Paul_L's Connoisseur 4F build

What have I let myself in for.

Seemingly we are starting a three way build of the 4F on Saturday, Toto, York Paul and myself.

So for those that want to see how it should be built here is the links to Toto and Yorkies builds

Toto's Build
Yorkies Build

Better get the work bench moved downstairs before Saturday then .....

Paul

 

That you got the chassis built already - jeezypeeps

I have ordered the picture below from Transport Nostalgia Ebay shop



I would like to model the tender from this loco, unfortunately the loco itself is a Right hand drive version and the kit is a left hand drive.

Paul

 

I've found my victim, and bought the photo again from Transport Nostalgia Ebay shop



44253 - the photo is the loco at Stirling Shed

 

Certainly looks like it, and wondering what that battered pipe comming out of the smoke box to the footplate and possibly along the underside of the footplate - is this the heating for Toto's pool attachment ?

Paul

 

OK so the build starts

Unlike Toto & Yorkie, my loco was still in its packaging

Extras - Slaters wheels, Jim's motor, gears and motor mount, Slaters sprung pickups and a set of Markits LMS Std buffers.

And a coulour instruction booklet - downloaded version is black and white front covers.

The tender sides (nickel-silver) part 63 located on Sheet E, and the beading strips - part(s) 64 from Brass Sheet A were cut out, like with Yorkie and Toto's the holes on one of the end beading piece are not etched fully through.
A small jewelers hand drill to drill the holes, then all the strips were cleaned up

Bottom strip soldered on

I used one of the verticle strips to set the upper strip parallel to the bottom strip, then tag soldered the ends and middle, then soldered the two verticle strips in place.

Then a bit of clean up - note the top and bottom strips are over length so are filed to the correct length

One side done, now the other

Paul

 

Whoops, missed the first step

Solder the retaing 6BA nuts to the footplate - part 62 from Sheet A

Progress so far both sides done and the fooplate retaining nuts

Now to read the manual

Got to curb the enthusiasim - that would make a good title for a sitcom

Paul

 

And were getting somewhere

Parts 65 (Tender rear) and 66 (Tender center support) cut out and cleaned.

Now the fiddly bit, holding the sides and end in place on the footplate - Jim reccomends soldering the sides and end together before hand - now where's the fun in that.

The footplate, sides and end were tagged together using 60/40 solder intially about 5mm away from the corner, at at the top of the side / rear join.

When the joint looked good, and all was square then the front ends of the sides were tagged to the footplate again a few mm from the end

The center support need filing until it didn't cause the sides to bow - I kept the side with writing on facing the front so I knew which face needed filing.
Again just the base tagged in place, then the excess of the tab removed from the underside.
With everything appearing square I ran fillets of 145 solder along all seams

Just need to clean up the end now

Taxi duty calls - I'd better get to it or build time may get curtailed

Paul

 

I think you've shot passed me, I had the evening off - got to keep the boss happy so I can back on the job.

I was going to leave the handrails until the instructions said to fit them. However, I think access will be limited to the inside, not normally an issue, but my decoder may be fitted in this area so I decided to fit them now so they could be trimmed flush.

Maybe a sucking eggs moment, (I noticed Toto and Paul skirted passed this step) but here goes

All holes opened up to clear the wire - I used a broach, but a 0.8 - 0.9 mm drill will do

0.7mm brass wire, is bent to 90 degrees using snipe nosed pliers

The wire is then inserted into one hole, and the wire gripped in the pliers just before the hole - sorry for the blurry shot, I was holding the pliers, and trying to take the shot with my mobile phone.

Then bent to shape, inserted into the body, with a card spacer between the wire and the tender body

Soldered from the inside, any adjustments made, then the legs trimmed off with a pair of flush cutters.

3 more to go

Next up the front handrails, these use Handrail knobs rather than bent wire.

There is not a lot of metal in this area, so the holes were gently opened up with several broaches until the handrail knob would just fit in.

The wire was treaded through, and ahain the fittings soldered from the rear, then the wire soldered in, and the wire then cut flush - yes you guessed I forgot to take any photo's

Now onto the tank top and coal chute.

Paul

 

Coal chute bent roughly to shape using the tank top as a guide to get the sides to align

On the tank I drilled ).8 mm pilot hole for the Tank Vents - two possible positions, within the coal space and behind it. Jim suggests check with photos of the prototype, but as a general rule, earlier tenders without coal rails tended to have the vents in the coal space, later tenders with the coal rails tender to have them outside the coal space, the photo I have of my chosen victim has no coal rails, I can't see the actual vent position.

I decided to build mine up in the tender, first a line was lightly scribed 21mm from the top of the sides, then the top plate was tagged into position

Then the coal chute tagged to the tank top

The top frame was moved to align with the 21 mm lines

Then both bits manipulated to get them in the right positions tageed , checked adjusted - you get the picture

Once happy I started to run the fillets

Then removed the front bracing strap

Time to clean up

Paul

 

Cheers Kimbo - my cleaning up skills are improving, I would like to say I got right first time, but ......... not there yet

I would say that brass is more forgiving of the clean up process.

But I'm enjoying this build, which I think say's more than anything else.

Paul

 

OK - hands up here, I screwed up and in the process forgot to tke pics

First the mistake - I soldered the door etch on to the wrong side of the bulkhead, and didn't notice . Then added the overlays.
Now it's time to add the firemans tunnel, tried to form the wrapper over the former it didn't fit, disscussed this with Toto via skype, as he reached the same stage, and then he spotted what I'd done.

Now to rectify this, both of us were unsure of the damge that may have been done trying to strip the assembly down, so I decided to carry on regardless.

So the tunnel wrap, tool box sides and front were added - and I forgot to take pictures.

Remembering to take a picture -

we now have the back head in position

The backhead is now fixed in place and the cole hole surround fitted,

plus the supports for the firemans floor

Bit of cleaning up before carrying on

Fitted the levers at the side of the coal hole

And a view from the back

Paul