Garden Railway Forum

Spent my Peterborough show money on a rivet press from Midland Railway Centre. Fantastic piece of kit. It produces excellent rivet detail and all equal size. There is a depth stop and an edge gauge (to get them all the same distance from the edge). All I have to do is get them all equidistant apart. I seem to be able, when I get a rhythm going, to punch about 1 rivet each second. David
P.S. I have no connection to MRC, just a very satisfied customer.

River Lin wrote: ↑Sun Mar 29, 2020 12:40 pm Hi all.
Ffestiniog gunpowder van using Nigel Town's plans from the 16mm Ass'n website.
David

I to got excited by Nigel’s plans, expanded them to 7/8ths.
Lesson learned, shouldn’t have bent the tabs up, and shouldn’t have bent it out of one piece, that method of construction doesn’t translate well to metal construction.
The upside is the freehand rivets pressed with a drill press are reasonably believable.
Result: awaiting further thoughts.
Tim

OOOH!! a metal one, how are you going to fix sides to ends etc.?

11thHour wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:54 am that method of construction doesn’t translate well to metal construction.

Bends are an acquired taste, one piece can work but you must be able to control exactly where each bend starts and finishes, and of course one bend is easy, then you've got to work with the bent bit getting in the way.
Grant.

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 3:00 am OOOH!! a metal one, how are you going to fix sides to ends etc.?

11thHour wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 1:54 am that method of construction doesn’t translate well to metal construction.

Bends are an acquired taste, one piece can work but you must be able to control exactly where each bend starts and finishes, and of course one bend is easy, then you've got to work with the bent bit getting in the way.
Grant.

The other problem with bending is that the rivets are already pressed in when flat, most of them are close to bends and tend to disappear if you force on the bend line.
The proper solution is to bin the part and start again with the gained wisdom. The ends and floor should be separate, I am uncertain, but given the odd formation of the roof, perhaps forming both sides and the roof in one piece is appropriate? The corners can then be formed up with angle set on the inside.

Speaking of roofs of explosive wagons, Australian built wagons usually have wooden roofs so any explosions are directed straight up. Perhaps there are no accidents in Wales?

Tim

11thHour wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 5:34 am Perhaps there are no accidents in Wales?

Yeah! Imagine all those rivets flying everywhere, maybe the theory was "build em heavy and they'll just bulge" LoL
Grant.

Tim,
Just an idea, tapping down the bend with a piece of timber (not metal) to get it nice and sharp, while still in the vice (assuming you're not using a folder)and I don't know how your actually doing the rivets but is it possible to grind a flat side on your rivet mandrel to enable you get close in the corner to do the rivets after the bends. Aluminium in my experience is the worst to sort of drag a rivet around a corner.
Grant.

I recently bought a secondhand model of a 1920's Leyland railcar from Ssouth Africa and although its a very nice model its quite old and delicate. I still wanted a model of a railcar for more daily duties so i spent the last 2 days drawing this up and this morning I got the first pieces off the printer. Its a model of the Victorian Railways 102/153hp Walker railmotor with the larger baggage compartment and single headlight. The prototype was broad gauge but the same power bogie was used under 3' 6" railcars in other states and so rule 8 applies... (model is 1:24 scale)
should keep me busy for a bit

Wow!!
Grant.

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Mar 30, 2020 8:47 am Aluminium in my experience is the worst to sort of drag a rivet around a corner.
Grant.

Thanks for your advice, truly appreciated but I just know I won’t be happy with this effort. It’s not that I am a perfectionist, it’s only I know it could have been better if I had used a better technique. Tim

LNR wrote: ↑Tue Mar 31, 2020 3:31 am Wow!!
Grant.

I agree with Grant!!

Folks, may I suggest that everyone starts their own individual thread for these various projects, please?
It's going to get very confusing and difficult to follow if everyone piles them in here all mixed up together. There is are some fascinating work going on which it would be a great pity to miss, and also when trying to find something looking back from the future.

Hi Tim et al.
Got my plasticard gunpowder van body up to first primer stage. My first inclination is to now fill any gaps and sand smooth. But, would it be more prototypical to leave gaps as it wasn't a welded body as surely gaps would have been present between the riveted panels and strength bands.etc. Thoughts welcomed. David.

I tested my steam injector today which I have been working on:

Looks like you're really getting stuck into this project, Tom. Of course, I've no idea what I'm looking at but I'm impressed that you know what you're doing...

Rik

No small feat to get a small model injector to pick up first time. Congratulations Tom.
Grant.

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:18 am No small feat to get a small model injector to pick up first time. Congratulations Tom.
Grant.

I was about to say that, myself. A fine job you're making of that 'Pea, Tom.

David, thanks for reminding my forgetful ar*e, I'll need to order one of those presses. Certainly looks to give nicer results than my drill press.

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sun Apr 05, 2020 5:46 pm Looks like you're really getting stuck into this project, Tom. Of course, I've no idea what I'm looking at but I'm impressed that you know what you're doing...

Rik

I am enjoying the larger size of the loco, components, etc.

I will go into more detail of how it all works on the project thread (this is all new to me, I assumed that most of you understood how a real steam engine works so I did not want to be patronising!)

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 36&t=12484

LNR wrote: ↑Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:18 am No small feat to get a small model injector to pick up first time. Congratulations Tom.
Grant.

So far it works perfectly every time, I just turn on the water and steam and away it goes (the noise of the injector sounds like a bird singing to me). I have had the loco in steam for a hour and the water temperature in the saddle tank does not impact the reliability of the injector (the club uses the supplier of the injector I purchased, not cheap but then you don't want an injector that is not reliable and cannot fill the boiler!)

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 9:02 am ....... I assumed that most of you understood how a real steam engine works so I did not want to be patronising!

Patronise away, Tom. I know the basics of how a steam loco works but not the intricate detail. A bit like my knowledge of horses and horse riding..

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Tue Apr 07, 2020 12:45 pm not the intricate detail. A bit like my knowledge of horses and horse riding..

I always thought that the only thing you needed to know about horses is that one end kicks and the other end bites!