Restoration of Bassett Lowke "Albertic" by michael mott - FINISHED - Scale 1:100

[Jim Lad]

It's good to see the 'Albertic' back, Michael.

 

It would not surprise me if this is not made from either of the two materials you mention.

 

 

Doesn't it tell you exactly what the ingredients are on the container?

 

John

[popeye the sailor]

good to see your making progress Michael....tedious process to be sure.   looks like your going into mass production with the helping hands?

[wefalck]

Like the systematic approach to polishing. It is important to not cross-contaminate between different grades of polishing agents.

 

The jewellers, watchmakers and other metal-workers have a whole arsenal of different abrasive materials that contain pumice, chalk/limestone ('rotten stone', Wiener Kalk = Viennese Chalk, Tripel or tripoli), and red iron-oxides (Parisian Red). One can have these as liquids (as above) or bound in waxes to charge felt-wheels.

[Chasseur]

Hi Michael,

The Novus brand is synonymous with my eldest Son's car club. They use this stuff all the time for detailing vehicles. I never would of thought about trying to remove the scratches. Talk about a time saver. I would of thought to just mask off the hull and repaint it. Good thinking on your part! Hopefully you can rub it all out and repolish the surface. Also a trick the car guys use is a clay bar. The clay picks out all of the crud in the paint FYI ... Jeff

[BANYAN]

That restoration is coming along very nicely Michael and I am learning a lot from it.  I have been asked to do some rigging repairs on a few models in a local exhibit but I must admit we did not do it very sympathetically (as you have done) and it is easy to see the new pins and rigging repairs in some areas; no hull work to date.

 

You have opened my eyes as to how to do it correctly.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[michael mott]

 

I never would of thought about trying to remove the scratches. Talk about a time saver. I would of thought to just mask off the hull and repaint it.

Jeff, I am filling the scratches with enamel paint first then sanding down the paint fill, there is only the large gouge left now to finish filling. I am leaving the paint a couple of days at a time before sanding it off, as Denis mentioned it is tedious but I think the end result with be worth it. As far as masking it off, it would have required removing all the brass portholes first and that would have been a major job and would have been a lot more expensive to do.

 

 

Doesn't it tell you exactly what the ingredients are on the container?

Not a word John, and it was manufactured in the USA

 

 

 

You have opened my eyes as to how to do it correctly.

I am not sure that it is the "correct way" so much as trying to do the minimal amount of rework as possible. I am waiting for my Micro torch set up so that I can silver solder the bottoms of some of the stanchions back together. The style and pattern are as far as I can tell unique to Bassett Lowke. They appear to be made of nickle silver.

 

 

Denis not quite mass production they are a lot of work and are all done by hand control on the lathe and mill except 3 screws.

 

Michael

 

 

 

 

[albert]

Great restoration, very beautiful work.

[Chasseur]

I look forward to seeing your micro torch set up Michael.

[FriedClams]

Hello Michael,

 

Your restoration is coming along wonderfully. Thanks for sharing on the Novus products - l had no idea such a product even existed. Your inventive nature and resourcefulness is exactly what this poor battered ship model needs.

 

Gary

[WackoWolf]

I also will be looking to see your micro torch setup.

[colinmaclock]

Great restoration underway Mott old boy, your meticulous professional approach will soon have this wonderful builders model back on display.

[michael mott]

Thanks everyone for the encouragement and visits to the work.

 

I set up the torch today it is fantastic, took a few tests to get used to how it works and to practice with some paste type silver solder which I have not used before.

 

 

I chose the smallest of the damaged handrail sections to begin realizing that if I made a complete mess of it it would be the least onerous to replicate.

 

I set it up in my original third hand( I need to get one of those new fangled ones)

 

 

and was pleased that it actually did solder together, I used the # 5 tip in the micro torch

 

 

After cleaning it up a bit I noted that it would either need to be plated again to get the same colour as the originals or I will have to find a way to paint and weather it to look like the originals, the painting option will have to be the first try because some of the other posts that need to be fixed are part of a longer section that would need to be plated as well and it would definitely look different.

 

 

the right hand rail has been given a quick brush with some Humbrol airfame silver, so this will become the test bed now for matching the other posts.

 

Once I am happy with the results I will solder the rest.

 

Michael

[druxey]

Nice to see your progress, Michael. Enjoy using your new micro-torch with that beautifully engineered third hand. Is the torch oxy-propane?

[michael mott]

Hi Druxey yes the new torch is oxy-propane, it came with five tips #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6. The jeweler gave me a demo on it yesterday and said to have the oxygen at 11 PSI, and to open the valve on the disposable bottle all the way. I already had the Oxygen bottle for my Oxy-Acetylene set up. Now I need to make a stand for the torch like this one 

 

Michael

[cog]

When I look at your third hand, that one will be a stroll in the park, Michael

[thibaultron]

On a safety note, for those who don't know: Never use oil or grease of any kind on or around the O2 bottle threads!!! Learned this in a welding class. The teacher said it would go Boom!

[Jim Lad]

Good to see an update, Michael.  That torch looks like a pretty serious weapon!  

 

John

[michael mott]

Great tip Ron thanks for that.

 

John the only part that looks really serious to me is the great big oxygen bottle I think there will be enough oxygen in it to last another 30 years at the rate this little micro torch uses it.

 

Michael

[Mirabell61]

Hi Michael,

 

thats a very fine silver soldering equipment. Do you use thin soldering rods with extra soldering paste ?

 

Nils

Edited January 30, 2017 by Mirabell61

[Chasseur]

Michael,

Just like Christmas all over again. Got to love it! 

Torch looks fantastic*

Thanks for posting the pics.

 

Jeff

[EdT]

Looking good, Micheal.  Looks like you are ready for anything with the soldering set ups.  I have a similar, perhaps the identical, oxy-propane torch.  I am surprised you need an oxy-enriched flame temp for these small parts.  I hardly ever use mine, in favor of the small propane torch (that is no longer available, I'm afraid.)  I recently started using the Burnz-o-matic micro torch - a self-igniting refillable, butane torch that is very convenient to use with plenty of heat for the small silver-solder joints that I make.  With O2 at $8 a cylinder, and very short life, I avoid using it except when I have to.

 

Ed

[captainbob]

Good job, Michel.  I have not used the paste either, How did you like it? 

 

Bob

[michael mott]

Just got back from a day in the city. Thanks for all the positive feed back and for all the visits.

 

Nils I have a lot of different types of silver solder, soft, medium, hard, and now paste. I also have easyflow, regarding flux I have both liquid and paste.

 

Ed the only reason for wanting to use the oxy-propane was to get heat fast to a very confined area, My Jeweler friend gave me a demonstration of how well this torch worked, I am curious about the propane one you are using now. My oxygen will last a long time it is a three foot bottle that is almost full.

 

Bob My initial tests seem to be good I do need to understand the correct proportions yet. I will be doing more trials and will report them as they happen.

 

Michael

[EdT]

Hello Micheal,

 

It is true that you get very fast, high heat with O₂.  My problem is often too much heat on small wire parts, so of course it all depends on the work.  Below is a picture of my old and new torches.  The one on the left attached to the propane cylinder is no longer available from what I can determine.  The popular, rechargeable, butane self-starter on the right is very common.  It is widely sold for kitchen use as well as for soldering.  It is very convenient to use.

 

 

Ed

 

[druxey]

I, too, use the small rechargeable butane torch seen in the photo on the right. I have also used an oxy/propane torch with interchangeable tips in a jeweler's studio. For larger pieces this will provide more even heating more rapidly.

Edited January 28, 2017 by druxey

[michael mott]

Thanks for the info on the torches Ed and Druxey

 

Here is a shot of the little stand for the torch, the base is 2 1/2 inch diameter x 5/8 thick steel round, the upright is 1/4 diam brass with a 5/8 lee valley magnet on the top attached with a 3/4" flat head 8x32 allen head cap screw

 

I added a small right angled steel catch plate to the torch, salvaged from a baseplate from some defunct electronic equipment.  The plate is pinched between the black handle and the head section and is the same as the plate that comes with the commercial stand.

 

 

Now I have to finish up the soldering station.....one thing just seems to lead to another. 

 

Michael

 

 

[WackoWolf]

Like the torch setup Michael, glad your happy with it.

[skifflake]

Hi Michael: I want to join in also. I have spent the past five years doing nothing but restoration work on old models headed for the trash. You have a Hugh project ahead of you and I want to watch. thanks. pat at Skiff Lake New Brunswick..

[BANYAN]

Nice little project Michael.  Based on what I have seen posted in these forums, there are three workshops that I would love to tour noting the excellent tooling shown - those belonging to Gaetan and Wefalck, and yours - seeing some of these wonderful tools you knock up I'll bet your workshop is is something to behold.

 

cheers

 

Pat

[wefalck]

I gather, these cloth-covered hoses are quite flexible ? About 30 years ago I got a butane-oxygen torch, but a bit bigger than yours and found its hoses rather unwieldy. I was also rather reluctant to use it in the confined space of my workshop in an appartment - too much energy coming out of it, which is good for soldering, but not so good, if you accidentally drop it. An additional aspect is that I am mainly working seated, so that the lap is quite exposed to hot parts and equipment.

 

I mainly use the little hand-held torch as shown above and if I have to silver-solder something a bit bigger, I use the electrical hot-air soldering gun to pre-heat it to 450°C. Somehow this feels more comfortable in my 4 m2 (40 sq ft) workshop space.