Accucraft 7/8ths Ragleth 'Baldrig'

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sat Sep 13, 2014 8:31 pm

Glad you like it Ben. I am enjoying the larger size of 7/8ths!

Summerlands chuffer now fitted and test run today, sounds brilliant:

http://youtu.be/4KC3yuK1KcQ

With every run the performance improves...

btiratsoo · Post by **btiratsoo** » Sun Sep 14, 2014 11:25 am

Once again Tom, inspiring stuff. As I said the other day, unfortunately I just haven't been home enough this leave to make any sort of dent in construction. Set up an oval on the patio the other day to run our Mildred. Splendid afternoon with dad just playing steam.

Gremlin · Post by **Gremlin** » Mon Sep 22, 2014 12:28 pm

Runs very nicely and the new chuffer sounds brilliant. I see it has no problem with the tight curve by the conservatory, you must be well chuffed with the power unit, looking forward to seeing the body, it's going to be quite a chunky engine.

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 8:46 pm

Bit of soldering and folding tonight had me up to this stage so you can get an idea of the size of the thing:

The figure is 7/8ths scale so it is going to be quite large!

I am using this guide for soft soldering:

http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/tips/s ... gindex.htm

If you look at my pics you will see I had to solder really small brass washers for the hand rails (where the sand boxes are going to be, you can see the two screws hold on the front of each tank) and this was very difficult, loads of excess I had to file away.

How do others solder really fine parts so it looks like as if it was simply glued into place?

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 10:19 pm

How do others solder really fine parts so it looks like as if it was simply glued into place?

Practice, a good hot iron, clean metal, decent flux and solder and a fair amount of luck!

Seriously though, I have built up brass kits in the past when there were little bits of detail that I just could not get right (cylinder wrappers on 7mm ng stuff mainly). It sometimes helped to use a solder with a slightly lower melting point than normal, I think it is called detailing solder, (try Carr's).

The loco is looking good, don't worry.

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Sun Dec 07, 2014 10:34 pm

It's interesting that it looks totally different to mine...............

............... which looks a litte "Welsh Highland" hauling 16mm scale stock...........

GTB · Post by **GTB** » Mon Dec 08, 2014 7:57 am

tom_tom_go:106236 wrote: How do others solder really fine parts so it looks like as if it was simply glued into place?

Looks good, I can't see any excess solder......

When attaching small parts, I tin both parts first, put a bit of liquid flux in the joint and heat until I see any excess solder squeeze out of the joint. If possible, heat from the back. When it cools down I clean off any excess solder with a fibreglass brush (then pick the bits of glass out of my fingers with fine tweezers

).

it also helps in large scale to have a soldering iron that can generate a decent amount of heat. Mine is a 100W soldering station and with a 3mm chisel tip I can solder seams in 0.8mm brass bodywork with that. I had one person argue with me that you can do everything you need with a 25W iron. I can only assume he had never tried soldering a garden scale size body together.....

Regards,
Graeme

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:39 pm

Hopefully the Help & Advice theatres that were video'd at this year's Peterborough show will make it onto a 16mm NGM DVD at some point (MDLR?). I attended the Soldering theatre which included how to fit those small parts - the body kit being used in the demonstration was Brian's (MDLR).

Chris Cairns

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Thu Dec 11, 2014 10:53 pm

The editing is ongoing as I type this - there was an awful lot to edit!

Now, a question for all you Accucraft owners. I'm an Accucraft virgin - always ran Roundhouse and Mamod in the past. With a Mamod, you watch it like a hawk. With a Roundhouse, if you start off with full gas and water, the gas runs out first with just a little water left in the boiler. I find that if I do this with the Baldrig, there's only about a syringe-and-a-bit of water used - I can happily get away with two fillings of gas without the water running dry. Is this to be expected?

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 2:12 pm

This is my first Accucraft as well, however, I got into live steaming because of seeing Accucraft 0-4-0's run at a nearby garden railway that I was invited to see once I had joined the association.

The old boy then use to get pressure up first then fill up the gas again to get a longer run.

St.Michael · Post by **St.Michael** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 6:13 pm

I really enjoy following your work... and wonder if something like that could be my next steamloco-project, after the O&K loco ( two or three years from now...

Time is a strange thing )

Big Jim · Post by **Big Jim** » Sun Dec 14, 2014 7:24 pm

Very nice, I think that gas control mod is very nice and makes a huge difference to the cab area. Looking forwards to seeing it finished.

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Fri Mar 20, 2015 4:21 pm

I have fitted TTD steam & gas valves, makes a big difference:

http://www.thetraindepartment.com/ttd-upgrade-valves/

The gas is very easy to adjust now and the regulator has much finer control.

Cheap upgrades, including shipping (from the US) was under £25.00

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 7:07 pm

I've fitted a TD77 replacement steam valve to my Ragleth (yet to test it), with one to fit to my Edrig at some point.

A fellow 16mm NGM WoSG member was telling me recently that the TD75 Gas Valve is currently not available for the Edrig.

Chris Cairns

kandnwlr · Post by **kandnwlr** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 9:24 pm

MDLR:106240 wrote:It's interesting that it looks totally different to mine...............

............... which looks a litte "Welsh Highland" hauling 16mm scale stock...........

Now that looks very nice too

kandnwlr · Post by **kandnwlr** » Mon Mar 23, 2015 9:26 pm

tom_tom_go:106236 wrote:

I am using this guide for soft soldering:

http://www.steves-workshop.co.uk/tips/s ... gindex.htm

Thanks very much for the link.

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sun May 24, 2015 5:52 pm

Dome and boiler bands now painted:

I think the body will go nicely with the red boiler bands once lined with red.

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Thu May 28, 2015 6:36 pm

Time for R/C:

As I have replaced the regulator for one of TTD versions it should not take much effort to move it so the micro servo should be sufficient. Hopefully, I can get away with just using servo tape to attach the servo to the side of the frame.

I will drill a hole through the foot plate and modify the existing Accucraft regulator handle to take a linkage rod connector.

Giving Ripmax a go this time servo wise as this was cheaper than the Hitec equivalent and even has metal gears.

Safety valve bonnet on order from DJB as well.

Chris Cairns · Post by **Chris Cairns** » Sat May 30, 2015 7:10 pm

This is progressing well Tom.

Chris Cairns

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Tue Nov 17, 2015 8:12 pm

Progressing with the body kit although I am still trying to perfect my soldering skills:

The mini blow torch I bought does not get the solder hot enough and cuts out so I have gone back to the larger Go-Gas torch although having to be careful not to get everything too hot.

Having a wet rag to hand to cool parts after soldering seems to help.

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