Given the quality of the kits, this is a bit of a surprise. Still I had an inkling, so I should have checked earlier.
I intend to mount the steam heat & vac pipes on a “subframe”, which would have been secured with the same screw, but it now looks like I’ll have to arrange a couple of screws offset from the centreline.
I’m not hugely bothered by having space for a spring, I’ve taken to using a bit of silicone rubber tube, which provides some resilience from shock, but doesn’t let the hook pull out of the buffer beam - a particular issue with most RTR in my view, some of which don’t seem to have springs with enough stiffness for 2mm, let alone 7.
the other option is simply to solder the hook to the back of the buffer beam, but that isn’t attractive after I’ve done the paint.
I’ll drill and tap a bit of thicker stuff and epoxy it inside. Job for tomorrow perhaps. Same issue on the riding van too.
Need to black the hooks anyway so I’ll do that tonight. Steel ones don’t look too bad, but brass hooks look daft!
these are from Bill at Premier. I have filed the hooks to give a more triangular section in plan view, and I always crimp the last couple of threads to stop them unscrewing in service. Very irritating anytime, but particularly on a garden line.
I’ve glazed the “cold frames” for the tool van roof too, (and the doors) and opened out the holes for the roof furniture, but I’ll leave gluing all this on ‘til I’ve sorted the screws underneath.
I’ll have a go at glazing the riding van tonight.
cheers
Simon
