I might have mentioned in an earlier blog that I was also putting some plastic wagon kits together. While the Mink G van is awaiting a slot in the paintshops I've posted a couple of photos of the Ratio bogie B passenger van I'm doing, alongside the Mink G, which has now had the body painted and the decals fixed. When it's been varnished and the underframe paintwork finished I'll post it up.

I find the Ratio plastic kits go together reasonably well and (this 'B' vans bogies aside), are quite therapeutic to work on. I haven't gone in to the actual building of the kit as it's all standard stuff, but as it's now near to completion here's a few pics of it to date

This is the body/underframe with all the brass detailing parts attached using Humbrol Satincoat varnish as an adhesive.

You may have seen in earlier posts that I've used a jewellers lupe as a macro lens over the lens of my camera to take close up shots, hence this round picture.

It shows the detailing to the front. I tried using the etched handrails supplied with the kit but they were just too flimsy so I bent up 0.45 brass wire instead, first though I drilling a hole with a 0.4 drill bit to provide a tight fit, I then dropped a blob of superglue at the back.

This final shot shows the body coated in Halfords red oxide primer, prior to this I primed it with some primer specially for painting plastic car parts, it is clear and dries in minutes. I got it from the French equivalent of Halfords called Roady, part of the Intermarché group, no connection.

More news later guys, cheers for now