jessy1692 Posted November 4, 2019 Share Posted November 4, 2019 Looking good, i did have the measurements for the wall before the houses got built in the yard but i lost them. Should be easy enough to work out from pics with stock parked next to it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 1 hour ago, jessy1692 said: Looking good, i did have the measurements for the wall before the houses got built in the yard but i lost them. Should be easy enough to work out from pics with stock parked next to it. Thanks. I have a couple of good photos to use for the height estimate....while I’m about it I should also draw up the drops and the roof. Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 4, 2019 Author Share Posted November 4, 2019 (edited) I also managed to make some progress on the A2. I fitted the rear sandboxes, which are quite prominent. I also replaced the linkages around the cylinders. Oh, and I painted the chassis and wheels........ So I now have an 0-6-0! (Also, having said that the sandboxes are prominent, you can’t see them in this photo.) Painting the wheels is a slow process, not helped by the white paint...which did not want to work with my lining pens. Slow = Jon gets bored. So then I put these together: These are to go under the D45 full brake that I will be building soon. I have all the chassis bits and the side etches are being prepared. (A chance conversation has meant that “Macgeordie” on here has drawn these up had some test etches made) Looking forward to this build.....these brakes are distinctive looking. Anyway things did not stop there........I did some shopping to fill in gaps in the “to be built “ collection. One of these was this Ordered from Wizard and received in 48 hours - brilliant! Seemed a shame to put it on a shelf...so I built it! What you see there is nearly all of the kit as supplied. I have a stock of the other parts required....hopefully this coach will progress quite quickly. It is destined for the Northern Belle - 3 coaches built, this one underway, 4 others to start. Oh well.....back to work tomorrow. Jon Edited July 20, 2023 by Jon4470 5 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 11, 2019 Author Share Posted November 11, 2019 I had a reasonably productive weekend........including some gentle modelling. I re- united the A2 with its other wheels ( and body). I’m pleased to say that, after a bit of fettling, it ran smoothly along the test track. Plenty more to do on this model. I’m not looking forward to three of the jobs though: filling in the hole under the boiler, creating a cover for the triple safety valves to replace the puny cover currently in place and putting in some plating behind the oval rails on the tender. Looking at the photo it also looks like the body is a bit cab down....... For the coach I have also started on the roof. The MJT cast ends needed quite a bit removed to get them to sit correctly. This is, unfortunately, normal with these ends. The before and after castings are if not amended like like this they either sit at a jaunty angle: or they over over hang the end by too much: After filing the fit is better: I think it still needs another 0.5 mm or so to come off - but it is better. I’ve done this filing by hand - mainly because I don’t trust myself with a Dremmel..........I think I’d probably wreck the casting. On the other hand it would be quicker..... Hopefully during the week I’ll get the cast ends soldered on andthe main roof cut to size. Then it will be time to figure out where all the roof fittings go ( and drill holes for them) Jon 5 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 12, 2019 Author Share Posted November 12, 2019 Maybe worth explain a bit about this coach.... The D23a Hairdressing/ cocktail bar coach. This was based on a standard corridor third coach with 8 compartments. However, for this coach, 2 compartments at one end were converted into a hairdressing salon and waiting room. Also, at the opposite end, 2 compartments were converted into a cocktail bar. The coach was used in the Flying Scotsman set until 1938 (when the entire train was upgraded). The coach was then converted to a standard 3rd class coach. This coach was seconded to the Northern Belle touring set each year - it was the only 3rd class coach in the public part of the train. The visible differences for the coach versus the standard corridor 3rd are as follows. Corridor side looks quite normal - except only the two central doors have handles. The other two doors were sealed shut. As for the compartment side, the differences are easier to spot. Again only the central doors open (4 doors on this side) The other doors have been replaced by a different window layout. Cocktail bar is to the left hand end in this view. Jon 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
gobbler Posted November 22, 2019 Share Posted November 22, 2019 (edited) Some really nice builds. The narrow gauge bogie hopper looks good, going to make any more? The teak finish on your coaches really look superb. Could you do a step by step with paints, brushes and other stuff you've used to create the finish ? Thanks Scott Edited November 22, 2019 by gobbler 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 22, 2019 Author Share Posted November 22, 2019 12 hours ago, gobbler said: Some really nice builds. The narrow gauge bogie hopper looks good, going to make any more? The teak finish on your coaches really look superb. Could you do a step by step with paints, brushes and other stuff you've used to create the finish ? Thanks Scott Hi Scott Thanks for the kind comments. I really admire the ease ( and speed) with which you seem to create your scratchbuilds - they really look the part. I will be doing a few more narrow gauge wagons. One more hopper is required. There is also a peculiar coal wagon with a bogie at one end and a fixed axle at the other. Finally there is a pair of tank wagons for tar and ammonia - these will most likely be the next wagons that I tackle. I’m getting close to painting the D23A coach so will post details as that progresses. The process I use is borrowed from Mike Trice who described it on a thread called Improving Teak Finish - or similar. I start with Halfords rattle can white primer all over. If you want a darker effect then use red oxide. The next coat is a base coat using Vallejo acrylic paint in shades of orange and light brown. Different shades of base are used on different panels to give the chequerboard effect. Once dry dry it is then varnished...and left to dry thoroughly. The grain is applied using oil paints, usually burnt umber, applied with a stiff, flat square brush. Allow to dry......for days. After that then it is more gloss varnish, then lining, then transfers. I recommend this process because it gives very acceptable results very easily ( and with practice gets much better) and because oil paints give, not unnaturally, an oil paint type of finish....which is what the colour photos from the 1930’s look like in my opinion. Jon 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 Update on the D23A. Yesterday I fitted the water tank filler pipes. This is the first time that I’ve added these.....very fiddly and almost invisible! Not sure whether they are worth the effort, but, because I know that they should be there, I’ll bet that I fit them from now on. Ouch - that’s a cruel close up photo! Jon 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessy1692 Posted November 24, 2019 Share Posted November 24, 2019 Looking good Jon, little touches like that are always worth the effort. Once you know something should be there its really hard to not notice if its not there! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 Thanks.....I agree that the little touches make the difference. Hopefully practice will make it easier 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 Last night I also cleaned the carriage ready for priming. First stage was to clean mechanically - I use a fibreglass pencil for this. The downside is that I put up with the occasional fibre that gets into my fingers, with a bit of practice they come out with a pair of tweezers! I tried wire wool once but found that I had strands of wire everywhere, so it was back to the fibre glass. Much more controllable I think. After this stage I then clean chemically. I use Cif in warm water and the undiluted Cif on a tooth brush to scrub the coach thoroughly. Once all that is done it is rinsed under a running tap to make sure all of the dirt is removed. Then leave to dry overnight and it looks like this: Now ready for priming. Jon 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted November 24, 2019 Author Share Posted November 24, 2019 I use Halfords Matt white rattle can primer for the teak coaches. For a darker finish to the teak then red oxide would be suitable I guess....something to try out one day. This first application is really made so that I can see any further filling and sanding that is required. This is especially true of the roof ends. At this stage I hold the carriage on the inside and spray lightly all over. (Hand inside latex glove!) In this way I can get paint into most of the detail areas. The end result is This coat has highlighted the imperfections on the roof Plenty more sanding and filling required there! Once I’ve done that then the final primer coat will go on. Jon 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 2, 2019 Author Share Posted December 2, 2019 Very little modelling progress at the moment, for a number of reasons. Firstly work; I work in distribution and the week of Black Friday is, shall we say, hectic! It won’t slow down for a few days....then it’s Xmas. Secondly, family birthday...my Uncle’s 100th. He’s full of stories and mischievous with it as well...so we had a great day. More importantly, he had a great day. The birthday was in Hampshire, so we took the opportunity to have a short break. On the way back we stayed in Oxford. The route took us past Abingdon and so a quick detour was made to see Pendon Museum! My first visit and very impressive. Jon 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 4, 2019 Author Share Posted December 4, 2019 I have carried out more sanding of the roof. I think it’s about right now......but then I thought so before! The process is iterative- fill, sand, paint, repeat.... In the course of this work I realised that I have forgotten to add grab rails ( for the water fillers), the alarm gear tell tale and the destination board brackets. So some more work to do before the final coat of paint on the roof. Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 4, 2019 Author Share Posted December 4, 2019 Talking of the roof colour.... The LNER roofs in the 1920’s and 1930’s were painted white. They used white lead paint and this reacted with the atmosphere to turn grey over time. Also the soot deposits from the loco exhaust would colour and weather the roof. The combination of these effects meant that a train would have a mixture of roof colours, with the majority being different shades of grey. For the Northern Belle the coaches were spruced up specifically for the tour and the photos ( albeit publicity shots) show the whole train with white roofs. I’ve decided to model the coaches for this train with white roofs lightly weathered with soot from the loco. I think a pure white roof looks too clean and it wouldn’t take long for soot to start building up. When I model other trains I will certainly include some dark grey roofs...the majority will most likely be light grey. That will be convenient because I will be able to use Halfords grey primer for those! Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 Over the last few weeks work and, more recently, family festivities have taken precedence over modelling. Finally though, I think that I have finished the roof! I’ve added grab rails, alarm gear, ventilators, water filler caps and rain strips- at times the list seems endless!! The photos below show the state of play before the next undercoats go on. Sorry about a white coach on a white background....I’ll have to dig out some coloured backgrounds! Hopefully it shows the additions though. I’m planning to get the undercoat done today and any redial filling.....so that I can crack on with the teaking (I have a few days holiday to fill up) Jon 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted December 28, 2019 Share Posted December 28, 2019 (edited) Bit late to say this, much easier to rub the roof down, then a light waft of primer, prior to adding the fittings . Should be good when finshed , your A2 is excellent . Edited December 28, 2019 by micklner 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 28, 2019 Author Share Posted December 28, 2019 Hello Mick You are correct - what I should do is to fill, sand, prime, fill, sand, prime etc until the roof is good and smooth. Then fit all the bits and bobs. Problem is, I get impatient! One day I’ll learn..... Anyway, the roof is looking a lot better now - just a bit more to do. As for the A2, I can only really take credit for spotting it and buying it. Hopefully I will add the details and improve it- sympathetically. I think it was either scratch built or it was Jamieson hand cut kit. Either way, I like it - I have a soft spot for these locos. Jon 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 29, 2019 Author Share Posted December 29, 2019 (edited) Today’s task is to complete the base layer for the tank paint. I also want to get the varnish on so that it dries overnight....before we go out for some drinks with friends- definitely not afterwards Scott (Gobbler) requested details of the brushes, paints etc - so here goes. The paint that I use is acrylic and made by Vallejo: I use a mix of these colours. I mix these based on the light orange and orange brown The brush I use for the base coat is a Filbert style - with nice soft bristles. I put on a first coat of a fairly consistent colour. When dry I add the second coat. When I add this coat I will start to pick out panels in lighter and darker shades. I paint the interior first by the way...so that I don’t get over run onto the outside. More soon. Jon Edited December 29, 2019 by Jon4470 To get Scott’s name correct! 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 29, 2019 Author Share Posted December 29, 2019 Second coat is now added. Hopefully the two photos show the slightly darker and lighter panels. The panels on the real coaches showed some variation in tone and it is sometimes described as a chequer board effect. Personally I think that the variation should be subtle - the coach builders tried to match the grain evenly across the coach to avoid too much variation. I have to admit that each time I do this painting it feels like an experiment to try to find the correct balance. That is especially true for this build as I am posting the results as I go along.....not after I have successfully painted the coach! Later this afternoon I’ll take another look at the results. If unhappy I’ll add more base paint and variation. If happy I will then apply a coat of Humbrol Clear varnish. This protects the base layer and also means that the oil paint behaves more like a scumble - that helps to create the grain effect. jon 2 2 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 (edited) Just to round things off yesterday I did add some more base colour before adding the varnish layer. This morning I’ve moved onto the teak painting. The raw materials that I use are: I mix a pea sized amount of oil paint with a brush full of liquin. These paints will go a long way! The liquin thins the paint as well as speeding up the drying process. I used the same brush as yesterday - ideally I wanted one with slightly stiffer bristles ...... but I couldn’t find it! The mix is brushed on quickly starting in the gaps between the panels. Try to avoid build up around the beading and overflow into the interior ( which will make fitting the glazing more difficult if the paint has been allowed to harden) Once the side is covered I then start to brush out the excess. I wipe the paint off the brush and then draw the brush across the paint. I hold the brush so that the bristles are at right angles to the side...I’m trying to leave a grain made by the brush. I keep wiping the excess paint off the brush. Again watch out for build up on the beading and use the brush to clear this away. Then end result is shown above. The grain is horizontal below the waist and vertical above. This took about 45 mins to achieve for the the whole coach. This splits into 15 mins to put the paint on and 30 to brush it out. Overall I’m happy with the result. There is not as much variety in the colour as I expected....but it’s ok and next time I’ll make sure there is more contrast. The paint stays workable for a few hours - so can be revisited as necessary. It will dry to a Matt finish.....when fully dry ( I allow a couple of days for this) another coat of varnish is applied. This really brings the colour to life! Jon Edited December 30, 2019 by Jon4470 To remove a photo 3 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted January 6, 2020 Author Share Posted January 6, 2020 Quick update on progress. While waiting for the paint to dry I built the two bogies for the coach. There are some more details to add to the underframe....hopefully these will get added during the week. Meantime I added a coat of varnish at the weekend. The photos below will, I hope, show how the varnish adds a real depth to the colour. These photos also highlight every little blemish..... In particular, in the second photo, the oil paint has been loosened and removed by the varnish above the right hand door. This is not a problem - just a case of adding some oil paint to the affected area and then re-varnishing. There is also a bristle/ hair in the bottom left panel. That will need to be removed and any paint damage repaired. These are all jobs for the weekend when I should get some quality time.... Jon 6 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted January 18, 2020 Author Share Posted January 18, 2020 Just a quick update today. I’ve finished building the underframe (at least I think I have - unless I spot something else!) so that has now been given a thorough clean with the fibre glass pencil and then the Cif. Will allow it to dry over night and then undercoat tomorrow. The bogies are complete and have an initial black paint coat. Finally I have addressed the bits of the teak coat that needed some remedial work. Hopefully will look ok in the morning...... If it does look ok then it will soon be time to glaze the body, fit the corridor hand rail and then the door grab handles. Getting impatient to see the finished item now.....must avoid the temptation to rush. Jon 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jessy1692 Posted January 19, 2020 Share Posted January 19, 2020 That 'teaking' does look very convincing Jon, im sure itl be just fine. Be great to see the finished article. All the best James 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon4470 Posted January 25, 2020 Author Share Posted January 25, 2020 Last weekend I had a good tidy up in the modelling room and re-organised things that were in the way/ bugging me. I need to finish this off this weekend - just one question though....just how many glues do you need? These are just the ones that I don’t use much ( if ever)! Jon 1 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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