Chuffnell Regis

[Graham T]

2 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

See how it goes - it may be a tape would allow the gentle curve to lie flat while the strip will be more troublesome to get an even shape in.

As with buildings, the roof of a coach on our layouts is way more noticeable than every other bit of the model of course.

 

Very true...  I have some other stuff I need to do this afternoon, but will see if I can have another go at the roof later this evening.  Watch this space!

[longchap]

I used micro strip for the roof of the Clifton Downs driving car and it was quick and easy to fit using Tamia Extra Thin, the one with the integral brush.

 

Just cut to size, position on the roof at the high mid-point and fix with a tiny drop of adhesive applied to the underside of the rainstrip, then wait 30 seconds with your finger holding it down, make sure it's stuck, then bend each end in turn down to the lower end positions in turn and dab some more adhesive to the edge of the strip to allow it to spread along by capillary attraction. Job done.

[Graham T]

7 hours ago, longchap said:

I used micro strip for the roof of the Clifton Downs driving car and it was quick and easy to fit using Tamia Extra Thin, the one with the integral brush.

 

Just cut to size, position on the roof at the high mid-point and fix with a tiny drop of adhesive applied to the underside of the rainstrip, then wait 30 seconds with your finger holding it down, make sure it's stuck, then bend each end in turn down to the lower end positions in turn and dab some more adhesive to the edge of the strip to allow it to spread along by capillary attraction. Job done.

 

Unfortunately the roof is aluminium Bill, so I've had to resort to CA glue.  Although I used a similar method to what you described, just without gluing my fingers to the coach!  I marked the centre of the roof, then the height of the rain strips from the gutter.  Then used masking tape to fix each end of the strip parallel along the roof, making sure that it was taut, before glueing the centre.  Then curved the strip down, again used some tape to fix it near the ends of the roof, before gluing the end of the strip.  Finally worked along the remainder with thin CA on the end of a cocktail stick.

 

 

Far from perfect, but an improvement I think.  I will do the other side tomorrow.

 

[Sasquatch]

Clever way of doing It! I'd imaging you used something like 10 second "Zap-A-Gap". Sticking thin strips of styrene to aluminium is a tricky business, so well done!

 

Regards Shaun. 

[longchap]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

 

Unfortunately the roof is aluminium Bill, so I've had to resort to CA glue.  Although I used a similar method to what you described, just without gluing my fingers to the coach!  I marked the centre of the roof, then the height of the rain strips from the gutter.  Then used masking tape to fix each end of the strip parallel along the roof, making sure that it was taut, before glueing the centre.  Then curved the strip down, again used some tape to fix it near the ends of the roof, before gluing the end of the strip.  Finally worked along the remainder with thin CA on the end of a cocktail stick.

 

 

Far from perfect, but an improvement I think.  I will do the other side tomorrow.

 

These things get better with repetition Graham, but I admit that plastic to aluminium will not be as easy as plastic, so we'll done chap.

 

In other news, I found an unused pre-owned value pack of Gaugemaster GWR station lamps on Hattons' the other day, which are winging their way to France, so I can let you know soon, how well they really are to scale. Hmm, I think I better make the station platform!

 

 

[Graham T]

Thanks Bill, I’ll be interested to see what you make of the lamps.  I’ve now got some more of the Dart Castings ones to add to my platform.

[Graham T]

I've now added the remaining rain strips.  Seeing as a picture paints a thousand words and all that, I thought a few photos might help to explain the process.

 

Firstly, I marked the centre of the roof and then how far the rain strips needed to sit above the gutter.  I also marked those heights at the end of the roof, and then taped the strips down in parallel.  Then a dab of thin CA to fix the strips in the centre.

 

 

I then removed the tape, marked the heights of the strips above the gutter at the ends of the roof, curved the strips into position, and taped them down.  The tape was deliberately placed where the water tank covers need to go, so that length of the upper rain strip wouldn't get any glue (it needs to be removed later).  A third hand would have been useful here...

 

 

And so the strips are in place with a (reasonably) sweeping curve down to the ends of the roof. 

 

 

I already had markings in place for the water tank covers, so was able to mark and remove the short sections of rain strip either side of the tanks, and then fit the covers.  I gently curved those between my fingers first so that they weren't trying to spring away from the roof while the CA grabbed.

 

 

Not perfect by a long stretch, but better than with the overscale strip I'd used before I think.  And paint should hide most of the howlers, with luck.

 

[Andy Keane]

I am just worrying that you should have etch primed first? The stuff we recommended is quite thin but how will you keep the strips safe when you spray?

[Graham T]

From what I hear etch primer shouldn't harm the plastic...  I don't have any yet in any case, so am thinking about trying with some Vallejo acrylic spray paint instead.

[Rowsley17D]

Etch primer on plastic is fine. I've used it for years. It's recommended by the great coach builder and painter Larry Goddard when he makes buildings etc in plastic

[Graham T]

Thanks for that Jonathan.  Hope you’re doing well.

[Graham T]

The roof has now had some Vallejo primer and a couple of coats of Tamiya German grey.

 

 

[Graham T]

I've got a cigarette and chocolate vending machine and a weighing machine from Dart Castings to go on the platform at Chuffnell R - can anyone tell me what colours they would have been please?

[Graham T]

In other news, I've managed to fix the roof to the coach without removing any of its paint, which was a bonus.

 

 

And here's one of the pre-printed sides just offered up.  It seems to fit...  But still more work to do on the sides before they can be fitted - I'm waiting for grab and door handles, and will also have to apply the transfers.  Plus I want to get the chassis complete before fitting the sides, so that I can minimise how much handling they get.

 

 

[Andy Keane]

do you plan to overpaint the printed grab handles or leave the as is or maybe even paint them as shadows?

[31A]

1 hour ago, Graham T said:

I've got a cigarette and chocolate vending machine and a weighing machine from Dart Castings to go on the platform at Chuffnell R - can anyone tell me what colours they would have been please?

 

I think weighing machines on stations were usually red.

[Graham T]

26 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

do you plan to overpaint the printed grab handles or leave the as is or maybe even paint them as shadows?

 

Not really sure yet Andy - all of those are possibilities!  Hopefully the etches will arrive soon so that I can make a decision.

 

[Rowsley17D]

You seem to making a cracking job of that coach, Graham.

[Graham T]

Thank you Jonathan, very kind.  It's the first coach kit that I've built, so keeping my fingers crossed for a good result!

[john dew]

5 hours ago, Graham T said:

I've got a cigarette and chocolate vending machine and a weighing machine from Dart Castings to go on the platform at Chuffnell R - can anyone tell me what colours they would have been please?

 

I am certain (as in I remember) weighing machines were red. I am less positive about vending machines but suspect red - its how I have painted mine.

 

This may help

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwro1020.htm

 

Regards

[Graham T]

8 minutes ago, john dew said:

 

I am certain (as in I remember) weighing machines were red. I am less positive about vending machines but suspect red - its how I have painted mine.

 

This may help

 

https://www.warwickshirerailways.com/gwr/gwro1020.htm

 

Regards

 

4 hours ago, 31A said:

 

I think weighing machines on stations were usually red.

 

Thanks chaps, sounds like red is getting the vote.

 

[Graham T]

This is, I'll freely admit, a rather boring photo.  But it's evidence of a leap forward at Chuffnell Regis.  My first successful attempt at low temp soldering, using some scrap whitemetal and brass etch.  And amazingly it's a nice strong joint with no unwanted melting-related unpleasantness.  This is a big deal because it means I can now get the bogies for the toplight assembled - with luck and a following wind...

 

[Andy Keane]

Graham, some people find tinning the brass with normal solder first can help as the low melt goes into this more easily than the brass itself.

[Darwinian]

On 25/11/2023 at 15:09, 31A said:

 

I think weighing machines on stations were usually red.

There are a pair of luggage weighing machines on Sheringham NNR station that are LNER/BR and are green with red lettering. I presume they were like that pre-preservation but don't think they'd like me chipping at the paint to be sure!

 

[Graham T]

23 minutes ago, Andy Keane said:

Graham, some people find tinning the brass with normal solder first can help as the low melt goes into this more easily than the brass itself.

 

That's what I did Andy, also cleaned up the whitemetal with a fibreglass pencil, and used lots of flux.  Steeling myself to try the bogies now...