Charlie Strong Metals (and Watery Lane Sidings)

[Ralf]

On 13 February 2020 at 16:11, Ruston said:

For embossing the clay with setts I have this:

 

 

Couple of questions Dave, sorry if I've missed the answers above.

 

What is the orange thing shown above for embossing the setts?

 

I know you mentioned loading / unloading the wagons much earlier in the thread, what's the current plan / thinking?

 

Asking as as I seem to have found myself in what strikes me as a rather similar situation to yours planning on modelling a ex Goods Yard now turned scrap yard based on Wellington Street Goods Yard, Stockport... Prototype discussion here: 

 

 

Cheers

 

Ralf 

Edited March 30, 2020 by Ralf

[Giles]

The orange thing is a set embossing tool - this one was actually the first prototype.  It is Cnc d from perspex with a cover sheet. The long side does longer lengths, and the shorter sides does in between the rails for 16.5 and 9mm gauges.

The holes allow the thing to be washed out rather than get clogged up.

 

When I use these things, after painting the sets, I brush in a layer of ash to fill the cracks and weather them down. Very watery pva seals it in.

[Ruston]

18 hours ago, Ralf said:

 

Couple of questions Dave, sorry if I've missed the answers above.

 

What is the orange thing shown above for embossing the setts?

 

I know you mentioned loading / unloading the wagons much earlier in the thread, what's the current plan / thinking?

Hi Ralf,

 

Giles made the orange thing for me, as you may have guessed from his explanation.

 

The plan on loading is for me to place loads in the wagons. There's only me here to see it and I just wipe my memory of the last few seconds when each wagon is loaded. If the layout was ever invited to an exhibition I guess I'd just shuffle wagons about, both loaded and empty. No one would stand around watching long enough to notice.

 

16 hours ago, Giles said:

When I use these things, after painting the sets, I brush in a layer of ash to fill the cracks and weather them down. Very watery pva seals it in.

I think that's what I'll have to do here, especially where I've pressed the tool a bit too deep, around the shed area.

 

At the moment I'm making no progress on the layout. I'm not really happy with the scrap pile and the whole area around the cranes needs to be littered with hundreds of tiny pieces of rubbish and split scrap. I haven't worked out how to represent this. I saw a layout elsewhere on the interwebz that had got this looking quite good but when I asked how it was done the answer was swarf from an engineering works. It turns out that it wasn't a working layout but merely a static diorama, so short-circuits didn't matter. Obviously I can't use that on here.

[Railfreight1998]

You could try many small shavings of plastic to represent the scrap - I used that on my previous layout and it worked quite well. I never got round to painting them but some 'metal' paint would probably do the job. 

[Ralf]

2 hours ago, Ruston said:

Giles made the orange thing for me, as you may have guessed from his explanation.

 

The plan on loading is for me to place loads in the wagons. There's only me here to see it and I just wipe my memory of the last few seconds when each wagon is loaded.

 

Thanks Dave, that’s a fabulous and philosophical compromise! I love it.... If you (as someone’s work I admire) say it’s ok I reckon that’s ok for me too! 

 

Yes I feel a PM to Giles coming on to save using the end of a ball point pen and doing 1 stone at a time... I see he does 7mm / ft etched versions... 

 

Many thanks for your insightful response! 

 

Ralf 

[2mmMark]

23 hours ago, Ruston said:

At the moment I'm making no progress on the layout. I'm not really happy with the scrap pile and the whole area around the cranes needs to be littered with hundreds of tiny pieces of rubbish and split scrap. I haven't worked out how to represent this. I saw a layout elsewhere on the interwebz that had got this looking quite good but when I asked how it was done the answer was swarf from an engineering works. It turns out that it wasn't a working layout but merely a static diorama, so short-circuits didn't matter. Obviously I can't use that on here.

 

How about adapting the technique of making static grass clumps? Spread some PVA glue onto waxed paper in the appropriate shapes then sprinkle on the relevant bits of swarf. Sealing the scrap clumps with a coating of dilute PVA as you would with ballast ought to insulate them. Then paint to suit, peel off the paper and glue into place.

As for material, the shavings  generated by using Olfa P-cutter blades on plastic sheet could  be useful.  Sawdust from a coarse saw blade might also be suitable.

Edited April 1, 2020 by 2mmMark

[kryten65]

How about the contents of a rotary pencil sharpener, suitably clarted up with a selection of paints

[Ruston]

Thanks for the ideas, chaps. They all sound like they might work. The problem then is how do you paint hundreds (thousands?) of tiny things such as wood shavings? I can't think of that one either. Brush painting is obviously a non-starter and spray painting would simply blow them away.

[Enterprisingwestern]

16 minutes ago, Ruston said:

The problem then is how do you paint hundreds (thousands?) of tiny things such as wood shavings?

 

Laboriously?

 

But seriously, glue them into clumps sized pieces for their eventual destination and then spray them, or lay them out on a sheet of paper and drift spray paint on them from a distance?

 

Mike.

[Railfreight1998]

Most of the smaller pieces of scrap on the ground will tend to be covered in grime and/or rust. The odd bit can be picked out with other colours, but you could get away with painting most of it fairly roughly.

[Stubby47]

1 hour ago, Ruston said:

Thanks for the ideas, chaps. They all sound like they might work. The problem then is how do you paint hundreds (thousands?) of tiny things such as wood shavings? I can't think of that one either. Brush painting is obviously a non-starter and spray painting would simply blow them away.

 

Put some cheap masking tape sticky side up and press the shavings on before spraying.

Edited April 1, 2020 by Stubby47

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

Or you could try here;

 

https://www.goodwoodscenics.co.uk/scrap-metal

 

Mike.

[Ruston]

5 minutes ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

Or you could try here;

 

https://www.goodwoodscenics.co.uk/scrap-metal

 

Mike.

Now that looks interesting but I wonder what all the different loose stuff is made of. I see that the loose ferrous scrap is actually ferrous and therefore would cause shorts.

[2mmMark]

1 hour ago, Ruston said:

Thanks for the ideas, chaps. They all sound like they might work. The problem then is how do you paint hundreds (thousands?) of tiny things such as wood shavings? I can't think of that one either. Brush painting is obviously a non-starter and spray painting would simply blow them away.

 

Not if they are glued and sealed into clumps as I suggested. 

[sb67]

Could you soak the wood shavings in a dilute solution of the paint, then separate them after?

 

[Ruston]

thanks for the ideas. I'll have a go with them.

 

I might also just have a go with the swarf. I'll experiment on a length of track away from the layout itself. If the glue gives enough insulation, and I'm careful about placing it then it may work. I'm not spending the best part of six quid on a bag of swarf though! I've got a friend who has tons of the stuff in his workshop. I'll have to rinse it with a drop of thinners and then leave it outside to weather before I try it.

 

Right now I'm experimenting with plastic shavings and ballast, shaken up in a container with some rust weathering powder in to, hopefully, colour it.

[bazjones1711]

we have used  real swarf stuck down with pva  and wood shavings ( not saw dust ) dyed with diluted chrome /  silver paint   , put wood shavings in a tub , add paint then shake  to coat all the pieces  , you can add some rust paint and give it a quick shake to make the pieces look rusty . I have also used pieces of rusty metal broken up , the ground work it made to look rusty by using real rust , gravy browning diluted , tea , coffee all these techniques dont really cost anything , give them a try and see how you get on , will try and post some more  pics soon

Ps we have also shredded ali foil from milk bottle tops , yogurt tops etc... in an old food blender again you can add some rust paint to them in a tub and shake to coat them . Small pieces of paper painted rusty tones to look like metal sheets ... the list goes on  , basically anything i can find that will look good

[bazjones1711]

you can make baled scrap from painted  wood shaving as i said  in previous post , than mix with pva glue and use the end of a Mc donalds ice cream spoon as a mould  , leave to dry and push them out ! can be highlighted with greys , rusts etc..

Link to our shipley /crossley scrap layout https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=2ahUKEwiSoMbq88foAhUXQEEAHQvmA_EQFjAAegQIBhAB&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.rmweb.co.uk%2Fcommunity%2Findex.php%3F%2Ftopic%2F126684-shipley-scrap%2F&usg=AOvVaw0UQk_n9wtKPdAW_H5EpP-E

Edited April 1, 2020 by bazjones1711

[Osgood]

Annette, a worker at the Douglas aircraft plant, Longbeach 1942

Edited April 1, 2020 by Osgood

[Osgood]

3 hours ago, bazjones1711 said:

 

Superb rendition!

[Alister_G]

1 hour ago, Osgood said:

 

Annette, a worker at the Douglas aircraft plant, Longbeach 1942

 

Love the cases behind her, two Wright Cyclones and a Pratt and Whitney Wasp. Proper engines, they is!

 

Al.

[Worsdell forever]

On 01/04/2020 at 11:10, Ruston said:

Now that looks interesting but I wonder what all the different loose stuff is made of. I see that the loose ferrous scrap is actually ferrous and therefore would cause shorts.

 

Says this one is made of wood.

 

https://www.goodwoodscenics.co.uk/product-page/loose-scrap-fill-large-grade

[griffgriff]

How about some old brown sprue.... Parkside etc..... and sticking it in an old coffee bean blender? I have one that I occasionally use to whiz up coal to 4mm to the foot proportions.

 

Griff

[Ruston]

On 02/04/2020 at 11:20, Worsdell forever said:

 

Says this one is made of wood.

 

https://www.goodwoodscenics.co.uk/product-page/loose-scrap-fill-large-grade

The pieces look a bit on the large side, if you look at the photo with a figure included. I'm assuming he's 4mm.

 

I've been experimenting with making some home-made scrap spillage and what have you.

 

From top left, going clockwise.

Baz's suggestion of sticking stuff in a food blender looks pretty good for fresh shredded scrap.

Sweepings of the shed floor and wood shavings, mixed with rust weathering powders.

Dried tea leaves. Not al all sure about this one but I'll see if it looks any better with some rust powder added.

Brass swarf, treated with a couple of drops of gun blue.

 

I've also painted up some Modelu figures.

 

 

 

Edited January 25, 2023 by Ruston

[Stubby47]

47 minutes ago, Ruston said:

I've also painted up some Modelu figures.

 

 

 

 

Sheesh, Andy Y is looking rough, must be the lockdown effect.