7mm The Derby Line - Rolling Stock Gladiator Crab
Scale7JB
Western Thunderer
Coaches are a lot of work, but Malcolm’s coach kits are a joy to build. Might do some more some day..
JB.
adrian
Flying Squad
Only if he finds a suitable purchaser for the range - he's aiming to retire next year.
dibateg
Western Thunderer
I stocked up on kits whilst I was earning good money, having built most of them over the past 15 years, there a 4 or 5 coach kits and 4 loco kits left unbuilt as well as a few wagon kits. I might well get one more kit from Malcolm to add to this rake. The range of RTR in 7mm is limited to Mk1s, Gresleys and Thompsons.
Yes - coaches are a lot of work and the easiest way is to production line them, I much prefer building locos. So two 8 hour days have pretty well seen off the underframes - it also took my mind off of feeling absolutely lousy by concentrating on the project..
A cruel enlargment and a bit of subtefuge - I scratched up some fuse boxes and rather than drill 8 holes for the wires I wrapped copper wire loops around a 12mm former and soldered it behind the solebar.
Yes - coaches are a lot of work and the easiest way is to production line them, I much prefer building locos. So two 8 hour days have pretty well seen off the underframes - it also took my mind off of feeling absolutely lousy by concentrating on the project..
A cruel enlargment and a bit of subtefuge - I scratched up some fuse boxes and rather than drill 8 holes for the wires I wrapped copper wire loops around a 12mm former and soldered it behind the solebar.
... love it. And that is why I always follow the professional's threads!! Full of gems!
dibateg
Western Thunderer
I'll take that...
I searched the Guild archive on how to form tumblehomes, but found nothing. Malcome suggests taping the side to a broom handle and 'winding' it round. I've never got that to work for me, my delicate fingers are obviously too weak!
So I resorted to a method shown to me by the Late Jonathon Matthews - using a workmate and some old curved architrave as below. It take a lot of brute force but one has to be very careful no to accidentally create folds in the upper side. It can't be done in one go, the side is progressively moved up bit by bit in the workmate to progress the curve. It's like trying to bend a spring. To fine tune the tumble home, blocks of wood are used to flatten it - taking care only to put pressure below the waistline and not put an unintentional bend above it. Various size bars are then used to put more curve in by pressing in to a curved recess in some ogee skirting board... Red marks indicate the waistline. It was a good workout!
I searched the Guild archive on how to form tumblehomes, but found nothing. Malcome suggests taping the side to a broom handle and 'winding' it round. I've never got that to work for me, my delicate fingers are obviously too weak!
So I resorted to a method shown to me by the Late Jonathon Matthews - using a workmate and some old curved architrave as below. It take a lot of brute force but one has to be very careful no to accidentally create folds in the upper side. It can't be done in one go, the side is progressively moved up bit by bit in the workmate to progress the curve. It's like trying to bend a spring. To fine tune the tumble home, blocks of wood are used to flatten it - taking care only to put pressure below the waistline and not put an unintentional bend above it. Various size bars are then used to put more curve in by pressing in to a curved recess in some ogee skirting board... Red marks indicate the waistline. It was a good workout!
Dan Randall
Western Thunderer
Anyone else have a Black & Decker Workmate in their man cave?… 
Regards
Dan
Regards
Dan
oldravendale
Western Thunderer
Oh yes indeed! In fact, having inherited one from my late father I had two but donated one to my model railway club. I'd not be without it - the one I retain is the original version with cast moving parts.
Brian
Brian
JimG
Western Thunderer
Still got my one which was bought new in 1969. I had just bought an old Victorian house and was advised that I would need some serious tools. 
Bought in Lewis's in Argyle Street in Glasgow and it still has its four blue plugs for clamping. It is the pressed steel version.
Jim.
Bought in Lewis's in Argyle Street in Glasgow and it still has its four blue plugs for clamping. It is the pressed steel version.Jim.
paulc
Western Thunderer
I was in the UK a few weeks ago clearing my late fathers house and there was an original Workmate , It wouldn't fit in my suitcase though no matter how much i tried
I did bring some of his tools back with me which bumped the suitcase up to 29 of the 30kgs allowed , i ended up leaving my trainers behind as i literally ran out of space .
I did bring some of his tools back with me which bumped the suitcase up to 29 of the 30kgs allowed , i ended up leaving my trainers behind as i literally ran out of space .
Osgood
Western Thunderer
I managed to get replacement feet for WM 1 of 2 of similar vintage maybe 8 years ago, Allen - might be worth a search?
They appeared to be made from a less 'grippy' tougher material and I had to stick them with black silicone sealer (WM Fixes & Workarounds 17).
But I've now lost the carefully stored incredibly useful clamping plugs
dibateg
Western Thunderer
They are invaluable work aids that's for sure, my older Workmate is well over 30 years old!
A couple of days spent putting in doorstops, droplights and commode handles and we are well on the way to making up the coach bodies.. I wanted to model some of the droplights open, thats a fiddle, but fortunately I had a spare etch with individual hinges. The droplight etches in the kit incorporate the hinges in to a once piece item. A lot of watermarks from where they have been rinsed in the sink:-
A couple of days spent putting in doorstops, droplights and commode handles and we are well on the way to making up the coach bodies.. I wanted to model some of the droplights open, thats a fiddle, but fortunately I had a spare etch with individual hinges. The droplight etches in the kit incorporate the hinges in to a once piece item. A lot of watermarks from where they have been rinsed in the sink:-