I've just spent the weekend trying to build my first brass wagon kit. I visited the Watford Finescale show on saturday (great show!), in order to aquire tools I'll need to build a brass loco. I thought it also wise to get some practice in first, so I was attracted to the Bill Bedford Conflat L kit. In my period, it should make a nice match wagon for a shunter.
I've thoroughly enjoyed putting it together. I've struggled most with the areas where sheets of brass need to be sweated together - I needed quite a few attempts before I hit on a method which worked.
Anyway, things started well:
I was particularly pleased I didn't entirely flood the mesh detail!
After a day or so of building I was ready to trial fit the wheels, and the wagon (although definately a first attempt!) looked quite pleasing to my eye:
However, the eagle eyed will spot there is only one wheelset... This is because the W irons are far too far apart to hold the wheelsets in place. There is a clear air gap of several mm.
Looking over the wagon, I think I've spotted my error:
I think the tabs which hold the suspension spring wire should butt against the inside of the solebar. Re-reading the instructions with this in mind, I think the drawing is clear, and I was simply wrong to assemble them with a gap. Can anyone familiar with these kits confirm my theory?
I'm still pleased with the result, and my main regret is that I didn't buy two or three so that I can start again and correct this mistake straight away

I will bring this along to the next CHEAG meeting for further critique - I have a few more questions!