Caley Jim Posted July 18, 2020 Share Posted July 18, 2020 1 hour ago, Lacathedrale said: I'm a little frustrated by the overall finish, honestly - it seems whenever I looked at them under the lense it was fine (it being the paint finish, the wash coverage, etc. etc.) but when photographed looked like a right pig's ear. Oh well! Photographs always show up every blemish and you notice them right away on your own models. They look perfectly fine to me, William. Jim 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted July 19, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 19, 2020 (edited) Spurred on by the BRM Virtual Exhibition video about preparing photos for the magazine, I have had another go at 'focus stacking' to get a photo of the layout with a good depth of field in focus. My new Android phone is a OnePlus 7T which has a pretty impressive camera, but taking a series of shots (the stack), focused at different distances, using the supplied camera App was not very easy. So, now I have installed the 'OpenCamera' App. This is a free App with a lot of interesting extra features, one of which is automatic focus stacking shooting. For best results, switch the App to use 'Camera2 API' if your Android version supports it. You can then select focus stacking. In the settings, you select how many photos to take - I went for 25. You can also set it to voice activate, to start taking the photos when you say 'Cheese', which is handy for not moving the phone. There are two sliders to select minimum and maximum focus distance. I went from 9cm to 2m. The phone was stood upside down on the layout, so the lens is as low as possible, and held upright using a large plastic woodworking 'clip'. Having taken the photos, you need to 'stitch' them together to make the final image. I went for a popular free piece of software for Windows called CombineZP. It starts up in a basic mode, and tries a number of different algorithms and presents the set of results for you to choose the best one. I was a little disappointed with the results which left near items with very fuzzy outlines, but scrolling through the original photos, I realised that altering the focus was also slightly changing the picture size, so nearby items seemd to move as you proceeded down the stack. By activating the advanced menus in CombineZP, I found an option under the 'Stack' menu to resize and align the photos in the stack. I used the 2-pass shift and scale. Now all the photos in the stack cover the same area of the layout, and performing the focus stack produced the result below, using the 'Do Weighted Average' algorithm. Still not perfect, but I have lots more options left to try out. And below are two extreme photos taken for the 'stack', showing what the normal depth of field can be. Edited June 23, 2023 by Ian Morgan re-loaded images 10 6 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium CF MRC Posted July 19, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 19, 2020 This is a view of my alternative workbench currently based in deepest Cornwall. I have started on the core for York Road tube station on CF. I like to make buildings with an internal strong structure with the outer walls not needing to be over scale thickness. The placeholder model is in the background. The construction methods will certainly be different from the previous one I made 35 years ago! More to follow in the CF thread. Tim 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbrummitt Posted July 20, 2020 Share Posted July 20, 2020 On 18/07/2020 at 12:07, Sithlord75 said: SDJR/MR 25' Milk and Fruit van Just waiting for the wheels to churn on the chassis That sir is a terrible pun. 1 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithlord75 Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 On 21/07/2020 at 07:48, richbrummitt said: That sir is a terrible pun. It is but it isn't the only one. I slipped another one in regarding the fruit part of the deal. (And with that, we have almost a bunch.... they just write themselves some days!!) 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atso Posted July 23, 2020 Share Posted July 23, 2020 Having gotten most of the fiddle yard built and all of the scenic track laid, I've turned my attention to building a few of the structures for Hadley Wood. I've built on of the tunnel mouths already and below is my progress on the signal box. 15 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold queensquare Posted July 24, 2020 RMweb Gold Share Posted July 24, 2020 9 hours ago, Atso said: Having gotten most of the fiddle yard built and all of the scenic track laid, I've turned my attention to building a few of the structures for Hadley Wood. I've built on of the tunnel mouths already and below is my progress on the signal box. Lovely Steve, I do like a signal box. Jerry 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithlord75 Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 I've had an interest in the LNWR and specifically St Alban's Abbey station for around 25 years now. One day I shall have developed the skills sufficiently to build a finescale model rather than a N gauge one but in the meantime, I have been building stock. As part of this, and as part of my 3D CAD journey I drew a few wagons having purchased the excellent Wagon Books from the LNWR Society. One of the wagons which Down Here (at least the SEQ part of Down Here) found necessary was the D21 cattle wagon. The original drawing work was done back in 2018, but one thing and another got in the road and it never made it to Shapeways for printing. Now that I've got my Anycubic Photon, I finished it off and, having had the most recent Shop 2 order arrive on Monday last, I built the LNWR 9' chassis which came within using the photos of one of the D21s in Volume 1. The result is as below. I was very please that it was very minimal work (mostly just a bit of tidying up from the supports) to get the body to fit the chassis. I've still got to add the bar across the "windows" - I did include it in the drawing, but surprise, surprise, it didn't print that well. 0.2mm over that distance was pushing it I think! Still, no harm done and easily replaced with what was the original idea - wire. Hopefully the weather clears enough for a bit of paint to be put on it prior to the ZAG meeting tomorrow evening. The stepping on the roof is a result of the angle of print - I'll rub it with some wet n dry before painting and between the first couple of coats which tends to solve the problem I've found. . 13 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Ian Morgan Posted July 24, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 24, 2020 13 hours ago, Atso said: Having gotten most of the fiddle yard built and all of the scenic track laid, I've turned my attention to building a few of the structures for Hadley Wood. I've built on of the tunnel mouths already and below is my progress on the signal box. Mind that top step 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 2 hours ago, Ian Morgan said: Mind that top step The signalman is going to have to be pretty nimble to get up there! Jim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Smith Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 3 hours ago, Caley Jim said: The signalman is going to have to be pretty nimble to get up there! Jim He’ll be ok if he takes a run at it. I’m more worried about anyone walking about under the WC! 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 24, 2020 Share Posted July 24, 2020 34 minutes ago, Ian Smith said: He’ll be ok if he takes a run at it. I’m more worried about anyone walking about under the WC! More likely they'd be crawling about on their hands and knees! Wouldn't like to be the signalman answering a call of nature in a hurry on a dark night, though! Jim 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Atso Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 (edited) Originally, I thought that the signal box ended up embedded in the end of the platform ramp on the Down side. However, further study of the photos I have strongly suggest that this wasn't the case. Sadly there are few decent pictures of the box from this angle and so I've had to 'suggest' how things were arrange. Below is the box in the current guise - the bell is from a spare Peco item. The privy is now supported and the signalman will have an easier time accessing it. The gutters are a couple of stips of 30 thou plastic, the impression of the inside being initially scored and then opened up a little using the end of a triangular file. A short staircase is still to be knocked up and added. Edited July 25, 2020 by Atso 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Brenchley Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 A couple of years ago at one of the 2mm Australasian Supermeets, Phil Badger had produced a tiny etch for the Avery Platform Scales which he gifted to each of us who were at the get together. It sat in my "to do" box for quite a while until I thought I'd do a bit of research on Google to see what they were supposed to look like. The platform and backing part folded up into an L shape from a single layer and the etch contained 3 layers which made up the column behind it - all together, a nice representation of the Scales. I added some wheels cut from slices of plastic rod and a couple of other bit of plastic to represent the mechanism under the weighing platform. Below is a picture (hugely enlarged) of the finished item. It's actually just under 1cm total height. A web search of the history of Avery Scales suggested that many were made for overseas export - Australia and probably many other Commonwealth countries. What I don't know is whether they were ever commonplace on UK stations - can any modeller shed any light on this please. Maybe outside the parcel's office ? Anyway, on the basis that "it's my railway" I decided it might look quite good on the platform against the side of the station building so the picture below shows it's temporary location. Best wishes John John Brenchley Perth, Western Australia 9 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithlord75 Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 I'll have to dig mine out John. Probably in the same box I brought it home in!! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sithlord75 Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 Wet Saturday here sono outdoor jobs could be done. So I cracked on with these. The MkIV SDJR Body print and the MkII LNWR D21 nearing completion. I'll have to find the LNWR transfers that I have (although with the brakes I suspect LMS might be more accurate - shall have to check the pictures). The SD one will be in LMS livery for me. 8 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted July 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2020 Hello everybody, Thanks to all those who gave advice with my J94 - today I took two sets of wheels off, checked they were squarely on new muffs and that they were free running, and tried to run it in a little. Its a big improvement, the waddle’s gone and it runs much slower than before, but it’s still kind of ‘revving’ for want of a better word. It looks like the gears on the stub axles between the worm and the back driving wheel are tighter at one part of the revolution than the rest. I can’t work out if it would be because the muff isn’t quite central on the axel or if I’ve got the gear not quite straight on the muff. Before I order more muffs does this sound like a reasonable diagnosis? Many thanks in advance Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 Hi Simon, In the head on view it looks to me as though the gear beside the wormwheel isn't quite square on the muff resulting in the meshing being a bit tight at one point of the revolution. Having said that, the tight spot seems to be always at the same point of the wheel revolution, which would tend to indicate that the problem lies in the final gear. Have you tried just letting it run for a spell, with lubrication, and see how it is after that. It seemed to run better in the later parts of the clip, especially in reverse. Jim 1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kylestrome Posted July 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2020 8 hours ago, John Brenchley said: What I don't know is whether they were ever commonplace on UK stations - can any modeller shed any light on this please. If you put "Railway station parcel scales" into google.co.uk you will find a few examples under 'Images'. HTH, David Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium MrSimon Posted July 25, 2020 RMweb Premium Share Posted July 25, 2020 Hi Jim, It had been running for about half an hour in each direction before I took the videos with the rods on, it’s back running against the block and is definitely showing an improvement (strangely it’s sounding worse than it was). I altered the bent bit of etch I soldered on before to stop the worm disengaging when the engine went forwards and that’s improved the forward running a little too. How much running in is ‘normal’? Thanks Simon Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 25, 2020 Share Posted July 25, 2020 36 minutes ago, MrSimon said: How much running in is ‘normal’? How long is a piece of string?! It depends on how free running the chassis is in the first place. I don't think you can give a definite time. If it runs better in one direction than in the other (which this seems to) it might be worth looking closely at how the worm and the gears slightly change their relationships as the torque changes with direction. Particularly the sideways movement of the wormwheel shaft. Could it be that the wormwheel is being pushed against the gear on the driven axle and one or other is very slightly off square so that they rub at one point? Try to run it very slowly so that you can stop it at the 'sticky' point (if possible, so slowly that it stalls) and see if you can work out where the tightness is. Is it between the worm and wormwheel, between the two gears, or in the driven axle itself? Try to be careful when you lift it off the track so that you don't move anything. HTH, Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lacathedrale Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 Is this a scenario where the old 'toothpaste on the gears' chesnut would help? Certainly the issues that @MrSimon is having with his first chassis were problems I too faced. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caley Jim Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 It certainly wouldn't do any harm, provided it is thoroughly washed off afterwards. Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium nick_bastable Posted July 26, 2020 Author RMweb Premium Share Posted July 26, 2020 (edited) Not strictly on my workbench but with the postponement of the DJLC I revisited the home layout and ripped up all accept the shuttle track. Relaid as a sort of Minories with extra sidings I ran the first test train having installed the droppers Quite pleased given the points are not locked nor the check rails installed yet I like the snake through the points should look good with a EMU threading through them. Loads left to do but a few seconds running lifted my spirits Nick B Edited July 26, 2020 by nick_bastable usual pp spelling 3 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
richbrummitt Posted July 26, 2020 Share Posted July 26, 2020 Not had any free time for modelling in a while. When I first saw @Yorkshire Square had printed some H&BR vans I asked if I could have some too. Being a Barnsley lad it makes sense even modelling what I do. They've been attacked with a file a bit so that to my eyes they look more like the drawings in LNER wagons vol.2. (Rightly or wrongly). Comparing to what was available the chassis looked most like MR shop item 2-342 for the central type of V hanger and double brake with a short lever. This morning I got the remainder of the etched chassis parts together and glued to the body. Buffers couplings and that gap between the solebar and headstock left to sort prior to painting. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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