I have been slowly working away at the body, starting to add rivets etc, losing unwanted joint lines, filling in unwanted holes and better replicating the arrangement of timbering over the veranda doors etc. All OK, but as I've been looking at it in more detail I have become increasingly fed up with the chassis side of things. Although I spent pretty much a whole day making them, my W irons were frankly rubbish. Apart from shape issues, I'd managed to make one of them with the axle centre line on the proverbial, the wheelbase was slightly too long, the holes were in the wrong place, the metal I'd used was too thin, and so last night I tore them out and binned them. I also removed the springs and hangers fitted from the kit as they are just too lumpen, especially noticeable as the body acquires more detail. I shall replace them with the very nice Slaters ones from their milk tank.
So after much cleaning up underneath I have now placed the body on to two W irons folded up from an etch that Fred did for my Lowfit "kit" a whole eight years ago (gaaah!). I didn't use it initially as it goes with all the gubbins for LMS clasp brake gear which is sort of "wasted" now as this van won't need it.
Here's a clearer shot of the etched work.
And yes, the rivets on the sole bar are now in the wrong place, such was the inaccuracy of the previous bodge up.
I shall also be replacing the buffers with the Slaters product as although they aren't bad, the Slaters are better.
It has to be said that the £140.00 spent buying the kit is looking to have been increasingly poor value, although a lot of what I'm doing might be argued to be optional, I'll be interested to see what others do with theirs - Barry?!?
I have also just noticed that I have very firmly epoxied an axlebox out of square
On the brighter side of things, the body is starting to look increasingly "right" and I think this will sit happily alongside the brass model when it's finished. Still a lot left to do though.
Simon
