Jump to content
 

1951 Pullman Scratchbuild in 1/32


hendie
 Share

Recommended Posts

Just when it couldn't get better.....................Have you thought about sanding back and finishing off with either thin handkerchief cloth or tissue paper glued to the roof to simulate canvas?

Link to post
Share on other sites

On 22/07/2020 at 12:20, Enterprisingwestern said:

Has the co-efficient of linear expansion being factored into the equation?

Such big lumps of differing materials in a possibly hostile environment when on display could have the potential to cause an issue maybe?

Mike.

 

Mike,

That was why I went with brass and soldering wherever possible. Where the brass hasn't been soldered, it's generally bolted in place.  All the wood that's is in the interior has been in my basement for several years so had plenty of time to acclimatize, and the glue I used to stick wood to brass has a slight flexibility to it once cured so I have no real concerns around the model wanting to go banana shaped after a year or two.  Remember - this build has taken me 6 years and most, if not all, of teh components have been in my basement throughout that time so if anything was going to go wrong I should have seen it by now

 

On 22/07/2020 at 18:24, jrg1 said:

Just when it couldn't get better.....................Have you thought about sanding back and finishing off with either thin handkerchief cloth or tissue paper glued to the roof to simulate canvas?

 

That would be a lovely way to finish it - and much easier than the route I've chosen.  However, Pegasus was fitted with a steel roof in the 2000 rebuild - it was integral to obtaining the strength that was need to allow it to pass all the safety requirements.

 

 

 

50 attempts at the same shade of Grey.  

After some severe sanding the roof started to look a bit better.  I probably spent an hour or two over two or three nights making sawdust. 

Eventually I tired of tasting the stuff and decided enough was enough.  I still had just under 1 mm to remove from the roof, but then sanity took over and convinced me that 1 mm oversize equated to roughly 25 - 30 mm or so.  Would anyone ever notice, particularly as the roof will never be fitted to the main body?     I'm calling it making a concession to scale effect! 

Once I had reached that point it was a case of filling the gaps using epoxy... followed by more sanding.  Then I hit the beast with some primer.  Overall, not too bad though you can still see the seams that were filled with epoxy, and the 3D printed parts at each end.

 

P7240002.jpg

 

The worst offender was this nasty gap - which was then filled with ca. Then sanded.  Did I mention sanding yet?

 

P7240003.jpg

 

Groundhog day started with fill, then sand, then prime, then wait for primer to dry.  I needed the primer on there as it was the only way I could see the actual finish on the roof, especially the compound curves at each end.

Then go back to square one and fill, sand, wash, rinse, and repeat... time and time again

 

With all this sanding one thing I was cognizant of was keeping the roof straight and true so frequent checks were called for. Around iteration 5 or 6 I had a small hump, but just barely discernible.  By the time I got to iteration eleventy seven, the roof was in pretty good shape.

 

P7240004.jpg

 

I was still seeing some rough patches here and there

 

P7240006.jpg

 

with this being about the worst. Overall, I was reasonably pleased with the progress.

 

P7240007.jpg

 

Then I had a complete and utter brain fart and decided to coat the rood with fiberglass resin. Why? I'm not sure.  I think I was thinking of sealing the grain etc and filling up some small holes in the epoxy that I couldn't seem to get rid of - but why I just didn't use ordinary wood varnish as a sealer, I have no idea.  Guess how much sanding that took to get smooth again?

 

P7250009.jpg

 

I guess one benefit is that the roof is now very strong - surprisingly strong.

I have even managed to keep the long edges straight while doing all this sanding malarkey.

 

P7260012.jpg

 

After another few groundhog days my brain needed something else to fixate upon. I decided it was time to fit some greeblies.  Greeblies are always good.  For whatever reason, greeblies always come with a sense of satisfaction  and achievement once they've been fitted - just the thing for a mojo lift.

Now, in order to greeblify the roof I need to find the center-line.  Ordinarily that could have been a difficult job what with those tapered ends and compound curves and all, but would you believe I had planned ahead for this?  No?

You're right.  I didn't, but in a stroke of good fortune, the printed parts I used at the ends were symmetrical had a center section 8 mm wide. Using that as my datum it was easy to mark off the center at each end.

 

P7260013.jpg

 

Then string some thread between the ends and tape it in place.  Perfecto!

 

P7260014.jpg

 

A little while later and I had all the locations of the roof greeblies marked out and pilot drilled - taking care (wot! me?) to identify what type of fitting was used at each location.

 

P7260015.jpg

 

of course I couldn't resist test fitting a few of the greebles

 

P7260016.jpg

 

These were the vents I had produced at Shapeways before I got my own printer, and as always, the surface is quite grainy as Shapeways cleaners never do a decent job, and by the time I receive the parts it is very difficult to remove that grainy finish.  The rotating vent is one I printed, but I've learned a lot about printing since then and I think I will try and redo all the vents to see if I can get them any better.

 

P7260018.jpg

 

In between bouts of watching paint dry I fidgeted, footered , and fettled some other bits. Mounted on the ceiling are some nice brass domed vents.  Easy enough to print but I opted to go back old school this time and turned these on the lathe.  Each one will have a 0.3mm rod protruding from the center which will then have a small handle mounted on the end of the rod.  I haven't figured that part out yet as I am still making this up as I go along.

 

P7240008.jpg

 

While I was at the lathe I also turned these small fitting for the overflow pipes

 

P7260021.jpg

 

along with a domed vent fitted over the kitchen area.

By the way - did anyone notice I'd been sanding again?

 

P7260022.jpg

 

An overall view of the roof

 

P7260023.jpg

 

and if you use your imagination here you can almost visualize what it would look like had I gone with plan A, revision 1 and actually fitted the roof

 

P7260024.jpg

 

So where are we now?   Well, all the greeblies have been put in the greeblie box for safe keeping.  The roof has been given yet another coat of primer - this time to be followed by some wet sanding, and if the result is anywhere near acceptable I may even try to throw some white paint at it

 

 

until next time comrades

  • Like 9
  • Craftsmanship/clever 9
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

Occasionally I share with my partner an interesting modelling technique someone from RMWEB has used. She almost always asks "is it that man who built the real thing and is now building that really detailed model?" I think that's intended as a compliment; as I only mention good modelling to her and each time she assumes it's you :)

  • Like 3
  • Agree 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Nova Scotian - that made me smile.

 

 

And on to this weeks shenaniganneral exploits.  

in a rare moment of forward planning and intensive aforethought, when I made the bar,  I had the sense to copy the outline of the bar front and put it in a safe place.  In even stranger circumstances, I managed to find it when I actually needed it.

Why?  Of course, there's no bar on the ceiling but there is a sort of canopy thingy fitted to the ceiling (the correct term escapes me at the moment) which mimics the shape of the bar, albeit set back slightly. For want of a better term, let's call it a pelmet for the moment.

 

P8060001.jpg

 

This was a job I was not looking forward to and even considered leaving it out of the build, but my conscience wouldn't let me.  The reason was because it was such a bloomin' awkward shape.  The bottom edge was parallel to the bar top, the front edge was set back slightly, and with the pelmet being curved, and being fitted to a curved ceiling, it meant that the height at the front and rear of the pelmet was not the same - and that only gets worse as it rounds the corners - and the end disappears into the ceiling.  Not to mention that my ceiling panels are not the best.

Anyway, step one... fit a 3.5 mm strip along the back edge. 

 

P8060002.jpg

 

Some careful shaping and filing later, it looks as though we have a winner on the back edge.  That was the easy part.

 

P8060004.jpg

 

Much phenargling ensued, mainly getting the main surface level so I could measure the height to the ceiling panel at the highest point. I determined that to be around 5.5 mm, so another strip was glued around the front edge, along with a few little strengtheners to keep that front edge perpendicular to the main surface. At this point I had resigned myself to using this version purely as a template to get what I needed for a subsequent "real" version.

 

P8060005.jpg

 

Some more refining on the rear edge, and multiple file a bit, and test fit loops for the front edge.

 

P8060007.jpg

 

and I completely surprised myself by managing to get a pretty reasonable fit after about twenty minutes of shaping/fitting.  So much for this being a template then.

 

P8060008.jpg

 

with the pelmet/canopy/thingy in a decent state, it was back to the lathe and I turned a handful of aluminum down lighters.  Now I wish I hadn't used a scrap piece of styrene for the pelmet as there was a big score along the surface. Oh well, that can be fixed with relative ease.

 

P8070009.jpg

 

Next operation was to fit the ceiling panel cover strips - a bunch of 1.25 mm strips glued into place.  That big mucky spot is where a hoge great glob of Tamiya thin dropped on to the ceiling when I wasn't paying attention.  It was quickly wiped away before it caused any permanent damage though not before it managed to marr the surface.  Another one of those 'doh! moments.

At this stage I'm not sure whether the ceiling is salvageable or not but tehh thought of having to rip it out and start again was a bit soul destroying.  I decided to chance it and when the glue had dried I micromeshed the panel and wait to see what it looked like with primer on.

 

P8070011.jpg

 

The unnameable thing thing got fitted - surprisingly easy too.  I really thought this was going to take me days and days of work to get right, but it really went together remarkably fast.

 

P8080014.jpg

 

End panels were fixed in place using 5 minute epoxy

 

P8080016.jpg

 

followed by a bucket-load of primer getting thrown at it. Thankfully the glue mishap is completely hidden now.

 

P8080017.jpg

 

I'm quite pleased with how this all fits together.  There is a small gap here and there, but overall it's a decent job.  (note to self - micromesh the front of the pelmet to get rid of the grainy primer finish.)

 

P8080018.jpg

 

As is always the case, immediately after I primed the ceiling I remembered that there were vents fitted on the ceiling partitions.   I needed a total of 5 vent covers, but only had, or could only find two left over from my printed versions. 

In a stroke of luck, I remembered that several years ago I had photo etched some of these, back in the days before home 3D printing became affordable - and what do you know.... 3 of them!    Talk about luck.

 

P8080019.jpg

 

Fitted!

 

P8080020.jpg

 

With all that done it was ready for paint. White of course.

 

P8080022.jpg

 

Would you believe it!   Now is NOT the time to run out of white paint. Buggrit

I was one coat short of finishing the paint job when I ran out.  I got some more on order though it will be a few days before it's here.  What a pain.

 

P8080023.jpg

 

So with the paint shop on furlough due to lack of materials I had no option but to faff around with all the little bits that were left, such as painting the double lamps for the dining area

 

P8080021.jpg

 

Clear coating the brass vents so they don't tarnish over time.   I also added the small handle from 0.3 mm rod and the small round "handle" on the end was formed by crushing the end of the rod in the vise.

 

P8090024.jpg

 

Another pita job was forming the up stand for the treadplates on the roof ends. I started this job on at least 3 occasions, each time with a different approach before finally settling on using brass C channel (yes, that murky looking thing is actually brass C channel) to form the upstand.

 

P8090026.jpg

 

I found some brass treadplate in my stash so I'll replace that plastic treadplate when the time comes.

 

Almost there, almost there....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 11
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hendie,

 

Cracking work as ever. I do like the fact that you never try to hide any errors from the community but demonstrate how you correct them.  

 

You regularly mention Micromesh which was unknown to me. When you described dealing with slightly gritty primer with the stuff,  I had visions of miniature chicken wire that you may have had etched from brass sheet then used like a cheese-grater!  I decided to find out what it really was - I am now going to get some for my slightly gritty primer. So, thanks for the pointer.:)

 

Ian. 

Edited by Ian Major
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, Ian Major said:

I decided to find out what it really was - I am now going to get some for my slightly gritty primer. So, thanks for the pointer.:)

 

you're welcome Ian.

Just to make sure - these are the micromesh sanding pads that I usually purchase though I also buy micromesh in sheet form

Those links are to US products but I know you can get them easily in the UK.  Used wet, you can get a remarkably smooth finish. I used the pads on the side frames when I painted them, it really brought up a shine.

 

I'm glad you like my mistakes :D - I always find it helpful when reading about how others overcome issues or problems and I feel it's always worth pointing out in case others can avoid the same issues - or if they do end up with the same problem, there's at least one method to try and overcome the issue.

 

 

Edited by hendie
  • Like 3
  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Thanks Hendie,

 

I have found micromesh being offered for sale in the UK by model shops(?) via Amazon. When postage is taken in to consideration the price works out at about £3.20 per 6" x 4" sheet or cloth. I imagine it would be cheaper via jewelry sites.

 

Some advice from one of the suppliers looked helpful.  I include it here for other RMWeb members (OK - probably teaching Grandma how to suck eggs!). 

 

"Use Micromesh in straight lines, never in the more usual circular pattern. Clean off residue regularly. When satisfied use the next grade at right angles to the first, lightening the pressure as you near the end of each step. Micromesh should preferably be used wet and will last even longer if supported by a rubber block."

 

Looking forward to your next project.;):)

 

Ian.

 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

 

This week has not been the best of weeks.  After running out of white paint the other week I scouted t'internet looking for Mr Color Flat white at a reasonable price ('cos I'm stingy), with reasonable postage ('cos I'm even stingier when it comes to P&P) and that could deliver in a reasonable time frame. My usual source always seems to have the best prices but they always take about 2 weeks to deliver and I didn't want to wait that long. Anyhow, I found a place that had everything in stock and chose expedited shipping for an additional couple of bucks.. and sat back and waited... and waited. A week goes by and nothing so I gave them a call only to find out that the post had gone sideways and somehow my order had gone off to some international depot instead of priority ground mail.  Long story short, I complained and got my postage costs refunded but still have to wait on them sorting things out. Ding ding - Amazon Prime time.  Extortionate cost for a single pot of paint but a promised delivery of Tuesday coming.

So, until then I had to find any little jobs that needed doing to tide me over until the paint shop is up and running again.  Sadly, I found more than I had bargained for - why do you  I keep finding more and more little finicky tasks to complete ?

 

This week in pictures. 

Rain guides.  Not only do we have the rain strip/gutter all along the side of the roof but at each end we also have 2 x rain guides mounted further up on the roof.  These were made from equal angle and contoured to follow the roof curves.

Luckily I found some 1.25 mm angle in my stock - not much, but just enough to do the job.  I say lucky because when I went to search online I found that K&S appear to have dropped most of their line and no longer make brass angle.  To be honest I think this angle is slightly undersized but the only other brass angle I had which suited was too short to do all four guides. Styrene angle wasn't even in the picture for this job.

 

Because of the compound curvature at the roof end, I annealed the brass prior to bending and it was fairly straightforward to follow the initial bend.

 

P8100027.jpg

 

 

But hey! nothing is ever easy is it?  As the rain guide bends over the roof end, it also curves out towards the side.  There's no way I was going to trust superglue to hold this in place so had no option but to pin the angle as well as gluing it in place.

Drilling wasn't such an easy task either - The smallest rod I had was 0.3 mm and if I drilled that size hole in the angle right off the bat, it deformed the edges.  I had to drill with a 0.25 mm bit first which allowed me to get the drill right into the corner of the angle, then open it out to 0.35 mm - there was no way I could get the 0.3 mm rod through a 0.3 mm hole - so had to go larger.

 

P8100028.jpg

 

Getting the 0.3 mm pins to work was another palaver. - I had to tin one end of the pin, then pressing on the tinned end with the soldering iron, the pin heated up to the point where the solder melted and the pin pushed down into the hole - almost, but not quite flush with the surface of the angle, and solder flowed along the inside of the angle making it more of a triangle than an equal angle.  Much cursing and phenargling about with a 3 square file let me clean out the inside of the angle and get it looking reasonable.

The pins didn't need to be long - just long enough to secure the rain guide so it wouldn't come loose later.  Here's one about to be glued before it's pushed home

 

P8150031.jpg

 

followed by (a different) one glued and fixed in position

 

P8150029.jpg

 

Me being a belt and braces sort of bloke decided that I should also drill the end as it swept over the roof - this was about the only way I could guarantee that all 4 ends had the same curve/sweep as it meandered over the edge and out towards the side frame.

 

P8150032.jpg

 

More drills gave up their lives for this cause than any other job I've ever done before.  I think I had a sense of frustration creeping in which didn't help.  These 4 rain guides took the best part of two days work to get done and I must have broken at least 15 or 16 drill bits in the process.  However, job done now (for the most part) and I'm glad that part is over.

 

P8150033.jpg

 

I really wanted to get the interior/ceiling finished before starting on the exterior of the roof, but things being what they are and wanting to get this finished before the next ice age I opted to move forward with the exterior, knowing that this is going to take very careful handling from now on in order not to wreak havoc and mayhem with the parts I'm just about to attempt.

I glued in the mounting plates for the rotating vents and made a start on the wind deflectors

 

P8150034.jpg

 

This time around, instead of just compound curves we have a compound curve and compound angles.  It just gets better 'n' better dunnit?  Praise be to the modeling gods.

I started with some 3 mm wide strip and fettled that into shape with numerous dry fitting to make sure I got the angles right.  Now, when I say "right", I really mean doesn't look like crap!  As these 1:1 parts were being reused from the original car, I didn't see the need to make detailed drawings of them and instead, just took overall dimensions - omitting to note any of the angles.  That meant lots of looking at reference pics  and trying to obtain something that looked vaguely similar.

 

P8150035.jpg

 

Once I had the main parts glued in place I added the three support brackets on the inside of each deflector.

 

P8160040.jpg

 

Then double check the rotating vent can still rotate - or there would be some classic Anglo Saxon filling the basement. 

 

P8160036.jpg

 

While doing the research on those rotating vents I spotted something I had missed up until now - The 4 torpedo vents at the roof ends do not sit flush on the roof as I had previously assumed. - They are mounted on small circular plinths.

What is a bit weird is that those plinths change the angle that the torpedo vents sit at relative to the roof - but not horizontal.  (as can be seen in this photo) 

Back to the lathe then, and a little while later I had a handful of plinthy things

 

P8160037.jpg

 

which will sit on the roof tween skin and torpedo vent

 

P8160039.jpg

 

Torpedoes have now been glued onto those plinths and set aside to cure.

 

As a last task for today I hurled some primer on the new additions to see how effective they were and how much tidying up is going to have to be done.  I like the primer stage - it always goes on easy and really makes the detail pop

 

P8160041.jpg

 

Yup, I'm quite pleased with how those turned out and everything appears to line up as it should.

 

P8160042.jpg

 

This photo shows what I mean about the compound angles

 

P8160043.jpg

 

Lastly, how did those rain guides turn out?

 

P8160044.jpg

 

Not too bad but will need a little bit of filling at the join to close up any gaps, but overall, acceptable

 

P8160045.jpg

 

I still need to decide what to do with those roof ends - which is something I should have thought of before fitting the rain guides.  Hey ho.

 

stay safe folks and if lady luck is smiling on me I may get my mitts on some white paint before the week is out.

 

 

 

  • Like 10
  • Craftsmanship/clever 6
  • Friendly/supportive 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hendie,

 

Each time I read your log I learn several things about carriage design and construction that are new to me. I think my poor brain is going to go pop soon!

 

A suggestion - rather than spending money on expediting delivery of, say, paint, how about using the wait time to prepare for the next project with which to enthrall your fan base. .......OK - I will shut up and crawl back into my hole.:)

 

Ian.

 

  

  • Funny 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

 

On 17/08/2020 at 18:37, Ian Major said:

A suggestion - rather than spending money on expediting delivery of, say, paint, how about using the wait time to prepare for the next project

 

Thanks Ian.  I've already started my next project but unfortunately, it's not train related.  I'm going back to aircraft modeling again. Won't you guys be glad to see the back of me? :D

 

 

This week was a bit busy so I did not get as much time on Pegasus as I had hoped, however, I managed to lock myself away today and get some work accomplished - it's getting Sssoooooooo close I can taste it.

 

I wanted to get the interior done before I started adding greeblies to the outside as it was a certainty that if greeblies were on the outside, I was going to knock them off as I worked on the ceiling panels.  First order of the day was to fit the chrome down-lights in the bar - easy job for once

 

P8200001.jpg

 

They were followed by three more down-lights in the ceiling panel, in turn followed by two brass vents and the PA speaker

 

P8200004.jpg

 

By this point things are moving fairly quickly as there's no real "work" to be done - just measuring a location and sticking something on there.

More vents, another PA speaker and the six double lamps.  Can't get more straightforward than that can we?

 

P8200002.jpg

 

Lastly, the dinette ceiling got a PA speaker and it's own brass vent

 

P8200003.jpg

 

Overall view of the internal gubbinses.

 

P8200005.jpg

 

That's all fine and well, but its all much of a muchness - too much white and there's nothing that really draws the eye (is that a bad thing?).  

I had anticipated this and had a sort of plan. I wasn't sure it was going to work or not but I knew I needed to do something to break up all that white area.  I opted for adding the structure that would have been attached to these panels had the roof actually been fitted.  For example, red oxide strips where the side frame would have been, and wooden strips where the partitions would have been located.

 

Now things got a bit more complicated and I actually had to measure and cut with reasonable accuracy to make this thing work and not look plain sloppy. For the "side-frame" I'm using the very last of my 1/32" ply - the very last!  I had to scrabble around to find enough to do the job as I really didn't want to have to place another order of this stuff just to finish off the last few inches of roof. Once I had found all I could, I cut it into 3 mm strips and painted red oxide.

 

P8220007.jpg

 

That seems to break things up nicely.

 

P8220008.jpg

 

Kitchen & Corridor end finished off

 

P8220010.jpg

 

Then Bathroom, corridor and dinette area finished.

 

P8220011.jpg

 

I then realized that I also needed to add framework for the entrance doors and vestibule area... 20 minutes later it's done

 

P8220012.jpg

 

Close up shot for no other reason that I took the photo

 

P8220018.jpg

 

Then the other end

 

P8220019.jpg

 

and the interior of the roof is FINISHED at long last.  Only 4 years behind schedule but its done.

Now onto the very very very last area of work (I think)

 

The roof exterior.

First job on the exterior was to cap the ends so that you couldn't see in behind the paneling.

 

P8220006.jpg

 

To be honest I'm not that enthralled by how this turned out and I know it's not 100% accurate, but I really don't see any other way of doing it.  I think once it's all painted it won't look as cludgy - I guess I'll find out later

(oops spoiler alert - you can see the rest of the roof here)

 

P8220017.jpg

 

again, this went very quickly as it was just sticking bits into the holes.  Starting at the kitchen end... 

 

P8220015.jpg

 

center portion

 

P8220014.jpg

 

Lastly, the dinette end

 

P8220016.jpg

 

The only thing left to go onto the roof now are the tread-plates at either end.  I didn't fit them at this point because it would have been impossible to paint inside the supports so they will get added once the roof has received a good coat of white paint.

All things going well, I may even get to throw some white paint on it tomorrow

 

 

 

  • Like 6
  • Craftsmanship/clever 10
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 22/08/2020 at 18:49, Ian Major said:

I like looking at other model forums because the guys from other branches of modelling have skills from which we in railway modelling can learn and vica versa .

 

I completely agree Ian.  BTW, I checked out some of your work and was blown away by the craftsmanship and skills you show.   That ships stove is a model in it's own right, I can hardly believe some of the detail you've captured there.  Fan-bloomin-tastic!

 

On 24/08/2020 at 09:46, Nova Scotian said:

Your modelling plans are incompatible with my rmweb enjoyment. Please reconsider ;)

On 23/08/2020 at 07:57, laurenceb said:

 

Thanks @Nova Scotian & @laurenceb - you guys are too kind.

 

A busy week prevented me from descending into the basement - that plus a whole lot of "cannae be bothered" this week for some reason. But the weekend comes around as it does most weeks, and on Friday night I couldn't be bothered either.

It got worse as I only managed to get half the grass cut yesterday before getting hit with a huge thunderstorm - which means that the grass cutting now hangs over me like a large dark cloud until I get it done - but it chucked it down again today so I sauntered off doon the basement.

First order of the day was to splat some brown/umber on the ends - a bit of a cheat, but this way the white will still follow the lines of the actual roof and the brown will hopefully fade into the background.  I doubt it will ever be looked at from this angle anyways.

 

P8230001.jpg

 

First pass of white paint.

 

P8230002.jpg

 

Then on the second pass as I was turning the roof around my grip slipped and the roof fell against my shirt.  Oh flip I muttered. 

 

P8230003.jpg

 

The main problem with the roof is it's sheer size. - Just over 600 mm long (2 foot'ish) and just over 80 mm (3 inch'ish) wide and since I am painting the entire top surface the only way I can hold it is by resting it upon my hand - and remember, I'm waving around a live airbrush in my other hand. So it's two arms waving around one balancing and turning, while the other tries to aim at the roof and not spill paint all over myself.  I'm not good at this multi-tasking malarkey.

 

giphy-3.gif

 

It could have been a lot worse - it wouldn't have been the first time I had dropped a model onto the floor while painting - though thankfully I haven't done that for a while now.

Rather than panic and try to rescue anything at this point, I sat it down, walked away and left it for a while. Once the paint hardened sufficiently I gave it a quick micromesh and smoothed it all out.

That allowed me to start applying the next coat.. until I ran out of white paint again!!!

 

Fortune was smiling on me this time though as I got enough coverage  and could call it a day. 

 

P8290011.jpg

 

There's still a few small gaps around the rain guides but I've applied some diluted PVA to close those up.

 

Now it was time for those last pieces of this six year jigsaw puzzle.  The brass channel got a lick of white paint (some dregs in the bottom of the jar)

 

P8230004.jpg

 

Then super-glued in position - after careful and repeated measuring to make sure they were centered.  Then just to close up any gaps that may be showing from the side, I glued small strips onto the roof adjacent to the verticals.

 

P8290012.jpg

 

I then spent about 15 minutes trying to find the tread-plates I had shaped a few weeks ago, but they were nowhere to be found - must be in that safe place again.  Just as well really because when I pulled out the styrene sheet I cut them from I realized it was way over scale.  I had a backup plan though - I had purchased some photo-etch tread-plate a few years ago for something or other - it may even have been for this job... who knows?  It turned out to be perfect

 

P8290013.jpg

 

Some more dregs from the paint jar were summonsed and there was just enough to cover the new additions to the roof.  

A half hour to dry then I hit it with the gloss coat.  Mr Color Crystal Clear is becoming a favorite - easy to apply and gives a nice shiny hard coat when dry. It goes on a lot more evenly than other clear coats I've tried.

I even had an Oh Crap moment when near the end, my airbrush coughed and splattered a few big drops just as I was finishing off.  Lo and behold - I was also using Mr Color Leveling Thinners - and the splatters leveled out before it dried. Amazing.  I think I'll be sticking with that combo in future.

 

P8290025.jpg

 

I'll run some micromesh along that brown/white border later once the clear coat hardens to clean up that rough look.

 

P8290026.jpg

 

It's hard to capture the gloss finish on a white surface, but it's there believe me.

 

P8290029.jpg

 

The completed roof - oops - still got the rotating vents to add

 

P8290030.jpg

 

That will be tomorrows job.

 

So, how does it feel after 6 years on and off of slogging on this build?   Well, to be honest it's all a bit of an anti climax and left me feeling a bit empty.  There was no huge "reveal" at the end, nor was there a "this bit goes here" and wow, all of a sudden, it's a train. It was 8 little pieces that could have been assembled anytime during the last few weeks.  Maybe it will sink in a bit more over the next few days or weeks.

 

As you are all aware I still have to order the display case.  I have deliberately delayed ordering it until this point.  Now that the roof is finished I can mock up how it will look in the case and check just how much room I need underneath it in order to be able to see everything with a mirror.

That means there's a little bit more to come on this build, but nothing as exciting as the last half decade.

 

 

 

 

You asked for a link to some of my other work.  

Here's a link to a build I did a couple of years ago.  The finished build can be found at: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234994581-28-sqn-wessex-xt678-hotel-hc2-raf-sek-kong-19823/

 

PC310022.JPG&key=7f1ac904105a2cd1b61f63e

 

That link also contains a link to the build log

 

Or my My very first build after returning to modeling after a 40+ year break.  Starting with this... 

 

S5004796.JPG&key=501e31e3908db5ff62dd41f

 

and finishing up with one of these...

 

PB240004.JPG&key=c58ee86b4307f2b7e7ff286

 

 

I go by the same moniker over on that forum so you should be able to stumble across some of my work easily enough

 

 

 

keep yer masks on!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 7
  • Craftsmanship/clever 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

My word Hendie,

 

I just followed the link to look at the Wessex. From the first photo I assumed it was quite a large model. Then I saw your hand in some of the later photos. You have produced a raft of gorgeous detail in a relatively small space. Brilliant. It quite distracted me from Pegasus - for a short time. The Pegasus roof is looking great.

 

Ian.

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

On 29/08/2020 at 18:37, Ian Major said:

From the first photo I assumed it was quite a large model. Then I saw your hand in some of the later photos.

 

I've just got big hands Ian!  :D

 

I got some better shots of the roof. Rotating vent in focus this time

 

P8300001.jpg

 

All vents and greeblies fitted, and shinied up

 

P8300002.jpg

 

Definitely shiny.  I am very impressed with Mr Color crystal clear and their leveling thinners.

 

P8300003.jpg

 

I still need to address the whole display case thing though. Not only the case but the tracks themselves.

They've been lying in my basement now for the last several years, and the brass has started to get a bit grungy 

 

P8300010.jpg

 

That's nothing that a good attack with some wire wool won't sort out, but it did alert me to the possibility that this may happen over time in the display case.  As nice as bright clean brass is, I don't think I want the polished brass look on the tracks themselves. For one, real tracks are not brass, and two, shiny brass in the wrong setting can look a bit tacky.

A quick search on Amazon brought some brass blacking solution. Tracks were cut to length, and attached with wire wool. Blackening agent applied

 

P8300011.jpg

 

and it didn't go according to plan.  Some parts of the track looked really good, but in others the blackening didn't appear to work. I wire wooled the tracks again, then followed that up with a dremel clone wire wheel, then degreased the tracks and applied the blackening agent again.  .

Some of the black wipes off with just a light wipe of paper towel, and other bits need a good scrub with wire wool to get back to brass.

 I'm wondering if the black will give a good key for paint, and I may just spray the tracks, sleepers and all with a not quite black, black. Need to ponder that one.

 

I did make one discovery though - my original plan of mounting the roof in front of, and below the car was not going to work.  Now that I had the car and the roof I made a mock up - forgetting to take any photos and realized that my plan was just not viable. 

That lead to a mild state of panic before realizing that there was indeed a relatively simple option.  I could simply display the roof as if it were hinged open, like so

 

P8300007.jpg

 

A quick check with some plastic mirror reveals that this option will work.

 

P8300009.jpg

 

I still need to figure out the actual mechanics of how to mount the roof.  It's too late in the game to have a hard mounting point on the car itself - at least not without damaging something. However, the roof has to be close to the car in order for it not to look strange.

I'm mulling over support options for the roof but haven't yet settled on anything.

 

At least I can now get the final dimensions of the display case.

 

  • Like 6
  • Craftsmanship/clever 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • RMweb Gold

 

On 29/08/2020 at 23:28, hendie said:

You asked for a link to some of my other work.  

Here's a link to a build I did a couple of years ago.  The finished build can be found at: https://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234994581-28-sqn-wessex-xt678-hotel-hc2-raf-sek-kong-19823/

 

Very nice, but where are the pictures of the model helicopter?

 

Mike.

  • Funny 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

Hendie,

 

I am afraid I have run out of words to describe your work on Pegasus. 

 

A thought on mounting the roof... 

 

In the model ship world I have seen some interesting methods to overcome similar problems. 18th century sailing ships would probably have 3 or more boats. Whilst sailing, a couple of these would be stowed on board lashed to a pair of spare masts. The long boat would be towed alongside towards the starboard rear of the ship. Now some of the guys who make full hull models like to represent this . Problem - there is no (artificial) water on which to float the long boot. Their answer is to make a perspex support .that extends up the side of the ship to make a cradle for the longboat.

 

In Pegasus' case  a possibility would be to have a vertical perspex support that would stand behind the carriage. From this support a couple of perspex rods could project horizontally forward. The roof would then rest on these rods.

 

The roof would in effect hover above the carriage body. Viewed from above one could see the roof ventilators and down in to the passenger areas. Viewed from slightly below horizontal the under side of the roof would be visible. 

 

No risk to the carriage.

 

BTW. Being extremely nosy, I am  always interested in what goes on in the background of photos. For example, in your case I am intrigued by Marg Simpson, Yoda (apparently stopping  a reel of solder floating away), a galloping wolf and a diver's helmet. 

 

Actually I believe this form of nosiness helps with good modelling which is all about observation. Oh dear. I am being all pompous again!:)

 

Ian.     

Edited by Ian Major
  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I only found this thread in time to catch the result of 6 years work!  Wow!!  My modelling is rather more hasty (as Treebeard might say).  I was fascinated to see some of the small 3D-printed items you made.  I find that this technique opens up a whole new field of modelling possibilities.

 

Your carriage will be a splendid item in its display case and I like the idea of the open roof to show the details inside.

 

Mike

  • Thanks 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
On 06/09/2020 at 02:02, Enterprisingwestern said:

Very nice, but where are the pictures of the model helicopter?

 

:rofl_mini:

 

On 06/09/2020 at 18:31, MikeOxon said:

I only found this thread in time to catch the result of 6 years work! 

 

welcome aboard Mike. Glad you found the thread.

3D printing is a marvelous innovation for us modelers, especially as it has now become affordable to most folks.  I find it particularly helpful where there are multiples of an object to be made.  I really enjoy the scratch building aspect, but when I have to make multiples. I find I always lose interest after about two copies.  It is also extremely helpful for some object that just couldn't be made by hand - the luggage racks for instance (at least not by my hands)

 

On 06/09/2020 at 05:25, Ian Major said:

BTW. Being extremely nosy, I am  always interested in what goes on in the background of photos. For example, in your case I am intrigued by Marg Simpson, Yoda (apparently stopping  a reel of solder floating away), a galloping wolf and a diver's helmet. 

 

No problems Ian.  Marg I believe was in a McDonalds happy meal that my daughter got many years ago. No idea how it ended up in my basement.

The baby Yoda? My daughter wanted one so I printed one - then she bought a larger one so now Yoda is Keeper of the Solder.

The galloping wolf was a present from my daughter after her first visit to the Safari park back in Scotland.

The divers helmet - we were visiting one of the local beaches a few years ago and one of the shops had a full sized divers helmet on display.  I commented that I had always wanted one, and my mother in law found the divers helmet (actually a pencil sharpener)

Soon to join the horde is Jack Skellington (one of my all time favorite movies) - my daughter found one in a shop just last week and bought it for me.

 

 

 

Look!  :yahoo_mini:    The display case arrived

 

PA040007.jpg

 

I'm avoiding unwrapping it until it's absolutely necessary due to the amount of dust in my incredibly untidy basement.

First job on the agenda was to sort those tracks.  I had read a few threads around t'interweb about the Brass Black and it was suggested to soak in vinegar prior to applying the blackening agent. So, out came the wire wool again and the tracks were given a good thrashing to remove all the blackening. Then I had to find a container that I could fit the tracks into - remember these are over two foot long. After searching fruitlessly (why do we search fruitlessly?) for a tray long enough, I came across a length of Schedule 40 PVC pipe that I had lying about. 

I cut the pipe to length, and glued a bottle cap onto one end using Gloop, left it overnight to cure, then filled it up with vinegar.

 

Only to make the discovery that Gloop doesn't like vinegar and about 3/4 of a pint of the smelly stuff ended up on the floor. (Good job it's a cement floor!).  Rather than spend half an hour to go to the hardware store and spend about 50 cents on a proper end cap for the pipe, I scoured the basement over two days before coming across a silicone mold that I'd made years ago using a measuring cup as a holder. That meant I had a nice little Silicone stopper shaped thin.

That was too big to fit into the pipe!

I made it fit eventually and this time the vinegar stayed where it was supposed to stay.

Two days later and out came the brass tracks. This time I made sure I only handled them while wearing gloves. They were rinsed and dried in preparation for the black stuff

 

PA020004.jpg

 

This is after the second application (I think).  I took shots after each application but the camera seems to have eaten one and I'm not sure which.

The black stuff was applied liberally by brush, allowed to soak for a while then the excess was rinsed off with water and they were left to dry.  

I still had an uneven finish, with almost bare brass showing through in places. I'm not sure what's going on there... something to do with how the tracks were formed perhaps? Density? Hardness?

Anyway, I had them almost there - just need some finishing touches.

 

PA020005.jpg

 

After some cleanup, the tracks were fitted into the sleeper carriers.  I know the sleepers aren't the best, but they're polypropylene so won't accept paint so I'm going to leave them as is (but remove the dust!).  The star of the show after all, is Pegasus. I'm not after a diorama (especially as I'm not very good at them).  

 

PA040006.jpg

 

I was a bit concerned though at the longevity of the finish. I know the black parts will be adequately protected, but what about those bits with some brass showing through... are they going to corrode over time?

Then I had an idea. Bull!

No, not that kind of bull.  The polishing bull, like wot we did wiv our boots back in the day.  Out cam Cherry Blossom's finest dark brown polish and the result can be seen here.

Front rail is untouched and the rail at the rear has been polished and buffed.  It's difficult to capture in camera, but the rails now have a lovely bronzed look to them, and look good, without being tacky or kitsch (imo anyway). 

 

PA040009.jpg

 

Now it was time to get down to business - setting things out for their final resting place.

The tracks were held in place by three self tappers down into the base.   The material is a very hard acrylic and I was very conscious of making sure the hole was large enough so that the base would not crack, but small enough so that the self tappers would grip.

 

PA040008.jpg

 

Then I cracked it anyway!   :banghead:

I was using the pillar drill to make sure the holes were truly vertical, and the drill "caught" and slammed the base up into the chuck.  I was lucky. The base did crack, but only about 3 or 4 mm, and all under one of the sleepers. 

Needless to say the remainder of the holes were drilled by hand.

The tracks were taken care of by the self tappers, but I still had the car itself to fix to the base. That was achieved by drilling completely through the base, then opening up the hole on the bottom side with a step drill (incredibly useful tools) until the hole was large enough to get the head of the screw through.  If you can remember back a long time ago, I used coupler nuts on the underside to help secure the bogies.   My plan worked!

The screw comes up from the underside of the base, and screws right into the coupler nut at the center of the bogie.

 

PA040011.jpg

 

Okay, it's noticeable of you know where to look , but it's unobtrusive enough for me.

Look, the car finally affixed to the base.  (though it may yet come off again for some more cleanup and dust removal)

 

PA040012.jpg

 

and just to prove the fixing method worked....

 

PA050014.jpg

 

I've actually had it perched at about 45 degrees and there was no movement.  I even gave it a little shake, so I am confident it's going to be safe for the long term.

 

That just leaves the roof.  That darned roof. How as I going to hold that in place for the display?

I didn't want anything to obscure the full view of the car from a side on view, so that meant that the holding method had to be cantilevered.

Well, I tried a whole bunch of designs and wasn't happy with any of them. They all looked crap.  Then I hit on the idea of looking at photo's of railroads and rail yards, and came across the idea of a signal bridge. After messing around in Solidworks I came up with this idea...

 

Capture2.png

 

I tried to make it look like something that wouldn't look out of place in a rail yard or beside some tracks somewhere.  Overall it's about 75 mm wide at the base, about 180 mm tall and about 6.5 mm deep at the girder section (a bit thicker at the footing)

I'll print this in two sections - unless someone tells me I'm absolutely crazy and this looks dreadful - which is not out of the realms of possibility!

I can then hang the roof from this, cantilever style like so

 

Capture.png

 

The cantilever moment will be shorter in the final product. The roof shown above is not complete.

I'll also have a bracket which will allow me to rotate the roof along the longitudinal axis to show it to best advantage (I forgot to take a screenshot, sorry)

 

 

Almost there, almost there.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  • Like 5
  • Craftsmanship/clever 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Excellent stuff.

 

The "signal gantry" idea to support the roof is intriguing. That would not have occurred to me!

 

Is it worth ballasting the track? That is well short of a diorama but it would improve the appearance of the sleepers.

 

Ian. 

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Ian Major said:

Is it worth ballasting the track?

 

Thanks Ian.  I knew the ballast question was going to crop up. 

 

I'm undecided at the moment - for the following reasons: 

1:   There will be a mirror mounted directly on the base on the same side as the roof.  That mirror is going to butt up very close to the sleepers and will match the full length of the car, so there wouldn't be much room for spreading ballast. The ballast would have to stop almost at the same line as the edge of the sleepers.

2:   There will be a engraved plate on the front side at the center ( 2" x 4" or roughly 50 mm x 100 mm). Again, that will butt up almost to the edge of the sleepers, maybe a 10 mm gap or so.

3:   Once I start, there's no going back as I'll never get the base back to the glossy shine it now has.

 

I'm certainly considering it though.  Any tips on laying ballast? and what size/grade I should go for?

 

 

Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...