Good Afternoon,
I have now built the two Chris Ward Growlers that have been the subject of previous posts.
I'm sorry to to say that clumsiness resulted in one of them suffering "fall from height" which resulted in a shattered cab that had to be rebuilt - but you can't see the join (s) !
As these are the first two locos that I have ever built I don't have a "bits" box from which to pick items such as air horns, headlights, coupling hoses and the like.
Please can anyone identify a source ( or sources) where I can start to get these items from.
I'm not sure of Second Hand Sales would have these ? I will be going to Narrow Gauge North in March in any event
Thanks
Bob Berry
Bob
Meridian Models may be able to help with headlights. I have some headlights off the Baldwin gas mechanical kit as detailing spares.
Shawplan or 247 Developments can supply air horns. I have also used their etched brass louvres (for modifying a sg class 37 diesel loco) to do similar on a 009 loco. I use MJT wagon vacuum pipes as they are a little smaller than the PD Rheidol spares. All the MJT stuff I pick up at trade stalls visiting or exhibiting at shows. Mainly Trains is another source of detailing bits and pieces such as handrail knobs and 0.45mm wire.
Roger
Eileens Emporium do handrail wire and knobs (usual disclaimer)
I make my own vacuum pipes out of tinned copper wire of a suitable diameter wrapped as appropraite with thread which is then stuck down with superglue.
{addition}
A tip (from Garry W). You can get from your local craft shop (I'm not certain what they are actually called and you may have to ask for them) - they are flat-bottomed crystals (?rhinestones?) that make good lenses for headlamps. I found some that are about 3mm diameter. the flat back is green in colour, but they are white from the front.
Perhaps "Swarovski" stones or crystals? (I probably got it from Garry W too!) e.g.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Ft%2F100-CLEAR-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTALS-4mm-glue-fix-NEW-2058-cut-even-MORE-sparkle-%2F00%2Fs%2FMTIwMFgxNjAw%2F%24%28KGrHqFHJ%218E8e1%2BB86LBPMMS6mJZw%7E%7E60_12.JPG&hash=f6e0ac1f2fcdc2d1c5848e3c9c361256031080a0)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-CLEAR-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTALS-4mm-glue-fix-NEW-2058-cut-even-MORE-sparkle-/170985872008?pt=UK_Crafts_Beads_CA&hash=item27cf8d5a88 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-CLEAR-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTALS-4mm-glue-fix-NEW-2058-cut-even-MORE-sparkle-/170985872008?pt=UK_Crafts_Beads_CA&hash=item27cf8d5a88)
I am struggling to remember the correct term to go with Swarovski to find the right thing - stones, crystals, beads, brilliants ....??? I did once turn up a supplier on eBay that did a whole range of diameters that are of the right range of sizes.
Thanks guys - I will follow up.
Good tip on the crystals - I will ask the domestic authorities first as my wife is a crafter !
Hugh - I assume that the copper wire is just normal single strand copper wire and then tinned to give it some body. Then you wrap suitable cotton ? thread round it , stick it down and then paint if appropriate.
Bob Berry
If you are a user of eBay then I find that if you put 4mm scale into the search you will find that among the Hornby etc you will find the occasional gem amongst the detritus. I just won a brass casting for a reversing lever, a vacuum brake control and a couple of lubricators all for a couple of quid. Keeping your eyes peeled can pay dividends.
John W
Quote from: berryr99 on February 06, 2013, 15:43
Thanks guys - I will follow up.
Good tip on the crystals - I will ask the domestic authorities first as my wife is a crafter !
Hugh - I assume that the copper wire is just normal single strand copper wire and then tinned to give it some body. Then you wrap suitable cotton ? thread round it , stick it down and then paint if appropriate.
Bob Berry
Sorry - I was making an assumption you'd know what I meant. Tinned Copper Wire is a standard item in the electronics fraternity. It is solid (i.e. single strand) copper wire pre-tinned in order to make it easy to solder. It comes in a numbe rof different gauges (thicknesses) I use 20swg size which is about 0.90 mm diameter. I thought I got my reel from Maplins, but it has a part no "355-063" on it which make me think I might have got it from Rapid instead. (it was a 200gm reel)
To make a vacuum pipe, I cut off a length about 50mm long and straighten it by rolling it between a steel rule and a flat surface. Now I bend one end gently round a suitable tube like a biro body. This makes the curved (flexible) bit of the pipe. I attach a length of sewing thread near the end of this curved section (clove hitch!) and wrap the thread round unit it gets to nearly the end of the curve. Tie it off and drop some superglue on it.
When the glue has dried, I finish bending the pipe and trim it off. Paint and fix in place.
I think I may have some somewhere and I take a photo and post it.
Oh yes - I can't afford Swarovski - I use plastic ones!
Addition: 355-063 is an RS part no - and it is still available. Squires also do 20swg TC wire, but they sell 500g reels, which you might find excessive.
Tell you what, Bob, send me a message and can meet at NG North and I'll bring a couple of metres of it for you to have a go.
For vacuum pipes, there is an old trick and much easier than winding wire round a core. Use steel round wound guitar strings, the lower three, E A and D should be checked for size. You must buy steel strings (not steel guitar strings) with round or wire winding, flatwound are wound with a tape and no use for this, or really any other, purpose. Classical guitar strings are wound on a nylon filament core and again no use for modelling. Buy the cheapest you can get, for this purpose there is no point in buying decent strings!
Rod
Quote from: GraemeD on February 06, 2013, 15:40
Perhaps "Swarovski" stones or crystals? (I probably got it from Garry W too!) e.g.
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.ebayimg.com%2Ft%2F100-CLEAR-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTALS-4mm-glue-fix-NEW-2058-cut-even-MORE-sparkle-%2F00%2Fs%2FMTIwMFgxNjAw%2F%24%28KGrHqFHJ%218E8e1%2BB86LBPMMS6mJZw%7E%7E60_12.JPG&hash=f6e0ac1f2fcdc2d1c5848e3c9c361256031080a0)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-CLEAR-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTALS-4mm-glue-fix-NEW-2058-cut-even-MORE-sparkle-/170985872008?pt=UK_Crafts_Beads_CA&hash=item27cf8d5a88 (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100-CLEAR-SWAROVSKI-CRYSTALS-4mm-glue-fix-NEW-2058-cut-even-MORE-sparkle-/170985872008?pt=UK_Crafts_Beads_CA&hash=item27cf8d5a88)
I am struggling to remember the correct term to go with Swarovski to find the right thing - stones, crystals, beads, brilliants ....??? I did once turn up a supplier on eBay that did a whole range of diameters that are of the right range of sizes.
Exactly Graeme, you have to use a variety of the terminology to find what you want. A few years ago after much searching on eBay I was able to find a supplier in Shanghai from whom I purchased a "selection box" of these fake gemstones, various diameters ranging from 1mm to 4mm, and a mix of traditional cone backed and flat backed. They were quite cheap, less than
Quote from: garrywhiting on February 07, 2013, 09:29
An anecdote. A couple of years ago, at a show. a lady visitor commented on the headlights on my Colonial & US style locos. I told her that it cost me a fortune buying the diamonds. The look on her face was priceless.
EXCELLENT!! ;D
I'm sure Garry does the same but whenever I visit exhibitions and Members' Days I always trawl the stands for any small packets of anything which look useful and 'might come in handy one day even if I never use it'. Over the years I've built up a vast collection of odds and sods at an expense which is spread so thinly it's negligible. I can normally find something to do the job I want, even if it's not 100% correct. The right hand end of the Langley stand is always worth a look.
The common term for what we call headlights in the crafting world is Brilliants and they are very easy to obtain - if you have a Hobbycraft near you they sell a variety of sizes and colours. If you still have a "proper" craft shop in your locality, especially one that caters for the jewellery making craft market, then you will find various gauges of wire, plus "proper" faceted cut imitation diamonds as well as the flat backed type - personally I go for the flat backed type of 3 to 4mm diameter for headlamps and smaller facet cut "ruby" imitations for brakevan red lamps. I did manage to source some brilliants of the right size that came already mounted in a plastic/nylon cylindrical mounting and on strings at so much (not much) for foot lengths - ideal as they come for headlamps as the mounting is just right for the lamp housing.
Tour the market stalls etc and you'll find loads of things that could be useful!
Mick
Guys - fantastic help so far.
We have a Hobbycraft so I can have a look there and I can see I will have to haunt various stalls at shows to start my bits box.
I have started to realise that there is lot to building and finishing a loco - far more than meets the eye - but I'm glad to have made the effort and I think the "bug" has bitten me. Next up I am waiting for one of Tom Bell's 3D printed Single cab Sentinels to arrive from Holland. I also have an unbuilt Peco NG loco (can't remember which one) to build.
Also there's the layout to get on with.
I thought retirement was all about taking it easy !
Bob
Got the digital box-brownie out at last. Here is a pic of a home-made vac pipe next to a white-metal one for comparison. The background grid is 1cm
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fhnorwood.co.uk%2Ffiles%2Fimages%2Fvacpipe.jpg&hash=66e26582d4a3cb9a6ff45fffff9772945fcbf736)
Thanks Hugh, now I can see how its done
Regards
Bob
try markits,as they do a lot in loco parts.
mike
Another good source for detailing parts and materials is Mainly Trains. They have a comprehensive website for mail order.
Roger
Thanks Roger - I am looking at that site now
Bob
The one think I really liked about the Chivers' Kits was that they are very basic and leave the level of detailing up to the modeller. I've spent very many enjoyable hours working out how to do the detailing and applying it - far more than building the basic kit!
I think Iain Rice in one of his books puts it something like building a model from a kit as opposed to assembling a kit.
Yes I agree but the joy of Chivers and 5/79 is that they are very sound "basic" kits finely cast with no cleaning up and easy to assemble perfectly square prior to the fun of detailing
Peter Smith
I totally agree with the above comments. Even some of the very basic early 009 kits can be made to look reasonable with the correct detail added. Here are a couple of examples.
The first is a WHR 590 on a Minitrix dock tank chassis:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi663.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu358%2FM-e-l-l-o-w%2F590%2F7c394d54-c2e9-495c-9cb2-f3e3c807dfd4_zps98f3321b.jpg&hash=f8861279d2a3cb265c21db995d2a5990073ae33e)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi663.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu358%2FM-e-l-l-o-w%2F590%2F590a.jpg&hash=b8ccf3aa0cc03e2038e10c54943e3f7d625d9d40)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi663.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu358%2FM-e-l-l-o-w%2F590%2F590b.jpg&hash=c171b75e2b5078ffc26db952f309158c4c235fa7)
The second is an FR England loco on a Flischmann 0-4-0:
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi663.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu358%2FM-e-l-l-o-w%2FFR%2520England%2520Loco%2Fc448fd7b-fe90-4181-94d3-d9378f74f30f_zps9f4812e8.jpg&hash=7cf6a7f1a3e4e2d527dedb9d7cd8d5b0e5e77877)
(https://forum.009society.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi663.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fuu358%2FM-e-l-l-o-w%2FFR%2520England%2520Loco%2F07bba3a3-65bb-4f01-b8b7-277a6fc0965a_zps3427e79f.jpg&hash=50ff0e828c34a8ef2ffe82b472267028b2a543f9)
Both of the above are very basic FR kits dating from the late 1960
Brian
By total coincidence, I was told by someone (very knowledgeable) at York last weekend who knew the guy who made the patterns for the Baldwin kit that they were actually cast by Bob Wills as spare space in the moulds for other (SG) locos.
Rod
Quote from: rod335 on April 04, 2013, 22:20
Brian
By total coincidence, I was told by someone (very knowledgeable) at York last weekend who knew the guy who made the patterns for the Baldwin kit that they were actually cast by Bob Wills as spare space in the moulds for other (SG) locos.
Rod
That's interesting Rod, obviously I can only go on what I am told. Very little was actually written down and many of those involved are no longer with us.
I find the history of the early 009 kits fascinating.
Brian Meldon
Brian
I was surprised by that information as well. I had always assumed (or had been told) the Baldwin kit was cast by George Mellor. It had the same appearance as his kits but that, I suppose, was due to the quality (?!) of the patterns.
Rod
I remember reading your thread on the Baldwin build a while ago Brian (on NGRM-online?) but didn't notice at the time how you have very cleverly disguised the cylinders and piston rod arrangement of the dock tank/T3 chassis and appear to have got it under the body without altering anything, yet at first and second glances everything looks complete and authentic! Well done indeed - I have a couple of butchered and bent original Baldwin bodies in the scrap box - now where can I find an un-assigned dock tank chassis!
I'm not sure about the statement you received that the casting was done by Wills Rod. May well be of course, but I've got an instruction leaflet from the Festiniog kit and it does state: (sic - as I don't have it immediately in front of me) : "made exclusively for the Festiniog Railway by GE Mellor, GEM Model Railways". Can't remember where I found the leaflet now or where it is but I only had it in front of me the other day, so I will commence a search and find mission to see if I can unearth it again just to make sure!
Mick
All I can say is that at the York show the subject came up with someone who unequivocally stated the casting was done by Bob Wills. He gave me the name of the person who made the patterns and even told me where the person lived. I can't remember the name, I think he said he lived in Surrey. I was as surprised as everyone else, I'd always thought they were cast by GEM. Of course, the source could have got it wrong about the caster. I think it was Chris(?) who runs a 16mm scale business from Tywyn who was my source, but I may be wrong about that.
Rod
Quote from: MickT on April 05, 2013, 17:34
I remember reading your thread on the Baldwin build a while ago Brian (on NGRM-online?) but didn't notice at the time how you have very cleverly disguised the cylinders and piston rod arrangement of the dock tank/T3 chassis and appear to have got it under the body without altering anything, yet at first and second glances everything looks complete and authentic! Well done indeed - I have a couple of butchered and bent original Baldwin bodies in the scrap box - now where can I find an un-assigned dock tank chassis!..............
Mick
I actually built two of these FR 590
The Baldwin looks very good, Brian. The only thing I would change is the dock tank cylinders. These can be cut down so the piston rod is visible on the outside and the remains of the cylinders still grip it securely so they won't come adrift. I have done so in a freelance Western style loco. I'll hunt up a photo to show what I mean.