Death of a Trainmaster

[u18b]

Well, I took a break from EP-2 work to return toward finishing two brass locos.

A Kumata Trainmaster and a Kumata Centipede.

I sandblasted them today.

Then airbrushed them with primer.

I wasn't satisfied with something on the Centipede, so I held it back to do a little work on it.

The rest I placed on low heat in my toaster oven.  Normally, I use the big oven, but I thought I'd give this a try.

I finished the Centipede..... and when I came back to the toaster oven.....

....only to find this.....

 







 

The temp dial on the toaster over is obviously off.   It got hot enough to melt the solder joints.

Oh well.   The funny thing is, this very loco is the one that started my Kumata brass journey.
I've been able to inspect almost every Kumata brass loco made, and learned how to improve them.
I discovered a new unknown loco and one day will finish my book.

and this was the loco that started it all.

  ( whistling taps )

Goodbye old friend.

Man, I'm glad the Centipede wasn't in there.
It goes in the big oven. 

[Missaberoad]

Oh my... yikes comes to mind...

Looking at the bright side you have the perfect anecdote for the forward to your book!

[davefoxx]

Ron,

You don't think you can put that back together?  Take it a little bit at a time, and I'll bet that you can.

DFF

[u18b]

Ron,

You don't think you can put that back together?  Take it a little bit at a time, and I'll bet that you can.

DFF

Dave,

It probably/possibly could be salvaged..... but only with a resistance soldering station.

I don't have one......though it is on my wish list for some day.

[peteski]

OUCH!

Ron, this is why food dehydrators are *MUCH* safer way to speed up paint drying.   Been using one for over 20 years and never melted or warped any brass, resin or plastic model. Mine has no temperature adjustment - only adjustable air vents in the lid and it never goes over 120 degrees F.  It consumes as much energy as a 40 W light bulb.

I just checked my toaster oven (which I never use for drying paint) and the lowest setting on it is 200 deg F. Way too high for me.

[milw156]

Can you put an Atlas shell on the mech to salvage PART of your old friend?
Rick

[delamaize]

Put it in a box, and stash it away, until you have access to, or obtain a resistance soldering unit.

Either that or I will take it of your hands! lol

[u18b]

Well, actually, this terrible accident may have been a blessing in disguise.

I have priced and shopped for a resistance soldering set for a while, but never had the money, saw something I wanted/could afford, etc.

But tonight, I looked again on the bay and found one at the right price.

So I pulled the trigger and it will be here next week maybe.

I won't be rushing to fix this loco, but when I get the hang of the new instrument, I will be using it on the EP-2 project.

So one day I will repair this loco.  I also have a Hallmark U36B that the cab fell off of.   I'll probably try to repair that one first.

Maybe alls well that ends well.

We'll see.

[peteski]

I hope you got a good quality unit Ron. Hopefully with adjustable power setting.  I have learned that the addage "you get what you paid for"  applies especially well to tools.

[mmagliaro]

Wow, sorry Ron!   But I agree with the others that it definitely looks repairable.

As for the oven, I have a suggestion.
No matter what the oven says, I always put a themometer in the oven and go by that.
It is a cheap, safe way to make sure the oven temperature is really what you think it is.
This is what I have done for baking models painted with Scalecoat, where I want it around
170, and don't want the oven doing anything stupid like deciding to be 25 or 50 degrees off.

I'm surprised that the oven could melt solder joints.  That oven must be really out of whack, or
they use low temperature solder.   

[TiVoPrince]

Experience
tells me that someday soon we will be reading an multi-page epic article on construction of the many jigs and fixtures used to recover a Trainmaster from the grave. Sorry to see your friend suffering like that.

Great stories always start with a trajedy...

[u18b]

Max,

I think it was borderline.
What made the difference is that I had these big old lead weights glued to the underside of those big platforms.

So the solder got weak...but the heavy weights pulled the pieces apart.

And my wife had said the same thing--- maybe we need an oven thermometer.

[u18b]

Pete,

Yeah, I tried to educate myself as to what would be a good set.

I have seen sets run 1k and above.

New, cheap sets are 200 something.   Good sets seem to be 350-500.

I got the standard American Beauty 105A12 set with tweezers for 150.  Based on my limited research and knowledge, that seemed like a good price.

[peteski]

That is a very good unit Ron!  Very well made - it should last you a long time. And plenty of variable power at your disposal.  This a newer version of the unit I own.

[up1950s]

When in HO I used to bake my freshly shot paint on my brass with a plate warmer on top of the old Tappan stove . They would get hot to the touch , but not hot enough to harm paint or soldier .

Like this '67 but copper in color http://pzrservices.typepad.com/.a/6a00d83451ccbc69e2010536d88d01970b-pi . Maybe somebody sells stand alone plate warmers today .

Ok here is one for a decent price and a temp control , sold at Target . Buy it for yourself and let the Mrs borrow it . That ought to get her head a spinning . Do it this way and you don't have to listen to , oh you scratched it , there is a paint smudge and now it emits an odor when I'm warming plates just like your baked brass models . http://www.target.com/p/broilking-warming-tray/-/A-10907591?lnk=rec|pdp|viewed_viewed|pdpv1