well filled baps The Sheep Chronicles : These are the adventures of a Sheep, the Works Forecat and Naughty George,

[NHY 581]

Thanks Kevin.

 

A little cracking can add to the patina but I agree with the slurry method.

 

 

I dusted over a bit of grey paint last night which improved things no end.

 

 

Rob.

[Stubby47]

You might also want to consider which came first - the cobbles or the rails.

 

This will determine the pattern the cobbles take - straight lines with a few relaid around the rails, or curved to match the rail's path.

 

Or, a mixture of both.

[NHY 581]

Good advice Stubbers.

 

 

On Bleat itself, I plan to mix and match the ground surface. Mainly concretesque but a few cobbles, bit of gravel etc etc.

 

 

Rob.

[Re6/6]

Also check out any of Brian Harrap's layouts - Quai 87 especially. Some exquisite sett carving.

 

Brian taught me his method for which he uses good quality tile grout (Unibond which is available in grey and beige from Buy & Queue) or Tetrion and suchlike.

 

The most important thing that he told me was to apply it in two layers with time for the first to dry out thoroughly. lf only one is used, when it dries out the sleepers/copperclad will always show through by way of a slight depression between them. The set carving is done by using a pin in a pin chuck (yes!) and do it in small doses as when concentration declines, quality and sanity declines also!

 

 

It takes a lot of effort but does work very well and looks much better than than the 'Wills' sets which are more like 7mm scale and can't be laid on curved track to look authentic. The resultant work will have hard to disguise straight edges to each panel.

 

This was done a fair few years ago!

[NHY 581]

Morning John.

 

Thank you. Very useful.....if a bit daunting..Am I right in that phospur bronze rail is used for the check rails? I like the'rusty finish' it give and this would protect against taking paint off when track cleaning.

 

 

Rob.

Edited July 23, 2018 by NHY 581

[teaky]

Gleaned purely from reading rather than doing, I understand the secret to avoiding damage when cleaning is to make a simple scraper tool to use when laying the sets or other infill which ensures the top is just below rail height, say 0.5 or 1mm.  You then need to ensure that whatever you clean the rails with doesn't bend or sag.

 

Other than that I expect you're down to something like making a cleaning wagon with plungers which only clean the tops of the running rails.  On a small layout this could be finger propelled to avoid having to fiddle about with wagon weight and plunger pressure.

[Re6/6]

Morning John.

 

Thank you. Very useful.....if a bit daunting..Am I right in that phospur bronze rail is used for the check rails? I like the'rusty finish' it give and this would protect against taking paint off when track cleaning.

 

 

Rob.

 

Indeed that is phosphor-bronze rail...... Not daunting but can drive you nuts...hence my suggestion of doing only small amounts at a time! Look closely and you will see quite a few consistency issues where l pressed on regardless!

 

With regards to Rob's concerns about cleaning Brian and l only use lighter fuel. I use a small pad (J-Cloth piece) on a stick. Some folks (no names!) use cellulose thinners which takes no prisoners!

 

You could of course model it slightly below rail height which would be prototypical for 'dirt' infill but concrete and cobble sets are usually set at rail height.

 

Give it try Rob on a small test piece. The one above was my test piece after Brian showed me how. Hand carving cobbles can be a bit tedious but persevere, you won't regret it!

 

The other picture was some work that was done after succumbing to the Baron's evil influence!

Edited July 23, 2018 by Re6/6

[Re6/6]

Here's a snap of work from His Excellency.

 

Cobbles replacement with tarmac. Tramway track on the left using nickel-silver strip and check-railed track on the right. Make sure that you fill the bottom of the tramway style track (plastic card underneath or filler) so that the sleepering doesn't show though. Only a small thing but it does improve the effect.

 

A couple of cobbled track examples. Note the removed track infilled with sets.

 

Track in concrete and some cobbles.

 

 

[Re6/6]

By way of a change from things 'ovine', here's something 'porcine' and something 'bovine'!

 

 

[colin penfold]

Mixed grill

[Captain Kernow]

Indeed that is phosphor-bronze rail...... Not daunting but can drive you nuts...hence my suggestion of doing only small amounts at a time! Look closely and you will see quite a few consistency issues where l pressed on regardless!

 

With regards to Rob's concerns about cleaning Brian and l only use lighter fuel. I use a small pad (J-Cloth piece) on a stick. Some folks (no names!) use cellulose thinners which takes no prisoners!

 

You could of course model it slightly below rail height which would be prototypical for 'dirt' infill but concrete and cobble sets are usually set at rail height.

 

Give it try Rob on a small test piece. The one above was my test piece after Brian showed me how. Hand carving cobbles can be a bit tedious but persevere, you won't regret it!

 

The other picture was some work that was done after succumbing to the Baron's evil influence!

I rather daftly used steel rail on Callow Lane (for the running rails) and some P/B for the check rail on the in-laid bit of track in the goods yard. To reduce the risk of any rust forming as a result of using tile grout (being another follower of the Baron's methods), I had to use Milliput for the bits immediately next to the steel rail and tile grout elsewhere.

 

The advice about laying the tile grout in two layers (from John) is absolutely sound and virtually essential, if you are to avoid anything 'showing through'.

 

What I did was to smooth the top layer as best I could while it was wet and then sand it all smooth when it had hardened off. This was prior to the commencement of cobble carving (although in fairness, the goods yard at Callow Lane is one which was cobbled but then had tarmac laid over it, some of which has since broken off and revealed the cobbles beneath).

 

With all deference to the Stubmeister, I'd try to use something metal (eg. rail) for the check rails, Rob, simply because it's harder wearing. Unless you've already glued it in place, my preference would be to glue additional bits of copper clad in place and solder the check rail to that. Belt and braces and all that, don't you know?

[NHY 581]

Evening all..

 

Well, I am going to stay with the DAS option. Sleepers will be infilled first, then the check rails added before the two top layers of DAS are applied.

 

I am a bit concerned about weight but we shall see as we go along. I do like working with DAS so better the devil you know methinks.

 

 

Once its done, I can think about the finish.

 

 

Rob.

[NHY 581]

Morning all.

 

I have had a dabble with carving the surface of the DAS. These were very much done free hand and certainly not up to the standards of John or the Baron but the effect is pleasing, to my eye at least. Far from uniform, the some what haphazard appearance seems to sit well with how things generally end up looking.

 

( Some one at an exhibition did say that I have a distinctive style of modelling......is that good or bad?!!)

 

Never having done this before, I now see why so many people use this for buildings as well as ground cover. Really easy to work on.

 

However, it is very time consuming albeit extremly relaxing. I take on board Johns advice to do little and often as the mind ( mine at least) wanders.

 

 

The finish needs some thought though. Not that happy with the intial results but it is a test piece after all. The carving gives a white cementy look between the individual stones. Unlikely in real life so I tried my usual weathering powders. Didn't work that well as it darkened the whole plot. I think a wash to sit in between the stones, wiped off before it drys is the next step. Then a bit more work on the stones themselves to pick out individual stones and provide a bit of variation.

 

 

Thanks must go to John for highlighting this carving thing.

 

Flippin adictive it is.

 

 

Rob.

Edited July 24, 2018 by NHY 581

[NHY 581]

Wagon.

[bgman]

Doing a nice job with those cobbles Rob, some noticeable variation on this test piece which would be true to life.

 

Keep going !

 

G

[NHY 581]

Thanks Grahame.

 

I must say I am a little concerned as to how long this will take to do. Why did I make Bleat so big? ( All 4ft x 13 inches of it !!)

 

 

Rob.

[Captain Kernow]

Rob,

 

I think that test piece is very good indeed and the slight irregularities in the pattern certainly enhance things.

 

If you wanted to give the overall piece some structure, however, what I do is to rule some pencil lines on the tile grout (or DAS) and use them as a guide to my free-hand scribing.

 

I still haven't painted the cobbles I scribed on Callow Lane several years ago!

 

 

[NHY 581]

Thanks CK. I must say those photos of Callow Lane are splendid. I fear I am a long way off those standards but the idea of marking out the courses is spot on. I did one line with a square then went from there, hence the abstract appearance.

 

 

Here is a cruel close up. The surface is not flat and I must say I find the undulating nature of the setts very appealing. It appears I am not a straight line, flat surface type of person !!

 

Rob

[Captain Kernow]

Thanks CK. I must say those photos of Callow Lane are splendid. I fear I am a long way off those standards but the idea of marking out the courses is spot on. I did one line with a square then went from there, hence the abstract appearance.

 

 

Here is a cruel close up. The surface is not flat and I must say I find the undulating nature of the setts very appealing. It appears I am not a straight line, flat surface type of person !!

 

Rob

That really looks rather super.

[Mulgabill]

Thanks CK. I must say those photos of Callow Lane are splendid. I fear I am a long way off those standards but the idea of marking out the courses is spot on. I did one line with a square then went from there, hence the abstract appearance.

 

 

Here is a cruel close up. The surface is not flat and I must say I find the undulating nature of the setts very appealing. It appears I am not a straight line, flat surface type of person !!

 

Rob

Isn't it compulsive, carving DAS (other clays available). I have generally done mine whilst wet, for stonework.

But whatever the method much more satisfying than embossed plastic. Seems to have more presence also.

 

I look forward to your first building!

[Porcy Mane]

Cobbles to you all !

 

(With a bit of tarmac and a few kerb stones thrown in.)

 

 

The tarmac looked far better maintained with the tramway running down the middle of the street and chimney pots were much more gay..

 

https://goo.gl/maps/oPKHiUzTBBr

 

P

Edited July 24, 2018 by Porcy Mane

[NHY 581]

Whilst we are hurtling off the subject........

[Porcy Mane]

Whilst we are hurtling off the subject........

 

Mourn the almost orgasmic colourful lamposts of Waterloo (of which they must have now have surely met).

 

Strange coincidence is that my next door neighbour visits the building on the extreme right of the bottom phot on an almost weekly basis.

Edited July 24, 2018 by Porcy Mane

[teaky]

Isn't it compulsive, carving DAS (other clays available). I have generally done mine whilst wet, for stonework.

But whatever the method much more satisfying than embossed plastic. Seems to have more presence also.

 

I look forward to your first building!

Interesting technique.  Is that just after you get out of the shower or do you sit outside in the rain to carve?

[Captain Kernow]

Cobbles to you all !

 

(With a bit of tarmac and a few kerb stones thrown in.)

 

AltringhamG~WksSentinelSm.jpg

 

The tarmac looked far better maintained with the tramway running down the middle of the street and chimney pots were much more gay..

 

https://goo.gl/maps/oPKHiUzTBBr

 

P

Well, you'd never have known.

 

Superb image of the Sentinel.