Nano kits are back...

 ...or maybe they never went away!

Nano Racing car

Back in 2010, Meccano released very neat little series of small kits called Nano Kits. At the time we were impressed with the little models and were looking for a way to use/display them. In the end we built a small Kiddie's roundabout and called it a Nano roundabout. It was this model that started our series of miniature fairground models. More details on the Nano Roundabout can be found HERE.
 

Nano Roundabout

Not long after we built the model, the Nano kits seemed to disappear from the shelves. They were listed on the Meccano website under the Multimodels section. This seemed a bit odd at the time as they were only single model sets. After a while they dispersed from here too. At this point I assumed Meccano had dropped the range and thought what a shame it was, as they made good little models, easy to put together and reasonably priced. I thought no more of it...

This Christmas I was given one of these little kits as a token gift from my godson. Initially I assumed it was just old stock until I noticed the seal was embossed "JUN 2013". Further investigation found the models listed on the Meccano site under the section Build and Play. If you look under the instructions section, they are listed under the Multimodels sets. I think Meccano couldn't work out where to list them. This is good news and now you can all go out and buy them or download the instructions and build them yourselves - but be warned there are several new parts in these kits that, although they have appeared since, are not by any measure common parts.

Nano-bot!

There was a seventh Nano kit, a robot put out by M&S as a special for Christmas 2010. I don't think is appeared anywhere else. More information on the Nano Robot can be found HERE. 

Ralph.

First signs of more new models for 2014

The pre-Toy Fair stuff is beginning to appear!

Meccano's UK website is now offering building instructions for the new Evolution mini loader, the new Multimodel 3 and 10 model sets and the latest Rabbids police car! As well as this, Amazon France are offering sets for pre-order including an Evolution Chopper bike.

Click on the pictures to enlarge them!

Multimodel 3 model set

Multimodel 10 model set

Evolution Mini Loader

Evolution Chopper

Rabbids Patrol Car

Full instructions for all these models and sets (Except the Evolution Chopper at this time) can be downloaded from the Meccano UK website HERE. You can also download instruction manuals for lots of the current sets and some for sets no longer available.

Ralph.

The Alternative Evolution - Part 3

High Rider!

4 x 4 High Rider - Ralph finds some real Meccano...

The first thing I do with a new Meccano set is to study the parts list in the front of the manual. As Sue said in her post about building the Trike, (Part 2) these sets have lots of new parts. Full of new parts it maybe, but this set also has a few parts we will all recognise - It's got standard strips and conventional trunnions! It also has some mini bent trunnions made from bent 1 inch triangular plate (old part number 77) that look very interesting. Like all the other sets it has another good selection of black nuts, bolts and pivot bolts in various lengths. Until now, the only black fixings have been standard length, hex socket bolts and the nuts and bolts supplied with the Army Multikit and Combat sets of years ago.

New mini trunnion looks useful

With the exception of the new mini trunnion and wheels the chassis looks like any other Meccano construction of recent years. It is not until work starts on the 'body' that things take a turn to the new. The common feature if all these sets is the new ¼ inch hole spacing and strip geometry. When Meccano first announced this range of sets prior to the London Toy Fair, in January 2013, they spoke of using these parts to enable the builder to work to a smaller scale. This led to a wave of misunderstanding and lots of jumping to the wrong conclusion. Lots of people took this to mean that Meccano were going to move away from the standard imperial measurements and opt for the metric 10mm standard that a lot of the Meccano look-alike sets use.

This, of course is nonsense but the wording of the press release was ambiguous and open to translation. For some reason there are a band of enthusiasts out there that always seem to expect the worse every time Meccano do something new.  The reality is the sets have smaller parts and strips that utilise something that has been around for a while - ¼ inch hole spacing. All parts are compatible with 'Standard' Meccano and, as is the case with this model, they work well together.

The build...

The chassis and steering - almost conventional

The building instructions can be downloaded from the Meccano website for this, High Rider, the second model that can be built from this set. As Sue has already mentioned, the instructions download easily and render well on the screen, even if some of the darker areas are a bit hard to make out. As with all of these sets the alternative model is not a completely new model, rather a rebuild of the original. On this model the chassis and steering gear remains the same as the box art model and instruction steps 1 - 26 in the manual are identical for both.

The chassis builds easily and the steering gear is far more positive than I expected it to be. The assembly of the rest of the new body is very easy and I found no problems with it apart from the order of build might frustrate a inexperienced builder as a lot of parts are left to hang loose for several stages before the part is fully secured. I think there are a few issues with these instructions generally that I will hold judgement on until we have built all five of the alternative models. 

All looks flimsy at this stage...

The model is stronger than I expected it would be. The only improvement I made was to the winch. It works much better with the addition of a couple of spacer washers (still available in the kit but not used) to prevent the multipurpose gears from binding on the support strips. Lots of play value and I think a good overall kit for the enthusiast and the one off purchaser.

Chunky and solid finished model

From our point of view the red/silver parts fit in nicely with our preferred colour scheme. The chunky off-road tyres look useful and I am sure the black curved parts (used as mud guards) will find some reuse. Personally I like this one...

Ralph.

 CLICK! to go to part 4 >>>

That'll teach me!

Nano Plane...

For years now I have been smiling at the drivers who deliver parcels of Meccano to us. More often than not the parcels rattle and sound for all the world as if something is broken. The usual scenario is the delivery driver will gingerly hand over the parcel and then beet a hasty retreat. I have been smiling about this for ages and Sue says I should tell the poor bloke.

Yesterday we went out to a family meal with the members of the in-law clan we could not get together with before Christmas. After the gathering, we all swapped presents and went off on our own merry way. When Sue and I got home I opens the back door of the car and a two-part present fell out and landed on the road with a thump. The gift was from our nephew and his wife and they usually buy us something for the kitchen. Now it sounded like it could have been glasses - it sounded like fine broken glass. Feeling really bad about this, I gently carried the two-part parcel into the kitchen and opened the larger part that had a smaller box affixed. The larger part was indeed a kitchen gift that was unbroken. It was the smaller box that sounded as if something was amiss.

At this point I am starting to feel a little better as this is now sounding like a box of fixings or fitting for the other part of the gift. On tearing the corner open I suddenly realised that all my practical joking with the delivery men had come home to roost...

Nano kit!

My Godson had bought us a Meccano kit and the rattling, of the parts, sounded like broken glass. I was delighted to discover that someone had bought us Meccano for Christmas and Sue was delighted that I had been caught out! The model was built and can be seen at the top of the post!

Ralph.

One year old today!

Just one of the many models featured during the year - Elektrikit E12

Our Meccano blog is a year old today! In the past year you have made over 25,000 page views. That number has increased as the year progressed and is currently standing at around 5,000 views a month.

OK that is small-beer in internet terms but for a specialist hobby site, that has only been going a year, I am pleased with that.  And before anybody else says it, I am sure NZ Meccano gets far more views than us, but that is a much bigger website than our humble offering!

Thanks for looking!

Ralph and Sue.

Boxing Day Steam Up

 Don't forget, you can enlarge any of the pictures by clicking on them!

The Meccano "Steam Engine"

A few moths ago, Sue and I acquired a very nice collection of good quality Meccano. There were several items amongst the lot we were partially interested in. This Steam Engine was one of them. Today there was a question posted on Rust Bucket asking about how to check and fire an old engine.  That was the only excuse I needed to have a little steam up.

Nice clean burner - This is how it should look

These old engines ran on Methylated Spirit and were supplied with a spirit burner. This is often missing so If you are thinking of buying one make sure the burner is with it or haggle for a reduction - a replacement burner is going to cost anywhere between £10 and £20, for a good second hand one. Reproduction burners are available from some suppliers too. They should look clean and free from any deposits on the burner gauze. I often see these burners with the remnants of solid fuel tablets encrusted over the top. This can be removed with the application of a wire brush. This one shown here has not had many firings and so still has most of its chrome finish. This soon burns off  but does not effect the burner's efficiency.Inside the burner is a fireproof material that 'holds' the spirit. This should be slightly springy and it should be possible to depress the burners gauze easily and it should spring straight back when the pressure is released.

Most important is the fire extinguisher - AKA a plant spray, meths and rain water

We now need some fluids. The most important is the plant spray filled with just plain tap water. This is for use as a fire extinguisher, but make sure it works! some of these plant sprays need priming before they will work properly. Prime, it check it and have it ready to go. You will need methylated spirit (meths) and water for the boiler. There have been long discussions regarding what water to use. Some say this, others say that. I am not going to get into a long debate over it. Sue and I have always used rain water and it works fine for us. As Meccano enthusiasts who only use Steam engines from time to time, we may not need to worry as much about the water as someone who is steaming an engine far more frequently.

Two types of oil

Two types of oil are required. Automotive multi-grade engine oil is used to lubricate the journalled parts and 'Steam Oil' is used on the cylinder back-plate and the piston. Steam oil does not emulsify when in contact with steam as readily, if at all, as ordinary oil. It also helps to make a seal around sliding parts. Most steam spares suppliers will sell you a small bottle of Steam Oil.If you can't find any on their listings, go to eBay and search for " Steam oil" There are dozens of listings for it!

Syringes and extensions

Syringes are useful for filling the boiler with the correct amount of water and are even more useful for emptying the boiler after use. The alternative extensions are for use with different engines. The long one is for our vertical boiler engines and the short one for the horizontal boiler engines. The smaller syringe is for meths.

Safety valve has two seals

The first thing to do with any new-to-you engine, and this means brand new or second hand. is to do a careful visual check of the pipe connections and the boiler itself, looking for any damage or loose pipes. Once you are happy the engine looks sound, the next thing to check is the safety valve. Check that it operates and that it is not blocked.

If the safety valve is from an old engine, it may well be seized solid with scale. If so, just drop it in an eggcup (or something similar) full of vinegar and let it soak for an hour or so. The vinegar  will dissolve any scale and it will reappear nice and clean looking - especially after a polish with a cloth! Check that it opens, and the spring closes it. It shouldn't need any oil, but if you feel an urge to add some a spot of steam oil is all that is requited. A smear of steam oil around the threads will make it easier to remove after a steaming session. If the valve is faulty in any way, or you are not happy with it for any reason, please just replace it. They are not very expensive and easily sourced on line. You will need a Mamod style, ¼ inch short safety valve. It is better to be safe than sorry. Whatever you do, do not be tempted to run the engine without a working safety valve, or as I have seen on more than one occasion, do not ever plug the safety valve hole with a bolt to prevent it leaking. These engines are perfectly safe providing you are using it according to the manufacturer's instructions and use common sense.

Filling - the slow way

The Meccano Steam Engine takes approximately 120ml of water. The manufacturer's method of achieving this is to fill the the boiler with water, through a funnel that has been inserted into the threaded hole revealed when the safety valve is removed. Water is added until it runs out of a level hole, from which a screw plug has been removed. In the picture above a small stainless steel dish is used to catch the water. These handy little dishes can be purchased in small stacks of six from several of the pound-shop chains. Once the engine is full, the plug is replaced, the funnel removed and the safety valve replaced. It is worth noting at this point that the level hole can be found at either end of the boiler, depending on when the engine was made.

Filling - the fast way

 A far more efficent way of filling steam engine boilers (or emptying them for that matter) is by using a syringe. A measured amount of water can be added, from empty, and the level plug can be left in place - much easier.

Sue getting into hot water...

If you want to speed things up a little, hot water can be used to fill the boiler. On some engines this will save a lot of time and fuel. I have been known to do this when we are steaming our vertical engines. These take a lot longer to get up to temperature and are far less efficient than the horizontal boilers with their larger burners. I don't bother with these engines, and handling cold water is much easier.  In the picture above Sue is emptying the hot water from a vertical boiler engine using a syringe. The look of expectation on her face is because she knows that syringe is going to get very hot, any time now. I Always let Sue do the hot bits...

Adding steam oil to the back of the cylinder

Now it is time to do the oiling. Push the small bolt that retains the spring holding the cylinder against its back-plate. you will now be able to drop some steam oil between the two. An eye dropper is ideal for this and just by chance the one we have fits the top of the steam oil bottle. Any excess oil can be removed with a cloth.

Loosening the bolt (using a miniature socket) that restrains the spring

On some models it may be necessary to loosen the retaining screw in order to get enough movement to release the piston rod from the crank pin. Sometimes this is not necessary as there is enough play. If the bolt does have to be loosened, don't forget to tighten it again afterwards!  Once the rod has been released from the crank pin, the piston can be removed and the cylinder primed with steam oil.

Removing the connecting rod and the piston

A few drops of steam oil are dropped into the cylinder

Finally, lubricate all the moving parts, check that all the moving parts run freely and are not binding. A last minute check to make sure all the parts are secured to the crank rod tightly and we are ready to go!

Don't forget to lubricate the crank pin

Now the fun bit! Stand the engine on a flat surface. If it is to be run light, as here it is a good idea to stand it on a piece of non-slip mat. Fill the burner with meths. We use a small syringe. fill the burner so the meths is just visible beneath the mesh.  If you do not have a syringe, decant a small amount of meths  into a bottle cap or medicine cup and fill the burner from that.

Filling the burner - not too much

Now we are ready to go! Place the filled burner in place and using a gas hob lighter, ignite the burner. It will burn with a low flane at first and will get going once it warms up. everything will get hot very quickly from now on. Within seconds the firebox will be too hot to touch

A gas hob lighter is the perfect tool for lighting the burner

It will take four or five minutes for the water to get up to temperature. A flick of the wheel and the engine will run. If it doesn't just wait for a bit and try again. once it has started it will be off and it can be regulated and reversed by moving the lever.

A quick flick and off she goes...

There she goes - flat out!

That is it. The engine will run until the meths runs out - it is designed so the burner runs out before the boiler is anywhere near empty - ALWAYS refill the water if you are refilling the burner. If the boiler runs dry you stand the chance of over heating the joints, melting the solder and the boiler will fall apart!

Have fun - be safe and always make sure you have a water sprayer THAT WORKS to hand!

Happy steaming!

Ralph. (Hands by Sue!)

The Alternative Evolution - Part 2

Three wheeled off roader!

 

Off Road Trike - Sue builds the first of the 'other' models..

Before I get on with describing this particular model I would like to say a few things about the Evolution sets in general. As you know we first got a look at the preproduction models at the London Toy Fair at the end of January this year. We had seen a few reports of the Mobile Crane but when we got there we were confronted with a whole range of five different sets. The box-art models were on show and we got a good close look at them and were able to handle several of the new parts. The sets started to appear at the end of the summer and we held back for a while to let the dust settle.

A small selection of the new parts in these sets...

Now we have had a chance to examine these sets, it is obvious that they have more new, than traditional parts. New strips narrow strips, new wheels and tyres, new gears and lots of black bolts (long as well as standard length), nuts and pivot bolts to name just the obvious bits. The abundance of new parts will put some people off, as the DNA of these sets is a big step away from the 'traditional' Meccano. Yes it is Meccano, there are some parts that will be recognised, but there are a lot that will not. I feel sure there will be some who will like it and other who will hate it, I am not sure there will be many who will not have a strong opinion one way or the other. As His Nibs said in Part 1, they are like Marmite; you will either love them or hate them.

Longer than it looks in the picture

The manuals for these sets are easy to follow and have a great new addition for those who are not so familiar with the parts as well as the experienced modeller. Each stage of construction has an illustrated list of parts required, nothing new there, but in addition, and where necessary, there is a 1:1 (actual size) drawing of the part that can be used to identify the correct size and shape. This is particularly useful for determining the difference between large and small spacer washers, something that has caught me out on more than one occasion in the past!

Not bad, even from behind

 

Let's build...

The neat little, landscape instruction manual gives helpful construction tips especially useful for those who are not familiar with Meccano construction techniques. This is followed by a comprehensive parts list and a 59 stage assembly guide to build the model featured on the front of the box. The second model is shown on page 47 with a note that reads "Building instructions for model #2 are available at www.meccano.com" - I know how to say this in a further dozen languages, thanks to the multilingual translations! Who said Meccano was not an educational toy any more?

Accessing instructions from the Meccano website was very easy and displayed clearly on my monitor. The ability to enlarge some of the detail was useful. Printing it off was not so successful. Printing the instructions full size on standard paper just does not work when trying to make out the black parts - they just merge into one solid mass. Even on the screen at 100% it is not that clear and we are using good quality back-lit LCD monitors. At 150% it was fine and that is how I progressed, sitting at my desk looking at the instructions on my monitor. 

It looked good to me - see text...

That said, the instructions are probably the best yet. Very easy step by step instructions that are easy to rattle through. Well that is how it seemed until I realised that I had confused a couple of the strips on the frame and needed to go back and swap them over. My fault entirely but it goes to show I need to be a bit more careful with these strips. The extra holes makes the difference between the strips length far less obvious that with the corresponding 'standard' narrow strips.

The new narrow strips have ¼ inch
geometry making them shorter, but they
work better with each other with no
overlap as with the old ½ inch parts

Talking of which, Ralph, who is building one of the other alternative models, has just pointed out that these strips are designed to be used with strips of the same width. They are shorter than the standard narrow strip equivalent and will bolt together at right angles with no protrusion.  That makes the 1 inch, three hole strip, that has been around for a while, a bit of an odd ball as it conforms to standard narrow strip design with ¼ hole spacing and ½ ends - if you see what I mean.

The rest of the assembly is just a case of following the steps, bolt by bolt. Care is needed to get the handlebars in the correct position by making sure the 24t pinion is sitting dead centre of the rack strip when the tri-axle is fitted. This is made easier to identify in the rack by the two centre teeth being moulded longer than the others. 

Centre the pinion on the rack

One thing that was disappointing and I feel will spoil the fun for any children making this or the box model, is the fact that the bespoke handlebar moulding is a loose fit on the tri-axle. So loose it just falls off. I have checked with others who own this model and they have confirmed they have the same problem. I have noticed in the past that some of the tri-axles are misshapen at the ends making it very difficult to get parts to fit on them. Once they pass the 'bump' at the end they slide easily. Maybe a misshapen axle would help here but I ended using a wrap of paper to tighten the joint - works fine for me but a problem that needs rectifying. 

I was confused by the instructions insisting the shockers should be fitted with the piston rod uppermost. I tried checking this out by running an image search for quad bikes but I couldn't really see what was what. Not having ever been near a real one, logic is telling me that the shroud should be on top to keep out the wet and muck... I am no expert, so if someone reading this is informed, please let me know! 

Shouldn't the shockers be up the other way?

Apart from the handlebar issue, the sticker on the front will not lay flat as it is trying to accommodate the compound curve and bridge the holes in the plate. I am being deliberately objective as there is really very little wrong with this model. It makes up very nicely and is reasonably robust. The suspension works well, as does the steering.

Sue 

P.S. If you missed the first part of this series you can find it HERE 

 CLICK! to go to part 3 >>>

 

10 Set Model? - No, Number 10 Set Model!

Looks familiar...

A few days ago I posted a picture of a new model that can be built from the new 10 model set due for release in the spring 2014. The model closely resembles the JCB 712. It was not long until Tony James contacted me to remind me that he had built a version of that machine in his series of models build from the iconic Meccano No.10 set...

Fully articulated

Tony's model is the subject of a Model Plan (Number 117) and can be obtained from MW Mail Order. Tony mentioned that since its MP publication in 1999, it has sold getting on for 200 copies. This year there were two models built from his Model Plan at the premier Meccano exhibition held in Skegness, SkegEx 13.

'Hydraulic' rams tip the body

When Tony took the original model to SkegEx in 1999, he said it was like trying to carry an angry cat, the jacknife steering and horizontal roller bearing made lifting it from the car "quite tricky". The photographs were taken, at the time, using a film camera and are reproduced here as scans from prints - It is amazing how far photography has come on in the past fifteen years. As Tony suggested to me, if I want some better pictures then go and buy the model plan and then you can build your own model to photograph!

The new 10 set model

Now, I wonder if Tony's model had any influence on Meccano's choice of subject for one of the models in their new set? You have to admit it looks very similar. Whatever the reasoning behind it, It is really good to see Meccano including some more realistic models in their recent sets. Much better than the fantasy subjects of the earlier Multimodel sets. I am looking forward to seeing what Meccano have planned for the rest of next year - I have a feeling we will be in for something good if last year is anything to go by. Still, not long until the toy fairs, and if things go to form, there should be some announcements from Meccano before the shows, just like they did last year when the Evolution crane kits was being talked about...

Ralph.

No.10 set Model photographs by Tony James

Power for the Beam Engine

The main body was re-worked

A few weeks ago, Sue built a version of Bert Love's Beam engine as a static model. See HERE. The model was used as a guess the number of parts competition at the recent NELMC Exhibition. The model became a bit of a talking point on the day as the construction made it look a bit different.  Built using zinc strips instead of plates in order to increase the parts count, it has a very solid feel.

The modified engine...

...and from the other side

The original Bert Love model was powered by an Embo motor and was friction drive to the flywheel via a pulley and rubber tyre. I decided to have a go at powering the model. The friction drive seemed like a good idea but I decided to use a modern geared motor supplied by Stan Baker in New Zealand.

The motor and friction drive unit

A very simple motor/friction drive was built as shown in the photograph above, This was installed on a threaded pin that was fixed to the inside of the base. this allows the rubberised tyre to swing into contact with the flywheel. it is held in position with an aero collar. this allows just enough float along the axle to allow the tyre to 'follow the flywheel without binding.

The motor and friction drive mounted into the body

Pressure is applied using a tension spring attached to the drive assembly and anchored to a rod, held in place across the inside of the body by a couple of collars - see not all our parts are shiny! Meccano tension springs are too long for this job so I found one in a selection box of springs I found in one of the cut-price supermarkets, Aldi, I think.

Now for the test...

 

...That's good it works! The addition of a motor makes all the difference - I like this one!

Ralph.