7mm At the Western End of F7

[SimonT]

I have been pecking away at the 8750 and realised that a lot of work has passed without comment. I have just started final cleaning up of the upper bits so I will try to describe the changes made since I last posted. So, firstly.... The main changes from the kit design have been replacing the white metal feed pipes with copper wire and then acquiring bits of pieces to allow me to replicate the desired loco. Luckily all the bits were available from either Hobby Horse or LG. So the differences are clip lid tank fillers, a different pattern of injector where the water valve is immediately under the tank, moving the spare lamp irons to alongside the fireman's side injector. I also opted to fit the Hobby Horse brass chimney.

Below the footplate I have fitted the correct plate work for the brake hangers. The brakes are printed and include the correct mounting bracket at the top. This slides over the normal mounting pins and butts up against the plate. Crossbars are micro tube with 14BA studding soldered in so that everything can be held together with 14BA nuts. These appear to be the correct scale size! I am holding on pick ups to see how Ian's design are put together so that I can fit a set as I know his locos run beautifully.

Since I took the photo the loco has had a coat of Halfords etch primer and then a coat of conventional filler primer. Now to break out the Christmas pressie airbush to make with dirty black.

Simon

 

[Scale7JB]

Like the work on the injector overflow pipe, makes all the difference.

JB.

 

[markjj]

Did I sell you that kit Simon ?

 

[SimonT]

Mark,
me memory (for what little it is worth) is that I collected it from Laurie at Telford in 2014. I did buy a 72XX from you!
Simon

 

[markjj]

Ah I know I sold one to someone on here... I'm impressed with what you have done with yours it's a shame JLTRT did it with a resin cab it really doesn't work right...

 

[daifly]

Ah I know I sold one to someone on here...

Mark. 'twas me wot bought the 8750 with S7 wheels from you. I'm still awaiting delivery of copious quantities of time, skill and confidence before I start it! I'm enjoying the several builds documented here and over there. Mine will be 3641 and numberplates have just been ordered so I creep ever closer to starting.
Dave

 

[SimonT]

so I creep ever closer to starting.

In that case, I'm looking forward to your build thread!
Simon

 

[markjj]

Mark. 'twas me wot bought the 8750 with S7 wheels from you. I'm still awaiting delivery of copious quantities of time, skill and confidence before I start it! I'm enjoying the several builds documented here and over there. Mine will be 3641 and numberplates have just been ordered so I creep ever closer to starting.
Dave

Ahhh the penny drops now I hope you are going to do an online build as well then Dave... It's nice to see there final destiny... I'm awaiting delivery of a few nice kits from MOK next week hopefully if I can pluck up the courage I may stick some of my results on here eventually... It's high time I got stuck into some modelling again...

 

[SimonT]

I have been prompted by Mr Grumpy to post some photos of my build of the MOK BR1G tender for the 9F. Only Iphone snaps I'm afraid as modelling time is limited and setting up for Gucci photo's is not something I want to spend time on at the moment. This will change soon, as you will find out!



It is off the chassis at the moment as the bosses on the wheels need to be reduced so that they don't foul the inside frames with S7 axles.


The ladder is still to do. My only comment is that soldering things onto the front face and the tank back would have been an awful lot easier in the flat. Built as per the instructions leaves the left hand/belly to support the tender, the right hand to hold the iron but then what is left to hold the small casting on with? The two part GW lamp irons are a pain to do down by the footplate and I am going to look at putting LG's cast irons on instead. I need to clean off the solder where I tried.
The WM tank sides were soldered on with 70 degree solder and the iron tip set to 380 degrees. All went well and I did all the filling except the tank to coal space joint with solder. It's a bit like leading an old car wing, the tip doesn't touch, only the solder does. The tank to coal space joint was left as I couldn't generate a suitable angle with the tip. Some Sqn putty has gone in there and the colour is causing the unsightly join. All cleaned up with scrappers and abrasive sticks.

My only probelm is that one of the 10BA nuts that holds the drawbar assembly in place has dropped off after assembly. It was secure when I tested it. It is now totally inaccessable so I am considering my options...

I also need to solve the problem of the pipe/hand rail that runs from the outer tank top into the coal space just behind the front bulkhead. (I suspect a pipe feeding the coal sprinkler). It follows the line of the bulkhead. The problem is that there are four photos that pair up time wise quite nicely. One shows the pipe on the right and one shows it on the left, the paired photo showing nothing on the other side! As 92002 had the same tender troughout... In the end I will have to go with the later photo to give the condition in 1963. Unless someone knows better!
Simon

 

[Mr Grumpy]

That looks lovely Simon ....if its appropriate to call a tender lovely
I hope I can get mine to such a high standard. Thanks for the heads up on the bits to look out for....page bookmarked
Just drooling in anticipation of seeing your 9f......

 

[Heather Kay]

My only comment is that soldering things onto the front face and the tank back would have been an awful lot easier in the flat. Built as per the instructions leaves the left hand/belly to support the tender, the right hand to hold the iron but then what is left to hold the small casting on with?

RSU. The end of the probe is often sufficient to hold a casting or piece of etch in place, along with a dab of solder paste. It's a technique I use to fit lamp brackets to the ends of brass coaches.

 

[SimonT]

The problem is not everyone has access to an RSU. I have one but the old Andrew Field hand set is dying and the new London Road hand set doesn't grip the rods from Eileens; hence I don't have access. Years ago I built a Finney Hall using nothing but the Exactoscale RSU. Very clean and tidy
Simon

 

[Heather Kay]

Yes, that is the downside. I have a unit Best Beloved built as a home-brew setup a few years back.

 

[Dave Bowden]

The problem is not everyone has access to an RSU. I have one but the old Andrew Field hand set is dying and the new London Road hand set doesn't grip the rods from Eileens; hence I don't have access. Years ago I built a Finney Hall using nothing but the Exactoscale RSU. Very clean and tidy
Simon

Hi Simon
I have a Andrew Field RSU as well, I managed to get him some of the carbon rods so he let me have one of his at a good discount. His original probe was made from wood and the carbon rods for his collect are now not available. I also bought one of the LR probes as the rods for theirs you can get.

Dave

 

[SimonT]

The Andrew Field handpeice is on it's second handle, this time a piece of tufnell rod that has been heated a bit too often and is now falling apart. At least his collet can accept a range of different sized rods, such as those from Eileens. Maybe I need to buy some more tufenll rod.
Simon

 

[SimonT]

One of the jobs that has been keeping me out of the pub recently is a test build that has come my way. We were lucky enough to obtain an unbuilt GWR Hall kit as we need to obtain build photos for the instructions. We also want to take a look at how, or what, we can improve in a kit that dates from 1991. Yup it's as old as my daughter but thankfully doesn't make as much noise.

The spec is for a standard finescale build straight out of the box. Producing photos of a model that is as clean and shiney as those of Dikitiri and Mickoo will not feature as the kit is twenty five years old and is covered in half an inch of corosion. Cleaning it and keeping it clean is a lengthy and boring task. So here is the boiler as rolled by the previous owner and covered in grunge.


Yup, it really is brass. This may will need to be unrolled to clean and to try to obtain a better edge at the join.

Anyway work started with the coupling rods. A straight forward task. My chosen engine is Albert Hall which was a knuckle forward engine - for those who don't know, the Halls came out with rods with the knuckle towards the leading wheel which was a maintenance pain as the connecting rods covered up the oil way. Later some of the rods were made with the knuckle towards the rear. Even though these were fitted it doesn't mean that the loco kept them, so photos of the loco at the time of your model are very necessary to get this detail right.


Work has continued with the bogie. This is now finished.

This is a photo that I intend to redo as the depth of field and focus is pants. Learning this type of photography is a rather steep leaning curve. I find that the digital view finders are far poorer than the old optical systems at accurate focus; my OM-2 was fantastic. the Nikon D-50 that repaced it is hopeless and it's replacement, a Sony DSC-HX400V isn't much better.

The model will be a Donny in a more advanced stage than shown here.

Simon

 

[adrian]

This may will need to be unrolled to clean and to try to obtain a better edge at the join

To be honest in my experience, albeit limited, unrolling brass is rarely successful. I would try using a length of hardwood (broom handle) for support and then rub along the joint with a rawhide mallet to try and straighten up the joint. Once soldered up it should make it stiffer for cleaning.

 

[Ian@StEnochs]

This may will need to be unrolled to clean and to try to obtain a better edge at the join.

Simon

Simon,

My solution for your problem would be to use a piece of milled Tee brass, about 2-3 mm leg top 1-2mm, soldered inside at the joint with the leg sticking out. The leg holds the strip rigid and gives you a visible edge to work to.
Check if the tube rolls to the correct diameter by trying the end formers in. If it does you need to remove a little metal from the edges to leave space for the Tee. A big file makes short work of the .5 mm or so. If not, some kits are a bit iffy in this area, then the strip will bridge the gap. Now tin the inside legs of the Tee and the boiler edges.
You need a support for your Tee piece, I have a bit of 3/4" dowel supported between two vee blocks but holding in the vice is fine, solder one edge pressing down to get the edge snug and flat against the Tee. Repeat for the second side, it helps to use a bit of binding wire to keep it tight and a bit of wood with a slot to fit over the leg of the Tee makes a good presser and saves burnt fingers.
When happy it us a simple matter to cut off the surplus leg with a saw or file. Finish off with a rub of emery cloth and the joint will be virtually invisible.
I use this method on all my boilers, it is easier to locate than a flat lap piece. It also give a much better joint than just relying on a butt joint in thin plate.

Ian.

 

[SimonT]

Adrain & Ian,
thanks for your suggestions. Obviously unrolling to clean is the last option. A rawhide mallet has long been one of those tools that should be added to the collection, so I might look for one.
As tinning the inside of the rolled boiler will be a bit diff geometrically, I might use the RSU and paste to solder the T piece into place. First I will look at using the Martin Finney designed joining plate which incorporates the cladding clamps. However, before that I need to make a rubbing strip from dowel and emery sheet to clean the inner face.
Simon

 

[simond]

Simon,

Some aggressive flux (Powerflow?) and the little blowlamp will make short work of the tinning on the inside of the wrapper. Won't hurt to give it a dose of the emery-cloth-covered broom handle first. A good scrub with an old toothbrush and some Shiny Sinks & hot water will get rid of the flux residue after tinning, best to prevent it getting trapped in the joint.

A less aggressive / non corroding flux (citric acid?) & the RSU sounds like the way to go with the tee, which strikes me as a most excellent idea.

Best
Simon