Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

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River Lin
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Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Mon Nov 18, 2019 6:41 pm

Hi all.
Not having posted on here for a while I thought I would share my latest build experience in real time.
I opened the box at the weekend, checked the contents (looks great quality) and had a 1st read of the instructions.
Today I have cut out and cleaned up the lower floor and drilled 22 holes 0.8mm diam for the cosmetic rivets. I could emboss rivets if I had the appropriate press which I don't, or stick on little nail art jewels but i don't thick I could keep them inline. Having a small supply already of 0.8mm brass rivets I have decided to use these. So I passed the rivets through the holes, trimmed them off on the back and fixed them with a little superglue on a pin before filing flat. This didn't take too long once I got going.

22 rivets done.
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Next is to rivet, bend and fix the sole bars underneath.
This is the start of me building up a slate train. To let out a little secret I have 4 of these kits to build, a sucker for punishment I know.
As an aside I am also on the lookout for a small live steam loco to pull them. If anyone on here has anything suitable they would be willing to sell please let me know.
D.
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by Andrew » Fri Nov 29, 2019 10:15 am

Those rivets look very good, better than embossing them, and better than nail art gems too in the context of a finely detailed model such as the Slaters kit - the gems seem a little on the large side for a lot of applications really... I've not had too many problems lining the up though if you do ever fancy using them - I place coax them into line with a straight edge while the glue dries...

Looking forward to seeing the finished rake - nothing says "Welsh narrow gauge" like a slate wagon...

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Fri Nov 29, 2019 5:46 pm

Hi Andrew.
I have spent quite a bit of time on the wagon over the past 10 days. Although I glued the underframe rivets in place I tried soldering the rivets in place on the wagon body and I feel I did quite well. I took this decision because I wanted to solder the body together and was not sure how heat would affect the glue. It was a lot of rivets to solder but once I got a rhythm going it didn't seem so bad. I have a good soldering iron, side cutting pliers and I was advised by a local society member to try Laco flux which I did to good effect.
Here are a couple of pictures of the wagon before i fit the running gear. The axle boxes will be bolted through the sets of three holes visible in the sole bars. I also love the look of real rivets. Still looking for a loco though.
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by LNR » Fri Nov 29, 2019 10:54 pm

Very nice looking detail David, just shows there is no substitute for doing it the right way. I have a mantra when modelling "if all else fails, do it like the real one". Mind you applying the many hundreds of rivets required on a loco could be rather tiresome. That slate wagon will look perfect when finished. Dare I ask how many you intend doing?
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Fri Nov 29, 2019 11:08 pm

Hi Grant.
I know it will be a short train initially but I have 4 kits on my work bench and that is a lot of riveting and soldering :-)
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by GTB » Sun Dec 01, 2019 2:19 am

River Lin wrote: Fri Nov 29, 2019 5:46 pm Here are a couple of pictures of the wagon before i fit the running gear. The axle boxes will be bolted through the sets of three holes visible in the sole bars. I also love the look of real rivets. Still looking for a loco though.
Looks good, nice neat soldering. You can't beat metal for simulating metal in a model that open. Polystyrene can come close, but wood isn't even a starter.

Glueing metal together isn't a good idea at the best of times if you can solder. Glues have little heat resistance and don't mix well with soldering. Anyway soldering goes faster, give or take time to treat the odd burnt finger. :roll:

I agree with Grant, I'd also have done it that way for this model, as it's a metal body and there aren't a lot of rivets.

I draw the line at doing long rivet runs on loco bodywork that way though, which is why I built a rivet press to use in the small mill. It would also fit my old bench drill, but it has too much slop in the quill to be usable for this.

It might seem daunting at the start, but the trick to batch building is to just bite the bullet and start. Then try and do a bit more whenever you get a bit of time. If you work out a given step on model #1, it then goes much quicker on the others and before you know it they are all finished.

Regards,
Graeme

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by tom_tom_go » Mon Dec 02, 2019 3:32 pm

As it's an all brass kit have you thought about chemically blackening it?

It will allow the detail to be far more crisp in appearance than layering it in paint.

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:41 pm

Hi.
I hadn't thought of it to be honest. I have blackened brass before but only small items. Chopper couplings for example.
I might give it a go. I could always paint after if I wasn't happy with the result.
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Fri Dec 06, 2019 10:46 pm

Hi all.
Latest work has been on fitting axle boxes and wheels.
Included in the kit are dummy bolt and nut sets in white metal that are designed to be cut to length, inserted through the holes in the sole bars and glued into the axle boxes to make a permenent fitting. I wanted however to be able to fit and remove the axle boxes at will to allow for adjustments if necessary.
To this end I purchased enough 14BA x 3/16 bolts and nuts for all 4 kits. I drilled out to 1mm the holes in the sole bars and axle boxes and glued the bolts into the axle box holes so that they protrude through the sole bars, allowing the nuts to be screwed on the outside as per prototype. I am very pleased with the results.
IMG_20191206_223118.jpg
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The example in the Welsh Highland Rly museum in Porthmadog. (My own photo).
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My 1st slate wagon with real nuts and bolts to hold the axle boxes.

Now I have just about completed this wagon, mistakes and all, I can make a start on putting together the other three.
David.
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by LNR » Fri Dec 06, 2019 11:54 pm

Just perfect David.
Starting 14BA nuts on their respective bolts would have been fun I imagine.
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Sat Dec 07, 2019 12:12 am

Hi Grant.
I use what I know as a 'nut spinner' with a little 'blu-tack' in the socket to hold the nut as I thread it onto the bolt and tighten it. This works well for me.
IMG_20191207_000616.jpg
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by LNR » Sat Dec 07, 2019 1:44 am

Ah! yes that would make it easier.
I'm still using my fingers for that sort of thing, even occasionally with some blue-tac on them :shock:
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by GTB » Sat Dec 07, 2019 4:06 am

River Lin wrote: Mon Dec 02, 2019 9:41 pm I have blackened brass before but only small items. Chopper couplings for example.
I might give it a go. I could always paint after if I wasn't happy with the result.
I'd be wary of painting blackened brass, as I've had paint delaminate after a while on blackened brass. Blisters started appearing in the paint and the rest of the paint had lost adhesion, it basically peeled of in a thin sheet. Brass blackeners also won't work properly on solder and whitemetal, which need a different formula. Carrs used to do a solder blackener, otherwise jewellers suppliers often stock a pewter blackener which will work.

The model is coming along nicely, but rather you than me with using 14BA. I can barely see 12BA fasteners now and then only with the right glasses.

Graeme

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Sat Dec 07, 2019 10:32 am

Hi Graeme.
I will probably leave blackening alone then and go for rusty gray I think.
I know what you mean about elderly eyes. :D
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by DonW » Sat Dec 28, 2019 5:47 pm

If you overdo the blackening it can tend to peel off anyway with handling. The is not point isn using it under paint an etch primer is better as an undercoat. I find blackening useful for parts like three link couplings where paint will tend to wear off but also tend to interfere with the use of them. I forget which I use and have some recommendations from other somewhere will dig them out if I can.
You could use a red oxide primer then paint black over that any scrapes will look like rust.

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by tom_tom_go » Sat Dec 28, 2019 5:51 pm

If the chemical blackening peels off it means you have over done it on applying the solution or not prepared the item surfaces correctly.

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Tue Dec 31, 2019 3:14 pm

Or too concentrated a solution so i have read. I have used "Jollop" at a dilution of about 1:10 but still have to watch carefully so it does not overdo.
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by Paul_in_Ricky » Thu Jan 09, 2020 9:24 am

An interesting thread and sorry to comment late to it. It seems to take a long time to get permission to join this forum.

I thought this kit, well the braked version in my case, would be a nice gentle reintroduction for me to return to 16mm modelling after a very long gap.

Looking at this thread; Great soldering skill on your model.
The choice of fixing the axle boxes with nuts and bolts is a good move. Although the supplied square head bolt heads are prototypical, they're a real faff to glue up and can't ever be removed should maintenance be needed in future.
The rivet dilemma is something I considered and chose the other method, I punched the rivet etches with an automatic centre punch. I think it may have been a bit too subtle once painted compared to the practice of drilling out and replacing with 'real' rivets. It will be interesting to see how painting your wagon will tame the, what some might consider as, slightly over-scale appearance, especially when compared to the real museum piece in your photo.

Worth noting that the braked version of this kit adds a significant addition of complexity to the construction. Getting the whole 'brake chain' assembled, fitted and not fouling the wheels is quite challenge I would happily have avoided if I'd known what it would involve.

Mine's been given a coat of Phoenix etching primer and gloss mid-grey enamel, with the start of detailing for a Maen-Offeren quarry wagon not quite yet complete. Once I've practised a bit, I'll weather it down to something less new and shiny too. I think I'll also have to get some unbraked ones to make a more complete rake.
Slater FR wagon.jpg
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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by Andrew » Thu Jan 09, 2020 10:25 am

That looks very nice indeed! It took me a second glance to realise it wasn't a real one on display in a museum!

All the best,

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Re: Slaters 2 ton slate wagon

Post by River Lin » Thu Jan 09, 2020 8:15 pm

Hi all.
Underframes completed for the the other three wagons. Bolted axle boxes as No. 1.
IMG_20200109_160704.jpg
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Difficult to see but the third underframe from the left is for a braked wagon. I am leaving it unbraked for now as I complete the bodies but holes are drilled ready to take the brake gear at a later date. One nice touch by Slaters is to supply curly spoked wheels for the unbraked model and drilled solid wheels for the braked model.
I now have the three remaining body frames drilled and rivetted ready to be cut from their frets, folded and assembled. The two frets on the left show the rivets while the one on the right shows the back of the frets after the rivets have been clipped off and filed smooth. Notice that some rivets have to be fastened from the back of the fret.
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I hope my models look as good as yours Paul when painted. I will be going for a rusty grey primer look when completed.
David.
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