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Pragmatic Pre-Grouping - Mikkel's Workbench


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Mikkel,

 

I just remembered a few extra details from my tea chests. I used the foil dull side out for the strapping. The bright finished side was a bit too shiny in 4mm scale. Also some of the chests had tiny drops of grey paint on the strapping to represent the screws/nails. From normal viewing distances they were quite effective but in real life would probably been almost an inch in diameter. The chests were labelled with non-descript bits of paper with the word TEA stencilled on. I think the stencil I used was just one of those cheap ones available from general stationers for school children.

 

I'm looking forward to what ever else you can come up with. I always follow your posts with interest.

 

Dave 

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After cutting and putting a group together to make a long line of stacked boxes did you think about printing six or 7 boxes end to end and just cutting that strip out. Thereby just needing 2 ends and 1 long top and having the same appearance.

 

Yes definitely also an option, especially if you're doing many and they are at some distance. You won't get that slight crack between the boxes though, or the little irregularities between crates which helps make it look real at close viewing. 

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Hi Mikkel,

You're correct about the laminating, as its a large case there will have to be some support.

 

The Trow took my eye when I first discovered them (as you do!) and had to attempt a model of one as it would historically suit my plans for the Broad Gauge scene I'd planned. Unfortunately Avonside was abandoned (although I've kept most of the models etc for future use) as it was growing too big !

 

And yes, you're right, no turning back now :)

 

Keep going eh!

 

Happy Easter modelling as always ........

 

Just for consideration: Could you do a micro-layout one day, with the trow and a single line along a quay where some BG wagons and a loco could run back and forth? Seems you're almost there if you have the vessel and maybe some stock already? Sorry, wil leave you to get on with ze other project now  :)

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Mikkel,

 

I just remembered a few extra details from my tea chests. I used the foil dull side out for the strapping. The bright finished side was a bit too shiny in 4mm scale. Also some of the chests had tiny drops of grey paint on the strapping to represent the screws/nails. From normal viewing distances they were quite effective but in real life would probably been almost an inch in diameter. The chests were labelled with non-descript bits of paper with the word TEA stencilled on. I think the stencil I used was just one of those cheap ones available from general stationers for school children.

 

I'm looking forward to what ever else you can come up with. I always follow your posts with interest.

 

Dave 

 

Thanks for these extra tips Dave. We have clearly been thinking along the same lines, I bought some stencils a while ago but found them hard to work with. No doubt my clumsy fingers and lack of practice is to blame. I'm thinking of trying them on some larger crates at some point.

 

Meanwhile the cupboard has been raided for foil !

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Just for consideration: Could you do a micro-layout one day, with the trow and a single line along a quay where some BG wagons and a loco could run back and forth? Seems you're almost there if you have the vessel and maybe some stock already? Sorry, wil leave you to get on with ze other project now  :)

Aaaaargh! I'm bald enough as it is !!!! :)

 

.........and I've never seen a Rover shunting........yet hmmmm

Mind you I'd probably have The Broad Gauge People's Front of Bristol baying for my blood if I did .....ok I'm off ( now where did I put that thinking cap ? )

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So.....instead of a Trow, how about a Thames barge ?

You've really got me digging out some of my old stock and vessels now !!!!

She was made in 1999 by me for Avonside using 1mm ply again and painted/weathered using various methods.

 

post-20303-0-71059300-1427994828_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-48933900-1427994949_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-14398700-1427994978_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-26329800-1427995005_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-11813000-1427995035_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-86793700-1427995074_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-36834200-1427995104_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-63994700-1427995139_thumb.jpg

 

She's probably about 90% wood with some card and the remainder scratch built from brass and plasticard.

Bit of a labour of love and my first foray into making models of historic vessels for use on my Broad Gauge layout. The ply was scribed very carefully to get an impression of the timbers rather than lay them individually like the Trow. I hope it gives the right feel for an iconic vessel.

So......can I stop going into my store cupboard pleeeeze? :)

 

Grahame

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Yes definitely also an option, especially if you're doing many and they are at some distance. You won't get that slight crack between the boxes though, or the little irregularities between crates which helps make it look real at close viewing.

 

You can always print the ends in or even mark them with a blade to represent a gap. A top and bottom panel could also be falsely represented by being etched in.

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So.....instead of a Trow, how about a Thames barge ?

You've really got me digging out some of my old stock and vessels now !!!!

She was made in 1999 by me for Avonside using 1mm ply again and painted/weathered using various methods.

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

She's probably about 90% wood with some card and the remainder scratch built from brass and plasticard.

Bit of a labour of love and my first foray into making models of historic vessels for use on my Broad Gauge layout. The ply was scribed very carefully to get an impression of the timbers rather than lay them individually like the Trow. I hope it gives the right feel for an iconic vessel.

So......can I stop going into my store cupboard pleeeeze? :)

 

Grahame

 

Really Grahame, is that the best you can do?

 

No seriously, what a fantastic model. I've been studying the colours in particular, if you painted them on a grey wall they would still shout "Victorian". What else have you got in your cupbpoard?!  :O

 

A Rover shunting, well maybe not, but since you don't have anything better to do, why not solve the age-old modellers problem of the walking shunting horse? 

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You can always print the ends in or even mark them with a blade to represent a gap. A top and bottom panel could also be falsely represented by being etched in.

 

Yes good point. Would be nice to make a whole wagon load of them, and that approach might work.  

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Excuse the thread drift Mikkel but I do love that Thames Barge. My great grandfather worked on a farm at Great Wigborough and used to see them. So he left to become a Bargee. These would take Hay from the Essex coastal farms to London for the horses. As for a Trow they would get up as far as Coalbrookdale on the Severn.

 

Regarding your crate Mikkel. I think individually made ones will have the edge The slight misalignments do make a difference in a stack,

 

Don

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Really Grahame, is that the best you can do?

 

No seriously, what a fantastic model. I've been studying the colours in particular, if you painted them on a grey wall they would still shout "Victorian". What else have you got in your cupbpoard?!  :O

 

A Rover shunting, well maybe not, but since you don't have anything better to do, why not solve the age-old modellers problem of the walking shunting horse?

 

Mikkel !!

 

This is supposed to be about wooden crates, but thanks for your kind comments.

Mind you......."what else is in the cupboard?!" .......since you've asked .......

 

Here's an early attempt at my first Trow as a hay carrier which could be seen plying it's way up many channels.....

 

post-20303-0-60708200-1428012513_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-78454400-1428012540_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-72121800-1428012571_thumb.jpg

 

And an unfinished model of the ketch rigged Tamar sailing barge "Shamrock", I beleive she is down at Cotehele near Plymouth still.

 

post-20303-0-24753000-1428012603_thumb.jpg

 

post-20303-0-94827700-1428012637_thumb.jpg

 

As far as a Rover, no, definitely not for shunting a dock but maybe my scratch built Bristol & Exeter Railway 4-4-0 Tank might just do ?

 

post-20303-0-83922000-1428012652.jpg

 

Right then can I sail off into the sunset for now pleeeeze ?

p.s. I have no background in boats or anything to do with them, but if something takes my fancy and with a bit of research, well ........

 

Anchors away !!

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Mikkel,

 

I forgot about the horse, my mind immediately thought of adapting something like this

maybe it could be adapted, after all you are quite inventive. Otherwise maybe try a slant on Muffin the Mule ! :)

 

Ok I'm definitely outa here now ........

 

Grahame

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Ok, you've got me really going now !

 

Here's a thinking out loud and drawing off the cuff idea about your shunting horse .........

 

post-20303-0-49309600-1428016974_thumb.jpg

 

Maybe with some tweaking it could be a solution ?

 

 

Now can I go to bed pleeeeze ?

 

Grahame

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For the horse, Id try the bike method, two clear wheels with legs attached, rotate around and are dragged by say magnets under the baseboard. A sort of faller car system, but those ones where the magnets move rather than the vehicle.

Could have proper horse shunting if the magnet was controllable.

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Mikkel !!

 

This is supposed to be about wooden crates, but thanks for your kind comments.

Mind you......."what else is in the cupboard?!" .......since you've asked .......

 

Here's an early attempt at my first Trow as a hay carrier which could be seen plying it's way up many channels.....

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

And an unfinished model of the ketch rigged Tamar sailing barge "Shamrock", I beleive she is down at Cotehele near Plymouth still.

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

As far as a Rover, no, definitely not for shunting a dock but maybe my scratch built Bristol & Exeter Railway 4-4-0 Tank might just do ?

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

Right then can I sail off into the sunset for now pleeeeze ?

p.s. I have no background in boats or anything to do with them, but if something takes my fancy and with a bit of research, well ........

 

Anchors away !!

 

I’m amazed at all these excellent models pouring out of your cupboard Grahame. The hay carrier is quite a sight. How did they prevent the hay from flying off I wonder, even if they stuck to inland channels a windy day must have been a challenge?
 
The B&E tank looks just right with its oily sheen.  Is the track and ballast below for display purposes or part of the actual layout?
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Ok, you've got me really going now !

 

Here's a thinking out loud and drawing off the cuff idea about your shunting horse .........

 

attachicon.gifimage.jpg

 

Maybe with some tweaking it could be a solution ?

 

 

Now can I go to bed pleeeeze ?

 

Grahame

 

Wait, how on earth did this suddenly become my project?  :) Thanks for the drawing though, you're clearly well on your way to making your motorized shunting horse there  ;)

 

For the horse, Id try the bike method, two clear wheels with legs attached, rotate around and are dragged by say magnets under the baseboard. A sort of faller car system, but those ones where the magnets move rather than the vehicle.

Could have proper horse shunting if the magnet was controllable.

 

I’ve often pondered how it could be done. It’s been discussed once or twice on here before. I remember seeing mention of someone who had motorized a wagon and put the horse in front on a rod. The legs probably weren’t moving though.
 
The bike method is probably a good way forward. The Dutch cyclist system is very convincing. The fact that there are two pairs of legs might be a challenge for the mechanism but could probably be sorted. The visual impact of the clear wheels could be tricky. And then there’s the bloke walking with the horse!  
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Ref my other post, I suspect most of the load ended up in Wye, that's the reason it's now called Hay-on-Wye !!!!

 

Now serious, I think the horse and bloke idea is going to be a challenge. The YouTube vid I posted of De Hazelpoort ( which I think is a brilliant recreation of all things moving) is, dare I say, easier to achieve and I think if you go down the route of the Perspex disc it will have to be a compromise. My other thought as per my, ahem, sketch, would be to use that method with the "bloke" attached with the reins. Then have all the legs jointed and have the bases of them loose and just touching the yard surface, which would have a number of small ridges or footholds in it to cause the legs to move hmmmm ?

 

As for the track and ballast it's an early attempt by me to cast a mixed gauge track in ready to lay form for certain areas. I used a plastic casting system which is like a resin and to date both it and my moulds are......yes you've guessed it......in the cupboard !

 

Cheers for now

 

 

Grahame

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I'm making some tea chests from the veneer sheets. They're based on real ones but photoshopped a bit to fit my setting and period.

tea%20crates.jpg
 
The characteristic metal edges on the "East India" one didn't really come across as I hoped in the printing...
 
 IMG_2037.jpg
 
 
... so I tried Dave's suggestion above of using the dull side of foil. It's fiddly stuff but worth it I think. I cut the foil in strips and then fix it with card glue to one side first. It can then be bent around the edge and stuck to the other side. 
 
IMG_2043.jpg
 
 
It’s worth the effort to spend some time cleaning up the edges afterwards. With a ruler and sharp scalpel, edges can be trimmed straighter and narrower as required. The superfluous foil can be scraped off leaving no visible mark. Small problem areas can be fixed with a quick lick of metallic paint. The veneer is very forgiving, so paint can also be scraped off if necessary.
 
IMG_2065.jpg
 
 
Thanks to Dave for the tip about foil, and to Donw for suggesting tea chests for my goods depot some time ago. I've got some more on the go. It's worth noting that not all tea chests had metal edges. In fact, looking at photos it seems that in my 1900s era most of them didn't, and sizes varied a lot in those days too.

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Thanks Grahame, although it's really small stuff and just needs a bit of time.

 

Ref my other post, I suspect most of the load ended up in Wye, that's the reason it's now called Hay-on-Wye !!!!

Now serious, I think the horse and bloke idea is going to be a challenge. The YouTube vid I posted of De Hazelpoort ( which I think is a brilliant recreation of all things moving) is, dare I say, easier to achieve and I think if you go down the route of the Perspex disc it will have to be a compromise. My other thought as per my, ahem, sketch, would be to use that method with the "bloke" attached with the reins. Then have all the legs jointed and have the bases of them loose and just touching the yard surface, which would have a number of small ridges or footholds in it to cause the legs to move hmmmm ?

As for the track and ballast it's an early attempt by me to cast a mixed gauge track in ready to lay form for certain areas. I used a plastic casting system which is like a resin and to date both it and my moulds are......yes you've guessed it......in the cupboard !

Cheers for now


Grahame

 

Well every time we discuss this challenge the solution comes a little closer. In my case I will probably do the cyclist first at some point, and then learn from that for the horse shunting. It would have to look convincing though, or it will just be a gimmick.

 

I think I remember you have mentioned the cast mixed gauge track before. Sounds very novel. Did it work?

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Those tea chests look very effective - glad my method was of help. I'm afraid it puts my earlier efforts to shame. I think I'll have to try and make another batch using your technique of printing onto the veneers if I can locate any locally.

 

Dave

 

Edit - And try not to flatten them this time!

Edited by Devo63
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Hi Dave, I think it's your tip that makes the difference. I've gone for a very narrow metal edge, as I thought that looked the best. Didn't have the courage to do the rivets though!

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Hi Dave, I think it's your tip that makes the difference. I've gone for a very narrow metal edge, as I thought that looked the best. Didn't have the courage to do the rivets though!

They look the business to me; the things haven't changed over the years. Back in the 1980s, I fitted a lot of pallet racking for Banbury Tea Warehouses at Crewe, and had to move hundreds of the things. After emptying at the blenders, most were sold on to removal companies and pot-banks; they were the preferred container to send ware around the country from Stoke, so would crop up at locations far from wholesale tea-merchants.

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