Ian's 7mm workbench - recent photos

[Adrian Stevenson]

Sounds like you have been having fun! But it looks fine.

[Hal Nail]

Cheers for the support. But I wasn't happy so here we are....

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Hal Nail

[Adrian Stevenson]

 We are all our worst critics at times.

 

But it will always bug you if you are not happy so good luck at the second attempt.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[Hal Nail]

A pleasant surprise today when I remembered to check my mail box.

 

My house is under offer and everything likely to be stored while I find somewhere so the only modelling for some time is making stock boxes and putting things back together - this will test my memory for which screws are which!

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Hal Nail

[Andrew P]

On 16/05/2021 at 10:25, Hal Nail said:

A pleasant surprise today when I remembered to check my mail box.

 

My house is under offer and everything likely to be stored while I find somewhere so the only modelling for some time is making stock boxes and putting things back together - this will test my memory for which screws are which!

 

 

 

Excellent Ian, when was this published?

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, Andrew P said:

Excellent Ian, when was this published?

This month, June 21!

[Andrew P]

5 minutes ago, Hal Nail said:

This month, June 21!

Cheers, I'm due to pick up my copy tomorrow, my Seven Mills is scheduled for the August Edition out mid July.

I'm looking forward to reading it. 

[Hal Nail]

3 hours ago, Andrew P said:

Cheers, I'm due to pick up my copy tomorrow, my Seven Mills is scheduled for the August Edition out mid July.

I'm looking forward to reading it. 

Super - I'll keep an eye out. I'm not a regular reader to be honest but I bought my original 14xx deliberately thinking a bit of a lockdown project on a popular loco might be of interest and having accepted that and rushed it through quicker than normal, they asked what else I had for future editions. So this has been in the pipeline over a year.

 

I don't tend to finish anything so will be a while before I have anything else to submit! 

Edited May 20, 2021 by Hal Nail

[Andrew P]

Just read your article in Railway Modeller, = brilliant. 

[Ian Major]

On 20/05/2021 at 21:02, Hal Nail said:

I don't tend to finish anything

 

Ian,  you and me both!

 

I don't normally indulge in model magazines but the taster of your article has tempted me - get behind me Satan.

 

In the legible part above I am particularly intrigued by the start of the reference to Mallory climbing Everest. Since Mallory's journey was fatal your incomplete reference has left me on the edge of my chair - shades of the end of each Flash Gordon episode at the Saturday Matinee. "Is Dremel the Merciless poised to make a fatal attack? Will Ian survive this onslaught? Tune in next week to find out".

 

Or at least I will have to get a copy to set my mind at rest.     

 

Ian.

[Hal Nail]

1 hour ago, Ian Major said:

In the legible part above I am particularly intrigued by the start of the reference to Mallory climbing Everest. Since Mallory's journey was fatal your incomplete reference has left me on the edge of my chair - shades of the end of each Flash Gordon episode at the Saturday Matinee. "Is Dremel the Merciless poised to make a fatal attack? Will Ian survive this onslaught? Tune in next week to find out".

 

Well it's funny you should mention Flash, who's craft* made a gutteral, clicky, growl as i recall... 

 

The final caption says words to the effect "The finished model ready for the road". I'm pretty sure they penned this - mine said something like "the effing thing sat on a shelf with 3 split gears".

 

Suffice to say anyone venturing that same path will find it abandoned just below the summit

 

 

*my apologies to Dr Zarkov!

Edited May 23, 2021 by Hal Nail

[Ian Major]

Ah yes - I remember the strange noise of the original Flash Gordon craft. I also remember its exhaust (a firework) which produced sparks that gently arced down to the bottom of the screen rather than straight back as per a real rocket. Still as a 10 year old I wasn't bothered about such detail - no change there then!

 

I think I prefer your original final caption. You can't beat a bit of good old fashioned Anglo Saxon honest language.

 

Ian.   

[Hal Nail]

Finally got round to doing this... 

[Adrian Stevenson]

Nice. I could do with doing the same.

 

Cheers, Ade.

[Andrew P]

On 30/05/2021 at 08:43, Hal Nail said:

Finally got round to doing this... 

Lovely idea, I had a similar one when doing N Gauge, but that was easy, I could almost get a whole Train in a Fag Packet.

[Hal Nail]

Have resprayed the 14xx. Not a brilliant finish - the original was quite stubborn to strip - but not a total disaster either. I think I could easily end up with worse if i try and strip it again so will just use very very fine wet and dry to get as smooth as i can and then weather it particularly around the boiler and dome which are the worst part of the respray but fortunately were usually filthy.

 

It is slightly galling that I've got two the same now and even if I add my spare top feed, its still not even a variation on what you can already buy! It was a relatively inexpensive way to try lined green though and I think that urge has gone away for quite some time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Hal Nail
putting photos back

[Hal Nail]

Latest addition to the stash. Still between houses so modelling on hold but a bit too much buying activity!

 

Edited September 9, 2021 by Hal Nail

[D6775]

I keep thinking about the MM1 47 vice the Heljan one, but I think I have too many other projects to finish that adding loco's too it when I can add then RTR (though maybe not as accurate) is a better option for me. 

[Hal Nail]

9 minutes ago, D6775 said:

I keep thinking about the MM1 47 vice the Heljan one, but I think I have too many other projects to finish that adding loco's too it when I can add then RTR (though maybe not as accurate) is a better option for me. 

The 47 is clearly a tricky shape to capture. This is pretty good but the cab windows look a bit odd from some angles - almost concave at the top. They should have dead straight top edges as modelled but the real ones look slightly soft/curvy as the eye is fooled by the curves immediately above. At least I think that's why.

 

Since I've already got the old Heljan, which is currently part modified, it's only worth replacing if I can get one spot on and I felt MM1 had more potential than the new Heljan, from what we've seen. Certainly in green it looks superb as the dark colour helps so if I can't get it right in full yellow I'll just do an earlier one. 

 

Plus I can use these cabs as a reference for fixing my old one - maybe even a graft.

 

This is, of course, anal in the extreme but it's the main loco I grew up with and I wanted a good model!

[Hal Nail]

I've finally got round to trying out acrylics this week. Fortunately I'm now near AC Models in Eastleigh who stock Velejo so have bought various browns and greys plus thinners and flow medium and have set to work on a Lionheart mk1. The paint goes off quickly but it is easy to keep mixing in small batches thanks to the dropper style bottles. I'm using a mix of thinners and water and its reacting much like enamels so quite happy with this.

 

The inside detail is very good as supplied but the wood effect looks a bit plasticky, particularly where the corridor side shows through the windows so I've toned that down with a wash of brown to give a key then powders and the underframe and ends have been treated to a wash of leather and black. I might drill out the blanked off inside guards windows but painting one black has worked quite well (the poor finish was when I was still getting the hang of consistency). The roof stands out now and will get the rattle can treatment next spring. In the meantime i have another 3 to do!

 

 

 

 

Edited August 18, 2022 by Hal Nail
photos

[Hal Nail]

I've just read that Martyn Welch who's book the Fine Art of Weathering has always been my go to guide, has retired and isn't doing any more commission work. Sadly that means his website gallery, which I regularly raid for inspiration, will be disappearing soon.

 

Never model a model goes out of the window when stuff is that good. 

 

I had a deposit down on a Masterpiece Castle he had weathered before I decided it was silly money but given the way second hand prices for top end models have rocketed in the last few years, it would have been a pretty good investment. I will always view that as the one that got away.

 

 

 

 

[2ManySpams]

Merry Christmas to you.

 

Top tip when working with acrylics, use them with a wet palette. Works wonders for extending the working time to many hours or even days with a lid on.

 

You can buy wet palettes but I made my own. Plastic Chinese takeaway container with lid, layer of sponge or soft foam and a sheet of greaseproof paper.

 

Put the sponge in the base of the container. Add water, enough to make the sponge wet but not sodden. Place the greaseproof paper on top and it should get damp. Put dollops of paint on the greaseproof paper and it shouldn't dry out.

 

When finished, put the lid on and, if you're lucky, the remaining paint will still be useable later.

 

https://www.fauxhammer.com/tutorials/how-to-make-a-wet-palette-for-painting-miniatures-models/

[Hal Nail]

1 minute ago, 2ManySpams said:

Top tip when working with acrylics, use them with a wet pallet.

Never heard this before but sounds good so will try that. At this stage there is no question I prefer enamels, not least for their flowing coverage when brushing. I don't miss the smell tho so will persevere.

 

Nice early present!

 

Happy Christmas back!

 

[Miss Prism]

On 20/12/2021 at 23:04, Hal Nail said:

I've just read that Martyn Welch who's book the Fine Art of Weathering has always been my go to guide, has retired and isn't doing any more commission work. Sadly that means his website gallery, which I regularly raid for inspiration, will be disappearing soon.

 

The website now seems to have disappeared.

 

[Hal Nail]

Have revisited 8702 which I was never satisfied with but wanted to try powders on it now I'm a convert! I had found a photo taken at St Blazey and the logos were initially mid-tank rather than over the tool boxes where I'd put them, so the sides were cleaned back with 2000 grade wet & dry and new Railtec transfers applied. Several other St Blazey 57xx tanks had the rare forward facing drivers side logo but I don't have a photo of that side of 8702 so am blissfully unaware of my error at present! The smoke box dart was twisted round so the inner one correctly points straight down.

 

Then the body has been worked on with Vallejo Iron Oxide which is basically black but with a hint of brown. They also do carbon black (smoke black) which is about the most neutral black I've found, although looks a little too black if that makes any sense. I've used this sparingly just for a bit of contrast - for comparison, the cab roof is just oxide and under the smoke box door, smoke. The original weathering also means there are subtle variations. I haven't sealed it all as I don't want to lose the glimpses of slightly buffed metal under the grime so it will need a rework periodically to counter handling.

 

I have a rivetted one to do which is waiting till I source a top feed (anyone know?). As I'll have the enamels out at some point I may end up filling the crack in 8702s chimney but for now it will do as its not as obvious to the eye as in photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 28, 2022 by Hal Nail