7mm Scale Gladiator J6

Discussion in 'Loco Builds' started by Rob Pulham, Feb 19, 2018.

  1. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    I've still not mastered the white painting of the numerals on the plate supplied with my Connoisseur '02' yet, despite several tries I always seem to get a slight overlap onto the black of the surround. What's the secret Rob?
    Keith.
     
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  2. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Hi Keith,

    I painted the plates all over black (Vallejo acrylic), then I painted some off white in a thin layer onto a small piece of styrene and pressed the plates onto it. This didn't quite get fullt coverage so I used the flat of a flat brush to very carefully touch a bit more onto the numerals.
     
  3. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Since painting seems to have been the order of the day I also managed to fit in painting/weathering the back head too.

    IMG_0001.JPG

    IMG_0002.JPG
     
  4. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    I did something very similar with a Parkside Fruit van fruit panel, I painted it black then painted some white onto a piece of card, dry brushing style then put the panel onto the card, I used a dob of blue tack on the end of a matchstick to hold the panel in place, just pressing down gently and re-applying as needed.

    Pete.
     
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  5. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Thanks both, I'll have to give that a go. I can spray paint quite reasonably, but when it comes to brush painting with my 'Artistic skills', it looks more like I've used a yard brush rather than a paint brush!:avatar:
    Keith.
     
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  6. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    This week has seen more work on the J6 most of which isn't really photogenic as it's been to do with assembling and fitting the inside motion which isn't quite there yet.

    In order to assemble much of the motion I needed some pin so I decided to turn some taper pins from 0.9mm nickel rod.

    IMG_0001.JPG

    Having touched up the tool of a stone and got myself into a bit of a rhythm, I soon had a dozen or so ready. I only remembered to take a picture after I had fitted most of them...

    Whilst pondering on aspects of the fitting of the motion, my thoughts turned to the remaining jobs to be done and one of those is sand pipes.

    A quick check on Laurie Griffin and Ragstone site's didn't reveal much in the way of sand pipes so I decided to make my own.

    I started by checking sizes on the GA and settled on some 0.8mm rod for the pipe itself. I had a length of microbore tube that fitted over it and used that to make the body of the fitting where the steam pipe attaches.

    IMG_0794.JPG

    I started by filing a notch in the pipe such that with a slight bend to the remainder I could feed the 'pipe' through the sort end giving me an angled branch.

    IMG_0795.JPG

    Next I filed an angled flat on the end of the tube to create the other branch of the fitting.

    IMG_0798.JPG

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    Some home made nuts/unions and 0.45mm beading wire for the steam pipe, completes the job - x four of course

    IMG_0799.JPG
     
    Last edited: May 22, 2022
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  7. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    A couple of days ago when the sun shone I popped outside and coaled the tender for the J6. You might wonder why I did it outside?

    Well it's because I use spirit based yacht varnish to stick the coal in position.

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    The fire irons (Laurie Griffin items) were dropped in some dilute metal black which gives them a nice rusty patina. This will now make a nice base for the weathering to follow.
     
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  8. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    :faint:nuff said

    Ian vt
     
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  9. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    A bit of a milestone was reached in the Pulham household last night. I have been tinkering for a number of days with the inside motion, getting it all to fit in the frames. I had to mill the inner side of each crosshead to clear the eccentric straps etc. so they are now handed and I also had to enlarge the centre section of the motion bracket to allow the assembled eccentric rods, expansion links etc to pass through it. Then came the final job of determining the length of the connecting rods and cutting them to length.

    Once they were cut and tried in place the length was right but they wouldn't fully rotate because I hadn't made the slots in the motion bracket deep enough. Much filing and testing ensued but I didn't seem to be getting anywhere and then I realised that because of the constant assembly/disassembly for testing, I had the frames upside down. What I was viewing as the top was in fact the bottom so I had been adjusting the wrong side. More filing and test ensued and I got there in the end.



    Having tested the pistons successfully with the valve parts resting outside the motion bracket I put it all together inside for a further test.

     
  10. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    It's alive at long last. I fitted the final parts of the motion, and the motor and gave it a test run. Thankfully it ran straight off without any issues with the motion itself but the chassis had an odd wobble on the rolling road when running forward that wasn't evident when running in reverse.

    Initially I wasn't concerned, because running on my rolling road is never as smooth as it is on track. But then I noticed that the middle driver had a pronounced wobble and thought that the screw had worked loose. When I lifted if off the rolling road and felt the wheel, it felt loose but when I tried to tighten the screw it barely moved and the wheel was still loose. This was a bit dismaying because this is the axle that I have spilt for the motion.

    My first test was to swap the two centre wheels over to see if I had the same issue and much to my relief, both tightened up as they should and the wobble went away.

     
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  11. Mossy

    Mossy A classic grump Yorkshire man Full Member

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    You never cease to amaze, just jealous I wish my eyes were good enough to get 20% as good as that.

    Mossy
     
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  12. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    A couple of weekends ago I was demonstrating Loco building at the Stainmore Railway Model Railway show. I took along the chassis for the J6 and had it running on the rolling road all weekend. Besides giving the motion a really good bed in it attracted a lot of attention.

    So much so that I plan to make up another chassis with inside motion for my demo stand.

    On the back of a great weekend out I decided to see if I could crack the construction elements of the J6 last week.
    The remaining jobs were.

    Fit glazing
    Add Milliput to the back of the balance weights to make them solid rather than just an etched front.
    Fit the sand pipes
    Fit the remaining linkages between the brake pull rods and the brake cylinders
    Fit some Frame extensions under the boiler between the front pairs of wheels to hide the rear of the wheels – following Tony Geary’s lead.

    J6 Balance Weights.jpg
    Balance weights, I added a coat of primer to bled it all in before final paint and weathering.

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    The first bit of the brake linkages

    J6 Sandpipes and false frame tops.jpg
    Front sandpipes and Frame extensions. Before fully soldering them in I tested the frame extensions at one side by tacking them in and the seemed perfect. But the chassis mustn’t have sat down properly because I noted while testing for clearance on the rear sandpipes that they need trimming down a bit.

    Gladiator J6 Rear Sand Pipes fitted.jpg
    Rear sandpipes. I had to fit the tops of them very close to the frames to avoid the injector pipework but I got there after two or three adjustments.

    Gladiator J6 Rear Sandpipes and brakes linkages 2.JPG

    Gladiator J6 Rear Sandpipes and brakes linkages.jpg
    Last but not least a couple of shot of the remaining brake linkages. Although soldered at the rear the ends of the rods are a loose fit in the turnbuckles so allowing removal of the brakes.
     
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  13. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    A gent on another forum asked if I would show some detail of how the brakes fitted just after my last post but it took until today to get around to doing it. I thought that it may be of interest here too.

    IMG_0001.JPG

    The brake hangers clip over the ends of the pivot pins which are in effect small pegs.

    Gladiator J6 Rear Sandpipes and brakes linkages.jpg

    The brakes hangers are all soldered to the crossbeams and the pull rods are soldered at a fixed distance between them to stop them touching the wheels and shorting. The is except for the very rear section, the main brake assembly ends at the turnbuckle.

    IMG_0002.JPG

    The rear section is connected to the rear cross bar which has the cranks to convert the push/pull from the cylinders to the movement of the pull rods. Then the remining section of pull rod between the crank and the turnbuckle isn't soldered they are just pushed together as the main section is fitted and clipped to the hanger pegs.
     
  14. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    As a follow up I had need to take the brakes apart yesterday so I took a couple of shots of them off the frames to hopefully give a better idea of what I was describing in my last post.

    Gladator J6 Brake separated 2.jpg

    Gladator J6 Brake separated 1.jpg

    The brake shoes now have a coating of epoxy to help insulate them.
     
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  15. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    That must have been a worry for you Rob, after all the work that went into the build....but you got it sorted....:thumbs:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  16. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Lovely fine work Rob......you should have been a clock maker...:thumbs:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  17. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    I wasn't really happy with how far away from the wheels the brake shoes needed to be to ensure that they didn't short. I rew up some brake shoes in Fusion and Mossy @Mossy kindly printed them off for me.

    Today I had the chance to test fit one of them. After checking that I hadn't messed up and that the etched hanger would go between the flanges. I bit the bullet, unsoldered the etched overlay and cut of the brake shoe from the hanger.

    The next question was how to attach the printed brake shoes to the hangers. I hoped to have the shoes free to move and after considering and discounting various options which involved superglue I settled on a dressmakers pin and short length of microbore tube soldered to the pin and then filed down.

    IMG_0001.JPG


    IMG_0002.JPG
     
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  18. Mossy

    Mossy A classic grump Yorkshire man Full Member

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    Its nice to see they fit. As always going the extra mile making them free moving.

    Mossy
     
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  19. ianvolvo46

    ianvolvo46 Staff Member Moderator

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    :faint::faint::faint::faint:as usual Rob nuff said

    Ian vt
     
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  20. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    I wouldn't be me if I didn't...

    They are superb mate and much appreciated.
    I am sure that this is the way to go for loco brakes at least, it might even be a better way to go on rolling stock made from brass kits too.
     

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