7mm On Heather's Workbench - small and perfectly formed

[OzzyO]

Hello Heather,

one other thing to look out for is the size of the hole in the top of the horn guide. It normally works out at 10BA but for the springs to fit you need 12BA, all I do is clean the hole up and solder a length of 1.5mm tube in and tap it 12BA after you have soldered it in place.

You can get some nice crank pin nuts from J.L.T.R.T. or C.P.L.

OzzyO.

 

[Heather Kay]

Thanks chaps.

You've highlighted one of my weaker points, in that my loco bodging building experience is fairly limited - at least as far as things with coupled wheels is concerned. I shall be looking at investing in some simple jigging system.

Ozzy, yes, the horn guide holes need sorting. I'm hoping I can get away with simply tapping for 12BA, but your method will be kept in mind when the inevitable happens.

Today I am recuperating after a later night at a birthday drinks party in London. I don't do London as rule, and doing it at night is not something I relish. Still, despite the train taking 90 minutes to get back to Chatham, stopping at every station on the line while it did so, I managed to get back to bed before 1am…

 

[Heather Kay]

I spent some of Friday making the coupling rods, something I should have done a lot sooner. I have a blister on my finger* from opening out the holes to take the Slater's bearings. I really must buy some better drills. I found the back of the Slater's crankpins fouled the bearings (didn't they used to be countersunk?), so I had to slightly countersink and glue them in before filing back flush with the wheel again.

Holding my breath, I held the bearings in the guides with Blu-tack, fitted the wheels and dropped the rods on...

A gentle push along the bench revealed the tiniest amount of binding. Well, I thought, I'd got away with it so far. I set about investigating, only to find the binding was actually the rods fouling the support brackets on the upward stroke.



My luck was holding.

Some work with the whizzy disc and the chassis rolled along the bench happily.

Remember, this whole thing has been constructed bass-akwards by an idiot, without any jigs or aids at all. Blind luck or a well-engineered kit? Who can say!

Just to prove I'm not fibbing about the running, I set up a test track. I hope to get an Oscar or BAFTA for the best use of a MacBook Pro, whetstone and length of track in a short film.

I am living proof that even an idiot can make this chassis run first time.









* Money For Nothing by Dire Straits

 

[Dog Star]

...I have a blister on my finger* ...

* Money For Nothing by Dire Straits

Possibly, however I give you John Lennon... when he screams this phrase between tracks on "The White Album".

As for opening out the holes in Slater's bushes, try putting the bearing diameter into a pin chuck, with the flange outer, and then enlarge the hole with a cutting broach from Squires (and then possibly finishing the job with a smoothing broach from the same source).


post edit
Apologies all, I got the attribution wrong. The outburst on The White Album was Ringo Starr and not John Lennon - source this quote from Wiki:-

""After the 18th take, Ringo Starr flung his drum sticks across the studio and screamed, "I got blisters on me fingers!" "".

and that outburst got included at the end of Helter Skelter as the music faded.

 

[Heather Kay]

Possibly, however I give you John Lennon... when he screams this phrase between tracks on "The White Album".

I guess Mr Knopfler was making a reference, in that case.

As for opening out the holes in Slater's bushes.

The bushes were fine. I was opening the holes in the coupling rods for the bushes. It took me about half an hour each hole. Serves me right for being lazy and not acquiring the proper tools yet. *ouch*

 

[Dog Star]

The bushes were fine. I was opening the holes in the coupling rods for the bushes.

OK, sorry for my mis-understanding - drill the coupling rod to 2.2 or 2.3mm and then take out to running fit with a cutting broach. Unless the bushes are not 2.4mm OD.

 

[Heather Kay]

OK, sorry for my mis-understanding - drill the coupling rod to 2.2 or 2.3mm and then take out to running fit with a cutting broach. Unless the bushes are not 2.4mm OD.

Exactly. I currently don't have drills the right size. Such beasts have moved up my wish list.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Exactly. I currently don't have drills the right size. Such beasts have moved up my wish list.

Hi Heather

Have a look at this link it might be of some use to you, I bought one, some I've had to re sharpen but you do get a lot for the money.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Am-Tech-Dri...qid=1390240238&sr=8-5&keywords=drill+box+sets

If I can find the broaches I bought I'll put a link up for them as well.

Dave

 

[Heather Kay]

Thanks Dave!

 

[Dave Bowden]

Hi Heather

Have a look at this link it might be of some use to you, I bought one, some I've had to re sharpen but you do get a lot for the money.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Am-Tech-Drill-Set-150-Pieces/dp/B002TOH7YC/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1390240238&sr=8-5&keywords=drill box sets

If I can find the broaches I bought I'll put a link up for them as well.

Dave

Heather have a look at these on Ebay 321281791770 and others

Another good source for taps and other modelling tools is RDG tools at www.rdgtools.co.uk

Dave

 

[Pugsley]

I can heartily recommend RDG, I've had several things off them over the years.

 

[SimonT]

Heather,
do you have the correct wheels for a 57XX? My wheels did the same on my 64XX and I filed a similar clearance on the step structure. It was only when I did final assembly and the wheels and connecting rods had the chance to meet the outside brake rods that I discovered my error - wheels with the wrong throw.

Hope that I am wrong!

Simon

 

[Heather Kay]

Hope that I am wrong!

So do I!

I'm sure they were the right ones on the Slater's listing, and the numbers matched what the instructions recommended.

Time will tell. I want to sort out the suspension next, then get the thing motorised.

 

[3 LINK]

Morning Heather,

Just to put your mind at rest, I can remember filing down that support bracket on my 57xx and it's just one of those things .

Martyn.

 

[OzzyO]

Hello all,

we have to think about some things, looking at the photos. The horn-blocks are at the top of the travel. If this is the case, are the axle centres at the correct hight?
When I'm setting up a set of frames I scribe a centre line along the frames to show me the axle centre line.
You will need some room for the spring and the screw to allow for some adjustment of the axle boxs and to allow for the space of the spring at full compression.

If you don't have the axle boxes at the correct hight to start with. You can end up with all sorts of problems later on with the build of the frames.

OzzyO.

 

[Heather Kay]

we have to think about some things, looking at the photos. The horn-blocks are at the top of the travel. If this is the case, are the axle centres at the correct hight?

Not yet. I'm working at that area now.

They don't tell you all this complicated stuff in the 'structions.

 

[OzzyO]

Hello Heather, all,

this is what I use for setting the ride hight of the frames. It's two lengths of 1" angle aluminium (I got it from B&Q) screwed to a length of melamine coated chip board. With the uprights at about 3" centres. For the dummy axles I'm using some 3/16" silver steel.

You can just make out the axle centre line. The centre axle is set approx 25 thou high so that it can go up and down. When you have done this you should find that you don't have to remove any metal (or they little) from the footplate supports.

OzzyO.

 

[alcazar]

Heather: Now that's what I CALL a "rolling road".

Ozzy: clever. Idea noted.

Some drills: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...t&_nkw=miniature+drill+set&_sacat=0&_from=R40

The ones in the yellow tray are VERY cheap for what you get and not bad...at £10 for 150 delivered, just chuck away any that go blunt.
I was a little worried about how cheap, but have had no problems with mine...except for accidentally kicking the box and spreading the drills to the four corners of the living room......

No connection with the seller except as a satisfied customer.

 

[Dave Bowden]

Heather: Now that's what I CALL a "rolling road".

Ozzy: clever. Idea noted.

Some drills: http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_t...t&_nkw=miniature+drill+set&_sacat=0&_from=R40

The ones in the yellow tray are VERY cheap for what you get and not bad...at £10 for 150 delivered, just chuck away any that go blunt.
I was a little worried about how cheap, but have had no problems with mine...except for accidentally kicking the box and spreading the drills to the four corners of the living room......

No connection with the seller except as a satisfied customer.

Jeff

I would agree with you they could do with a better box, I've had to pick mine off the floor once, having a mic. helps to get them back in the right sections!

Dave.

 

[Heather Kay]

Some drills

I'm afraid I have a long-term allergy to eBay, but thanks for finding that "loadsa drills".

I've got my eye on a different set, from RDG Tools. As my modelling business empire grows, I'm tending to look at quality over quantity.