7mm JF's assorted stuff.
- Thread starter Jon Fitness
- Start date
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
If it was the L/H bracket on Canton then yes they are included on the bracket etch. Trying to get decent small cranks to a standard size doesn't appear to be easy. Many signal kits include them and they are available on accessory etches from the signal manufacturers but they are of varying size/numbers/usefulness on each etch. I like, if possible, to add a bit of tube to form a bearing but not all are wide enough to do it. I have sent off for some from Masokits which although designed for 4mm scale may be right for use in 7mm. Just got to wait for delivery now (2 weeks and waiting...)
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Not much to report other than I've now got some interesting looking etched bellcranks to use on signals. Rather thin and designed for use with 4mm scale, they fold up to double thickness and are intended to have a small length of bearing tube soldered in. Should be fun!...
JF
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
It's amazing how easy it is at Xmas, to end up doing nothing more than sitting in front of the box, drinking ale and eating all sorts of unsuitable foods so once the Ladykillers had finished on Boxing day, it was time to get off the couch and fire up the soldering iron.
The bits-box was raided for all the various parts needed to kit out a few more SR railbuilt signals. The kits I'm building are essentially Scale Signal Supply ones but I've supplemented them with some of the more useable bits from the MSE range.
I now have 4 ready for the paintshop!
More soon
Jon F.
The bits-box was raided for all the various parts needed to kit out a few more SR railbuilt signals. The kits I'm building are essentially Scale Signal Supply ones but I've supplemented them with some of the more useable bits from the MSE range.
I now have 4 ready for the paintshop!
More soon
Jon F.
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
With all the festivities dealt with, time has allowed some paint to be applied.
I'm really not that keen on the grey bits on these signals but as the SR and BR(S) were, it has to go on. I'm never sure which one of the 50 shades to use and it looks either too light or too dark whatever I do.
The chevrons on the distant are vinyls that a friend offered from his place of work (a sign-makers). They look OK on GW signals and although they are a great help they don't quite match the "V" on the upper quadrants so I may replace them.
As I've used etched arms on all but one of these signals, I've had the opportunity to try a different arm stop on these. I usually use a small piece of wire in the post to catch the arm tail at danger but this time I soldered a little piece of strip to the back of the spec. plate. This then rests against the post when the arm's at danger.
I'm off to do battle with a loco kit now (one I fully expect to make such a clumsy effort at so I won't be showing my "methods" off!) but I'll be back with some GWR signals in a short while.
Wishing you all a constructive, productive and above all Happy 2015
Cheers
Jon F.
I'm really not that keen on the grey bits on these signals but as the SR and BR(S) were, it has to go on. I'm never sure which one of the 50 shades to use and it looks either too light or too dark whatever I do.
The chevrons on the distant are vinyls that a friend offered from his place of work (a sign-makers). They look OK on GW signals and although they are a great help they don't quite match the "V" on the upper quadrants so I may replace them.
As I've used etched arms on all but one of these signals, I've had the opportunity to try a different arm stop on these. I usually use a small piece of wire in the post to catch the arm tail at danger but this time I soldered a little piece of strip to the back of the spec. plate. This then rests against the post when the arm's at danger.
I'm off to do battle with a loco kit now (one I fully expect to make such a clumsy effort at so I won't be showing my "methods" off!) but I'll be back with some GWR signals in a short while.
Wishing you all a constructive, productive and above all Happy 2015
Cheers
Jon F.
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Back on the signals again!
A couple of GW wooden posted examples this time. Nice and simple; no servos, no lights, manual digital operation only.
The arms used are Scale Signal Supply, with a mixture of MSE/SSS and home produced castings with D&S ladders. The first one is a stop signal with shunt arm beneath. The "S" is from a MSE etch (I think). This is the basic signal.
The lampman's platform is a home produced casting with 0.6mm N/S wire for the stanchions and also for locating pins to go into the post.
The assembled signal ready for tidying and painting
The next one is a R/H bracket, again wooden posted with early pattern arms, the R/H arm being a smaller one.
The brackets as supplied are for 2 "full length" arms and are designed to be snipped and adjusted to suit which ever configuration you need. I decided to shorten these as one arm will be a shorter type.
As supplied..
One modified
Both prepared for action with a strip soldered along the lower edge. (I got it right this time and didn't rivet them both from the same side!!)
I only put strip along the lower edge rather than top and bottom as the tops are hidden by the lamp-mans staging.
More soon
JF
A couple of GW wooden posted examples this time. Nice and simple; no servos, no lights, manual digital operation only.
The arms used are Scale Signal Supply, with a mixture of MSE/SSS and home produced castings with D&S ladders. The first one is a stop signal with shunt arm beneath. The "S" is from a MSE etch (I think). This is the basic signal.
The lampman's platform is a home produced casting with 0.6mm N/S wire for the stanchions and also for locating pins to go into the post.
The assembled signal ready for tidying and painting
The next one is a R/H bracket, again wooden posted with early pattern arms, the R/H arm being a smaller one.
The brackets as supplied are for 2 "full length" arms and are designed to be snipped and adjusted to suit which ever configuration you need. I decided to shorten these as one arm will be a shorter type.
As supplied..
One modified
Both prepared for action with a strip soldered along the lower edge. (I got it right this time and didn't rivet them both from the same side!!)
I only put strip along the lower edge rather than top and bottom as the tops are hidden by the lamp-mans staging.
More soon
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
The bracket signal is now ready for the paintshop and I should hopefully get at least the white done tonight, T3s and line blockages permitting of course....
More soon
JF
More soon
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Hmmm. The more I look at those flat etched ladders, the more I realise I've got to, at some time, move on to built up ones. I have attempted them many times, wasting hour after hour, still ending up with something that looks like the results of a bad derailment on Z gauge track
. I've even sat with Derek Mundy at a demo stand and he kindly and patiently showed me how to do it using his brass jig. I tried to copy his methods when I got home and the ladder sides flinched before I even got the iron near them
!
What I need is a jig that not only supports the rungs, but securely holds the sides straight so theres no chance of buckling. Maybe something machined from tufnol or similar with a side clamping facility....any ideas?
Jon F..
. I've even sat with Derek Mundy at a demo stand and he kindly and patiently showed me how to do it using his brass jig. I tried to copy his methods when I got home and the ladder sides flinched before I even got the iron near them!What I need is a jig that not only supports the rungs, but securely holds the sides straight so theres no chance of buckling. Maybe something machined from tufnol or similar with a side clamping facility....any ideas?
Jon F..
Ressaldar
Western Thunderer
Hi Jon,
here are a few shots of the jig that Dave Sharp includes with his Q1 kit for the tender ladder, which in itself was a pleasure to build, I think that I have kept one somewhere in the workshop, so if you are interested please let me know. In the meantime, I'm sure the pictures will give you some ideas for what you are looking for.
cheers
Mike
here are a few shots of the jig that Dave Sharp includes with his Q1 kit for the tender ladder, which in itself was a pleasure to build, I think that I have kept one somewhere in the workshop, so if you are interested please let me know. In the meantime, I'm sure the pictures will give you some ideas for what you are looking for.
cheers
Mike
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
That's sort of like a smaller version of the Southwark Bridge one I have. I would imagine it's a superb bit of kit if it's MOK though. Obviously any jig I design would have to match available etched ladder sides. I wouldn't mind trying that MOK one though 
.
JF.
.JF.
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Well, the primer went on OK, as did the black and the red!
The whole structures were sprayed with Halfords white primer and dried on the radiator in the S&T workshop. Much careful masking took place which allowed me to spray the ironwork Halfords matt black as I can't get a good finish on ladders and brackets with a brush.
The red isn't really that "pink", it's just the lighting in the living room at home! It's Halfords Audi Laser Red sprayed over white and is a good "orangey" signal red under natural light. I also use it for any Lancashire United model buses I make!
There are still quite a few finishing jobs to do; painting the finials red and the S white, wooden staging on the bracket and backblinders for the straight post signal etc, but nearly there now..
More soon
JF
The whole structures were sprayed with Halfords white primer and dried on the radiator in the S&T workshop. Much careful masking took place which allowed me to spray the ironwork Halfords matt black as I can't get a good finish on ladders and brackets with a brush.
The red isn't really that "pink", it's just the lighting in the living room at home! It's Halfords Audi Laser Red sprayed over white and is a good "orangey" signal red under natural light. I also use it for any Lancashire United model buses I make!
There are still quite a few finishing jobs to do; painting the finials red and the S white, wooden staging on the bracket and backblinders for the straight post signal etc, but nearly there now..
More soon
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
All done but looking way too clean! Caught the last of the light outside to take some pics....
All this batch of signals have magnets on the base so that they can be temporarily fitted to the layout and removed after "playtime" so...if he gets bored of the layout they'll make pretty cool fridge magnets..
More soon
Jon F.
All this batch of signals have magnets on the base so that they can be temporarily fitted to the layout and removed after "playtime" so...if he gets bored of the layout they'll make pretty cool fridge magnets..
More soon
Jon F.
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Got some paint on the H class (and some not very good lining). I ended up making the missing bit from the push-pull gear as this loco is off down to the IOW with me at 0625 tomorrow morning and LG's casters haven't caught up yet.
Lots of signals on the go at the moment including these 2 ex LMS running line to loop signals. I've also got a gantry on the go too but for some reason the pics won't upload at the mo'.
More soon.
JF
). I ended up making the missing bit from the push-pull gear as this loco is off down to the IOW with me at 0625 tomorrow morning and LG's casters haven't caught up yet.Lots of signals on the go at the moment including these 2 ex LMS running line to loop signals. I've also got a gantry on the go too but for some reason the pics won't upload at the mo'.
More soon.
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
The running line to loop signals are progressing with bolting plates, lamps, LEDs and wires all fitted. I've also made one of the cross shaft assemblies for the operating linkages.
More soon
JF
More soon
JF
Jon Fitness
Western Thunderer
Thanks Scott! The 24 was very nice to build but I did make a few alterations to it. The inner bogie castings are set up to accept the Slaters motor-gearbox set up. I had a motor and gears set already so i had to hack the casting about a bit to accept the older style separate motor and gears. I changed to glazing method too. The instructions are insistent that you have to glaze the cab first, mask off the windows then paint it, claiming that the glazing can't be fitted after assembly. A bit of filing to the cab bulkheads means that you can spray the bodyshell and glaze afterwards. It's just possible to spring the bulkheads and cab desks in afterwards but it's a bit of a nailbiter as you are anticipating a "CRACK" as one of the glued joints lets go. I've done 2 JLTRT locos like that and got away with it!!
Otherwise, apart from from dodgy instructions, nice kits. Looking forward to the D600 warship kit!
JF
