Bunds*

[alandoyle]

This post has nothing to do with the Federal Republic of Germany or its Central Bank.

A bund is a container around a tank, designed to catch any liquid leaking out of the tank, or to catch the entire contents if the tank fails. In environmental licences, it is usual to require tanks containing liquids to be bunded to 110% of the largest tank so that, if there is a spill, the spilled material is contained and can be mopped up before it causes any damage.

I've noticed many modellers complain about tipping over jars, and they advise attaching them to a stout base, or using blu-tak to hold them down. No doubt this is good advice.

Personally, I bund my flux and solvents - by putting them in a lunch box whenever the lid is loose. Hopefully, when I come to knock something over, it will spill into the lunch box and I'll catch it all. (Should be simple, but Murphy's law will inevitably find a way.) I've never seen any reference to the technique, and couldn't find it in any post, so said I'd post it here in the hope of helping someone.

Alan

[Tim V]

I put my bottles etc in one of those holders from London Road Models.

I saw them on the stand over many years, and always thought "I could make one of those", but never got round to it. I succumbed, and now I'm tempted to get another one.

[Lindsay G]

I picked up a tip from some publication that suggested making up a spill proof frame from 5 pieces of plasticard - 4 to make a square frame and the fifth as the base - which I duly followed with very acceptable spill-proof results. However, for whatever reason - something to do with the weird and wonderful ever-changing contents contained therein probably - the sides of the square frame had a want to return to their previously un-cemented state.

Mark ii - circular items have no such bonded edges - so the 4 piece square frame was replaced by a piece of waste water pipe and araldited to the original plasticard base after a good sanding :

IMG_7189.JPG

Outcome - nothing has become detached, and it's still doing its job about 4 years later. Yes, I've still still managed to tip everthing over (black flux onto steel track as it happens - no point in going for half measures) which I blame more for working through a magnifying lamp rather than outright carelessness. However, the loss of most of a full bottle of flux and the resultant need for another with no local stockists makes one think well beyond the immediate problem. Now, the jar in the "Bund" only ever contains a small amount of flux, Mekpak, or whatever, decanted from the new supply. OK, twice as many jars to be stocked, but they don't take up a lot of space.................and as Sod's Law will have it, there hasn't been a near thing to worry about since this latest procedural upgrade.

Mmmm, maybe I'm temping fate,

Lindsay

[Philip Hall]

I made a straight sided holder for Mek-Pak (I think I saw it in John Hayes' wagon book) but made it out of bookbinding board (off cuts from Gray's, who do MRJ's binding) held together with hot glue. Although quite tatty four or five years later, it's still in one piece.

Flux now lives in a CPL Flux Pen, so spillage ought to be difficult.

philip

[Terry Bendall]

My solution is a block of wood with a hole made in it large enough to take the relevant bottle, and a thin piece of wood for the base. The block is made by gluing several pieces of thiner wood together - in my case some squares of 12mm thick MDF with 4mm thick for the base. The advantage of individual ones over one of the London Road holders is that you only need to have one bottle on the bench and it is easier to move about. It does of course need a drill bit large enough to make the hole and in my case I used a hole saw in a portable electric drill and made the holes before the block was glued together.

Terry Bendall

[Jol Wilkinson]

I now decant small quantities of liquid flux into those small screw top glass jam jars provided by hotels.

For solvents I have kept a couple of the squat variety of brown glass contailners into which I likewise decant a small quantity.

Recycling, much more eco friendly. No trees harmed, electricity or oil products used.

Incidentally the LRM "jar holders" are no longer available from LRM but from a certain paint supplier.

Jol

[David B]

It is 'good practice' to decant in to a smaller container for immediate use, retaining the bulk in a stock bottle. Loss and damage from spillage is minimised.

I have 3 containers of flux - my main stock bottle which is kept safely on the shelf, a smaller one which I keep in my tool box from which I fill the syringe I use to apply the flux to my work.

For solvents, I adopt Terry's method of holy wood and only take the tops off when I actually need the solvent.

David

[LenPinder]

Having spent most of my career working in laboratories, the use of a Bund to catch spillages from stored chemicals is second nature to me. Hence, when I took up model loco construction on my retirement three years ago, this was the set-up I adopted. 12% Phosphoric acid flux, made up a la Rice, is stored in the squat plastic medicine bottle on the left, whilst plain H2O is in the right container. The bund is simply a small lunch box purchased from a local supermarket beginning with T and ending in O.

I have attempted, accidentaly, to knock the flux bottle over numerous times, but have yet to suffer a spillage onto the bench. Simple magic.

Len

[alandoyle]

Having spent most of my career working in laboratories, the use of a Bund to catch spillages from stored chemicals is second nature to me. Hence, when I took up model loco construction on my retirement three years ago, this was the set-up I adopted. 12% Phosphoric acid flux, made up a la Rice, is stored in the squat plastic medicine bottle on the left, whilst plain H2O is in the right container. The bund is simply a small lunch box purchased from a local supermarket beginning with T and ending in O.

I have attempted, accidentaly, to knock the flux bottle over numerous times, but have yet to suffer a spillage onto the bench. Simple magic.

Len

That's exactly what I was trying to describe, Len. (Should have posted a photo.)

I knew I couldn't be the first to think of it, but I'd never seen it mentioned anywhere. The various base plates have always struck me as a good idea but inadequate to deal with the really determined elephant. Decanting is something I must adopt, though.

Alan

[beachboy]

Following on from Davids post.
I have found the small Shippam's fish paste ( etc ) jars of about 2" high to be ideal for supplementry storage.
Small quantities of var. thinners for cleaning, paint mixing et al, - complete with a sticky named label on top.
Smaller quantities only, as the tight sealing lid will force over filled liqiuds to the top.( I like to keep large containers of inflamables stored in a Tool Shed outside ).
Most Supermarkets sell this product.

Talking of Sod's Law, uncanny how a glue jar tips over, drill bit breaks on Xmas eve - hence having back up's.

On mentioning fire prevention, I had the Fire Brigade carry out an inspection, and was provided with my free Alarms.
Upon inquiring of major causes, ie unattended Cookers , running Washing Machines at night, I was informed
of an increase of fires from model railways in attics. Not related to Bunds perhaps, but worth mentioning when allowing high values of Amps thru thin conducters etc.

Steve.

[LenPinder]

Having spent most of my career working in laboratories, the use of a Bund to catch spillages from stored chemicals is second nature to me. Hence, when I took up model loco construction on my retirement three years ago, this was the set-up I adopted. 12% Phosphoric acid flux, made up a la Rice, is stored in the squat plastic medicine bottle on the left, whilst plain H2O is in the right container. The bund is simply a small lunch box purchased from a local supermarket beginning with T and ending in O.

I have attempted, accidentaly, to knock the flux bottle over numerous times, but have yet to suffer a spillage onto the bench. Simple magic.

Len

That's exactly what I was trying to describe, Len. (Should have posted a photo.)

I knew I couldn't be the first to think of it, but I'd never seen it mentioned anywhere. The various base plates have always struck me as a good idea but inadequate to deal with the really determined elephant. Decanting is something I must adopt, though.

Alan

Sorry Alan

I wasn't trying to steal your thunder. I thought a photo would help, so I dashed into the modelling room to take one immediately after reading you post this morning. I'm pretty sure that I won't have been the first one to have thought of it. I keep getting lots of bright ideas which I don't post, only to find that many have been doing it that way (or more often better) for years.

Len

[RobM]

In my work I buy varnishes, spirits etc which come in rectangular bottles. Just made up an oblong holder with a 'V' cut out to see the level and screw it to the work surface. A hole also drilled to keep the appropriate brush.
Now a one handed operation to remove and replace the cap...........

solvent.jpg

[DougN]

Rob now that is getting a bit flash.... particularly when you have mitre cut all the corners so neatly!

[RobM]

Doug, just making good use of the machinery I have..........foot operated Morso mitre cutter and underpinner..........mainly used for framing my work..........

[alandoyle]

Sorry Alan

I wasn't trying to steal your thunder. I thought a photo would help, so I dashed into the modelling room to take one immediately after reading you post this morning. I'm pretty sure that I won't have been the first one to have thought of it. I keep getting lots of bright ideas which I don't post, only to find that many have been doing it that way (or more often better) for years.

Len

Not at all. You were just illustrating the point far more effectively than I had explained it. Thank you.

The really good thing about lunch boxes is that they're longer and wider than they are high, so they're inherently less likely to tip over than a jar, even a supported one, and when knocked they'll try to return to their original position, and they'll catch the spilled material (unless you give them a really good shove, of course.)

Anyway, nuff said.

Alan

[allanferguson]

I did spill a full bottle of Butanone a while ago.......

You can either create a Bund which will contain all the fluid if it's container is overturned, but it won't help if the bund is overturned too. Or you can make a holder such that it is as near as possible impossible to overturn the container. Ideally it should possess Width and Weight. This base is to be had at a previously mentioned supermarket chain for one pound for two, and it comes with a delicious free creme brulee, which is more than can be said for the blu - tac holding it together. I have so far been unable to knock this over.

Allan F

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