0. General Remarks on this Kit and on Constructing Etched

0. General Remarks on this Kit and on Constructing Etched Kits
I have built many of the etched kits available in TT (1:120) and several more in 3mm (British TT) as well
as some in other scales and gauges. The best resource, if you are new to building etched kits, is to get a
copy of Ian Rice’s book “Etched Loco Kit Construction, ISBN 0906867 86 X” by Wild Swan Publications. It
was my bible for the first 10 or so kits I built, and I still refer to it regularly to keep the ideas fresh. While
I will give you many hints and tips in these instructions, there is no substitute for this book.
I also refer you to my instructions for building the Worsely Works SW1200 kit, published several years
ago in the TT Empire. In those instructions I listed tools and suggestions for building.
If the SD45 kit is your first attempt and building an etched kit, I would humbly suggest that you pause,
buy a simpler kit (perhaps the SW1200 or one of the ones from the NZ120 group in New Zealand) and
practice on it first. The SD45 kit is superb, but it is large, and very complex. If you don’t have solid skills
at soldering small parts, build those skills on some simpler kits and you will find this one will go together
very easily.
I also recommend that you go to the kit designers’ site, and download and print the computer drawings
of the assembly. While the language is in Russian, the drawings are superb and absolutely necessary for
assembling this kit.
http://www.norkin-model.ru/forum/index.php?topic=138.msg1397#msg1397
Tools, Tips and Techniques
First and foremost, it is almost impossible to build and etched brass kit without knowing how to solder.
The problem that most modelers have with soldering is that they have the wrong tools and as a result,
they try, fail, and never try again. If you are an American, and want to build this kit, the first
recommendation that I have is that you set aside your national pride and admit that American’s, as a
whole, are lousy modelers in metal. The British (and their cousins in Australia and New Zealand) are the
unquestioned world champions at metal modeling that involves solder, followed by Europeans the
Japanese, and last by the US. Having said that, let’s look at the problem.
First, we use the wrong solder and the wrong flux. Most modelers try to solder kits using the solder you
buy in a hardware store that is designed for plumbing. It is called 60/40 – which has to do with the
ration of lead to tin – and it is worthless for modeling purposes because it melts at too high a
temperature. And then many modeler use a liquid acid flux (usually hydrochloric acid) which destroys
the etched detail with amazing rapidity.
What you need a solder that melts below 300 degrees F (ideal is 145 degrees C). This solder is used in
electronics manufacturing and is available in modeler’s quantities from Eileens Emporium.
http://www.eileensemporium.com/
The contact person at Eileens Emporium is Derek and when notified that I was putting his link in this set
of instructions he made the following note: “You may also like to add that we have many customers in
the USA and postage starts from only 3.50 GBP (up to 100g). Also all exports to USA are VAT free (-20%)”
If you are reading these instructions from a CD-ROM, and your computer is hooked to the internet, you
should be able to click on that link and go to the website. Scroll down to the listing for soldering supplies
and go to the page. You want the Power Flux and the 145 degree solder. I recommend the 5m pack
because you will use a lot more than you realize for this model.
The only other alternative is TIX solder, and flux, available from MicroMark. It is not as good, but if you
simply cannot bring yourself to buy the right stuff from Eileens Emporium, give TIX a try. I dislike the flux
that is recommended by TIX and even with TIX I use a phosphoric acid past (Power Flux from Eileens) to
keep the model neat.
Tools
Having covered the solder and the flux we move on to the tools you will need.
I use the following:
An Xacto Knife or equivalent and a minimum of 10 blades
A pair of small cuticle or cosmetic scissors (straight blade)
A small hammer (Micromark)
Assorted needle files
A 10-inch flat bastard file (go ahead, break down and buy a new one, they are only a few bucks)
A pin vise and the usual drills
A set of micro-broaches (from Micromark - 26108) – these are utterly, absolutely indispensible. Get
them!
A fiberglass brush (Micromark Item # 81850)
A small modeler’s vise
At least two pair of small pliers, one should be needle-nose.
Two soldering irons, one 15 watts with a needle tip and one about 25 watts with a chisel tip for larger
area soldering – Radio Shack had a superb 15W electronics iron for only a $12 but these things come
and go
Micro-brushes for adding solder
An old toothbrush and a plastic tub to wash the model with soap and water after each soldering session
to keep it from corroding.
Other tools are nice, but are optional. The above listing will let you build contest quality models.
Tips and Techniques
Building an etched it is unlike any other type of kit on the market. The think brass or nickel silver builds
up in layers or with folded parts using material that is nearly scale thickness, even in TT! It is also a
fragile model until built and an etched part with a fold line is only good for one bend. After that, it will
break so each and every fold should have a small fillet of solder placed in the fold line once it is at the
correct angle.
The best tip and technique I can give you is to get you to buy a copy of Ian Rice’s book “Etched Loco Kit
Construction, ISBN 0906867 86 X” by Wild Swan Publications.
http://titfield.co.uk/WSmain.htm
It will literally teach you ever thing you need to know to build and excellent model. I strongly
recommend against using resistance soldering on etched kits. These tools work very well on heavier
models such as old Japanese and Korean brass models, or Kemtron kits, but lack the flexibility of a good
soldering iron mated with the proper solder and flux.
With all of this being said, the following are some photos of suggested practice for building an etched
kit.
Photo 1
Photo 1 shows my cramped and cluttered work desk and the beginnings of the building project. This
photos shows the small scissors (that are also sold in hobby stores catering to the life sciences as
“dissection scissors.”
Photo 2
This photo shows my somewhat weathered and aged hands in the act of separating a piece from the fret
itself. I use a sharp blade and only make about 20 cuts with each one before replacing it. I don’t through
them away because the rest of the blade still is useful for chopping wood and scraping excess solder off
if I get too enthusiastic.
Photo 3
Again, just a bit to show the technique for cutting parts from the fret. I always cut on a piece of scrap
pine – it is firm without too much give, but also protects the blade when you do cut through.
Photo 4
This shows some of the tools of the trade, the flat bastard file, the needle files (that I have had since
1967), the knives for the fret cutting, and the scissors for trimming the little bits that are left after even
the most precise cutting. The file takes off the flash, but the scissors are quicker for the etched “sprue”
bits.
Photo 5
Shows the flux, the pliers, and the micro brush for applying the solder.
Cleaning
I can’t emphasize cleaning enough when you are building an etched brass model. Flux and solder are
rough on brass and after each work session you should take the parts and wash them with soap and
warm water with GENTLE scrubbing with an old soft toothbrush. Use the fiberglass eraser only on the
dry model, never when it is wet and NEVER ON YOUR WORKBENCH. The stiff bristles will scrub away
excess solder, odd bits of corrosion, and odd bits of debris. The tiny bristles will get on your hands and if
you don’t wash the model and your hands immediately, they could get in your eyes. I always do my
fiberglass brush cleaning over the utility sink and then wash the whole thing down when I am done.
Fret Front -- reference
Fret Back reference