S7 scratch building

[airnimal]

Jim, you are correct what you say regarding the brake gear. One of the good things about building most of the wagon myself is the ease of reversing the brake blocks to the correct way round. My brake blocks  fit anto a channel and held by the shaft from the brake lever. Remove the brake level ( glued in when the wagon is finished ) reverse the blocks and replace the lever.

 

In in my defence I have my youngest daughter here with my new grandson who is 3months old and very loud. 

 

Edited November 29, 2019 by airnimal

[airnimal]

Jim. here is a better photo after the brake gear is reversed. 

 

Just noticed it wasn't  Jim but Compound. Sorry to both.

Edited November 29, 2019 by airnimal

[airnimal]

In the original photograph it appears to show the end door has a white strip painted up the side and over the end. Is this the first time a wagon painted this way has been photographed to indicate an end opening ? 

[Caley Jim]

58 minutes ago, airnimal said:

In the original photograph it appears to show the end door has a white strip painted up the side and over the end. Is this the first time a wagon painted this way has been photographed to indicate an end opening ? 

Is that not just the light reflecting off the side and top of the end door?  The tops of the ends of the adjacent wagons look the same to my eye.  The photograph appears to have a very high contrast.

 

Jim

[Andy Hayter]

That was my first thought, but if you look at the other wagons you can see the highlighting across the top edges but not down the sides.  I remain sceptical, but it could just be white painted.

[airnimal]

Andy, in the original photograph the light appears from the front left hand side. The end door bar may possibly cast a shadow over the end which looks to be painted white and would it be so pronounced. Would coal dust tipping over the end many times wipe out the white painted lines if they existed or is just a trick of light ?

 

I don't know the answer and I don't think we will ever know. So as model makers, do we guess or not build models.

Mike

[Andy Hayter]

We have to make an educated guess Mike and your guess is at least as good as mine - and quite probably better.

[airnimal]

I have had a go at the other lettering but this will take a lot more work as well as better observation. 

The large N under the word coal is in the wrong place and the numbers are not thick enough.

I must try to keep the lettering a more consistent size.

 

 

[airnimal]

If at first you don't succeed..........

 

I rubbed both bottom lines of writing off and repainted this area. The colour didn't quite match but I am hoping this will be better under a coat of grime.

I have had another go with very thin Humbrol Matt White rather than ink. 

I think the small  O under coal needs to be nearer the N and the numbers need a lot more attention. 

I will build up the thickness with several more coars of paint over the next few days, if I get time. 

I have my domestic chores to do tomorrow for the boss while she is at work. 

[Tricky]

Mike, what sort of paint is the red base coat?

[airnimal]

Richard, the paint is Halfords red oxide primer.

I have moved the position of the O next to the N. The number 2 looks a pale imitation that will be removed and done again. 

I will keep trying and one day I may get it right.

I think a lot of time we don't take in fully what we see and this separates the great painters / artists from the rest of us.

Mike

[Caley Jim]

Getting better all the time, Mike!

 

Jim

[airnimal]

This sign writing lark is more difficult than it looks.

I think it is getting better so I will carry on for a little while longer. Then all I have to do is the other side. 

O

Edited December 2, 2019 by airnimal

[airnimal]

I am finding this lettering hard going especially the shading. Not sure what it will look like under a coat of grime. Will it just mask my poor skills enough to get away with it ? 

 

 

Edited December 2, 2019 by airnimal

[Caley Jim]

I see nothing to be ashamed of there, Mike.   In my experience weathering, like painting, can mask a multitude of sins!

 

Jim

[Western Star]

Mike,

 

Are you sure that the prototype has the accuracy that you are achieving?

 

regards, Graham

[airnimal]

One side is nearly done. This never going to be my favourite wagon. The lettering is not crisp enough no matter what Graham's say's about the original painting. 

Sign writing was a skilled craft and the sign writers were proud of there work.

 

 

Edited December 3, 2019 by airnimal

[Caley Jim]

5 hours ago, airnimal said:

One side is nearly done. This never going to be my favourite wagon. The lettering is not crisp enough no matter what Graham's say's about the original painting. 

I still say it looks b****y good!

 

I agree with what you say about signwriters  I had a patient whose family business was painting and signwriting lorries.  This in the days before vinyl transfers etc.  He told me of the time his dad was lettering a road tanker for a firm which had a double 'S' in its name.  Once he had finished one side the son had to point out to him that he had spelled it with a triple 'S'!!

 

Jim

[airnimal]

I wasn't expecting to do any modelling today because we have one of our grandsons on Wednesdays but my wife and daughter have gone out visiting. 

So I have started the second side with a thin coat of paint. I will thicken up the letters over the next few days and reshape as necessary. My English skills will never improve but my lettering skills hopefully will. 

 

Edited December 4, 2019 by airnimal

[Tricky]

Don’t you just love S’s! Well done Mike, looking good. 

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, Tricky said:

Don’t you just love S’s! Well done Mike, looking good. 

They and '&' are my pet hates neither of which I ever seem to be able to get right. Another good reason not to model the G&SWR!

[ian@stenochs]

19 minutes ago, Caley Jim said:

They and '&' are my pet hates neither of which I ever seem to be able to get right. Another good reason not to model the G&SWR!

 

Oh I don’t know! A bit of masochisim is good for the sole and the Sou’ West NEVER omitted the ampersand.  That’s why I invested in custom made lettering decals a long time ago. I find it  hard enough drawing straight lines without hand painting lettering but Mike has got the later just right.

 

Sorry for invading your thread Mike, keep up the good work.

 

Ian.

[airnimal]

This wagon will be  finished when I add the couplings and a bit of weight. I have given it a used look. I am not sure if it's too much but it will have to do. 

 

[Poggy1165]

I think it's excellent.

As (I think) I said before, if I could letter as well as that I would never buy another transfer. It may not be perfect, but it's damn close.

[Caley Jim]

I agree entirely with Poggy1165.  I would add that you can't do too much to make it look 'used'.  After all, the more used it was, the heavier would be the weathering'.

 

Jim