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Pixie's Workbench - 2mm/ft Diesels and a 305mm/ft Cavalier


Pixie
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Steve - that's awesome, thanks for taking so much time to explain the process. I have ordered some (different) casting materials (F32 for the resin but a different rubber) and will try a couple of simple things at the weekend before doing a two part mould. I'll post results and the master up on the AQA thread over the weekend. Thanks again for taking the time to explain and inspire...

 

Jim

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  • 3 months later...

Steve,

 

your workbench is always an inspirational thread and those etches look sublime! I can’t help but notice something big and blue behind the 1:43 scale cars though...

 

Thank you for the noses!l

Steve 

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Good stuff Pix. Glad you are keeping up the work rate. I especially like the DMU nose - always good to see how people tackle tricky design issues and those cab window surrounds coinciding with the angles on the nose definitely come into that category.

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and he calls that "almost zero 2mm modelling"....:o

 

Cracking stuff as ever, Pix. I know what you mean about PPD etches, having received a few 'fluffy' ones recently, but as you say, those etches do look really nice and crisp. Anyway, glad to hear you are well and keeping busy.

 

Andy

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On 22/06/2020 at 01:03, jonas said:

Steve,

 

your workbench is always an inspirational thread and those etches look sublime! I can’t help but notice something big and blue behind the 1:43 scale cars though...

 

Thank you for the noses!l

Steve 


You’re more than welcome Steve. 
 

Falcon is an ornament, but a very nice one at that. It’s amazing to think you can buy an RTR 7mm model of it really. If the company who are proposing a 7mm HST nail it then I’ll probably have a power car on the side too eventually. 

 

20 hours ago, Chris Higgs said:

How did you curve the stainless roof overlay on the Baby Deltic? I have still got nowhere trying to curve my Bulleid coach overlays made of the same material.

 

Chris


I warn you now Chris; it’s a bit agricultural. I take some Tamiya masking tape and apply it half to the etch. 
 

5BC2E0A6-C132-4AF9-AEB6-973AD1A42663.jpeg.e60a5807fa6c647589f6fcfb0d88f328.jpeg

 

I then take a relative small diameter tube (in this case 6mm) and make sure that the alignment between the tube and the etch are perfectly square.

 

743646C4-C5B6-4227-A0CB-72783C13854A.jpeg.a9a6ee466b567887d301f108c5e660a0.jpeg

 

Then simply start to tightly roll it onto the tube. Here it’s a simple TPO side with small windows but for a more typical coach side I would probably start with a bigger tube and get progressively smaller. 
 

0C976297-59E9-4F1D-A7D7-7C0EE597B203.jpeg.411819cd3cad4e6700bae7fbc9b7deb7.jpeg

 

I then untape it and turn the etch upside down and repeat to get an even curve. It’s worked well so far; I would recommend experimenting before using the method on any sides of great value. 

 

The below is the result, the line of a different hue is where the tape was, the resulting arc of the curve is nice and constant.
 

F8D293C7-8CB9-40B2-A61B-E0A06D3693F1.jpeg.6d1688ad2495c3abed3b6ebb760a0445.jpeg
 

Hope this helps,

 

Steve

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A couple more test builds tonight. 
 

Firstly some bogie inners for the Metro Schlieren bogies fitted to three Mk.1s as a trial. The cut out for the close coupling mechanism is a bit tricky but I think it’ll work. A niche, but allegedly M25282 made it to blue livery with them still fitted. 
 

77D7DD24-8E94-45B3-9DFD-301F481AAAC0.png.957b77f949467eece076e6e73118fb0a.png


72BAC50C-F58E-47F8-9864-27378D150CE0.jpeg.88f20027a5b7a5a28f185e1e52d979f4.jpeg


The Western roof walkways have also been revisited - the border just wasn’t quite

right before so have been thinned down. Happy with these now - I think they make a real difference. 
 

63EF0710-6981-419F-BFF5-B917B25D9B71.jpeg.86c0f0f8bb23c4a3714299a274821dad.jpeg
 

And finally, a winged-but-hornless 24/1 and 25/0 headcode boxe that was fitted to a few machines.  This is only test fitted to the body at present so it’s not seated quite right. 
 

6BF1AF9C-229A-4DC1-BC69-B59D7F3B3478.jpeg.5b413c22d54aa6e4d0d5a5877aef0bd1.jpeg
 

I did vow to have some bits available at the 60th Celebrations a few post ago and, whilst the show hasn’t been able to go ahead,  I’ve started to put together a listing of bits I have available which I’ll post up shortly. Watch this space. 
 

Cheers,

Steve

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Thanks for showing.  I went with a 3D print for my Iris but certainly your etch front is very good, Equally the 24 box is really neat and the western walkway gets my vote ( and money for 4.) when the time comes !

good news on the motor does it now make it cheaper to run ?  I worry about other  "fair ground bumper car drivers"  let loose on the roads today and risk to lovely older vehicles like this that have reduced impact portection. esp as some driver 4X4 tanklets as if on a fairground ride - it seems it is fine to do a three point turn on the crown of a blind bend in Birmingham !! And look offended when 10 tonnes of bus hoves into sight deploying anchors...

happy modeling and car restoring. 

 

Robert   

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12 hours ago, Pixie said:

 

I did vow to have some bits available at the 60th Celebrations a few post ago and, whilst the show hasn’t been able to go ahead,  I’ve started to put together a listing of bits I have available which I’ll post up shortly. Watch this space. 
 

Cheers,

Steve

 

:D    (in the absence of a WhatsApp 'thumbs up' this will have to do!)

 

David

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15 hours ago, Pixie said:


You’re more than welcome Steve. 
 

Falcon is an ornament, but a very nice one at that. It’s amazing to think you can buy an RTR 7mm model of it really. If the company who are proposing a 7mm HST nail it then I’ll probably have a power car on the side too eventually. 

 


I warn you now Chris; it’s a bit agricultural. I take some Tamiya masking tape and apply it half to the etch. 
 

5BC2E0A6-C132-4AF9-AEB6-973AD1A42663.jpeg.e60a5807fa6c647589f6fcfb0d88f328.jpeg

 

I then take a relative small diameter tube (in this case 6mm) and make sure that the alignment between the tube and the etch are perfectly square.

 

743646C4-C5B6-4227-A0CB-72783C13854A.jpeg.a9a6ee466b567887d301f108c5e660a0.jpeg

 

Then simply start to tightly roll it onto the tube. Here it’s a simple TPO side with small windows but for a more typical coach side I would probably start with a bigger tube and get progressively smaller. 
 

0C976297-59E9-4F1D-A7D7-7C0EE597B203.jpeg.411819cd3cad4e6700bae7fbc9b7deb7.jpeg

 

I then untape it and turn the etch upside down and repeat to get an even curve. It’s worked well so far; I would recommend experimenting before using the method on any sides of great value. 

 

The below is the result, the line of a different hue is where the tape was, the resulting arc of the curve is nice and constant.

 

Hope this helps,

 

Steve

 

I'll give it a go. I have a large number of the sides so can afford to experiment. My rolling mill which does nickel silver sides a treat, failed to induce even the slightest sign of a curve in the stainless ones.

 

Chris

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  • 5 weeks later...
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41 minutes ago, Pixie said:

I recently picked up the new EFE Rail Clayton from Kernow - it's nice to see another dinosaur diesel available in 2mm on the RTR market, even if it's one that's waaaaay out of region for anything I'm planning. It's a nice model and I'll bet my first-born that it's come from the same factory as Dapol's 22 given the similarity in construction. It even has the slightly misshapen BR double arrows that the D6300 carried. My plan for this one is to model 8598 in it's RTC days - I understand that it visited Swindon once to collect Test Car Hermes after conversion so I'll use that as a vague justification for bring on the Western Region.

Hi

 

I have similar plans for mine when it arrives. How difficult was it to dismantle?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

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15 hours ago, Pixie said:

Whilst I'm here, a few updates from the workbench.

 

I recently picked up the new EFE Rail Clayton from Kernow - it's nice to see another dinosaur diesel available in 2mm on the RTR market, even if it's one that's waaaaay out of region for anything I'm planning. It's a nice model and I'll bet my first-born that it's come from the same factory as Dapol's 22 given the similarity in construction. It even has the slightly misshapen BR double arrows that the D6300 carried. My plan for this one is to model 8598 in it's RTC days - I understand that it visited Swindon once to collect Test Car Hermes after conversion so I'll use that as a vague justification for bring on the Western Region.

 

50252457632_6c07af8143_k.jpg

 

I've not done too much so far; just given the chassis a coat of matt black, filled in the headcodes, changed the arrows and tweaked the glazing slightly to try and remove the prismatic effect. Before...

 

50252273096_d246cf867c_k.jpg

 

After!

 

50251616383_d87184bce0_k.jpg

 

 

So many great projects Pix! Was the glazing trick just a case of running around the "lip" of the glazing with black paint?

 

Any thoughts on converting the 17 to 2mmFS? I noticed from a picture Ben Ando posted on the N Gauge Forum that it looks like it has pin-point pickups. So it's a case of having to turn down the wheels, rather than being able to use any drop in axles?

 

I've got one on the way from Kernow for my distillery shunting plank, even though they hardly ever made it onto GNSR metals, by the sound of it ...

J

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 22/08/2020 at 21:33, PaulCheffus said:

Hi

 

I have similar plans for mine when it arrives. How difficult was it to dismantle?

 

Cheers

 

Paul


Hi Paul - easy enough. There’s 4 little screws to remove, bogies pop out in the usual Dapol manner and then the bonnets unclips from the running plate. I’m not a fan of the pick up ‘flaps’ which come down from the chassis block to the bogies and can see they’re going to be a bit of a pain to put it all back together again - I will replace these with coupling springs mounted on the bogies in due course. 
 

We’re you able to order more Tamper transfer by the way? I really must finish mine and would be verY appreciative if you have any spare. 

 

On 22/08/2020 at 22:25, Kylestrome said:

This should be of some interest to you. A 1902 68mm film which has been stabilized, speed corrected and coloured:

 

 

Enjoy!

 

David

 


That’s wonderful and hard to believe it’s almost 120 years old!

 

On 23/08/2020 at 08:14, John57sharp said:

Enjoyed your update, I wonder if you could expand on up your glazing tweaking at some point? I’ve got a Dapol. 22 with a touch of prismatic.

 

cheers and thanks

John


Hi John, sure. It’s nothing more scientific that giving all the edges of the glazing which I don’t want I be transparent a coat of Matt black or, where there’s a friction fit between body and glazing, a coupe of coats with a black Sharpie. The main area of improvement for the 17 is the inner ‘window sill’ which disappear as when painted black.

 

On 23/08/2020 at 11:57, justin1985 said:

 

So many great projects Pix! Was the glazing trick just a case of running around the "lip" of the glazing with black paint?

 

Any thoughts on converting the 17 to 2mmFS? I noticed from a picture Ben Ando posted on the N Gauge Forum that it looks like it has pin-point pickups. So it's a case of having to turn down the wheels, rather than being able to use any drop in axles?

 

I've got one on the way from Kernow for my distillery shunting plank, even though they hardly ever made it onto GNSR metals, by the sound of it ...

J


Thanks Justin. I think it’s a case of sending them off to Gordon; none of the drop ins are a real starting point. I think the wheels move on the axles so it shouldn’t be a major job. Which livery did you go for?

 

Cheers,

Steve

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5 hours ago, Pixie said:

We’re you able to order more Tamper transfer by the way? I really must finish mine and would be verY appreciative if you have any spare. 

Hi 

 

Thanks for the information about the class 17.

 

I’m guessing you didn’t see my PM. I will be getting some printed towards the end of the year and wanted to know what number you would like.

 

Cheers

 

Paul

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Hello again @Pixie
Great to hear from you old chum :)
My my, you have been rather busy! Such a lot of different projects on the go, and you've finished so many of them too.
I liked the work on the Clayton's cab - the prism effect never particularly bothered me before... but it's a definite improvement.

I like the 7mm Vauxhall Cavaliers too - my first ever car was a Vauxhall Chevette (Or "Shove-it" as they were affectionately known lol)
But I particularly liked the re-upholstery work on your dining room chairs - super stuff. Wish I could convince Mrs S that we "need" the same thing ;) 

South Wales is treating me as is pretty much always does. Work & music take up much of my time, that and looking after ageing parents (I'm the only sibling in the area - so that's "my job")
But I'm well, and thankfully still employed at the moment. 

yes, it would be great to get together again at some point. We really need a catch-up, and a meal or a pint would be a great idea.
Fingers crossed that it won't be too long before we can do that.... fingers doubly crossed to be able to get to a show again asap

Cheers matey. Keep in touch, and keep up the superb modelling (& upholstery)
Marc

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On 01/09/2020 at 16:11, Pixie said:

 

Thanks Justin. I think it’s a case of sending them off to Gordon; none of the drop ins are a real starting point. I think the wheels move on the axles so it shouldn’t be a major job. Which livery did you go for?

 

Well Gordon was super quick! Wheels back and loco reassembled. I went for green with full yellow ends, which will get a serious weathering.

 

Spot the issue though!

 

IMG_20200903_181446__01.jpg.ea7bd879e9e87aed845135198e580608.jpg

 

On 01/09/2020 at 16:11, Pixie said:

I’m not a fan of the pick up ‘flaps’ which come down from the chassis block to the bogies and can see they’re going to be a bit of a pain to put it all back together again - I will replace these with coupling springs mounted on the bogies in due course. 

 

Playing around with it, it's remarkable how much the bogies are sprung upward. Pressing down on the loco roof, the body will compress down toward the bogies by about a mm - which brings the buffers much closer to the correct height! 

 

The existing pickup setup definitely seems part of the problem - I've noticed it cause problems on Dapol coaches too!

 

Is your idea to replace the upright tabs from the bogie with springs, and have them rub against the existing flappy contact strips (but with tension taken out of them?).

 

J

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