Dymented - the Serious stuff starts!

[stevel]

17 hours ago, lezz01 said:

Err vacuuming flock for reuse 101.

First steal a stocking from Mrs Philou, second roll it up so you have around half a foot left unrolled stick this in the vacuum and fix it to the nozzle with an elastic band. Turn on vac and suck up the flock into the stocking. Turn of vac and remove the stocking from the nozzle and empty the stocking into a receptacle ready for reuse. Wash stocking and replace it in the appropriate draw, with luck and a following wind she'll never know.

Simples.

Here endeth the lesson....no charge.

Regards Lez.

Would be easier to buy your own stockings, no one would bat an eye nowadays. 😂

[Philou]

Hello chums and chumesses,

 

I went to the FREMO show yesterday afternoon. I was very surprised that it was not open to the public. Apparently the German Fremo groups don't do much by way of open doors and keep it for themselves - a bit like a private club I suppose. All the modules joined up made an enormous layout - about 60 x 40m and apparently it was only part of what they had back at home.

 

I took away from it that their level of modelling is far superior to that of the club :(( , we're going to have to pull our socks up! Also the FREMO modules are quite high off the ground around 5' (1.4 - 1.5m)  - children definitely need something to stand upon. Our club had built a spiral to join the French and German modules together. It was all DCC with mini-handsets plugged into the modules via RJ45 (telephone) plugs. The handsets weren't of a make I recognised, but possibly specially made as they were all stamped with the FREMO name. Upside was that as there were telephone sockets everywhere you could unplug the handset and follow your train to its destination. Just one console plus boosters to control the whole thing.

 

With Germanic efficiency, all trains were labelled in the various fiddle yards with the loco type and fleet number, DCC ID N°, consist, destination and time it was supposed to leave the fiddle yard (I had to smile as with Gallic efficiency the timetable had gone completely to pot! :)) ). It all worked by section and acceptance or clearance of each train was done by internal landline to the next controller along.

 

What I found odd was that where there was double track, wrong line running had been imposed (for the Germans) that meant the French modules had their signals facing the wrong way - bizarre that as I would have had the trains keep to the correct side on emerging from a single line section.

 

The downside was the very, very long sections of single track meant waiting forever for a train to clear before another could leave with long periods of inactivity - much like real life.

 

I did take some photos:

 

 

 

^ This was the set up - the FREMO modules on the left and ours on the right, it was big!

 

 

 

 

 

^ Vorsprung durch technik

 

 

 

^ The difference between ours and theirs was quite evident - very generous curves and (I thought) very good scenery especially the static grass - flocking good springs to mind!

 

Some technical stuff:

 

 

^ This was our 'connector' between the Junior Modules and the FREMO ones - the spiral (very much WiP) with three levels inside. Seemingly all the trains made it uphill!

 

 

^ A home-made loco lift - I though it was pretty neat. I have a detailed photo of it but I'm at the 10Mb limit and I can post it separately if wanted.

 

It was made with a 400 x 50mm(ish) piece of 10mm ply base and 4 'A's made from 5mm ply and a length of 25mm dowel as a carrying handle - all glued and no screws or nails - even I could make one of those!  A piece of rail tacked on the bottom and connection was made by simple bent wire prongs (as in the photo) at the end of the storage tracks.

 

All-in-all, a pleasant afternoon.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

Update of happenings at Philou Towers to follow in a while ..................

 

 

 

[Philou]

............... Philou Towers update incoming.

 

Hats off! I have to take my hat off to those that construct their own track. I spent about three hours threading some bridge chairs onto some bullhead rail that @lezz01 kindly sent me. How do you do it? Despite having still nimble fingers and longish nails, the chairs had a bad habit of refusing to sit the right way up or would 'ping' off onto the floor - luckily not into the jaws of the carpet monster as we haven't got one. However, brown plastic on a wooden floor is almost as difficult to locate :) .

 

Here are some photos of today's progress:

 

 

^ I found the easiest way to thread the chairs was to use some double-sided sticky down on the table - did help that it was glass! With a finger-nail as a back-stop, it was then much easier to guide the rail into the chair (the rail having been pre-champfered, natch). I speeded up the process by cutting off the sprue the exact number of chairs and then sticking them in groups of 8 on the sticky paper AND I remembered have an opposite chair at the joint so that the key against the fishplate could be secured.

 

 

 

^ Here is one of the baulks that I had ever-so carefully marked out with the spacings for jointed GWR track (44'6" panels) and it was then a simple task to slide them along the rail to their correct positions prior to glueing. You can see the pencil marks in the lower photo. One or two needed some fine adjustment (For example the 5th from the right in the photo above).

 

 

^ Four baulks all glued up. I now have to devise a way of putting all the transoms in place and then glueing them all up and keeping gauge. I have an idea for that which may work. I'll let you know how I get on. I will also have a gravel board at each end of the pairs - I have assumed that in real life a gravel board is used to stop ballast getting spread over the bridge deck. Tomorrow, the excess rail will be snipped off using a Xuron cutter, ends refiled and champfered and a lick of paint all ready to be stuck to the deck, when that is done.

 

As an aside, I found that the double-sided tape was so sticky, I couldn't peel it off the table! A bit of solvent and a sharp scalpel did for it.

 

Another little task completed. Back to my retaining walls and then a whole piece of rail may be glued in the branch line cutting - whoohoo!

 

Cheers everyone and enjoy the weekend,

 

Philip

 

 

[martin_wynne]

3 hours ago, Philou said:

Hats off! I have to take my hat off to those that construct their own track. I spent about three hours threading some bridge chairs onto some bullhead rail that @lezz01 kindly sent me. How do you do it? Despite having still nimble fingers and longish nails, the chairs had a bad habit of refusing to sit the right way up or would 'ping' off onto the floor

 

Just to mention that if you go the plug track route you never need to thread chairs onto rail. Or to chamfer the end of the rail. The rail drops into the chair, and is clipped in place by inserting the loose jaw:

 

 

Martin.

[lezz01]

Very nice Philip. 

The way to do it is to thread the chairs onto the rail and then cut them off the sprue.

Regards Lez.

[Philou]

Thanks chaps for the thumbs and advice - it was good that it all came together in the end. @martin_wynne I like your plug'n'play track idea - it must save a heck of a lot of time!

 

Cleats to make this morning so that the transoms  baulks look as if they're fixed to the bridge deck and then a splash of colour on the baulks and the rail and chairs.

 

More later,

 

Philip

Edited April 28 by Philou
aww baulks!

[Philou]

Hello chaps and chapesses,

 

Though I didn't get to trim the rails to length, I did make my cleats and glue them to the baulks and proceeded to paint everything as I had the afternoon to myself.

 

I tried to recreate woodgrain on the baulks - though it's probably 'inspired by' rather than any faithful re-creation:

 

 

^ I'm quite happy with that. I did also change the colouring subtly between lengths of baulks. I shall give it a waft of light grime to calm it all down once the bridge is assembled. Tomorrow I'll glue the transoms on one side of each pair of baulks ready for final assembly. Once that is done, I really must start the rivets as that's really all that's stopping me doing the final painting and glueing.

 

Cheers everyone, more tomorrow,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Hello chums and chumesses,

 

Forged ahead today - in second gear. Despite having no true gauges available I decided to go ahead and not only glue the transoms to the baulks, but to then glue everything up - act hastily, repent at leisure - we'll see:

 

 

^ Transoms inserted into the pre-drilled holes but not glued. They were all trimmed back to size leaving about 15mm. I had worked out that the actual length exposed between the baulks should have been ~11mm.

 

 

^ After a major ordeal and needing four hands I managed to insert the transoms into their opposite holes. Once done and glued, the pairs of baulks with their transoms were given gravel boards at each end as extra security and were then painted. The gravel boards need another lick. I haven't as this stage buffed up the railheads as I want to give a waft of grime and possibly a coat of varnish to protect the acrylic paint as an errant fingernail is enough to scratch it.

 

How did I keep gauge? Huh - easy peasy. I had sussed that Peco track would come in very useful and I borrowed a few pairs of sleepers from a yard of Code 75. The tops of the Bullhead rail fitted into the chairs like a glove and I slid the pairs of sleepers along the rail tops to hold the baulks at the right distance apart while glueing them. And voila! :

 

 

^ Here was the set-up prior to glueing and painting it all up with the baulks the right way up and the sleepers upside down on the rail tops. Pretty neat trick, I thought, especially as I worked it all out on my own (no doubt, NOT an original idea!). The sleepers were 'recycled' back onto the Peco track.

 

Tomorrow, rivets!

 

Cheers everyone and more updates tomorrow,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Oh quelle frustration! Rivets didn't happen as I wanted to give a coating of grey to the bridge girders, as the rivets are white I thought it be easier to see them. That was the start of my frustration. First, clear my 'workbench', then find my compressors. These I found fairly easily. Then locate the airbrushes. I have several - one is a Badger glass bottle type that came with the one compressor and two 'proper' air brushes that I have never yet used - a Hansa and an Iwata. Finally located them in an unmarked box.

 

I didn't want to use the bottle one as it can't be used other that horizontally due to the way the paint is sucked up - and that's when the fun started - despite having many different thread adapters I don't appear to have anything to match the metric threads of the Hansa (surprising as it's German) and the Iwata. And if I use them I need to put in an in-line pressure reducer which I have, but no thread adapter either, as the two compressors deliver too much - so all a bit hey ho.

 

I worked off my frustration by giving a quick wash of colour over the bridge girders with a paintbrush - but it's not the same :/ .

 

I'll try again tomorrow - even if I end up brush painting the sides.

 

Nil desperandum and more tomorrow,

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

 

[stevel]

2 hours ago, Philou said:

Oh quelle frustration! Rivets didn't happen as I wanted to give a coating of grey to the bridge girders, as the rivets are white I thought it be easier to see them. That was the start of my frustration. First, clear my 'workbench', then find my compressors. These I found fairly easily. Then locate the airbrushes. I have several - one is a Badger glass bottle type that came with the one compressor and two 'proper' air brushes that I have never yet used - a Hansa and an Iwata. Finally located them in an unmarked box.

 

I didn't want to use the bottle one as it can't be used other that horizontally due to the way the paint is sucked up - and that's when the fun started - despite having many different thread adapters I don't appear to have anything to match the metric threads of the Hansa (surprising as it's German) and the Iwata. And if I use them I need to put in an in-line pressure reducer which I have, but no thread adapter either, as the two compressors deliver too much - so all a bit hey ho.

 

I worked off my frustration by giving a quick wash of colour over the bridge girders with a paintbrush - but it's not the same :/ .

 

I'll try again tomorrow - even if I end up brush painting the sides.

 

Nil desperandum and more tomorrow,

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

 

 

I believe that Badger uses a different connection to all the other brands of airbrushes, threw mine out when I couldn't find adapter's, and bought a new one.

 

[Philou]

1 hour ago, stevel said:

believe that Badger uses a different connection to all the other brands of airbrushes, threw mine out when I couldn't find adapter's, and bought a new one.

 

The problem isn't so much the airbrush airline connector itself - it's connecting the airline to the compressor. It seems the compressors I have have threads similar to BSPs and my quality airbrushes are much finer (probably M) and non-similar diameters too. The pseudo-Badger is the only one that I can use for the time being - I shall live.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[lezz01]

You can get an adapter that allows you to fit a quick release which then fits to a standard pipe you can also get a quick release with a mac valve so you can lower the pressure with that. How much does the compressor put out?

Regards Lez.   

Edited April 30 by lezz01

[Philou]

@lezz01 I have a pressure adjustment valve - but it's the same problem. I can connect the two quality airbrushes to it (but not the pseudo-Badger) but I can't connect the pressure reducer to the compressor outlet (directly or via the hose). I do have a third compressor given to me by my SiL (good quality with a substantial air reservoir specially for modelling) but the hose has gone walkabouts (don't think it came back when he borrowed the compressor) and I'm under the impression that when he borrowed it back, oil got into the air reservoir - so U/S until it's cleaned and a new metric threaded hose found.

 

I may have to buy a modelling compressor with the correct threaded hose connections. None of the warehouses around here dealing with compressors and pneumatics do small scale stuff for modelling.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[JeffP]

I'd be surprised if the DIY sheds don't do one.

Failing that, Google is your friend, and order online.

[Philou]

22 hours ago, lezz01 said:

How much does the compressor put out?

 

I hadn't noticed that bit until just now - sorry. The small compressor that came with the preudo-Badger chucks out 3bar and blows off the airline (just push-fit) and the bigger one chucks out 5bar - but without dismantling the airline on that one, I couldn't try it. I would hazard a guess that it would blow the jar apart (only kidding). On the 5bar one, there's a label on it saying 'unsuitable for use on vehicle tyres' - eh? I only need 2.8bar at absolute maximum so I don't know what that's all about.

 

Disappointed in the lack of spray, I went back to my retaining walls and the materials are ready to cut to size tomorrow - today was bank holiday here - so no noise, ssshhhhh. I did brush paint the bridge with another coat of dark grey (one side only) and I shall do the other side tomorrow. I have to say that brush painting does not give as satisfactory results as spray - but it'll do and I'll over-spray when the rivets are done.

 

It's all going the right way,

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Hello chaps and chapesses,

 

Still no rivets as yet, but I'm getting closer. I thought that my work output was rather low today but looking at the photo for today, it's actually not been too bad. So here you are:

 

 

^ I managed to make not too much of a hash brush painting the bridge. I'm glad in a way that I did it that way as the top coat, which was a slightly paler shade than the first coat, I dragged while painting giving it slightly distressed look. The white unpainted parts will never see the light of day when attached to the pointy end of the viaduct just behind. I shall start the rivetting on Saturday as tomorrow I'm away on council business.

 

Behind the bridge is the viaduct that has now been completed wood-wise and is awaiting being dressed up on both sides - I did the one part ages ago, so it'll be good to see this section completed too.

 

Despite the baulks being quite rigid, I have found that they will flex very slightly and if I have enough clearance between all the components I may still try to recreate the curve through the bridge as originally intended - the curve is very flat at about 24m radius and hardly worth worrying about if it stays straight.

 

Probably nothing to tell tomorrow so stay safe until the weekend,

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

Hello chums and chumesses,

 

My rivets were done in 3 minutes - I've decided that time is not on my side and following an abject failure on my part, I'm not going to rivet the bridge. Bit of a shame as I'll feel it'll be a case of 'a ha'porth of tar .....'.

 

I cut a length of rivets to do a part of the top web, soaked as recommended and it came off the backing paper and immediately curled on itself, made a knot and folded itself lengthwise in half! Despite having a small paintbrush and a pair of tweezers, I just couldn't get it to lie flat nor unfold so into the fire that bit went and I tried again. The next bit I got to slide onto the bridge but try as I could, it wouldn't lie straight AND an errant fingernail too a huge chunk of paint off - so that too was a failure. I've repaired the paint damage and now I'm into my viaduct - I'm safer and more sure with paper and scissors!

 

If anyone has any idea how to lay the transfers, I'm all ears - but I have no microsol or such other aids - plain water here I'm afraid.

 

I'll let you know how I get on with the viaduct this evening.

 

Cheers everyone and keep smiling :( - er -  :)).

 

Philip

[Andy Hayter]

I've not had to play with rivets, but from what you describe, could you cut out a strip and tape the ends to the bridge and only then wet them?

[lezz01]

Ok you need to get some decal fix and a pot with a sponge in. Fill the pot with warm water until it just covers the sponge. Cut the decals to length and place it on the sponge. Paint the area the decal is going onto with decal fix and once the decal moves on the backing paper remove it from the sponge with tweezers and then place it in position and slide the decal into position so it is only just off the backing. Hold the end of the decal in place with a cotton bud and slide the backing out whilst running the cotton bud along the decal keeping it in place then paint along the decal with more decal fix. Use a cotton bud to adjust the decal if required and once you are happy with it paint again with decal fix and then remove excess with the cotton bud and place into an air tight container to dry. If you have trouble with one long line of decal rivets then cut into shorter sections.

I won't say simples because it's a knack that you have to learn but it isn't difficult once you get the hang of it.

Regards Lez.   

Edited May 5 by lezz01

[Philou]

1 hour ago, Andy Hayter said:

could you cut out a strip and tape the ends to the bridge and only then wet them?

 

Hello @Andy Hayter. The problem is that if I tape then I shan't be able to release the backing paper from behind. I don't particularly not want to do it, but is it worth it due to the viewing distance anyway? It's not quite like detail on a loco where you can it pick it up and have a closer look. I'll think about it as my viaduct isn't yet finished and I can't put the bridge in place until it is done.

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Philou]

@lezz01 I haven't decalfix, but that's not insurmountable. (Your reply came as I was typing the reply to Andy). I guessed it was more technique than anything else. It must be over 55years since I put transfers on my Airfix models! My recently constructed kits are yet to be painted and decorated so whatever I do for the bridge will come in useful later!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

[Geep7]

I'm sure I read that the decals are from Railtec. One thing I've noticed when using them is that you need an extremely glossy surface for them to adhere too.

 

Also, I think one tip given, was to put a drop of washing up liquid in the water.....

 

However, I agree that perhaps the sponge idea might work better. Sometimes you can get the decal too wet.

 

Best of luck. For the rivets on my bridge, I went the Scale Model Scenery route (laser cut card / thin mdf), stripped them down as thin as I could, and then glued them on with plasticweld.

[lezz01]

6 minutes ago, Philou said:

@lezz01 I haven't decalfix, but that's not insurmountable. (Your reply came as I was typing the reply to Andy). I guessed it was more technique than anything else. It must be over 55years since I put transfers on my Airfix models! My recently constructed kits are yet to be painted and decorated so whatever I do for the bridge will come in useful later!

 

Cheers,

 

Philip

Well yes I cut my teeth on aircraft and military modelling, the lines on wings for instance are particularly irksome and will curl up if you so much as give them a strong look. You will need decal fix and micro sol or similar if the decal wont lay flat but you will get the hang of it. The trick with it is to use a wet sponge to free the decal from the backing if you do that you don't need to add detergent to the water and the decals never roll up. It's a MM hack.

Regards Lez. 

PS I got a tube for the BH track yesterday ,what is the length I need to be under to post to you? 

[railtec-models]

40 minutes ago, Geep7 said:

I'm sure I read that the decals are from Railtec. One thing I've noticed when using them is that you need an extremely glossy surface for them to adhere too.

 

Not true. They adhere to brass, factory plastic and much more. If they didn't then my inbox would be lighting up for all the wrong reasons! Here's a good example:

 

 

@Philou if you're using Railtec ready-made strips of 3d rivets then the concept is pretty straight-forward, though I appreciate if you haven't done this kind of thing for 55 years as you say then it may not be immediately intuitive. All you need to do is:

 

1. Cut off the desired length and place roughly in situ (still on its backing) on whatever it's going on.

 

2. Gradually apply plain tap water until it starts to show signs of releasing from its backing. I just use plain Derbyshire tap water though in my experience of having lived in your part of the world, the stuff that comes out of your taps will likely be infinitely purer than what we get here. If you flood it or let it soak in water for too long then, like any transfer, it will start to dissolve the adhesive.

 

3. Carefully manouevre one end of the strip off the end of the backing paper so that it's where you intend it to go, then, still holding it in place, gradually remove the backing paper. It's a bit like the table cloth trick but without the drum roll.

 

This should give you a ready-made row of perfectly spaced crisp 3d rivets in literally seconds, without any filing or other such labourious task.

 

[Geep7]

19 minutes ago, railtec-models said:

 

Not true. They adhere to brass, factory plastic and much more. If they didn't then my inbox would be lighting up for all the wrong reasons! Here's a good example:

 

 

@Philou if you're using Railtec ready-made strips of 3d rivets then the concept is pretty straight-forward, though I appreciate if you haven't done this kind of thing for 55 years as you say then it may not be immediately intuitive. All you need to do is:

 

1. Cut off the desired length and place roughly in situ (still on its backing) on whatever it's going on.

 

2. Gradually apply plain tap water until it starts to show signs of releasing from its backing. I just use plain Derbyshire tap water though in my experience of having lived in your part of the world, the stuff that comes out of your taps will likely be infinitely purer than what we get here. If you flood it or let it soak in water for too long then, like any transfer, it will start to dissolve the adhesive.

 

3. Carefully manouevre one end of the strip off the end of the backing paper so that it's where you intend it to go, then, still holding it in place, gradually remove the backing paper. It's a bit like the table cloth trick but without the drum roll.

 

This should give you a ready-made row of perfectly spaced crisp 3d rivets in literally seconds, without any filing or other such labourious task.

 

Thanks @railtec-models, I stand corrected. And apologies to @Philou if I've caused any confusion.