Scalefour Forum

Flymo748 wrote:...then it wouldn't be the case that when I picked the first one up and turned it the right way up, the coupling fell off in a sticky mess!

Fortunately unset araldite washes off in detergent and water.

Will L wrote:

Flymo748 wrote:...then it wouldn't be the case that when I picked the first one up and turned it the right way up, the coupling fell off in a sticky mess!

Fortunately unset araldite washes off in detergent and water.

I shall be using a number of cotton buds and tissues... As the rest of the wagons are painted and mostly weathered, immersion is not really an option.

Wish me luck!
Flymo

Flymo748 wrote:I can be so stupid at times.
Flymo

I beleive this has been mentioned; most Missendens for example!

Just booked by the way; but will be staying up the road as I failed ot heed David's warning that the last few places in the Abbey were about to go! So perhaps this makes me a tad stupid too!

Mark Tatlow wrote:

Flymo748 wrote:I can be so stupid at times.
Flymo

I beleive this has been mentioned; most Missendens for example!

Just booked by the way; but will be staying up the road as I failed ot heed David's warning that the last few places in the Abbey were about to go! So perhaps this makes me a tad stupid too!

Ouch!! I can see we are going to have an interesting Weekend in March.

Incidentally, for anyone else thinking of coming, there are places in the various groups but accommodation is bed and breakfast (all the Abbey bedrooms having been booked long ago) and with two whole months still to go, Mark is the 61st person to have booked. (Details: Missenden Railway Modellers' Weekends)

Mark Tatlow wrote:

Flymo748 wrote:I can be so stupid at times.
Flymo

I beleive this has been mentioned; most Missendens for example!

Thank you Mark

I knew that you would rise to the occasion!

Mark Tatlow wrote:Just booked by the way; but will be staying up the road as I failed ot heed David's warning that the last few places in the Abbey were about to go! So perhaps this makes me a tad stupid too!

Oh I don't know - you can be quite inventive too. I still recall how you innovatively tried sniffing that Branchlines wheelset to see how hot it was

Great to know that you'll be on the Spring Missenden. The Autumn one was really fun, with another good bunch of people. The big decision for me is whether I do loco-building in Tim's group or with Tony, where I very much enjoyed the last weekend.

Decisions, decisions...
Flymo

Flymo748 wrote:Oh I don't know - you can be quite inventive too. I still recall how you innovatively tried sniffing that Branchlines wheelset to see how hot it was

Seeing Mark burn his nose has got to have been worth the cost of the course on it's own

All the Best
Danny

I'll be at my first Missenden in Spring. Signed up for loco building, I already know about simple workshop accidents so I will arrive with some basic knowledge. Its the actual construction work I'll need advice on. I get the impression there might be a fair few Scalefour people. I'm looking forward to it.

jon price wrote:I'll be at my first Missenden in Spring.

See you there.

Remember to get in early with gyp for Paul though.............

jon price wrote:I'll be at my first Missenden in Spring. Signed up for loco building, I already know about simple workshop accidents so I will arrive with some basic knowledge. Its the actual construction work I'll need advice on. I get the impression there might be a fair few Scalefour people. I'm looking forward to it.

Look forward to meeting you, Jon.

jon price wrote:I'll be at my first Missenden in Spring. Signed up for loco building, I already know about simple workshop accidents so I will arrive with some basic knowledge. Its the actual construction work I'll need advice on. I get the impression there might be a fair few Scalefour people. I'm looking forward to it.

Hi Jon,

I'm really pleased that you will be there. I'm confident that you'll gain an enormous amount from the weekend.

Have you decided which one of the two Loco-building groups that you would like to be in? There's a choice of Tim Watson or Tony Gee. I'm happy to let you have my views if you'd like a flavour of what is the content of each of them.

I haven't spoken with David Brandreth of this parish yet about them, but I'll probably aim for Tony's group. And no, that's not just to avoid Mark's jokes!

Cheers
Flymo

Although it's been quite mild over the last couple of days, the Christmas period had seen us lighting the fire in our living room almost every evening. That usually meant that there was a constant round each morning of restocking the coal scuttle and firewood basket.

So after a bacon sarnie, I was hard at work lugging logs and coal in from the garage to the house ready for the evening's warmth. Whilst I was doing so, I remembered that my stocks of model coal were running low. Yet here in my hands was an entire new stock...

A quick rummage in the kitchen produced an assortment of metal colanders with holes of different sizes, and a stout plastic bag. A return trip to the garage produced a hammer!

Unfortunately we don't have access to Welsh anthracite, to use some proper steam coal, but I selected a lump

This is the result:



Three different grades of coal, ready for use. The largest will be to finish the weathering of my Great Eastern Coffeepot.

As can be seen here http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/64/Stratford_Old_%28Locomotive%29_Works_geograph-2382240-by-Ben-Brooksbank.jpg (Y5 image on Wikipedia) these locomotives often had lumps of coal stored on every single possible surface. As they were generally only used for the very lowest of speed shunting duties, I assume that they didn't have the problem of the coal being bounced off when they moved!

I've been meaning to finish weathering my own Coffeepot for a while now, and this has given me a kick up the posterior to get on with it. Like CraigW found on his excellent wagon building topic, I am far too easily distracted!

Cheers
Flymo

There is nothing more like coal than ... coal. I have done the same thing for wagon loads and there is lots of coal on Elcot Road part of which can be seen at http://www.scalefour.org/scaleforum/201 ... _7627.html.

I tend to wrap the coal in newspaper since the application of the hammer will soon cause holes to appear in the plastic bag. Mind you the domestic authorities in Flymo's house must be more forgiving than mine I managed to extract one sieve but it is now not suitable for cooking purposes. Anther way is to use some etched brass mesh to make a sieve, which is what I use for ash ballast. And on that I use real steam loco ash rather than ash from the domestic fire since it is a better colour.

Terry Bendall

...is opening an old locomotive kit box to see whether you fancy taking it to Missenden for the weekend, and finding an unused Portescap in there.

That's going to be going on Ebay after I've checked that it runs properly, so mentally is offset against the course cost

Cheers
Flymo

Flymo748 wrote:...is opening an old locomotive kit box to see whether you fancy taking it to Missenden for the weekend, and finding an unused Portescap in there.

That's going to be going on Ebay after I've checked that it runs properly, so mentally is offset against the course cost

Cheers
Flymo

Don't apply power to it until you are sure it has not seized up.

It will probably need re-lubricating.

I haven't done mine yet, but I assume a spray with IPA would be the first step, so as to get any remaining solidified grease out of the gear box. Then what grease to use? LaBelle seems to be virtually unobtainable, so it may have to be something less sophisticated - clock grease, for example?

Last night saw the clans gathering for a virtually full capacity Railway Modelling Weekend at Missenden Abbey. The maximum capacity of the Abbey is 70 places, and we have 69 attendees signed up. It's a tribute to how popular these courses have become. Note to self - book for the Autumn course as soon as it is available...

After an excellent fish and chip dinner, the main room was filled for the ritual Health and Safety briefing.

David Brandreth has just explained to Tim Shackleton how to avoid paper cuts...



Some of the assembled masses. This room is used for the 4mm modelling cohort, so there are 19 of us happily filing little bits of brass.





My own workstation.



I'm aiming to use the weekend to (nearly) finish a Connoisseur Models GER J65 Buckjumper that I started at Missenden last autumn, and basically haven't touched since. It's being built with CSB suspension, which I'm comfortable with. However it's also going to be my first attempt at split-frame chassis, so watch out for the fun and games!

Until later...
Flymo

jon price wrote:I'll be at my first Missenden in Spring. Signed up for loco building, I already know about simple workshop accidents so I will arrive with some basic knowledge.

And yesterday Jon did indeed do a crackingly good demonstration of workshop accidents as well! So his basic knowledge of them stood him in very good stead.

However once he'd stopped bleeding on the carpets, he returned to his Craftsman kit and by the end of the weekend his soldering skills had improved out of all recognition. A really nice bit of modelling and a good start on the project.

Great to meet you, and hope to see you at Missenden again in the future.
Cheers
Flymo

martin goodall wrote: Then what grease to use? LaBelle seems to be virtually unobtainable, so it may have to be something less sophisticated - clock grease, for example?

P&H Models are still quoting LaBelle 106 (and 107 and 108 oil) ...

martin goodall wrote:

Flymo748 wrote:...is opening an old locomotive kit box to see whether you fancy taking it to Missenden for the weekend, and finding an unused Portescap in there.

That's going to be going on Ebay after I've checked that it runs properly, so mentally is offset against the course cost

Cheers
Flymo

Don't apply power to it until you are sure it has not seized up.

It will probably need re-lubricating.

I haven't done mine yet, but I assume a spray with IPA would be the first step, so as to get any remaining solidified grease out of the gear box. Then what grease to use? LaBelle seems to be virtually unobtainable, so it may have to be something less sophisticated - clock grease, for example?

Hi Martin,

I have renovated a couple of these motors before, and you are absolutely right. Making sure that it isn't seized up is critical.

I have electrical circuit board cleaner in a small aerosol that I can use to remove any dried grease or dust. It is small enough to be controllable, and carries the muck away before it evaporates.

After that, a small drop of clock oil seems to do the trick for lubrication.

Cheers
Flymo

dal-t wrote:

martin goodall wrote: Then what grease to use? LaBelle seems to be virtually unobtainable, so it may have to be something less sophisticated - clock grease, for example?

P&H Models are still quoting LaBelle 106 (and 107 and 108 oil) ...

I think it was LaBelle 102 that was quoted for this application.

I must look it up with P&H Models

Hi,

What is the advantage of using LaBelle oil or grease and when/where should each be used? Lubrication, other than my throat , has not occurred to me.

LaBelle 102 is still manufactured (now with PTFE) and some is on fleabay for £10.99. 106 is grease and 107 "for larger scale locos" and 108 "for smaller scale locos" according to the manufacturer. I am curious why a smaller scale would need a different oil to a larger scale - HO (apologies for mentioning it) is the dividing line. http://www.con-cor.com/Labelle.html

What is normally used for running in, the same product as for maintenance or something different?

Sorry for busting in on your thread Flymo and the many questions.

regards

Those looking for oil might find this interesting http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/96967-automatic-transmission-fluid-lubrication/
Keith

Of course, Halfords sell cycle oil with PTFE, which is much the same as the LaBelle oil.

I know nothing about the technology of lubricants. So I am dependent (like most other modellers, I imagine) on recommendations for a lubricant which

(a) will not attack the nylon bevel gears in a Portescap gearbox, and

(b) will 'stick' to the gears, rather than being thrown off as the gears turn.

The grease whch was applied to Portescap gearboxes before they were supplied to the customer obviously fulfilled both these criteria. The problem we have is finding a replacement in order to re-lubricate Portescap gearboxes which have seized up (mainly, it must be admitted, due to their not having been run recently, or at all in some cases).

I understand that LaBelle 102 has been recommended for this application, although I have no knowledge of the technical specifications that make it suitable. I am sure there are other lubricants that will fill the bill, but I have no means of knowing whether the other products that have been mentioned do in fact meet both of the criteria listed above.

Some advice specifically addressed to this point (preferably from someone with expert technical knowledge of these lubricants) would be very welcome.

[P.S. I have some unused grease which was supplied either by Trans-Europ Models as successors to Studiolith, or possibly by Exactoscale in their early days. I beleve it was intended for use with the precision gearboxes that they supplied at the time, rather than for Portescaps, but I and wonder whether this might possibly be suitable?]

martin goodall wrote:I have some unused grease which was supplied either by Trans-Europ Models as successors to Studiolith, or possibly by Exactoscale in their early days. I beleve it was intended for use with the precision gearboxes that they supplied at the time, rather than for Portescaps, but I and wonder whether this might possibly be suitable?

I bought some of the grease sold by Exactoscale for gearboxes. Over many years, it dried out and became like rosin. So even if it's the right kind of product for Escap gears, I would not want to risk an old batch on an expensive gearbox.

For the de-luxe approach see http://www.nano-oil.com/Model%20RailRoad.html
Keith