Whats on your 2mm Work bench

[Jim T]

19 hours ago, Nig H said:

Here are a couple of pics of two ex-LMS suburban coaches just leaving the workbench. They look OK to me from a distance but not so good closeup. On the left is a period 1 composite, and the other is a period 2 second.

 

 

Nig H

 

Hi Nig

 

I love the carriages - not sure what you’re seeing in close up but they look really realistic from your photos. I think finishes are really important and you’ve achieved that lovely lustre beautifully. But how?

 

Jim

[mike morley]

15 hours ago, Chris Higgs said:

 

Bedding the motor on the chassis by whatever means chosen is not ideal on a J94 as you really do need to be able to see under the boiler. There is nothing there at all to hide whatever motor mount you might choose to employ.

 

Why does the body have to be one piece?

My admittedly 4mm Austerity (and all my other saddle tanks) has the footplate and cab as one piece that lowers onto the chassis from above in conventional fashion and the tanks, boiler underside, firebox and smokebox as a second unit that slides on from in front.

[Nig H]

1 hour ago, Jim T said:

 

Hi Nig

 

I love the carriages - not sure what you’re seeing in close up but they look really realistic from your photos. I think finishes are really important and you’ve achieved that lovely lustre beautifully. But how?

 

Jim

Hi Jim,

 

Thanks for your comments. Some of the windows have scuff marks or traces of glue on them and there are one or two bits flakes of plasticard stuck inside the windows caused by drilling holes in the floor to aid ventilation. The sides tend to get scuffed a bit during construction though I managed to hide some off that with a coat of gloss varnish applied to the lower sides after the transfers were applied.  In some cases the running numbers are not quite straight and level, though I thought they were OK immediately after I applied them.

 

The sides are painted and lined for me by Ian Rathbone, and he does a really good job and gets a great finish. Applying the gloss varnish seems to have got them back to pre-build appearance.

 

Nig H

[Ian Morgan]

Nearly done, just some glazing for the brake van, final assembly and then a lot of weathering and distressing. The LBSCR box van was one of several that survived to British Railways ownership on the Isle of Wight, used for carrying fish and holiday makers' luggage. The LBSCR brake van was similar to a pair of vans that the Freshwater, Yarmouth and Newport Railway purchased from the Isle of Wight Railway. They survived into Grouping, but I do not know how long they continued in use.

 

Both are Etched Pixels etched brass bodies on 2mm Scale Association chassis with Fox and Model Masters transfers. My model of Freshwater station is set around 1948-1952 so these will be overdue repainting by British Railways. I have a second box van to build that will be BR grey for contrast.

 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by Ian Morgan
re-loaded images

[Chris Higgs]

On 01/06/2020 at 08:18, mike morley said:

 

Why does the body have to be one piece?

 

 

Because the aged Farish body the chassis is designed to go with is? It actually has no representation at all of the lower part of the boiler below the saddle tanks. 

 

Chris

[richbrummitt]

About three feet of wire bent to shape and some horsebox chassis from my own etches are nearing completion. I've batch built them because they take a long time on a per basis. Soon they will look like the one at the bottom (built to prove the etch over 2 years ago) except that those axleboxes aren't available anymore 

 

 

[MrSimon]

Thanks Jim, Izzy, Andy and Chris!

 

Following Chris’s suggestion I have secured the other side of the gear box to stop it moving upwards when the motor runs clockwise:

 

It’s not pretty but it’s worked.  Lucky I had the .25mm PCB ready for my next chassis .  
 

Now that the motor/gearbox issue is sorted it’s time to sort out the waddle. I’m going to check each pair of wheels for concentric running/check they’re square in the muff, etc.

 

If they’re not straight in the muff is it fixable by taking it out and putting back in again or do I need a fresh one?

 

Thanks again all

Simon

[D869]

1 hour ago, MrSimon said:

Now that the motor/gearbox issue is sorted it’s time to sort out the waddle. I’m going to check each pair of wheels for concentric running/check they’re square in the muff, etc.

 

If they’re not straight in the muff is it fixable by taking it out and putting back in again or do I need a fresh one?

 

 

 

I've never had much success in getting wheels out of muffs non destructively. Most folks think it's better to trash the muff and avoid any risk of damaging the wheel.

 

Sounds like you have a methodical approach. We're probably repeating ourselves but check for machining burrs on the gears (and file them off if you find any) and also make sure that the gears are not catching on anything at some point in their rotation - both of these things will mess up your running in potentially intermittent ways.

 

[Ian Morgan]

For a long time, I have been thinking about making something to attach a paint tin or bottle to an electric hand sander (mouse) to be able to give the paint a good shake up.

 

The recent popularity of fancy nail salons has produced a supply of cheap and small air brushes and compressors, and UV lights that people are using to cure resin 3D prints, and now I have found another useful item - a nail varnish shaker. Lots available on your favourite auction site. A rubbery strip clamps the paint tin in place. It came with a couple of spare strips. It did a really good job:

 

 

[Ian Morgan]

Following on from my paint shaker video, I have now done another short video on using UV curing glue as I was glazing my brake van. This stuff is very useful, as it can harden in 4 or 5 seconds when its blue LED is shone on it, but unlike superglue, you have all the time you need to finally position the items before you shine the LED at it.

 

 

[2mmKiwi]

12 hours ago, Ian Morgan said:

Following on from my paint shaker video, I have now done another short video on using UV curing glue as I was glazing my brake van. This stuff is very useful, as it can harden in 4 or 5 seconds when its blue LED is shone on it, but unlike superglue, you have all the time you need to finally position the items before you shine the LED at it.

 

 

 

Looks really useful - is this more finger nail technology Ian or something different ?

 

[Izzy]

I believe it’s used - or something like it - in Dental work.  A couple of modellers hereabouts probably know a bit more.......
 

Izzy

 

 

[-missy-]

15 hours ago, Ian Morgan said:

Following on from my paint shaker video, I have now done another short video on using UV curing glue as I was glazing my brake van. This stuff is very useful, as it can harden in 4 or 5 seconds when its blue LED is shone on it, but unlike superglue, you have all the time you need to finally position the items before you shine the LED at it.

 

 

I like it

 

The obvious question would be where did you get the stuff from? I'm guessing there is no evidence of fogging on the clear plastic?

 

J.

[Caley Jim]

1 hour ago, Izzy said:

I believe it’s used - or something like it - in Dental work.  A couple of modellers hereabouts probably know a bit more.......

 

Is it UV light or just the blue end of the spectrum? UV cured filings came into use on the '70's, but quite quickly were replaced by materials cured by blue light. There were some concerns over the safety of UV light, particularly to dentists and their staff. Precautions still have to be taken with blue light - yellow goggles and shields for example. 

 

Jim 

[Ian Morgan]

I bought Bondic glue from the States, but it worked out very expensive with import duty and collection fees added on top. I have now found similar stuff available from motor factors in the UK, and lots on eBay and also the original Bondic on Amazon at a fraction of what I paid:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Bondic-Pocket-Set-Original-Repair-System/dp/B01M2V1GYF

 

It is very good for some things, sets solid like epoxy, so not flexible. Also, no good for blind or butt joints where the light cannot get to it.

 

 

 

 

[Ian Morgan]

Being a Key Worker twice over (I am a foster carer as well as my day job) and being able to work from home, I have been working harder since lockdown began than when I used to go into the office. However, without exhibitions at weekends, and clubnights during the week, I have been trying to progress various projects in the hope of being able to have a more complete layout the next time I am able exhibit 'Freshwater' again. The first of these projects is now finally complete, although I started it over two and a half years ago, and only has 4 wheels:

 

 

 

[Ian Morgan]

So, two more items have come out of the paint shops and are ready to roll. I wanted a well worn, distressed look for these, as post-war, awaiting repainting by British Railways, but I may have gone a bit too far. I might try to lighten it up with some dry brushing.

 

The next projects are still some way off from completion because I wanted to actually get some things finished, so have given these priority.

 

 

 

[Atso]

A reasonably quick (although not quite finished) project from me. I received a Garter Blue A4 for my birthday a week or so back, this was from DCC Supplies' 'Outlet' (returned items) shop and had some minor issues with it.

 

 

As I already have 'Sea Eagle' I decided to rework it into a loco I really wanted, Silver Link. A few days after I received it, I stripped it down and removed the original identity.

 

 

For speed, I repainted the loco using Tamiya acrylics, mixing the paints to approximate the correct colours before gloss varnishing and adding the decals. I then sealed everything using some Ronseal gloss varnish and proceeded to weather it using some of the techniques described in Martyn Welch's book.

 

 

 

My aim is to try and represent the loco towards the end of a run to King's Cross from Newcastle, so dirty but not filthy. I've still got the vac pipes, screw coupling and crew to add but I'm rather pleased with how this has turned out for a five day project. Now I need to get back to lining out those two Atlantics!

[Yorkshire Square]

That's very effective! 

[2mm Andy]

Very nice, Steve.

 

Here's the real thing heading South through Sandy in May 1937. I think the fireman might have been struggling with some poor coal judging by the amount of smoke!

 

Photo by L. Hanson (my grandfather), Copyright D. Hanson.

 

Andy

[Atso]

1 hour ago, 2mm Andy said:

Very nice, Steve.

 

Here's the real thing heading South through Sandy in May 1937. I think the fireman might have been struggling with some poor coal judging by the amount of smoke!

 

Photo by L. Hanson (my grandfather), Copyright D. Hanson.

 

Andy

 

Thanks Andy, that's a great photograph! You've also helped me decide on which K3 I'm going to model after I've done no. 91. There are several photographs credited to your grandfather in 'Goods Traffic of the LNER', including one of no. 91 with NE style cab and GNR tender (the inspiration for my eventual model). I'd be most interested in seeing more, if you're willing/able to share.

 

Again, many thanks.

[2mm Andy]

13 hours ago, Atso said:

 

Thanks Andy, that's a great photograph! You've also helped me decide on which K3 I'm going to model after I've done no. 91. There are several photographs credited to your grandfather in 'Goods Traffic of the LNER', including one of no. 91 with NE style cab and GNR tender (the inspiration for my eventual model). I'd be most interested in seeing more, if you're willing/able to share.

 

Again, many thanks.

 

Hi Steve,

 

I'll have a look to see what there and will pm you about it. Sandy seems to have been a favourite spot (presumably because it was busy with LMS and LNER trains and fairly easy to get to from his home in Northampton) but there isn't much else on the ECML.

 

regards,

Andy

[Ian Morgan]

Another industrious weekend sees some more wagons take to the rails. Unfortunately, these are all too modern to have been shipped to the Isle of Wight, so will probably just end up in my display cabinet. However, they had been sitting in a box just awaiting weathering, glazing and wheels for five years, so I thought they deserved finishing off. They have only had a light weathing.

 

 

The brake van is a 2mm Scale Association etched nickel-silver kit. I just added some extra plumbing to represent a 'piped' van.

 

 

The 16T mineral wagon is an Association plastic body kit mounted on an Association chassis, vac. fitted and with roller bearing axleboxes. They did not do a thorough job sweeping out the last of the coal.

 

 

The 'Pipe' wagon is a Chivers kit, with 2mm Scale Association W-irons added.

 

 

The steel, fitted open wagon is a plastic body kit on a 2mm Scale Association chassis. The indeterminate load under the tarpauline is a resin casting from Re:Loads and is tied down with Ezy-Line, with some odd bits of wood for packing thrown in. The bulges on the sides of these wagons had O-rings on the inside for lashing like this.

 

 

I hope I am not boring people with wagon pics. I should have a few more wagons for Freshwater later in the week, but then it will be some time before anything else gets completed.

 

 

 

 

[John57sharp]

20 hours ago, Ian Morgan said:

hope I am not boring people with wagon pics. I should have a few more wagons for Freshwater later in the week, but then it will be some time before anything else gets completed.

 

No Ian, keep them coming, it’s all very encouraging.

 

cheers.

 

John

[Atso]

20 hours ago, 2mm Andy said:

I'll have a look to see what there and will pm you about it. Sandy seems to have been a favourite spot (presumably because it was busy with LMS and LNER trains and fairly easy to get to from his home in Northampton) but there isn't much else on the ECML.

 

Thanks Andy, that is most appreciated.

 

A final photo of 2509 in almost completed condition, basking in the sunlight during a brief visit to my parent's back garden yesterday.

 

 

I added some more soot to the top of the boiler to better replicate Andy's grandfather's photo. Apologies about the derailed Cartazzi truck!