NSW 'B' class mogul

[David]

Here's a list of everything I can see from front to back of the loco that still needs doing.

• White rivets in buffer beam.
• Steam chest oil pipes.
• Wider spacer behind cylinder drain crank.
• Glue air compressor steam line into place.
• Repaint dome top fitting.
• Safety valve caps and spring.
• Ash pan lever & crank.
• Curtain rails and curtains.
• Cab roof tarpaulin & retainers.
• Better whistle steam pipe & (optional) whistle chain.
• Make Injector overflows visible.
• Put on builders plates.
• Touch up paint.
• Brake hose fitting at rear of tender.
• Dummy 'fittings' on dummy injector steam valve spindles.

[David]

Got the spring done. It's a little loose but I think it's good enough. The safety valve caps are painted but I won't put them on until the valves have been set next time it's in steam.



I tried to unscrew them but they're in there hard enough I don't want to risk the paint undoing them. Then I tried filling the boiler with compressed air but due to all the leaks in the fittings it will only get to 75 PSI!

Both dummy clacks leak and the blow down valve is a loose fit and bad leak. The dummy clacks won't come out without a lot of paint damage and the blow down valve needs the firebox lifted clear of the frames. If only I'd fixed it all when I had the chance...

It seems to hold steam ok after it has heated up so I'm not too put out.

[David]

Curtains are on. The rods are 1/16 steel welding rod and the hooks are made from paperclips using circlip pliers.

[racinjason]

They look great David, it's all these little details that make a model next level. I look foreword to seeing it at the scale weekend.
Cheers Jason.

[Jim]

Jan 10, 2024 22:28:29 GMT racinjason said:

They look great David, it's all these little details that make a model next level. I look foreword to seeing it at the scale weekend.
Cheers Jason.

I agree Jason,

The side 'curtains' along with the staff holder and the driver and fireman's pedastal seats make for a superbly detailed model.

Jim

[David]

Thanks guys. As Barry said, it's all in the drawings :)

Making some tarp clips from the lid of a tin of tomatoes at present.

[David]

Dummy ash pan lever and crank done, painted, installed today.

The crank is just a little teardrop shape with a 6BA clearance hole one end and an 8BA clearance hole the other from 3mm steel. I tried to make it by hand and immediately botched it up by filing far too close to one of the holes because I'm a computer programmer and not a metalworker. So I did it on the Tormach like I did last time. I had to do a bit of reprogramming but it was relatively quick. Last time I made it, it seemed to be from 2mm steel and with a 4.5mm cutter. The drawing says 3mm and I couldn't find a 4.5mm cutter so had to adjust the profile operation to suit the thicker material and a 4mm cutter.

The lever was made from 220 x 5mm wide strip of 1mm thick galvanised steel. I had to mill this down to 3.8mm. The cuts were very close to the vise jaws and parallels holding the strips but I checked before each cut with the spindle off to check there was clearance.

I also finally got all the white rivets into the buffer beam over the numbers. I knew this would go badly and it did - it looks awful and messed up the first '2' in '2402'. It seemed like it was coming off anyway and it's bodged on now with some superglue. Of course NONE of the rivets are soley on the numbers so they should be half red / half white, but trying to do that will only make things worse. The white paint I bought from a hobby shop ended up being acrylic - they had no enamel - so I expect it will come off with the first steam clean! Anyway, it is 'done' to the best of my ability so it's crossed off the list.

[David]

I've done the fittings on the injector steam valve spindle. Luckily I took a photo of this part of the real loco so knew what they looked like. The spindle is 2mm, the sleeve with the handle is 2.5mm and the handle is 0.8mm from a paperclip. I didn't mean to drill all the way through (and didn't on the other side), but you can't see that from normal viewing angles.

[David]

The cab rear tarpaulin had been hemmed so it's ready to put on. Still making the clips from the tomato tin.

I've given the roof bits around it a blast with etch primer to make them black again. I don't have the satin paint I used for a top coat (and the shop doesn't have any) but the etch primer looks pretty good.

There were a few screws missing from the front of the tender so I put them in.

A huge amount of paint is missing from the tender (after 2 runs) so I have given it an all-over blasting with the primer too, other than the rear where the number is.

The paint adhesion is so hopeless when I was using an air gun to blow the dust off before squirting the primer at it today and flakes of paint were blowing off. I cleaned that tender for hours before the initial painting, I don't know what more I could have done.

I need to make a container for the coal that sits in the coal space and also protects the top of the hungry boards which get damaged by the shovel and rake.

[chris vine]

Hi David,

Sorry to hear you are having trouble with paint adhesion. All the effort of top coats/lining etc is an infuriating waste of time if the base is not firm.

Some suggestions:
If using solvent to clean surfaces prior to painting, it is important that you use enough so that it runs off onto the bench/floor/tray etc. If it is one of the volatile solvents, like cellulose thinner, it will certainly dissolve grease etc on the surface, but it evaporates so quickly that it may just leave them nicely spread around on the surface: It needs to run off the job, taking the grease/oil with it.

If you can grit blast the surface that is a wonderful preparation.

Most obviously, perhaps: Is your etch primer any good? Maybe it has gone off? If you do some test pieces on nice smooth (but clean) bits of brass and then apply your etch primer, it should grip so well that a finger nail (or even stiff bit of plastic) cannot remove it. Maybe you can scrape through it to the metal, but nothing should come off either side of the scratch.

On etch primer, you do have to apply it sufficiently quickly so that it is wet on the metal. If you are a bit too tentative it will be too dry to allow the acid to etch into the surface.

If you are still struggling, I think you should be able to buy my favourite etch primer in Australia: It is Upol Acid #8 - available from lots of motor parts/accessory shops. Probably from automotive refinishing suppliers too. It really is good stuff and goes on pretty thin if you are careful.

You should get some test pieces to demonstrate proper adhesion before you use up your precious life-force on the large parts.

Hope that helps
Chris.

[David]

Thanks Chris. It's all too late now, the thing is painted and running and I'm just going to run it for as long as I can stand to look at the paint. I'm not stripping it now after waiting 10 years to drive it!

I was painting it with thinner, basically. There was torrents of the stuff. The primer and paint were all new. I obviously did something wrong but I did everything people say - scuff, clean, clean, clean, etc. It looks ok when it's on the track so good enough for now.

Thank goodness there's no lining!

Got the tarpaulin on today.

[simon6200]

Can I ask what etch primer you did use David? You certainly have had a frustrating time with the paint.

[David]

I used Anchor spray cans from Auto1. Black etch primer and satin black top coat. 3 coats of each, but I didn't rub down between coats.The paint has let down what I think is an otherwise good model. I will eventually have to dismantle, strip, and repaint, but in the short term it looks good the track or from a couple of metres distance. It just doesn't hold up when you're looking at it on its stand or on the steaming bay.

The sad thing is the paint went on easily and looks 'ok' where is has stuck and I didn't get any significant runs. It is very thin though, you can see every filing mark in the bodywork even through 6 coats. Because I'm hopeless at sheet metal work it means most things above the running boards are rough in places and it all shows quite clearly. Have a look at the cab side above and you can see marks in the metal through the paint. Although not the scribed line you're supposed to see, of course! It also looks bad where I'm spraying over bits that have flaked off - you can easily see where that's been done but at least it's not brass showing through (until the next run).

The loco frames have held up better because they were done at Barry's place with his paint. But only the loco frames and cylinders got that, everything else was me with spray cans. But I didn't clean or prepare the frames any differently to the rest of it.

[simon6200]

I and other club members are very happy with Rust Guard SLS Etch Primer, readily available from Bunnings for about $22. I searched Chris’s U pol and I think you’d have to order it online.

[chris vine]

These guys seem to stock it down your way...
www.automegastore.com.au/upol-acid-8-etch-primer-aerosol-450ml

Chris.

[simon6200]

Looks like a Victorian based online supplier. It’s not cheap at $50 a can, but price should not be a consideration when painting a loco you’ve spent years building. Easy to say when you’re not short of a quid though, I suppose.

[racinjason]

This Raptor acid etch is available from the major parts shops here in OZ, I will probably try it on the Z17 in a couple of months time.
 Cheers Jason.

[simon6200]

Should be good if price is any guide, similar price to Upol 8. Did someone recommend the Raptor? What does Barry use?

[chris vine]

Whatever you buy, just make sure to try it on test pieces first.
Then try your chosen top coats on top of it to make sure they are compatible.

The time spent is so small compared to the work on the whole machine, that it has to be worth it!!

Chris.

[David]

Jan 17, 2024 20:33:09 GMT simon6200 said:

Looks like a Victorian based online supplier. It’s not cheap at $50 a can, but price should not be a consideration when painting a loco you’ve spent years building. Easy to say when you’re not short of a quid though, I suppose.

I get it, but I'd be hard pressed convincing myself to pay $50 per can. I guess the alternative is what I have, which isn't great!

The Anchor stuff was about $15 or $18 per can. Certainly a false economy.