Connoisseur Models

Another excellent kit from Jim. This may well end up in my Permanent way train....

 

Toto, there's only a few main etches with this kit, and as I found out it goes together very quickly.The main body etch requires just two bends to each of the four sides. I used my small jig for the first bends, then my trusty ruler and clamps.


Take your time and you end up with a finished body. Just requiring some 100 degree solder in the corners.


This small fillet of 100 degree solder was cut into two pieces and dropped into the corne from behind and then heated up with a dab of flux.


The sole bars are a bit tricky with a small bending jig, but work slowly a small section at a time it can be done





I start with one end and form a small bend, not the full 90 degree



The etch will twist but slide the jig along and repeat the process a little at a time


As you form the final 90 degree bend it will all straighten out, then repeat the other side


This is the first side fully tinned with 100 degree solder



There's a detailed over lay which was also tinned. By tacking one end of the two parts I added plenty of flux and with the soldering iron at the rear worked along the sole bar applying pressure with a small pair of tweezers at the front. You should see a small silver bead of solder in the 90 degree bend as you work along the length, but hopefully no solder on the face of the inlay, which makes clean up a breeze



You can just see in this picture that the small holes can fill with solderbut a quick drill out after sorts this out



end result before clean up



Tinning the second sole bar, add plenty of flux


Cut a section of 100 degree solder and drop it on to the surface


Plenty of heat will draw the solder down the piece





two finished sole bars ready for a quick and easy clean up


After a hot water wash to remove the flux, dry then clean with a wire brush






Next job is the tie down rings. Soft copper wire supplied in the kit is wrapped around the correct sized drill, slid off and the rings cut down one side



Fitted on to a split pin and pushed into the holes on the sole bar. Instructions say to open out the pin and trim off the excess, but i preferred to solder them up.







With the sole bars finished they can now be soldered to the body. I tack one end in the correct position and then add the second solebar



Now add the head stock and check the corner joints, when happy solder up





enjoying the build so much I forgot to take photo'sat this point. But I basically tacked the sole bars down each side, added the second head stock and then added some 145 solder each end to give added strength.The chassis truss rods are a simple bend using the jig again and there's etched holes in the floor as to where these are fitted. As normal with Jim's kits they just seem to clip together.
Add the white metal stanchions, go easy as you only get 2 chance of bending them before the break....how do I know ???? A quick touch with the soldering iron re attached the offender. Again Jim's been there before us and there are spares included. I've seen a builder on Jim's web page drill the stanchions out and add brass rods, which looks great but my concern would be rough handling or accidental knock would then cause the white metal stanchion mounts to split open... I'm sticking with the white metal for now. I have drilled out the others, so that with different loads I can add extra brass stanchions if required



Add the bogie mounting blocks first soldering a fixing nut inside.Ready for clean up



Bogies are just three white metal parts, drill out the bearing holes to accept slaters bearings (not supplied in the kit) Then using a flat surface, i use a old bathroom plate glass shelf, clip the parts together and add a tack of 100 degree solder to the tops of the joints. Once you have re checked for squareness add 145 or more to the underside of the joint to give a good strong joint.



Th bogies are sprung, but I think I might have to modify the screw as to me its rather large



Buffers and couplings added and its been given a coat of etching primer





On the track check the buffer height, Jim supplys a washer to increase the height, which works, but I did find that the body tends to rock quite a bit...similar to the old 00 gauge mainline coaches...any one remember modifying them????





So a borrowed idea is to file off the round mounting and then add a metal bar the correct thickness for ride height. It doesnt stop the rocking totally but its a big improvement



And for approx 3 hours of bending and soldering plus an over night priming you end up with this









Shown here with one of Jim's short wheel based Toad brake van I also built last week


and again with one Toto is building, the BR standard brake van


At this stage other than priming the bogies and a small repair to one where the white metal melted I will leave this one alone and build the rest so that they can all be put into the painting process at the same time.

 

Hi Paul, yes I did follow Jims build instructions to the letter, but did question why that order. I think the reason why it's done this way is because four of the stanchions can't be soldered from the rear if the chassis frame legs (queen posts) are soldered in first. But having now built it, if I was to do another I would do the frame work first and then use glue on the stanchions.
I still think fitting brass uprights is the way to go, but as. I said before the white metal bracket have no real strength in the side walls, so one knock on the brass rod and you have a nasty repair to do.
Kim

 

Thanks Pete

 

Toto I can't believe it!!