4mm Jan's 4mm Workbench

[Lyndhurstman]

Coming on, Jan - from my current D&S experience, extracting paint from those GNR axleboxes is a right swine to do, isn't it? Handsome van, too.

Adam

Thanks Adam
Yes; the tenacity is terrifying! Even after a healthy dunk in ModelStrip, the nooks and crannies are proving resistant. One of the good things about chopping these castings is you reduce the amount of paint considerably. The van itself was a lot more generous in giving up its coat.

Cheers

Jan

 

[AJC]

Thanks Adam
Yes; the tenacity is terrifying! Even after a healthy dunk in ModelStrip, the nooks and crannies are proving resistant. One of the good things about chopping these castings is you reduce the amount of paint considerably. The van itself was a lot more generous in giving up its coat.

Cheers

Jan

'Orrid though it is, I resorted to cellulose thinners, and it's still there around the running gear - though it did take care of the glue. The remaining whitemetal wagon from the same batch will get a similar treatment to your van, partly as a saviour from aggravation (and the smell, of course).

Adam

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Cast On

Axleboxes and springs fitted to the GNR van. Something of a palaver, with the MJT springs proving very resistant to shaping to a tighter radius. But I think it works. The springs are superglued onto the rocking unit. The non-rocking unit makes use of the one-piece trimmed casting from the kit. There’s a small amount of play vertically, but the ‘matchstick test’ will mean derailment! Mind you, if you’re wanting that much play, then something is seriously amiss!

The roof is just resting on the body.
This might be it for a while; I have a hankering to try and make the GNR ribbed buffer housings, so we’ll see how the mojo holds up…

Cheers

Jan

*edited to replace a blurred photo

 

[jonte]

Neat work, Jan, as usual.

It’s unusual, however, to see this amount of care and affection bestowed on a (respectfully) unassuming item of rolling stock such as a goods vehicle. However, the results are well and truly apparent. I do wish this type of modelling wasn’t so far from my comfort zone.

Here’s to the mojo holding up.

Jon

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Neat work, Jan, as usual.

It’s unusual, however, to see this amount of care and affection bestowed on a (respectfully) unassuming item of rolling stock such as a goods vehicle. However, the results are well and truly apparent. I do wish this type of modelling wasn’t so far from my comfort zone.

Here’s to the mojo holding up.

Jon

Hi Jon

Thank you.
I know. I’m weird. Doesn’t WT stand for Weirdness Tolerated?

You keep on being great at what you do; the dead end of this dark alley (I wish the council would fix that lamp) is about as far from comfort as you’re likely to be, and is plagued by the shady shuffling shadow of He Who Fettles Foolishly.

Cheers

Jan

 

[Philc]

Just caught up with the thread. I was watching several of the Facebook groups as you had posted Y7 details on them, but then they stopped. So glad to find further progress here. Are you going to be returning to the Y7 at some point?

I've got plans and idea of building one myself in time, and have been wondering if the valve gear from the Rapido J70 could be used to ease that area a little. Otherwise, I might learn how to draw the gear in CAD so I can get it etched. However, that's all way down the line for me.

Good to see your posts again.

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Just caught up with the thread. I was watching several of the Facebook groups as you had posted Y7 details on them, but then they stopped. So glad to find further progress here. Are you going to be returning to the Y7 at some point?

I've got plans and idea of building one myself in time, and have been wondering if the valve gear from the Rapido J70 could be used to ease that area a little. Otherwise, I might learn how to draw the gear in CAD so I can get it etched. However, that's all way down the line for me.

Good to see your posts again.

Hello Phil
Thank you. Hill’s chunky shuffler still lurks. I've hit a snag with the chassis (outside Walschaerts in an 0-4-0 is "interesting" to say the least) in that I've managed to heat expand a Gibson tyre off its plastic centre (I can only imagine my iron must have been resting on it) so I need to get a new axles-worth. And I'm trying to source one of the Y4's distinctive dome covers - they were both square and round at the same time. The varous tomes say the N7 domes were fitted, but I don't think that's the case. I have the GERS drawing, but it looks too curvy by half. And so I might try and turn one up if I can find an offcut of a plastic bar in a skip somewhere... although I’ve been in conversation recently with Tad at Diagram3D and he’s had a stab using OpenSCAD. We’ll see what happens…

An interesting point about the J70, I’m not sure if it will transfer onto this loco, and what the spares situation is.

Cheers

Jan

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Rewriting History
Back here again. Solebars on the GNR Brake Van. Tad at Diagram3D has been trying to refine the solebars to make them more P4-friendly. He’s done this by thinning the backs of the axleboxes. In this iteration, he’s also included the W-iron detail (although it’s not consistently replicated over all 8 axles, and required a bit of plasticard filleting in places).



I think I’m witnessing the limitations of the technology. Or at least, the material. Something about the filament makes it very ‘hairy’ - which means picking over it with tweezers. But to be fair, the intricacies of the prototype are also a challenge in etched brass (the old D&S kit).

Cheers

Jan

 

[simond]

I imagine getting the wheels to all touch the rails simultaneously will prove a challenge too. I’d arrange for the two middle sets to have some vertical play, and rely on the outer ones for everything wheels are required for!

 

[ullypug]

that looks challenging! I wonder if Dave Bradwells sprung carriers might be suitable for the task? Available via the Scalefour stores
Sprung cradles

 

[Lyndhurstman]

I imagine getting the wheels to all touch the rails simultaneously will prove a challenge too. I’d arrange for the two middle sets to have some vertical play, and rely on the outer ones for everything wheels are required for!

that looks challenging! I wonder if Dave Bradwells sprung carriers might be suitable for the task? Available via the Scalefour stores
Sprung cradles

Hello
Thanks both for the feedback;

@simond yes - the setting of the wheels is of some concern. In the second iteration, I’d filed the backs of the solebars to accommodate the additional width of the P4 wheelsets. But that iteration didn’t have the W iron details on it. I might end up going back to it, and fettling some plasticard fillets (as you can see I’ve done here).

@ullypug Thanks for the tip; I’ll take a look at those. I’ve got some MJT RTR units that might do the same, but it’s all dependent on the distance from the floor of the body.

One thing that irks me about this stuff is that it has to be very carefully drilled; too much speed, for too long, can melt what you’re drilling.

Thanks again

Cheers

Jan

 

[jonte]

Hello
Thanks both for the feedback;

@simond yes - the setting of the wheels is of some concern. In the second iteration, I’d filed the backs of the solebars to accommodate the additional width of the P4 wheelsets. But that iteration didn’t have the W iron details on it. I might end up going back to it, and fettling some plasticard fillets (as you can see I’ve done here).

@ullypug Thanks for the tip; I’ll take a look at those. I’ve got some MJT RTR units that might do the same, but it’s all dependent on the distance from the floor of the body.

One thing that irks me about this stuff is that it has to be very carefully drilled; too much speed, for too long, can melt what you’re drilling.

Thanks again

Cheers

Jan

Hi Jan

Please forgive my ignorance, but I’m guessing this is a 3D print, involving the use of some sort of resin?

If so I feel your pain, having endured working this material on my latest project. Difficult to cut, even with the sharpest of blades, and if too much pressure is applied, then the whole thing shatters. Very, very brittle.

Hoping that a more suitable ‘resin’ is found in the not too distant, lest I fear its longevity will be less than that of Electric Vehicles.

Jon

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Hi Jan

Please forgive my ignorance, but I’m guessing this is a 3D print, involving the use of some sort of resin?

If so I feel your pain, having endured working this material on my latest project. Difficult to cut, even with the sharpest of blades, and if too much pressure is applied, then the whole thing shatters. Very, very brittle.

Hoping that a more suitable ‘resin’ is found in the not too distant, lest I fear its longevity will be less than that of Electric Vehicles.

Jon

Hello Jon
Thanks - as ever - for your interest and support. Yes; this is a 3D print. It uses something called FDM (Fused Deposition Modelling). Although sometimes, the fusing fails - or, in the contrary case, when it gets too hot, melts and reforms!

As you note, the medium’s indifference to tools - even fresh scalpel blades in my experience - is frustrating. And I won’t tell you how many times I’ve had to glue one of the end step hangers back on to the solebar..

Happy Eostre to you and yours

Cheers

Jan

 

[jonte]

Bear with it, Jan - a unique model already

And a Happy and peaceful Easter to you too, Jan.

Jon

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Behind The Scenes
The latest iteration of the GNR brake solebar had good W iron reference but poor bearing holes. So I’ve gone volte face and picked up a previous set of sole bars from Tad. But these came without W iron representations so I’ve made some of my own using 5 thou plasticard, a brass template for the overall dimensions, a set of broaches for the consistent hole, and a scalpel to trim the blank to shape. Eight times.I probably could have been neater, but I figure it won’t be seen much.





Cheers

Jan

 

[jonte]

Clever stuff, Jan; some real thinking outside the box

For what it’s worth, I think they look neat and precise too.

Yet another unique model on its way to be added to the Wharf’s collection

Jon

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Clever stuff, Jan; some real thinking outside the box

For what it’s worth, I think they look neat and precise too.

Yet another unique model on its way to be added to the Wharf’s collection

Jon

Thank you, Jon
I’ve finally found a use for all those blades that are blunt at the tip, but fine over the rest of their length; mini guillotines! *

Cheers
Jan

*as long as the stuff being cut is thin enough…

 

[jonte]

Thank you, Jon
I’ve finally found a use for all those blades that are blunt at the tip, but fine over the rest of their length; mini guillotines! *

Cheers
Jan

*as long as the stuff being cut is thin enough…

Old blades, hey Jan? I wholly concur



Jon

 

[Lyndhurstman]

That’s very clever, Jon. I might steal your idea.

Cheers

Jan

 

[jonte]

That’s very clever, Jon. I might steal your idea.

Cheers

Jan

I’m flattered.

Thanks, Jan

Jon