Wooden ore cars

[Mr Potato Head]

Fantastic work! 
I love etched brass when ever I can use it, I've been working with a friend and we've been making our own, there are a lot of steps, but it's gotten a lot easier now, are results are more successful. I also use resistance soldering and when working on projects that have multiple joints or welds, I count how many there will be and then I figure the lowest setting to accomplish the task, then I solder the first piece at the highest temp and lower the temp each time a tenth of a watt until the task is completed, each time lowering will allow the last piece soldered  not to un solder its self. Also heat sinks are a great help. There is little heat build up unlike traditional pencil soldering, but the piece gets hot! Carr's low melt solder works great on white metal parts and their low melt flux is a must.  Also you can use different grades of solder, every time I can find a new brand I buy some, each run is slightly different, they have different silver contents meaning they have different temperature values. Whether resistance or traditional try it, practice on some scrap, it's not that hard and you'll love the results.
MPH

[finescalerr]

Gil, that was actually helpful. Are you feeling okay? -- ssuR

[Bill Gill]

Hauk, I have followed your projects for while and admire both your precise and aesthetic techniques.

[Ray Dunakin]

Great work, it's like a little piece of jewelry.

[Hauk]

Thanks for all the kind comments!

A few morewords on my soldering techniques. As I have mentioned before, I use a RSU (Resistance Soldering Unit) almost exclusively. For soldering I use a 60-40 Lead/tin soldering cream. This cream contains its own water-soluble flux, and is the best flowing solder I have tried. And believe me, I have tried a few!

Here are the basic components for most structural joints on the underframe:





As the holidays approach real fast, I have to hang up my soldering iron for a few days, so this is the last image for a while.

It is starting to look a little as a underframe at least! And I promise to clean my fingernails for the holidays...

[artizen]

Modelling jewellery!

[Hauk]

Modelling jewellery!

Thanks!

With the holidays out of the way, we can go back to the regular program.

Tonight the darn thing rolled. As I like to play a bit with my models, I want them to be operating. So it was great to see that the springing systems work, and that the wheels are free rolling. The springing system is not my idea, I bought a similar kit in 00 gauge and reverse engineered it. The inventor of this springing/compensating concept is an englishman named Bill Bedford. It is a well proved concept that is used a lot in the UK. It is simple and reliable, and as I probably will never sell a kit I did not hesitate to copy the design. I was more unsure about  the bearing. This is just a hole the etch, and the axle is riding in the hole with no bearing of any sort.  The axles are just turned down to a smaller diameter at then ends, they are not pinpointed or anything fancy. Erik Olsen that custom-made the wheels was not too happy with me wanting this rather crude solution. But the wagon is suprisingly free rolling. And it was about time that those wheelsets got a decent spin after spending the last 13 years in a drawer!

Here are a few images fresh from he memory card:

[Ray Dunakin]

Looks great!

[finescalerr]

Adequately outstanding. -- Russ

[Design-HSB]

Hello Hauk,

that roll very much for vehicles, I would also consider.
But if you could integrate a small ball bearing it should go.
Very clean worked in any case from you and it shows once again the advantages of metal as a material.
I would be interested but also closer to the suspension.

[Peter_T1958]

Convincing work on that frame! And a great idea with that spring wire! So the leaf springs and axle boxes on the outside remain without function, if I understand right.
I can well imagine, that planning all those parts in advance needs a lot of know-how and experience...
Does the designer consider the final weight of the car? I suspect, that fact must have an effect on the lenght of the spring wire. Or is this experience too?

Congrats to your work,
Peter

[Hauk]

Convincing work on that frame! And a great idea with that spring wire! So the leaf springs and axle boxes on the outside remain without function, if I understand right.
I can well imagine, that planning all those parts in advance needs a lot of know-how and experience...
Does the designer consider the final weight of the car? I suspect, that fact must have an effect on the lenght of the spring wire. Or is this experience too?

Congrats to your work,
Peter

Thanks!

But the praise for the design goes to the inventor of the concept, Bill Bedford. I was inspired by this article: http://www.clag.org.uk/bb-w-irons.html

The length of the wire will indeed affect the springing. But it is much easier to tune the cars by using different diameters of the guitar string used for the springs. I used 0.009" string for my car, but I don't think it will be stiff enough when the body of the car is added. So I will try some slightly thicker springs. Guitar strings comes in a lot of different thicknesses, so it is possible to fine-tune the springing of the cars.

This is a 00-scale kit (1/76) that I sort of reverse engineered:



As you can see, this design is  little more fancy than mine as it includes a turned bronze bearing to be used with pinpoint axles.
Probably a bit more freerolling than mine, but as I mentioned, I am very happy with the rolling characteristics  of my cars.

[Peter_T1958]

Now everything becomes clear. Thank you for the link!
Can't wait for the next update...

[Hydrostat]

Hauk,

it's a pleasure to see this come together. The springing system works doubtless, but I'm sure you'd have managed to model working leaf springs from phosphorus bronze. What was the reason for compromising at this point?

Volker

[Hauk]

Hauk,

it's a pleasure to see this come together. The springing system works doubtless, but I'm sure you'd have managed to model working leaf springs from phosphorus bronze. What was the reason for compromising at this point?

Volker

Time. I plan to model an entire train of these cars (≈9 cars), even if I never build a layout. Using etched fold-up beams is another compromise. Milled brass profiles gives optimal results, but would have taken much longer.

My modeling hero Erik Olsen built rolling stock with working leaf springs, functional rivets (no soldering!), beams made from commercial brass profils filed down to exact cross-section. I would love to build my cars this uncompromising way, but I lack the time, patience and skills.

Take a look at Eriks articles, there is a lot to learn here:
http://www.modelbaneteknik.dk/model/vogn/vogn-e.htm

It is the gold standard of 0-scale scratch building in my opinion.