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Glazing signal arm spectacles


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The title says it all really, what's the best method in 4mm scale? I have discounted cutting little discs of plastic as impractical. So my options seem to be using a liquid of some sort.

1. I tried PVA, both dyed with ink and clear, but it wasn't clear enough and was too thick.

2. I tried canopy glue dyed with ink, but again it was too thick and not clear enough.

3. I tried Johnson's Klear, but it was too fragile and broke easily.

4. I couldn't get varnish to bridge the spectacle hole without using ridiculous amounts.

I have seen glue n glaze advertised, buy it looks a bit like canopy glue which was unsuccessful for me.

One the problems is to get an even spread, I find that all of the liquids I have used tend to be thick around the edge of the spectacle and thin in the middle.

And is it best to try and colour/stain the liquid before applying or better to colour or with felt pens after it dries?

Any suggestions?

Thanks 

Ian

 

 

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A solution that I have tried is to make  the lens from a small piece of clear selotape stuck to the back of the spectacle plate. Trim off the excess around the edges with a sharp blade. Finally colour the lens using a wash of green or red gloss paint diluted with thinners to get a translucent look. I would try first on a piece of spare selotape first to get the right consistency. Hope that this is of help.

Edited by Goldhawk
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I had some thin lighting gel acetate sheets which I cut tiny discs out of using just a basic leather hole punch ( for making holes in belts), these were then glued to the backs of the spectacle plates. They work good enough for me. Hope this helps.

Regards,

Geoff

 

Signals.JPG

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1 hour ago, firefly9 said:

I have thought about the quality street wrappers as a good solution previously as well. 

Used them on my brass O Gauge signals when I had an LGB layout in my balcony planter. They lasted 5 years without trouble. Also, lit an Airfix gantry with white grain of wheat bulbs wrapped in strawberry and mint wrappers! :D

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22 minutes ago, 33C said:

Used them on my brass O Gauge signals when I had an LGB layout in my balcony planter. They lasted 5 years without trouble. Also, lit an Airfix gantry with white grain of wheat bulbs wrapped in strawberry and mint wrappers! :D

But the glazing on a semaphore should really be blue, to offset the yellow tint of an oil lamp.

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Thanks for all the replies. I found that water-based varnish for wood slightly thinned down "spins" across the spectacle holes very well. Holding the arms "flat" during drying stops the varnish puddling.  When dried, I coloured the lenses with felt pen and all looks good.

I am sure that cutting out tiny discs of plastic or film works for some, but I can't get it accurate enough for me.

Ian

 

 

 

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I have used the spectacle glazing from MSE/Wizard, glued to the rear face of the spectacle with Hypo GS Cement. Cut roughly to shape, trimmed with a sharp scalpel blade after the glue has set and then painted the edges.

 

 

Bracket signal rear view.jpg

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That's how I did my K's signals back in the day. They've been in a box for years awaiting 'the layout'.

 

The back shield (I assume it has a proper name!) should only cover the lamp in the clear position. It serves to inform the signalman of the position of the arm at night.

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12 minutes ago, Il Grifone said:

That's how I did my K's signals back in the day. They've been in a box for years awaiting 'the layout'.

 

The back shield (I assume it has a proper name!) should only cover the lamp in the clear position. It serves to inform the signalman of the position of the arm at night.

And if the lamp is lit........

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2 hours ago, Il Grifone said:

That's how I did my K's signals back in the day. They've been in a box for years awaiting 'the layout'.

 

The back shield (I assume it has a proper name!) should only cover the lamp in the clear position. It serves to inform the signalman of the position of the arm at night.

Indeed, the blinder should clear the rear lens of the lamp. I can't explain why it doesn't when I built it. I have  Richard's book on LNWR Signalling which I use as my signalling guide.

 

I also wonder if there should be a guard rail around the counterweight, but haven't found any photos showing it.

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1 hour ago, Jol Wilkinson said:

 

I also wonder if there should be a guard rail around the counterweight, but haven't found any photos showing it.

That wasn't usual, but given it location you might find a signal on a platform was fenced off where the public would be wandering about near it.  Don't know about practice of various companies, but a better solution would be to mount the counterweight up a height where it wasn't a safety problem.

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3 minutes ago, Michael Hodgson said:

That wasn't usual, but given it location you might find a signal on a platform was fenced off where the public would be wandering about near it.  Don't know about practice of various companies, but a better solution would be to mount the counterweight up a height where it wasn't a safety problem.

I know that the LNER put the counterweight higher up in "pedestrian" areas but found no such reference for LNWR signals.

 

 

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