spikey Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 (edited) When I built one of these before, I ended up with the wire rails of the fencing the same colour as the posts and unsurprisingly it looked all wrong. Now I'm building another one, and I still haven't worked out the best way forward with the fencing. And of course, any guidance on finishing the wires is conspicuous by its absence from the painting instructions provided. It would be nice if there was a way of chemically blackening/colouring the wires before threading them through the already-painted posts, but I'm unable to find anything on the internets that leads me to think that's a goer. The only alternative I can see is brush-painting the wires in situ, the prospect of which doesn't exactly fill me with unbounded joy. So, if you've painted the Ratio Cattle Dock and you're happy with the look of the finished fencing, how did you do it? Edited August 19, 2019 by spikey Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold gwrrob Posted August 19, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 19, 2019 For what it's worth I left mine unpainted. It's a decent kit although not totally prototypical for my location. 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RosiesBoss Posted August 19, 2019 Share Posted August 19, 2019 G'day, spikey, I built one of these kits in 2001. I brush painted it with Humbrol matt enamels, but left the wires unpainted. I'm happy with the result and it still looks just as good today.. Regards, Rob 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 Thanks gents. I'm rapidly coming round to the view that leaving the wires as they are is probably the only sensible way forward ... 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 What's the wire like? As you could use Carrs Metal Black to blacken it. https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/carrs/solvents-cat2 Jason 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 1 hour ago, Steamport Southport said: What's the wire like? As you could use Carrs Metal Black to blacken it. https://www.phoenix-paints.co.uk/products/carrs/solvents-cat2 Jason It's not metal wire, it's actually plastic rod. Another vote here for leaving it unpainted. I went totally over the top with mine and changed the stone base to brick to make it into a more suitable style for East Anglia. It' a nice kit. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steamport Southport Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 Ah. I thought it was wire as that's what it implies in the OP.... 20 hours ago, spikey said: It would be nice if there was a way of chemically blackening/colouring the wires before threading them through the already-painted posts, but I'm unable to find anything on the internets that leads me to think that's a goer. The only alternative I can see is brush-painting the wires in situ, the prospect of which doesn't exactly fill me with unbounded joy. Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
spikey Posted August 20, 2019 Author Share Posted August 20, 2019 (edited) 4 hours ago, Steamport Southport said: What's the wire like? 0.5mm diameter, looks like bright steel but isn't attracted to a magnet, so perhaps nickel silver? Maybe I'll phone Ratio tomorrow and ask 'em what it is. Thanks for the suggestion! 3 hours ago, Bernard Lamb said: It's not metal wire, it's actually plastic rod. Er ... no. I can tell the difference. This kit contains metal wire, as did the last one I built. That's why I referred to "wires". Edited August 20, 2019 by spikey afterthought Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bernard Lamb Posted August 20, 2019 Share Posted August 20, 2019 2 hours ago, spikey said: 0.5mm diameter, looks like bright steel but isn't attracted to a magnet, so perhaps nickel silver? Maybe I'll phone Ratio tomorrow and ask 'em what it is. Thanks for the suggestion! Er ... no. I can tell the difference. This kit contains metal wire, as did the last one I built. That's why I referred to "wires". Interesting. It was a long time ago and my brain is rather addled. Just checked and I must have used Slaters plastic rod as I still have a packet with some lengths in it. As it is a dark reddish brown it looks OK as it comes. Bernard Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devo63 Posted August 22, 2019 Share Posted August 22, 2019 I have a half built Ratio cattle dock that I only bought a couple of years ago. The railings in this kit are made from plastic rod. I can't find my original reference but I seem to remember reading somewhere that some of these structures (and a few fences on the GWR) used old boiler tubes, painted black or grey when first fitted, as railings. These probably weathered quickly with livestock rubbing against them. Dave R. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted August 30, 2019 Share Posted August 30, 2019 (edited) You could colour the wire using a magic marker or artists markers before assembly, its a very thin covering so you can still slide them through. Edited August 30, 2019 by Campaman Darn spelling..... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
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 accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now