Steel cable transmission

[Lawton Maner]

Ray:
    I've had my pads for years and don't remember where I got them.  Mine work with model airplane "t" pins.  However, Rio Grande Jewelry Supply is my go to supplier for metal working needs (https://www.riogrande.com/) and you can find everything you need including a laser welder with a 3D microscope to do really minute work.  Enter usual denials of connection here.
     The honeycomb is another style of soldering pad from Rio Grande.  I do not know if they have the steel pins   I have a friend who once worked for my Father and is now a well known jeweler here in Virginia and Tim uses one of those to hold parts for silver soldering.
     The holding devices for the scaffolding are brilliant.  I don't know, but if they are made from stainless steel, common solder will not stick to them.  Rio Grande also sells soft SS wire in small gauges for holding parts and some pieces made from small titanium strip stock to hold pieces for silver soldering.   
    There are other tools will delight any modeler including a remarkable selection of pliers to form complex shapes.  
     And, their tool quality and prices are better and cheaper then the hobby supplier from New Jersey.

[Design-HSB]

I just think it's cheaper to buy goods in your own country, because then you have the lowest cost of transportation and customs.
Or you can buy them directly from the manufacturer only as long as it is probably possible from Asia, you may now order via web platforms there directly.

But I use a technique whose ingredients you get around the corner in the hardware store.
For furnaces There is a kind of fireclay stones which are very light and in which it is easy to insert pins from the household. In addition, the parts secure the brazing with silver with plaster. The needles are so inexpensive that they can also be disposed of and the gypsum can be removed easily after soldering.

[Lawton Maner]

     I also subscribe to the "buy local" creed.  If I can get it from a local shop all the better.  I have a bench top which I assemble from fire brick each time I need to braze something heavy.  They were picked up on an expedition to the East Broad Top RR some time ago at a building supply center there.  With the interconnection of manufacturing and business across the globe. even when you buy from a local vendor, the possibility of the product coming from half way across the world is great.
     On the other hand, there are times when who or where a tool or supply comes from is more important such as Swiss made jeweler's saw blades or the wide range of low temperature solders from Carr's in the UK. 

[Peter_T1958]

I got a little time in and worked on the brass ladders. As Volker suggested (and in the absence of any alternative), I soldered it piece by piece. Countless attempts failed in the past month and there are more then one burn marks on my desk! To hold the tiny parts, I had to create or modify some appropriate clothespinds. As you might expected, there are still a lot of ladders to do - huh! I notice now, the supports In the last photo look a bit corpulent, but this is a question of perspective as you may see comparing with the other pic.



Towards the end of my projects imperfections catch one's attention more and more. In the current project, it's the water. It's too clear, a slight opacity would be more realistic. Furthermore, the ripples, caused by currents are only visible from a certain angle. Here is an additional need to improve something.
(The black frame is added on the PC!)

[finescalerr]

Is it possible you are too familiar with the model, looking at it a little too closely, and are therefore too critical of your own work? -- Russ

[Bill Gill]

The ladders and railings are looking good.

...the ripples, caused by currents are only visible from a certain angle
Peter, That is also true in full sized rivers. I have seen water that looked still and almost like glass from one angle, but from another direction it was obvious the water was moving. Your viewers will explore every part of your terrific model, they will see the water ripples when they look around.

...the water. It's too clear, a slight opacity would be more realistic. Here is an additional need to improve something.
I would be very cautious before trying to make that water look slightly more opaque. I think at this point with the transparent water already poured in place that if you attempt to put a thin coating on top it will look like a semi opaque layer of pollution floating just on the surface of the river. If you make the water completely opaque, that can work, but then you will loose the wonderful effect of seeing the stones in the shallow water unless you are very careful how and where you blend from opaque to transparent. Practice on a new piece of similar transparent water to see what the effect looks like. To me the photo of the greener water on the right does not seem too transparent from that angle. A lot will depend on the direction(s) of your lighting.

[Peter_T1958]

No, no, my project did not die. This ought to be the update to announce the Good News having completed the soldering work.



I was actually quite happy with the result... had there not been a new finding an a photo: Contrary to the original plans (I have found them in the archive of the former foundry) the ladder footings stood not on, but besides the cast iron pillar - what means, they are too steep (Again: research, research, research!).



New approach: I draw some etching templates to restart once again. Today the parts arrived, so I hope to show some new results soon.

@Bill
Thank you very much for your collaborative support and your steady helpful inputs!

[Lawton Maner]

I am glad to see that in addition to modern technology in the production of the etching that you also go "old school" with the modified clothes pins.  The custom made long nosed one is brilliant.

[finescalerr]

Well, everything else is perfect so the stairs should be, too. -- Russ

[Bill Gill]

Peter, It's good to see the latest progress on your project.
I have no doubt that the new stairs will look just right.

[Peter_T1958]

Regarding Chucks or Frithjofs incredible work (and Frithjofs speed) I couldn't wait to take a closer look on the new PE parts.

A quick trial showed, that with my etched mounting gauge assembling and soldering of the tiny parts becomes much easier. It took merely 30 minutes to assemble one example ...

[Ray Dunakin]

Very cool!

[TRAINS1941]

Really nice.

Jerry

[Allan G]

Beautiful work!!
I've modified clothespins before but never to the degree of yours. I need to make some....Allan

[Peter_T1958]

During the (very) hot summer months I wasn't in the mood for modelling. In between I wanted to surprise my pupils (I am premary teacher) with a space craft in the classroom, as the first scool subject after holidays should be "space flight".



So hour by hour, week by week passed quickli but finally I had time to return to my work bench and finish my soldering work.
Priming and painting took two days and finally I could go to my favourite part: the weathering - here the result. However, the handrail may need some more polished upperside to look more realistic ...