What's on your 3mm workbench

[Robert Shrives]

Garry. I might well mask rest of body and overspray several times. Simon who drew up models is as confused as I am as the EMU vehicle with 10 doors is fine.  Nothing on his drawing should have caused it . All I can think is that on his works he has drawn a door and imported the image into the sides  on copy and paste basis as the corruption is on every door to the same extent and perhaps this was done to a different definition level and the printer had trouble printing it as the printlines  are three times more than the window section - but that will also be a draw one and copy and paste into the side image .

The TS displays the same on its 6 doors but the non hinge side coruption is 3mm not the 6mm on the motor car doors - very odd and as you say disapointing.  I have had two feedback goes with Shapeways but it is a one way brick wall and my head hurts now.   

To report two N gauge models from Simon are much better  from a recent up load but his earlier GW railcars  had the same coruption - which does make me think it is at Simon`s end of the process.

Still as you say going to Lenny and eslewhere is a much better solution..  

In other news this Warship from the stable of the late Bruce Smetham and additional grills NS shoulder grills from Andy Shilito and are the right size the brass ones from a 3SMR sheet and are undersized but were all there was at the time - possibly in the last century!  

Van has gone unfitted grey after transfers will need a good slosh of grot and rot. 

[Robert Shrives]

Just to report I masked the ok bits of oneside of the Hastings motor car and gave two passess of more Humbrol Bunswick green and a lot better finish obtained on the door areas - I will do same on other vehicles and post a pic later. - off to work now !

Robert    

[Silverfox17]

That sounds good, must be a different finish effect to what I had as mine was all over and even filler and paint could not hide it. Looked up Tadpole units and quite interesting. 

 

Garry 

[Robert Shrives]

Well here is a pic of the Tadpole after a paint build up exercise.

 EMU gear on the front looks ok - 4mm Dapol 73 bits  I have found pictures of a set with no yellow ends so that makes the green livery even better !  I am going to guess on read buffer beams. 

[NCB]

Finally completed the backscene which runs across the fiddle yard end of the layout:

 

 

Had some trouble getting it to match the existing backscene which was done some years ago, but although it's not quite right I don't think it'll be too noticeable. Here's another shot:

 

 

I can now start completing the scenic work on this board.

 

Nigel

[whart57]

I've been spending a bit of time away from the Thai layout and working on modifying a Sparkshot 3D printed body to fit on a chassis made of etched brass to my own artwork. The aim is to produce a Sharp-Stewart single from 1857. This is progress to date.

 

[AndrewJ]

This is looking very nice. I'm watching with interest as Sharp-Stewarts were to be found on the Cambrian railways which are my area of interest - please do post more pictures as it develops!

Andrew

[NCB]

On 14/03/2021 at 14:01, AndrewJ said:

This is looking very nice. I'm watching with interest as Sharp-Stewarts were to be found on the Cambrian railways which are my area of interest - please do post more pictures as it develops!

Andrew

 

I've a couple of Cambrian Sharps on the go. A scratch built Seaham 2-4-0T as rebuilt:

 

 

And a Sparkshot Albion 2-4-0:

 

 

Not sure I can get enough weight into the Albionto make a decent runner; the motor takes up most of the space.

 

Nigel

[AndrewJ]

Very nice, Nigel, thanks for posting.

I've barely scratched the surface yet, but this and whart57's post are very inspirational for me!

I've just started out with 3mm, and for starters I'm planning to see what I can achieve using Triang 12mm (so a world of difference) - but deep down, something like these are my long term aspiration!

Andrew

[Robert Shrives]

Air braked wagons on the bench after a delivery of wheels and Society parkside 21 foot AB chassis kits and wheels.

3mm soc VAA  and VCA resin sides  and an etched alternative of the same - Case of making floors and roofs parts and in case of etched sides making a plasticard box and etches as overlays. 

 

not quite in focus -sorry but shows an almost finished  - metal buffer heads and etched coupling hooks - dusting in baxuite primer and grey roof - Plan to do in freight brown/ maroon .  I have some old woodhead 3mm trasfers but might ask Steve at Railtech if he can enlarge his 2mm versions, Hopefully after first jab/ chip  insert I can do a bit more on rolling roof section.   These will give the class 25 something to pull.  

[Robert Shrives]

Post jab I have added roof and side fillers to 2 of the 4.   The earlier shot the wagon without chassis is a sad tale of taking too long - I have lost a side so have made a plasticard replacement.  

 

Some 0.5mm curved to make roof for other two but needs to thicker as attempt to glue in place the curve failed so back to the bench but if I glue to bits together...  something for later.

Robert        

[Robert Shrives]

Brynkits 64xx on the bench this morning so out with soldering iron and this is the result, very early day with lamp irons and more steps to add but a worthwhile day. 

 

I did find that as folded the cab fronts were too narrow if sides were to be vertical so some 0.7 rod introduced in corners  to fill and add support. Splashers are well thought out and went in well.  

chassis sits under tab at read and 10ba fixing at front. Chassis frame was made up a while back but now fits ok, Thanks to Garry Hall and his etches I have some natty spacers with nuts soldered on to form base for pick up as nothing provided in kit - but that is the joy of 3mm, problem solving that does not endanger the world.

 

The tanks and boiler are resin items and white metal boiler fittings and buffers - great castings  so a few hours making lamp irons to catch fingers on and fire iron hoops and the body will be on its way.  Have to find the roundy and roddy bits in my mess of tubs and hopefully gears and motor in another, a few days faffing on and off and it might be added to the nearly finished pile and off the flat pack mountain.  Which in itself could be considered a success.          

[TT-Pete]

17 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

 it might be added to the nearly finished pile and off the flat pack mountain.  Which in itself could be considered a success.          

 

Oooh watch out, that's a slippery slope, I now have almost as many "nearly finished" (or perhaps more accurately "slightly started") projects as flat packs...

[Robert Shrives]

On 24/03/2021 at 19:39, TT-Pete said:

 

Oooh watch out, that's a slippery slope, I now have almost as many "nearly finished" (or perhaps more accurately "slightly started") projects as flat packs...

 I like the "slightly started"  title.  An engineering friend of mine once had a kind soul who sorted his paperwork mountain : In box and out box well understood but the much larger "Hmmmm!"  tray label always amused visitors of every grade  and is still a trademark epithet applied.      I guess we can all have a "Hmmmmm!"  pile.      

[TT-Pete]

26 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

 I guess we can all have a "Hmmmmm!"  pile.      

 

Mostly I either run out of steam, do something stupid or just can't face the next step;

- 3mm society etched brass J39 - chassis and tender built and run just fine, footplate complete, boiler rolled and mounted to cab. But no circular brass backing piece for the whitmetal smokebox door casting - stumped. Time in nearly finished pile, about 17 years.

- Worsley Works etched brass class 08 - built (runs lovely) and painted. Just needs cab glazing and transfers to complete, oh and the cab roof etching, which I've lost. Time in nearly finished pile, 15 years.

- Worsley Works etched brass 2 car DEMU - built, runs well, interiors complete, bought wire and a Bill Bedford bending jig to make the various door and grab handles, realised just how much work that would entail, got dispirited. Time in nearly finished pile, 5 years.

 

And let's not mention the rakes of part done vans, wagons and tankers currently lost in limbo...

[whart57]

Can we honestly say in our scale that anything is actually finished? There is always something that could be added: lamp irons, cab glazing, grab handles, brakes. The list of possible final touches is long.

[rodshaw]

I haven't done much in 3mm lately, having been more wrapped up in American TT (what a nice scale that is, by the way), but whatever the scale I have a rule I try and stick to. It's finished when I say it is (or when the little voice in my head tells me it's good enough), then I move on.  I can't start a project till the current one is done because it just nags at me.

 

Am I weird or what?

 

I say try to - I couldn't finish the the 3mm scale Y7 so rather than agonise over what to do, I sold it. As to the J39, I seem to recall having to make some bits for it (splashers maybe) and although I told myself it was finished, I never liked what I'd done. Sold that on too.

[Robert Shrives]

Manged a couple of hours refurbishing a pair of brush type 2 bogies this morning and a bit  pannier time - as far as I dare with the resin and whitemetal bits until I find where the gremlins ( blame culture!) have  lost/hidden wheels - I have the rods ! .    

 

[NCB]

How did you find the resin casting? I have the kit but haven't seriously looked at it. The resin casting on the 2251 was excellent, but I thought the one on the 8750 pannier was poor, to the point I replaced it with modified tank castings and bunker from the ex GEM 57XX kit; with the weight of the castings plus extra led stuffed in the tanks and bunker it pulls like a dream!

 

Nigel

[Robert Shrives]

Nigel, 

The master hand made and shows blemishes but it sits right and is pretty much right size. Looking at pics of 6430 in preservation the tanks is ever so slightly wider than the cab, the resin on is just narrower. It is two parts with the lower boiler section to glue in leaves a good void for lead sheet.

 

Not an expert on the real thing but looking at from all the angles while making it it looks like a 64xx .  I have the 2251 and have yet to venture too far on that.  I did notice on Shapeways there is a render of a printed 2251 which save building..but still need to sort a chassis.

 

Robert   

[Golden Fleece 30]

Fingers crossed everything fits as I planned and I should have a busy weekend with these chassis kits. With 3 to do though it might be longer than the weekend as I only get a couple of hours or so a night.  These are an SR Z class 0-8-0, 8F and 2-8-0 WD to use Tri-ang wheels and XT60 motors.  Lenny Seeney who does the 3D bodies has made both the 2-8-0 and 2-10-0 WD's.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Started the chassis's tonight and looking good so far. Hopefully get one set of valve gear done tomorrow night. Also managed to do some steps folding up on piece of nickel, the solder is to just strengthen the joints and still needs cleaning up. It will certainly make steps easier, and stronger.

 

Garry

[Robert Shrives]

That looks a good evenings work and the fold up steps should enable a strong support for the body, but thin enough for motion to pass behind if required - I guess then can be shaped to fit other classes as required.  

Two quick pics of the wagons for earlier. Two of Lenny`s loco bodies lurking in the background. 

[Silverfox17]

29 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

Two quick pics of the wagons for earlier. Two of Lenny`s loco bodies lurking in the background. 

You do seem to get a good edge where two colours meet, I have tried various masking tapes but always get run unders. 

 

The steps were not for anything specific here although a couple may fit on the Z class. They were done as an experiment to see if I could do them in one piece.  They are in 3 different shapes at the moment but later I may do a sheet of various bits as spares with a few nickel/brass steps. They are certainly easy to make and no burnt fingers. 

 

Garry 

[whart57]

48 minutes ago, Silverfox17 said:

You do seem to get a good edge where two colours meet, I have tried various masking tapes but always get run unders.

 

Do you try giving it a coat with the colour you are masking first before starting on the colour you want to paint the unmasked area. That seems to work for me.