RMweb Gold Enterprisingwestern Posted October 1, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2015 For the flexible fairings, how about the very thin plastic carrier bags that are found at sunday market type sales places? Mike. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 The Mailcoach kits supplied thin strips of foam for the fairings and I've not found anything better. They compress on bends but spring back to (almost) close the gap on the straight. The whole set is looking very good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markeg Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I have seen them painted red. Just looked on the elegant steam website and they are black. elegantsteam.com/coronation I thought that Mailcoach supplied the kits with a soft foam to bounce back after going around a curve. Must find some for this set and the Silver Jubilee set. Mark in Oz 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted October 1, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 1, 2015 The Mailcoach kits supplied thin strips of foam for the fairings and I've not found anything better. They compress on bends but spring back to (almost) close the gap on the straight. The whole set is looking very good. I thought the conscensus on the foam was that it didn't look very good? Perhaps I was mistaken. I have to confess that I haven't seen any photographs. Do you have any pictures please Jonathan? If foam is the way to go then I'm wondering if the rolls of self-adhesive strip foam for sealing draughty windows might be the answer. I have only seen white and brown but that doesn't mean black isn't available. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 I don't have any pictures, I'm afraid - next time I take my half set up to Grantham, I'll try to remember to take a photo. ISTR I used a black marker pen to darken mine. It doesn't bear close inspection but at normal viewing distances it passed the Tony Wright test. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LNER4479 Posted October 1, 2015 Share Posted October 1, 2015 Great work on getting the project this far. All looks pretty good to me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted October 2, 2015 Author Share Posted October 2, 2015 Thanks everyone for the comments. Actually, its very motivating to know that people are looking in and are interested in the project. Here is a much better (daytime) shot of the rake as it stands, with recently acquired A3 'Book Law' at the helm. Although I am not aware of this particular loco hauling the Coronation, according to my Yeadon book, A3 'Grand Parade' from Doncaster did deputise for a failed A4, as did Gateshead based A1 'Galopin'. It seems then, that A4's were exceptionally reliable, despite all the track miles they had to complete. Coupled to all the moving parts, this makes 80 year old plus engineering seem rather special. I think a green A3 and a rake of these coaches in shades of blue would actually look very nice. I will replicate a shot of this when they are complete. Today, I will be focussing on alignment. I will build a couple of jigs to aid in this. Hopefully when you lot start waking up, I will have something meaningful to show you. More on the 'inter-carriage-fairings' (ICF's?) later. Cheers. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted October 3, 2015 Author Share Posted October 3, 2015 Hello. Well as far as I'm concerned, alignment is complete. Getting the bogies central will be done after painting. This brutal close up shows I am pretty close to getting the coaches fully aligned. Took me ages, as you tend to end up compensating errors, but its done now. Next stage will be to add couplings, and then clean up and prime. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 (edited) Well, I lied slightly. They won't be in the paint shop just yet. I forgot to add that of course, the rake needs testing. So I rigged up my Radius 3 set track loop and placed my new Hornby A3, Book Law on the track. I simply wired the coaches together temporarily, to test how well they ran. I'm very pleased to say they ran superbly, and, as a bonus the A3 hauled them without fault. No loss of speed, and no wheel slippage, despite the heavy load. A tiny speck of PTFE lubricant on each bearing will aid smoothness, and I just need to file a few areas on the coach steps down on the inside where they may rub a tiny amount on the wheel rims. The buffers on these coaches 'stick out' quite a long way. I'm debating removing about 1.5-2mm on each buffer to enable closer coupling. What are your thoughts? They say a picture paints a thousand words, so what's a video worth? Sorry for the awful iPhone footage! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8M7Q8H7HRfQ&feature=youtu.be Another little one - I like the angle. https://youtu.be/VxD5uTNgibg Edited October 5, 2015 by grob1234 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted October 5, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 5, 2015 They're looking really good, certainly much better than the mailcoach set which I have to build. I'm tempted to ask if the track is OO-SF........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 (edited) They're looking really good, certainly much better than the mailcoach set which I have to build. I'm tempted to ask if the track is OO-SF........ Hi Chris, Thank you very much, that's kind of you to say so. Alot of work, but I think worth it in the end, and much more satisfying than getting something out of a box. Time will tell, when I get some paint on them! Does the track give the impression of being OO-SF? Its just bog standard Hornby set-track I have to admit. I have set the gauge on the wheel sets of the coaches to OO-SF though in anticipation of my future layout being OO-SF. Edited October 5, 2015 by grob1234 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted October 5, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted October 5, 2015 Hi Chris, Thank you very much, that's kind of you to say so. Alot of work, but I think worth it in the end, and much more satisfying than getting something out of a box. Time will tell, when I get some paint on them! Does the track give the impression of being OO-SF? Its just bog standard Hornby set-track I have to admit. I have set the gauge on the wheel sets of the coaches to OO-SF though in anticipation of my future layout being OO-SF. Painting.....oh yes the fun is yet to start. Probably why I keep putting the Mailcoach set to the bottom of the pile, the problem there is the pile is getting smaller. I'm in the midst of rebuilding the workshop and when it's finished and the spray booth is up and running I ought to make a start on it. Ignore me on the track, just a silly joke.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted October 5, 2015 Author Share Posted October 5, 2015 Painting.....oh yes the fun is yet to start. Probably why I keep putting the Mailcoach set to the bottom of the pile, the problem there is the pile is getting smaller. I'm in the midst of rebuilding the workshop and when it's finished and the spray booth is up and running I ought to make a start on it. Ignore me on the track, just a silly joke.. Ha... its actually P4.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted October 8, 2015 Author Share Posted October 8, 2015 (edited) Hello, A nice little update here. I have been completing the mind numbingly boring task of adding the detail to 8 virtually identical coaches. Bits of scrap white metal and brass add to the detail found on the outer ends of each pair. I have also added the MJT corridor connectors too. I just have one 'block' to add in the centre. As this task is so boring, I could not help but start on the Beavertail Observation Car (BOC for short). It looks nothing like a beavers tail. . Anyway... One key aspect of this mini build was getting a strong joint between the curved metal casting and the aluminium roof section. I was just about to mix up some of my usual Araldite, when I remembered that about 2 years ago I mistakenly purchased some two part metal glue. Would you believe it?! Anyway, the packet says it is good for aluminium so I mixed up a really large batch and used it, with the addition of brass embedded into the resin to form a strong joint. I gave off a lot of heat while it was curing, so I assume thats good. I have subsequently found this to be exceptionally strong, in fact I was able to use an awful lot of force when 'persuading' the casting to conform to the curvature of the brass sides! Here's the join, not bad for a first effort. I will fill and sand and prime this area thoroughly to ensure it looks completely smooth. This shows it almost fully soldered up, with the exception of the nose cone. I think I can call it that! I have had to create a special shaped floor in order for it to fit in the nose, using one nut instead of two. The bracket is soldered into the nose. The bottom most side looks bent, but this is just an illusion of the camera, as I have just checked the original Finally, here is the look head on. I think it captures the look of the prototype very well. The next challenge is the curved window. I was thinking of trying to warm some plastic slightly and forming it over a blank? Edited October 8, 2015 by grob1234 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) Hello everyone. First of all apologies for lack of recent updates. Work got in the way, and also, the paint process is very slow. That coupled with all the masking (I should buy shares in Tamiya) has meant not a lot to show you and little progress, but they are now coming out of the paint shop, and I have the experimental pair (E & F) to show you. After spraying the insides the correct (as far as I can tell) colour, I then coated the outsides with gloss black enamel to take the chrome silver finish. The smoother the gloss, the deeper the shone of the chrome. In the end, I achieved a fairly nice result: Then it was the tedious task of masking all the bright work off. I used 2mm and 1mm tape which luckily was a perfect fit. Every other mask, for the windows and doors had to be cut with a scalpel. I was able to batch produce them to save time. You'll notice the foil around the lettering on this one. I subsequently removed it before painting as there was too large a ridge showing through. Finally after about half a dozen more paint processes we can do the fun bit! Unmasking, and seeing the result of the work. In this instant the result is OK. They won't stand up to super close scrutiny, but as Tony Wright says, they are layout coaches (and were always intended to be so). Here they are just placed on my spare track for a quick photo. Hopefully the rest will look similar. I have some detail painting to carry out and a few minor touch ups to go, but I believe I am starting to achieve a reasonable representation of this iconic train. Next up will be interiors. As usual the digital camera exposes every flaw! I just posed them with an A3 as all my A4's are in the UK. Thats all for now, I'll post a picture of all 8 when they are done. Edited November 21, 2015 by grob1234 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45568 Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Absolutely superb! Craftsmanship/Clever doesn't do it justice!!!! Cheers from Oz, Peter C. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nelson Jackson Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 wonderful job! 10/10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 Thank you very much for the 'likes' and kind comments. Although I model for my own pleasure, it gives me great satisfaction that others are looking in and hopefully enjoying the build. By sharing my experience, I am able to learn more, so it really is 'win win'. Now then, what do people use to stick the 'glass' in the windows of their coach models? CA is no good as it will cloud the plastic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jwealleans Posted November 23, 2015 Share Posted November 23, 2015 They won't stand up to super close scrutiny They look pretty bloody good to my scrutiny... I'd be delighted with those. I use either PVA for glazing, or, if the sides are very smooth inside, run some Kleer along the edges and let that seep underneath and grip it. It doesn't quite grip so well but is invisible and easy enough to restick any which do fall out. BTW I was chatting to the Whitehouse twins who do carriage building demos at Wakefield at the weekend and they suggested the plastic packaging Easter eggs come in for the end glazing on the beavertail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted November 23, 2015 Author Share Posted November 23, 2015 (edited) They look pretty bloody good to my scrutiny... I'd be delighted with those. I use either PVA for glazing, or, if the sides are very smooth inside, run some Kleer along the edges and let that seep underneath and grip it. It doesn't quite grip so well but is invisible and easy enough to restick any which do fall out. BTW I was chatting to the Whitehouse twins who do carriage building demos at Wakefield at the weekend and they suggested the plastic packaging Easter eggs come in for the end glazing on the beavertail. Thank you Jonathan, coming from a builder of your quality, it means alot. I have Klear, I also have a specific canopy glue, similar to PVA, which dries, well, clear! So will try both. I do have the packaging from a Terrys chocolate orange as a back up, but I have a cunning plan for the window of the Beavertail, which I shall reveal when I have painted A-H. It's a little bit of an experiment, but as they say, nothing ventured, nothing gained EDIT: It was mentioned at the start of this thread by several contributors that nickel silver plating would be a good idea for the bright work on this model. If I ever built this again (which I won't!) then nickel plating would be the way I would tackle it. Hindsight being a wonderful thing! Maybe I can use this technique when I build a Jubilee set if need be. Edited November 23, 2015 by grob1234 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Blue Streak Posted November 24, 2015 Share Posted November 24, 2015 Tom, I have only just found this via the link on Tony Wright's blog. It looks like I have arrived just in time for the painting bit. (Although I have sat and read the whole thread). The coaches look unbelievable. Close ups with a Digital camera can sometimes be very cruel, but yours have certainly passed with flying colours. A Very Impressive bit of Modelling. I had to leave a comment as just pressing the "like" button just didn't seem to be enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted November 24, 2015 Author Share Posted November 24, 2015 (edited) Tom, I have only just found this via the link on Tony Wright's blog. It looks like I have arrived just in time for the painting bit. (Although I have sat and read the whole thread). The coaches look unbelievable. Close ups with a Digital camera can sometimes be very cruel, but yours have certainly passed with flying colours. A Very Impressive bit of Modelling. I had to leave a comment as just pressing the "like" button just didn't seem to be enough. Hello Ted, Thank you very much for the kind comments. It seems there is a very healthy interest in the Coronation down in Oz, so I hope it's providing some entertainment. I'm just in the laborious stage of small touch ups, which take an age to dry, and are very repetitive. Hopefully will get a gloss coat on the remaining coaches tomorrow. Edited November 24, 2015 by grob1234 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted November 25, 2015 Author Share Posted November 25, 2015 Well, the old adage, 'never get complacent' really applies here. Always the case when you think you're making good progress, that the modelling gods come and bite you in the arse! Yesterday I finally finished dry brushing and touching up around all the raised lettering which is a very time consuming job, due to the drying times etc, in readiness for the gloss coat. So off I go with my usual Alclad Gloss Clear, and lo and behold, the black undercoat starts showing through the shades of blue. Am I p"£$ed off or what?! I think I made the classic error of laying the gloss coat on too thickly, which reacted with the very thin enamel paint, and started to show through to the undercoat. Not a total disaster, and I am now in the process of fixing my error. I'll mist over light and dark blue, which needs only a very thin coat. Luckily not all of the sides have been affected. When I get to the gloss stage again, I will lay down a couple of mists of Klear, to protect the enamel, and then finish off with the final gloss coat, built up in stages as I know I should. My impatience to finish got the better of me (as usual). No pictures I'm afraid, I'm too cheesed off!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grob1234 Posted December 30, 2015 Author Share Posted December 30, 2015 (edited) Marry Christmas and a Happy New year to everyone here! Over a month since the last update! Thats not to say work hasn't been progressing at a snails pace though! All the coaches are fully painted, with the exception of the observation car which is in silver at the moment. The coaches still need a couple of touch ups, but overall a reasonably pleasing result. The next thing on the to do list was make the window for the observation car. Complex shape, and I wanted it to be all one piece, so the obvious answer was to vac form one. Only trouble is, I dont have a vac forming machine. So I made one: Its basically 2 pieces of ply glued together, then a hole drilled through to accept the vacuum cleaner hose, then a mesh grille epoxied onto the ply, and a smooth top. There it is, plugged into the hoover. Then I cut two bits of wood out to hold the plastic with bulldog clips: Its as simple as that. Then you just make a master for the mould. I used wood which I carved and sanded to shape. Very important this is smooth because the plastic will show any imperfections. I don't have a pic of the mould for some reason. Anyway, you simply clip the plastic sheet between the wood, heat under the grill til it sags, about 40-50s heating time seemed ideal, turn on the vacuum and plunge the hot plastic onto the mould. This is the first attempt, the plastic wasn't hot enough! But after a few more attempts, I got this: A perfectly formed and fitted transparency for the rear of the observation car.Just needs a trim and a dip in Klear, and it can be used! Worth the effort? Probably not, but I enjoyed myself! More to come over the next few days, I have been working on the interior detail. Thanks for looking. Tom EDIT: This arrived in the post, isn't she lovely? WIll look great fully weathered I think. Edited December 30, 2015 by grob1234 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold teaky Posted December 30, 2015 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 30, 2015 Gorgeous! Great work Tom. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now