatedly, I’m checking over sketch drawings and notes on the 4500 and 4575 classes in Russell’s books. That confirms lengthened frames, narrow hanging bar with a kink out just behind motion brackets, curved drop frame and outside steam pipes.
My plan for today is to make up the running plate area to help me locate the motion brackets on the chassis. If I get further, it will all be a bonus.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
Some progress.
The essential running plate parts have been brought together. I’ve even managed to form the curved front plate without major tantrums. It’s now become obvious that I fitted the rear frame spacer base about apex. However, I am leaving it like that as the proper way round causes problems fitting a coupling hook. I’ll add some scrap etch to reinforce the area for the fixing bolt in the bunker, and drill a new hole for it later.
Another issue arises in that the front drivers clout the running plate. The area is behind the motion bracket, and mostly hidden in front of the tanks, so I’ll grind a slot out to clear the flanges.
Onwards!
The essential running plate parts have been brought together. I’ve even managed to form the curved front plate without major tantrums. It’s now become obvious that I fitted the rear frame spacer base about apex. However, I am leaving it like that as the proper way round causes problems fitting a coupling hook. I’ll add some scrap etch to reinforce the area for the fixing bolt in the bunker, and drill a new hole for it later.
Another issue arises in that the front drivers clout the running plate. The area is behind the motion bracket, and mostly hidden in front of the tanks, so I’ll grind a slot out to clear the flanges.
Onwards!