Scalefour Forum

Looks like you need to rename your part of the forum

Tim, Something in the back of my dusty mind says someone was/is producing small brass washers of varying thicknesses, presumably to help with the variations you describe? Dave H I think it was Masokits again. Trouble is it's a workaround for poor quality components. Also squeezing the W irons in ju...

Where to start? What length are the axles? A lot of axles are under the recommended 26mm. Most I measured were 25.8mm. This can lead to slop. Only 'some' of the pinpoint bearings are actually accurate and within tolerances. Mike Clark (Masokits) used to do a little etch to help you decide what depth...

If this is about lightweight baseboards, you may be interested to know the next News contains an article on building them.

A long time ago, when I joined the society, the joining leaflet had on the back a reading list of P4 related articles. I thought I'd find the answer there as to which MRC the NLG's decisions were set out in. A very comprehensive set of articles were in the MRC on the building of Bodmin. Unfortunatel...

There was an interesting editorial in the November HMRS Journal. In it the point was made that finescale society journals (I wonder if he's referring to the News?) are full of articles that have little to do with railway modelling, and a lot to do with getting the things to work. Hence articles on m...

I put a bridge rectifier across the ammeter, no need for any switches. Worked fine with DCC.

I found on Clutton I could just swap wheels (for good ones!) change couplings, and provided I pulled them, never pushed them, they were very reliable. If you want to shunt them, then I think that compensation/springing becomes necessary. For building wagons I can thoroughly recommend the Brassmaster...

Here you are. Mine is the Unimat 3. IMG_0474.JPG My original motor packed up with worn brushes, so I bought a new motor for it (seen on the lathe). Then I made an extra pole to support the old motor - by now fitted with new brushes (from a Hoover of some description) to create the precision vertical...

No one has mentioned the Unimat, which covers all the bases - precision vertical drill, small milling machine and lathe.

I've had mine about 30 years - a very good investment.

As I pointed out in the other thread, it isn't the baseboards that are noisy, it is poorly engineered stuff running on top of it. Look there first - remove those XO4s (and the like), fit properly engineered bearings, decent gearboxes, decent motors. Plus controllers that don't make the motors buzz w...

But it's surely better to get it right first time.

So many modellers give up because they can't get it right. A great pity.

We should be pressing for decent wheels that don't need drilling. Wheels that are round and square to the axles. Wheels that self-quarter.

Oh well we can all dream ...

Illustrative purposes only!

Agree with you Phillip about the need for a precision vertical drill. If there is any doubt about one's ability to drill a vertical hole through the wheel - don't do it. All this talk of worrying that the hole 'might' not be vertical. If that is the case, clearly something is wrong, you need to exam...

Actually no.

My workbench thread covers the jig I made viewtopic.php?f=105&t=913&start=175

I think I covered this in my workshop thread, but I consider that it's important to drill from the back of the wheel - thus ignoring the countersink. That way the drill will follow the direction you intend, rather than what it wants to do! But surely if you drill from the back and the drill does wa...

When I built mine (many years ago ...) I cut out the glazing to fit in the holes, then held them in with varnish (I think). Idea from MRJ 7/8.

I think I covered this in my workshop thread, but I consider that it's important to drill from the back of the wheel - thus ignoring the countersink. That way the drill will follow the direction you intend, rather than what it wants to do!

Have you looked in 'Model railway Layout Design' (WSP 19990) by Iain Rice at his 'Jigsaw' layout? Track on one board, scenery on others.

Hi I have been looking at the GW advertisement in MRJ. I see he does a wheel puller. Is this something that I need/would be useful? Best wishes Useful, but only if you intend pulling wheels off! Better plan is to put the wheels on once, and put them on right. This should be the last stage of constr...

Andrew That soldering iron is awfully close to that curtain. The only specialist tools I've found to be really useful: the GW wheel press, and the EMGS or Comet (I think do them) frame spacer jigs. I couldn't get on with the Panavice, but do have a Burgeon clone vice. However, any vice can do, but c...

I have one, like Rod I used carefully selected wheels.

If they are not quite round, you do get used to the wheel wobble, but it is what else the wagon detects you are interested in.

Here is a drawing of the L girder principle. Note that the trackbed does not float on the supports, but is screwed to every support, thus providing rigidity. Homasote (Sundeala in this country) is laid on top of the roadbed, for the track to be pinned to.

So, it was 4' long, screwed down at the ends only.

I'm not surprised it bowed.

Even more reasons not to have missed the show!