Finescale - of a sort?!
- Thread starter Peter Insole
- Start date
Clarence3815
Western Thunderer
Best wishes from a little further east than Simon.
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you everyone for your kind thoughts and messages. I really appreciate having such good friends.
I will admit that today has been a particularly c****y one. My nearest and dearest probably thought so too, and went out bubbling for quite a long time. Dinner was therefore rather later than usual, but at least by the time it was ready a nice cosy fire had got going in the parlour grate.
Just as we, Deb, son and self, were half way through our meal, there came a rap, tapping on the door:
"Who could that be?... I'm not expecting a parcel" said my wife. She then turned to my son and queried;
"You're not expecting a parcel, are you?"
Son, mid mastication, paused and considered for a few moments before finally swallowing and then answering;
"Mmmmm, errrrrrrrrrrr.... No, don't think so!"
They both then looked at me.
"Mine's not 'due till Thursday... But meanwhile, some poor sod is still standing out there in the pouring rain!" I replied.
I got to the door just in time to see a shadowy, retreating figure in a high-vis jacket heading in the soggy gloom toward a small van with a roof rack and ladders atop.
"Uh-oh" I thought, "What now...?"
The chap turned and pointed with a finger at my feet:
"It's darn there" he called out, and off he went!
He had indeed left a small and oddly misshapen bundle that was labelled and wound in what appeared to be several yards worth of clingfilm and heavy-duty plastic tape. As soon as I picked it up and felt it's notable weight, I realised that it was an early surprise for me.
"Ah-hah!"
At last, there is now enough material in there for an injector, plus manifold live steam cock and boiler clack valve, gauge glass top and bottom nuts with try and isolating lever cocks, steam brake valve body and pipe unions, regulator quadrant plate and packing gland cover, a pair of cylinder lubricator pots as well as one or two other fittings such as pipe flanges or any unusually long nuts that may be required.
I nearly forgot a whistle in that list too!
If that were not enough of a sweetener for this evening, my good lady then placed another package on the table in front of me:
I know I don't deserve it, but surely, can life get much better than this?!
Pete.
I will admit that today has been a particularly c****y one. My nearest and dearest probably thought so too, and went out bubbling for quite a long time. Dinner was therefore rather later than usual, but at least by the time it was ready a nice cosy fire had got going in the parlour grate.
Just as we, Deb, son and self, were half way through our meal, there came a rap, tapping on the door:
"Who could that be?... I'm not expecting a parcel" said my wife. She then turned to my son and queried;
"You're not expecting a parcel, are you?"
Son, mid mastication, paused and considered for a few moments before finally swallowing and then answering;
"Mmmmm, errrrrrrrrrrr.... No, don't think so!"
They both then looked at me.
"Mine's not 'due till Thursday... But meanwhile, some poor sod is still standing out there in the pouring rain!" I replied.
I got to the door just in time to see a shadowy, retreating figure in a high-vis jacket heading in the soggy gloom toward a small van with a roof rack and ladders atop.
"Uh-oh" I thought, "What now...?"
The chap turned and pointed with a finger at my feet:
"It's darn there" he called out, and off he went!
He had indeed left a small and oddly misshapen bundle that was labelled and wound in what appeared to be several yards worth of clingfilm and heavy-duty plastic tape. As soon as I picked it up and felt it's notable weight, I realised that it was an early surprise for me.
"Ah-hah!"
At last, there is now enough material in there for an injector, plus manifold live steam cock and boiler clack valve, gauge glass top and bottom nuts with try and isolating lever cocks, steam brake valve body and pipe unions, regulator quadrant plate and packing gland cover, a pair of cylinder lubricator pots as well as one or two other fittings such as pipe flanges or any unusually long nuts that may be required.
I nearly forgot a whistle in that list too!
If that were not enough of a sweetener for this evening, my good lady then placed another package on the table in front of me:
I know I don't deserve it, but surely, can life get much better than this?!
Pete.
Tom Insole
Western Thunderer
I'd say that's a pretty sweet little delivery from all suppliers! It's got to be some of the best gifts. I'd say you do deserve both, Call it caring.
You're loved more than you think you know
It's nice to see a little post, I do hope things are starting to feel a bit better your end.
I'll be eagerly awaiting to see some of the amazing things you'll make out of those bits. Some of it I wish I could come watch being made, as training to do some of the bits I'd love to do on my current little project but don't have the access to play with the big toys I'd need to do myself. I know I can ask favours of colleagues but sometimes it's so much more rewarding doing it yourself.
I'll probably be following suit at some point ordering myself a few offcuts like that to have some bushes, window frames, wheels, pins and axles.
By the time I get the chance to come see your handy work in person I'll hopefully have something more to show on mine too.
until then we're sending virtual hugs.
Speak soon
You're loved more than you think you know
It's nice to see a little post, I do hope things are starting to feel a bit better your end. I'll be eagerly awaiting to see some of the amazing things you'll make out of those bits. Some of it I wish I could come watch being made, as training to do some of the bits I'd love to do on my current little project but don't have the access to play with the big toys I'd need to do myself. I know I can ask favours of colleagues but sometimes it's so much more rewarding doing it yourself.
I'll probably be following suit at some point ordering myself a few offcuts like that to have some bushes, window frames, wheels, pins and axles.
By the time I get the chance to come see your handy work in person I'll hopefully have something more to show on mine too.
until then we're sending virtual hugs.
Speak soon
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thanks Tom!
We will get there hopefully, if rather slowly, slowly!
Sew nuthink niew thoo as oive olers bin 'r ol' 'odmidod int oi ?!
(That's a common or garden mollusc within the Suffolk borders folks!)
Pete.
We will get there hopefully, if rather slowly, slowly!
Sew nuthink niew thoo as oive olers bin 'r ol' 'odmidod int oi ?!
(That's a common or garden mollusc within the Suffolk borders folks!)
Pete.
BrushType4
Western Thunderer
Glad you're back Pete. 
Tom Insole
Western Thunderer
I’ll be trying to say that one for hours to get my head round it, readin’ n writing ain’t my strongest strength
Maybe we’ll have to set up a little video update for a show and tell session some time soon!
InvernessTMD
Western Thunderer
I’ll be trying to say that one for hours to get my head round it, readin’ n writing ain’t my strongest strength
So nothing new as I've always been a bit slow haven't I? Almost 7 years in Suffolk just to be able to translate that
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Two apologies are due for this post: Firstly, to any genuine natives who might have been offended by my cheeky attempt at phonetics, especially as I am not myself indigenous! Secondly, to all and every engineer amongst you who may be left aghast, or even perhaps reduced to tears by what is to follow?
While I should be concentrating on the much more important task of dealing with some troubling health issues, I just could not resist the lure of "twinkly stuff"! Having rummaged out and added all the remaining oddments of brass section in stock to the previously mentioned order, the collection was surely doing no more than wasting space on the table top?!
Now it is true that I have done a little bit of metal wrangling and soldering in the past, albeit on a much smaller scale. On those occasions I feel I was able to get away with doing the jobs pretty much "by eye" and with no tools other than a handful of needle files, a pillar drill, and a bucket load of sheer determination!
Oh fool that I am:
How hard could a touch of upscaling really be then...?
Starting out with a small, fairly course rat's-tail, I roughly filed off each of the angles, then continued by shaping the curve down to size in the drill press while carefully applying a fine round file to the spinning piece.
Yet more hard graunching and then whittling away, with frequent stops to measure, I (eventually) ended up with this:
After cutting this one free, the exercise then had to be repeated for a matching pair! They were not visually perfect I know, but both turned out to be a sufficiently tight, interference fit in the holes that were drilled in the next part.
The slightly larger bar seemed to be an awful lot harder to work than the hex, with the files almost bouncing off rather than biting in?
Mind you, I had three of those jolly valve bodies to do, so my arms were probably getting rather tired by then!
The final sections for that session were something of a breeze by comparison, as apart from whizzing a little rebate around each end, the rest was just a case of juggling in the drill press.
The last task that evening down in the dungeon workshop, before breaking out the flux and solder, was to align and bish-bash the valve body parts together into two matching lumps.
I pride myself with being considerate for my neighbours wellbeing, but do tend to forget my own dear wife at times. If escape is impractical she usually resorts to earphones attached to her tablet or phone as I crash, clatter and curse about the place.
Although I was quite pleased by the way that they had come out in the end, it has to be admitted that I had gone about the whole task in a complete "lower-rear-to-upper-front" fashion.
Oh well?!
At least the fettling and polishing could be done nice and quietly, and while sitting comfortably in front of the living room fire. I could even chat calmly with the good lady at the same time...
She kept her eyes down and her phones firmly plugged in.
Speaks volumes doesn't it...??
Pete.
While I should be concentrating on the much more important task of dealing with some troubling health issues, I just could not resist the lure of "twinkly stuff"! Having rummaged out and added all the remaining oddments of brass section in stock to the previously mentioned order, the collection was surely doing no more than wasting space on the table top?!
Now it is true that I have done a little bit of metal wrangling and soldering in the past, albeit on a much smaller scale. On those occasions I feel I was able to get away with doing the jobs pretty much "by eye" and with no tools other than a handful of needle files, a pillar drill, and a bucket load of sheer determination!
Oh fool that I am:
How hard could a touch of upscaling really be then...?
Starting out with a small, fairly course rat's-tail, I roughly filed off each of the angles, then continued by shaping the curve down to size in the drill press while carefully applying a fine round file to the spinning piece.
Yet more hard graunching and then whittling away, with frequent stops to measure, I (eventually) ended up with this:
After cutting this one free, the exercise then had to be repeated for a matching pair! They were not visually perfect I know, but both turned out to be a sufficiently tight, interference fit in the holes that were drilled in the next part.
The slightly larger bar seemed to be an awful lot harder to work than the hex, with the files almost bouncing off rather than biting in?
Mind you, I had three of those jolly valve bodies to do, so my arms were probably getting rather tired by then!
The final sections for that session were something of a breeze by comparison, as apart from whizzing a little rebate around each end, the rest was just a case of juggling in the drill press.
The last task that evening down in the dungeon workshop, before breaking out the flux and solder, was to align and bish-bash the valve body parts together into two matching lumps.
I pride myself with being considerate for my neighbours wellbeing, but do tend to forget my own dear wife at times. If escape is impractical she usually resorts to earphones attached to her tablet or phone as I crash, clatter and curse about the place.
Although I was quite pleased by the way that they had come out in the end, it has to be admitted that I had gone about the whole task in a complete "lower-rear-to-upper-front" fashion.
Oh well?!
At least the fettling and polishing could be done nice and quietly, and while sitting comfortably in front of the living room fire. I could even chat calmly with the good lady at the same time...
She kept her eyes down and her phones firmly plugged in.
Speaks volumes doesn't it...??
Pete.
michael mott
Western Thunderer
An impressive bit of "Arm Wrestling"
Michael
Michael
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Inside every lump of metal there is a shape trying to get out.
Tim
Tim
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Pretty much so Giles!
If the piece is small enough to be held in the pillar drill chuck, I will use that and hand held needle files to finally check centre and smooth the finish! Ironically, "Clarence3815" has just posted a question about cutting threads in brass rod, and a reply made me chuckle; I am just in the process of finding every pitfall and injury right now!!
Here is the proof...:
Graunch, graunch with a file to "nearly round" for a threaded top nut.
The hole in the centre was bored in the drill press. I considered myself very lucky with this particular baby, for despite taking the utmost care in ensuring that all is tightly clamped, square and central, almost every previous attempt at drilling holes have ended in tears after the b****y drill bits invisibly and almost inevitably wander off course!
Needless to say, I usually generate piles of waste!
I discovered that hand holding a file over the hex in the drill chuck doesn't work for shaping nuts though as the tool skips about on each of the angles, leaving an unholy mess. The only alternative was the slow and steady method, as demonstrated in the image above!
Whoopee!
My very first ever, completely home, hand made and successful nut that I rather shamelessly felt deserved an individual photo for the archives!
Yes I know that while the nut looks pretty damn close to the prototype, it is in fact made inside out!
The threaded male should have been on the valve body, with the nut itself being the hollow female, but there was absolutely no way that I would even consider trying to achieve that aim, taking into account the very tight tolerances required and perhaps especially my own clumsy inexperience!
Anyway, much bolstered, I needed one more of the same design for the bottom nut fitting.
It is said that "pride comes before a fall".
Doesn't it by half? Fortunately perhaps, it is rather difficult to photograph dummies being hurled out of prams, let alone hard metal objects and wallpaper curling expletives ricocheting round the room!
Two days, several wonky holes, wobbly threads and wibbly lower lips later:
After all that bloomin' agro, thoughts of going anywhere near the precious work with another set of drill bits, taps and dies (for the necessary valve levers) are filling me with absolute terror!
Pete.
If the piece is small enough to be held in the pillar drill chuck, I will use that and hand held needle files to finally check centre and smooth the finish! Ironically, "Clarence3815" has just posted a question about cutting threads in brass rod, and a reply made me chuckle; I am just in the process of finding every pitfall and injury right now!!
Here is the proof...:
Graunch, graunch with a file to "nearly round" for a threaded top nut.
The hole in the centre was bored in the drill press. I considered myself very lucky with this particular baby, for despite taking the utmost care in ensuring that all is tightly clamped, square and central, almost every previous attempt at drilling holes have ended in tears after the b****y drill bits invisibly and almost inevitably wander off course!
Needless to say, I usually generate piles of waste!
I discovered that hand holding a file over the hex in the drill chuck doesn't work for shaping nuts though as the tool skips about on each of the angles, leaving an unholy mess. The only alternative was the slow and steady method, as demonstrated in the image above!
Whoopee!
My very first ever, completely home, hand made and successful nut that I rather shamelessly felt deserved an individual photo for the archives!
Yes I know that while the nut looks pretty damn close to the prototype, it is in fact made inside out!
The threaded male should have been on the valve body, with the nut itself being the hollow female, but there was absolutely no way that I would even consider trying to achieve that aim, taking into account the very tight tolerances required and perhaps especially my own clumsy inexperience!
Anyway, much bolstered, I needed one more of the same design for the bottom nut fitting.
It is said that "pride comes before a fall".
Doesn't it by half? Fortunately perhaps, it is rather difficult to photograph dummies being hurled out of prams, let alone hard metal objects and wallpaper curling expletives ricocheting round the room!
Two days, several wonky holes, wobbly threads and wibbly lower lips later:
After all that bloomin' agro, thoughts of going anywhere near the precious work with another set of drill bits, taps and dies (for the necessary valve levers) are filling me with absolute terror!
Pete.
Eastsidepilot
Western Thunderer
As an old Chippy from Norfolk that used to work for my Father used to say "You's make I larf boy". I knew him only a short while in the early days of my apprenticeship as he retired and sadly passed away too early but that phrase of has stuck with our family ( all Essex and Cockneys ) ever since more than anything as a remark of respect and remembrance to the old boy.
So don't think you have offended anyone by trying to emulate an accent, I think the different English accents are great and certainly add to a persons character which should be embraced.
Col.....an old Essex boy "allo ?"
P.S. Great work Pete as usual
simond
Western Thunderer
I must be lousy at choosing the bit of metal whose hidden shape matches the drawing then...
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you so much to all for your kindly comments.
Col, on the subject of Norfolk accents; these signs from around the Weybourne and Holt area made me roar when they were first installed:
What a wonderfully inspired bit of humour to convey an otherwise serious message?
Apparently, such notices may have been of of little concern to me however, as a friend once pointed out: "You'll never get a speeding ticket the way you drive mate, but more likely fines for long distance parking!"
Anyway, back to the project:
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly well, all things considered that is...?
Uh, oh! An unforced error!
Having correctly located, drilled and tapped a hole in the boiler backhead for the lower gauge glass fittings, I had failed to note that the whole point of the firebox design is that it has to be removable for access to all the internal electric gubbins! Once the brassware was screwed firmly home, the top right lug would not draw out over the stud without contacting the back of the water cock!
Nuts! (pun intended)
The prospect of having to completely dismantle the entire gauge assembly for each occasion, with all the fine angle readjustments required in particular, was utterly unacceptable. A subtle solution was called for:
Fortunately, on the prototype, the clearance between the boiler plates and the firebox flange is so damn tight that the "dry" firehole casting has a near half circular cut out, just below that right upper lug, to accommodate the fitting. I reasoned that installing a flushed in and carefully shaped plate to the rear of the flange would allow the unit to be firmly attached and permanently aligned thus:
At a first glance from the front, the bracket appears to be little more than a washer or shim beneath the nut when everything is bolted in place.
I was worried that the relatively thin plate might be rather vulnerable to accidental bending, so instead of my first consideration of using an M5 countersunk machine screw driven into the stem, I shaped down and threaded one end of a short length of 6mm rod to form a smooth stud. After opening out the hole in the backhead to a sliding fit there is hopefully more additional and adequate rigidity now?
Removal should be a reasonably simple process of undoing a cap nut on the steam cock and drawing out the "glass", plus a bit of jiggling with whatever protector type I finally choose to fit at a later date of course?!
I had only taken a tiny nibble out of the precious 6mm rod, for the aforementioned stud, and remaining very keen to keep up the momentum, made a start on the three distinctive cock handles.
Nice, slender, tapered and curved rod affairs, scaled down and starting at 6mm diameter, reducing to 4mm with a fairly gentle 90 degree turn and back to 6mm for the spindle.
Quite a bit more filing and spinning to do... but I'm on a roll...!
Shaped up the first one, (took a while, as usual) grabbed the gas gun and applied lots of heat.
Started gently bending and...
BANG!
Started all over again.
New handle...
This time, keeping the flame on the bend...
BANG!
Lots of smoke after setting fire to the workshop floor where the broken handle section landed!
One more try?
Lightly peening it over with a small hammer...?
BANG!
"This ain't happened to me before?" (unusually polite version!)
Now there is not enough rod left in one piece for any more meaningful tries either, as sufficient extra material is required for gripping and leverage.
It is not as if I had got much in the way of a turn before it failed either?
Incidentally, all three broke at precisely the same shallow angle of bend, hot and cold, rough and smooth...!!
Apparently, this stuff is a hard CZ121 brass, which it seems that all round, square and hex rod available is made out of anyway, so I have absolutely no idea what to do about this?!
From slightly stupefied in Suffolk?
Pete.
Col, on the subject of Norfolk accents; these signs from around the Weybourne and Holt area made me roar when they were first installed:
What a wonderfully inspired bit of humour to convey an otherwise serious message?
Apparently, such notices may have been of of little concern to me however, as a friend once pointed out: "You'll never get a speeding ticket the way you drive mate, but more likely fines for long distance parking!"
Anyway, back to the project:
Everything seemed to be going swimmingly well, all things considered that is...?
Uh, oh! An unforced error!
Having correctly located, drilled and tapped a hole in the boiler backhead for the lower gauge glass fittings, I had failed to note that the whole point of the firebox design is that it has to be removable for access to all the internal electric gubbins! Once the brassware was screwed firmly home, the top right lug would not draw out over the stud without contacting the back of the water cock!
Nuts! (pun intended)
The prospect of having to completely dismantle the entire gauge assembly for each occasion, with all the fine angle readjustments required in particular, was utterly unacceptable. A subtle solution was called for:
Fortunately, on the prototype, the clearance between the boiler plates and the firebox flange is so damn tight that the "dry" firehole casting has a near half circular cut out, just below that right upper lug, to accommodate the fitting. I reasoned that installing a flushed in and carefully shaped plate to the rear of the flange would allow the unit to be firmly attached and permanently aligned thus:
At a first glance from the front, the bracket appears to be little more than a washer or shim beneath the nut when everything is bolted in place.
I was worried that the relatively thin plate might be rather vulnerable to accidental bending, so instead of my first consideration of using an M5 countersunk machine screw driven into the stem, I shaped down and threaded one end of a short length of 6mm rod to form a smooth stud. After opening out the hole in the backhead to a sliding fit there is hopefully more additional and adequate rigidity now?
Removal should be a reasonably simple process of undoing a cap nut on the steam cock and drawing out the "glass", plus a bit of jiggling with whatever protector type I finally choose to fit at a later date of course?!
I had only taken a tiny nibble out of the precious 6mm rod, for the aforementioned stud, and remaining very keen to keep up the momentum, made a start on the three distinctive cock handles.
Nice, slender, tapered and curved rod affairs, scaled down and starting at 6mm diameter, reducing to 4mm with a fairly gentle 90 degree turn and back to 6mm for the spindle.
Quite a bit more filing and spinning to do... but I'm on a roll...!
Shaped up the first one, (took a while, as usual) grabbed the gas gun and applied lots of heat.
Started gently bending and...
BANG!
Started all over again.
New handle...
This time, keeping the flame on the bend...
BANG!
Lots of smoke after setting fire to the workshop floor where the broken handle section landed!
One more try?
Lightly peening it over with a small hammer...?
BANG!
"This ain't happened to me before?" (unusually polite version!)
Now there is not enough rod left in one piece for any more meaningful tries either, as sufficient extra material is required for gripping and leverage.
It is not as if I had got much in the way of a turn before it failed either?
Incidentally, all three broke at precisely the same shallow angle of bend, hot and cold, rough and smooth...!!
Apparently, this stuff is a hard CZ121 brass, which it seems that all round, square and hex rod available is made out of anyway, so I have absolutely no idea what to do about this?!
From slightly stupefied in Suffolk?
Pete.
Richard Insole
Western Thunderer
Ah yes, 'Slow you down'. I remember this. Ironically, This is (if memory serves me) just down the road from where this photo was taken...
Woopsie! This was the first time my boy went on some BIG trains in 2016. I didn't see this on the day despite the many photos and videos I took...
It's nice to see the recent works in a little more detail. Video calls leave some close-ups not as close-up as would be desired. That bracket went in nicely. (I wouldn't have wanted to do that delaminating). Did you just sand down the top of the screws to fix the bracket in place or, is this riveted?
WOW! That really did sheer off! That is very interesting. Whilst I am sure that the word "interesting" was not a word in the mix that you used for this. haha. I did have a look about for some 'lead-free' brass rod but, it very quickly went over my head. As you said earlier, I have never heard of brass behaving this way. Sounds daft to say but, the rod does look decidedly more silver than the usual flavour of brass rod. Could just be the lighting in the photo. Perhaps there are some impurities or imbalances in the mixture of this rod?
Hopefully, this will not be a repeat in the future with the next attempt(s).
p.s. Perhaps we should invest in a mini lathe soon? Well, I say soon... probably in the distant future. I know that they have many limitations. Ever since my college days of carpentry, I have always had a soft spot for them.
Rich
Just in case you couldn't see it haha.
Woopsie! This was the first time my boy went on some BIG trains in 2016. I didn't see this on the day despite the many photos and videos I took...
It's nice to see the recent works in a little more detail. Video calls leave some close-ups not as close-up as would be desired. That bracket went in nicely. (I wouldn't have wanted to do that delaminating). Did you just sand down the top of the screws to fix the bracket in place or, is this riveted?
WOW! That really did sheer off! That is very interesting. Whilst I am sure that the word "interesting" was not a word in the mix that you used for this. haha. I did have a look about for some 'lead-free' brass rod but, it very quickly went over my head. As you said earlier, I have never heard of brass behaving this way. Sounds daft to say but, the rod does look decidedly more silver than the usual flavour of brass rod. Could just be the lighting in the photo. Perhaps there are some impurities or imbalances in the mixture of this rod?
Hopefully, this will not be a repeat in the future with the next attempt(s).
p.s. Perhaps we should invest in a mini lathe soon? Well, I say soon... probably in the distant future. I know that they have many limitations. Ever since my college days of carpentry, I have always had a soft spot for them.
Rich
Just in case you couldn't see it haha.
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Ah yes Richard, I had forgotten about that hapless motorist's unfortunate diversion from the (almost) straight and narrow!
The screw heads on the bracket had to be ground down flush as the plate was too thin to bore a decent countersink. A potential lack of "bite" with tiny woodscrews in the soft, shallow, mixed ply/MDF construction left little alternative. It could be a bit of fun if they do ever need removing though?!
Delaminating ply, MDF and even mountboard is almost too easy! The struggle is avoiding taking off more than want!!
You might not remember, but the brick platform support walls on our old, late lamented layout were hand scribed, while the "Macadam" surface, ramps and approaches were all cut and glued down mountboard, that was then delaminated and painted when set. Lightweight, easy, quite friendly to work with, reasonably durable and surprisingly authentic once soaked with matt enamels.
Every time I see that chap on "Repair shop" using his genuine vintage and delightful little portable lathe, I go "Oooooh-aahhhhh!", and suffer a terrible bout of covet overload!
Pete.
The screw heads on the bracket had to be ground down flush as the plate was too thin to bore a decent countersink. A potential lack of "bite" with tiny woodscrews in the soft, shallow, mixed ply/MDF construction left little alternative. It could be a bit of fun if they do ever need removing though?!
Delaminating ply, MDF and even mountboard is almost too easy! The struggle is avoiding taking off more than want!!
You might not remember, but the brick platform support walls on our old, late lamented layout were hand scribed, while the "Macadam" surface, ramps and approaches were all cut and glued down mountboard, that was then delaminated and painted when set. Lightweight, easy, quite friendly to work with, reasonably durable and surprisingly authentic once soaked with matt enamels.
Every time I see that chap on "Repair shop" using his genuine vintage and delightful little portable lathe, I go "Oooooh-aahhhhh!", and suffer a terrible bout of covet overload!
Pete.