Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[MrWolf]

23 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

 

Excellent bargains. Just don't make the same slip up i did and forget to change the receipts the next time your proving how frugal you are.

 

Cant help with the paint removal I'm afraid Rob but I'm certain one of the band will be able to you supply some pointers/advice.

 

Luckily, all of the items had sticky labels with the price on. I was really pleased at having got a set of good screw link couplings for £1.

 

Now all I need is to find 23 more sets at the same price! 

 

Like that's going to happen!

 

It does demonstrate the level of trust in this house, (Or a total disregard for my own safety?) that I can come back from a model train fair, show my beloved what I have bought and then hand her a knife....

 

To get the roof off the clerestory, you understand?

[MrWolf]

7 minutes ago, Winslow Boy said:

Not certain but what about lime juice. We used to use it to remove graffetti on park notice boards as it didn't damage the plastic underneath. No we didn't squeeze limes before you ask it came in a spray.

 

I had visions of y'all doing impressions of Tom Cruise in Cocktail....

 

Anything is worth a try. I have no problems chopping up tatty Tri-ang clerestories, but tatty ones seem to be in short supply now, except those caked in paint.

[chuffinghell]

I’ve used no-nonsense paint and varnish stripper from Screwfix on plastic models

 

https://www.screwfix.com/p/no-nonsense-paint-varnish-stripper-500ml/17091

 

Although I’ve had success with it I wouldn’t like to recommend it just I’m case it all went Pete Tong for others

 

So probably better to test it on something you’re not overly fond of first

[MrWolf]

4 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

So probably better to test it on something you’re not overly fond of first

 

The people two doors down? 

[chuffinghell]

11 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

The people two doors down? 

Worth a try, can’t guarantee it will make them disappear though 

 

Edited January 9, 2022 by chuffinghell

[MrWolf]

Clerestory demolition:

 

It would appear that whoever took the roof off, decades since, didn't remove the screw from underneath the chassis, so they broke the fixing lug in the end of the coach and put a dirty great crack in the roof (can't complain for £2 though) the paint was holding it together though.

 

 

End damage and seriously gloppy paint:

 

 

The roof and body had been smegged together with some kind of contact adhesive.

 

No match for my secret weapon:

 

 

The white paint has leaked through the crack in the roof.

 

I think that I'm going to be visiting the help section of this site!

 

 

[teaky]

Why bother with a brush when you can just pour the paint on?  Blimey!

[Moxy]

7 hours ago, MrWolf said:

 

 

An early wire axle Tri-ang clerestory brake with a yard brush paint job. The roof was glued on, but it's responded to the attentions of Miss R and a penknife as before.

 

I've got two donors in this state now. If anybody knows a way to remove old model enamel?

 

 

 

Dettol is my paint stripper of choice.  Find a plastic tub with a lid big enough to contain your model.  Put model in it and cover with Dettol.  Come back about 6 hrs later, the old paint will have started to soften.  Wipe as much of the old paint away as you can using paper towels.   Repeat the bath in Dettol as many times as you need until you have got most of the paint off.  The last bits of paintwill need to be removed by tooth picks or old toothbrushes, scrubbing the model under running water. The Dettol may discolour the plastic, but as you are going to repaint it, that doesn't really matter.

 

I have attached a couple of pictures of a Triang crane runner, showing before and after Dettol.

 

 

 

[Tortuga]

I used Mr Muscle Foam Oven Cleaner to remove Railmatch and Humbrol enamels from some of my Parkside wagons without any adverse effects on the plastic if that’s any help?

Remove the wheels, spray all over the wagon, seal in an airtight container and leave for (I think? 12 to 24 hours, then scrub under running water with an old toothbrush.

Edited January 10, 2022 by Tortuga
Extra information

[MrWolf]

This is the other glopster, at first, it reminded me of the paint jobs I did on matchbox cars when I was about eight. 

 

But it has scale wheels fitted....

 

 

 

Nice.

 

I'll be trying out your suggestions on these two heaps. I only use the bodies and rooves, the rest isn't up to much!

[MrWolf]

6 hours ago, teaky said:

Why bother with a brush when you can just pour the paint on?  Blimey!

 

I was wondering if it had been used to stir a large tin of paint?

[longchap]

13 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Not much modelling done over the weekend, but I did get to a small model train sale not far away. I didn't think that there was much to inspire, the variety available and pricing was much as you would expect, but I had a dig around and got a result!

 

 

An undamaged Airfix autocoach, later version with Mainline type couplings. It was covered in black dust but responded to running under the tap. I have detailing and flush glazing kits for one of these somewhere!

 

 

An early wire axle Tri-ang clerestory brake with a yard brush paint job. The roof was glued on, but it's responded to the attentions of Miss R and a penknife as before.

 

I've got two donors in this state now. If anybody knows a way to remove old model enamel?

 

The rest of the haul was a pack of Gibson short handrail knobs, a 247 Developments brake standard, a pair of Romford sprung screw couplings and a pack of Gibson Hull & Barnsley wagon brake levers for my butchered Smith's crisps van.

 

I spent a whopping £12. Nobody was more surprised than me, well, the memsahib was, because I insisted on showing her the price tags.

 

I'm sure they do the same thing to us, insist on showing us the price of the genuine bargains so they can slip the expensive stuff under the radar! 

 

 

 

 

 

Firstly, well done with your £12 haul, a good result. I must have gathered dozen or so of these most useful donors, mainly brake 3rds, as they are very useful for bashing into something more useful, but  .  .  .  I have yet to encounter an example in such similar 'previously loved' condition as yours.

 

For cleaning enamel paint from white metal parts, an overnight dip in brake fluid usually serves, but for plastic, I would first try something like disinfectant from a plastic bottle first. Maybe first try the roof.

 

Good luck and I'm looking forward to see what you do with it.

 

Best,

 

Bill

[5 C]

Ah, the never-ending quest for an effective paint stripper.

 

In my experience, no two plastic/paint combos respond in exactly the same way. Ditto when it comes to factory paint finishes. Even a formula that worked on one model in a range may not work on another if the plastic and/or paint is different.

 

A quick search either via Google or within RMWeb will produce several threads with various suggested approaches.

 

The overriding caveat is test on an inconspicuous area or something you're willing to sacrifice if it all goes wrong.

 

Some of my thoughts:

 

Isopropyl Alcohol: My primary weapon of choice as it tends not to attack the plastic. It's also one of the constituents of Phoenix Superstrip and Dettol.

 

On the subject of Dettol, while it does work I and many others have experienced a tendency for it to leave a sticky residue on the plastic which may or may not be caused by a softening of the material. Possibly a reaction to a plasticiser being brought to the surface? Dettol also contains caustic soda which is something else people talk about but I've never tried. One thing it does do is leave its "victim" with that unmistakeable smell.

 

Phoenix Superstrip: works but expensive and probably difficult to get hold of.

 

Brake fluid: like Mr. Wolf, DOT3 seems to work better than DOT4 but even DOT4 managed to strip the lettering from my Black & Decker Workmate (ask me how I know).

 

Mr. Muscle Oven Cleaner: have used with some success. No effect on plastic but not always effective on every paint finish. I think it's something else that's had the formula changed over the years.

 

Nail Varnish Remover: Not tried it on plastic but effective at removing Hornby factory finishes from mazak components. 

 

Some of the old-fashioned paint strippers which actually worked are apparently not recommended for mazak as it seems they can attack aluminium.

 

I tend to work my up in terms of aggressiveness of the stripping agent, starting off with water (well you never know), IPA, white spirit, meths etc.

 

In terms of cleaning "brand new second hand" purchases, again I start low and work up. Fairy Liquid (even in a weak solution) will bleach Hornby factory paintwork. Great for the "just washed with Exmover" look - rubbish for anything else. Experiments with Johnson's baby shampoo seem to clean without damaging paint.

 

Thoughts on removing that in-ground tobacco odour are always welcome...

[MrWolf]

To remove tobacco fug from anything I have always used white vinegar.

I originally used it on someone else's advice to clean the headlining of a 1955 Vauxhall Cresta, which used a very early and irreplaceable form of PVC. The original owner had been a pipe smoker and there was a sticky yellow halo above the driver's seat.

I've since used it on glass, bakelite and all kinds of plastics when cleaning up antiques.

[MrWolf]

What do I do with busted Tri-ang clerstories? 

A couple of works in progress:

 

 

 

A couple of GWR variants flanking one from the MSWJR.

Edited September 5, 2022 by MrWolf
Replaced picture

[longchap]

20 hours ago, MrWolf said:

To remove tobacco fug from anything I have always used white vinegar.

I originally used it on someone else's advice to clean the headlining of a 1955 Vauxhall Cresta, which used a very early and irreplaceable form of PVC. The original owner had been a pipe smoker and there was a sticky yellow halo above the driver's seat.

I've since used it on glass, bakelite and all kinds of plastics when cleaning up antiques.

 

I remember the Crestas well from my boyhood car number collecting days during Dartmoor summers in the early 60s. Dad's first motor was a £4 Morris 8 of '49 vintage and was bought and sold by all of Dad's fellow colleauges wanting to learn to drive. The price was non-negotiable and you had to pass it on when you passed your test to the next temporary guardian.

 

Is your BSA or similar vintage bike pre-1960 and do you partake in rallies, gentlemen racing and the like?

 

Best,

 

Bill

Edited January 11, 2022 by longchap
Spilling !

[Nick C]

16 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

To remove tobacco fug from anything I have always used white vinegar.

I originally used it on someone else's advice to clean the headlining of a 1955 Vauxhall Cresta, which used a very early and irreplaceable form of PVC. The original owner had been a pipe smoker and there was a sticky yellow halo above the driver's seat.

I've since used it on glass, bakelite and all kinds of plastics when cleaning up antiques.

We've started using white vinegar and soda for all sorts of general household cleaning - it often works better than any of the fancy chemicals.

 

I used Homebase own-brand paint stripper on a whitemetal kit a few weeks ago, and that seemed to work fine, and didn't damage the plastic rod the original builder had used, for some bizarre reason, for the handrails...

[MrWolf]

There's a few Crestas left, most of them got banger raced in the seventies though.

My father's first car was a 1946 Morris 8, he sold it to someone who ignored the instruction to oil the new steering king pins every month and hit a Ford Zephyr head on.

The BSAs are two from 1949, and two others from 1939 and 1946. (The latter two are ongoing projects!). The memsahib has a Triumph Speed Twin from 1951.

Our only transport with a roof is a 1965 Triumph Herald 1200.

 

We go off to some of the vintage bike rallies, but I got fed up with folks turning up in a camper with a shiny and never ridden bike on a trailer, it's not really the spirit!

Edited January 10, 2022 by MrWolf

[MrWolf]

So many things to get on with and actually finish at present!

 

Signals

Signal box

Crossing keepers house

Goods yard

Sheep pens 

Barrow crossing

Station building

Station yard

 

Then there's stock and locos!

 

Can we have a vote?

 

I'm kind of at an impasse here!

 

 

 

[longchap]

32 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

There's a few Crestas left, most of them got banger raced in the seventies though.

My father's first car was a 1946 Morris 8, he sold it to someone who ignored the instruction to oil the new steering king pins every month and hit a Ford Zephyr head on.

The BSAs are two from 1949, and two others from 1939 and 1946. (The latter two are ongoing projects!). The memsahib has a Triumph Speed Twin from 1951.

Our only transport with a roof is a 1965 Triumph Herald 1200.

 

We go off to some of the vintage bike rallies, but I got fed up with folks turning up in a camper with a shiny and never ridden bike on a trailer, it's not really the spirit!

 

What wonerfully good taste you and the memsahib have. My first sports car, which I still drive, is a 1965 TR4 which I restored so long ago that I can't remember when. For gentlemen racing, I use a 1936 Austin 7 Ulster and pre-pandemic days, we had 15 000 spectators descend on our wee village of 1 300 souls every summer fora weekend of friendly fun, frivolity and ''demonstration runs'' arround a closed street circuit, all free of charge for spectators (30€ for drivers) with access all areas and live music and so much to enjoy. Absolutely no mirror finished never used machiney and everyone is charming and polite. Cars pre-war and bikes pre-1960.

 

Just FYI.

 

B

[longchap]

3 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

Signals

Signal box

Crossing keepers house

Goods yard

Sheep pens 

Barrow crossing

Station building

Station yard

 

Which will give you the biggest smile?

 

Bill

[Regularity]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

So many things to get on with and actually finish at present!

 

Signals

Signal box

Crossing keepers house

Goods yard

Sheep pens 

Barrow crossing

Station building

Station yard

 

Then there's stock and locos!

 

Can we have a vote?

 

I'm kind of at an impasse here!

 

 

 

Would getting one done give you the momentum to do more?

 

If so, whichever will be finished soonest!

Edited January 10, 2022 by Regularity
Missing word inserted

[cliff park]

A quick vote for white vinegar. In the middle of the first lockdown I was given a woodturning lathe which had been left on a bench below a leaking shed roof for about 3 years. I stripped it all down, left it all in plastic tubs to soak for several hours, and it all came up beautifully, with no damage to plastic parts.

[St Enodoc]

9 hours ago, 5 C said:

Nail Varnish Remover: Not tried it on plastic but effective at removing Hornby factory finishes from mazak components.

I wouldn't use that on plastic. It used to be acetone, although probably isn't these days.

[MrWolf]

10 hours ago, Regularity said:

Would getting one done give you the momentum to do more?

 

If so, whichever will be finished soonest!

 

11 hours ago, longchap said:

 

Which will give you the biggest smile?

 

Bill

 

Signal box it is then. 

 

That will allow me to do the following:

 

1. Install one of only three lights on the layout.

2. Work up the ground around it.

3. Install the lamp hut and privy.

4. Finish the ground behind the station. (Allowing the installation of the backscene.)

5. Put in the station gate, fencing and other odds and ends.

6. Install the station building.

 

That ought to keep me busy!

 

Thanks for the inspiration!