S7 scratch building

[Mol_PMB]

Spherical.

They are far easier to form that way, the flatter they get the more difficult it is to form the head. With a tank like this there's no reason to go for anything other than spherical.

Come to Boston Lodge and help us rivet together some old wagons!

Mol

[airnimal]

Mol, I have gone with your suggestion about the rivets. I could of course messed about with test bits but that would have only slowed me down. 

I did the first row and then flooded the back with superglue which was a big mistake because the glue came out of the holes around the rivets. So I have gone back to dipping the tip in the superglue before pushing them home. Once they were dry I then ran a drill through the corresponding hole on the other corner and did the same again. This is going to be a long job.

If anyone ask me once it is finished and painted if this is a Slaters kit I might not be responsible for my actions !

[Mol_PMB]

I know the feeling! I have a couple of Slaters kits in stock which for me have the opposite problem - they are too old and small! I have a plan, will get there eventually. 

Thanks for putting me on to Masterclub and Ambis which are useful for my models too. 

[airnimal]

I have got as far as this when dec.................stopped play. I have my boiler suit on and painting the bathroom ceiling  with the boss keeping a very close eye on me. It worst than having a foreman or Sargent  Major watching over you.

[Argos]

Hi Airnimal,

 

You are surpassing yourself with this build, it is simply exquisite!

 

I think you should tell the boss that serious art is being disrupted, did Michelangelo have to put down his brushes whilst painting the Sistine Chapel to emulsion the walls?

 

You have my full support in this whilst I hide behind the sofa............ 

[Northroader]

I suppose you’re just as good when you’re decorating? Me, I put too much on the brush and there’s runs, and I don't get trusted with the D word as a result, and so there’s just a little bit more time gifted with the M word, although I can’t use it as well as you. Once I’d put two of those rivets in I’d be going doo-ally.

[Mol_PMB]

1 hour ago, Northroader said:

I suppose you’re just as good when you’re decorating? Me, I put too much on the brush and there’s runs, and I don't get trusted with the D word as a result, and so there’s just a little bit more time gifted with the M word, although I can’t use it as well as you. Once I’d put two of those rivets in I’d be going doo-ally.

 

I have visions of the living room walls being decorated with rivets, painted red oxide and with a Staffy 'knot' motif painted on... But I don't think Masterclub make rivets big enough for house walls.

[Dave Hunt]

On 09/08/2021 at 20:37, airnimal said:

 

If anyone ask me once it is finished and painted if this is a Slaters kit I might not be responsible for my actions !

 

 

I know the feeling Mike. Someone at an exhibition once asked me where I bought my Compound and when I replied that I'd made it then asked which make of kit it was.

 

I know that I've stated before how much I admire your work but this one is simply stunning.

 

Dave

Edited August 11, 2021 by Dave Hunt

[airnimal]

I have unleashed the genie out of the bottle !

Not content with the painted bathroom because the boss wants everything given a second coat of paint before WE start the kitchen !  I am not sure where she gets the idea about me wanting  a pristine ideal home from some magazine because when I we met I lived in a terraced house without curtains and newspaper at the windows with old furniture from the local tip. I didn't have a television but I had 2 motorbikes and 3 pedal bikes with enough railway books to fill a library. But she lived in a new build 3 bedroom detached house that we now live in. Quess who lost when it came to where we were going to live once  we got married .

We must have done something right because we are still here and laugh about most things. 

 

Anyway I have managed to fit nearly half of the rivets before paint stopped play. I have nearly run out of rivets so there is another order on the way from Historex. I haven't counted how many holes there is in this tank but I won't be making another anytime soon. 

[Mol_PMB]

That looks superb. 

I must confess I used the Archer rivet transfers on my rivetted tank. 

[airnimal]

The rivets arrived today so after the dec............... I finished putting the last of the 672 rivets in. 

There is still a lot to do but the vast majority of work is done. There are a few items to deal with like the bars over the tank don't lie down because the rivets standing proud.  I will have to move the holes in the end stanchions up a few thou and fit the plates on the end with the large bolts on. With any luck I can do all the little jobs and get a coat of paint on tomorrow.  

[kitpw]

Wow!

[Regularity]

You missed one…

 

I’ll get me coat… …taxi!

[Tricky]

672….I do believe you’re serious…!

[Regularity]

2 minutes ago, Tricky said:

672….I do believe you’re serious…!

That’s four packets, plus 32 more.

 

Easy to count rivets if you do it that way!

[Caley Jim]

16 minutes ago, Regularity said:

You missed one…

 

I’ll get me coat… …taxi!

Exit, screaming, stage left!

 

Jim

[Simond]

Don’t Slaters do….? No, sorry, wait, err…

 

 

joking aside, you’ll have to build a Slaters rectangular tank too, so you can show the difference.  It really is special.

 

atb

Simon

[airnimal]

I have given the tank a first coat of red oxide primer from a rattle can. This shows all the imperfections which I hope will not be to noticeable when the black paint goes on followed by the weathering. 

I did a small test piece with the red before applying a few blobs of Maskol and then painting with the black. Once removed the red shows through leaving some patches of worn paint, not very successfully IMHO. I will paint the rest tomorrow before I decide what to do about the weathering on how far to go with it. Weathering like painting is not my strong point.

 

Thanks to everyone for the comments. It is always good to laugh and not to take things to serious. 

[Western Star]

7 hours ago, Simond said:

Don’t Slaters do….? No, sorry, wait, err…

... you’ll have to build a Slaters rectangular tank too, so you can show the difference.

Mike,

 

Just in case you decide to take Mike's suggestion, here is a link to a topic about a couple of Slater's tar tubs that Peter and I have built.  You may notice that I have used some techniques / methods that are familiar to you...  with due acknowledgement.  Near to the top of the thread is a photo of Peter's tar tub which was painted and weathered by Adrian Marks; Adrian wrote about his methods on RMWeb, here and are worth reading.

 

As to weathering, Rob ( @Rob Pulham ) has written here (or WT) about how he has weathered his tank wagon, worth lookiing at for the way in which Rob has treated the spillage from filling of the tank.  Rob, can you supply a link?

 

regards, Graham

Edited August 13, 2021 by Western Star

[airnimal]

I painted most of the components for my tank wagon this morning with the usual rattle cans. 

I will leave them for most of today for the paint to go hard. I might assemble them tonight depending on what the good lady has in store for me. 

[MarcD]

its going to sound like a silly question but how did you get your "cast" plates painted so neatly? I have some signs to do shortly.

 

Marc

[airnimal]

Marc, I just put them in Birchwood super blue then rub the plates on some wet and dry. I did think about  spraying them with some Ford graphite grey and doing the same with the wet and dry. I may still try that but it will have to wait a bit because  we are going playing out fo a short while. 

[airnimal]

We went out to Astle Park traction engine rally today, but so did the rest of the world !  We only got about 1.5 miles away when we hit the queue that wasn't moving at all except for the people turning around and giving up. We joined them and went home. 

 

So I put the tank wagon together to see if it looked like it should. The are a few issues that need attention like the brake handle that I broke being heavy handed. I still have to sort out the axleboxes and springs as well as doing more weathering. I have dusted it all over with some brown pastel chalk but I will attempt to distress it more after I look at some photographs.  

[Malcolm 0-6-0]

That's magnificent - great job.

[airnimal]

I have prepared the axleboxes from modified Slaters Midland ones with new lids, The springs are my own printed ones left over from I ones I had done last year. I have replaced the tie rods on top of the tank because I wasn't satisfied with the finish on them and repaired the brake handle.  

There always a few issues that need attention after painting any model and this one was no different.