Hi everyone.

I finished my last posting with a mention of another item connected to dry print.This was etching. It was the final "aid" to giving that final finish to the locos. There was an article in I think the Model Railway News explaining how to etch your own nameplates. The author was the late Dennis Allenden, an Englishman living and working in the U.S.A. modelling superb French locomotives and rolling stock in 7mm scale. The production of name plates was in fact pretty simple but need some care in both the production and the handling of the etching fluid.The dry print I mentioned last time was, still is etch resistant. All you had to do was lay the print,lets say AIRE on a sheet of brass. The brass had to be really clean but not buffed up at this stage with metal polish. In the early days there was the problem of straight lines for the plate edging.Until the introduction of lines this was overcome by using insulating tape which was also etch resistant. Put the plate into the etch fluid, for my size of plates I used a test tube.As an aid to keep checking the depth of etch I use a strip of insulating tape on the back of the plate This was two fold,it prevented the back of the plate etching away and the plate could be lifted out of the test tube to check the etch depth. When happy with the depth dispose of the fluid but not in a stainless steel sink. Wash the plate and clean the letters off with a very very fine abrasive paper.Wash it again and paint it , all of it,yes all of it don't try and just paint the etched background. When the paint is thoroughly dry buff it carefully with metal polish and there you have it brass letters, painted back ground, red in my case. Varnish the plate. I also glued mine on with varnish.There you have it another example of scratch building. The etch "fluid" was bought in crystal form. and made up as required. I understand there are several firms now a days who make bespoke nameplates as well as regular names.In another posting I will explain how I took etching to a higher level in connection with model boat building, one which nearly drove me potty. Some say it did. To finish on a different note..There are plenty of really top hole N.G. model railways around today as can be witnessed in all the modelling magazines and societies and indeed exhibitions devoted just to N.G. However if I was asked to pick one modeller who has filled the shoes of John Ahern and P.D.Hancock it will have to be Ted Polet with his C and DR

I guess that's it for this one Let's see what the next one turns up Regards, Derek...