RMweb Gold Regularity Posted June 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11, 2019 5 minutes ago, Furness Wagon said: I only asked as I trained as a production engineer and with a background of using technology to makeup for my lack of hand skills. So as I couldn't buy the kits I wanted to build so it was easier for me to develop a kit and build that. I have developed a few wagon kits that will not go out because they aren't ever going to ever be of interest to anyone other than me. Marc Well, then it’s a case of using your skill set to make the models you want, so who cares and why worry, but you did ask! (And making things from your own kits is still building from kits! But why seek for labels?) I have, in the past, made a single side and a single end and then produced RTV rubber moulds and hand cast my own “kits”, for opens and vans. To these I add floor and roof from sheet material, plus a few items from other sources. I don’t think of them as kits, neither do I think of them as scratch builds. I just think of them as models I made. I don’t think there is any “hierarchy” in this: one simply does what one can to get the models one wants. The methods of doing that are largely immaterial and completely personal, and person A may well derive pleasure from a different way of doing it than person B. Personally I would rather have less that had more personal meaning to me: none of my locos is entirely or even mostly my own work, but they all have had some personal input from me*. My wagons, on the other hand, have a fair proportion of scratchbuilds amongst them. My 3 coaches use etched zinc sides from Trevor Charlton, and they were a right b*st*rd to solder together. They also use various etched components from Alan Gibson (himself, not the company) acquired 20 years ago. I wouldn’t say they are scratch built, but neither are they kit built. They are simply made by me using various components to get the models I wanted. I have an as yet unused 2D cutter which I will one day learn to use to create styrene doilies for making coaches. No idea how that gets classified compared to cutting out the panelling by hand (which I can do, but it takes me forever and I am not happy with the results), but I don’t really care. * A friend once unkindly pointed out that over the years, the only thing I haven’t done to build a loco is to turn a chimney and dome. Unfortunately, the various tasks have been spread out over a number of different projects... Mind you, he didn’t complain about the ready made working loco chassis he acquired from me for nothing! It had split frames and metal wheels, too! The aim is to get the model railway that you want, using the resources (time, money, skills, tools, etc) available to you, in a manner that brings personal satisfaction. Some prototypes require scratch building. For some, this is OK and they may even look for such a prototype. Others have an expectation that the major RTR manufacturers will provide to their every whim and need, regardless of commercial viability. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Good grief. Maybe discuss this somewhere else (if indeed it merits discussion) and concentrate on drooling over and admiring Mike’s superb work? Let’s not scare him off. 3 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 11, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 11, 2019 (edited) Tricky, thanks for that, much appreciated. Back to the wagons ! Nearly done on this one but it will be heavily lime washed as the photograph taken in 1890 in a Coventry goods yard shows. The photograph appears on the LNWR society forum under goods yards. Edited June 11, 2019 by airnimal 9 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted June 11, 2019 Share Posted June 11, 2019 Lovely does not do your work justice. Sorry for sparking a debate on your string Marc 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Compound2632 Posted June 11, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 11, 2019 10 hours ago, Caley Jim said: I hope there is not going to be any suggestion of some sort of hierarchy in this debate. Surely what is important is the satisfaction and pleasure the builder gained from the exercise? For the record I've done 1-7 of the above, but have neither the skills nor facilities to make motors, gears, wheels etc. I was merely suggesting a range, to show that there's no hard-and-fast definition for scratchbuilding. But if there was a hierarchy, Mike would certainly be a high priest! 10 hours ago, airnimal said: If I had to wait for the kits I wish to have models of I would be waiting a very long time. So I scratch build, simple ! But surely it's not the case that one scratchbuilds only as a last resort? There's sometimes unfavourable comparison between the cost of a RTR locomotive and the equivalent kit; surely if the kit is more expensive than the RTR, that premium is worth paying for the fun and satisfaction of building it yourself? 9 hours ago, Furness Wagon said: I have developed a few wagon kits that will not go out because they aren't ever going to ever be of interest to anyone other than me. You don't know that unless you advertise them! But as Tricky says, let's sit back and admire - then be spurred on to improve our own efforts. 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Regularity Posted June 11, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 11, 2019 10 hours ago, Tricky said: Good grief. Maybe discuss this somewhere else (if indeed it merits discussion) and concentrate on drooling over and admiring Mike’s superb work? Let’s not scare him off. You are quite right. It doesn’t merit discussion, but these things happen! Whilst out and about today, I realised there is a way to avoid the whole issue: “hand built”. It is poetically imprecise... 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 13, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 13, 2019 Gentlemen, thank you all for your input but I am not going to change my view on what I call my modelling. The name scratch building has been around as long as I have been cutting bits of metal and plastic. I personally don't think the name infers any hierarchy or elitism but just acknowledges the origins of of the model involved. i found I was not competent at kit building to the standard that satisfied me so I started to "scratch build" which gave me the results I was looking for. I have now weathered the cattle wagon with lime wash but the photograph I have been working from shows I have done this to lightly, so I will go back and do it it again. 11 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted June 13, 2019 Share Posted June 13, 2019 What is your technique with the limewash? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 13, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 13, 2019 Marc, the lime wash was done using Winsor & Newton white ink which is water soluble. i will try going over it with Humbrol Matt white to give it a stronger dept of colour. I have just had a visit from Nigel Thornley who is one half of Lanky kits. He had come to collect the master for the L&Y wagon that I made for him. After a discussion he ask me to add marks on the master to locate the position for the brackets which hold the drop down end doors. I am also going to finish another part made master for a L&Y sand wagon that was made by someone else. He also gave me a couple of etches for some L&Y underframe parts which will come in useful. If I had them several months ago I would not have had to cut out the brake shoes by hand which would have saved me a few hours work when I was building the L&Y one plank open. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 13, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 13, 2019 Although I try to check all the drawings when making models there are traps for the unwary, and I have just fallen into one such trap. This was on the pattern for the one plank L&Y wagon. Nigel asked me to mark the position of the brackets for the drop down doors but when I came to mark the position, something was not right. The L&Y draftsman who did the original drawing wrote the distance as five foot eight and a half inches but actually drew the distance as five foot ten inches. That's only a scale one and a half inches out but it was enough to make the hinges slightly in the wrong place. I had got the distance right as to were the buffers were to be located but I have had to remove the hinges and relocate them. When they would have been made at the works this would have been pick up and moved accordingly by the works foreman. Just another little pitfall for us modellers. I am now glad that Nigel asked me to provide a location mark otherwise this may have not been found before it was to late. 5 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post airnimal Posted June 17, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted June 17, 2019 (edited) I have a done small amount to the cattle wagon including a bit of straw in the interior. It has a coat of Matt varnish sprayed on but I am still awaiting the etched plates from Narrow Plant. Edited June 26, 2019 by airnimal 14 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 Not wishing to be critical of your excellent work, but should the inside not be pretty much white, especially the lower parts, from the lime wash? Jim 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Andy Hayter Posted June 17, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2019 ............….and I would have expected a near scrupulous removal of straw remnants. Labour was cheap then and the railway could not afford to be accused of cross contamination of stock. Nevertheless I do like what has been done even if it is perhaps more appropriate to several decades later. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted June 17, 2019 Share Posted June 17, 2019 What did you use for straw and how did you fix it down? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 17, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 17, 2019 Tricky, I use this string just cut up into tiny bits with scissors and scattered at random and over sprayed with Matt varnish. As people have said it does need more lime wash. I may go over it again with more Humbrol Matt White. 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted June 17, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 17, 2019 3 hours ago, Andy Hayter said: ............….and I would have expected a near scrupulous removal of straw remnants. Labour was cheap then and the railway could not afford to be accused of cross contamination of stock. Nevertheless I do like what has been done even if it is perhaps more appropriate to several decades later. Was thinking the same, the lad needs sending back in with a broom and a clip round the ear... But being serious it does look rather good. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Penlan Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 (edited) 21 hours ago, Worsdell forever said: Was thinking the same, the lad needs sending back in with a broom and a clip round the ear... But being serious it does look rather good. I thought the straw remnants brought a bit of 'life' to the model - no. not mites etc., A nice touch, 'airnimal' Edited June 18, 2019 by Penlan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coal Tank Posted June 18, 2019 Share Posted June 18, 2019 Hi Mike Stunning work wish I could do it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted June 18, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 18, 2019 1 hour ago, Penlan said: I thought the straw remnants brought a bit of 'life' to the model - no. not mites etc., A nice touch, 'airnimal' Oh it does. Lad still needs a clip round 't ear... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 22, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 22, 2019 I have sprayed the L&Y steel underframe one plank open today taking advantage of the fine weather. Unfortunately I have used the wrong grey. It is to dark so it will have to be lightly toned down. The interior wood is still to be painted. 10 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium airnimal Posted June 23, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted June 23, 2019 I have put the transfers and number plates on. The tare weight I have reduced by a couple of hundred weight from the photograph in the wagon book. Wagons sometimes lost a bit after overhaul, so I am claiming this because rule 1 applies here. 8 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Popular Post airnimal Posted June 23, 2019 Author RMweb Premium Popular Post Share Posted June 23, 2019 I have toned the colour down with some light coloured powders which has helped the to dark paint work. I have also soldered the gaps in the 3 links of the couplings. I have only just started to do this on my wagons but it does look better. I will have to go back and do all the wagons the same. 13 10 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarcD Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Nicely done Marc 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Smashing work Mike. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Very smart. Yes the links always look better soldered I was fortunate that I read about it before I moved to 7mm. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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