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Severn Models - Buildings Kits in Etched Brass


severn
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Good evening Severn,

I am very impressed with your kits, they look fantastic and seem ideal for me to start cutting my teeth on brass etched kits.

I have been viewing your website and the exhibition calendar page shows that you are attending abingdon next saturday (28th). Whilst reading this thread however, it seems that you are no longer able to attend this show and your next outing is the Leamington & Warwick one the weekend after. Is this the case?

If i cant pick one up at a show ill place an order online instead.

I am really looking forward to giving one of these ago and I hope not to destroy such a fantastic looking kit.

Jason

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A little note for sub39h - there are just two lineside buildings in 4mm so far (pics on page 1 of this thread) but more will be coming soon. I'm working on a similar signal box in 4mm right now :)

 

Jason - just to clarify I will be at Abingdon on Saturday 28th, and then Leamington on 7/8th March. The signal box test models will be on show at Abingdon, but I probably won't have kits available to sell until Leamington, and even then it's going to be close if I get them in time but I will do everything I can :)

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Ah fantastic news about Abingdon :)

As a 4mm modeller one of the small huts shown on page one and on your website are what im after ... for now anyway. If i don't end up with a mess of brass that would be more at home in the Tate Modern than on a layout, with burnt and/or glued fingers I will definately look into one of the 4mm signal boxes as the 2mm ones look stunning.

I will look forward to visiting your stand on Saturday and see these mini-masterpieces in the flesh.

Jason

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Great, then I will see you at one of the shows! Let me know if you want anything reserving for you, and which show you would like to collect at.

 

Everything from the website is in stock, including a good supply of the two buildings in 4mm.

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Sure, I’m no expert at painting but I can certainly tell you how I paint them.

 

I usually build the whole model first, including fixing the window frames, doors, etc.

(I might make an exception to this one for the signal box, and leave final fixing of the stairs and roof to the building until after painting).

 

Then wash it - I have used washing up liquid and an old toothbrush, although I have read here that some washing up liquids contain lanolin which can mess with some paints. Cif is an alternative.

Maybe I haven't had any trouble with this due to the paint I use, I don't know.

 

I then use a spray primer - either Halfords acrylic grey primer, or Games Workshop skull white. I use the white for light & mid coloured buildings, grey for dark buildings.

Avoid black primers, as they are hard to cover with lighter paints.

 

I spray several very very thin coats, little more than a dusting each time. After the first coat I can usually still see that its brass underneath.

I first spray the inside, and 'angled upward' spray passes to get under windowsills etc, then do the outside, again from lots of angles to cover it all.

This gradually builds up primer over the model, without obliterating the etched detail.

 

I then pick my colour scheme, often based on a real building I have seen.

I use acrylic based paints, mostly from Games Workshop. They have a good range of colours and several types - some are highly pigmented base colours while others are thinner for layering. The guys in the shop are usually very helpful in telling you which ones do what. Some of their paints do crackle glaze effects, so don’t just go buy all the ones based on their colour, ask the guy in the shop.

 

Acrylic has been described as liquid plastic - while wet it is water soluble, but once that water evaporates it is no longer soluble. Always try to keep brushes damp while in use, and rinse them frequently, changing the water often.

 

I first apply the large bodies of colour - usually one for walls and one for the roof.

I then work my way down through other colours, doing larger items first, working through to things like window frames last. Inevitably I get a bit of paint go over onto places its not supposed to be, so then I go through the colours again, touching up edges. etc.

 

To add weathering, or shade in mortar lines, I use either very thinned down paint, or an watery ink wash. I usually apply to relatively small areas at a time, and immediately wipe away excess. This leaves the wash in the etch lines to create shadows, or leave mortar coloured residue in between the bricks.

An example, to do the tiles on the half timbered house (pics in my gallery) there is a base dark terracotta paint, then washed over several times with a watery dark brown ink. Some coats were over the whole roof, others were just in patches.

 

Finally I might go over the model with some lighter shades of paint with drybrushing - load an old brush (drybrushing ruins good brushes) then wipe most of the paint out of it on a piece of paper, until it barely leaves hints of the colour. I then swish the brush gently over areas that want highlights - the drybrush just leaves little bits of paint on edges and raised areas. Practice before doing this on a model you almost finished painting. My drybrush highlights are almost never white - they are just a slightly lighter shade of the colour I am brushing onto.

Sometimes I don't bother with highlights, I work the other way by adding extra shadow to some areas, leaving areas unshaded so those are the 'highlights'.

 

If theres a bit I don’t like how it came out, I just go over that area again.

I don’t use any varnishes on the top, the acrylic paint is quite durable, especially on things that don’t get handled much anyway.

 

Well I think thats the summary! just ask if theres anything you want elaborated.

 

Andy

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If you would like to see all the current models, and a preview of those in progress, come and have a look at one of these shows..

 

Exhibition Diary Update :

 

This Saturday 28th Feb - Abingdon & District Model Railway Society Exhibition 'ABRAIL', Oxfordshire

 

7th & 8th March - Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society Exhibition, Stoneleigh Park, Nr. Leamington Spa

 

4th, 5th & 6th April - York Model Railway Show, York Racecourse

 

11th & 12th April - Trainwest 2015, Melksham, Wiltshire. Bentley Model Railway Group exhibition

 

19th, 20th, 21st June - Great Central Railway Model Rail Event, Quorn Station, Nr. Loughborough

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Just bought a 4mm brick lineside hut - looking forward to getting it, building it, painting it and placing it on the layout.

 

I see from the thread that you're planning to produce accessories, will you be producing items like the corrugated sheet you've used on the roof of the 4mm plate layers hut? I've only just bought a Wills corrugate iron chapel but think etched representation of the corrugated iron would make the model so much better. Actually, are you thinking of producing a corrugated iron chapel? :-)

 

Thanks

 

Phil

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Ordered the kit yesterday - it arrived today.

 

Excellent service, and I'm a very happy customer who's looking forward to more 4mm kits being announced (especially if one is a corrugated iron chapel! :-) )

 

Phil

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The N / 2mm signal box kits are ready :)  as usual with Severn Models kits, it is designed for assembly with glue, but also good for soldering if thats your thing.

 

To build this one I made a lot of use of 'capillary action' glueing with superglue. I sand the surfaces to be glued to clean/key them, then dry assemble and clamp together in the correct alignment. Then I use a cocktail stick to add a drop or two of thin superglue to the join and it runs on into the tiny space in the join. Works really well for accurate assembly.

 

The signal box is based on a standard design McKenzie & Holland box, built across the network from around 1875 to 1921.

Sometimes they built a longer version, with 3 arch windows, and sometimes with a straight flight staircase.

 

Those people who pre-ordered one, watch out for the postman on Friday morning as he may well have your kit!

 

Anyone who didn't pre-order, they will be on the website shortly at severnmodels.com

 

Alternatively, head on over to the Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society Exhibition this weekend, and have a look at the real thing!  Stand 55 is where I will be at, come and say hello :)

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_28528.jpg

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  • 1 month later...

Had a great show at York over the weekend, good to talk to so many people and get their suggestions for new kits!

So hi to anyone who saw me there, and thanks for your interest.

 

The visitors to York were the first to see the 2mm signal box painted up, here's a few photos. The full images are in my RMWeb gallery

It has wall texture on the inside of the signal room, and 3 levels of detail for 'sliding window' effect.

As usual with my kits, it's designed for assembly with glue, and you can solder too if you want to.

 

The 4mm kits continue to be popular and are now back in stock, having sold out at the Leamington show a few weeks ago.

The signal box is currently in development into 4mm, so watch this space :)

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_158947.jpg

 

sml_gallery_23208_3492_82936.jpg  sml_gallery_23208_3492_291674.jpg  sml_gallery_23208_3492_283412.jpg

Edited by severn
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  • RMweb Gold

Hello Andy,

 

the ready painted signalbox looks great.

Maybe you could add a variant with stone and wooden walls instead of the brick and wooden walls.

 

Markus

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Hi Markus - thanks for the suggestion, I have a few other possible variations in mind too, including a larger one and also with straight stairs.

 

I will be at the Trainwest show this Saturday and Sunday, at Melksham, Wiltshire. If anyone is planning a trip to the show, come and say hi at stand 6 :)

 

A sneak peek, I will have this development test model of The Iron Bridge on display there....

Although not really a railway layout model, its just too nice a structure not to model it.

It could potentially work at this size as a single track road bridge in 2mm, or a quirky 4mm footbridge, though its not really intended for either ;)

 

This one is just 85mm long, though I am planning a proper 2mm version soon...   :)

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_109617.jpg

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_152371.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

This weeks news...

 

The signal box kit in 4mm goes into brass testing

The Iron Bridge kit is in final testing

New kits in the pipeline - garden sheds in 2mm, 4mm and 7mm

 

I will also be at the Rotarail Exhibition at Fareham on Saturday, so if you're in that neck of the woods, come and say hi :)

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  • 1 month later...

Been a bit busy getting the new kits ready, new this week are garden sheds in 3 scales :)

 

The 2mm / N gauge are 4 sheds on one kit

The 4mm / OO gauge are 2 sheds on one kit

The 7mm / O gauge are individual kits

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_155074.jpg

med_gallery_23208_3492_69673.jpg

 

 

and as the 7mm are soooo huge, there is also an optional accessories kit with a workbench, shelves, toolbox, tools, plant pots....

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_261132.jpg

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Good to see your stand today at the Exeter Show ! I did see you at York, but didn't get chance to have a close look.

 

Anyway, bought the 4mm lineside hut and the 7mm shed details (don't ask, I know that the details won't fit inside !). Great first impressions and hope to assemble the lineside hut later this week.

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All the models will be on display (and kits for sale ;) ) at the model railway exhibition this weekend at the Locomotion National Railway Museum at Shildon, nr. Durham. Free entry so come and say hi!

 

The 4mm/OO signal box is almost done, I'm not sure the kits will be ready for this weekend but I am trying my best :)

 

The 4mm signal box, and his 2mm/N gauge little brother :

 

med_gallery_23208_3492_114144.jpg

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  • 2 weeks later...

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