I can't put it off any longer - it's time to have a go at the balcony railings! I think these will be what give the coaches character, and it is important to get them right. They could also be rather delicate, so there is no real option in my mind but to make them from metal.
These are the component parts - the railings from the Scale-Link etch, trimmed as shown, and some brass wire.
These are the component parts - the railings from the Scale-Link etch, trimmed as shown, and some brass wire.
I figured the only way I am going to get these railings straight and even, and them solder them together without suffering severe burns, was to use a jig. Nothing complex here, just an off-cut of MDF with some thin card (slightly thinner than the wire) stuck on. The wire is laid into each slot up to the stop, a steel rule used to hold it in place, and then it is bent down.
With the wire uprights in the slots and held in with blu-tack they are tinned with solder. A little flux paste is applied to the ends of the railings and they are lined up with the marks and uprights, it then just takes a few dabs of a tinned soldering iron to solder it all together.
The results I am pleased with - strong, square, and even, and more to the point, I've not gained a single burn. Since I took this picture the excess solder has been filed away, I think they should look quite neat once painted. One thing I have just thought though - spiky railings on a moving coach don't seem a good idea, do they?
Hi.
ReplyDeletePlease can you tell me which of Scale-link's railings these are?
I have scoured their site but can't find them and they look ideal for a project I am doing.
Any help in identifying them would be much appreciated.
I have emailed them but not had a reply!
Many Thanks
Andy V.
Hi.
ReplyDeletePlease can you tell me which Scale-Link fencing this is?
I have scoured their website but can't find it and it looks ideal for a project I am working on.
I have emailed them but had no reply.
Any info that could help me identify them would be great.
Many Thanks
Andy V
I’m afraid I don’t know. I was sent the etched railings by someone, and haven’t seen the rest of the etch. They have been cut down and the spikes cut off of course. However there’s only a few frets of railings that Scale-link do:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.scalelink.co.uk/acatalog/Fencing_Gates___Scale_1_76__OO____Grilles_Portes.html
Ruling out the sets of gates and inclined railings, the most likely looking set is that at the top of the page, “CAST-IRON RAILING 4 Types Ref: SLF006”. The bottom of the fret looks a good match, though it’s not a great photo so I can’t be sure.