scanman Posted March 16, 2012 Share Posted March 16, 2012 'Tis better to try & fail than never try at all' - and I should know - this is my third attempt! Those who folow the blogs will know that I'm creating two layouts - one in 'EM' based in the Cotswolds ('Ambridge'), and one in 2mm based on the Box Hill Quarry entrance. The common denominator is that both areas move worked architectural stone by rail! Ambridge will feature a 'stone wharf' ac ting as a scenic block for the fiddleyard, and theres a rather good website - www.choghole.co.uk/LOCATIONS.htm with some rather good images like this one - and this one - which will provide inspiration for the scene. Well, that's the plan, anyway! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Looking forward to this! If all else fails, you can do some of the scuplted stones in the last photo and submit them as scratchbuilt entries for the competition :-) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted March 16, 2012 Author Share Posted March 16, 2012 Looking forward to this! If all else fails, you can do some of the scuplted stones in the last photo and submit them as scratchbuilt entries for the competition :-) Hi Mikkel - Yep - and look at all those Edwardian-period workers! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 16, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 16, 2012 Yes, I like the bloke with the boater, hammer and chisel in the first picture. Very casual! I suppose he was the "sculptor"... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted March 17, 2012 Share Posted March 17, 2012 We had a lot of quarries around where I lived in Dorset, a lot were still like those photos inside there modern sheds. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted March 22, 2012 Author Share Posted March 22, 2012 Not much action so far - work gets in the way as usual (but not for mch longer!) and I need to get the 'groundwork' done (tracklaying & the wharf (platform) itself. The competition entry will evolve round the itmes *on* the wharf, namely:- The cutting sheds - complete with 'interiors' viewed through the open fronts (Mikkel - looks like the man in the boater will be in there!) Model(s) will be constructed from 'Depron' foam with stonework scribed (the 'inside' of the walls will, of course, be visible), with roof /aperture framing probably cut from timber. There were multiple cranes - one of which is a 'must have' - again, probably in timber with metal banding etc. The point of it all - loads of architectural mouldings, probably using casting techniques in dental plaster and how it was all moved around, either although the horses would have to be 'bought-in' & I'm not sure how that fits with the rules OR- A real scratch-build challenge (particularly if it was motorised! Should be enough to keep me busy for a while! Excuse the quality of the images - they are very cruel enlargements from images posted earlier. Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Mikkel Posted March 22, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 22, 2012 This is great stuff Ian. The atmosphere is just oozing from those images. I like the idea of the interior views. I'm intrigued by the carefully "packed" piles of stone blocks in the background of the horse shunting photo. If you finish it all, surely some quarry museum somewhere would be interested in the model. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted March 22, 2012 Share Posted March 22, 2012 In the Dorset quarries when they were mostly undergrounds, not opencast. The quarry men often wore bowler hats, as they are hard and gave them some proction. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted March 23, 2012 Author Share Posted March 23, 2012 This is great stuff Ian. The atmosphere is just oozing from those images. I like the idea of the interior views. I'm intrigued by the carefully "packed" piles of stone blocks in the background of the horse shunting photo. If you finish it all, surely some quarry museum somewhere would be interested in the model. Mikkel - thanks for the vote of confidence - I'll write it into my will. Something for the executors to worry about (in about 30 years time I hope!) In the Dorset quarries when they were mostly undergrounds, not opencast. The quarry men often wore bowler hats, as they are hard and gave them some proction. Hi Brian - Funnily enough as an archaeologist with more than a passing interest in nautical & forshore archaeology I'm fascinated by the Purbeck sea quarries round Dancing Ledges & Winspit. Just the pure B***S of the mariners who deliberately grounded themselves below the cliffs, loaded up 15-20 tons of Purbeck stone then sailed it round to London & anywhere else it was needed. A lot of them didn't make it of course and I've dived on several isolated clumps of rock, alien to the local geology. Look carefully underneath & you can see timbers sticking out..... In any case, the cliff line from Old Harry to Weymouth is one of the most beautiful in the world..... Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted March 23, 2012 Share Posted March 23, 2012 I used live in Langton Matravers and Worth Matravers. I was in the building trade so used lots of the stone. It used to be nice when going London because you still had Dorset all around you. As you say one very nice stretch of coast. I went down an old underground a few years ago. I could never of worked in them. It is all the pot marks around the area from the 2000 years of quarrying, that get me. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted April 26, 2012 Author Share Posted April 26, 2012 Well, the entry is at last up and running (well going at a slow crawl). The last month or so has been spent getting the 'groundwork' in place - but I got bored with making track etc (see the 'Ambridge' blog and have finally reached the point where I can start the competion element. So here goes. The first things to be tackled are the buildings - basically a unit of at least three - a central 'office type' flanked by two open-fronted sheds. So - starting with 'Shed A' - the lefthand open shed :- There is a lot of detail here - the rough stonework that looks whitewashed, wooden roof beams, what 'looks' like the underside of a thatched roof (but not borne out by other views - although there may have been a re-roofing), 'clutter' on the walls (note the workmens jackets), stone blocks piled everywhere - some with 'setting-out' lines on them and of course the workmen themselves. The main construction material will be 'Depron foam' which I've mentioned elsewhere. Used by our allies the flying aero modellers, it is an extremeley light semi-dense urethane foam (you can also find it at 'fast food outlets' holding chips!). Importantly from our perspective, it takes a pencil-line indent so is ideal for representing stonework whilst at the same time being thick enough not to require multiple layers if constructed in styrene. This model will infact have two layers, enabling a 12" thick wall to be represented and at the same time presenting the opportunity to embed raftering timbers etc. The walls being initially marked out (note the designations of 'inner' & 'outer' ends and te recesses for the timber lintel). The basic 'marking out' & cutting of the three walls is complete - this allows for registering the quoins round the edges & corners Timbering will be with actual timber... Amazing what you find in the deeper recesses of the modelling room! Various sizes of 'Northeastern' lumber - a relic of a long-ago project modelling US practice (and I think some 'Dollshouse' material as well!) The main lintel was cut to length from 12" square timber & the same was used for the central column - this will be braced by 6x6 timber from the same souce - So this is the progress for today (so far). All the stonework has been scribed. The interior has been 'washed over' with very dilute 'dark grey' acrylic, which 'lifts' the mortatr joins and 'grimes' the stonework in one pass. Next job (now the interior is dry) is to assemble the basic structure and paint the individual exterior stonework using a very limited palette of suitable acrylics. Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted April 26, 2012 Share Posted April 26, 2012 I had never seen this foam being used before, I had heard about it though. Loks easy to use with impressive results. I am looking forward to seeing more. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted May 2, 2012 Author Share Posted May 2, 2012 Progress on 'Shed A' has been steady this week - The basic walls & main lintel unit were assembled - 'Depron' requires a 'limonene'-based adhesive. Similar to 'Evostik' but not so fierce! The exterior walls were then painted with a very limited palette of acrylic colours - Tamiya ' Yellow-green' , Humbroll 'Matt Leather' & 'Matt Sand', with no colour being used 'raw'. The 'depron' can be seen peeping through the 'mortar', but this disappeared ubder a wash of Tamiya 'Matt grey' and the 'yellow-green' - well watered-down & allowed to flow. The beams were washed-over with a similar mix to represent 'new wood'. At this stage I was starting to reconsider my options regarding the roof. I really wanted some way to draw the audience into the detail inside the building. The logical step was to portray the roof being re-tiled. At one time I marketted various architectural details, laser printed on adhesive paper. So back to the computer files and run off a couple of sheets of tiles. These are in individual strips, complete with an 'overlap' mark. The strips were then laid on a thin card base suitably scribed with guide-lines - which then became the laths onto which tiles are normally pegged. By the time the interspaces had been removed, it was becoming very much a 'spiders web'. However I used the old styrene trick of leaving the end bar in place until the very last. The laths were then painted with the wash as described above & the roof partly fixed in place. Looks distinctly decrepeit! However, a little 'fast-grab' PVA resolved that! Another time-consuming job was prepping the stacks of tiles that would be placed on the laths. Tile strips were again cut & stuck to thin card - and then individual tiles removed , glued in stacks complete with a tile 'leg', and the exposed ends washed with dilute 'matt sand' Last job was to add the stacks to the laths and add the ridge tiles (again from the range). So now the shell of Shed 'A' is basically complete. There is obviously a lot of internal detail still to go in - but hopefully it will be able to be seen. Of course it also provides the basis for another scene - the tilers at work. The building also needs ' toning-down' with weathering powders - this will be done when the whole unit (building 'C' & shed 'B') is completed. Shed 'B' will be a close copy of Shed 'A'. Potential for a very run-down roof (corrugated iron etc)........ Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortliner Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 You have probably seen it and though it isn't stone but shale, Andy Andersons Cuddle Tramway may give you some ideas http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/pd49/pockets/railways/cuddleplan.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
N15class Posted May 3, 2012 Share Posted May 3, 2012 It is begining to look very good. I think the stone work will look realy good when you have weathered it. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted August 20, 2012 Author Share Posted August 20, 2012 Hmm, cannot believe it has been three months! However, major rebuilding has been in progress (12"-Ft - type) which has resulted in a) lack of modelling time & disruption to services including internet access. However I have now completed building 'B' and this entry will show how it was done.... Building 'B' is designated as the 'office suite' and is based on an example from Corsham... Unusually for a 'stone building' area it appears to be made from brick. Therefore the model carcase is made from 30-thou plasticard faced with 'SE Finecast' 'English-bond' brickwork. First - make the windows... These are made using computer-generated glazing bars & frames printed on adhesive paper & various grades of card, dependent on the thickness of frame required - First job is to cut out the template provided for each aperture and affix it to the walling in the right place & having care for bonding - Then cut round the template - Repeat for all other openings, and the carcase can then be assembled and painted (avoids getting styrene solvent & paint on the windows) - (the 'roof' is detachable at this stage for easy access - the corners of the walls have been braced by right-anged offcuts of styene). Work now commences on the windows & doors proper - I will only show a generic example here, all the other apertures were similarly treated. The casement inner & outer frames are cut from card and the outer overlaid on the inner (provide the recess for the glazed opening casements) The casement frames are then inserted in the building from the rear - The casement glazing bars are then removed complete from their backing sheet & overlaid on clear styrene - The 'panes' are then carefully cut round and 'picked' off the styrene - The completed casements are then inserted in the frame. wire can be used to represent metal fastenings. The advantages to the system are a. All the windows/doors of one type are identical - generate one on the computer then copy! b. It only takes a modicum of skill (and a scalpel) to acheive fine glazing bars (they are all the same width - see (a) and being stuck to the glazing material cannot wander... On to the roof - and more adhesive sheeting! Tiling is generated in single rows and printed in a suitable colour. I also place a faint 'guidline' 1/3 of the tile height - this allows accurate placing of subsequent rows. The roof obviously has a 'substructure' of styrene nad I place suitable guidelines across this ass well (although after the first couple of rows they're not really neccessary) - The tiling strips are then cut out complete with the backing. The individual tiles are cut through up to the a/m guideline, a suitable length cut from the strip, the backing removed and the strip affixed to the roof. Continue up the roof remembering that the second tiles lie directly over the first but offset half a tile width - When the tiling has been completed the roof can be fixed in place- All thats needed is coping tiles... These are computer generated but on thin plain card and (carefully) formed round the scalpel handle- They are the cut out and affixed individually with PVA.- Because of the pyramidal shape of the roof the apex was finished off with flashing (more adhesive paper) and a 'finial ball'. If adding coping to a sloping ridge do not forget the 'retaining irons'- Last job is the guttering. 'Evergreen' 'half-round' rod was stuck down to the bench with strong double-sided tape and the channel gouged out - When fixed to the roof and the chimney pots added -'Evergreen' tube with rims from (you guessed it) adhesive paper - the building is essentially complete. Down-pipes and other ancilliary plumbing still needs to be added but that will take place just before final placement (less to be knocked off)! Right, on to 'building 'C'. This will be in correy- corra- wriggly tin(!) on a wood frame & will house the 'power' for the works (a stationary boiler) powering a stone saw etc. Hopefully not so long (in time or entry!)! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted August 31, 2012 Author Share Posted August 31, 2012 So on to building 'C'..... Take one traction engine - and cut its bunker off... As it will also be minus it's road wheels (being a 'stationary engine'!) it will need some form of physical support to keep the boiler from falling over.. out with the plastikard -- The engine would have been partially walled in - and the walls will also take the framework for the corrugated (there - I can spell it!) iron cladding, so the outer walls are now under construction from 'Finecast' 'English bond' brick sandwiching a 60 thou thickener - The eagle-eyed among you will have noticed that the 'stationary engine' needs more gubbins - however, having mucked up a couple of parts I'm off to the shops tomorrow to buy a new one! TTFN Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 I indicated above that the 'original' boiler would be replaced - so here is the replacement - One area that needed modification was the access to the 'ashpan' - so having removed the coal bunker a new ashpan access was fabricated - the door will be added once the unit is finally placed. I am not happy with the piston/conrod representation on the model (in fact there is none!) so, despite the fact this area will be hidden under the roof, I will need to fabricate it. Fortunately a search of the web revealed a wealth of images, and an example of an 1874 engine appears about right. Talking of the roof which will be of corrugated iron - courtesy of 'Ambis Engineering' ( http://www.ambisengineering.co.uk/Scenery.htm ) - some experimentation was called-for to give the correct air of dilapidation. The product comes in strips a scale 8' wide & about 25' long so the strips were first cut to 8'x4' sheets - The trial piece was then dipped in Ferric Chloride (available from 'Maplins' - check the PCB board area) normally used for etching circuit boards. A 'dip' of about 30 mins produced and some stained fingers & shorts which was deemed sufficient at this stage. 'Mass production' then commenced which led to a fair variation in the effect. A frame will be soldered up from various grades of brass strip & the panels soldered to it. I will then investigate methods of making various holes in the sheets (probably using a combination of fine drills & more Ferric Chloride). So I'd better get on with it! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 5, 2012 I do like the distressing on those corrugated sheets - very impressive (Oh, and Maplin have just opened a new store within 500m of my house ) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 I do like the distressing on those corrugated sheets - very impressive (Oh, and Maplin have just opened a new store within 500m of my house ) Cheers Stubby - makes a change from spending pennies at the model shop.... Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Stubby47 Posted September 5, 2012 RMweb Gold Share Posted September 5, 2012 If only it was only pennies I spent ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
marc smith Posted September 5, 2012 Share Posted September 5, 2012 If only it was only pennies I spent ! I'll second that Of course, I always tell SWMBO "but it was only pennies!" Ian, I like this idea There's some nice modelling going on there already I'll be watching this with interest - it's something a little bit different But I think you really should scratchbuild the little loco.... Or better still.... A motorised horse! .... I'll get my coat Cheers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted September 5, 2012 Author Share Posted September 5, 2012 Hi Marc/Stubby Thanks for that. I've got the loco definitely in mind - even got a tiny 'Maxon' motor to power it. Whether it'll get done before the comp ends is another matter! as to the horse - well there'll be a nice display of roses outside the office windows! Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted September 6, 2012 Author Share Posted September 6, 2012 On with the stationary engine's working gubbins... First job - arrange a connection between the cross-heads and the driving axle. I decided not to replace the cross-heads - they are (just about) represented on the kit & I doubt whether replacing them would be time-effective. A problem arose with the 'big ends' - as the axle was already in place. Again I compromised, cutting a slot rather than removing/replacing the axle. Same considerations as above.. Thought was then given to some of the other metalwork visible in some of the photos. 20 thou plastic road passing through a new 'dashboard' would suffice, but first - a somewhat unprototypical hole in the steamchest needed filling - then various operating rods could be represented. I also realised that the operation mechs would be somewhat altered from those of a traction engine as there's no bunker to stand in! I think a footplate of some description is inevitable anyway, positioned between the firebox door & the ashpan, but as with the ashpan door, this will be a job for Ron (later ron ). Still a few gaps to fill with 'Milliput' and a blast over with matt black I think. Right, on with the shelter in all it's dilapidated glory... Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
scanman Posted September 10, 2012 Author Share Posted September 10, 2012 'I've been framed, guv'... Well in the case of the stationary engine, very true! The framework consisting of two pitched roofs at rightangles (you'll see what I mean in a minute) and a large flat roof (future installment) would have to be of soldered construction because of the corrugated iron. So out with the trusty TC iron and some rather expensive brass milled angle. At the point illustrated the main frames are together, and the middle longditudinals have been added, Whilst 'wonky' they do add to the dilapidation (more as a result of poor soldering than design - for some reason even at max heat the iron would not bite). So the TC iron went to bed and out came the RSU (or mini arc welder as I call it). The lower longditudinal can be seen as one piece, notched to take the verticals. Slipped into place with some drops of solder paste, on with the RSU an WAMMO - job jobbed... Just for a trial I added some of the previously-treated corrugated sheets and was fairly pleased with the result. The same technique was used for the two roof ridges, and I've even added some more wriggly tin... Whilst all this was happening I was also experimenting..... A previous post stated ' once the sheets are in place I'll attack them with small drills etc to open up more holes'..... Lets try a more 'techy' approach - Sheets of corrugated were covered with 'Maskol' - unevenly on one side but completely coated on the other. Once dry they were popped into a ferric chloride solution (for the technically-minded I added four teaspoons of FeCL crystals to three teaspoons of warm water. The mix goes a fluorescent yellow - as did SWMBO after she stirred her tea with the same spoon !) They were left to soak for about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. When I could see patches of clear Maskol, I stopped the reaction by dropping in cold water & gently agitating. When dried on tissue, the Maskol was (mostly) removed and 'Voila'! I'm quite impressed with the result - and it only cost me an old paintbrush. I think I'll be able to get more 'Maskol' off by soaking the sheets in acetone. The next trick will be to solder therm in place! Being serious for a minute I'm fairly certain this is not a new idea. I seem to remember an article by Dave Rowe in the model press some years ago about using 'Maskol' in a similar fashion when he built a model of a sand-hopper. I cannot remember whether he used it in conjunction with multiple layers of paint, or whether he used this method. Very impressive tho'. (If anyone remembers the article, feel free to chime in). (authors note - no wives were hurt in the making of this article)(Just in case you were wondering....) Regs Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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