Van repair

 

Packing up at the National Garden Railway Show went pretty well - except for the Garden Rail van, which took a nose dive from my arms as I was putting it away. Being a 3D printed model, it didn't bounce on the concrete floor, instead, the superglue joins gave way, reducing it to a kit of parts again. 

Since then, it's been living in a box in the office, but as I needed the box for something else, it was time for some repairs. 

The biggest problem was that the wheels on one side had become detached, and the 3D parts broken. Superglue on it's own isn't strong enough for this job, the joints needed reinforcement with bits of brass wire inserted into drilled holes. I don't think they are perfectly lined up, but look good enough to me, and better than expected. 

After this it was just a case of reglueing the joints with Zap brushable superglue. Some clips held the roof in place while it dried, and did the same for the fenders/running boards. I know the stuff is supposed to be instant, but on the day I did this, it was misbehaving. 

And now I have a van suitable for delivering copies again. It's still fragile - I should really make a box for it, but then it's also a lovely item in the background on Zoom calls!