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Spitfire's Workbench - On3 Obsession


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Hello. I have done more lettering.

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I decided to use condensed letters to fit the 'coal' between the straps but non-condensed for 'merchants' due to the fact that the gap around the A just didnt look right with the thinner letters.

As great as HMRS decals are, they dont do tiny detail well apparently. In the condensed letters, M,N,H,No,W, and & just look like blobs. Maybe just my sheet, but who knows.

Still have to decide the area of workings. Im thinking somewhere around the west midlands, maybe base my eventual (hopefully) layout around some manufacturing industry there.

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I like your work. I am glad to see you enjoy all forms of model making. When I was growing up I made boats and planes aswell. Not sure why I ended up with trains. My Dad and most of my uncles were in the fleet airarm so flying was always high on the agenda.

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Well, I dont expect much modeling in the next few weeks. End of semester, last minute homework, finals, and then a ten day trip through England, France, and Amsterdam. Already packed up all my modeling things to maybe clear some clutter away and make eventual packing easier.  I have decided what my next kits will be though...if I can get money. Im eyeing the Slaters MR 8t van and the Cambrian LMS wood bodied van. Along with that, Im looking to pick up some more opens as well.  

Hoping the next few weeks go by well, and that I can get some money saved up for kits.  

Maybe when Im in England, Ill find a model shop that stocks kits.  Doubt my luck though...

My main goal in England is to find a second hand Hornby Pug. Love the pug, even if its such a cliche model. 

So for now, no more updates for a while. Will still be active though, too addicted to this site. Haha

See ya!

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Just read through this, I love the wagons, and planes and really look forward to more!

 

Just a thought regarding transfers, have you tried Fox waterslide transfers? the detail is pretty damn good ad they are not too hard to work with.

 

All the best

 

Sean

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Just read through this, I love the wagons, and planes and really look forward to more!

 

Just a thought regarding transfers, have you tried Fox waterslide transfers? the detail is pretty damn good ad they are not too hard to work with.

 

All the best

 

Sean

Thank you for the comment. I have not tried Fox transfers. Even if they are good, in my current modeling budget I cant order them just as something to test with. Any money has to be put towards what I need and know will work.

Actually, my only wasted money so far was some waterslides and one cambrian underframe kit. If waterslides come into need, I will remember Fox. Thank you.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Well. Over half way though my trip through Europe. Figured Id update this a little. If you only want pictures or physical modeling, this post isnt for you. I just feel like telling about my hobby experiences in the UK and Europe.

The moment we arrived in London, I was hoping to visit some nice model shops. Well, i did find what I was looking for(in the wrong livery), but i didnt get to go to an actual shop. Well..sort of.

In Central London, theres a small second hand shop at Grays Antique Market. The one behind the Antique shop. It had lots of small rooms, each a different shop. Inside, at unit G12 is Wheels of Steel. A very nice stall I have to say. Mostly British models, OO, N, but a little bit of other scales. Even some US models, though all older. No newer than from 1990. I would have liked to buy a bunch of things from there but budget wouldnt allow. I was on a mission for a pug.

After a defeat, and no time to visit other shops within tube radius, I was a little disappointed. Then, my dad suggests going into Hamleys. (i was looking for kinder eggs to bring back to the States), and a quick look at their Hornby selection revealed quite a stock of pugs. Unfortunately all newer stock in early BR. Why LMS livery is not worth making since 2003, I dont know...

Well, buying that, I hope to re livery it and make it all nice and pretty...for a steam locomotive that is.

So off to France after 3 days in London, and on the 4th and last day, we stumble across a rather nice model shop within a block of The Moulin Rouge. The shop had lots of French HO and N scale stock. But also a bit of BritishOO and American HO. They also had a bit of other scales such as O, Z, G, and some Gauge 1+. Along with that was a bunch of 1:87th scale cars, and assorted modeling products like trees, grass, and buildings. Overall mostly trains. The shop owner speaks a little English if that helps anyone. Also if its in a glass case, it is for sale. If its in a box on the floor, it isnt and still needs to be sorted and priced. After spending what felt like Ages in there, I didnt feel like leaving without buying something. I did ask him for help with a Hornby pug he had in the British case! It was slightly cheaper than the one I bought from Hamleys but it was too late to return the other one.

I ended up buying an Oxford Diecast Traction Engine. I love everything steam powered, and figured it would make a good purchase.

So that said and done, I left Paris and currently am on a train to Amsterdam. No Im not going to partake in their famed amenities.

If anyone wants, I can upload a picture later of my 2 purchases. Well, if anyones still here, thanks for reading. I know this isnt like my usual posts, but I just wanted to write.

 

Recommended shops if interested.

London:

-Grays Antique Market, Unit G12, 1-7 Davies Mews, London

-Northfields Model Shop, 217 Northfield Ave, Ealing, Greater London (Didnt visit shop but owner on phone was helpful)

 

Paris:

Les Cheminots, 51 Rue de Douai, 75009, Paris

Edited by Spitfire2865
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Photos requested. Forgive me for the absolutely crap lighting its night in Amsterdam and family is trying to sleep. Shouldntve been lazy before when it was still light out..

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Standard Hornby Pug in BR

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Traction engine.

 

 

Oh. And if anyones wondering what modeling Ive been up to lately..

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Building a balsa model of a Nieuport 2-G. I wanted to do the 2-N but sadly I couldnt find ANY drawings of it. Only photographs. Well, its what you get when you rely on Google for 100 year old information...

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Hello everyone. After one day back at home from Europe, Ive done some actual modeling!

As the Pug came with an unpainted driver, I wanted to paint it.

Some quick research on uniform colors came back nothing. So I followed the lead of Phil Parker, who's blog I read daily.

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I realize its probably not correct, and if its horribly wrong Ill probably take the time to repaint it.

 

Also, with the pug, does anyone know how to go about getting rid of the mile of slop in the wheels as well as widen their gauge slightly to better fit OO.

A second thought, while trying to disassemble it, which is honestly harder than I expected (still cant get it apart), I discovered that the loco as it comes factory new is 3 wheeled. I remember hearing about someone giving it crude compensation with a screw pivot. If anyone could tell me who that was or some tutorial on how to do it, I would be very grateful.

 

So first job is to get it running smoothly. Second is to re-livery. Third is to detail and weather. So I expect to be done never due to my procrastination. Yay!

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How do Spitfire!

 

The driver is nice :D most BR overalls were blue of some shade or another, it depended on the age of the overall, don't be  shy of weathering him either, they didn't stay very clean after a session of shunting!

 

as per side play, the easiest way for that is to take the motion off both sides, pull off one side of the wheel set (there press fit) add a narrow fiber washer (Markits and Gibbson) and re-fit the wheels using either a back to back gauge, or if you feel brave, a clear ruler (OO is 14.5MM BtB)

 

Hope this helps?

 

Sean

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How do Spitfire!

 

The driver is nice :D most BR overalls were blue of some shade or another, it depended on the age of the overall, don't be  shy of weathering him either, they didn't stay very clean after a session of shunting!

 

as per side play, the easiest way for that is to take the motion off both sides, pull off one side of the wheel set (there press fit) add a narrow fiber washer (Markits and Gibbson) and re-fit the wheels using either a back to back gauge, or if you feel brave, a clear ruler (OO is 14.5MM BtB)

 

Hope this helps?

 

Sean

Im modeling mid LMS era. I want to increase the BtB of the wheels to actually fit on OO track without slop. The lack of exactness in OO really bothers me and is the only reason I may consider going finescale. I just dont want to build track or compensate all my wagons. I may end up doing a sort of OO finescale thing. Id just need to redo guard rails on points and it would all work.
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Im modeling mid LMS era. I want to increase the BtB of the wheels to actually fit on OO track without slop. The lack of exactness in OO really bothers me and is the only reason I may consider going finescale. I just dont want to build track or compensate all my wagons. I may end up doing a sort of OO finescale thing. Id just need to redo guard rails on points and it would all work.

Nice :D I am a little earlier than you then (Modeling wise) being early 30's either way, the driver is about perfect for LMS period work.

 

as I say, add a fiber washer onto the axles one side of the chassis and that should kill most of the slop, a little is needed but not too much as you say. That lack of exactness and accuracy is why I am now working in EM. Track building as not that hard to do when you get into it, nor is re-gaugeing (EM you can simple spread the wheels on most stanadard wagon axles) and I have never bothered with compensation, just lay the track well and double and tripple check gauge and alinement and you cannot go far wrong, the visual difference on hand built points is staggering, as is loosing the Hornby/peco hinge on the switch rails and scale guard rails :D

 

you can get flexi track in EM now, and point kits, yes they take longer to build and are a little more expencive, but in the long run they look better and the visual difference for a steam loco is pronominal!

 

Just a few thoughts for you to chew over my friend!

 

Sea

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Nice :D I am a little earlier than you then (Modeling wise) being early 30's either way, the driver is about perfect for LMS period work.

 

as I say, add a fiber washer onto the axles one side of the chassis and that should kill most of the slop, a little is needed but not too much as you say. That lack of exactness and accuracy is why I am now working in EM. Track building as not that hard to do when you get into it, nor is re-gaugeing (EM you can simple spread the wheels on most stanadard wagon axles) and I have never bothered with compensation, just lay the track well and double and tripple check gauge and alinement and you cannot go far wrong, the visual difference on hand built points is staggering, as is loosing the Hornby/peco hinge on the switch rails and scale guard rails :D

 

you can get flexi track in EM now, and point kits, yes they take longer to build and are a little more expencive, but in the long run they look better and the visual difference for a steam loco is pronominal!

 

Just a few thoughts for you to chew over my friend!

 

Sea

Well seeing as you consider 30s as not mid, Im not in mid then. Im going for pre 1936 so yeah. Haha. Bad choice of words I guess.

Ill try to regauge the wheels and find some washers to fit. I even have a handy way to measure the width Id need because the wheel slop is half of what I would need. So washer on both sides and regauge and the clearances are not an issue.

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Well seeing as you consider 30s as not mid, Im not in mid then. Im going for pre 1936 so yeah. Haha. Bad choice of words I guess.

Ill try to regauge the wheels and find some washers to fit. I even have a handy way to measure the width Id need because the wheel slop is half of what I would need. So washer on both sides and regauge and the clearances are not an issue.

I think its personal understanding more than choice of words my friend :D

pre 36 is an eccellent choice of period, and plenty of oddities to choose from stock wise as well as the Stanier standards, beautiful ;)

 

I think its either Mianly Trains or Markits do fiber washers (non condictive) for such excersizes, I get through dozens of them :) let us know how it goes?

 

Sean

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello people. Work has been going slowly. What I have done is removed most of the lettering from the pug. I still have one crest, the front number board, and the builders plates to remove, but its going well. I managed to mask off the handrails on the body. Still have to reblacken the cab handrails...post-21863-0-92740400-1401986044_thumb.jpg

And this morning I was thinking about vac pipes for some reason. So I decided to make some with brass wire and braided string. (Hornby vac pipe in for size)

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I left the ends long incase I would need to wrap it around the headstock. Still needs a bit of paint but I think they look good. I plan on using magnets on the ends to actually connect the pipes, as well as a magnet on the pipe to hold the end steady when not in use. So that would end up being 4 tiny magnets per fitted wagon...that could get expensive.

Oddly enough I don't actually like the look of fitted wagons.

 

I plan on scratchbuilding a few pregrouping wagons to add to my stock. I found some good drawings and references for LNWR wagons and some pictures of them in LMS livery as well. Yay no guessing on livery choices. If anyone has good online references/drawings for LMS wagons or its pregrouping companies wagons, I would be very grateful. What stops me from scratchbuilding isn't a lack of skill or confidence but a lack of information or measurements.

 

Thanks for reading.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well. I recently got a job so modeling time is practically nonexistent. But I am making some money for modeling purposes. Probably kits. I have a few Cambrian and Slaters in mind. I also am thinking of scratchbuilding some LNWR wagons..specifically a diag 17A brake van and a diag 9 open. I want to do those on a parkside and cambrian underframe respectively.

I was also thinking of a david geen kit but I cant remember what I was looking at and the website is nonexistent currently.

I wouldve liked to try a whitemetal kit from 51L but soldering is my downfall.

But. This isnt just a rant.

I have done SOMETHING.

Remember him?

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I have given life to his friends.

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Both were from a Hornby train pack and remained unpainted black for the last 7 years.

Also, Ive given my (eventually) Sopwith Camel a pilot.

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Looks rather nice in his incomplete plane.

 

And finally, I seem to have been bitten by the 1:160th scale bug again and want to try my hand at a shunting plank in American N scale. Im thinking a small inglenook puzzle with my N scale stock. Set in the ending years of the Great Depression of the 1930s somewhere along the route of the New York Central. I want to make it very scenic and I already have a couple buildings and a general idea. I only have one auto though. A small pewter kit of a Ford model A.

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Im rather proud of this little car. Built about 1 1/2 years ago when I was very new to building actual kits.

I had picked up a truck kit as well, which I never actually built. I cut all the bits and started painting but didnt continue. I feel like completing this little truck and seeing how it turns out.

Well...seems about it for now.

Edited by Spitfire2865
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Hello! All afternoon Ive been building this little kit. I had started painting it grey when I first bought it but a very quick google search for a Ford model AA truck found me a nice example in a deep green.

Lucky me, I still had a batch of paint from my Sopwith Camel and it looked to be a good match.

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Almost everything's assembled. I just have to glue the front wheels and the headlights on and touch up where Ive knocked the paint. But it has gone together so nicely. Good to have some more experience with pewter castings. The stakes are surprisingly strong and forgiving.

I really want to find more of these kits. They do go together very nicely and make rather nice models.

Heres my pair so far.

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Beautifully done, If you find who made them please let me know :D they would go well on one of my N gauge projects ;)

 

Sean

http://www.ghqmodels.com/

The models are 1:160th, 1:87th , and a few odd scales.

For paint id recommend non thinned enamel or aerosol. Acrylic would be much too thick for this.

Edited by Spitfire2865
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