Ask Phil: Bending brass

 

John asks: I have been given a 009 etched brass kit to build, and to do this, I'll need to bend the metal. As a time-served black country metal basher, the only tools I have for this is a forge, and a 6-pound lump hammer. Will these do the job? 

Well John, probably not. For delicate work, you need a rather different set of implements. 

I recommend a set of flat and square-ended pliers. The Stanley set shown above came from a Pound Shop somewhere in Birmingham over 15 years ago. They are perfect for bending kit parts along the half-etch line that should be on the back on them (always have the line inside the fold). 

For longer folds, a set of bending bars is nice touch, but a pair of steel rulers in a vice will work perfectly well. 

I wrote a bit more in the subject in 2010. 

And on the Hold'n'Fold tool last year. 

Happy folding!  

Which SPUD do you like?

 

David asks: Hi Phil, I recently came across your article about fitting a tenshodo power bogie to a NE railcar. I built one years ago but it would be vastly improved with a Tenshodo power bogie. Can you please tell me which version you used, wheelbase and wheel diameter?

Digging back through my articles, I see that to my shame, I didn't specify this on the page. 

Fortunately, the railcar is within reach in my office, and a quick look with a ruler shows the wheelbase to be about 28mm. Looking online, this suggests a 28.7mm wheelbase SPUD, fitted with the standard 10.5mm diameter wheels. 

Supplies of these useful units aren't great now, although I hear rumours this may improve. Another bit og Google action shows that Locos'n'stuff may be able to help with a replacement.  

Good luck. 

 

B4 loco cradle

 

Martin asks: Hi, as another newcomer to large (tank) locos and real steam, I am intrigued by "little carrying cradle" and how useful it is with a hot loco. How does it work, ie. how does one get a 'hot loco' into the cradle without burning oneself or indeed the cradle? 

The cradle is a pretty simple wooden device as you can see above. 

With the loco removed: 

It's an open-top box, with a piece of somewhat oily corrugated cardboard at the bottom. 

Underneath, you can see how the rope handles are attached. 

Moving the loco in, involved some heat-proof gloves (as supplied with Accucraft models, but others are available) or a couple of bits of cloth to let you touch the bufferbeams. Once in, the rope handles allow me to carry it around freely, and cooly. 

A very useful little device. I'm thinking of making them for some of the other steam engines. 
 

Ask Phil: Sea Lions' radio control

David asks: I have managed to obtain a manual version of Sea Lion, and yes she is a real beauty, I am now looking at converting Sea Lion to R/C, could I impose upon you for some photos of how the R/C kit is fitted and where things like battery and receiver are located, thank you.

Well, here are some photos, but I'm not sure how much help they will be. My model is currently unsteamed, and looking at a loose lead in the cab, not plugged in fully. 

There's no sign of either reciever, or batteries, although I can see a long aerial wire under the boiler. Best guess is that both live in the tanks, although they are very thin, and I can't see an easy way to get inside them.
 

It would help if I could find my instructions - they are around somewhere, but this loco being a shef quee, nowhere near the model!

I hope these photos help a little.

Flat finish grass?

After my look at The Army Painter Matt Varnish last week, Mark asked: 

How do you reckon it would work on scenery? The newly laid static grass on my layout is a bit on the shiny side so I need to tone it down without losing the effect of standing fibres. Some reviews on Amazon comment that it came out shiny but you've achieved a nice flat finish.

To be honest, I've never had a problem with shiny grass. I tend towards Woodland Scenics stuff or Greenscene, both of which have nice, matt fibres. However, others aren't so lucky, and since I have a handy micro diorama left over from some filming, covered in static grass, I gave it a blast. 

 Results look pretty good. It's not clumped up the fibres (click on the image to enlarge it) and the result is still matt. The colours haven't changed either. 

The secret to a matt finish is to shoot light coats on from a distance of 25-30cm as it says on the can. I assume this gives the varnish time to harden slightly so you get the requisite micro texture. 25-30cm is quite a bit further then you might naturally work. I instinctivly spray at 20cm if I'm not thinking. Normally this isn't a problem. 

So, ignore the people on Amazon I say!

The Melbridge Dock display case

 Last week, Woz commented: "You mentioned "it looks terrific in the display case" do you have an overall picture of the display case showing the goodies inside ?"

Here's a view of the business end from the layout's last appearance at a show - Doncaster in 2016. 

The display case came about early in the models' life for a couple of reasons. 

First: People kept looking over the top of the fiddle yard to see what else was in there. I'd already built more locos than we needed and visitors wanted to see what else there was. With only one loco in use on the layout at any one time, you could wait a long while to see a selection. 

Second: The layout is 9ft long, and 3ft of that is fiddleyard. Basically, a third of the frontage was "wasted" as far as the public was concerned. 

Adding the display case solved two problems. People could see those locos not in use, and it added more display. Better still, the fiddleyard was clearer, leaving more space for tea and cake. 

The downside was that the layout no longer fitted in a Mk1 Ford Fiesta and we had to hire a small van instead, pushing the expenses up. On the plus side, moving from a 957cc engine to something over 1 litre, made driving more pleasant. 

We pretty quickly settled down to a way of working that saw the really good running locos (02, 07, Y7) on regular shunting duties and everything else in the box. This suited the visitors as the workaday models aren't that exciting so the box had weird stuff in it. 

Looking at the view above, I think we have the Crane tank, LMS Dock tank, Class 01 diesel, 03 diesel (which always works the very first train of the day), Class 17, Garratt, Not sure, Scratchbuilt Z5, Y8 and Fowler Petrol loco. 

Contents varied a bit. Now I wouldn't be so worried about the Clayton, but in those pre-Heljan RTR model days, it used to cause a stir. 

We'd happily do requests for specific locos if someone wanted to see then operating. Even the Clayton would make appearances to haul out the odd train. 

Having the models to hand meant we could swap things around a bit too. I like to rotate the reliable models so they all get a bit of wear over a weekend. And of course, if anything breaks, then a replacement is readily to hand. 

Mind you, by the time that photo was taken, I had too many locos for the display case..

Ask Phil: A beginners Gauge 1 loco kit

 Lionel asks: Is the Mercian Models G1 Ruston kit suitable for a beginner? 

This is a difficult question to answer. Everything depends on what you mean by "beginner". 

If your construction skills are hardly up to a simple Lego model, then no, it's not. 

However, if you've done a bit of modelling, then "probably". 

Looking back at my notes on the two models I have built, they seemed to go together pretty well. No significant fettling was required, and thanks to using 7mm scale technology in the chassis, it's modelling rather than engineering. 

It helps if you have some skills forming metal. Sharp corners are easy thanks to half-etched lines inside to put the bend in the right place. Curves are a lot tougher - where do they start and finish? How bent are they?

 

 

The biggest challenge is the bonnet top. The gentle curved is easy enough, but the sharper shoulders need to be in the right place, or the piece ends up off-centre and you'll be taking it off and re-bending it to sort that out. Then the brass work-hardens and won't bend as easily, no matter how much you swear at it.

 

It seems I bent the metal over the supporting framework, presumably annealing it first to make that job easier. Extra bracing for the supports would be wise too, although I suspect I didn't bother. It doesn't help that you have to punch the rivets first, then try to push the metal around without flattening them. 

Aside from this, the shear mass of brass is the other problem. Metal sucks the heat out of solder so you need to get that in fast. I tack the bits together with a 45W iron and then seam the joint with a small gas torch and lashings of flux. Lionel tells me he's a happy solderer, so this shouldn't be an issue. 

The biggest problem of all is that the kit is out of stock, but it's worth contacting Trevor to see what he can do. 

 

Bear in mind that the £300 price of the kit is without motor, wheels and gears. That will drive the final bill up by at least £100. Pop a lovely quality ABC gearbox in and you'll double it.

 

Having said, that, the photos remind me that this is a good looking model. I'd quite like one myself!

 

For real beginners, I'd suggest cutting your teeth on some Severn Models kits. They go together well and are a lot cheaper than a loco. If you don't want to keep them, I'm sure eBay would offer a return on your investment. Just ignore the glue and use them as a way to practise both your metal-forming and soldering. If you can assemble something like the garden shed, you're a lot closer to a loco 

Ask Phil: LMS Dock Tank

 

David asks:

 Having made a few kits, DJH and Ks mostly, I wanted to make an LMS dock tank and I know from your blog that you will understand when I say I wish I hadn't bothered.

Your blog has been a great help but I don't think I'll be attempting another all brass loco kit.  

Two Questions:  

1.What did you use to achieve the gleaming finish before painting? 

 2. How did you manage to paint inside the cab? 

At the risk of teaching you to suck eggs - When I solder nuts I thread the nut on a cocktail stick to hold it in position. In the worst case a few twists of a tap is enough to clear any solder. 

When making the waggly bits I just thread a piece of paper between the bits I want to stay free. Thanks for all the tips in your blog, I think I'll achieve a working dock tank though nowhere near as good as yours.

The Mercian LMS Dock tank isn't a beginners kit by a long way. Part of the problem is the prototype puts a lot of wheels in a small area, precluding much in the way of chassis strengthening where you need it. I recall putting bracing wires in in the same way you weld rods into car doorways when straightening the body, just to keep the chassis in line. 

Add to that all the waggly bits (never fun) and a cab roof designed to clip in and out that I've never made work, and this is a kit that requires a level of skill. Were it to be designed now, I suspect that most of these points would be dealt with. That said, it's quicker than scratchbuilding!

You can read one of my builds of this kit here. 

Anyway, the questions: 

1) Shiny locos come from regular application of Shiny Sinks cleaner. After every soldering session, I head down to the kitchen sink to give the metal a scrub with this followed by a nice clean with washing up liquid and plenty of water. Do this ever time and you remove flux from the hidden corners. 

2) The inside of the cab is black on my model. I know it probably should be cream, but I solder the roof wrapper into one piece, or even replace it with a plastic one, and that makes getting the brush inside a nightmare. I have done this, but it's fiddly, knackers the brush and to be honest, if you stand a crew in the doorway, you can't see in anyway!

Good point about the paper when making valve gear. I have used Rizla papers for this, but now prefer tin foil. It's tougher and yet repels solder. 

And don't think I'm a genius with the dock tank. Mind has more slop in the mechanicals than is really ideal, but I think that's why it runs well. I think I had to re-make the pickups at least once before I got there - but now it's a good-looking loco. It's a surprise that there has never been one RTR, but I'm not complaining. 

Incidentally, the kit isn't available in 4mm scale any more, but I'd love to build the Gauge 1 version one day. 

What goes in a model boat?

 

James asks: 

Years ago I built a static model based on a Glyyn Guest design - I didn't know at the time but the prototype I chose actually worked on the River Welland just a few miles from where I now live. 

Anyway, after a gap of 30 years, I'm tempted to have another go at one of his designs. I guess it is nostalgia, and despite being surrounded by dykes I suspect I might never get to sail it. 

The design I like is his a US Fleet Tug "Chumash" I've got the plans and the original article from RCBM back in 1990. It is 4" beam, 25" long and he reckoned came out at 2kg displacement. 

His recommendation was a 540 motor and a Graupner 2308.35 prop. So if I was building it today what would be the basics I need in terms of RC? I'm presuming a basic esc, a mico servo and a reliable 2.4 ghx rx . I'm presuming any Rx will bind with any 2.4 ghz Tx? and batteries? 

I really want something that will be rock solid and simple, and cheap obviously. 

Or for a one off that will hardly get any use should I just buy a cheap RTR boat/crocodile head and cannibalise it? 

My suggestions:

1) Don't go the cheap boat route, you end up with rubbish steering and speed control.

2) I'm using a RadioLink T8FB now (ignore the Planet receiver in the photo above, you can't get these now). You can't bind any transmitter to any receiver, they need to be the same make. RadioLink seem to have the longest life and lots of people use them. Hobby King will do them if you aren't in a hurry, but there are UK suppliers. It seems pretty reliable and the transmitter aerial is robust.

3) You need a speed control (Viper 15A for brushed motors) which is about 20 quid and a servo. Batteries for a Tug, I'd go for a jelly cell since you need weight anyway and they will sail for hours on one charge. Component Shop are good, but others available. If you prefer Ni-Mh's, definitely Component Shop. Very helpful people.

4) Any servo will do the job. There are loads of options but they are all cheap. Again, CS above will sell them and the motor.

Hope this helps. Good luck and let me know how you get on.

 

Answering Questions

Time for a bit of admin answering questions posed in the comments on recent posts.

Paul B asks on the post "A Hen's Tooth": I now have one, with the plastic spike and the original box. Works as well. Now, I have a request which I hope you won't mind as I know you're a bit of a fan of these (pun intended!), can you please post some photos of the inside of the body, of the plastic spacer that sits across the middle of the chassis, and of the body fixing screw? Mine has neither screw nor spacer, and I'd like to see what should be there so that I can fabricate new parts if possible. 

Hopefully, this will help (click on the image for a bigger picture). The bar is a simple plastic item that fits in the recesses in the chassis. The bolt is a long bolt. Something with the thread running all the way up would be just as good.

Hum asks on the post "E-R Models Monorail":  Just out of curiosity, what's the space between the conductor "rails" on that track?

I think this should answer the question. 

Hope this helps everyone. Don't forget you can always use the Ask Phil link on the top right of this page.

Using rollers

David asks:

I just ordered a set of GW rollers, which I have noticed you also use. Any top tips on their use, please?

An interesting question which I've been pondering for a few days. First - good choice of tool. GW Models stuff is well made and will last for ages. If you are going to buy tools, it's nice to go for the best. Mind you, are there cheap rolling bars?

I'm not sure I'm qualified to answer as I'm not really sure I'm using them properly myself, however, if I tell you what I do, helpfull readers will comment below and tell us what I'm doing wrong.

Basically, I use the Allan key to slacken off the bolts at the end so the metal can be slid underneath without bending. Then I gently do them up so the metal is just slightly curved. This is rolled back and forth.

Once happy, I tighten them up a bit more, trying to turn both the same amount. More rolling and basically repeat until the correct curve is achieved. This is normally slightly more curve than you want as the metal will spring back a bit.

Is this right? Well, it works for me. I think the key is not to try to put too much of a bend in the metal in one go. Impatience is likely to result in flats or the metal sticking in the rollers. There is a sweet spot where they are gripping tight enough to move the metal but not too tight so it jams. That, you can only assess while working.

I hope this helps. As I say, more advice eagerly accepted.

Which varnish for transfers?

Tim asks:
Having problems with adhesion of some transfers in a kit.
The surface has a rough misting of Humbrol Acrylic on it.

I’m assuming a varnish would help give the surface more grip. I’m convinced gloss varnish is recommended even though matt strikes me as being more sensible.

Which would you go for?

Different varnishes will give transfers more "grip", but not in the way you are thinking I suspect. 

The standard advice is to apply waterslide transfers (other types vary) on to a gloss surface. This allows the transfer to stick without micro-bubbles of air trapped underneath. You can see the result of this on the model above, the air shows up as "silvering" around the letters.

Gloss varnish gives a perfectly (in theory) smooth surface so no air is trapped. 

I've had mixed results with this. For a start, you really need a very thin coat, applied with a spray from an airbrush or rattlecan. Even then, where you put the transfer needs to be smooth. You could paint with gloss, but I never get on with doing that.

Using Micro-sol or Micro-set over the transfer helps a lot and I've had success with this. It's not a bad idea to paint some on before putting the transfer in place, but work quickly and don't let it dry!

These products aren't a silver bullet - and they do need a bit of practice to get the best from them. 

Of course, once the transfer is dry, you'll then need to matt or satin varnish it to match the rest of the model. 

Thinning acrylic paint

Martin asks:

I am trying to be ‘green’ in my modelling. I plan to use acrylics with my airbrush but Ideally do not want to use any chemical thinners. This might sound odd, but can I use good old fashioned water?

Some paint can be thinned with water - Games workshop stuff and I think Humbrol are fine.

Tamya need their own thinners and Lifecolor are better with theirs too, but again, I have used water.

Cheap bottles from The Works etc. are good with water.


I'd suggest experimenting. Hard or soft water is going to make a difference too. If you don't mind trying chemicals, then cheap car screenwash is apparently very good. The military modellers use it and I have tried it with some success, but I didn't check if it was better than water!

However, I'm no expert on this, so throw the question out to readers for further wisdom in the comments section please.

ABS glue of choice

Andy from the excellent Workshop Shed blog asks:

I was just reading about your boat building and realised you'd be a great person to quiz.

I've got a couple of ABS parts I've printed and wanted to fix them together.

What adhesive would you recommend?


Good question. ABS is a harder plastic than styrene so a more volatile solvent is required. I've tried several and find that Pheonix Precision Paints Superweld works best for me.

Applied with an old paintbrush, it seems to grab really quickly and harden fast. Other ABS glues are available, but this is cheap and very effective so it's the one I return to. Even the bottle shape is good, as the wide neck and fat base seem to prevent accidental knocking over, although having said that I'll probably do it next time I use the stuff...

How to design a micro layout

Luke asks:

I have been modelling for 3 years  now with some quite pleasing, realistic layouts. I’m currently working on an oo gauge Scottish distillery micro layout which is occupying most of my modelling time. I really enjoy building micro layouts but often struggle to plan them very well. How do you go about planning your smaller layouts and how do you design them?

 

 

This is an interesting question and I've been mulling it for a few days.

I guess I should start by saying I aim primarily for a layout that looks nice, but will probably have the purists frothing at it's lack of prototype fidelity. Truth is that the real thing doesn't normally fit into the stupidly small space of a micro layout.

So, I start with the space and try to fit things in there. Sometimes it's easy. With Melbridge Parva, I just stuck a note on this blog and Michael Campbell came up with a plan. All I had to do was build it!

More recently, for Didsbury Green, I knew the overall dimensions of the box it had to travel in. The plan was that aside from a sticky-out fiddle yard, everything would fit on the baseboard. It needed to be a working layout too with no tricksy sector plates to handle one end of the run-round loop.

Which brings me back to deciding what features you need. I consider a run-round essential and ideally, I like sidings pointing in both directions too. Didsbury was planned around a normal 60ft coach, even though I built a 4-wheeler for it in the end.

Planning doesn't need to cost money. Download the Peco Point Plans and print them out full size. Along with some rolling stock and a full-sized bit of paper (or wood) to represent the baseboard, you can build the layout and roughly test operation. Can you get wagons in the sidings, that sort of thing.

Another option is using computer software. I find the Anyrail software good. Since you won't be using many track sections, it's free too. Very handy to play around with things and even if you are going to build your own track, it's a good start.

While planning track, consider mocking up buildings from cereal packet card too. The more you build, the better feel you get for the finished model. Once the planning starts, don't rush it. Always leave things overnight, or better still longer, so you can come back to it with a fresh eye. It's amazing what you spot after a couple of days.

Finally, don't expect great operation. Micro layouts are about building. That said, an Inglenook System like the one I used on Ruston Quays, can provide lots of entertainment without the space required for a loop.

With thousands of potential wagon combinations, there's a lot of "play value" here.

All this is my opinion of course, but if you look at Chris Nevard's layouts, they tend to work on the same sort of basis. All modelling, little operating - he likes playing trains even less than I do - but a lot depends on what you want out of a model.

I hope this helps a little. Layout design isn't easy, the best suggestion is to look at the space available, work out what you want to fit in, and play around with templates. Ultimately, if it looks right to you then it is right.

Happy modelling!

Painting brickwork

Duncan asks:

As I am making an satisfying and active return to model railways, I am attempting new modelling media as well as the older established materials like card, plastic, white metal and brass. I recently puchased the low relief laser cut shop in the photos from a well known on line trading site(!) . It has a lovely smokey smell  and there is some texture on the sides. What paint process would you recommend and how would you go about it, please?

Secondly, I have been given a Coopercraft rail weighbridge and office. I recall you used a coloured pencil/pastel pencil to colour the brickwork. Having gone into a local and less than friendly art shop who were less than helpful, what precise kind of pencil(s) would you recommend, please?

Glad to hear you are getting back into modelling Duncan. As you have found out, over the years, a whole host of new materials have arrived for us to work with. This is great news, although it doesn't mean that the old methods aren't still useful.

Starting with the second question, the pencils I use aren't anything special. I collect brown pencil crayons so I have plenty of colour variety. Harder rather than "watercolour" or other special crayons are my preference and you can see some of the ones I use in the photo above (click for a bigger image). The Staedtler Stabilo came from Staples stationery store, the others from various art shops.

To use them, I paint the bricks beige (Humbrol 121) and once this is fully dry, rub them on the surfaces. 2-3 coats with different colours seem to give the desired effect, but practice makes perfect as you'll need to see what you are happy with. 

Laser-cut brickwork can be a bit of a problem. The edges of the bricks are very sharp and so the pencil crayon method doesn't work. All that happens is the bricks tear the pencil apart. For this, I need to dry-brush paint on. For this, I like a Coloro brush from Humbrol - as I explain in this blog post.

I hope this helps - happy painting! 

"Weathered" doors

Dave asks, "How did you get the effect on the doors of your Petitie Properties brick building? The weathering effect is subtle but effective."

Thanks Dave, but there is nothing clever, I just painted the card board they are made from with a weak wash of Humbrol 144. Being a porus material, they soak it up but don't give a perfect finish. Nothing else was required.

You get the same sort of result when painting plaster buildings. It's important to wait for the paint to dry as it will look very different from the freshly painted appearance. This model from Ten Commandments faded in the same way, and I was really pleased with it.

Who says modelling has to be hard work?

Putting brick Plastikard on the walls

James asked "A question though. When I scratch build I sort of work backwards from the brickwork, to avoid odd edges and corners where the bricks seem only an inch wide. How do you go about making up the brick panels to add to a kit like this? Do you only do it after you've built the structure?"

I suspect the answer is "I cheat" or more likely, "I don't do it properly". Working on the basis that there is always a wall nearest the viewer, this one gets the bricks stuck on first with a slight overlap around the edge.

The others are then covered with the plastic butting up to the overlap and given a good wash of solvent (the plastic is stuck to the MDF with solvent-free UHU, never use a glue with solvent) to ensure a nice tight join.

Finally, I trim the overlap back to the edge. If I were proper finecale, I'd then cut the mortar horizontal lines before painting, but I reckon that most of the time I can get away without doing this. Maybe if the building is right at the front, but the work needs to be neat or it will look worse than the 1mm thick blank spot. Personally, I think a bit of dirt will help and perhaps a drainpipe to distract the eye.

Another option (I've not tried this) would be to leave loads of overlap, scribe along the edge and then band the plastic back at 90 degrees so it wraps around the model. A wash of solvent to soften it might be a good idea and you'd need to be careful not to scribe all the way though which will be tricky.

DCC in kitbuilt locos?

Andy Rossiter asking the questions.

In your “adding extra pickups to model locomotives” workbench article I assume that the picture you show is of a ‘OO gauge” chassis and not ‘O gauge’.

I am currently building a K’s pannier tank white metal kit and using their chassis kit with a new motor. (second full loco kit construction since teenage years, now 59, first was an old Wills pannier kit partially built and bought for a £5 and I’m currently trying to marry a Hornby 0-6-0 chassis to it).

The K’s kit has gone ok and electrical pick up and motor mounting have been achieved but not very well so I am starting again in this area, once I’ve got it running as a DC chassis I want to convert it to DCC.

Do white metal kits present more short-circuiting problems than plastic kits or ready to run when dealing with DCC control?

I can't see that DCC would be impossible, but there are some challenges along the way.

First, you'll need to hard wire the chip in. I think that means you need to identify the two wires in to the chip from the pickups (or pickup and chassis is this is live) and two wires out of the chip to the motor. Presumably there are some instructions somewhere to cover this sort of thing.

The scond problem is that everything is conductive so the DCC chip will need to be insulated from everything. Wrap it in insulating tape or even clingfilm to be on the safe side. I'm tempted even to suggest heat-shrink wrap but it would need to be shrunk by something like a hairdryer to avoid damaging the circuitry.

Good luck with the project. 

Fork lift truck build

Gordon Asks:

I notice from a web site that you built a fork lift truck from a Viking model. Could you be kind enough to send me details.

The model I am building - Burnden Park (was featured in your magazine) is circa late 50’s, and we are looking to for a fork lift truck suitable for that era. Any help would be very useful.

 

My model was built around 2 decades ago so the methods might be a bit out of date. I think you have a better chance of buying something suitable now from Base Toys or Noch. None of that was an option back then, so I started with a plastic model from Kibri. 

Looking at the photos, I needed something from the days when we didn't care if people died when the trucks tipped over. That meant the safety cage had to go. 

 

The modern prototype was also too long so I cut the model in half and stuck it back together. Yo9u can see the join under the model but by cutting along an obvious join, this was hidden. #

Fork lift trucks are a vital part of the indusatrail scene, or at least they have been since the 1950s. Early models were quite small though, like this one: