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Spitfire's Workbench - On3 Obsession


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Hello again. I finished the truck. I really could have finished this the first day but I decided to wait because the placement of the front wheels seemed wrong in the instructions. Next time I do a pewter kit I have to remember to hit it with some spray paint first. I need to buy primer...

I still wamt to weather the truck slightly. Maybe some dark on the truck bed and the stake sides. Im happy with the end product. Im just not sure why I waited so long to do it.

I wanted to set up a bit of a scene so heres some pictures.

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This is the precious picture edited on my iPad. Yeahh..I'm no master at photo editing.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well, today was my day off from work, so I got some modeling done. Sadly my kit order hasnt come yet so I havent done anything on that. But I have been working on my balsa Nieuport and a Dauntless divebomber kit.

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Lots of masking and painting and stripping said paint and priming and painting and stripping and priming and painting and........

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The bottom was painted first, then masked and then the blue was painted over a primer base. I bought primer finally!

The sides were sprayed white, masked, primed, and painted blue.

Getting a good coat of blue was hell due to my paint drying almost instantly. I stripped the wing, fuselage, and stabilizers multiple times. I hate brush painting on large surfaces.

 

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The first real progress since my trip to Europe. I did the horizontal spacers and Im adding tension wires as I go to help keep it all square. Its still very lightweight and may end up flying in the end.

I hope my kits come soon. I want to get started on them.

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Hello again! My kits finally arrived!

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I have one slaters kit, two of the 5 planks, and an underframe kit for whatever I please because I love scratchbuilding wagon bodies.

The slaters and cambrian kits are in primer now, I may start the slaters first. Once again in shipping one of the brake levers broke. I dont have good luck with slaters apparently...but since this van could have single brakes it shall!

 

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Heres my daultless kit again. A start on exhaust weathering and the side emblems went on beautifully with microsol. This kit has matured for over a year and I really want to finish it.

 

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Due to the kit having absolutely no cockpit detail besides two benches...really...not even proper seats. Well, I decided to use my "brilliant" model making skills to scratchbuild a full interior. I started on the pilots seat and next will be the ledge between the crew. I hope this all goes well.

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Wow. This is both very quick and very slow work.

Last night I had a chance to put all the lettering on the van.

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may not be totally accurate, But I like it.

 

My 5 planks are coming along. Primed and painted most of the parts.

Here is an unweathered interior. Just flat tan paint.

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And heres a fully weathered interior. After the first tan coat, I picked out each bolthead with rust, then brushed black, a little rust, and brown gray weathering powders on it. Then finally, a dark brown was drybrushed on. Not sure how it looks to trained eyes but I like it.

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Just to show the difference.

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I focus heavily on powders, mixing them with wet and dry paint, painting over them, rubbing them off, reapplying, and all that. Lots of layers of filth. When the body is all built Ill have to go over once more with a coating of dirt.

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Well. Working on and off has given me two new wagons.

The Slaters van is complete weathered, and sealed.

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Brakes on one side due to the damn brake lever shattering in the package. Gota get better luck with Slaters kits...or always want a single braked wagon.

And the open wagon...well one at least. The second will probably be built in the coming days. I need a new stockbox...

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Inside treated to my usual standards. Made it a lot lighter this time. Ill say this wagon is slightly newer....or just got the luck of the draw and didnt carry much dirty crap.

The entire wagon was painted, then the floor was assembled. cambrian needs to adjust their kits to better sit flat and on 4 wheels. I had to pack the solebar above one wheel to make it less 3 wheeled. The ends of the solebars needed some plastic card to get a snug fit between headstocks. The ends were then attached, followed by the sides. When dry the corners were filled and sanded round. There are some gaps still but I cant be that exact. The putty isn't too fun to work with...and dries quickly.

So yeah. Next job is to letter and weather. Stay tuned!

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Hey. One open is finally done! (Apart from the buffers, the paints still drying)

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Rust, dirt, grime, and soot all make up its weathering. I tried to go lighter this time as the lighter basecoat would dirty up quickly. When I get the buffers on tomorrow, I can give them a quick dirtying to match the rest. I tried to use smaller numbers this time. Not sure how it looks. Not sure why the HMRS sheets have so few large numbers...

Well. Now I just need to start the last one...and figure out what to do with the underframe kit. Maybe something to carry my traction engine. Gota find a prototype...ughhh...

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Hi,

I've been looking through your posts and I like a lot of what you're doing, I think your weathering skills are great. I remember building those balsa wood models when I was a kid and seeing them getting wrecked when they hit the deck wrong, painful!

I use Evergreen (made in USA) plastic angle strip for the corners on wagons and I have a cog on a spindle from out of an old clock, several different ones actually and I run this up the inside of the angle strip and that makes a row of dents which look like rivets from the outside.

There's a company called Archers in the US that produce resin rivets on a sheet, similar to the transfers you just float them off onto the model. They have a web site  http://www.archertransfers.com/index.html  there'.s a video showing how to fix them. They are a bit expensive, especially if you're in college but apparently you get a lot for the price.

 

Hope this helps

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Hi,

I've been looking through your posts and I like a lot of what you're doing, I think your weathering skills are great. I remember building those balsa wood models when I was a kid and seeing them getting wrecked when they hit the deck wrong, painful!

I use Evergreen (made in USA) plastic angle strip for the corners on wagons and I have a cog on a spindle from out of an old clock, several different ones actually and I run this up the inside of the angle strip and that makes a row of dents which look like rivets from the outside.

There's a company called Archers in the US that produce resin rivets on a sheet, similar to the transfers you just float them off onto the model. They have a web site  http://www.archertransfers.com/index.html  there'.s a video showing how to fix them. They are a bit expensive, especially if you're in college but apparently you get a lot for the price.

 

Hope this helps

Hey thanks. Yeah. Evergreen is a bit expensive and I find a sheet of brass works well. The rivets may be useful. Though they may not work on wood, and thats where glue may beat it. But hey, I may still wana try them.
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  • 2 weeks later...

Wow! Big update! Sorry for the massive post.

I have been busy the past couple days. Last night I managed to finish my third and final LMS 5 plank open.

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Fairly normal. Again, I chose to use smaller numbers as the HMRS sheet has so few large numbers and a large selection of smaller ones.

The wagon was built yesterday, and the corners were again filled and filed round. People say White Putty dries too quickly but for filling cracks, it works great! Everything painted before assembly and touched up after. Then today, I lettered it, giving it the number 122580. The wagon went together well aside from a little struggling with the sides. By far the underframe went together easiest of all cambrian kits Ive built. I still have an underframe kit I need to do something with.

If anyone remembers the previous open, I have now done something with it.

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It now carries hay under two tarpaulins. Underneath is stuffed with cotton balls and I took some fiber material and tied it up to cover and conceal the cotton on each end. Its not perfect but its the best I could do in 4mm scale.

Sixteen tie down ropes! Twelve of them having rather fiddly knots to get them all taut.

Some may call it OCD or just plain insane but I would never just glue some paper to a wagon. If I want a tarpaulin, Ill take the effort to tie it down properly. Sure its not easy, and it sure as hell isnt permanent. Of all tarps Ive done so far, I always take them off after a while and mix it up.

 

So thats that update, but just a bit of a recap of all Ive done in my adventures in 4mm scale.

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Everything I own currently built and fully functioning.

 

In detail

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My lone Parkside kit, an LMS 20ton Brake van numbered 357714. When I built this I weighted it to function as a brake van. While my wagons end up around 30g, this weighs in at 45g. Maybe I am just insane...

 

Next is my first kit in my 4mm adventure. It started life with a handpainted livery as number 304716, and ended up with a tarpaulin to cover the bad livery, even though the inside was fully painted and weathered. It sits slightly 3 wheeled as most Cambrians probably end up. Some use a plate of glass to get wagons to sit flat, I use my iPad to check during construction.

 

Third is a new arrival which I talked about above. No need for more talking.

 

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My newest wagon, still unweathered due to the glue still drying on the brake gear.

 

Next is my first PO wagon, a scratchbuilt wooden body on a Cambrian underframe, hand lettered and to be honest, poorly chosen. When I do get to built a true layout, I doubt Ill use this. It was mostly just a test of my painting skills.

 

Now is another recent addition, a Slaters Midland 8t van. As with my other two Slaters wagons, they are a bit light due to the underframes. Slaters gives very little room for weights and one 7g weight just fits. Oddly enough, they end up weighing about normal for my collection. Something about Slaters kits, or at least the ones I get, is the brake lever is incredibly fragile and if the included wheels get behind the sprue in shipping, the wheel ends up breaking the part. This time, one of the brake levers was cracked in three places and I couldnt repair it. The second was repairable at just one crack, so I ended up with my first single braked wagon.

 

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My first Slaters kit. A Midland 8t 3 plank. My first experience with broken parts as well. This one had salvageable parts though. It has carried the load of wood planks since I built it, and like all my other loads, it is tied down to the wagon and not glued at any point. Every plank is separate and removable. The only thing holding it together and in is the thread.

Yeah Im thinking Im just insane.

 

And my second Slaters kit, an underframe with a scratchbuilt wooden body. It carries the livery of R.A. Young & Co, a little tribute to my grandfather for whom I can thank for my love of trains. It still does not carry a home location as I am unsure if where to choose. Due to this, It has remained mostly unweathered.

 

And finally is my only RTR stock. A modified, repainted, and re-liveried Dapol LMS vent van. The side strapping was carved off and cleaned up, and the plank grooves were touched up. This is a bit late in my modelling timeframe, coming in mid 1930s, but I enjoy having it. It has had a life of being very dirty, at one point having a tarpaulin to cover a leaky roof, and lastly and most recently, a bit of a clean up for the weathering and a bit of streaking from rain. The roof is actually damaged, having bashed the rain strip with a dropped aerosol can of matt varnish.

Clumsy as well as insane!

 

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And lastly, my Hornby pug. Still in mid livery changing. So much effort to remove the numbers and just one BR logo that Ive put off removing the other one for over a month now. Still have to figure out how to reblacken those handrails...damn turtlewax...

 

Well. This is the end of my amazingly long post. I congratulate the 3 people who managed to not die of boredom halfway through reading this!

I really dont know what to do now. Ive built the three kits I bought, I dont have much money for more, and I have no idea what to do with the Gloucester underframe kit I still have unbuilt. Dont really fancy another PO wagon...at least not an coal wagon. Maybe a PO van but I have little to no information on them, and certainly no useable photos or references. Damn...

Oh well. Maybe its time to start saving again for more kits. Maybe next time Ill try something new and exciting. I would love to try a whitemetal kit, though Im not sure where to buy one.

Well. Thanks for reading!

-Spitfire

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That was a fantastic (if long winded!) update mate.

 

I must say, the tarp over the hay is particularly effective. It also enlarges the look of the wagon compared to the others. The ropes are just the icing on the cake. And the rest of the wagons look excellent, although I think the brake van needs some weathering to match the rest, as it is very bright!

 

If you're stuck for ideas, try something a little unusual, something like a specialist wagon using the underframe. Not necessarily prototypical, but might make a nice change to practice on.

Edited by 69843
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That was a fantastic (if long winded!) update mate.

 

I must say, the tarp over the hay is particularly effective. It also enlarges the look of the wagon compared to the others. The ropes are just the icing on the cake. And the rest of the wagons look excellent, although I think the brake van needs some weathering to match the rest, as it is very bright!

 

If you're stuck for ideas, try something a little unusual, something like a specialist wagon using the underframe. Not necessarily prototypical, but might make a nice change to practice on.

Thank you. The brake van isnt weathered yet. I put a lot of effort into it and I dont want to overdo it.

 

What do you mean by specialist wagon? I have no idea.

 

Also, those tie down ropes, as nice as they look, are a pain to do. Its amazing how 8 strings turn into a messy web and then do that all again.

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Hey thanks. Yeah. Evergreen is a bit expensive and I find a sheet of brass works well. The rivets may be useful. Though they may not work on wood, and thats where glue may beat it. But hey, I may still wana try them.

'Mainly Trains' do a ranged of etched/ embossed wagon parts, which might be of use:-

http://www.mainlytrains.co.uk/acatalog/4mm-wag-par-various.html

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  • 2 weeks later...

While I wait for the kits to come in the mail, I got my plane out again for some more work.

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Nothings changed with the outside.

 

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The interior is all plasticcard except for the headrest which comes from the mounting block for tension locks from a slaters kit. The rear bulkhead is in place, and the center block is where all the electronic bits went. Im not going to model the front bulkhead as you cant even see it with the pilot there.

 

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The pilots seat in primer. The original kit gives two benches to pass as seats. They were supposed to mount to the inside walls but since thats a little hard to get to with the cockpit insert in place, Im going to mount them to the floor with blocks to raise it to the correct height. That way, the entire cockpit is one piece.

 

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The rear guns were horribly wrong in the kit. So I ignored the instructions and followed photos. Gluing the guns together, adding a bit of bulk to it with a bit of plastic, and a small shield which still needs to be cut down.

 

Next I need to figure out how to build the gunners harness. Maybe even find some replacement 1:72nd figures...not a big fan of the kits included ones.

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Nice bit of scratch building, now I really must get my TSR.2 finished.

What are the origins of the kit?

Edited by Nile
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Nice bit of scratch building, now I really must get my TSR.2 finished.

What are the origins of the kit?

Thank you. The kit was made by Testors, an enamel paint company here in the US(doubt you have them over there). I love their paints aand I saw they had a kit of one of my favourite planes for cheap so I bought it not knowing how sparse it was. It certainly is a challenge.
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I know Testors, they make the Polly Scale paints I like. I think they own Italeri, an Italian model company that make good kits.

The kit is probably from an old company they bought long ago, the lack of cockpit interior suggests it's quite old. It makes an ideal thing to practice your modelling skills on, you're doing a good job so far.

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My next kit arrived! A Midland railway long low-sided goods van by 51L.

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I bought this kit not exactly knowing how I would put it together, and when it arrived today, I was excited yet intimidated. I knew the W irons and brake gear were brass but I didnt really think.

So seeing the kit, I rode my bike to the local Radio Shack to buy a soldering iron, solder, and flux, because I was not prepared at all.

I ended up buying a nice variable watt iron and I soldered the W irons together. Im rather proud of my first attempt. Ive learned that I have no damn clue what Im doing and my success tonight was due only to dumb luck.

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I also folded up the brake lever guide because I could.

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Oh, heres a bad picture of the new iron.

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Im now exhausted.

More work tomorrow.

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