Card Cutting Jig

11/11/2023

Cutting parallel strips from Styrene Sheet keeping them uniform size is not the easiest task to perform. I need to cut many strips of 1mm Styrene Sheet 17mm wide for the carcass of some platforms I am building. 

Starting with some 12mm MDF I glued a well used cutting mat face down using spray contact adhesive to make the cutting table. 2 strips of mild steel 3 x15mm and 3 x 25mm are cut to 420mm the width of the cutting table. The narrower strip will be the datum stop and the wider strip the cutting fence. The datum stop is screwed to the cutting table while the cutting fence has the indexing holes reamed to 5/16” and 3/8” brass tube press into the cutting table again reamed to 5/16” to accept the mild steel locating pins. NB.I used imperial stock bar as that is what was to hand in my workshop!

12/11/2023 Temporary fixing screws holes drilled screws fitted to set the cutting fence to 17mm the pilot dowel is fitted into the left to drill pilot holes of 4mm diameter to enable the 3/8” brass tubes to be pressed into the cutting table.

Pilot holes of 3.5mm diameter opened up to 9.5 mm 

Brass bushing pressed into the cutting table 5/16” dowels fettled into place. Oh the “Align Here” label covers two holes that are not required! Okay hand up I made a miscalculation. 

I finished off today with keeper plates and rubber feet to the underside of the cutting table. 

13/11/2023 Again temporary fixing screws holes drilled screws fitted to set the cutting fence to 50mm the pilot dowel is fitted into the left to drill pilot holes of 3.5mm diameter to enable the 3/8” brass bushing to be pressed into the cutting table.

Pilot holes of 3.5mm diameter opened up to 9.5 mm Brass bushing pressed into the cutting table 5/16” dowels.

A loose datum stop marked 30 will be used to cut strips 30mm by placing it against  the fixed datum stop I have ordered a 25mm bar so strips 25mm can be cut.

 

BR 15xx Pannier Tank 1501 Part 2

Well what can I say the outer packaging looked as if it had been used as a football! The locomotive box did not show any sign of damage. Unpacking reviled the chimney had fallen off! Oh dear to be honest not a show stopper. Setup on the rolling road loco address set to 1501 off we go sound on hang on its going in reverse!  I had to reset the polarity and run to loco on the rolling road a total of ½ an hour in each direction. Most defiantly a massive improvement on the 1st lemon. Chimney reattached using Glue N Glaze.

“Fringford Manor”

19/10/2023

She may be a plain Jane; I watched her for over year and a half but she kept at a respectable distance. Then out of the blue a knock on my door and there she was. I invited her in and took her upstairs, I carefully removed her outer wrap; my heart was pounding with anticipation what lays underneath her well padded exterior my trembling hands removed the top covering and there she was in all her glory “Fringford Manor”. Gently lifting her up I was besotted by her slender body I gazed longingly at her exquisite lines unlike her siblings her body art is minimalistic but perfectly applied truly she is a work of art.  Now I wanted to see how she performed with her belly full of fire! Running in on the rolling road at half speed you can only hear the faint purr from the motor and drive train, a quick play with the sound switched on didn’t disappoint me ether. Closer examination revealed all her fine details; I could wax lyrical about what I see but to put in into a nutshell Perfection! Time to ft the footplate crew, I bought the Modelu crew but had some difficulty in setting the driver at the correct angle. I had to resort to some drastic surgery and amputated the driver’s right leg!  Fortunately the fireman escaped surgery. My only reservation is the rivet size looks a little on the large size, but this is hardly noticeable. Time to get some real coal in the tender, I made a tee shaped platform from foamboard embedding a steel weight from a redundant wagon towards the top of the foamboard tower to aid removal with a magnet sprinkle fine coal particles first and then larger lumps. I guess the same technique could be employed on freight wagons. Top tip!

 

Planting people 02/10/2023

Over the last couple of weeks I spent some time painting OO gauge figures from various sources. Some good some well “could have done better”! I must have a good look at the traders at the Great Electric Train Show for some loco crews. 

As you van see the camera highlight the imperfections particularly the “hikers” Boots need tweaking

If you want to be on TV stand on one leg outstretch your right arm and repeat “I’m a little teapot....”

NB . No loco crews at the Great Electric Train Show I ordered 4 direct from ModelU

A Walk Among the Sleepers

Overheard at Pixvalley today between the chief engineer and the fat controller!

 

BR 15xx Pannier Tank Part 1

 

15/09/2023

BR 15xx Pannier Tank - 1501 Lined Black Early Crest arrived from Rails of Sheffield.

I am very disappointed with the finish. The chimney with a gap glue marks on cab front and the whistle wonky front steps fell off in the box!  Although this is not unusual for fine detail to "fall off"

20/09/2023 Returned to Rapido under warranty

27/09/2023 To say I am disappointed will be an understatement; I received my 15xx back today in a worse condition than it was sent! The whistle has been reattached resulting in more glue marks and discoloration from the Cyanoacrylate the smoke box door looks as if it has had some action taken resulting in scratch marks. 

I cannot accept this repair and want a replacement locomotive.  

15/10/2023

I received my 15xx back Rapido did not replace the loco merely the body shell. It arrive back yesterday 14th when I was at the GETS 23 in Milton Keynes tried running it this morning it won’t run; reading the address on the program track errors out a decoder rest failed. I need this loco replaced.

Rails replied

Thank you for your email, we are sorry to hear you are experiencing issues with your 15xx, please find attached our freepost Royal Mail returns label. We have allocated a replacement, which will be checked over prior to dispatch, upon receipt of your return.