What happened at your workbench today?

It's always good to learn new things. I have carried, from house to house, decade to decade, a book on building model trams, always thinking 'one day...'. Well, that day has arrived, but obviously a cheeky kit-bash lookie-likee of a unique industrial tram is not the full monty, but hey ho.
So, the new trick is making a swan-necked brake handle: the book suggests turning up a piece of brass and then cunningly bending it to shape. So a piece of brass was mounted in the lathe chuck and turned to suit:
20251219_173455.jpg
It was then tickled up with needle files to get the correct profile.
Now, depending on its make-up, brass can be 'hot short' i.e. brittle when hot, or 'cold short'. I had to guess which, and opted for it being cold short, so applied heat, bent it, and...it was hot short.
So the new plan was to solder up a handle, swan-neck and boss...
20251219_175753.jpg
This is the handle, the bit the motorman holds; the original stock is 3mm, so it's quite small, really!
Anyhoo, all three parts were made up, a welding rod shaft added, and soldered up:
20251219_181455.jpg
before a support was created from thinned-down welding rod and a brass bush:
20251219_182217.jpg20251219_182945.jpg20251219_182951.jpg
I'm quite happy with that. Next up, the General Electric 11a controller...
 
And now in series, please. I need about 10 pieces.

Duck and go. :cool:


And now in series, please. I need about I'll give it a try, but only with a milling machine, with the head rotated 90°.

Peter
 
PhilP said:
Might SLR Models dashboard modules and panels be of use?

slrmodels.co.uk

Dashboard Modules - SLR Models

16 dash modules supplied unpainted
slrmodels.co.uk slrmodels.co.uk

PhilP.
Click to expand...
I'm thinking of using Swift Sixteen parts...
www.swiftsixteen.co.uk

Brass Power Handle Set | Swift Sixteen

Brass Power Handle Set,for a diesel locomotive driving desk. Due to popular demand, this power handle set has been taken from our Railbus kit and sold as a separate part for home builds.They come as a sprue of 6 scale handles, Two vacuum brake, (larger), two power handle and two direction...
www.swiftsixteen.co.uk www.swiftsixteen.co.uk
...but then again, I might fabricate them instead...
 
Northsider said:
It's always good to learn new things. I have carried, from house to house, decade to decade, a book on building model trams, always thinking 'one day...'. Well, that day has arrived, but obviously a cheeky kit-bash lookie-likee of a unique industrial tram is not the full monty, but hey ho.
So, the new trick is making a swan-necked brake handle: the book suggests turning up a piece of brass and then cunningly bending it to shape. So a piece of brass was mounted in the lathe chuck and turned to suit:
View attachment 351123
It was then tickled up with needle files to get the correct profile.
Now, depending on its make-up, brass can be 'hot short' i.e. brittle when hot, or 'cold short'. I had to guess which, and opted for it being cold short, so applied heat, bent it, and...it was hot short.
So the new plan was to solder up a handle, swan-neck and boss...
View attachment 351122
This is the handle, the bit the motorman holds; the original stock is 3mm, so it's quite small, really!
Anyhoo, all three parts were made up, a welding rod shaft added, and soldered up:
View attachment 351121
before a support was created from thinned-down welding rod and a brass bush:
View attachment 351120View attachment 351124View attachment 351125
I'm quite happy with that. Next up, the General Electric 11a controller...
Click to expand...
Wow!
 
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