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Whats on your 2mm Work bench


nick_bastable
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post-9850-0-52539300-1540144204_thumb.jpegThis more "just off my work bench" and in situ on the layout.  I've just completed this model of the former Station Masters house at St Erth which overlooks what was the goods yard there. Built in 1904 by the GWR, my model is as it appeared in the late 1950's. The house has had a veranda and a number of extensions added since my modelled version, and is still in use today.  

I have built this model with co operation from its current owners (rather bemused that someone in NZ is modelling their house) who have sent me dimensions and photographs. The husband was even sent up a long ladder to get the roof height dimensions!

 

Positioning on the layout has restricted the build to a partial structure and even then I have had to bring the building forward slightly from it's proper position. I most pleased with the curtains which have folds and the mortar work on the roof as per the prototype. I had not attempted the latter before, but as it was a prominent character feature felt it was needed.

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fullsizeoutput_d6.jpegThis more "just off my work bench" and in situ on the layout. I've just completed this model of the former Station Masters house at St Erth which overlooks what was the goods yard there. Built in 1904 by the GWR, my model is as it appeared in the late 1950's. The house has had a veranda and a number of extensions added since my modelled version, and is still in use today.

I have built this model with co operation from its current owners (rather bemused that someone in NZ is modelling their house) who have sent me dimensions and photographs. The husband was even sent up a long ladder to get the roof height dimensions!

 

Positioning on the layout has restricted the build to a partial structure and even then I have had to bring the building forward slightly from it's proper position. I most pleased with the curtains which have folds and the mortar work on the roof as per the prototype. I had not attempted the latter before, but as it was a prominent character feature felt it was needed.

That's a really, really beautiful model! How did you approach modelling the slates (paper strips with "combs" of tiles, perhaps?) and the mortar work?

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That's a really, really beautiful model! How did you approach modelling the slates (paper strips with "combs" of tiles, perhaps?) and the mortar work?

 

 

Hi Justin,

Thank you for your compliments - to answer your questions:

 

1. Slates - for all the slate roofs on my buildings ( see Oct - Nov 2018 2mm mag for another example) I use the paper that is used to seperate the Evergreen Scale Models 0.005" Sheet Styrene 9009. It is a very thin paper but quite stiff, so it responds well to notching with a sharp knife and carries the painting process well. I use the traditional overlapping strip process, having pre notched the "slate" for half the thickness of the strip. The secret to laying the strips straight is to mark some horizontal guidelines on the roof base and to cut the strips well longer than the width of the roof so you can place them on holding the ends with a bit of tension.

 

2. Mortar - the hips and ridge on the roof are made from pre notched stripes of sheet plastic folded to a suitable angle. Once the roof painting is all complete I used masking tape mask off part of the roof near the ridges and hips leaving a small gap of about 0.3mm away from the hips and ridge edges. For the mortar I used Woodland Scenics Foam Putty slightly watered down and this was just troweled on in small amounts and spread along the ridge line with a Tamiya SS paint stirrer. I spread some of the excess over the ridge tiles with my finger and this filled the wee scribed gaps between the tiles quite nicely. After it dried reasonably I very carefully peeled the masking tape making sure to peel in a downward direction so as not to lift any tiles. The edges of the remaining mortar were patted down to blend into the roof slates. The mortar was then toned down with a thin greyish wash.

 

I hope this explanation works for you.

 

Steve

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Thanks Steve, thats really interesting. I hadn't heard of the Woodland Scenics foam putty until I read your scenics article in the 2mm Magazine. It sounds like a really useful product - I'll have to track some down!

 

I wonder if there are any other sources of the kind of paper you find between the Evergreen plastic sheets? It sounds like you're talking thinner than office paper?

 

Justin

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Thanks Steve, thats really interesting. I hadn't heard of the Woodland Scenics foam putty until I read your scenics article in the 2mm Magazine. It sounds like a really useful product - I'll have to track some down!

 

I wonder if there are any other sources of the kind of paper you find between the Evergreen plastic sheets? It sounds like you're talking thinner than office paper?

 

Justin

 

 

Yes Justin way thinner than what I understand to be office paper, also thinner and stronger than tissue paper.

I should also give a plug to Peedie Models who made the bespoke etches for the lower sash windows that overlap - good service. I believe that sash windows should overlap and it adds to the model when made this way. I also did something different with the walls which are plaster over plastic. I tried it as an experiment and it seemed to adhere well. This allowed me to have sharp corners, a bit of texture in the walls (including a few flaws) and I like the resulting hue that the paint soaking into the plaster creates.

S

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Thanks Steve, thats really interesting. I hadn't heard of the Woodland Scenics foam putty until I read your scenics article in the 2mm Magazine. It sounds like a really useful product - I'll have to track some down!

 

I wonder if there are any other sources of the kind of paper you find between the Evergreen plastic sheets? It sounds like you're talking thinner than office paper?

 

JustinT

 

 

The foam putty sounds like premixed lightweight DIY filler. The filler component is a ground-up foam of some sort rather than the gypsum in traditional fillers.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/polycell-trade-polyfilla-one-fill-tub-white-1ltr/82124

 

It fills well enough but I'm not sure how strong it would be for some of the more robust scenic techniques such as "stick it down and rip it off" dyed lint grass.

 

Mark

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The foam putty sounds like premixed lightweight DIY filler. The filler component is a ground-up foam of some sort rather than the gypsum in traditional fillers.

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/polycell-trade-polyfilla-one-fill-tub-white-1ltr/82124

 

It fills well enough but I'm not sure how strong it would be for some of the more robust scenic techniques such as "stick it down and rip it off" dyed lint grass.

 

Mark

 

 

I'm curious - is the Woodland Scenics range available in the UK?

I'd be surprised if it wasn't or it could be branded under Heki

 

S

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Oh yup Woodland Scenics is very widely available. It's distributed by Bachmann, I think, so in virtually every model shop. I just hadn't noticed that particular product.

 

I think Mark is just suggesting the product itself is a re-labeled DIY product, and therefore available even more cheaply/easily from places like Screwfix (semi pro focused trade counter stores for tools and hardware).

 

Justin

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attachicon.giffullsizeoutput_d6.jpegThis more "just off my work bench" and in situ on the layout.  I've just completed this model of the former Station Masters house at St Erth which overlooks what was the goods yard there. Built in 1904 by the GWR, my model is as it appeared in the late 1950's. The house has had a veranda and a number of extensions added since my modelled version, and is still in use today.  

I have built this model with co operation from its current owners (rather bemused that someone in NZ is modelling their house) who have sent me dimensions and photographs. The husband was even sent up a long ladder to get the roof height dimensions!

 

Positioning on the layout has restricted the build to a partial structure and even then I have had to bring the building forward slightly from it's proper position. I most pleased with the curtains which have folds and the mortar work on the roof as per the prototype. I had not attempted the latter before, but as it was a prominent character feature felt it was needed.

 

Beautiful work on that house Steve. 

 

How did you do the windows, are they etched?

 

Tom.  

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Beautiful work on that house Steve. 

 

How did you do the windows, are they etched?

 

Tom.  

 

 

Hi Tom - the sash windows are a custom etch I commissioned from Peedie Models. They are a two part etch, the bottom half of the window is a full frame with the bottom half of the full frame having the muntin bar etched in . The upper sash is a half etch with the muntin bar in and is soldered onto the lower full frame. The upper story windows are taken from the Severn Models Signal box kit etch and trimmed individually accordingly. They are set in place in a rectangle frame which allowed me to set the middle ones in an open position. The assembled holding frame is then glued to the back of the wall.

S

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A bit of progress with the blocking in of details on the C1 and the 3D printed GWR County that I designed (N Gauge to fit a Farish Black Five chassis) and am now hand lining.

 

attachicon.gifC1 Painting 29-10-18 1.jpg

attachicon.gifC1 Painting 29-10-18.jpg

attachicon.gifGWR Lining 29-10-18.jpg

 

 

As a GWR man - that County looks most interesting - can you tell us more about it?

Would it fit on a Nigel Aston Chassis?

 

Steve

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As a GWR man - that County looks most interesting - can you tell us more about it?

Would it fit on a Nigel Aston Chassis?

 

Steve

 

Hi Steve,

 

Being an N gauge modeller myself, I'm afraid I can't answer your question. I have made the County as close to scale as N gauge and the references I had available allowed though - splashers are a bit far apart for dead scale I'm afraid.

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Having established that the Tramfabriek coreless motor intended for the Dapol A4 can also be used as a direct replacement in the Schools over in the any question answered thread, the evening has been spent installing a sound decoder, speaker and Zimo SACC16 stay alive circuit with 3 x 220uF tantalum capacitors into the tender space. I had originally hoped to not have to modify the tender at all, but I had to remove the coal mounding in the end to accommodate everything. Once some coal is applied I don’t think it will look too bad, just a little overloaded for a preserved engine.

 

I am mightily impressed with the Tramfabriek motor, and the addition of stay alive has totally transformed the Schools from nice looking but utterly useless to nice looking and superbly performing, as the short video below hopefully shows:

 

 

I have a 9F to give the same treatment and that will also hopefully be transformed into a useful engine rather than the yard clutter it currently is!

 

Tom.

Edited by TomE
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Wonderful work Tom. I've done something similar with my Atlantic project albeit from necessity (the tender is far too small for the Dapol model) rather than any desire to improve performance or fit sound (which is wonderful in your Schools btw). That said, the locomotive ran better with the coreless motor during its initial tests than it did when I tested the Hall donor before I started work. Mine uses a Lawton 8mm motor simply because I'm of limited means at the moment and £6.50 is more appealing than £23 - I'll accept that the Lawton motor is only rated for 10V for now but might upgrade it in the future.

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It’s perhaps not the cheapest route, but the Tramfabriek motor& mounting does have a convenience factor! You can also buy just the motor for about £13. There is a dual shaft version in the works which opens up a few more possibilities.

 

The Schools and the 9F are the only two Dapol engines from my stock which will get regular use on Ropley which will limit the cost of replacement for me, but regardless of motor brand & price, chucking the Dapol block for coreless seems to make a world of difference.

 

Tom.

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Tom, great work on the Schools, looks and sounds superb. Any chance of a picture with the tender lid off so we can see how it all squeezes in.

 

Steve, the Lawton 8mm motor is excellent, you won't have to upgrade at all. I have several in service as does John G and never had an issue. It's certainly light years ahead of the Dapol super crap.

 

Jerry

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Adding a bit of stay-alive capacity really does seem to make a useful difference to a lot of locos as regards smoothness of running even when you think it won’t. I am trying to fit them to as many as I can now, ( where space allows and the decoder has the connections). Could I ask whose sound it is please, it seems very good, just right in fact.

 

Thanks,

 

Izzy

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Tom, great work on the Schools, looks and sounds superb. Any chance of a picture with the tender lid off so we can see how it all squeezes in.

 

Thanks Jerry. There isn't much to see, it's all insulation tape! (Not taking any chances with a £90 odd quid decoder!) I'll do a quick diagram later though. 

 

 

Adding a bit of stay-alive capacity really does seem to make a useful difference to a lot of locos as regards smoothness of running even when you think it won’t. I am trying to fit them to as many as I can now, ( where space allows and the decoder has the connections). Could I ask whose sound it is please, it seems very good, just right in fact.

 

Thanks,

 

Izzy

 

I was skeptical whether there would be any real benefit at first but since there was space to do it and the SACC16 is cheap and small enough i'd thought i'd give a try. I'll now try and fit it into any future conversions such is the improvement. The infilled yard area on Ropley was a no-go area for the Schools before, now it glides through better than the Farish Class 40!

 

The sound is from YouChoos. If was being ultra critical the 'chuffs' are perhaps a little quiet, but otherwise i'm very happy with it! 

 

Tom. 

Edited by TomE
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Steve, the Lawton 8mm motor is excellent, you won't have to upgrade at all. I have several in service as does John G and never had an issue. It's certainly light years ahead of the Dapol super crap.

 

Thanks Jerry, that is good to know. I've not wired in the resistor and it doesn't seem to have had an detrimental effects, do either you or John use it?

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Thanks Jerry, that is good to know. I've not wired in the resistor and it doesn't seem to have had an detrimental effects, do either you or John use it?

 

 

No, never used the resistor,

 

 

Just to confirm that I've not bothered with the resistor either when using Nigel's motors with no noticeable effects.

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As a GWR man - that County looks most interesting - can you tell us more about it?

Would it fit on a Nigel Aston Chassis?

 

Steve

 

Perhaps you might consider the etched alternative chassis (3-625) which I designed. Nigel''s brass chassis will have a bit more weight to it but does not cater for providing you cylinders and the like, which you would be needing in this case.

 

This depends on the body being to 1:148 scale.

 

Chris

 

 

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