7mm A Tiger of a Tank

farnetti

farnetti

Western Thunderer
Todays efforts include fitting the buffers with the lovely OLEO etchings, and sprung as per Simon Varnams' website.

Screw couplings added, I know they are not the correct ones (unless somebody tells me otherwise) but all I had to hand and will change them later.

The vacuum pipe is temporarily in place but needs to be tweaked slightly to lay flat.
DSCN1047.JPG
DSCN1046.JPG


The wheels have been blackened (although in the photo it doesn't look like it) but not very happy with the results. Perhaps someone can help. As they were already in place I used a cotton bud to clean them with Meths, then another cotton bud to soak them with Birchwood Casey gun blue and finally buffed with brass wheel in the Dremel.

But the gun blue didn't stick to all of the metal evenly and in areas not at all. Re-applied the gun blue and buffing but after the subsequent soldering session and cleaning in warm, soapy water the treated surface has taken on a rough, slightly green surface.

I bought some re-profiled wheels from Christopher Makepeace some years ago and they were beautifully blackened. Maybe I need to blacken them in a bath rather than cotton buds. Any help much appreciated.

Ken
 
alcazar

alcazar

Guest
Somewhere on here there has been a long discussion on blackening, the rights and wrongs.
Someone with a better memory than me will be able to point you at it.
 
Simon

Simon

Flying Squad
I'm guessing "less is more" with the Birchwood Casey is the answer.

As previously discussed, it wants to be applied sparingly and left on for the short time suggested in the instructions before being rinsed off.

Nice looking wagon, at first sight I thought this thread was going to be about Teutonic military hardware!

Simon
 
TheSnapper

TheSnapper

Western Thunderer
For what it's worth, here's my method:

I first clean the item or items with Isopropyl Alcohol using cotton-buds, brushes, or shaking them in a jar of the stuff, depending on what they are.
I then immerse the clean item or items to be treated in a jar containing some Carr's Surface Conditioner and give it a shake or two to make sure everything is covered.
Next I transfer to a jar of clean water, and shake that to ensure items are fully rinsed.
Finally, I pop them into another jar containing diluted Blackener up to 100:1 (water:agent) - yes, that's one-hundred- to-one - shake them about & leave overnight.
Remove & dry on kitchen paper or similar, and buff if required

Works for me, and being an ex-Yorkshireman, saves money!

ATB

Tim
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
For what it's worth, my technique is as follows:

- Clean the item to be blackened. What I usually do is buff it with a steel wire brush, or scratch brush if it's small, to get the worst of any surface corrosion.

- Use an old paintbrush or cotton bud to liberally paint the blackening fluid on.

- Wait for as long as you think it needs to go black; for steel this takes only a few seconds, longer for brass and nickel silver.

- Set it aside to dry.

- Use a cloth or brass whizzydisc wheel to clean the surface residues off and buff to a shine if you like.

For Slater's wheels, a swift going over with some kind of abrasive brush is usually sufficient, followed by the fluid. Sometimes, it might need a second dose, but I always buff with the wire brush first. I rarely clean off the fluid, allowing to it dry before cleaning up things like treads of tyres.

It works for me. It's basically the technique outline by Martyn Welch. I sometimes wonder whether we overthink these things. ;)
 
TheSnapper

TheSnapper

Western Thunderer
Ken

No matter what method you adopt, I think the principle to aim for is get the item as CLEAN & grease-free as possible, before you apply the Blackening Agent - just as you would do if soldering it!

Tim
 
Heather Kay

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
TheSnapper said:
No matter what method you adopt, I think the principle to aim for is get the item as CLEAN & grease-free as possible, before you apply the Blackening Agent - just as you would do if soldering it!
Click to expand...


I think that's the key. I can certainly tell things need better cleaning if the chemical doesn't "take" to the surface.
 
farnetti

farnetti

Western Thunderer
Thank you everyone. I will use the methods suggested in future and certainly before any construction.

It all seems pretty obvious really to anyone with half a brain - oh, maybe that's my problem.

Ken
 
alcazar

alcazar

Guest
Perhaps cleaning the treads with something like the scotchbrite mop might be the answer? Start with that, degrease, acidip, dry, blacken, rinse, buff....

More to it than I thought.
 
farnetti

farnetti

Western Thunderer
Been a while due house purchase and wife going on holiday with friends AND the camera. These photos were shot this evening without the benefit of daylight from the rear so Simon Varnams are a better bet at this stage (although his lack the used toothbrush).

All of the brake gear has not been fitted apart from the safety loops under the axles (ran out of wire after making 7 of the 8, more from Eileens Emporium arriving tomorrow) and the 5 rubber vacuum hoses which will be fitted after painting.
DSCN1096.JPGDSCN1097.JPGDSCN1098.JPGDSCN1099.JPG

The next part of construct is fitting the tank to the body and the discharge pipe. The instructions suggest for extra details a chain can be added between the caps and the chassis. I have been looking for very, very fine chain for this and perhaps the buffer things on the MK1 coaches when I came across this site http://www.builders-in-scale.com/index.html. They have 40 links per inch chain in brass or blackened (and some useful figures presumably 1/48). Has anyone tried them?

Steadyred, saw your thread and if I can be of help, especially in how not to do things, let me know.

Ken
 
M

markjj

Western Thunderer
iak63 said:
Very impressive beastie.
These MMP kits are so tempting.... :confused:
I must resist!
I must resist!
I must resist!
I must resist!
I must resist!
Click to expand...

Don't resist go with the flow you know you want to and you know it makes sense
You sure won't regret your purchase
 
SteadyRed

SteadyRed

Western Thunderer
IAK63 don't resist.

MMP kits, go together as they should, loads of detail, reasonably priced & the service from David Parkin is excellent.

Don't be put off, follow the instructions & you cannot go far wrong. My only issue is the small size of some of the components, but a magnifying lamp sorted those.

Have said that I have not tackled a coach or a main line loco yet!

Dave
 
iak63

iak63

Western Thunderer
Oh dear....
Wibble! :confused:

Mind, did I hear that some under-gubbins for the Slaters BR van kits were in the offing frae MMP?
Now that would be a place to start...
Well maybe :))
 
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