Masterclass Mason Bogie scratch build

[DGE-Railroad]

In a bit of a departure from converting commercial electric locos, I've decided to take on scratch-building one of David Fletchers Masterclass Mason Bogies.

It's interesting and nerve-wracking in equal measure as it's nothing I've tackled before and requires several new skills which I'm having to pick up!

One of the daunting aspects is that the copious PDFs produced for it cover multiple variants and 3 different chassis construction types. I'm gaining confidence but still find gaps such as construction of the motion rods which seems remarkably skimpy! Perhaps I'm missing a chapter.

The instructions advise using 00-80 and 00-90 hex hardware which are UNF by my understanding however I've completely failed to find a supplier of them here in the UK. Nothing is tapped for them, they're purely fixings so I could use an alternative. Can anyone recommend either a UK supplied or these, or what a BA equivalent would be?

 

[Paul M]

00-80 and 00-90 hex hardware

I'm pretty sure I've not heard of them either! Are they hex headed bolts or Allen key type?

 

[AndyA]

I've heard of UNF when I bought a tap and die set and then realised it was UNF - don't know why - must have ordered wrong!
Any way I tend to go to this web site for specialist fittings:

www.accu.co.uk

Googling 00.80 as a size it came up with the accu site. I have used them to get awkward sizes and shapes for replacement fixings, and they tend to pack in sensible quantities.
Hope that helps

Andy

 

[DGE-Railroad]

I'm pretty sure I've not heard of them either! Are they hex headed bolts or Allen key type?

Hey Paul. These are hex head bolts. From what I can gather they're tiny UNF, down past the more usual fractional notations

I've looked at the dimensions I've found online and they seem to correspond to BA11 and BA13 sizes. "Excellent" thought I, naively there'll be a plentiful supply of those over here.

Wrong! For some reason they are the two sizes that have been phased out of manufacturing for some reason; you can get BA hardware in sizes either side!

It would seem that paying to fly the damn UNF things across thd Atlantic and the highway robbery import duty is the only way to get them.

I'm going to try some M1.2 bolts first as they're readily available and should be quite close.

 

[DGE-Railroad]

I've heard of UNF when I bought a tap and die set and then realised it was UNF - don't know why - must have ordered wrong!
Any way I tend to go to this web site for specialist fittings:

www.accu.co.uk

Googling 00.80 as a size it came up with the accu site. I have used them to get awkward sizes and shapes for replacement fixings, and they tend to pack in sensible quantities.
Hope that helps

Andy

Ooo, thanks Andy. I tried following several links but somehow didn't hit that site. I'll take a look. Thank you very much for thd pointer!

 

[AndyA]

Maybe UNC is what you are looking for. Searching accu.co.uk for 00-80 hex unc resulted in -"we found over 1000 components for 00-80 hex unc"
Illustration include allen key fixings and, I think, normal hex head. UNC is regarded as 'Imperial' not 'Metric'? Accu also do UNF.

 

[John Le Forestier]

They're the sizes you'd find in the USA at one time on a pair of sunglasses. .080 = very tiny. .090 = even tinier, as small as they come. I first came across them on an HO locomotive, .080 holding the side rods to the drivewheels, .090 holding very small details. It's a pre-metric measure. Serious scratchbuilders use them in brass hex head form. I'd suggest you use your local alternative as everything is going metric which is now easier to obtain. Shipping from China may be the best way for you to go for both the screws and the taps and dies. Hope this helps. If you're scratchbuilding, when you get to it you'll manage somehow.

 

[JohnSol]

The US dealer I use is Custom Model Cars Custom Pocher Models, Pocher Kits and Spare Parts, Free Pocher Manuals - Model Motorcars, Ltd Look at their hardware selection. They have both metric and inch sized hex bolts and nuts.

I believe Custom Model Cars has a European outlet

 

[JohnSol]

DGE-Railroad

Those rear truck wheels shown in the opening of this thread are beautiful. Did you machine them? Did you machine the valve gear?

That rear truck is nice.

 

[DGE-Railroad]

Thanks John.

No, my machining skills are almost non-existant! Those wheels are/were commercially available ones. Either Sunset Valley or Llagas Creek I think.

The valvegear and motion are all David Fletcher's work - he designed the kit and instructions for the loco and originally farmed out the chassis and rods/valvegear to Barrys Big Trains.

The BBT rods were beautifully cast pieces but when BBT wasn't able to complete the supply, David had a go at getting the rods and valvegear lasercut from his CAD drawings. These are the result of that.

The loco itself is a real 'Bitsa' build;

The tender truck is a lasercut styrene kit rom Bronson Tate Architectural Models
The chassis, drivetrain, bell, light brackets, johnson rod, reversing bracket and valvegear is a lasercut steel kit from Hartland Trains
The cab is a lasercut wood kit from FH & PB Railroad supply
The stack is an Accucraft item and the domes are Delton

Everything else is cut from 1mm or 2mm styrene

Darren

 

[DGE-Railroad]

A little more progress to report. The 1880s cab is built



and yes...there's a glaring error to sort out!