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Building Tips and Advice

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New to building 3D-printed models?  This page offers advice on assembling our models – skills applicable to any model in the range.  Instructions are also given on how to make the wire coupling rods used on several designs. 

 

(Where instructions specific to a particular model are required, bespoke videos are on our YouTube channel explaining each of these – links can be found under each model.)

Starting with 3D Prints

The following videos offer a step-by step approach to the main tasks needed in building Newman Miniature models.  A playlist of all the above videos can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2R-JPY1_lVC3MGUhw3yDOzkYzGPu63ck

Cleaning parts:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O2GyTJuoEU&t

(Note: as models are now printed using a different technology some parts of this video are no longer required.  Instead, cleaning is mostly a case of checking/clearing any locating holes, ensuring the inside of splashers/axleboxes/etc are unobstructed and light work where the modeller deems necessary.)

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Making Wire Motion Parts

While in some cases printed rods are included with models, making your own in wire will create stronger and finer-looking parts.  These instructions are generic to various models (e.g. single-ended Rocket rods will also fit Northumbrian) but can be adapted to suit (such as altering the length of the Rocket rods for Derwent). 

 

All of these use 0.5mm wire.

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Slide bars –

  1. Take x4 10mm lengths of 0.5mm wire and bend them 90 degrees to form an L shape: long side 7mm, short side 3mm (see slide bars diagram).  If they are fractionally longer it should still be ok.

  2. All holes mentioned below are pre-formed but will benefit from light drilling using a 0.5mm drill bit.

  3. Slide the long side of the wire into the holes on the cylinder end (marked 3 on the diagram).  The short side (now pointing towards the boiler) should be level with the holes on the cylinder mounting bracket.  If too long, trim slightly or if too short pull the wire fractionally out of the cylinder until it lines up.

  4. Gently bend the long side of the wire away from the boiler until the short side can be slotted into the mounting bracket holes (marked 4 on the diagram).  Once in place bend the wire back into the original L shape.  This should now be securely clipped in place and can be repeated for all four wires.

  5. Once all are in place, make sure they are all parallel with each other giving a 1mm gap between them for the connecting rod to fit into.

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Single-ended Rods –

(As used on Rocket)

  1. Form a loop at the end of a piece of 0.5mm wire large enough for a pin to go through but smaller than its head (c.0.8mm but it depends on the pin).  The wire can be roughly 1 inch long – there will be excess, but it will help with forming the head later.

  2. Temporarily pin in place on the wheel – while I give measurements for Rocket below these are approximate as it depends on the size of the pin, and other engines such as Derwent have a different overall length.  The next directions will help with getting accurate measurements.

  3. Placing the driving wheels in the engine, align them so the wire loop is closest to the cylinder (i.e. with the piston at the top of its stroke).  Use a pen to mark the end of the cylinder on the wire.

  4. Turn the wheels so the wire loop is now the farthest away from the cylinder (i.e. with the piston at the bottom of its stroke – as in the connecting rod diagram).  Use a pen to mark the inside end of the slide bars on the wire.

  5. Remove the wire from the wheels and bend the wire 90 degrees between these two marks (on mine this was 9.5mm including the wire loop; the bend itself is marked 5 on the diagram).  Once bent it is best to double-check that it will not foul either the cylinder or end of the slide bars (by being too long or short) by lining up the wheels as described above (steps 3 and 4) and holding the rod alongside.

  6. The end of the wire (without the loop) now needs to be bent into a T shape.  1mm along from the bend made in step 5, make another 90 degree bend to form half of the top of the T, folding back along itself to make the other half (see step 6 on diagram).  I personally folded the wire once more back for neatness before trimming the excess, but this is not strictly required (marked as 6a in the diagram).  Each side of the upper part of the T should be about 1.5mm (3mm in total as in the diagram).

  7. Repeat for the other side (the measurements should be the same as the first, only a mirror image).

  8. With the wheels permanently fixed in place, slot the upper part of the T between the slide bars then turn 90 degrees so the main rod (with loop on the end) is parallel with the slide bars.  The T shape should be behind the slide bars preventing it from falling out.  Lastly pin the loop to the wheels.

  9. Should any fine-tuning be necessary, there is the capacity to minutely shorten/lengthen the rod by altering the angle of the T shape relative to the main rod and also the angle of the loop relative to the main rod.

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Double-ended Rods –

(As used on Locomotion)

  1. Measure between the wheel centres to calculate the rod length required (this will be between the pin centres, not the overall length including loops).  For beam engines (eg Locomotion) mark on card max and min travel of the beam relative to the wheel (akin to Steps 3-4 in single rods above) select in-between. 

  2. Form the loop on one end of 0.5mm wire, checking against the pin to ensure free motion without excess looseness. 

  3. Measure the approximate length required (from step 1) between the centre of the formed loop and where the second is to go.  Ensuring there is excess wire, bend a second loop and then another alongside it until you have c. two loops overlapping in a coil (like part of a spring).

  4. By very slightly bending one end of the coil and straightening the other the loop can be fractionally moved along the wire – check against the step one measurement until the precise length required is achieved.  (Note: this can be challenging at first and excessive manipulation can cause breakages – patience helps!)

  5. Once at the right length, excess (including the secondary coil) can be snipped off.

  6. Use pliers to flatten the loops and ensure they are level with each other.

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Once the first is done the rest are easier both through practice and by having one to measure against. 

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