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Nile's kitbuilding bench - Midland 1377


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2 hours ago, Guy Rixon said:

John, I'm glad to hear that your products are very accurate. Well done. I wish you did something that suits my period.

 

I still wonder if the best compromise for generic sheets might be to compress the sizes and spacing very slightly. An example is the "Ventilated" legend that appears on many kinds of GWR van: it's nearly always squeezed in between the van framing and default spacing of the letters makes it too large. If the letters were 5% smaller than nominal or the spacing 5% tighter, I don't think anybody would notice, but if the legend doesn't fit the space it really stands out.

 

That's why I avoid producing 'generic' transfer sheets, and stick to 'custom' products - ie. transfers designed to fit specific vehicles; it's the only way to get 'em to fit properly.

 

Naturally, this involves producing a broad range of different transfer sheets - but it's the only way to reproduce the prototype accurately.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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The kit came with a pre-curved piece of plastic card for the roof, it just needed trimming to the right size before gluing onto the body. With a bit of weathering it is now finished.

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Following on from all the horsebox bodging on my other workbench I've actually built one of the kits I used as it should be, with a few additions.

A GWR Beetle W7 prize cattle van.

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  • 4 weeks later...

Lovely work, thanks for sharing.

 

I can't imagine how you managed those fiddly foot stirrups and even the main steps. I had to bodge up replacements having broken most of them off during finishing. Lesson was learnt to add them when everything is fully complete!

 

Colin

 

 

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  • 5 weeks later...
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In the interests of getting something done on this workbench I'm going to try chipping away at the kit mountain, in no particular order.

I thought I'd start with one I've not built before, a MAJ kit.01.JPG.4004e89591a89eefa9710e6c022b8c22.JPG

 

 

It's a case of study the instructions carefully as the chassis parts cover several options, there are lots of bits left over. Care is also needed with some of the parts, the plastic is getting old and brittle. Despite that it went together well.

The black plastic doesn't photograph well, so here it is with an initial coat of grey.02.JPG.91a9ba3f39dc0828f1affedbaf3627f5.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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Something missing from the kit are tie-bars. I've replicated these with 0.4mm brass rod, fitted into holes drilled in the sides of the w-irons.03.JPG.3f04ee30c6b226903326e81687b68349.JPG

 

 

And now the right way up.04.JPG.47fbb04304ee868468436399ecd0fa20.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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Nice job you've made of that, Nile. I've built one of those MAJ L&Y fruit wagons but the plank lines stick out, instead of being grooves! It's kind of put me off building the van and the other fruit wagon that I have in my stash.

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11 hours ago, Nile said:

I've just looked at a van kit and I see what you mean. The plank lines are much finer on this wagon.

Up next is another MAJ kit, a one plank wagon.

 

Is it not possible, with care, to remove the raised plank joints and then scribe grooves?

 

Time-consuming, admittedly, but using one of these https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tamiya-74091-700-300074091-Plastic-Scriber/dp/B002KKBVTC/ref=asc_df_B002KKBVTC/?tag=googshopuk-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=309912011658&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=51339585072567442&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9045284&hvtargid=pla-439173106987&psc=1 it should be achievable.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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5 minutes ago, Nile said:

It would be difficult, but not impossible, as it has outside framing. Photo here:

 

 

For that kind of work, I would use this (the centre, pointed one) https://www.cassart.co.uk/craft/scratchboard-1/scratchboard-surface/ampersand-scratchbord-scratch-knives-including-nibs-set-of.htm?utm_source=google&utm_medium=base&productid=5827&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzZzE04Hq5wIVy7TtCh3GjAA1EAQYAyABEgKuP_D_BwE

 

You should be able to buy the holder and the pointed blades from a good art shop.

 

Regards,

John Isherwood.

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Currently on the modelling bench, another MAJ kit of a LYR wagon, and a Nu-cast kit of a NBR van.05.JPG.3532eeb7221d59931ad19d99296d9d5e.JPG

 

I was going to stick to one kit at a time, but watching enamel paint dry is no fun.

Edited by Nile
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Yes, thin paint is the key. Thin enough so that it can flow a bit, and not dry too quickly. And keep the surface horizontal until it has visibly dried, to stop any runs.

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At last something to show. The second LYR wagon is finished, it's longer than the first, as this shows.06.JPG.94b1bc23fcc90a5c96a43acda212d918.JPG

 

 

The difference in colour is down to the weathering, I haven't given this one a black wash, just powders.07.JPG.1620107457b8a0578dc5c74995c286f4.JPG

 

Edited by Nile
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  • 2 months later...
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I haven't abandoned standard gauge modelling, but it's at a lower priority right now. To keep things ticking along I thought I'd tackle one of the re-issued Slater's kits, if only because they come in quite big boxes. Should be a simple enough build.

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Well not quite. I think they've included the wrong floor in this kit as it needed some bits removed to get the brake gear to fit. My older kits have a different floor in them.

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Eventually it all came together ok, and the new waterslide transfers work well.

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