Diesel bash based on one built by MickT

[Jeff Schumaker]

The front area around the headlight has been filed to shape. Next, I'll be installing the LED for the headlight.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

Some more progress: the LED I plan to use is a cool white LED, which is too bluish for my taste. So, I tried a tip that a colleague here in the states told me. I "painted" the LED with Model Master clear orange Acryl paint. When it dried, the LED appeared to be amber in color.

[Jeff Schumaker]

However, when the LED was lit, it gave off a warm white hue. I also added a headlight bezel to the front of the hood. The final photo shows what the headlight looks like when lit. I have to paint the inside of the shell to prevent excess light shining through.

Jeff S.

[Graeme Dunbar]

It's looking good. You could also try painting the LED black, apart from the end of its lens to reduce stray light. I've wondered if painting an LED silver on the assumption it would would reflect the light back into the LED. Possibly even silver with black on top.

I've painted red-green-blue LEDs white to diffuse the light and sanded a red-yellow one for the same effect for a flickering brazier.

[rod335]

After proudly filing down some LEDs to fit in streetlights, I was told I should not have done this as they contain some harmful chemicals. I do not know if this is true, does anyone know any better?

[Hugh Norwood]

After proudly filing down some LEDs to fit in streetlights, I was told I should not have done this as they contain some harmful chemicals. I do not know if this is true, does anyone know any better?

It depends on how far into the LED you sand, I'd guess. The clear casing is something like acrylic. I would have thought that by the time you get to sanding exotic chemicals, it will have stopped working!

[rod335]

It was a case at the time of seeing how small I could get them to fit in the casings. If they had stopped working I would have abandoned the project. Reminds me of a question in 'Melody Maker' some fifty years ago. Someone asked 'How tight should a Banjo head be?'. The reply was 'Tighten it 'til it snaps then back it off half a turn.'

[Graeme Dunbar]

After proudly filing down some LEDs to fit in streetlights, I was told I should not have done this as they contain some harmful chemicals. I do not know if this is true, does anyone know any better?

I'm not aware of there being anything particular to worry about. I've filed down LEDs to make them fit too and I'm still here (jibber, jibber, drool...  :P)

I've also seen LEDs explode (well pop their tops off) and if there is anything iffy inside then vapourising it would be a good way to spread it around. Much of the concern about toxicity in electronics comes down to the recycling and disposal of the huge volume of old electronics (e.g. the move to lead-free solder). The materials listed as being a possible cause for concern in the article here are lead, copper and nickel:
http://www.ledsmagazine.com/articles/2011/02/study-looks-at-toxic-metal-content-of-leds.html

In which case white metal locos running on nickel-silver rails are death traps!

I wonder if the person making the observation knew that some LEDs are made of gallium arsenide and thought "Arghhhh! - arsenic"?

Again, there does not appear to be much need for concern:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15276420

[rod335]

I must admit that I was surprised when I was told this. Can't now remember who it was.

[Jeff Schumaker]

This seems to have turned into a symposium on the Care and Feeding of LEDs.  ;D
Hopefully, I can get things back on topic before all is lost.

I painted the inside of the shell flat black. It seems to have fixed the LED shining through the shell. More to come, soon.

Jeff S.

[MickT]

Coming on nicely Jeff. I take it this is being built to 3.5 rather than 4mm scale? With the walkways alongside the engine, I expect it is still going to be rather wider than my "prototype", which is 24mm across the buffer beam.

How wide is yours. just for interest?

Mick

[Jeff Schumaker]

Mick,

Yes, it is built to 3.5 mm scale for HOn30. It's 27 mm wide. Not too much wider than your diesel.

Jeff S.

[Jeff Schumaker]

I have started working on the buffers. I hopefully will have some more photos posted this evening, tomorrow for sure.

While I was waiting for some glue to dry, I test fitted the cab from a Knightwing 0-4-0 shunter kit. It works. I'll be doing some cutting on the cab front to fit properly, plus I'm considering what to do about the uneven windows on the cab front and rear.

Jeff S.

[MickT]

Re: Knightwing cab windows. One way to even them out, if you are keeping the body the same width as the kit comes, is to carefully slice off the dividing bit between the two windows and then glue it back on in a central position, therefore making both the windows the same side.

I've got a Knightwing bash on the stocks (permanently I think as it's been on the stocks for years) where I narrowed the cab by a few mm and then jiggled the window dividing piece front and back around to make the windows both the same size.

Mick

[Jeff Schumaker]

Photos attached showing the buffer beams, front and back. You'll also notice that I painted the space behind the grill black.