With battery fully charged, the white speedboat hit the water. It raced off towards the buoys in a reasonably straight line. After a bit of racing around – with the battery giving am impressive length of run – things seemed to be pretty good. Perhaps the lubrication on the shafts was smearing itself around a bit but the running seemed to improve over time. Hoping around the lake, including over several buoys and being shoved off the bank a couple of times – it’s a fast boat after all – things were looking good. This is a very impressive boat on the water.
Then it all went wrong. The motor noise changed and the boat starting going around in tight circles. We assumed one of the shafts had worked lose but had to wait until the light wind blew it into the side (can’t steer a bot like this with only one motor working !). A propeller was missing !
The retaining nut had obviously worked lose and spin off. This and the prop are now at the bottom of the lake. Good job we have spares from the spares boat. A little superglue will be helping the grip next time we sail I think.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Thursday, July 06, 2006
Will this save my Tomkat ?
Thanks to the guys at Maxx Models I now have a replacement drive shaft for the TomKat.
28mm long, 2.6mm wide.
I just hope it gets me back on the water !
28mm long, 2.6mm wide.
I just hope it gets me back on the water !
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Victory - At a very fast speed !
Last year we bought a RTR model boat. A fine looking speedboat. Just to get starting with this sailing lark while the “proper” boats were being built you understand. The model featured laughably translated text on the box and instructions but it looked good and when first placed on the water, ran well.
A couple of minutes into a run though it pulled to the left very badly. Charging, oiling and tightening didn’t help so it was relegated to the shelf.
While browsing in the local model shop I mentioned this and they said that someone else had had the same problem. A few minutes later I was the owner of another boat sans transmitter and battery but otherwise the same. It had been destined for the dustbin so I got it for free.
The possible causes of the problem were a loose coupling between the motor & drive shaft or a duff motor. Not wanting to go at this half-cocked the couplings (a weird mix of plastic tubes, aluminium ends and lots of grease) have been replaced with proper UJ’s and the suspect motor has gone and one from the spare boat is in its place. The joints were off the shelf although I had to ream out the shaft end as the RTR shafts are slightly non-standard in size.
This is one boat that can’t be tested in the pool. I tired by holding it in place and I think it looks OK but the battery went flat before I could be sure. This goes on charge tonight for a test tomorrow.
A couple of minutes into a run though it pulled to the left very badly. Charging, oiling and tightening didn’t help so it was relegated to the shelf.
While browsing in the local model shop I mentioned this and they said that someone else had had the same problem. A few minutes later I was the owner of another boat sans transmitter and battery but otherwise the same. It had been destined for the dustbin so I got it for free.
The possible causes of the problem were a loose coupling between the motor & drive shaft or a duff motor. Not wanting to go at this half-cocked the couplings (a weird mix of plastic tubes, aluminium ends and lots of grease) have been replaced with proper UJ’s and the suspect motor has gone and one from the spare boat is in its place. The joints were off the shelf although I had to ream out the shaft end as the RTR shafts are slightly non-standard in size.
This is one boat that can’t be tested in the pool. I tired by holding it in place and I think it looks OK but the battery went flat before I could be sure. This goes on charge tonight for a test tomorrow.
Sunday, July 02, 2006
G2 Tender
After a bit of break in the work on the G2 I fancied starting on the tender instead of carrying on with the loco. The tender will be a bit special on this model – it will hold the fuel for the model. By this I mean there will be a chunk of battery in there.
So, I ploughed ahead. There are a few interesting features of the kit. The footplate for the tender appears to be etched back to front. A problem but not insurmountable. Far more of an issue is the big lumps of brass required. I used a miniature blowtorch to run solder around, as even my (40W) iron wasn’t man enough for the job.
The difficult bends in the sides (the wrapper is a single etched part) were achieved with reasonable ease. Fold up strengtheners are included so ignore the instructions I put the back bends in first, solder these in and the made the front bends.
After only a little fiddling with fingers and re-bending the job was complete. So far it looks good and my square says all is well. Long term my plan is to cut out as much of the floor as possible. The battery will fix to a false roof with velcro and then the chassis will bolt on the bottom to give extra security. I still have to fit a charging socket and speed switch so I’m not out of the woods yet.
So, I ploughed ahead. There are a few interesting features of the kit. The footplate for the tender appears to be etched back to front. A problem but not insurmountable. Far more of an issue is the big lumps of brass required. I used a miniature blowtorch to run solder around, as even my (40W) iron wasn’t man enough for the job.
The difficult bends in the sides (the wrapper is a single etched part) were achieved with reasonable ease. Fold up strengtheners are included so ignore the instructions I put the back bends in first, solder these in and the made the front bends.
After only a little fiddling with fingers and re-bending the job was complete. So far it looks good and my square says all is well. Long term my plan is to cut out as much of the floor as possible. The battery will fix to a false roof with velcro and then the chassis will bolt on the bottom to give extra security. I still have to fit a charging socket and speed switch so I’m not out of the woods yet.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Robot Rower
Isn’t eBay dangerous ? Some light browsing ends up with the purchase of all sorts of unnecessary junk.
Not that this applies to my latest purchase, a “Rowboat kit” from Tamiya. 6 quid including postage.
What posses the Japanese producer of plastic kits to knock this sort of thing out ? Tooling up must cost a fortune and yet the sales are never going to be huge. Serious work has gone into making this a joy to build – no soldering or glueing just screw together assembly. The gearbox is neat and includes a hexagonal rod for the drive to the “shoulders” which must ramp the costs up on its own. A small tube of grease is included for the gears and some polystyrene sits at the back for extra floatation, or at least to protect against sinking.
On a hot afternoon this was fun to assemble. Half an hours leisurely work and then off to the pool for playtime. The little robot paddles across the water at quite a speed. His rowing action really is good. When he traverses the boating lake he’ll give plenty of people a good laugh.
Not that this applies to my latest purchase, a “Rowboat kit” from Tamiya. 6 quid including postage.
What posses the Japanese producer of plastic kits to knock this sort of thing out ? Tooling up must cost a fortune and yet the sales are never going to be huge. Serious work has gone into making this a joy to build – no soldering or glueing just screw together assembly. The gearbox is neat and includes a hexagonal rod for the drive to the “shoulders” which must ramp the costs up on its own. A small tube of grease is included for the gears and some polystyrene sits at the back for extra floatation, or at least to protect against sinking.
On a hot afternoon this was fun to assemble. Half an hours leisurely work and then off to the pool for playtime. The little robot paddles across the water at quite a speed. His rowing action really is good. When he traverses the boating lake he’ll give plenty of people a good laugh.
Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Splashing out
The G2 splashers are made up of three parts – the bit you fold up from the footplate, a face with half etched detail and the flat bit to go over the top.
I thought the top part was too long initially. Only after fitting the first I realised the technique:
Bend the end a little so it forms a tongue.
Form the main bend over something round (I used a plastic tube).
Tack solder the tongue under the footplate and it holds everything in place while the main soldering is done.
Then the free end is flattened against the bottom and soldered up. It takes longer to describe than to do.
6 splashers done in minutes. Who says model making takes ages ?
I thought the top part was too long initially. Only after fitting the first I realised the technique:
Bend the end a little so it forms a tongue.
Form the main bend over something round (I used a plastic tube).
Tack solder the tongue under the footplate and it holds everything in place while the main soldering is done.
Then the free end is flattened against the bottom and soldered up. It takes longer to describe than to do.
6 splashers done in minutes. Who says model making takes ages ?
Monday, June 26, 2006
More filters
With muck in the fuel still being a stumbling block (literally) for my Type 2, I had another go at filtering. If I run fuel out of the pipe in the engine bay, it is clean. Pump it through the fuel pump and it’s filthy.
So, I wonder (grasping for straws), is the pump contaminating the fuel ?
Only one way to find out, fit a filter before and after the pump. A bit fiddly but do-able. The first filter has enough pipe on it that I could remove it and the right hand tube, connecting the line from the metal fule pipe straight to the pump. I reasoned this would be quick in a roadside situation.
38 miles later the van had run perfectly. The post pump filter was clean and the pre-pump cruddy. However 38 miles is the best I’ve done in a while, especially as there should be plenty more life in the filter yet.
Of course what I’m slowly coming around to is the idea that the tank is going to have to come out and have it’s inside sealed. I really don’t want to do this ‘cos it will cost a load of cash for engine removal. Even then if I don’t get the sealing right first time I’ll need to do it all again.
Do people with Japanese cars ever have this problem ?
So, I wonder (grasping for straws), is the pump contaminating the fuel ?
Only one way to find out, fit a filter before and after the pump. A bit fiddly but do-able. The first filter has enough pipe on it that I could remove it and the right hand tube, connecting the line from the metal fule pipe straight to the pump. I reasoned this would be quick in a roadside situation.
38 miles later the van had run perfectly. The post pump filter was clean and the pre-pump cruddy. However 38 miles is the best I’ve done in a while, especially as there should be plenty more life in the filter yet.
Of course what I’m slowly coming around to is the idea that the tank is going to have to come out and have it’s inside sealed. I really don’t want to do this ‘cos it will cost a load of cash for engine removal. Even then if I don’t get the sealing right first time I’ll need to do it all again.
Do people with Japanese cars ever have this problem ?
Saturday, June 24, 2006
Possibly OK
No damage done. The box and lid were left indoors to dry with piles of magazines on top of them. I hoped that this would stop the wood re-adjusting itself when it dried out.
The box front looked a bit worrying at first. It’s a single piece of plywood with no bracing and it had twisted. Fortunately this was because only one side had been varnished. Now I’ve treated the flipside everything looks OK. Of course I haven’t tried it in place yet but that time is looming as it’s all varnished now and once properly dry re-assembly can commence.
The box front looked a bit worrying at first. It’s a single piece of plywood with no bracing and it had twisted. Fortunately this was because only one side had been varnished. Now I’ve treated the flipside everything looks OK. Of course I haven’t tried it in place yet but that time is looming as it’s all varnished now and once properly dry re-assembly can commence.
Varnish
The 40-year old boat needs a box. So when we built the case for Pigeon Pie we built a second box. Which has, as the nature of this project, sat around unfinished. The hardware was screwed in place to test everything worked but it still needed varnish.
So I pulled my paintbrush out and started. The inside received Two coats a first coat covered the bottom and back. Paining a box has to be done in stages as you have to sit it on one face.
The painting happens outside and since I did this in the evening I decided to leave it out to dry. No chance of rain tonight.
In the morning, “Oh b****r, it rained.”.
So I pulled my paintbrush out and started. The inside received Two coats a first coat covered the bottom and back. Paining a box has to be done in stages as you have to sit it on one face.
The painting happens outside and since I did this in the evening I decided to leave it out to dry. No chance of rain tonight.
In the morning, “Oh b****r, it rained.”.
Thursday, June 22, 2006
Lots of brass
7mm kits – just like4mm ones really. The G2 footplate assembles in the same way as it’s smaller brethren would. The only problem is that the valences were missing. However at 2mm deep they are a lot easier to cut than the same thing in 4mm scale !
A lot of scoring with the Olfa Plasticard cutter on some thickish nickel silver and I had the parts. Very little curl to worry about and that that there was was easily removed with finger pressure.
A lot of scoring with the Olfa Plasticard cutter on some thickish nickel silver and I had the parts. Very little curl to worry about and that that there was was easily removed with finger pressure.
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
G2
Clear the decks, a new project has arrived. A G2 in 7mm scale.
Yet another Mercian kit but I’m not using the chassis because Trevor was able to supply me with a milled brass one. It even had the wheels and rods fitted.
The loco has flangless wheels and the chassis was correctly fitted with these – but only on one side. For some reason the wheel was in the wrong position on the other side. I suspect when turning the model around and putting the wheels on the builder got confused. I rectified this when installing the rather nice motor and gearbox.
Then I found a problem. The wheels are cast iron (wrong spoke pattern but we’ll ignore that), drilled and tapped for the crankpins. The builder hadn’t been very accurate with this on one wheel. I tired running it without the crankpin and everything seemed fine. The solution was to ream the hole in the con rod out to huge and let the pin wallow around. It looks OK as long as you don’t use a magnifying glass.
Since this is intended for a garden railway I don’t suppose it matters. A friend was telling me this evening about the damage a loco of this size can do to a slug – and the fun of getting it out afterwards ! You don’t look too carefully after that I suppose.
Yet another Mercian kit but I’m not using the chassis because Trevor was able to supply me with a milled brass one. It even had the wheels and rods fitted.
The loco has flangless wheels and the chassis was correctly fitted with these – but only on one side. For some reason the wheel was in the wrong position on the other side. I suspect when turning the model around and putting the wheels on the builder got confused. I rectified this when installing the rather nice motor and gearbox.
Then I found a problem. The wheels are cast iron (wrong spoke pattern but we’ll ignore that), drilled and tapped for the crankpins. The builder hadn’t been very accurate with this on one wheel. I tired running it without the crankpin and everything seemed fine. The solution was to ream the hole in the con rod out to huge and let the pin wallow around. It looks OK as long as you don’t use a magnifying glass.
Since this is intended for a garden railway I don’t suppose it matters. A friend was telling me this evening about the damage a loco of this size can do to a slug – and the fun of getting it out afterwards ! You don’t look too carefully after that I suppose.
Monday, June 19, 2006
Fixing an old friend
Breaking things is bad, fixing things is satisfying.
My duff weekend included breaking my watch. I tugged at the strap and it came off in my hand. No real surprise considering my fun with the seal on the van.
OK, it’s only a cheap watch but there was plenty of life in it. Besides, it’s the watch I use while doing mucky jobs. Impervious to water, oil, petrol and other nasty fluids, the trusty Casio goes on. It keeps reasonable time too ! My Scottish roots won’t let me buy a new watch for this job.
The break was unusual as the sprung bar that the strap pivots on and attaches to the body, hadn’t broken. A chunk had broken off the watch body itself. Clipping it back in and then adding a blob of Zap-a-Gap on the end of a pin seemed to fix it. I think a bit more help is required so a blob of epoxy glue will go over the superglue. If I don’t glue everything solid I might actually have fixed it !
My duff weekend included breaking my watch. I tugged at the strap and it came off in my hand. No real surprise considering my fun with the seal on the van.
OK, it’s only a cheap watch but there was plenty of life in it. Besides, it’s the watch I use while doing mucky jobs. Impervious to water, oil, petrol and other nasty fluids, the trusty Casio goes on. It keeps reasonable time too ! My Scottish roots won’t let me buy a new watch for this job.
The break was unusual as the sprung bar that the strap pivots on and attaches to the body, hadn’t broken. A chunk had broken off the watch body itself. Clipping it back in and then adding a blob of Zap-a-Gap on the end of a pin seemed to fix it. I think a bit more help is required so a blob of epoxy glue will go over the superglue. If I don’t glue everything solid I might actually have fixed it !
Sunday, June 18, 2006
Bad seal
The painting went well. A couple of small runs but nothing that really shows. In a few weeks I’ll sand and polish the job which should render it invisible. Even now it’s better than the rust bubbles.
So, emboldened by this I made a fatal mistake. Looking at the new seal for the sliding door cover, I though, “That will only take a few minutes to fit and then there will be another job done”. Lets face it all you have to do is release the gripper, drop the cover into place and tighten things up again. That’s what it says in the Haynes manual for the VW Type 2 1968 on edition. And that is never wrong is it ?!
Off comes the cover and old seal. I clean things up and grease the runners for the door. Then I fit the seal to the cover to push it back into place.
It doesn’t want to go. I push and shove but no good. Then I lose my temper and hit it hard with my hand. Success. The back end is pretty much in place.
Obviously the seal is a tight fit (good) and will take some persuasion to go in. The photo shows the persuasion going on.
Most of the job is fine but about half way along it’s not working. I manage to waggle the seal from underneath and fixing re-commences. Then the door end gets caught underneath and I have to lift the cover a bit.
Glossing over the ranting at inanimate objects that occupied the next hour, I eventually gave up. The seal had torn and wasn’t going to sit tight and be pushed into position. So I cheated and cut off rubber that goes behind the cover.
Result – I can push everything in place but the seal isn’t sealing at the door end. It looks Ok-ish for the moment but I know this is one job that is coming back to haunt me.
So, emboldened by this I made a fatal mistake. Looking at the new seal for the sliding door cover, I though, “That will only take a few minutes to fit and then there will be another job done”. Lets face it all you have to do is release the gripper, drop the cover into place and tighten things up again. That’s what it says in the Haynes manual for the VW Type 2 1968 on edition. And that is never wrong is it ?!
Off comes the cover and old seal. I clean things up and grease the runners for the door. Then I fit the seal to the cover to push it back into place.
It doesn’t want to go. I push and shove but no good. Then I lose my temper and hit it hard with my hand. Success. The back end is pretty much in place.
Obviously the seal is a tight fit (good) and will take some persuasion to go in. The photo shows the persuasion going on.
Most of the job is fine but about half way along it’s not working. I manage to waggle the seal from underneath and fixing re-commences. Then the door end gets caught underneath and I have to lift the cover a bit.
Glossing over the ranting at inanimate objects that occupied the next hour, I eventually gave up. The seal had torn and wasn’t going to sit tight and be pushed into position. So I cheated and cut off rubber that goes behind the cover.
Result – I can push everything in place but the seal isn’t sealing at the door end. It looks Ok-ish for the moment but I know this is one job that is coming back to haunt me.
Saturday, June 17, 2006
A nagging little voice
Old car owners know this feeling. You walk out of the door each morning and all you see of your car is a bubble. A bubble in the paint that says only one thing – RUST. I calls to you, loudly in an anoying voice. It nags even when you aren’t looking at it. In your dreams the rust monster is eating your beloved car. You can never be free.
So I’ve given in. I know in my heart of hearts that things only get worse if left unattended. I poked around in the bubbles on the rear seam of my Type 2 with a knife. There are more bubbles than I thought (OK I’d ignored these but in my defence they were very shallow) but underneath I found the classic car owners friend, solid metal. There was only one tiny hole which I’ve photographed. How lucky am I ?! I scraped, chipped and hit it with the 3M rust removal disc and found solid metal all the way. Quite a depth of filler though.
Anyway, the metal has been well treated with rust killer and I’m going to be good and let it dry for the time it says on the tin. Then all (all ?!?) I have to do is fill and paint.
Perhaps by Monday all I will see is slightly mis-matched paint.
So I’ve given in. I know in my heart of hearts that things only get worse if left unattended. I poked around in the bubbles on the rear seam of my Type 2 with a knife. There are more bubbles than I thought (OK I’d ignored these but in my defence they were very shallow) but underneath I found the classic car owners friend, solid metal. There was only one tiny hole which I’ve photographed. How lucky am I ?! I scraped, chipped and hit it with the 3M rust removal disc and found solid metal all the way. Quite a depth of filler though.
Anyway, the metal has been well treated with rust killer and I’m going to be good and let it dry for the time it says on the tin. Then all (all ?!?) I have to do is fill and paint.
Perhaps by Monday all I will see is slightly mis-matched paint.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Stocking up
Since the solder modellers use is a by-product of the electronics industry, many modellers are worried that this will mean there will be no solder. One trader is claiming that lead based solders are illegal, although this isn’t strictly accurate. What the rules say is you can’t sell an electrical item, such as a computer or more pertinently a model locomotive, if it contains lead based material. Hence my experiments with lead free solder.
Since the high melting point stuff is OK, I’ve turned my attentions to low-melt as used to build whitemetal kits. There isn’t a lead free alternative for this so if it looks like the supply will be disrupted for a while as people work out what is and isn’t saleable. I don’t use a lot to be honest, as I prefer to attach smaller parts such as chimneys and domes with glue. That way they come off whole rather than bending if knocked. A bent chimney is a nightmare to fix. One knocked off can often be stuck back on without even touching up the paint.
Anyway, I thought I’d better buy a little solder. I normally use the stuff from Langley models which I suspect is a by product of their kit business. Available in packets of 10 sticks I decided to buy 50. However postage is free on orders over £20 so I went for a nice round 100 – cost about 35 quid.
This is probably a lifetimes supply but it doesn’t do any harm to stock up on materials you expect to use a lot of now and then. Mind you, if it does become scarce, look out for some eBay sales in the future !
Since the high melting point stuff is OK, I’ve turned my attentions to low-melt as used to build whitemetal kits. There isn’t a lead free alternative for this so if it looks like the supply will be disrupted for a while as people work out what is and isn’t saleable. I don’t use a lot to be honest, as I prefer to attach smaller parts such as chimneys and domes with glue. That way they come off whole rather than bending if knocked. A bent chimney is a nightmare to fix. One knocked off can often be stuck back on without even touching up the paint.
Anyway, I thought I’d better buy a little solder. I normally use the stuff from Langley models which I suspect is a by product of their kit business. Available in packets of 10 sticks I decided to buy 50. However postage is free on orders over £20 so I went for a nice round 100 – cost about 35 quid.
This is probably a lifetimes supply but it doesn’t do any harm to stock up on materials you expect to use a lot of now and then. Mind you, if it does become scarce, look out for some eBay sales in the future !
Monday, June 12, 2006
Flux
Tom asked, “What do you use for flux, and where do you get it?”
When soldering you are supposed to use a “proper” liquid flux – at least according to all the books on the subject. However it’s never available when I want some and besides I’ve never found it necessary.
Currently I’m using Templers Copalux flux bought from a DIY store. It’s a paste flux that seems to do the job nicely. It’s wise to clean it off the piece after soldering – use “Shiny Sinks” from a hardware store or the cleaning isle of Tesco. I have left a couple of test pieces uncleaned for a few weeks and nothing has gone green. Mind you, it has the consistency of Vasaline so I doubt paint would stick to it very well !
The picture is black & white because I’ve wruiten a review of solders for the DOGA newsletter and I’ve lost the colour version.
“Any top tips for a complete beginner?”
Make sure the metal you are soldering is clean. If I’m not sure I rub it with a fibreglass pencil to make sure it shines.
Don’t try and solder big lumps of metal together – or at least not in your first days with the iron. The metal will suck heat away from the join. Practise on spare bits of fret or thin strips from the K&S rack.
If you use lead-free solder. Make sure it is the sort with a small amount of silver in it. Maplin sell something suitable for £2.49 for 4m
Hope this helps. If anyone has any more questions – feel free to e-mail me
Sunday, June 11, 2006
The land fashion forgot
I don’t think I can get any more unfashionable. Spending time building a model railway locomotive and listening to Dido. My excuse was that early Sunday morning there isn’t much on the radio unless you like church services and I wasn’t in the mood for anything more lively.
The result is as you see. A few hour work and I have a complete loco body. The experience of the previous two goes has paid off again. My work is much neater and squarer. Less visible solder means less cleaning up which saves time. If you want to improve your modelling technique, concentrate on using as little solder as possible, that’s what separates the men from the boys.
I altered my methods slightly from previous models. The top plate (the raised bit on to of the bonnet) was made separately and glued on after cleaning. It’s a pig to solder as the star shaped support (it replicates the prototypes supports) can’t be cleaned out properly. I think the castings (also glued on) are the same as the 4mm version. Although this makes them a bit big it’s not too obvious and for a kit with as limited a market as this, is a sensible economy.
The chassis fits too, although I forgot to shorten it when I built it so some slight bodging has occurred. Mind you the next job is to fit the mechanical bits so I might not be so happy soon.
The result is as you see. A few hour work and I have a complete loco body. The experience of the previous two goes has paid off again. My work is much neater and squarer. Less visible solder means less cleaning up which saves time. If you want to improve your modelling technique, concentrate on using as little solder as possible, that’s what separates the men from the boys.
I altered my methods slightly from previous models. The top plate (the raised bit on to of the bonnet) was made separately and glued on after cleaning. It’s a pig to solder as the star shaped support (it replicates the prototypes supports) can’t be cleaned out properly. I think the castings (also glued on) are the same as the 4mm version. Although this makes them a bit big it’s not too obvious and for a kit with as limited a market as this, is a sensible economy.
The chassis fits too, although I forgot to shorten it when I built it so some slight bodging has occurred. Mind you the next job is to fit the mechanical bits so I might not be so happy soon.
Saturday, June 10, 2006
Come on Ingerlaaaand
Vindaloo, Vindaloo, We’re going to smash the Argies etc. etc.
While the rest of the country watched a nail biting England match against the greatest team ever to kick a ball, I was slaving over a hot soldering iron to get the HO Barclay together.
OK, I don’t do football and it was too hot outside. I like modelling with windows open on a warm day, gentle breeze blowing. There’s no reason it has to be a winter activity. The light is better for a start.
Since this is the third bonnet I’ve built I finally got it right first time. The metal was annealed and then bent (as per the instructions). The ends fitted pretty well and once I’d soldered them in it was still flat and square.
Learning from past problems I decided to fit the handrails before attaching the bonnet to the footplate. The horizontal ones were easy once the holes were eased a little. Lots of flux and tiny amounts of solder on the handrail knobs. Plenty of solder inside the bonnet to hold them in.
Bonnet handles are just a pain. However I a cunning method made things easier.
The wire supplied was chopped into two lengths. Each of these was bent over at the end and this pushed through the holes. A chopped down business card tucked under the wires and then was gripped in my fingers using a wooden chip fork to stop me getting burnt. Imagine from the top – fingers, fork, wire, card, bonnet.
Soldering was carried out from the inside so I could be messy without anything showing. Two handles were done at a time. Once the solder had cooled I snipped the handles to length – this means that all end up the same – hooray ! No fiddling around with short lengths of wire either. The are long enough to handle until the final snip. Verticalness (is that a word ?) was easy as well. Gentle tugging the wires achieved this before snipping.
I wonder if I can get a St George’s flag in HO ?
While the rest of the country watched a nail biting England match against the greatest team ever to kick a ball, I was slaving over a hot soldering iron to get the HO Barclay together.
OK, I don’t do football and it was too hot outside. I like modelling with windows open on a warm day, gentle breeze blowing. There’s no reason it has to be a winter activity. The light is better for a start.
Since this is the third bonnet I’ve built I finally got it right first time. The metal was annealed and then bent (as per the instructions). The ends fitted pretty well and once I’d soldered them in it was still flat and square.
Learning from past problems I decided to fit the handrails before attaching the bonnet to the footplate. The horizontal ones were easy once the holes were eased a little. Lots of flux and tiny amounts of solder on the handrail knobs. Plenty of solder inside the bonnet to hold them in.
Bonnet handles are just a pain. However I a cunning method made things easier.
The wire supplied was chopped into two lengths. Each of these was bent over at the end and this pushed through the holes. A chopped down business card tucked under the wires and then was gripped in my fingers using a wooden chip fork to stop me getting burnt. Imagine from the top – fingers, fork, wire, card, bonnet.
Soldering was carried out from the inside so I could be messy without anything showing. Two handles were done at a time. Once the solder had cooled I snipped the handles to length – this means that all end up the same – hooray ! No fiddling around with short lengths of wire either. The are long enough to handle until the final snip. Verticalness (is that a word ?) was easy as well. Gentle tugging the wires achieved this before snipping.
I wonder if I can get a St George’s flag in HO ?
Friday, June 09, 2006
Thursday, June 08, 2006
The experiment continues
In an effort to introduce some science into this, I’ve compared the lead free solder against some convential stuff.
The footplate for the Barclay is laminated from two parts. One has parts to fold down to make the valances. The other is the top surface with checker plate on it. What I do is place the top face down on the board and put the other part on top. Solder is run down the side by the valance with plenty of flux. This is enough to attach the parts and hopefully hide the join.
On one side I used lead free from Maplin. On the other leaded cored solder from Screwfix (I use normal cored solder for all my etched brass work). The same flux from a DIY store was used.
Result. Both as good as each other. I also fitted the retaining nuts, again one with each type of solder. Same result, both work fine. I did have to use PowerFlow flux as the nuts were steel but you couldn’t tell the difference.
The footplate for the Barclay is laminated from two parts. One has parts to fold down to make the valances. The other is the top surface with checker plate on it. What I do is place the top face down on the board and put the other part on top. Solder is run down the side by the valance with plenty of flux. This is enough to attach the parts and hopefully hide the join.
On one side I used lead free from Maplin. On the other leaded cored solder from Screwfix (I use normal cored solder for all my etched brass work). The same flux from a DIY store was used.
Result. Both as good as each other. I also fitted the retaining nuts, again one with each type of solder. Same result, both work fine. I did have to use PowerFlow flux as the nuts were steel but you couldn’t tell the difference.
Monday, June 05, 2006
It's the end of the world as we know it.
I have to assemble another Barclay. This one is a bit different as it’s going to be HO (3.5mm:1ft) scale.
Just to make things interesting, instead of using conventional solder, I’ll be relying on the new lead free stuff, albeit with a bit of silver in it to help the flow.
Apart from this I expect the techniques to be the same. The tools will be as well – a big Antex iron (40W – best tool for soldering I ever had) and the usual files etc.
So far I have built the chassis. No problem there and after an hour or so I had the basics together. As progress continues, the results will be posted here.
Just to make things interesting, instead of using conventional solder, I’ll be relying on the new lead free stuff, albeit with a bit of silver in it to help the flow.
Apart from this I expect the techniques to be the same. The tools will be as well – a big Antex iron (40W – best tool for soldering I ever had) and the usual files etc.
So far I have built the chassis. No problem there and after an hour or so I had the basics together. As progress continues, the results will be posted here.
Boxing clever
Now the Pie is sailing I need to protect it while travelling. Carrying it around on its stand is fine but I’m always worried about bumps and bashes. Having spent all that time building it I want to treat it like fine china. Cotton wool ain’t soft enough for this baby.
Soooo it was time for trip to Torries Hardware in Warwick where I left a cutting list. A couple of days later a pack was waiting for me, all nice and square with straight edges. A few lengths of stripwood, nails, screws and varnish and I was ready to go. Can’t understand why anyone uses a DIY store when the local shop will do the hard work for you at little or no cost. Nice wood as well with a superb grain on the face.
It’s a big box and only just tall enough for the boat. Plenty of length for a few tools and the radio control handset. A cheap clip keeps the front closed but if I wanted to a lock could go on for extra security. Even a big box is easier to move than the boat loose on its stand – and if the box takes a knock I’m not so worried.
Perhaps I should chuck work in and start making coffins !
Soooo it was time for trip to Torries Hardware in Warwick where I left a cutting list. A couple of days later a pack was waiting for me, all nice and square with straight edges. A few lengths of stripwood, nails, screws and varnish and I was ready to go. Can’t understand why anyone uses a DIY store when the local shop will do the hard work for you at little or no cost. Nice wood as well with a superb grain on the face.
It’s a big box and only just tall enough for the boat. Plenty of length for a few tools and the radio control handset. A cheap clip keeps the front closed but if I wanted to a lock could go on for extra security. Even a big box is easier to move than the boat loose on its stand – and if the box takes a knock I’m not so worried.
Perhaps I should chuck work in and start making coffins !
Sunday, June 04, 2006
Big, fat, wire.
How about this for a jump. When I fit handrails to model locomotives they are 0.45mm thick - 0.35mm in 3mm scale. On my boat the “wire” is 2.5mm wide !
The problems are no longer keeping the stuff straight – now bending rails requires the use of a pair of pliers and some serious force.
What I had to produce was a bit of a 3D puzzle. The rails have to curve around the back of the boat AND the rise of the sides. Worst of all the rail, while supported by stanchions, needs to bend down to finish in the top rail. This is the bit I messed up. Not a huge amount but enough for me to notice. The parts quickly became permanent fixtures thanks to the efficiency of the glue (Zap-a-Gap super glue). A minor dilemma is whether the damage done to remove them would be worse than the errors. I’ve taken the easy way out and left well alone. To my eyes there is a problem but I doubt others will spot it. If I think they will then they will only see the better side of the model !
Painting was fun. Can’t spray the brass with primer as it has to be glued to the model and the masking would be a nightmare. Handily it’s possible to buy touch up paint from Halfords and the range includes primer. This is the only paint I use which needs regular shaking while you are using it. On a hot day this is before dipping the brush in each time. It dries very, very fast. A smoother result would come from a slower dry but never mind. I did get the satin white on in a short space of time and the results look much better. Actually once the final colour was on I even managed to over look the imperfect bending.
One final problem was lack of material. In the box there is enough for the rear rail and one front one. Happily the K&S metal rack in the local model shop makes up for the deficiency. How else do you think I knew the size of the metal !?
The problems are no longer keeping the stuff straight – now bending rails requires the use of a pair of pliers and some serious force.
What I had to produce was a bit of a 3D puzzle. The rails have to curve around the back of the boat AND the rise of the sides. Worst of all the rail, while supported by stanchions, needs to bend down to finish in the top rail. This is the bit I messed up. Not a huge amount but enough for me to notice. The parts quickly became permanent fixtures thanks to the efficiency of the glue (Zap-a-Gap super glue). A minor dilemma is whether the damage done to remove them would be worse than the errors. I’ve taken the easy way out and left well alone. To my eyes there is a problem but I doubt others will spot it. If I think they will then they will only see the better side of the model !
Painting was fun. Can’t spray the brass with primer as it has to be glued to the model and the masking would be a nightmare. Handily it’s possible to buy touch up paint from Halfords and the range includes primer. This is the only paint I use which needs regular shaking while you are using it. On a hot day this is before dipping the brush in each time. It dries very, very fast. A smoother result would come from a slower dry but never mind. I did get the satin white on in a short space of time and the results look much better. Actually once the final colour was on I even managed to over look the imperfect bending.
One final problem was lack of material. In the box there is enough for the rear rail and one front one. Happily the K&S metal rack in the local model shop makes up for the deficiency. How else do you think I knew the size of the metal !?
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Useful reminder
“Port wine is always red”.
A useful aide memoir for anyone who can’t remember which side the red and green lamps go on a boat. You don’t want to get that wrong for fear of humiliation on the lakeside !
Lights are attached now and look superb in the dark. There may have been whitemetal castings supplied in the kit, but in this scale you can’t beat something that actually lights up. I look forward to sailing at dusk.
The photo shows the lamps while being painted. There is a clear inner for each so I painted the backs appropriate colours so they still look good in daylight. The bulbs are coloured but it’s not enough to give the effect required. Best of all would be to use the correct colour transparent paint on the lenses – no chance of that – I’m not buying a pot for each lamp !
A useful aide memoir for anyone who can’t remember which side the red and green lamps go on a boat. You don’t want to get that wrong for fear of humiliation on the lakeside !
Lights are attached now and look superb in the dark. There may have been whitemetal castings supplied in the kit, but in this scale you can’t beat something that actually lights up. I look forward to sailing at dusk.
The photo shows the lamps while being painted. There is a clear inner for each so I painted the backs appropriate colours so they still look good in daylight. The bulbs are coloured but it’s not enough to give the effect required. Best of all would be to use the correct colour transparent paint on the lenses – no chance of that – I’m not buying a pot for each lamp !
Friday, June 02, 2006
Back together again
In the back of my kit cupboard there was a model that didn’t belong to me. OK, strictly speaking it did because I saved it from a skip when the owner didn’t want it but I didn’t build it.
The model was a Blue Pullman made out of balsa wood. It was the last remnant of a model of Paddington Station also made from balsa. A gentleman who had long since died created this incredible piece of work. It was donated to the railway club by his widow and appeared at the earliest show I remember the club holding. There was also a model of Banbury locomotive shed. While incredible work had gone into all of these, the scale was odd. Roughly 4mm:1ft, everything was compressed and slightly cartoon like. Put together the effect was convincing.
Paddington had long since been disposed of. It was huge (about 5ft by 3ft as I remember), fragile and not suited to being stored in a damp cellar with limited storage. I always liked the Pullman so I saved it, housing it in the back of the aforementioned cupboard.
A couple of weeks ago, the builders son got in touch via the club website. He was hoping to be re-united with the model. I had to break it to him that it was long gone, but I had a train. A few calls and Banbury loco shed was located as well.
Last night we brought everyone together with the models. A couple of photo albums were produced showing other model created by the same artist (it was artistry) including some superb cars. At the end of a pleasant evening, the son went away with the Pullman and is keeping in touch with the loco shed owner. I’m sorry to see it go as it was a nice model but if I were in that position I would be looking to acquire anything my Dad had created. I’m just glad the train has found a good home.
And I have some space in the cupboard for more kits…
The model was a Blue Pullman made out of balsa wood. It was the last remnant of a model of Paddington Station also made from balsa. A gentleman who had long since died created this incredible piece of work. It was donated to the railway club by his widow and appeared at the earliest show I remember the club holding. There was also a model of Banbury locomotive shed. While incredible work had gone into all of these, the scale was odd. Roughly 4mm:1ft, everything was compressed and slightly cartoon like. Put together the effect was convincing.
Paddington had long since been disposed of. It was huge (about 5ft by 3ft as I remember), fragile and not suited to being stored in a damp cellar with limited storage. I always liked the Pullman so I saved it, housing it in the back of the aforementioned cupboard.
A couple of weeks ago, the builders son got in touch via the club website. He was hoping to be re-united with the model. I had to break it to him that it was long gone, but I had a train. A few calls and Banbury loco shed was located as well.
Last night we brought everyone together with the models. A couple of photo albums were produced showing other model created by the same artist (it was artistry) including some superb cars. At the end of a pleasant evening, the son went away with the Pullman and is keeping in touch with the loco shed owner. I’m sorry to see it go as it was a nice model but if I were in that position I would be looking to acquire anything my Dad had created. I’m just glad the train has found a good home.
And I have some space in the cupboard for more kits…
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
More planks
I’ve posted this picture just because I’m proud of it. The woodwork at the back of my boat looks really good – to me anyway.
It’s interesting how details make a model though. The handle on the door transformed a nice bit of planking into a model of something. For such a small casting, the effect it gave was startling.
This has started me thinking about extra detail for this area. Perhaps a deck chair (pun intended, they all are) but that might be too long. A directors chair perhaps. With a discarded newspaper and half drunk mug of tea. Just something to breath life into the scene.
It’s interesting how details make a model though. The handle on the door transformed a nice bit of planking into a model of something. For such a small casting, the effect it gave was startling.
This has started me thinking about extra detail for this area. Perhaps a deck chair (pun intended, they all are) but that might be too long. A directors chair perhaps. With a discarded newspaper and half drunk mug of tea. Just something to breath life into the scene.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
A pet hate.
I hate printed plywood. Every model boat I’ve seen at a show with it has always looked terrible. Am I the only person who can see what it is and that it doesn’t look anything like what it is supposed to be ?
So, the boat box is nearly empty except for a piece of printed ply. The instructions tell me that I cut the parts out, stain them and then glue the result to the boat. No chance.
My version – trace the parts onto tracing paper. Tape this to a cutting board and replace every plank with a version cut from some bass wood I bought at a model railway show years ago. The sides of each plank are gently sanded to emphasis the gaps between each board. The wood is stuck to the paper with PVA of Bostick solvent free glue.
Once this is done the face is sanded and the piece cut out from the sheet leaving the tracing paper as a backing. A coat of Ronseal satin varnish, another sand and a final coat, finishes the job.
This looks sooooo much better than the ply. Proper grain going in the right direction on each piece. A nice 3D effect as well. Not too lumpy, just enough.
It’s not that time consuming – the largest part for the rear deck took about an hour and half to plank which I did while watching Sean Connery save the Earth from a meteor in a particularly duff film.
Two different colour of stain were employed. Light oak for outside wood. Mahogany in the bridge. The quick dry varnish worked a treat. Not oo glossy a finish and ready for recoating in ten minutes. Just the think for impatient modellers like me. I think the top rail will get a coat as well as the finish is better than that currently sported.
So, the boat box is nearly empty except for a piece of printed ply. The instructions tell me that I cut the parts out, stain them and then glue the result to the boat. No chance.
My version – trace the parts onto tracing paper. Tape this to a cutting board and replace every plank with a version cut from some bass wood I bought at a model railway show years ago. The sides of each plank are gently sanded to emphasis the gaps between each board. The wood is stuck to the paper with PVA of Bostick solvent free glue.
Once this is done the face is sanded and the piece cut out from the sheet leaving the tracing paper as a backing. A coat of Ronseal satin varnish, another sand and a final coat, finishes the job.
This looks sooooo much better than the ply. Proper grain going in the right direction on each piece. A nice 3D effect as well. Not too lumpy, just enough.
It’s not that time consuming – the largest part for the rear deck took about an hour and half to plank which I did while watching Sean Connery save the Earth from a meteor in a particularly duff film.
Two different colour of stain were employed. Light oak for outside wood. Mahogany in the bridge. The quick dry varnish worked a treat. Not oo glossy a finish and ready for recoating in ten minutes. Just the think for impatient modellers like me. I think the top rail will get a coat as well as the finish is better than that currently sported.
Monday, May 29, 2006
At last, we get to the water.
If you plan to try out a new boat, it makes sense to choose a day when you have the lake to yourself. That way if there are any problems you get to work them out without lots of “helpful” suggestions. This was the reason I drove down to the boat club this morning nice and early.
When I arrived, Mike was there fitting a new blind. A few minutes later a couple of guys turned up delivering paving slabs. Of course the landlord arrived as well. Quite a crowd.
Fortunately the Pie was placed on the water and apart from a list to starboard, behaved itself. Off she sailed, happily traversing the full width of the water with no radio problems.
The weight distribution was sorted out – it’s lead shot in plastic bags so is easy to move around. I removed a bit from the front as the nose was a bit low. I need to take more out but this can wait until all the fittings are fixed on as this might alter the trim a little.
Despite not having a proper charge, I managed around half an hours sail. This ought to improve as the battery is run through a few charging cycles. Pretty good though. An unprototypically high speed is possible but it’s not too ridiculous. Turning is excellent. With a little practise I doubt anything will be able to outmanoeuvre me. No need for a bow thruster on this boat !
The light breeze didn’t worry it so I expect to sail in most weather conditions. However before this happens I am going to finish the model. Plenty of fitting still await painting and sticking on and there is a lot of woodwork to do. Nothing better than running a model to give impetus to this process though.
What I have is a boat the right size for the water available that is really pleasant to sail. After all the hours spent on construction, enjoyable as they were (mostly), this is good.
When I arrived, Mike was there fitting a new blind. A few minutes later a couple of guys turned up delivering paving slabs. Of course the landlord arrived as well. Quite a crowd.
Fortunately the Pie was placed on the water and apart from a list to starboard, behaved itself. Off she sailed, happily traversing the full width of the water with no radio problems.
The weight distribution was sorted out – it’s lead shot in plastic bags so is easy to move around. I removed a bit from the front as the nose was a bit low. I need to take more out but this can wait until all the fittings are fixed on as this might alter the trim a little.
Despite not having a proper charge, I managed around half an hours sail. This ought to improve as the battery is run through a few charging cycles. Pretty good though. An unprototypically high speed is possible but it’s not too ridiculous. Turning is excellent. With a little practise I doubt anything will be able to outmanoeuvre me. No need for a bow thruster on this boat !
The light breeze didn’t worry it so I expect to sail in most weather conditions. However before this happens I am going to finish the model. Plenty of fitting still await painting and sticking on and there is a lot of woodwork to do. Nothing better than running a model to give impetus to this process though.
What I have is a boat the right size for the water available that is really pleasant to sail. After all the hours spent on construction, enjoyable as they were (mostly), this is good.
Sunday, May 28, 2006
The evil accelerator pump
Bently says “7. Poor transition from idle to operating speed”
My symptoms, engine ticks over OK but if you press the accelerator it goes, “bobble bobble pluuuu” and either revs or stalls.
Sounds like the same thing then !
Out comes the carb, onto the bench where it is stripped down again. Carb cleaner is sprayed through all the passages as I try to work out where they run. The books tells me to investigate the accelerator pump so I do. A bent tube points down into the throat of the carb and after spraying and poking wires this appeared to be the problem. More spraying and poking with it out of the main body and I finally get it clear. A fair amount of crud was pulled out from behind the diaphragm too which can’t be a bad job done. I still don’t really understand what this bit does – best guess is it gives a shot of petrol when you accelerate, presumably to avoid a flat spot during the engine speeding up.
Reassembly is the reverse etc. etc. Everything was better but still not great. However it was good ebough to warrant a gentle test run where things improved. Not more rough transition from idle to acceleration. Presumably the crud left in the pipe (there was some as the van still hesitated on hard acceleration) had been blasted through the system.
Tomorrow we are going for a proper test run with hills and everything !
My symptoms, engine ticks over OK but if you press the accelerator it goes, “bobble bobble pluuuu” and either revs or stalls.
Sounds like the same thing then !
Out comes the carb, onto the bench where it is stripped down again. Carb cleaner is sprayed through all the passages as I try to work out where they run. The books tells me to investigate the accelerator pump so I do. A bent tube points down into the throat of the carb and after spraying and poking wires this appeared to be the problem. More spraying and poking with it out of the main body and I finally get it clear. A fair amount of crud was pulled out from behind the diaphragm too which can’t be a bad job done. I still don’t really understand what this bit does – best guess is it gives a shot of petrol when you accelerate, presumably to avoid a flat spot during the engine speeding up.
Reassembly is the reverse etc. etc. Everything was better but still not great. However it was good ebough to warrant a gentle test run where things improved. Not more rough transition from idle to acceleration. Presumably the crud left in the pipe (there was some as the van still hesitated on hard acceleration) had been blasted through the system.
Tomorrow we are going for a proper test run with hills and everything !
Saturday, May 27, 2006
Competition time !
No model making today – it was off to the Double O Gauge Association AGM where I get the “honour” of organising the annual competition.
It’s a salutary lesson every year when I have to work out what I plan to enter. This year I had only one candidate, the Barclay Shunter. Perhaps reviewing my blog will remind me what I’ve built over the last few months. Not a lot that still remains in my possession and meets the criteria for entry. Perhaps next year I’ll add a class for 1:12 scale model boats !
No prizes for me this year either. My scruffy little shunter couldn’t compete with some of the gorgeous models entered in the same class. I don’t mind, as I like it. Nice to have something to aim at though.
It’s a salutary lesson every year when I have to work out what I plan to enter. This year I had only one candidate, the Barclay Shunter. Perhaps reviewing my blog will remind me what I’ve built over the last few months. Not a lot that still remains in my possession and meets the criteria for entry. Perhaps next year I’ll add a class for 1:12 scale model boats !
No prizes for me this year either. My scruffy little shunter couldn’t compete with some of the gorgeous models entered in the same class. I don’t mind, as I like it. Nice to have something to aim at though.
Friday, May 26, 2006
No rust in here now.
Charge the battery and the engine turns over – it just won’t fire. So I give it a shot of carb cleaner in the top which gets things moving. And he idles ! Really well !
OK, lets try some revs. Splutter, pop. Hmmm, Unscrew the plug from the bottom of the tank on the side of the carb. Petrol all over the engine. Spray carb cleaner in and do the plug up. He starts again.
Still not much in the way of revs though. I tweaked the mix, the idle speed (idle was still OK) and even the timing but nothing helped or even made any real difference.
Then he wouldn’t start again. Nothing. Must be dirt in there. So I take the carb off and move to the bench. I am getting worryingly quick at this.
Cleaner is shot though everywhere I can shoot cleaner. All seems to flow freely so I put it back together.
Result – a little better but it’s still not happy on the revs. Turning the richness up seems to help a bit but I still don’t fancy venturing off the drive on my own at present.
The fuel filter hasn’t filled with muck yet though. I suppose that must be some consolation.
OK, lets try some revs. Splutter, pop. Hmmm, Unscrew the plug from the bottom of the tank on the side of the carb. Petrol all over the engine. Spray carb cleaner in and do the plug up. He starts again.
Still not much in the way of revs though. I tweaked the mix, the idle speed (idle was still OK) and even the timing but nothing helped or even made any real difference.
Then he wouldn’t start again. Nothing. Must be dirt in there. So I take the carb off and move to the bench. I am getting worryingly quick at this.
Cleaner is shot though everywhere I can shoot cleaner. All seems to flow freely so I put it back together.
Result – a little better but it’s still not happy on the revs. Turning the richness up seems to help a bit but I still don’t fancy venturing off the drive on my own at present.
The fuel filter hasn’t filled with muck yet though. I suppose that must be some consolation.
Thursday, May 25, 2006
Out of line
Or at least that’s what GSF have been for over a week. This means that I haven’t been able to complete the work on VW Type2. The tank was flushed out and all the fuel line replaced, except the bit between the tank and the engine.
Today, at last, they had the pipe. 20 minutes on a rare dry and bright evening saw the final connections made and clamped. I poured a couple of litres of petrol in and checked for leeks. None so far.
Then I discovered the battery was flat…
Today, at last, they had the pipe. 20 minutes on a rare dry and bright evening saw the final connections made and clamped. I poured a couple of litres of petrol in and checked for leeks. None so far.
Then I discovered the battery was flat…
Sunday, May 21, 2006
An unhappy day at the races
We didn’t have a chance to test the Tomkat after repairing the drive shaft. Of course as soon as we put it in the water and ran it around, the boat got slower and slower until it limped into the bank, all our racing dreams dashed.
Racing continued although it was more a war of attrition rather than a graceful sprint. Lots of battery problems, dodgy steering and general unhappiness. I suspect there will be a lot more testing before the next heats. There certainly will for us !
Racing continued although it was more a war of attrition rather than a graceful sprint. Lots of battery problems, dodgy steering and general unhappiness. I suspect there will be a lot more testing before the next heats. There certainly will for us !
We are sailing
A bit of catch up here. Before I built the Armstrong Whitworth, I managed to get Pigeon Pie to a sailable state. Having had the maiden voyage in the bath, the next step was to move out to the pool in the garden.
With the cover half off I have sailed it around a little. Good thing really, while reversing the propeller unscrewed itself and had to be rescued from the bottom. This wouldn’t have been possible if it had happened on the lake ! I need to fix the retaining nut a bit more securely.
Steering needs checking. I had to have the trim set to full left in order that the boat was manoeuvrable. Not difficult but rain stopped tinkering on the day.
With the full weight inside this a heavy boat. It is very stable so I hope not to have to worry in cross winds or slightly choppy water.
With the cover half off I have sailed it around a little. Good thing really, while reversing the propeller unscrewed itself and had to be rescued from the bottom. This wouldn’t have been possible if it had happened on the lake ! I need to fix the retaining nut a bit more securely.
Steering needs checking. I had to have the trim set to full left in order that the boat was manoeuvrable. Not difficult but rain stopped tinkering on the day.
With the full weight inside this a heavy boat. It is very stable so I hope not to have to worry in cross winds or slightly choppy water.
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Finished...
…well, nearly. All the bits have been assembled and the model passed back to Trevor who was delighted to see it. So were a number of visitors to his stand so it looks like it will be a popular model.
Total build time so far is about 8 hours. I’ve been rushing things which is why some of the solder shows. Of course there is no motive power either. A more realistic time of 15 hours from kit to finished model should be attainable for the experienced modeller. It’s a hobby though so why worry about the time ?
I’ll sit back and wait for the castings and new cover plates for the wheels to replace the current under size ones. This is all part of the normal kit design, or at least it should be. Some manufacturers don’t bother putting a kit together before it hits the market but if you don’t you lumber all the purchasers with something that nearly works, but not quite. Not this time, we’ve already talked about a potential upgrade for the production models that will make a fairly easy kit to build even better.
Hopefully later in the year I’ll get to finish this model with mechanics and paint. I love the look of it and can’t wait to do this.
Total build time so far is about 8 hours. I’ve been rushing things which is why some of the solder shows. Of course there is no motive power either. A more realistic time of 15 hours from kit to finished model should be attainable for the experienced modeller. It’s a hobby though so why worry about the time ?
I’ll sit back and wait for the castings and new cover plates for the wheels to replace the current under size ones. This is all part of the normal kit design, or at least it should be. Some manufacturers don’t bother putting a kit together before it hits the market but if you don’t you lumber all the purchasers with something that nearly works, but not quite. Not this time, we’ve already talked about a potential upgrade for the production models that will make a fairly easy kit to build even better.
Hopefully later in the year I’ll get to finish this model with mechanics and paint. I love the look of it and can’t wait to do this.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
6 hours
A quarter of a day in and I’ve nearly reached the end of the soldering. All the etched bits have been attached apart from the roof. Handrails are on, although the plan shows a couple more that there aren’t holes for. I just need to add handles on the bonnet doors. The wheel overlays need sorting to but I’ll put a motor in first.
The kit fairly flies together. I reckon that it should be possible to go from kit to finished in around ten hours. Of course this relies on having built lots of kits before and really going for it. If you allow 12-15 hours, a this will make a really nice model.
Ugly though.
The kit fairly flies together. I reckon that it should be possible to go from kit to finished in around ten hours. Of course this relies on having built lots of kits before and really going for it. If you allow 12-15 hours, a this will make a really nice model.
Ugly though.
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
3.5 hours later...
Good job the kit goes together pretty well. I have a chassis that looks square – the wheels rotate freely with the rods on. I’ve sprayed it so the paint can dry before I start re-attaching moving bits.
Bending the bonnet was interesting, as was that footplate. I managed to put the top (flat) part in back to front despite checking several times. It won’t show so it stays as it is. The cab goes together really well once you’ve punched out all those rivets.
Now for detail.
Bending the bonnet was interesting, as was that footplate. I managed to put the top (flat) part in back to front despite checking several times. It won’t show so it stays as it is. The cab goes together really well once you’ve punched out all those rivets.
Now for detail.
Thanks Trevor !
Trevor rang me on Sunday. He was checking progress on a number of projects he’s supplied me with. One of these is a test etch for an Armstrong Whitworth 1935 diesel in 7mm scale. He is going to a show on Saturday and it would be great to take it with him to gauge interest. I had to admit that the kit was still a collection of parts and pointed out it would have been useful to be reminded a bit earlier.
Trevor is OK with this – I promised a finished loco by July when he attends his next narrow gauge show.
Still, I might as well have a look.
Trevor is OK with this – I promised a finished loco by July when he attends his next narrow gauge show.
Still, I might as well have a look.
Monday, May 15, 2006
My boat of many colours
Once upon a time, when you built an Airfix kit, the instructions end with a drawing showing which colours to paint your model.
When you are all grown up kits get more expensive but you don’t get the picture telling you how to paint it. If you are lucky there are some livery notes but after that you have to do your research before heading to the paint counter of the local model shop.
My boat has a whole page devoted to a list of the colours the manufacturer painted the prototype model in. He notes that you can paint your boat any colour you like – possibly more in hope than expectation as most of us will find the colour scheme an important part of the model’s appeal. I certainly did and although I’ve modified things a little I’ve pretty much stuck to the paint job on the model I saw last year.
One thing I didn’t spot until I read the paint page was that the saloon and bridge were different colours. Both versions of beige but one with more yellow in it. Once I had read this, the difference stood out a mile in the photographs. This wasn’t spotted in either of the two reviews I had acquired. One has gone for a very beige look, which is hopelessly washed out. The other had used the yellow, much nicer and sunnier, but it didn’t look as nice as the original to my eye.
Mind you, having painted the main sections of the boat, I know its true for boats as well as trains, the detail brings the model alive. When you decorate a room, it looks nothing without all the bits in it. I need to get the windows, vents, chimney (shiny red !) etc. applied now to offset that beige !
When you are all grown up kits get more expensive but you don’t get the picture telling you how to paint it. If you are lucky there are some livery notes but after that you have to do your research before heading to the paint counter of the local model shop.
My boat has a whole page devoted to a list of the colours the manufacturer painted the prototype model in. He notes that you can paint your boat any colour you like – possibly more in hope than expectation as most of us will find the colour scheme an important part of the model’s appeal. I certainly did and although I’ve modified things a little I’ve pretty much stuck to the paint job on the model I saw last year.
One thing I didn’t spot until I read the paint page was that the saloon and bridge were different colours. Both versions of beige but one with more yellow in it. Once I had read this, the difference stood out a mile in the photographs. This wasn’t spotted in either of the two reviews I had acquired. One has gone for a very beige look, which is hopelessly washed out. The other had used the yellow, much nicer and sunnier, but it didn’t look as nice as the original to my eye.
Mind you, having painted the main sections of the boat, I know its true for boats as well as trains, the detail brings the model alive. When you decorate a room, it looks nothing without all the bits in it. I need to get the windows, vents, chimney (shiny red !) etc. applied now to offset that beige !
Sunday, May 14, 2006
Framed
I’ve been putting off cutting the windows for ages. It’s always been a job that loomed over me. I knew I’m going to have to do it some time, just later please.
So with Dr Who on the telly at the end of the bench I put a new blade in the scalpel and started. By the time the cybermen had started chasing people around the big house (Trigger is going to take over the world ?!) I had a pile of windows. Fortunately they were in line on the printed sheet so I was able to chop long lengths, only the corners were a little fiddly but nothing a sharp blade couldn’t deal with. A bit of filing on the outside corners and all looked good. I even score lines on the side windows to show where they opened.
Brush painting was considered but I reckoned spraying would be quicker and neater. When I started they flew around the bench. However pulling a couple of boxes out of the recycling bin and using some double sided sticky tape I was able to spray and hair-dry with impunity. Best of all I could spray with the windows vertical so paint didn’t fall out of the cup on the airbrush. Removing the frames was a bit awkward as the tape was very sticky, the scalpel came in useful again to pick them off without damage.
Simple really – I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to it.
So with Dr Who on the telly at the end of the bench I put a new blade in the scalpel and started. By the time the cybermen had started chasing people around the big house (Trigger is going to take over the world ?!) I had a pile of windows. Fortunately they were in line on the printed sheet so I was able to chop long lengths, only the corners were a little fiddly but nothing a sharp blade couldn’t deal with. A bit of filing on the outside corners and all looked good. I even score lines on the side windows to show where they opened.
Brush painting was considered but I reckoned spraying would be quicker and neater. When I started they flew around the bench. However pulling a couple of boxes out of the recycling bin and using some double sided sticky tape I was able to spray and hair-dry with impunity. Best of all I could spray with the windows vertical so paint didn’t fall out of the cup on the airbrush. Removing the frames was a bit awkward as the tape was very sticky, the scalpel came in useful again to pick them off without damage.
Simple really – I don’t know why it took me so long to get around to it.
Saturday, May 13, 2006
Snapped drive
This is the snapped drive shaft from the Tomkat. It’s a bit of wire rope 2.6mm in diameter.
Since I didn’t have any of this handy (I suspect an old bike brake cable would yield some) I’ve had to improvise. The first attempt is in the photo – an inner from a model aircraft “snake”. This crushed when the grub screws were tightened.
My solution is to use a bit of metal drive band (it’s a tightly wound spring) with a bit of wire in the centre. This hasn’t been tested on the water yet but bench testing shows the drive to be stronger than my grip on the end of the shaft with my fingers.
Since I didn’t have any of this handy (I suspect an old bike brake cable would yield some) I’ve had to improvise. The first attempt is in the photo – an inner from a model aircraft “snake”. This crushed when the grub screws were tightened.
My solution is to use a bit of metal drive band (it’s a tightly wound spring) with a bit of wire in the centre. This hasn’t been tested on the water yet but bench testing shows the drive to be stronger than my grip on the end of the shaft with my fingers.
Dirty camper
My VW Camper van has been giving me grief recently. I’ve had to change the fuel filter every 50 miles or it blocks and the van won’t run.
Last week things got so bad that when I reached the bottom of the road, the engine stopped and wouldn’t re-start. At first I thought the fuel pump had failed but two hours later and a visit from the excellent RAC man with carb cleaner, we diagnosed that dirt had reached and blocked the main jet.
Of course the van would then idle happily for ages. I tried it again yesterday and stalled before leaving the drive. No chance of re-starting either. At least I was n the drive and didn’t need the RAC. My membership doesn’t cover home start, they were very generous last time and didn’t make me upgrade.
I’ve been putting off emptying the tank for weeks. As long as we were running I had better things to do. Changing a fuel filter is a matter of two minutes thanks to all my practise so as long as I stayed out of town didn’t give me too many sleepless nights. However with a one ton sculpture on the drive, I had to get on with it.
The fuel line was pulled from the bottom and petrol decanted into a plastic can. Then through a filter made of old T-shirt (Lands End. Nice shirt but killed by an over enthusiastic washing powder tablet) into a jerry can. I had hoped to do this with less than 2/3rd of a tank.
The result was a lot of rust on the filter. Next job is to pull the outlet (22mm spanner or deep socket – just been out to get one)and change the in-tank filter. The petrol will make the same run though the tank and filter until I get clean fuel coming out. After 10 years of ownership this is the first dose of dirty fuel I’ve had. It started instantly so I hope a dirty fill up or a missing in tank filter caused it.
Last week things got so bad that when I reached the bottom of the road, the engine stopped and wouldn’t re-start. At first I thought the fuel pump had failed but two hours later and a visit from the excellent RAC man with carb cleaner, we diagnosed that dirt had reached and blocked the main jet.
Of course the van would then idle happily for ages. I tried it again yesterday and stalled before leaving the drive. No chance of re-starting either. At least I was n the drive and didn’t need the RAC. My membership doesn’t cover home start, they were very generous last time and didn’t make me upgrade.
I’ve been putting off emptying the tank for weeks. As long as we were running I had better things to do. Changing a fuel filter is a matter of two minutes thanks to all my practise so as long as I stayed out of town didn’t give me too many sleepless nights. However with a one ton sculpture on the drive, I had to get on with it.
The fuel line was pulled from the bottom and petrol decanted into a plastic can. Then through a filter made of old T-shirt (Lands End. Nice shirt but killed by an over enthusiastic washing powder tablet) into a jerry can. I had hoped to do this with less than 2/3rd of a tank.
The result was a lot of rust on the filter. Next job is to pull the outlet (22mm spanner or deep socket – just been out to get one)and change the in-tank filter. The petrol will make the same run though the tank and filter until I get clean fuel coming out. After 10 years of ownership this is the first dose of dirty fuel I’ve had. It started instantly so I hope a dirty fill up or a missing in tank filter caused it.
Friday, May 12, 2006
Too fast for the camera !
It works. The Tomkat has had it’s maiden voyage in finished form.
On the water it really stands out. After all the hassle that fluorescent paint works a treat. I don’t think the people who are counting how many laps we do during the race will have difficulty spotting this boat !
Of course every silver lining has a cloud and in this case it arrived in the form of a sheared drive shaft which put and end to the playing, sorry serious testing.
On the water it really stands out. After all the hassle that fluorescent paint works a treat. I don’t think the people who are counting how many laps we do during the race will have difficulty spotting this boat !
Of course every silver lining has a cloud and in this case it arrived in the form of a sheared drive shaft which put and end to the playing, sorry serious testing.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Maiden voyage - sort of.
Not much of a maiden voyage, sailing back and forth in the bath. It’s traditional though, all model boats get their first taste of water this way so who am I to go against tradition ?
Nothing leaked though and the radio control gubins behaved itself. A little weight from an old battery pack and we were floating pretty level. I suspect more will be needed to get to the waterline but you can’t tell when the only view is a plan one.
This weekend I’m going to pull my finger out and try to get the superstructure into some sort of shape so I can take it to the lake and sail it. Extra detail can come later – I need to get on the water.
(Sorry about the photo, I took it with my phone and the bathroom isn’t really bright enough for photography without flash.)
Nothing leaked though and the radio control gubins behaved itself. A little weight from an old battery pack and we were floating pretty level. I suspect more will be needed to get to the waterline but you can’t tell when the only view is a plan one.
This weekend I’m going to pull my finger out and try to get the superstructure into some sort of shape so I can take it to the lake and sail it. Extra detail can come later – I need to get on the water.
(Sorry about the photo, I took it with my phone and the bathroom isn’t really bright enough for photography without flash.)
Monday, May 08, 2006
Stuff from the scrap box
Still trying to improve the radio range on the 40- year old boat (It really needs a name) I’ve managed to use one of those bits that we all keep thinking it will come in useful one day.
I rescued the aerial from a cheap radio controlled toy. It’s been sitting in my pen pot for years. I’ve used it for clearing nozzles a few times. Now with the addition of a base (spare end of a transmitter control stick) and some K&S brass tube we have a whip aerial. The prototype had two of these but I’ve only got enough wire for one at present. If I source some more it will get the second.
The aerial has been wired in to the loop antenna already fitted. Hopefully this addition and some suppression on the motor will mean we can control the boat properly from the other side of the lake.
I rescued the aerial from a cheap radio controlled toy. It’s been sitting in my pen pot for years. I’ve used it for clearing nozzles a few times. Now with the addition of a base (spare end of a transmitter control stick) and some K&S brass tube we have a whip aerial. The prototype had two of these but I’ve only got enough wire for one at present. If I source some more it will get the second.
The aerial has been wired in to the loop antenna already fitted. Hopefully this addition and some suppression on the motor will mean we can control the boat properly from the other side of the lake.
Sunday, May 07, 2006
Ready to launch
It’s been painted, stickered and varnished. The driver has been primed, filled, painted, adjusted to fit his seat properly and re-painted. Finally the Tomkat is finished.
And I think it looks pretty good. It’s certainly going to stand out on the water !
Next job is to make sure it still works. I’ve a habit on locomotive chassis of getting paint where paint shouldn’t be. This quickly wears away and all is well but I’m not sure the same thing applies on a boat. Mind you I don’t care about the slow running characteristics of this model – in fact I don’t want it to have any at all !
Before sailing I fancy a coat of car wax on the bottom to protect the paint from water and make it extra slippery on the lake. Not sure if it really makes a difference but I think this is what proper boat racers are supposed to do so I’ll see how it goes. As long as it doesn’t sink I’ll be happy.
And I think it looks pretty good. It’s certainly going to stand out on the water !
Next job is to make sure it still works. I’ve a habit on locomotive chassis of getting paint where paint shouldn’t be. This quickly wears away and all is well but I’m not sure the same thing applies on a boat. Mind you I don’t care about the slow running characteristics of this model – in fact I don’t want it to have any at all !
Before sailing I fancy a coat of car wax on the bottom to protect the paint from water and make it extra slippery on the lake. Not sure if it really makes a difference but I think this is what proper boat racers are supposed to do so I’ll see how it goes. As long as it doesn’t sink I’ll be happy.
Saturday, May 06, 2006
Flying Boat
Work out how to hold the model BEFORE you start painting. Wise advise that I’ve read several times.
So I need to spray the Tomkat with varnish and decide to hang it from a bit of wood hastily fixed up in the garage. A couple of cheap clamps hold it to the central heating pipework that runs round the edge of the room near the ceiling. The model dangles on some electrical cable I rescued from a trip to the skip. You can cut this when it’s time to take the model down, much easier than untying bits of string. Besides, I didn’t have any string handy.
It works - the model can be guided with one hand while the other works the airbrush or hairdryer. I had to push on the masked innards as they were the only bit not being painted but that wasn’t too bad. Except that the boat is in the way of the only door. So I hung it high to make it easy to duck under. This makes handling it a stretch, not bad for the few seconds that make you think, “That will be OK.” After a few minutes spraying I wish I’d hung it about 18 inches lower down and ducked lower !
The Beetle in the background ? Yes that is another project but one for a dry day ‘cos I don’t want to be welding in the wet…
So I need to spray the Tomkat with varnish and decide to hang it from a bit of wood hastily fixed up in the garage. A couple of cheap clamps hold it to the central heating pipework that runs round the edge of the room near the ceiling. The model dangles on some electrical cable I rescued from a trip to the skip. You can cut this when it’s time to take the model down, much easier than untying bits of string. Besides, I didn’t have any string handy.
It works - the model can be guided with one hand while the other works the airbrush or hairdryer. I had to push on the masked innards as they were the only bit not being painted but that wasn’t too bad. Except that the boat is in the way of the only door. So I hung it high to make it easy to duck under. This makes handling it a stretch, not bad for the few seconds that make you think, “That will be OK.” After a few minutes spraying I wish I’d hung it about 18 inches lower down and ducked lower !
The Beetle in the background ? Yes that is another project but one for a dry day ‘cos I don’t want to be welding in the wet…
Friday, May 05, 2006
Ready mixed paint
Needing to finish my boat with a gloss coat, I popped into a local model shop to buy a can of something suitable. I had to go for Revell instead of my preferred Humbrol as that’s what they had.
On the rack was something new, ready mixed airbrush paint. £1.99 a jar. Cheap enough to give it a go although I bought a couple of metal tins as well.
After a good shake (as per the instructions on the side of the bottle) I decanted some into the cup on the airbrush and started spraying. The verdict – too think. A squirt of thinners improved things no end.
One interesting side effect was the creation of “cobwebs” of varnish appearing in mid air. I think this was a combination of too thick a paint and too wide a spray pattern. Thinning the mix cured the problem although it confused me for several minutes.
Although the bottle is reasonably large I still had to use about half of a tinlet to get a decent gloss finish. Straight from the can it needs a lot of thinner though. Probably 3:1 thinner:varnish. This might explain why the ready mixed version is on the thick side.
And why is it called Email paint ? Not enough letters for enamel or can you download it from the web ?
On the rack was something new, ready mixed airbrush paint. £1.99 a jar. Cheap enough to give it a go although I bought a couple of metal tins as well.
After a good shake (as per the instructions on the side of the bottle) I decanted some into the cup on the airbrush and started spraying. The verdict – too think. A squirt of thinners improved things no end.
One interesting side effect was the creation of “cobwebs” of varnish appearing in mid air. I think this was a combination of too thick a paint and too wide a spray pattern. Thinning the mix cured the problem although it confused me for several minutes.
Although the bottle is reasonably large I still had to use about half of a tinlet to get a decent gloss finish. Straight from the can it needs a lot of thinner though. Probably 3:1 thinner:varnish. This might explain why the ready mixed version is on the thick side.
And why is it called Email paint ? Not enough letters for enamel or can you download it from the web ?
Monday, May 01, 2006
Fixing a rechargeable drill
I hate throwing things away when they can be fixed. I also love tools. So when a well used rechargeable drill started to give less and less useful work for a charge it caused great frustration. The drill was replaced, but the old stager never made it to the bin – like all proper bodgers I kept it in the back of the garage “just in case it comes in handy for something”.
Well it has. At the Larger Scale Model Railway exhibition I found myself in front of the Multicell International stand. They had a pack for rejuvenating old rechargeable devices called “Build-a-pack”. It contains some cells, tags, heat shrink tubing etc. – for a fiver. The guys claimed I could use this to fix my drill.
First job is to extract the batteries which was easy and I pulled out the pack you see on the left of the photo. All I had to do was warm up a soldering iron and replicate this with the new batteries. Soldering the tags to join the cells together was a bit fiddly as the solder didn’t take too well to them. A bit of patience and flux cured this. I started by taping the cells together in the same shape as the old pack. Then I joined them electrically.
The instructions give vague guidance – all they can do as the parts can fix a number of different items. Lots of insulation material is provided so I used some to match the old pack.
Once the job was done I carefully checked the polarity was right before reassembling the battery cover and putting it on charge. Half an hour later the drill was better than normal. Well worth a fiver of anyone’s money.
Well it has. At the Larger Scale Model Railway exhibition I found myself in front of the Multicell International stand. They had a pack for rejuvenating old rechargeable devices called “Build-a-pack”. It contains some cells, tags, heat shrink tubing etc. – for a fiver. The guys claimed I could use this to fix my drill.
First job is to extract the batteries which was easy and I pulled out the pack you see on the left of the photo. All I had to do was warm up a soldering iron and replicate this with the new batteries. Soldering the tags to join the cells together was a bit fiddly as the solder didn’t take too well to them. A bit of patience and flux cured this. I started by taping the cells together in the same shape as the old pack. Then I joined them electrically.
The instructions give vague guidance – all they can do as the parts can fix a number of different items. Lots of insulation material is provided so I used some to match the old pack.
Once the job was done I carefully checked the polarity was right before reassembling the battery cover and putting it on charge. Half an hour later the drill was better than normal. Well worth a fiver of anyone’s money.
Not so super glue
Being someone who believes in health & safety, I have always used an antenna protector on top of the aerial of my transmitter.
While browsing the local sports shop I found some really bright ping pong balls that looked like they would be ideal for the job. I bought one, cut a slit in the bottom and put the aerial in. Since it was just going to wobble around on the top I dripped some superglue in to fix the top to the inside of the ball. This worked very well.
Unfortunately some of the glue ran back down the aerial and glued it up solid so it no longer telescopes. Cue a trip to the bin for the transmitter and a return to the drawing board for this idea.
While browsing the local sports shop I found some really bright ping pong balls that looked like they would be ideal for the job. I bought one, cut a slit in the bottom and put the aerial in. Since it was just going to wobble around on the top I dripped some superglue in to fix the top to the inside of the ball. This worked very well.
Unfortunately some of the glue ran back down the aerial and glued it up solid so it no longer telescopes. Cue a trip to the bin for the transmitter and a return to the drawing board for this idea.
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