Steadfast Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Yup I've got to agree with you on that front Cav, hacking the windows out was a lot of effort, and mine aren't particularly neat if I'm honest. Cost vs benefit, I think if I do another 31 I'll paint the windows and flood them with gloss varnish of some sort, almost like those scenic water products where you build up the layers. On this one, I'll probably put the visible pipe runs on the reverse of the glazing some how. I'm still thinking skinhead 31106 in BR blue would be nice, it looks good with a short yellow test train in tow! jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Ill add the pipework as a thin drawn on lin on the grey/black. 106 sounds good. Im fancying a RF grey one with a skinhead after the blue one. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 5, 2014 Author Share Posted November 5, 2014 Good idea. I'll just have to do another 31 now to give that idea a go... jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornish trains jez Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 Very nice Jo. The 31 is coming along nicely. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted November 5, 2014 Share Posted November 5, 2014 I used to use a small rectangle of thin polycarbonate to 'glaze' the engine room windows on old Farish models, fixed with gloss black paint - basically floated onto the surface of the paint. Having dead flat surface it looks like glass. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 6, 2014 Author Share Posted November 6, 2014 Thanks for that tip Bernard, I'm sure I've got some polycarbonate pieces I kept from an old R/C car shell stashed away somewhere jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted November 6, 2014 Share Posted November 6, 2014 The stuff I used was very thin, about 5 thou."/0.125mm. The thinnest I've found recently is 10 thou." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 11, 2014 Author Share Posted November 11, 2014 Wow that's incredibly thin, I'll have to see what I can hunt down in the future. Here's a few pictures of the current state of 31285. Transfers added, cant rail painted onto the cab rain strip and front end details starting to be painted in. The rain strip and handrails look a bit chunky with paint on, but the washes that will be applied as part of the weathering should make them appear thinner. Well that's the theory... jo 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornish trains jez Posted November 11, 2014 Share Posted November 11, 2014 Very nice Jo, well worth all the effort. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 Cheers Jeremy, work is just about done on transfers etc and most detail painting is done, but I have decided to do some work detailing the battery box/ fuel tank area in the mean time. Photo soon hopefully. As ever, Brian Daniels Flickr has invaluable pics of the real thing jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted November 13, 2014 Share Posted November 13, 2014 Looks good what size wire did you use for the handrails, they do look very marginally on the chunky side? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted November 13, 2014 Author Share Posted November 13, 2014 Cheers Cav, was 0.2 or 0.3mm, though it has had several coats of paint on top of that. Primer, 2 shades of yellow, white. Again, like the bufferbeam details, I remain to be convinced by the pre attachment method. Looks much neater and finer applied after painting, so long as I don't mess the paint finish up with the drill or glue... jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 A quick update, apologies for the quality, it was dark outside and taken with the phone. I remain to be convinced by the Farish glazing, I have a feeling it'll get ripped out and replaced. It's very thick and prismatic and seems to scuff easily, it's quite a soft plastic. I've run Humbrol washes down the scored on panel lines and some of the grills and details, doing what I call the 'pre-weathering weathering'. This gets all the grime into panel joins etc before a final weathering after varnishing jo 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Looking like it has more presence with the pre weathering in the panel lines. A technique I always use too. I think the galzing looks ok on the pics but of its as soft as you say Im concerned that putting it back in will scuff it. I may well cut my own from styrene sheet on my 31. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted December 14, 2014 Author Share Posted December 14, 2014 Cheers Cav, I have some clear plasticard somewhere so may give that idea ago myself, from memory it's just as soft though sadly. We will see I suppose, you never know I may get a spur of inspiration during a shift over Christmas jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted December 14, 2014 Share Posted December 14, 2014 Its quite soft yeas but you arent going to be touching it with anything scratchy once installed. The original windows however could be scratched as you try to wrestle em back in. They are a bit of a toil to get in and out. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted December 17, 2014 Share Posted December 17, 2014 For glazing I'd look at getting some thin polycarbonate sheet. It's much more scratch resistant. It's certainly available in 10 thou."/0.25mm. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Clear-Lexan-Film-Polycarbonate-Plastic-Sheets-0-25mm-0-50mm-0-75mm-A4-A3-A2-/171513429467?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&var=&hash=item27eeff3ddb Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted December 17, 2014 Author Share Posted December 17, 2014 Thanks for the link Bernard, just ordered...ahhh I love eBay! jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 (edited) Hmm polycarbonate is not very scratch resistant as the material itself is very flexible at the molecular level hence why its so tough (used for rc car bodies and such). Scratch resistance is a factor of material hardness and as such you need something thats harder such as an arcrylic (would be horrendous to cut and shape though for windows). TBH for N gauge windows I wouldnt think scratch resistance is a problem as they are unlikely to be scuffed due to their small size. Edited December 18, 2014 by RBE Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
BernardTPM Posted December 18, 2014 Share Posted December 18, 2014 These must be coated sheets then. They don't scratch as easily as styrene and, of course, they aren't fogged by styrene solvent. I had some 5 thou'" sheet that had been used as double glazing from the early 1970s until we got proper double glazing in the early 1980s and that was very scratch resistant, despite its age and previous use. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted December 20, 2014 Author Share Posted December 20, 2014 Polycarbonate sheet turned up today, got a film to peel off on both sides. I'll have a play once the run of Christmas shifts is out of the way. Thanks again Bernard jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 I didn't realise it had been quite so long! Polycarbonate fitted, weathering started and a coat of Matt varnish applied to seal what's gone on so far. The Perspex windows are retained with a combination of Johnson's Klear and thinned down paint. The panel joins across the roof are painted free hand. Not as hard as it sounds, definitely easier than trying to scribe them across the curved roof! I painted them roughly in place with a fine line of Matt black enamel, before cutting them back with a white spirit loaded brush. This not only concentrates the paint into a thinner, sharper line but also allows for adjustments to position. It normally takes a few goes to get them straight Apologies for the quick desk top grab shots, I've used the white paper to try to provide some fill in light. Next step is finishing off the exhaust dirt, probably powders and airbrushing, and some other shading on the roof and body sides. The under frame needs some weathering work still, I have barely touched it so far. I'm on nights this week so that gives the varnish a few days to dry properly before I crack on further jo 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RBE Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thats very much the poodles doodles that mate. Quite apt actually as I was planning on doing a bit on my 31/4 later tonight! The painted panel lines look good. I will most likely use my preferred method of really sharp HB pencil down the edge of some masking tape but your idea works well! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
cornish trains jez Posted May 11, 2015 Share Posted May 11, 2015 Jo, that 31 looks superb! Who needs the retooled version when you can produce something this good from the original tooling! Very nice! Best regards, Jeremy Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steadfast Posted May 11, 2015 Author Share Posted May 11, 2015 Thanks for the kind comments guys. I hadn't thought of anything as simple as pencil lines, thanks for the tip Cav. jo Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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