What's on your 3mm workbench

[Silverfox17]

47 minutes ago, whart57 said:

 

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.

That sounds quite a good idea but putting a small yellow panel on any colour I would have thought hard as yellow does not like covering anything. When I worked at the carriage works the yellow on the fronts always showed the base colour. The painters always said it was the worst colour in any livery done. It became a decent solid colour when we went to the two pack stove enamelled paints. 

 

Garry 

[whart57]

Red is another one that doesn't cover well, or at least the signal reds and the like. I always paint the yellow ends of my diesels and coaching stock first for that reason. Otherwise you need to undercoat, a dense red-oxide for reds, a good solid matt white for yellows.

[Silverfox17]

32 minutes ago, whart57 said:

Red is another one that doesn't cover well, or at least the signal reds and the like. I always paint the yellow ends of my diesels and coaching stock first for that reason. Otherwise you need to undercoat, a dense red-oxide for reds, a good solid matt white for yellows.

Thankfully the only red I use is for buffer beams but I agree it takes a bit to cover.  As I only have small yellow panels it would be harder to do first and keep masking for other colours. 

 

Garry 

[Robert Shrives]

Hi, I do counter spray to seal masking tape from time to time but these were masked with Tamiya paper and this does conform very well and has a little stretch so was able to push into to door panel gaps and sucessfully  as it happens. I have some tamiya vinyl masking tape and this has excellent side edge for getting a good line- 5 or 6mm is quite stable when stretched slightly and lays well.  I have 1,2,and3 mm tapes for divisions but often carefully planning the order of painting is better.   The freight grey was Halfords Polar grey and the railfeight red was Halford Peugeot Seville, as the name suggests an orangy colour but is a good match for the red.    

[Robert Shrives]

After a lot of avoiding the task I spent an enjoyable 4 hours adding microstrip to 3 early Lenny resin 47s - the 3D print version is so much better on the Society rtr project these needed up grade.  The 47 has been updated to a cut away bufferbeam and will end up as an Intercity livery - might take 10 years but you get the idea ! 

 

side on

 

I hit on using a bit of a ladder etch to make the bodyside window frames - a Dapol N gauage signal ladder with some rungs removed and carefully filed.   A bit of a mammoth job as there are 3 class 47 bodies.   Next works is to add the cab window droplight frame divider bar and to run some 5 thou rod around the front windows to replicate the rubber surrounds- fiddly but part of the face.   The other two bodies seen left .  

[TT-Pete]

23 minutes ago, Robert Shrives said:

  The 47 has been updated to a cut away bufferbeam and will end up as an Intercity livery

 

Like this one?

 

 

I built these two 11 years ago from the 3SMR whitemtal/etched brass kits powered by dual Tri-ang motor bogies, a 3D print would have been far easier!

[Golden Fleece 30]

After yesterdays successful running I had a few minutes spare before lunch today and I have modified Leonard Seeney's WD body for my Tri-ang style chassis and it fits a treat.  I do need to get some plain wheels for the tender but looking okay so far.  The tender wheels do line up but the frames are not screwed to the body yet.

 

The motor screw mount at the back will be removed and therefore nothing protruding as the motor is held in using the screw through the pole pieces and magnet.

 

Garry

Edited March 29, 2021 by Golden Fleece 30

[Robert Shrives]

Rail blue to the fore ! 

46009  Lenny`s resin body from a few years back, just to glaze and sort the inards !  Railetc 3mm number range.

37/0 heading towards being a Scottish West Highland , resin body and 3d print buffers, Buffer cowls cut away as a mod the real ones had once the corrosion trap was realised.     

[Robert Shrives]

For a blue 31 to haul out of the Cross I guess, two triang subs that were of ebay along with a few wagons. 

I will have to sort some numbers from the Std suburbans - just in the style of 

Guard van  done as well, It will get red line above the first two compartments- No men allowed, next to Van as glazing slips in and I have found the sheet of fox 3mm window decals I might for devilement add some no smoking and firsts  when decal time comes. - need to have steady hands and fresh eyes. Good of Triang to provide such harmless fun during lockdown time off.  

[Golden Fleece 30]

Two more of the "Tri-ang" trio of 8 coupled locos. The 8F and SR class Z.  All are fitted with Tri-ang wheels and motors and have run but all 3 still need some work/modification.  The 8F needs the rear end lifting slightly, it was a job to get the XT60 in but I managed it.  The Z class needs a clearance hole for the cylinder mounting screw as the body is resting on it at the moment.  At least they all have a strong "solid" chassis as such and not like tissue paper ones supplied.

 

Garry

[Robert Shrives]

GWR railcar from Recreation 21 via Shapeways - a bit grainy but in finest detail plastic it is ok, Later green and will get stripes and whiskers in time. Today say chassis made up = Mike Chinnery NG 12mm bogie , MJT trailing bogie with pickups and plasticard, 6 hours stirring over a cool bench and garnished with the body and "buggr me sidways it runs not a sprinter in anyway but it growls up and down second bogie pickups do assist.  Two pics of "progress."   

 

Really rather pleased and surprised as it only came from Shapeways 2 days  ago.

[Robert Shrives]

https://www.railtec-models.com/showitem.php?id=4386.

 

Steve at Railtec has surpassed himself, given he has lucrative work across his computers every day, to find time to resize to 3mm- an uber niche size is so very kind, not only did he zap the Rail freight logos for the AB vans but link to just released number sets.   I am getting dangerously close to finishing some models !

 

6 AB vans of several types introduced in 1976/77.  2 in the later Rf red and grey and 4 in AB freight brown . I have to sort dome tlc couplings  as none of these really fit Chipping Compton or Minsterley. 

Please check out the 3mm range from Railtec - best to put  3mm in the search box and select an item - in the header for this you will see  "3mm British" - click on that and 57 items in the range.     

[Robert Shrives]

Had to plug of course but a MK1 would keep many happy - as would an rtr of above or a pannier  check out and please add to the good noise for this project by a leading quality manufacturer. 

[Golden Fleece 30]

Painted now and will have to wait until the smokebox number from 247 developments arrives before I varnish it. I do prefer this tender logo, usually, but I wanted the later one and non in stock here and I am not one to wait if I don't have to. The cylinder cover is not fixed yet as that will be once the chassis is finished, hopefully not too long now.

 

Garry

[Robert Shrives]

Well got more transfers on wagons and other projects yesterday, now coated in Clear floor varnish and a re newed project with 158 getting a roof colour. 

[whart57]

I have some Class 158s on the go as well. Plucking up courage to start on the glazing .......

 

 

Powered by an N20 and a modified Helliwell bogie - modified to be outside frame for 9mm gauge, that is

 

[maridunian]

Approaching the end of a project to produce 35T Vacuum-Braked tankers in 3mm scale by 3D printing. 

 

 

This wagon is widely available in every other major scale, from Kitmaster/Airfix/Dapol's OO construction kit, down to RevolutioN's N and up to Heljan's OO and O RTR models. 

 

Tanker models have been a thing for me for many years, initially OO then N gauge, kit built, scratch built or converted from proprietary products. A few years ago I got into 3D design, using Shapeways to produce N Gauge models I couldn't otherwise buy. 

 

I was recently approached by a 3mm modeller who asked me to rescale one of my N Gauge designs, which I did.

 

Not surprisingly, multiplying the length, width and height by almost one and a half ramped up the cost quite steeply, so I broke down the designs into their major parts, chassis, tank ends, platforms, ladders and fittings to wrap around lengths of suitable tube. 

 

 

Finding no suitable 15' wheelbase chasses in 3mm land, I had to cook one up. It was then a small step to evolve that into the longer and stronger TTA chassis.. 

 

Anyway, 3mm 35T VB and TTA kits now added to my 3D shop, along with various potentially useful bits and pieces. 

 

Mike 

 

 

[whart57]

Your shop URL is duly bookmarked.

 

At some point I need to build some tank wagons for my Maenamburi layout given that the Mae Nam branch on which it is loosely based serves the Bang Rak oil refinery and Shell and Total fuel depots. These will of course be totally different beasts to the 35 ton and 45 ton British varieties you are producing but your spares containing tank ends and the fillers etc may well prove life savers.

 

 

This one is apparently ex-USAF and used in Vietnam before being sold on to the Thais. At least it has a round tank

 

 

The more usual tank is elliptical, I presume to increase volume without raising the centre of gravity on the narrow gauge.

[whart57]

The other end is a bit more of a modelling challenge .......

 

[Robert Shrives]

That looks a bit battered, I must have made several like that many years ago ! coupling at that accident damaged end might be a challenge but I am sure you will sort something out. - Is it a one off or were there more obtained? 

[Robert Shrives]

Getting to end of railbus and railcar builds for Chipping Compton and Minsterley  as stock good for both, and need no couplings !   cross eyed now , sliver lines ex an N gauge 10000 diesel sheet, roundel and numbers from Fox - W79977 worst possible numbers for lining up and getting vertical but ok I think.  The railcar has CCT lines,whiskers and numbers.  Roundel fox.  CCT required careful cutting to avoid too much carrier as it is hard up under windows but gloss surface and does not show.   Both have liquid glazing ends windows  and now final varnish and glazing strips to add, the railbus will be a trial but could end up with indivdual windows inserted as photos show the glazing flush and despite fine printing the bodysides are over thick for scale  think Sherman armour plate ... but then it need to withstand handling by giants - with 12" to foot fingers and the delicate touch of said Sherman- all part of the jolly compromise of modelling.

 

 

[Golden Fleece 30]

After the poor finish on the Mail coach from Shapeways (the only option available), I thought I would try these in the "smoothest fine detail" option, at the highest price, and I am very disappointed with the finish. Why some parts are smooth and others very rough I don't know but I will be giving them a miss now as 2 lots out of 2 have not been anywhere near as good as Lenny's bodies. There is nothing wrong with Mike Roch's design which is very good, it is Shapeways printing.

 

Garry

[Golden Fleece 30]

Two more of Leonard Seeney's masterpieces arrived today, the Co-Bo and V3. I have already cleaned up and primed the Co-Bo (hopefully some colour tomorrow if warm) but the V3 will be a little longer as I have not decided the best chassis option yet.

The Co-Bo will be powered by the Tri-ang A1A motor bogie and the V3 by the Britannia or Castle chassis hopefully. 

 

Garry

[maridunian]

Hi Garry - it's to do with orientation on printing in this material (quite different to resin), and one surface retains traces of the support wax. (Right hand vertical faces in your photo). Cleaning in isopropyl alcohol, then hot soapy water removes most of this, but a scrape with a cocktail stick/coffee stirrer will get it off. See https://support.shapeways.com/.../360033930173-Cleaning... - it's probably best that random machine operators don't do this prodding and scraping for us.

 

Where layering is apparent I use (localised) primer as filler and scrape smooth between coats. Every material we use has its quirks, and needs different treatments and preparation. Shapeways Smooth Plastic products may not be paint-ready, but they do offer made-to-order items with complex shapes that modellers would otherwise have to scratch build.

 

Here are a couple of my finshed N Gauge Prestwins. 

 

 

 

Mike

[Silverfox17]

I appreciate what you say Mike, especially about intricate shapes, but for me with the high cost of these I don't expect to have to do all that. There is no way I can smooth out the backs of the ladders etc. The previous shells I had were so hard a file slid over them and wet n dry was just as useless. By the time I had finished the was more filler the plastic and was still not good, and, I could not get into the recesed doors. 

 

I had said after the the Mail coach I would not use them again but with yours having different plastic options I thought I would try but not again I'm afraid. 

 

Those Prestwins do look really nice though. 

 

Garry 

Edited April 10, 2021 by Silverfox17