As this will be my first foray into brass, I don't have any of "special" bits like bending bars either Kevin.  I was planning to use a couple of steel rulers if necessary - I'm thinking along the lines of an LNER lattice post signal and I think the post is made up by 2 x "L" shaped etches.

Thanks for the advice on primer Doug.  We have a "Roady" car accessory store in Miramont and I thought I'd check out their spray cans this morning.  I'll need an acrylic one rather than cellulose I presume …………….:roll::roll:

Re the Vallejo paints, can they be posted from UK or did someone bring them for you ?  I thought paints were a restricted substance in postal terms ……………:roll::roll:  I'm pretty sure aerosols can't be sent here from UK. ;-)

No problem re post, it's  a water-based liquid, and the primer is acrylic.:thumbs 
I think you might pay over the odds at Roady…
Doug

A quick tip-

Be nicer than usual to the Station Mistress,  see if she has any of the little aluminium spring hairclips used when applying lotions and potions, they don't get soldered and are poor at heat-sinking.

Doug

What's "hair" Doug ? …………

You say "poor" at heat sinking - don't you mean "good" - in that they make good heat sinks ……….:roll::roll:

I was wondering what to use as heat sinks given that the parts will be very fiddly.  My podgy fingers are really looking forward to the project ………………………:hmm

[user=565]Brossard[/user] wrote:

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote: 

I had visions of my scrubbing all my badly soldered bits off under a running tap and watching them disappear down the plug !!!!

I've done that - a bit disheartening, get a strainer.

John

Me too….tiny white metal bits are very hard to find in a 'U' bend……at least they sink to the bottom!

D

[user=6]Petermac[/user] wrote:

What's "hair" Doug ? …………

You say "poor" at heat sinking - don't you mean "good" - in that they make good heat sinks ……….:roll::roll:

I was wondering what to use as heat sinks given that the parts will be very fiddly.  My podgy fingers are really looking forward to the project ………………………:hmm

Tee-hee!

I mean 'poor' at heat sinking, they don't take away heat from the joint area, and you can bend them into all sorts of contorted shapes. My last lot went with the chap who decided the bag of tools in my boot would find a better home with him, haven't found any more since.

With them went my medium crocodile clips with copper extensions brazed to them,,,,oh, the perks of HM's Naval Dockyards….real heat sinkers.

A work-round when needed is a slice of thicker walled copper pipe split down one side to make a big 'C' clip.

To counteract sea time boredom a chum and I [the shipwright…] made up little sets of tot-measures, tear buckets, snuff boxes etc out of scrap copper, silver solder snippings and brass brazing rod rims.





Herewith, the paint in question, and snuff box and cigarette tin [plain duty-free issue 2 7/8th" long]. The main body silver soldered with a gas torch using a feather edge [like Ernie Wise, 'You can't see the join..'], bottom set inside and soft soldered with a high temp lead/tin solder, then the lid rim folded around, feather joint with the same,  lid domed through a wooden former and soldered in with ordinary tinman's solder, and then the clincher, tinned inside using sal ammoniac, the best hang over and stuffy nose clearer in the world!

Sobering for me to remember that this all went on more than 45 years ago!

Doug

Thanks Doug. :thumbs

Great looking copper items.  Maybe I could have learned those skills if I'd gone to sea ……………..:hmm  I know how to milk a cow and make a firework rocket if that's of any use to you ………..:cheers

Thanks, Peter,

I get very annoyed when reps for on-line business say in a particularly ingratiating [read 'oleaginous'] way, 'It must be difficult to understand for someone of your age….' or similar.

I immediately respond

'Yes, but could you cut mitre dovetails after reading a ten word explanation in a language that owes nothing to the accepted laws of English grammar, please, let me speak to a supervisor, or failing that facility someone who has at least recovered from the vicissitudes of infantile eczema…'

It seldom fails to achieve a connection to somebody not reading from a script, or the representive hanging up.

That gives me opportunity to re-dial, protesting that as an ethnic minority I deserve assistance with my call….

Dougolopovski

Quote Peter:

"If you watch the video showing signal operation, the "bounce" is wonderful.  It was watching the operation of signals at a show that made me open my wallet.  It's not a particularly cheap system at initial outlay time (I bought the £198 "Starter" kit), but is very versatile and can be constantly added to".


That looks very effective, however, it looks quite tricky to install it on a layout, as it would need a big hole in the board?

Bob

The "N" Gauge one shown is a mod on the Dapol signal Bob.  That does need a big hole but so does the normal Dapol version. 

Mine, as with most installations, will just have a small hole for the operating wire to pass through connecting the below board servo to the signal arm.  I'm going to use piano wire for the linkage.