What's on your 3mm workbench

[Phil Mason]

The grilles look fab. And the buffers? Stonking! Real grease? You've managed to make the bogies look like they have real weight behind them. Perhaps a bit more black on the roof, maybe? 
 

P 

[TT100 Diesels]

10 hours ago, Phil Mason said:

The grilles look fab. And the buffers? Stonking! Real grease? You've managed to make the bogies look like they have real weight behind them. Perhaps a bit more black on the roof, maybe? 
 

P 

 

Hi Phil,

 

Thanks for the kind comments, I don't think the roof weathering shows up that well in the photos. Yesterday, one of the things I did was to add more weathering to the roof and when it dried I was happy with the look. 

 

The side grilles were fun to do, initially a couple of frame dirt washes, then weathered black wash was applied into the deep grilles and dry brushed frame dirt onto the shallow grilles where the body framing is close behind and I am pleased to replicate what they looked like in my photo of 45127.

 

Cheers

D.

[bradfordbuffer]

12 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

 

Hi Phil,

 

Thanks for the kind comments, I don't think the roof weathering shows up that well in the photos. Yesterday, one of the things I did was to add more weathering to the roof and when it dried I was happy with the look. 

 

The side grilles were fun to do, initially a couple of frame dirt washes, then weathered black wash was applied into the deep grilles and dry brushed frame dirt onto the shallow grilles where the body framing is close behind and I am pleased to replicate what they looked like in my photo of 45127.

 

Cheers

D.

What's next on bench?

[TT100 Diesels]

Whoa, steady on Bradford, the Peak ain't finished yet, got that lovely hand cut flush glazing to content with! 

 

Railway wise, in the works que are a couple of rakes of wagons and another five locos, so plenty for me to dip into as and when I am in the mood.

 

But following the Peak final completion. I might go off piste for a while and do some wargaming terrain pieces / buildings. That will stop me posting on here for a while, and be nice to watch other folks progress.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[bradfordbuffer]

4 hours ago, TT100 Diesels said:

Whoa, steady on Bradford, the Peak ain't finished yet, got that lovely hand cut flush glazing to content with! 

 

Railway wise, in the works que are a couple of rakes of wagons and another five locos, so plenty for me to dip into as and when I am in the mood.

 

But following the Peak final completion. I might go off piste for a while and do some wargaming terrain pieces / buildings. That will stop me posting on here for a while, and be nice to watch other folks progress.

 

Cheers

 

Dave

Nooooooooo...keep the 3mm alive!

[BetweenTheTunnels]

I agree with @bradfordbuffer, @TT100 Diesels you cant stop - the wargaming can wait :) Lol ... whatever you do enjoy it.

 

I've been pushing on with my J50 build (at the usual snails pace) but its now had its first coat of primer. 

 

In an effort to try and encourage more people to look at 3mm, i've asked Andy Y to move my construction thread out of the 3mm section and into the main Kitbuidling / Scratchbuilding thread, so a full update can be found there (or here if you just want to click through!)

 

Not a lot of progress, but a bit (well until I tipped the pot of Humbrol cement over ... I will not be popular if the fumes are still there in the morninig!! Never had the window open at midnight for 30 minutes before in March!) if anyone is interested.

 

Richie

[TT100 Diesels]

Nice work Richie, lots of nice kits coming together......

 

I understand your reasons for moving the thread to a more general area, Phil and I have our layout threads in the general area as well for the same reason. 

 

But of late, the 3mm workbench thread had kind of gained a "critical mass" and is buzzing with interest and updates compared with previous times, so I would appeal to you to also post here, perhaps, some of your work bench highlights from time to time in addition to your main thread if that might be ok with you?

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

[Phil Mason]

On 19/03/2024 at 20:38, Red Devil said:

I'll keep the RC thread for anything RC related I think.

The RC demo at York was fantastic. Thanks so much for making the effort. They whole thing looks just stunningly professional. 
 

I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to the build of the chassis itself. 
 

but just 'bowled over', really. 
 

Thanks again,

 

Phil

[bradfordbuffer]

23 minutes ago, Phil Mason said:

The RC demo at York was fantastic. Thanks so much for making the effort. They whole thing looks just stunningly professional. 
 

I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to the build of the chassis itself. 
 

but just 'bowled over', really. 
 

Thanks again,

 

Phil

quite agree it looked and ran like a Bachmann/ Hornby  mass manufactured rtr item than a home brew item. much skill dedication, great demo of dead rail operation it now all makes sense.

take a bow read devil

[Red Devil]

40 minutes ago, Phil Mason said:

The RC demo at York was fantastic. Thanks so much for making the effort. They whole thing looks just stunningly professional. 
 

I'm sorry I didn't pay more attention to the build of the chassis itself. 
 

but just 'bowled over', really. 
 

Thanks again,

 

Phil

 

9 minutes ago, bradfordbuffer said:

quite agree it looked and ran like a Bachmann/ Hornby  mass manufactured rtr item than a home brew item. much skill dedication, great demo of dead rail operation it now all makes sense.

take a bow read devil

Thanks.....! Just pleased that you all found it of interest.

I best get my finger out on a few more now!!

As per my post on the Bluish thread I've found some gears that may come in very useful....more on those when they arrive.

[BetweenTheTunnels]

22 hours ago, TT100 Diesels said:

Nice work Richie, lots of nice kits coming together......

 

I understand your reasons for moving the thread to a more general area, Phil and I have our layout threads in the general area as well for the same reason. 

 

But of late, the 3mm workbench thread had kind of gained a "critical mass" and is buzzing with interest and updates compared with previous times, so I would appeal to you to also post here, perhaps, some of your work bench highlights from time to time in addition to your main thread if that might be ok with you?

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

 

Hi Dave,

Yes my intention is to post a pic and quick round up on here whenever I update the main thread .. but i'll also post the odd bit on here that is in my other thread if that makes sense!  Its nice to see the 3mm section coming to life!

Richie

[TT-Pete]

Oh dear, I really shouldn't go to shows like York, now I've got all kinds of new ideas running around my brain, I really did not need any more projects but now for some strange reason I'm thinking that radio-controlled battery-powered locomotives are the way to go...

 

@Red Devil can't wait to read all about it in the Mixed Traffic article! (nudge, nudge 😁).

 

[Red Devil]

I seem to have a bit of a production line going now....

Various bogies for the RC thread...

Left to right...

37, little work inc tidying needs doing.

DMU, done and ready for build.

29 power bogie, done bar a little tidying.

29 trailing boie, done bar pivot point.

20, motor fitment next, still unsure on gears.

26, ready for motor fitment and gears.

 

Just waiting on some 12mm brass strip to knock up the respective trailing bogies....I have just enough to do the Park Royal Railbus in stock.

So much for I was only going to build a couple! Motors, wheels and most gears in hand for these and at least a couple of others, I think I need(!) a 24/1, 17 on the way when materials arrive and I quite fancy a 40....

 

[TT100 Diesels]

58 minutes ago, Red Devil said:

I seem to have a bit of a production line going now....

Various bogies for the RC thread...

Left to right...

37, little work inc tidying needs doing.

DMU, done and ready for build.

29 power bogie, done bar a little tidying.

29 trailing boie, done bar pivot point.

20, motor fitment next, still unsure on gears.

26, ready for motor fitment and gears.

 

Just waiting on some 12mm brass strip to knock up the respective trailing bogies....I have just enough to do the Park Royal Railbus in stock.

So much for I was only going to build a couple! Motors, wheels and most gears in hand for these and at least a couple of others, I think I need(!) a 24/1, 17 on the way when materials arrive and I quite fancy a 40....

 

 

Hmmmmm, I do seem to remember, last summer, you just "dipped in" to just "do a class 24 loco", as a "bit of a small sideline project", nothing much you know.........

 

And yet all I see is a radio control takeover bid for the scale. I think the gravitational pull has caught you by surprise and the event horizon looms inexorably....... The 1/100 black hole claims another victim. 😁

 

 

Cheers

 

D.

 

PS - I am sure you are enjoying this journey 👍

[bradfordbuffer]

1 hour ago, Red Devil said:

I seem to have a bit of a production line going now....

Various bogies for the RC thread...

Left to right...

37, little work inc tidying needs doing.

DMU, done and ready for build.

29 power bogie, done bar a little tidying.

29 trailing boie, done bar pivot point.

20, motor fitment next, still unsure on gears.

26, ready for motor fitment and gears.

 

Just waiting on some 12mm brass strip to knock up the respective trailing bogies....I have just enough to do the Park Royal Railbus in stock.

So much for I was only going to build a couple! Motors, wheels and most gears in hand for these and at least a couple of others, I think I need(!) a 24/1, 17 on the way when materials arrive and I quite fancy a 40....

 

Looks like you have been having a wheely good time! Sozz could resist.....Good too talk at york.

G

[Phil Mason]

11 hours ago, TT100 Diesels said:

The 1/100 black hole claims another victim. 😁

Black hole? I see it more like a 'Damascus moment' or a creature floundering around in the swamp and then emerging from the lagoon into the daylight and seeing a new world with all its opportunities and possibilities... 

 

But yes, totally brilliant stuff. Also great to see Chris's 'spud-like' geared bogies in action. There are clearly some very clever people out there! 
 

P. 

[TT100 Diesels]

Now got a Peak headache! It was warm and dry this afternoon so outside to spray the obligatory two coats of rattle can matt varnish. Did first coat, when ready for second found a few inclusions to remove including a very tiny bug. Cocktail stick point did not work, so hmm a bit of blue tack should do the trick.

 

Errmmmm no, just stuck blue tack to the body side so now having to put it to one side, let the varnish harden and hopefully remove the errant blue tack, otherwise it will need a proper local paint repair and weathering reblend......

 

One step forward and two back...... Pah !

[bradfordbuffer]

51 minutes ago, TT100 Diesels said:

Now got a Peak headache! It was warm and dry this afternoon so outside to spray the obligatory two coats of rattle can matt varnish. Did first coat, when ready for second found a few inclusions to remove including a very tiny bug. Cocktail stick point did not work, so hmm a bit of blue tack should do the trick.

 

Errmmmm no, just stuck blue tack to the body side so now having to put it to one side, let the varnish harden and hopefully remove the errant blue tack, otherwise it will need a proper local paint repair and weathering reblend......

 

One step forward and two back...... Pah !

Nature has a way!....you probably squished his cousin on your windscreen last year!

[TT-Pete]

10 hours ago, TT100 Diesels said:

when ready for second found a few inclusions

 

Oh how I hate it when that happens (usually a cat's hair in this household!), or noticing that you sprayed a bit too long, or too close, and now have curtains. Varnish hides a multitude of sins, but can also introduce new ones... Hope you're not facing worst case scenario.

[Phil Mason]

Well, I'd say chuck the rattle cans (for all the reasons you've just outlined) and do multiple thin coats with a brush like you've done to excellent effect with the paint. 
 

P. 

[TT100 Diesels]

Thing is though Phil, it is not a rattle can fault as such, its foreign bodies coming into contact with wet surface coatings, which also happens when I paint on the work bench.  Thing is, I can use fine finishing grit afterwards on the ordinary paint and

simply touch up again afterwards.

 

Rattle can spray varnish dries very quickly so I think I was just unlucky. 

 

The only sure fire way to avoid the risk of inclusions is to have a proper filtered air paint booth  at a very slightly higher pressure to keep dirty air out, but I don't have access to such very specialist paint facilities! And the rattle can varnish works well most if the time, the only real disaster were the class 20's but that was more of a me rushing and not allowing sufficient time for the enamel washes to fully harden before spraying.

 

Cheers

 

D.

[03060]

Just arrived this week for the workbench, 2nd hand from a shop on the IOW, is this Hobby Holidays chassis jig and rolling road unit which are no longer available, so was snapped up once I saw the advert in an email.

 

 

 

I do own a couple of other types of chassis jig which are a bit more enclosed than this one but found them a little awkward to get in at with the soldering iron last time I tried them, hence the decision to try this more open type.

 

Thinking about it I may even have another type which is more similar to the ones being currently sold by the Society ... Hmmm ... I'll have to check my workbench drawer area again as I've probably never even tried it.

 

I've got a lot of flat pack steam loco kits in the stash so anything that aids an accurate 'first time right' free rolling chassis is money well spent in my book ... this latest one being considerably more expensive than the Society ones but I like the look of it ! 
 

I will report back when I've had a go with it in a couple of months time.

 

Regards,

Ian.

[TT100 Diesels]

Nice piece of kit there 03060. I guess worth it if you are having to work through a stash of chassis kits though. And the rolling road bit looks good too.

 

So looking forward to seeing your actual loco progress on here as and when you get started.

 

Happy to report to "the bench" that the two steps backwards on the Peak have now turned into forward progress again. Minor paint repairs and the spot re weathering done, plus final coat of rattle can matt varnish, the body looks just, well spot on to me! So its an enforced couple of days break to let the varnish proper harden before all the handling associated with flush glazing. 

 

So in the meantime, already started a wargaming terrain piece building, but obvs huge scope creep for this thread, so enough of that 😉

 

Cheers

 

D.

[TT-Pete]

The LMS Ivatt diesel progresses;

 

My only criticism is that the 3d printed buffers are very fragile, having snapped several off I have replaced them with metal Tri-ang A1A buffers. I paid Fox Transfers to reduce the artwork for the numeral etchings to 3mm scale (eek! expensive!) but at least when that's done any future purchasers will be able to get them at the usual price.

 

Cheers,

Peter

[TT100 Diesels]

Pete, wow that is amazing progress, it is looking lovely.

 

I am super impressed with the roof cream to body green interface, that must have been a total expletive to get neat with the lines of rivets all the way along the livery interface. 

 

Top work Pete, take a bow !

 

Cheers

 

D.