RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 1, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 1, 2013 OK, state of play. I've built the barge boards from 4-ply beige card, and the roof from braced .040" styrene covered in Scalescenes slate paper - I printed the slates darker than normal to try to match the actual signal box. The door knobs are very small shortened black track pins. I only had toe-nail clippers to hand, so luckily the pins were very thin! It might not be a big thing, but adding the barge boards has, in my mind, changed this from a model of any old signal box to the one at Wainfleet! I'm really pleased how they came out. Here's a photo of the components, along with some O scale shelf brackets that I'll be using for propping up the window washing boards. I'm going to file them to try to get them a bit finer. Sorry about the atrocious quality: The rest of the photos show the box from different angles. You might notice that the roof at the back has a wedge taken out of it. On the prototype this was so that the roof could clear the long gone footbridge - there really were some tight clearances! At the moment the roof gives the building a top heavy look, but the window washing boards will hopefully balance things out. There will be a bit of remedial work on the slates, chimney and then and on with the steps. The roof is held on by gravity at the moment so I'll be able to detail the interior later. The bottom isn't quite square to the ground, but it'll be hidden by the fact that it abuts the platform. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
alderson.eric.j Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 Wow. This building looks very realistic. If you want a detailed interior, it's easy to build yourself either a Siemens or Saxby lever command system with strip styrene (I did it for my Belgian ex-Nord-Belge signal box, just check here... Keep up the good work, Ricky. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain C Robinson Posted May 1, 2013 Share Posted May 1, 2013 It's looking ever more realistic. Great to see such a detailed sequence of progress shots...and I am very keen to see the gutters and downspouts going on. Top Job. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 1, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 1, 2013 I'm up with a poorly dog at the moment. Does anyone have any tips for later for two related tasks? Iain's quite right! I'll need guttering and downspouts. My local hobby shop is 3.5 hours away, and I don't have the right diameter of plastic, does anyone have an idea of something I can buy in a hardware store that will done job! Or, is it better to wait until I'm in Calgary next as I've come this far? The other one is, I have wire for the grab rail for the window washing, how do people go about attaching this to the walls? One othe question, my roof is a bit Heath Robinson underneath, do you have a preferred method of going about rooves and ensuring they are stable on top of walls even if they are going to be removable? Oops, the dog's back in, back to bed. Vet in the morning... Thanks Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 2, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 2, 2013 Well the vet's not entirely sure with my puppy, but he seems to be better already, so early night tonight and sleeping through I hope. In the meantime, I've had a go at miniature lathes to make finials. A posh way of saying I bought a tub of toothpicks, got the Dremel out and set to. It took me a fair few toothpicks, but as it was a new tub I wasn't exactly worried about inventory! Soo, and with Norm Abrams in mind, the first photo shows that I marked the different points of the finial onto a piece of paper, then wrapped a toothpick in tape, cut it in half, and wedged it into the Dremel. The tape was used because the toothpick was slightly thinner than the Dremel could take and I needed the stick to be wedged solid. Unfortunately, the toothpick was too thick to be a finial, so I revved up the Dremel to 15 and thinned the stick with needle files. Then I positioned the piece of paper with the marks on it just below the stick, lined everything up, and finally started forming the different parts of the finial before using a craft knife to cut it off at the end. The forming wasn't difficult, at least by the 8th one, and it was strangely relaxing as well. Anyway, I'm pleased with the result. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain C Robinson Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 I don't know what I would do without my trusty Dremel, but I have never attempted anything like this! The finials look great. The barge boards are very effective, too. If you had some .060" stryrene handy, you could carve gutters into it..the Geoff Kent/Dave Rowe method...failing that I would definitely wait for some Evergreen half-round...it would be a shame to spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar! Some years ago, my partner made some gutters from tubing that she had split in half...I think she'd used cotton buds or similar, quite thin. It looked great as it was only small lengths, about 35cms, but it was going on a very dilapidated structure....I think you would need something that looked more sharp and consistent. The rail for window washing - I usually make a little pad out of .020" styrene, about 1mm square, fix to the window vertical post, glue the rail to that, then wrap a strip of paper (1.5mm x 4mm) over it to represent a bracket. I hope your pup is feeling better...please give him or her a pat from me. cheers, Iain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Re the ladder support rail. I use long shank loco hand rail knobs and brass wire to suit. For the board walk supports station angle brackets work quite well. For steps/hand rails/barge boards/finials etc, Freestone models - 01993 775979 - offer a signal box exterior detailing pack. Below, signal box usuing said components. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Sorry about that, box above no knobs, top one below no knobs either, but bottom one HAS ! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Peter. I have just been given a step by step. as presented by your good self, on how to build a signal box and a demonstration to end all demonstrations - but I can't find it again!!! - even down to the perfectly manicured fingernails - Yeh, right!!!! Well Peter, I reckon that it more than well desreves a second airing, right here, and right were the topic is relevant. So, how about it ?! Cheers. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gravy Train Posted May 2, 2013 Share Posted May 2, 2013 Hi Alan, cheers for that you are more than kind, I think JCL know's its there, in Permanent way, which is the apropriate thread i'm told, I also have a Signal box [ortfolio in there too which has about 100 of my boxes + boxes by fellow modellers. , but sufice to say that JCL has done an excellent job on that box I'm in the process of completing a building based on one found adjacent to Victoria Viaduct bridge carlisle thta will be done and dusted come end of June, hopefully before cheers Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 2, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 2, 2013 Hi Peter, your signal box threads are fantastic, and the boxes shown I them are to a very high standard! I was reading the gallery thread for weeks before embarking on this one. Here are the links: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/70477-signal-box-instruction-demo-photo-intensive/ http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/49489-the-signal-box-portfolio/ Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 JCL - that Dremel lathe worked brilliantly - those finials look superb! I used the same technique but with my somewhat clunkier battery drill last night to form the vents o the top of my lamp hut (it sits next to the signal box, so it's relevant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted May 3, 2013 Share Posted May 3, 2013 Hey, no images of the real thing, models only please. Self acclaimed Manager Of Images Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 3, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 3, 2013 Hi Freebs, you've a great hut there! And you may guess I've had an interest in all things corrugated recently, how did you go about your corrugations? Is it stripped corrugated cardboard? cheers Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain C Robinson Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 JCL - that Dremel lathe worked brilliantly - those finials look superb! I used the same technique but with my somewhat clunkier battery drill last night to form the vents o the top of my lamp hut (it sits next to the signal box, so it's relevant Super weathering and dilapidation! The corrugating technique worked, then! Like the vent, too. cheers, Iain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 4, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 4, 2013 Now this looks interesting. Some bloke put up a downspout tutorial elsewhere on the internets, and I think that I happen to have some correct diameter wire to have a go! http://iainrobinsonmodels.blogspot.ca/2009/07/gutters-and-downpipes.html Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted May 4, 2013 Share Posted May 4, 2013 Jason, I'm currently employing this technique for the downspouts on my signal box. I've described the technique I used for corrugation on my blog... Lnrmodels.Blogspot.Co.uk it was a lot of fun. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 4, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 4, 2013 That's a great way of making corrugations! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 5, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 5, 2013 There might only be three steps to heaven, but there are 13 to the door of Wainfleet signal box. Yep, today was step making. Step one was to cut out all of the component pieces out of raisin bran card. It's pretty thick so I knew the result would be pretty sturdy. I did have a step kit but I didn't use it because 1) it wasn't the right length, 2) wrong number of steps. So below is an example of the parts. The white paper is to cover the printed side of the card. Step two was to use Weld to glue the first and last step to the, and here I go again with my lack of builder's knowledge, the crocodile teeth. After these dried I then attached the other side and finally, after the glue had dried I attahed the rest of the steps. Step three was to paint them in primer. I've no idea what colour they should be, but I'm thinking they don't look too bad as they are. I'm not going to attach them to the signal box until the end so that they don't get in the way (I wish I'd thought about that before attaching the finials!) Tomorrow, Wishy Washy's window washer's walking planks. Now, that sure seems like heaven to me. And completely off topic, the reason why I didn't get much sleep last weekend - doing a lot better now! He makes sure I take breaks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain C Robinson Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 It's looking fantastic. I notice on the constructional photos there are two lateral rails to the steps, yet on the finished steps there's only one...was this just for strength while assembling? I love the photo of your dog! cheers, Iain Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 6, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2013 You got me, I initially included the middle rail as a part of the sides, but then realised that in the prototype it was tacked on to the outside of the rails, and wasn't a part of them (if you see what I mean). Anyway, I've to cut some card and then glue it on halfway down the posts. That said, it did help when I was putting everything together. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iain C Robinson Posted May 6, 2013 Share Posted May 6, 2013 You got me, I initially included the middle rail as a part of the sides, but then realised that in the prototype it was tacked on to the outside of the rails, and wasn't a part of them (if you see what I mean). Anyway, I've to cut some card and then glue it on halfway down the posts. That said, it did help when I was putting everything together. Sorry, I didn't mean to come over all inspector meticulous, being a bit dim I was just confused. The work is so fine in both senses of the word! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 6, 2013 Author RMweb Gold Share Posted May 6, 2013 Haha, you reminded me I had forgotten to add it, so you did me a favour! I put the brackets on the window wash boards today and painted them. Then I realised I need to make sure that I cut out a hole for the downspout before I glue them up. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 some exceptional card cutting skills there! Nice neat steps! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted May 7, 2013 Share Posted May 7, 2013 The worst signal box steps maker in the modelling world is the useless sod that typed this out - that's why he uses Freestone Models signal box packs - and can even mess THOSE up! JCL, you're a genious ! Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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