Door Handles, which ones?

[Serjt-Dave]

Hi All. I'm planning on upgrading some Bachmman coaches. One of the jobs is to add proper door handles grab rails etc. I know that Comet and MJT do etched ones but are there any better ones available? I remember years ago someone produced turned handles, are they still available and if so by who'm?

Thanks

Dave

[BryanJohnson]

Try the Markits range.

Bryan

[Will L]

Hi All. I'm planning on upgrading some Bachmman coaches. One of the jobs is to add proper door handles grab rails etc. I know that Comet and MJT do etched ones but are there any better ones available? I remember years ago someone produced turned handles, are they still available and if so by who'm?

IMHO the turned examples tend to be over size and ignore the front of a T handles was flat and the etched examples just aren't fine enough and much too flat! So you can't win really. Manufacturing your own grab handles from wire (*1 below), and T door handles (*2 below) is still hard to beat on the appearance front. Unless you want those funny loop door handle things the GW went in for.

*1 Grab handles, bend up round pins set into a wood block, flatten as appropriate, with a file, or a hammer, or by squeezing in a vice or similar. Depends a bit on the shape your after.
*2 T Door Handles. Small brass pin, solder groups onto a scrap of brass strip with the head aligned, then you can file up a whole load in one go, quicker easier and much more consistent.

[Tim V]

I would do the same as Will says.

On my old RMweb workbench thread I covered just this thing.
http://www.rmweb.co.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... &start=125

[David Thorpe]

I agree with Bryan - the Markits turned ones are little beauties. I've no idea as to whether they're too big or not, but they certainly look fine when fitted.

DT

[Derek]

I agree with that the Markit's T handles are the best.

The Bill Bedford hand rail jig (available from Eileens Emporium+ others perhaps) is a good tool for making straight grab rails to the right length, with accurate bends at the end. Even with my 10 thumbs I can make grab handles quickly and easily.

Derek

[BryanJohnson]

Hi,

My earlier reply was just a quick response on my phone.

The coaches on page 21 of S4News 192 have Markits 'Coach Door T handles'. Once the painting is complete, the paint will be scraped off the door handles and most of each grab handle. The light varnishing and weathering will dull the bare brass down to give something like the correct patina.

Bryan

[Serjt-Dave]

Thanks for your help guys.

Grab rails I'm not too bothered about as I'm updating Bullied coaches and they have nice straight ones {ish}. However I didn't know about the Bill Bedford jig that will make things easier.

As for the door handles, I'll try both and see what they are like side by side. Though I agree the Markit's ones may be a bit over sized. As the Medway Towns are not renowned for it's lace making will have to source a supply.

Again thanks for your advice.

Dave

[Derek]

Dave

Just for future reference just in case you ever do need them, the jigs are below. Even a 10 thumb modeller like me cannot go wrong with them.

https://www.eileensemporium.com/index.p ... 6&Itemid=9

Derek

[Serjt-Dave]

Thanks Derek, yes I will be ordering them tomorrow. They will be an asset not only for forming the crab handles but for making out the drill holes.

All Best

Dave

[Serjt-Dave]

Hi All. The postman brought me some goodies yesterday, so I thought I'll make up some samples to show you.

The first door handle {top left} is a filed brass pin. Although not hard to make up and I even enjoyed filing it though this was just one pin and I could see how it could loose it's luster doing several coaches worth.

The second handle {top right} is a Markit's turned handle. All I did to this was reduce the length of the handle {supplied about 2mm long, I reduced it to 1.5mm} and then polished it with a bit of emery paper to take off the corners.

The third handle {lower middle} is a Comet Models etched handle. Again all I did was rub a bit of emery over it.

One thing which to I think is the clincher for me to use the Markit's ones is that they have a round base so the height of the handles will always be the same.

Anyway what do you think? Sorry that the image isn't brilliant did it in a rush just before dins dins.

Doorknobs.jpg