Scalefour Forum

I have understood that there is/was problem with the web of some rails having become thicker over the years (or now manufactured like that) so that the fit in the chairs is very tight - possibly too tight. Interestingly, a year ago I assembled some FastTrack bases and the fit of older rail was much ...

Hum. I thought our member recruiting process always sold membership on the basis that while our track gauge was defined as 18.83mm, we used gauges to set this and there was no need to indulge in high precision measurements? I’m not disagreeing with the use of gauges - that’s how I would build track...

These wheels look very nice indeed. What is the fit like on the axles - stiff enough to avoid having to pin them?

Phili

I’m very much with Dave in using a vernier as an additional method of checking gauge and other critical dimensions. There are some places where you can’t get a gauge and also the ‘feel’ of a gauge comes with experience. Basic construction is fairly easy with the gauges but getting rid of the odd pro...

GW do a 3mm spigot on request. I would give George a call and I’m sure he would post you a couple. I guess a small charge perhaps.

Philip

Have just checked and almost all mine seems to be fibreglass, so I’ll be careful. Thanks for all the advice.

Philip

This has all been very interesting, and I’m grateful for Terry’s reasonable take on the risk of sawing the stuff. I’m not spending days cutting industrial quantities, just a hundred sleepers from time to time to make a few yards of track and some strips for pointwork. As this is mostly track for the...

Terry, I am a bit nervous about the dust (glad the machine has got a nozzle to connect a vacuum cleaner!), but I know what PCB can do to saw blades. The blade that came with the machine is now completely smooth after not much use, but I did know that it wasn’t a specially hardened blade. I just didn...

Tony, my sheets are a lot smaller, less than 150 mm square and holding them for sawing or whatever is going to be interesting. I too have thought of cutting into sleeper lengths first and then chopping off individual sleepers. On a shear that might prevent curl too. Martin, that looks a very good ma...

Thanks for the links, chaps. I did see some cheaper shears (but cheaper still and looked a bit more agricultural!) similar to the ones In your link, Martin, from ARC Euro, but when I enquired of the supplier they said they didn’t think they would cut properly and would tear the PCB. I was concerned ...

Tony, I am getting tempted, simply for the time it will save. I have looked at the MicroMark bench shear and press, but your one looks to be able to cut longer strips. Presumably the strips cut will be flat, as with a decent guillotine? My PCB is in approx 6” squares about 1mm thick. Would you mind ...

I've got a lot of PCB to cut too but have a small table saw with a special blade. I will have to be careful with the dust so I guess it's outside with a mask on and the vacuum cleaner hooked up to the back of the machine. This shear looks very good but I got frightened by the cost of it!

Philip

Thanks Dave,

I quite like the idea of the rubberised cork, might be a bit better for sound insulation that standard cork.

Philip

pete_mcfarlane wrote:I think there's a picture of a completed Jidenco/Falcon 01 in one of Iain Rice's books.

I think I know who built that engine. I might be able to find out more, but perhaps this is getting away from William’s original query regarding building the Branchlines one?

Philip

Dave,

You might have written about this before, so apologies if so, but what is the underlay you’ve used for the track? It looks like the rubberised cork kind, rather than plain cork, and at what thickness please? Presumably it’s quite smooth and stable.

Philip

I have just remembered that I had a Ilfracombe Goods kit when they first came out and that too had an oval boiler, so maybe the casting technique used had the same fault? I returned the kit and (on Les Darbyshire’s advice, and he knew about these engines) bought a Falcon one. Les said it was one of ...

One of your usual tidy jobs, Jim. Interesting how you wrapped the Comet frame around the Bachmann chassis to allow for some springing. One thing though, I’m intrigued about you soldering a bit of tube into the connecting rod to reduce the size of the hole. I wouldn’t rely on that joint because every...

William, There is a solution to the chassis top line weakness, but although I know it will work, I hesitate a little, for fear my sanity might be questioned. But here goes... If the model is fairly evenly weighted (and with a cast boiler it should be) and provided the wheels are absolutely concentri...

My solution to the wheel problem is not to keep taking them on and off. I only do it once at the end of most of the construction. Alignment of brakes etc is done with the wheels slid onto wooden axles (this is also how I work out sideplay) and the brake hangers are bent back when the GW press is use...

William, I’ve not seen the 0 kit but I suspect it may be similar to their Ilfracombe Goods kit. I was going to use a High Level gearbox and a 1220 or 1224 Mashima motor, but this was before the advent of the 10 series. That kit had a cast boiler/firebox and if the 0 is the same there would be plenty...

Here's a couple of pictures: Ambis hooks I think and the chain I described. I didn't make a very good job of closing one of the middle links! Brassmasters also supply some very fine chain for couplings.

Philip

My preference is for an Ambis or Brassmasters hook, with either home produced links or links adapted from the formerly available EM Society chain. Often I will use a steel EMGS link either side of an old MGW nickel silver link, which gives a coupling a little longer than scale but more user friendly...

If you do have a Melbourne Finescale Group meeting will you allow previous visitors to join in and say hello?

Philip

I have had some Sharman axles (and others) over the years which didn’t turn nicely, being quite hard and rough. My favoured material now is steel that has been supplied to me by Ultrascale, which turns beautifully to a nice finish. As you have found, sometimes an AG axle is too short which is the us...

John, my workshop was pretty warm this morning too. Just about to see what it’s like now. But useful for getting filler and epoxy to harden. On the other subject, I belong to the ‘masses of pickup’ brigade, so my tender engines collect on all drivers and at least four tender wheels. Some use the bog...