Removing Excess Solder 1
A succesful way of removing solder from brass is to use "Esteele" stainless steel
cleaner.
Removing Excess Solder 2
Another way is to use a burnishing brush. A commercially available version allows
the bristles to be retracted into a pencil-like handle. The more commonly encountered
refils are of glass fibre and are (were?) produced for the draughting industry
as erasers before computer aided draughting was in such wide use. Health concerns
exist with the use of glass fibre and use of such is cautioned against. Brass
refills are available; Lloyd's
Model Railways stock them.
Preserving Plants for Tree Construction
One useful treatment for plants to be used on layouts when preserving them for
use is this pickling solution.
- Ingredients:1 part glycerine, 1 part acetone, 1 part denatured alcohol(methylated
spirits).
- Immerse in warm water, soak for several minutes, remove and gently knead.
- After water is removed soak in pickling solution for 24 hours.
- Remove, Dry and colour.
- Note Add more Glycerine to the solution as more plants are processed.
A Useful Filler
Tree trunks can be made from a number of materials. Wire armatures are a way of
producing a custom shape but Coast Tea-tree (Leptospermum laevigatum) twigs
are also very good. Either way some building up and smoothing is needed. A good
product for this is Bob's Modelling Goo, produced and available from the S.A.R.
Model Company. This material is a liquid polymer which is mixed for use with
a mineral based filler. It sets quite quickly but allows plenty of time to brush
to a smooth finish with a water laden brush.
Bending Sheet Metal
When folding sheet metal such as 0.010" (0.25mm) brass you should scribe a line
on the outside of the fold if you want the outside to be a 'square' corner. If
you want the inside to be square and the outside slightly rounded (because of
the stretched metal on the outside following the bend), you should scribe on the
inside.
Score and Snap Sheet Metal
Cutting thin sheet metal such as 0.010" (0.25mm) brass along straight lines can
be done by scribing deep, using a hard, pointed tool or an Olfa P-cutter or a
laminate cutter and then, with the job clamped in a vice or bending bars, folding
and snapping.
Making Castings
Casting in the home workshop is a way of producing identical components. More
information here.
More Flexible Rubber For Casting
After experiencing a problem with "red" rubber being too brittle and not allowing
me to cast even a modest undercut without breaking away, I took up a suggestion
from the supplier. I mixed 1/3 Rhodosil 585, a very soft rubber suitable for resin
casting, with 2/3 Wacker "red" rubber which is suitable for low melting point
alloys such as Linotype alloy but very unforgiving in terms of flexibility. There
was no explosion or untoward chemical reaction. The resulting mould allowed beautiful
castings and the mould did not collapse during the process. We all know that there
is no free lunch; what is the price here; a shorter mould life?
Supplier of Hard-To-Get Tools
"Items" Mail Order Ltd
(Reg. in England and Wales No. 3397832)
46 St Martins Road
North Leverton
Retford
Nottinghamshire
D22OAU
United Kingdom
Good for taps, dies, drills, screws, nuts, washers all in BA (including hard-to-find
9BA), metric and number sizes. Also assorted metal stock including brass sections,
phosphor bronze and stainless steel in small sizes.
email: items@btinternet.com (An email to this firm may get you a catalogue.
Let us know how you go.)
The Victorian Model Railway Society has no commercial connection with any of the
above named manufacturers, suppliers or merchants
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