Adventures in kit and scratch-building.

[Sandy Harper]

Hi Simon,

Anything that needs lining should always be painted gloss whatever the scale.

This can then be taken down with the varnish. For varnishing over enamel I have tried lots of methods but if you are going to use a polyeurathane varnish by far the best is Ronseal hardglaze (gloss) with Phoenix precision matting agent added. By varying the amounts of the matting agent the glossiness or flatness can be adjusted to your own preference. The problem with Matt and satin varnish as bought is that it's quite inconsistent and also has quite a grainy texture.

Another excellent method, which I now use exclusively is to use a gloss cellulose lacquer. This works over enamel but the mix must be sprayed at quite a high pressure with just a waft of lacquer coming out of the airbrush. Practice is he key but the final finish far exceeds any varnished model.

Hope this helps

Warren

Hi Simon,

Totally agree with Warren. Gloss paint every time to get a smooth finish for the application of transfers and lining. The final finish is achieved with the varnish mix. I too have not yet found a varnish to beat Ronseal Polyurethane Hard Glaze. Again, start with the gloss version and let it down to your particular requirement with the matting agent.

Works for me!

 

Regards

Sandy

[sej]

Ah, thanks very much for the advice Sandy and Warren...earlier this morning, heart in mouth (if that's the right phrase) I sprayed everything with a half and half mix of Ronseal Matt and Satin varnish with 50% white spirit, and so far nothing un-toward has happened...fingers crossed that tomorrow morning it will be properly dry with no blooming or other horrors!

Cheers

Simon

 

 

 

[nick_bastable]

pretty as a picture

[Guest Lyonesse]

Hi Simon,

Totally agree with Warren. Gloss paint every time to get a smooth finish for the application of transfers and lining. The final finish is achieved with the varnish mix. I too have not yet found a varnish to beat Ronseal Polyurethane Hard Glaze. Again, start with the gloss version and let it down to your particular requirement with the matting agent.

Works for me!

 

Regards

Sandy

Can I add me too?

 

Somewhere, probably in MRJ, Guy Williams recommended a 50/50 mix of Ronseal Hard Glaze gloss and satin varnishes, thinned with white spirit.  And Guy's recommendation is good enough for me.  I find that it not only produces an excellent finish, sprayed over gloss paint, but that the thinned mixture keeps very well in a sealed jar.

[sej]

Thanks for the varnish advice everyone, I'll do some more experiments with Ronseal Hard Glaze mixes, I found the Satin coat to be very good too!

 

Here's the finished beast, on her own, with my previous Tilbury tank and at home on Michael's beautiful N-Gauge empire...

 

 

Next N gauge project may be a Johnson 1400 class 2-4-0 to double-head a few expresses with the Spinner...

 

Cheers

Simon

 

 

 

 

[N15class]

Thanks for the varnish advice everyone, I'll do some more experiments with Ronseal Hard Glaze mixes, I found the Satin coat to be very good too!

 

Here's the finished beast, on her own, with my previous Tilbury tank and at home on Michael's beautiful N-Gauge empire...

 

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Next N gauge project may be a Johnson 1400 class 2-4-0 to double-head a few expresses with the Spinner...

 

Cheers

Simon

I am already looking forward to that build. SWMBO thought it was like my O gauge loco until I showed her the previous post with it on clothes pegs.

[nick_bastable]

impressive tell me more about the station please

 

NIck

[sej]

Thanks for your interest everyone. Nick, the station is Michael's vision of St Pancras on his superb N Gauge layout. If you look up 'msr' on www.ngaugeform.co.uk you'll find his gallery of photos of the layout and rolling stock.

 

Cheers

Simon

[sej]

Another quick project; Southwark Bridge Models', now sold by Roxey Mouldings, Lancashire and Yorkshire platform seat in 4mm (they also do it in 7mm). A beautiful etch with fantastic jigs included to make this lovely little bench. I've made four so far for the Shropshire and Herefordshire Area Group's "Kerrinhead" layout.

I used nickel silver strip from Hobby Holidays to make the legs on the final three as I found the etched brass to be a little flimsy.

 

Cheers

Simon

[DLT]

That loco is an absolute Beauty Simon.

All the best,

Dave.

[sej]

Thanks Dave; I've found scratch-building 2mm locos has really honed my soldering skills for the fiddly stuff in 4mm!

 

Cheers

Simon

[sej]

Another somewhat disjointed post, it's one of my parallel projects. This is a scratch-built scalefour MSWJR 4-4-4 tank that I'm building for a friend. I thought I'd mention the little piece of kit that I use for rolling smaller items that don't fit into my rolling bars. I can't remember where I got it but it's a bit like an old blackboard rubber-a chunk of wood with a layer of high density foam attached. Much less painful than rolling things on your thigh. And if you've got a rivetted smoke-box wrapper then a piece of dowel is much less likely to squish them flat...

 

 

Cheers

Simon

[sej]

Here are some photos of the progress of the 4-4-4 tank and how the Ford is looking these days while I organise myself to get some more build posts up!

 

Cheers

Simon

 

[sej]

Having scratch-built an N Gauge Spinner and wanting one for myself in 2mm and been asked for more, I got myself a free CAD progam "DraftSight" an IT monkey "Paul" and some good advice from Gavin. We designed an etch using the scratch-built model and the GA drawing to keep things accurate. DraftSight is good for 2 decimal places in millimetres and Paul finds it sufficiently flexible to accomodate my idiosyncracies, although it doesn't help with arguements when I'm trying to explain something particularly tricky. Beer can help.

 

The test etch came back and is rather magical; shiny and full of potential Spinners! It's basically a set of the pieces that I scratch-built or would have scratch-built if I could be bothered to cut out the really intricate shapes. And it has folding bits, half etched detail and pre-drilled holes. Marvellous!

I made one up and suprisingly almost everything fitted perfectly. It helped that I'd built the original and because of the accuracy of the program and Paul's skill at using it. The tender fits nicely over a Dapol Terrier chassis.

We're currently working on an improved version with a few tweaks, a better layout and extra bits for a 2mm build...and some more beers.

There are two sets of loco/tender on the first version because we had some extra space (and there are some general detailing parts because I use a lot of them in scratch-building). I gave the spare loco/tender set to Jerry for being kind and giving me good advice and some 2mm gears and a motor. Barter is still alive and well!

 

If you're thinking of drawing up an etch I can thoroughly recommend it. The process is quite a steep learning curve which runs from the seemingly impossible to near miraculous reality. Have a go!

 

 

 

 

Cheers

Simon

 

 

[Horsetan]

....If you're thinking of drawing up an etch I can thoroughly recommend it. The process is quite a steep learning curve which runs from the seemingly impossible to near miraculous reality. Have a go!

 

Yes, I'm struggling with DraftSight at the moment.

[queensquare]

 

We're currently working on an improved version with a few tweaks, a better layout and extra bits for a 2mm build...and some more beers.

There are two sets of loco/tender on the first version because we had some extra space (and there are some general detailing parts because I use a lot of them in scratch-building). I gave the spare loco/tender set to Jerry for being kind and giving me good advice and some 2mm gears and a motor. Barter is still alive and well!

 

 

Cheers

Simon

 

Barter is indeed alive and well, I'm a big fan although I have to admit I was surprised and delighted when Simon very generously gave me the spare Spinner on the etch.

 

I've attached a picture of progress on my Spinner I have a lovely picture of No.670 at Bath in the 1920s. I don't want to hijack Simon's thread so will  post further progress over on my Bath Queensquare thread although there are a number of part built locos currently awaiting attention!   

 

 

Jerry

[sej]

You're welcome Jerry, that looks very nice. I was wondering whether or not to draw a boiler on the improved etch although rolling very small diameters may prove tricky!

[sej]

It's about time for an update! I've recently finished the test-build of 2mm/N gauge Spinner etch Mk1...powered by a Dapol terrier drive in the tender with wheels adapted from various other Dapol locos. Nick Tilson at NBrass kindly worked my various fiddly masters into castings for the single driver axleboxes, smokebox door and various tender fittings. The other fittings are from his extensive range. This build has provided the basis for etch Mk2, I love 2D CAD!

 

 

Cheers

Simon

 

[DLT]

Wow, what a beauty!

[queensquare]

Fabulous Simon, I really must get my one finished.

Is Nick going to add those castings to his range?

 

Jerry

[2mm Andy]

Fabulous Simon, I really must get my one finished.

Is Nick going to add those castings to his range?

 

Jerry

 

Nick has already done that Jerry - they're at the bottom of this page;

 

http://www.nbrasslocos.co.uk/fitlms1.html

 

Fantastic work on that loco, Simon.

 

Regards,

 

Andy

[Nig H]

Hello Simon,

 

Nice work. Is the tender a standard Johnson one? If so, what size?

 

Nig H

[sej]

Thanks for your kind comments everyone. And Nig H., the tender is a 3500 which was apparently almost identical to the 3250; both of which were designed by Johnson with enough forthought to fit a Terrier chassis. Excellent man!

 

Cheers

Simon

[Nig H]

Thanks for your kind comments everyone. And Nig H., the tender is a 3500 which was apparently almost identical to the 3250; both of which were designed by Johnson with enough forthought to fit a Terrier chassis. Excellent man!

 

Cheers

Simon

Hello Simon,

 

Thanks for your reply. I suspect a few people will be interested in the tender if available separately to go behind other MR locos e.g. the Mike Raithby 4F. I have been working on a Johnson 3,250 gal tender for my MR 2P. My variant includes the first of the 1920s mods with the higher coal plate and cut-off coal rails. Test etch #2 should be appearing this month hopefully.

 

Nig H

[sej]

Hi Nig. H, an array of Johnson tenders would be very useful. I'm looking at producing an etch for a Johnson class 1400 2-4-0 and they appeared to have had a selection of 2950 and 3250 tenders...so I might do the 2950!

 

Cheers

Simon