Daves C & W Works

[Dave]

D10C - Cast ends fitted fixed these with araldite rapid. I sat the body on a piece of plate glass first so the bottom of the end and floor plate were square and level. The ends are not as good a fit as I expected and will need to be filled

[Dave]

Headstocks formed and bent up, I know it's sad but I really enjoyed making these.

As the D113 is such a nice build and my favourite carriage type I've got another MJT one, so thats 3 brass carriages on the go.......must be mad.

Those with an eagle eye may have noticed in the background of the 2 previous pics a blurred Kirk D113 thats being built, the body has been teaked, but not much else, it's 1 of 2 that I started about 10 years ago and then put away, it and it's mate are now slowly progressing.

[Dave]

Solebars and headstocks fitted, I marked a centre line on the floorpan and one on the headstock to allow easy positioning. If there is one criticism I have so far it is the lack of a centre line etched on the floor plate. I've marked one now and in hindsight I should have done it before assembly had started, it would have been a lot easier and impossible if I had got the solebars on. The water drops are from it's first bath...which washed the centre line off....out with the scriber and see if I can. The solebars were held in place with blue tac and checked with a square when happy tack soldered, check again and fully solder starting in the middle and working outwards.....it easier than it sounds.

[Dave]

I forgot to mention the hinges, you can see them on the bottom pic, thes are fiddly little bu***r's to bend up and solder, I used tweezers to hold them and to locate and solder in place. I was supprised how they improved the look of the sidea and are well worth the fiddling about. Just watch the amount of solder you use, to much and it easily runs past the hinge and fills the door groove, so watch it.

[Dave]

A slight diversion, this a Kirk D113? some one will correct me if I'm wrong, I built in the 80's, it's in for repair, lost steps and dynamo, I've added the dynamo, and now I'm working to it I will add the vac pipe to the side and the step to the other door...why I did not do that one beats me. It is from a period when I knew sweet nothing about carriages, now I know just nothing. Another thing I have just noticed in the pics, I never finished numbering it............

[Dave]

Once the solebars and headstocks are in place you can apply some lovely etched overlays. Before fixing these do a dry run and see if any existing solder stops it laying flat, then clean up the top edge and especially the ends to ensure a good fit. I found I had to remove several bits of solder especially around the solebar/headstock junction, I did this with a number of small very sharp chisels.
On the D113 I drilled a number of holes through the solebars and applied solder through these, on the D10C I applied solder from the exposed bottom edge again middle to ends. You takes your pick, but on the whole I don't think drilling the holes has any advantage, just take care you don't want any solder on the face. When fixed I removed the cusp and cleaned up the bottom edge to be flush with the solebar.

On chisels I use several I've made from broken swiss files and a Mission Models Micro chisel. I usually use the ½ round to remove parts from the etch tab, resting on a piece of aluminium (the black strip under the carriage in the pic). The aluminium stops the part bending and gives a clean cut plus does not blunt the chisel edge to quickly.

[Dave]

Turnbuckle Trussing
These are the etches as supplied.

[Dave]

The instructions as supplied are very clear on how to do this but do remember to fold the truss post etch the right way, guess who got a RTFM error by not reading all the instructions, (you get so used to folding with the line on the inside) and had to refold.
You will need all 4 turnbuckles on vestibuled stock.
I fixed the truss posts in place with blue tac and squared up, with the outer 2 truss rods as guides, when happy, solder. If you've done it right the posts will be in the centre of the rivets. Fix trusses and don't forget the nuts. As an after thought I did not like the finished location of the centre truss ends, so I desoldered and made a jig to hold them square and in line with each other.

[Dave]

All trusses fixed in place, vac cyl assemblies fixed along with ducket.

[Dave]

D10C main battery boxes made from MJT parts, I formed the backs with some scrap plasticard and strip, scorred to suit planking. I replaced the etched dropper supports with plastic ones with 0.3 brass wire to represent the threaded rod and the small nuts from 20thou plastic rod drilled out in the centre, the brass rods will be trimmed to length later, it's easier to handle bits that are to long.

[davidwest]

Enjoying watching the build Dave!

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

This is interesting. And educational!

[Atso]

Looking great Dave! I'm itching to get on with the N gauge triplet etches I had made now!

[Dave]

Thank you for you kind comments Davidw, BB and Atso.

D10C - The 2 additional battery boxes made along with the fridgidair box. these are made from a plastic core box to the correct size less 15 thou all round for cladding. then clad in 15 thou scored plastic to represent the planking, the GA drawings for these items have all this dimensioned. Assorted bits of plastic strip were added to form the support framing and hinge straps. Brass angle was filed to size and shape and drilled at the ends to take droppers, as I did with the MJT boxes. Hinges from the thinest micro rod I had (originally used as aeriels on my panzers) let into small grooves, handles from 0.33 brass. Fridgidair box the same except bottom suspension support is different. The yellow bits are wire insulation from a dead mouse...to big and now replaced all as previous.
I used a template I made from aluminium to form the core boxes, I find it quick and easy to use and you always get square joints.

[Dave]

D10C - Battery boxes fixed in place, note their front faces do not line through with the main battery boxes, they sit in front. Main battery box sits 10" behind solebar, these sit 6¼" behind (see drwg 5922N). A pair of vac cyls added along centre line. I drilled a 4.5mm dia hole in each end before fixing so I could add the pipework later.