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Bluemonkey presents....

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Everything posted by Bluemonkey presents....

  1. Not sure how old this kit is but the pre-cut moulded parts re almost perfect putting a lot of other kits and manufacturers to shame. Have not often worked with aluminium, so a very new experience. So far a pleasant one but we'll have to see how we'll the white metal details are and how it accepts paint.
  2. Very addictive Rich, I have a very large amount of these collected. In fact I much prefer these to most other kit builds. I think primarily due to the headache and faff of the transfer issues that always seem to abruptly halt any kit from a finished state. I appreciate these are not the most/best detailed but that is certainly out weighed by being able to have a decentliveried wagon running.
  3. Yes after a few earlier attempts I prefer to do the chassis first, paint the interior stuff, then fix the top box and if needed tie altogether with a wash or two.
  4. Now the painted chassis' are well and truly dry and waiting for roofing inspiration for that crane, time to start planking! Not really sure why I do this to all the wagons especially as a lot will be carrying loads due to the lack of moulding details or the moulded circles on the internal sides. I see @The Fatadder has also joined in the preprinted fun.
  5. Go steady and look after yourself. If you need anything even just a rant, drop me a line.
  6. Just hang in there for a couple more weeks!
  7. We all need a break now and then, there is nothing wrong with that. Can lead to some fab inspiration sometimes.
  8. For those of a certain age or comedy preference; This week I have mostly been................ building tenders and open wagom chassis. I had an idea for years about how to incorporate track cleaning mechamisms into a weed killing train. Well I have it in my head but not the technical knowledge or engineering skill to manufacture so I've bit the bullet and just going to the weed killer built. Sadly looks like Kev on LM has already started and finished his although he will not my question about awaiting transfers to be produced so presumably he is also facing the problem as the Aero.
  9. They do look the business. Are you making your own transfers for the weed killer?
  10. Morning Kevin, just catching up on LM, some fabulous modelling. Apologies if already mentioned as I could have missed it, so many entries to read. Where did you get the UD milk transfers from and for the weed killing train, please? Asking as I have had plans for one for a few years with a twist, everything else had just taken over and it was in the back burner. Thanks, Matt.
  11. Great spot Ric, thank you. They should have the V hangers and possibly door bangs as well.
  12. Hi Ric, Ah thanks could be my omission, need to look that up. They are Kirk kits but I think I was done.
  13. Finishing a few odd jobs after heading into the next project. Open wagon 44 will be loaded with barbed wire rolls as previous WD open wagon. GWR open 18364 will also be allocated to the WD train and having any remaining wire rolls or remain empty. UD milk tank is a hybridised Dapol/Hornby effort. Dapol tank and ladders the rest Hornby. The same as the CWS version in the distant that I bodged a while ago.
  14. Ride height adjusted by removing the pronounce top hat of the treaded thingy to reduce flush to one cross brace and the other cross brace had the entire moulded lump removed. This caused the soldered nut to fall out from the underside, of course this is impossible to reattached as between the floor and the brace. A new hole was made in the white metal cross brace and the hole filled with solder. I then drilled a new round hole nearly large enough to fit the nut. Hot iron, flux and luck the nut with attached screw is inserted 'eyed' to level and true to vertical. The rear bogie side covers were removed to allow for raising a little high. This meant having to file out the two etched guides that fir over the crossed brace. A little job that I should have originally done as original etches are not accurate for this part. The break oil pipes reduced and everything back in place. Quick spraying primer and now done. Really surprised how straight forward this tricky (for me at least) job went, especially as potential for too much off, not enough off and messing around and the obvious total destruction dread. Lesson learned though, only treat the instructions as a guide. Hopefully I can now do something more enjoyable, I'll leave the Bill Bedford ballast wagons alone for a while as they also look fiddly. The runner actually looks better as well with a coat of primer hiding all the guff. I am glad I decided to include the tool box hinges, was not going to add them as cutting 0.85mm of brass pipe 12 identical times was not filling me full of lust and excitement but thought of a dodge this morning and it played out. I cut the remains for the 16BA crew thread up into 8 and the four for the inner hinges I used 06mm brass wire. Again you see not the instructions and worked ok.
  15. Well it is finished. Admittedly not my best soldering job but trying to fill the gaps where the etched locators do not meet nor flat plates marrying it is lucky to have survived this far! Just needs primer and couplings. Thought I would introduce the pair as they are destined to be together forever. I shouldn't have expected less really. The bloody things don't marry. I'll have to adjust the ride height on the crane. See what happens when you follow instructions to the letter!!!! The boiler and side tanks are not fixed hence the wonky appearance. Still need to bodge the roof and side panels as well as find some basic levers and things to represent control mechanisms. I wonder why these were not included in the kit as well as those steps? After all, the girder balance things are and they do not feature on any pictures I have seen or actually fit where they are supposed to be stored. Glad it is nearly finished to be honest. It will get a full coat of grey followed by at least one wash of Nuln Oil to darken it up. As for transfers, well anything like that will have to wait especially as still waiting on the Aero ones in hope. Haven't heard anything about them or had a reply/confirmation/polite holding correspondence, nothing from Steve and he is usually very prompt and helpful. Many of the reference pictures I have do not seem to show any sort of markings anyway.
  16. Outstanding Mikkel. This is a real monster but only in size as the livery and modelling are exceptional. Some ingenious use I'd software, I applaud you Sir. Unfortunately I don't have a solution for your dilemma as everything I can think of would be a little rigid and attached to either horse or carriage and still pose a potential storage problem. Great modelling though.
  17. Construction wise for the runner maybe I should have glued some of the more fiddly bits but soldered everything instead. Would have been easier and probably nicer.
  18. Cracking picture, thank you. Personally can not stand the stuff but modelling wise cannot get enough.
  19. I also have some milk traffic to bash up which is of real interest and excitement not to mention the layout 🫢
  20. Morning, Well I am not a skilled designer or overly experienced on how to start a kit design but I have build a few kits. This one seems overly fiddly and in places almost doing things just because as opposed to adding to the model. To me it feels like the construction materials and methods are purposely challenging even to produce a half decent model. An example would be the solebars which are constructed from a base floor and two thin strips to for the side and bottom of the channel rather than half etched fold lines to create a strong channel, (one which does not risk de-soldering when sweating the numerous rivet strips or the half etched floor top. The headstock has been chosen to be folded instead. To me this is the wrong way around and one that causes the modeller many frustrations and difficulties both in producing the part and with later construction. In my opinion it is not a wagon that should offer too much of a challenge nor put people off by just reviewing the etches and instructions but it does. Even the instructions are at odds with the kit. First page, nice big picture of the runner with the caption, "Note: The above photo is of no. 211, a similar but different diagram from the kit" it goes on to explain the primary differences. They later go on to direct the builder that the runner should be in full black livery, no mention of long debate on grey v black. Incidentally the crane directs the modeller to grey livery. I appreciate that this can be down to experience, skill and/or knowledge of the modeller but I have made various brass kits including many from the Falcon range and this one has not been pleasurable nor fills me with motivation to either seek further from the range or other brass kits. Couple with the torment of the crane kit and instructions, it truly is a wonder how these are still on the bench and not the bin! I have another P-Way project planned which I am looking forward to so that's currently my motivation. It has been planned for a few years but has had to take it's place in the build queue, unfortunately someone else has also recently made of these prototypes, not the same way I propose but all the same a bit of a blow as I now appear to be following/copying, never mind at least I have the riding coach built.
  21. From what I have seen whilst trying to find reasonable pictures of crane parts and gears the Oxford may have a roof but not the complete surrounding one that GWR versions had but I guess this could easily have changed since the model was first announced.
  22. Unfortunately I am yet to hear anything regarding the basic transfers for the Aero Wagons, yes , no, maybe or even offski! Hope everything is OK with the business as there have been many recent casualties and would be sad to see another firm hit the skids and disappear. Been trying to focus on this Cowan Steam Crane. Got everything together and some things have been primed and the gears painted a little more. Just working out how to attack the roof element. I see that Brassmasters used to do a detailing kit for this which included the roof (I believe) but seems this is no longer produced/sold and they have also stepped back on their products and sales. Whilst considering how to go about this I decided to start the runner from Brassmasters, a fiddly job. Sadly not really enjoying this build and almost wish I had built my own. However we are where we are and again probably half way through it now, just have to remain motivated. I guess I will have to source suitable transfers/plates elsewhere for these. Shame really as I notice 3-D rivets are also now available to replace the seemingly defunct Archers series.
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