Hellas-Express

Hi too all,

I decided to start a new topic for the new kit released in the begining of the month of the Z6 Gags-v wagons from Lok Schlosserei in Germany.

You can read some background information on the wagons here:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=46

I presented the kit here:

viewtopic.php?f=13&t=46&start=30

I intend with this topic to show the construction of the kit and troubleshoot some posible problems but also to show that building a brass kit is no big deal and you only need patience.

First of all.....except files, pliers, cutter and glassfiber brush the most important thing that I used for quite some time now for building brass kits is this:



This is the Xuron photoetch scissors 440. Not a cheap piece of a equipment (about 30€) but it cuts parts from frets like butter. I do not file the pegs anymore but cut them with these scissors carefully. It saves a lot of time....yesterday I cut and cleanes 75 photo etches brass parts of the Z6 in about 85 minutes. It is worth the investment. Please, if you buy them dont use them to cut anything else....you will damage them and it is a pity.

This is for the introduction.

Cheers
Andreas

The kit supplies Y25 bogies from Tillig. These are fine but to not have any brakes. Bernd Schlosser provides photo etched parts for the brakes that fit the Tillig bogies. This was an initial problem as the folding of these parts is not very clear from the instructions. I destroyed two of these but the lit provides one extra for each wagon so I have in total 5 extras (yes I build 5 Z6 ).

Schlosser, on the contrary to the normal practice places his fold lines on the outside of the folds and not on the inside! This is important as I had to understand this philosophy and everything is easier!

I will show step by step the folding of the brakes so that you want make any mistakes.















End of part 1

Cheers
Andreas

I continue with the underframe.

I cut the main part of the underframe and folded it by hands. No fancy equipment (although I have 3 folding tools) nothing....just a piece of plywood that I used as a work surface. To fold the long sides I holded the floor with my hands and pressed the sided against the wood at a significant angle not to destroy the steps and other details. It is fairly easy and takes about 2 minutes for each underframe.



So thats enough for tonight. I have actually finished the detailing of the underframe but I will show that tommorow...now I need to go to sleep!

Cheers
Andreas

Thanks Andreas, this construction walk-through is going to be most helpful for the rest of us
Keep modelling


...

Well Easter here in central Europe....I decided to use my time as efficiently and use up the last few days of snow to go out on the slopes. I started skiing last year and I try to go out as much as possible to improve myself...



So, lets go on with the construction report.

After forming the underframe it was time to detail it with all the undergrubbins (I read this definition of all the underside details -mostly brake equipment- from a member of the RMWeb and I have to say it is very good). In total 75 photo etched pieces for all 5 wagons. It took me about 1:15 to cut and clean them up with the scissors. If I would have done that with a file I would have ended up in the nuthouse... .

After preparing the pieces I tested them on one underframe to debug everything so I would not have to do any remedy work.Please pay attention that when you fold the pieces that the fold line needs to be on the outside of the fold!!!!.



After the first test that everything fitted it was fairly straightforward to add the pieces to all the wagons.



At this point I did not solder anything yet. The ingenius part of the construstion from Bernd Schlosser is that the parts are held together with small lungs that you have to fold when placing the parts. After that you can take you time to solder or glue everything without the damn thing falling apart.



Cheers
Andreas

After about 3 hours of soldering I have soldered up everything and the wagons were standing up for the first time on their feet....er bogies! Most of the undergrubbins were soldered from the inside (the top of the floor) so that I wont need to clean up the joints. I soldered some stuff from the underside but with extreme care using a less solder as possible. All the joints have been made with 145 Deg solder and the solder station set at 400 Deg so that I have very low dwell times on the joints. As a flux I use my standard 9% Phosphoric acid.

After each soldering session dont forget to scrub your work with hot water and soap!!!!!!



Cheers
Andreas

To finish off the underframes the platforms need to be formed and soldered in place. The forming is very easy just take care because these are delicate parts.

The small steps need to be folded twice. Once 180 Degrees to the form a sandwich with the support brakets and then a 90 Degree fold of the "sandwich" to give the final position of the steps. Be careful...for these small steps the 180 degrees fold I very tricky and can damage the mesh of the steps....dont ask how I found out... . Though I have to say that the fold can be done without a folding tool, but take your time and think of the whole process before you do anything. If you are not sure please contact me!!!!!! This double fold was also necessary on the big steps on the main underframe which I found out later but I could fold them on spot. The big steps do not pose any problem in the folding and it is very difficult to destroy the mesh.





Cheers
Andreas

In order not to use to much solder of the brake platform and loose the fine detail I will give some tipps on how I did it. You can find your own way but this is my solution.





Hope this hepls.

Cheers
Andreas

Now the pictures of the finished underframe with the brake platform. It still needs clean up and straighten out some parts that are not so well formed and they are ready for painting....

Easy construction, ingenious desigh with a lot of details....I am very pleased with the whole thing on how it turned out and today I will continue with the superstructure.







Thats all for now...stay tuned.

Cheers
Andreas

I had two good modelling sessions yesterday afternoon and today in the morning. I made up all the doors and the end walls of the wagons. Nothing special. The parts are very easy to make: Cut out, clean and little bit up, fold correctly and glue/solder and clean up again. I will post just some pictures of the finished parts so that you can see about the foldings in case the instuctions are not enough for you. The cleaning up after soldering was with glassfibre brush, x-acto and a flat file.

The only thing to watch out for this stage, if you solder the parts together, is to use absolut minimum amount of solder so that you do cover details and need to clean up a lot.













I hope everything is clear.

Next....work on the bodies.

Cheers
Andreas