Plastic handrail knobs

 

I've managed to fit in a little more work on the DJH loco. This time I've fitted the handrail knobs on the tank and smokebox. 

My first thought was to dig through my collection and use turned brass ones - but in the kit there were enough plastic knibs, so would they work? 

Also in the kit is some wire, but it's curled up, so I replaced it with 0.45mm straight brass stuff. I'm trying to use as much of this kit as possible, but I have limits, and trying to unbend wire is well beyond those. 

So, the knobs had to be drilled out. Not easy, as they bend. By holding the heads in needle nose pliers, I managed to do this withouth breakage, although there was some scary twisting!

The holes in the body also needed to be opened out a bit, same 0.5mm drill bit plus a twiddle with my smallest broach. Then some superglue, and the job was done. 

To me they look a bit undersized, and I'd normally use 0.7mm wire in 7mm scale, but I can live with this as that's how the kit is supposed to be built.