Emily laid bare: A Stirling effort

[MikeTrice]

Are you spray painting or using acrylic with brush then varnishing after?

The Vallejo paints do brush very well especially if using several thin coats, but I will probably spray the greens then brush paint the rest.

[uax6]

The book on Loco painting and lining (the wild swan one) shows how to do this livery. Mind you the author is good with the bow pen and tiny brushes.....

 

Have you got a knackered body in the bits box and a compass bow pen? It would be worth playing about on that first.

 

He also shows you how to make your own transfers.

 

There is a low tack masking tape for models, but I'm B8ggered if i can remember it's name!

 

Andy G

[MikeTrice]

Have you got a knackered body

Yes.

 

 

There is a low tack masking tape for models, but I'm B8ggered if i can remember it's name!

Tamiya?

 

I have also considered using Frisk masking film. It is my plan "B"

Edited February 15, 2015 by MikeTrice

[stewartingram]

Hardest part of any job?

 

Starting it! After that it does get easier.

 

Stewart

[uax6]

Have you got a compass bow pen?

 

I think it is the tamiya one.

 

What are you waiting for, get it painted! ;-}

 

Andy G

[MikeTrice]

Have you got a compass bow pen?

Yes

 

 

I think it is the tamiya one.

Wrong. No idea what make it is but it is not tamiya.

 

What are you waiting for, get it painted! ;-}

Really no answer to that. Time would be nice!

[uax6]

I know what you mean Mike. I have lots of bits waiting for time to paint them. I think fully lined coaches are a bit more scary than Emily though!

 

Looking forward to seeing the results!

 

Andy G

[JCL]

Hi Mike, did you test the green on the inkjet paper or the actual transfer paper? Going back to my days as a photographer, you could end up with two very different shades of greens because of the thickness of the paper, it's share of white, and whether or not it has UV brighteners. Once I get my prints back I'll use my prototype tender to test the painting and I thibk I'll probably do the lning like you (to the best of my abity).

 

Cheers

 

Jason

[MikeTrice]

Hi Mike, did you test the green on the inkjet paper or the actual transfer paper? Going back to my days as a photographer, you could end up with two very different shades of greens because of the thickness of the paper, it's share of white, and whether or not it has UV brighteners. Once I get my prints back I'll use my prototype tender to test the painting and I thibk I'll probably do the lning like you (to the best of my abity).

 

Cheers

 

Jason

Not yet.

[gr.king]

I certainly found that the grade of paper made a huge difference to colour rendering when I tried to print complete sides for some private owner hopper wagons. I'd gone to a huge amount of trouble to try to print a dull red to match red-oxide paint used on the rest of the wagon. Once satisfied with the colour I decided that density and definition were not good enough on my trial paper so I changed to "better" paper. The printed colour changed dramatically, regardless of whether I used the original print settings or new ones supposedly more appropriate to the better paper!

[MikeTrice]

First attempt at printing the transfers on white decal paper. As you can see there have been some problems with quality which looks as if it might be due to fingerprints:

 

Several attempts later (including a brand new sheet straight out of the packet) and I am having the same issues, so it could be that the damage is caused during packaging. Some time ago I bought a cheap pack of decal sheets, make unknown, which actually gave a perfect print. Phew!

 

A close up. Really happy with these. Now left to dry:

 

After spraying with Humbrol Clear Cote from a rattle can (really not impressed with this spray) and applying to a painted sample to check the final colouring:

 

As has been stated the colour of the inner panel has been transformed to a darker hue so some adjustment would be necessary. I am happy with the way the lining has worked out especially as it is not too bright a white.

 

So I am currently thinking of just producing the lining as a transfer and rely on painting and conventional lettering to complete Emily but I might just give it one more shot to get a better colour match, this time printing the colour samples onto decal sheet. Another option is to float a second white decal under the final panel.

[jessy1692]

Very clever idea Mike, some great work on here, looking forward to seeing the end result.

keep up the good work

James

[Gareth Collier]

When using Crafty Computer Paper for transfers I find it is always best to give the sheet a good going over with paper kitchen towels to remove any grease etc, left by fingers. I've many a transfer sheet ruined as per your first photo. I've used the technique of printing whole panels for SECR locos with success although in 'N'. To colour match I've painted a scrap of plasticard with the required colour then scanned it in to the PC. I've then used this to draw colour from when creating the artwork.

Gareth

[runs as required]

So I am currently thinking of just producing the lining as a transfer and rely on painting and conventional lettering to complete Emily but I might just give it one more shot to get a better colour match, this time printing the colour samples onto decal sheet. Another option is to float a second white decal under the final panel.

I think that the right approaxh

But I can't see a way around some of those really challenging lenths of lining running along an arris between two very different planes e.g. on wheel spokes or on the cab spectacle meeting with the boiler - except by using a very fine sable and a carefully worked out hand steadying rest ,

dh

Edited February 16, 2015 by runs as required

[MikeTrice]

When using Crafty Computer Paper for transfers I find it is always best to give the sheet a good going over with paper kitchen towels to remove any grease etc, left by fingers. I've many a transfer sheet ruined as per your first photo. I've used the technique of printing whole panels for SECR locos with success although in 'N'. To colour match I've painted a scrap of plasticard with the required colour then scanned it in to the PC. I've then used this to draw colour from when creating the artwork.

Gareth

I forgot to mention that I did have some success by wiping down the transfer sheet with IPA (no not the beer). I would not have dreamed that scanning a painted sample would be anywhere near accurate enough. Interesting thought.

 

I might just have another go as the result is far better than I can do any other way.

[jrg1]

Fascinating-I did not realise the tender had been changed until I saw the NRM photographs here.  Looks vastly better, and more balanced.  What is happened with the replaced tender?

[JCL]

...Another option is to float a second white decal under the final panel.

How about this? If you are going to use two layers, first layer is the thin black lining surrounding a plain white rectangle with inverted corners, second and upper layer is a green panel that you've sprayed with your light GNR green and that you've cut a mm or so inside the black line of the bottom layer so that, through omission, it creates the inner white line of the white-black-white lining.

 

You'll then have two layers of white transfer paper and there's no colour matching as you are spraying the transfer paper with the Vajello paint. If you want to be sure, either undercoat the green patch, or use your printer to print the green patch a mid-grey to match the undercoat before spraying it.

 

You could spray a whole sheet of paper with the lighter green. The only downsides are you need to line up the two transfers (but you would have to anyway) you're still buying GNR lettering, and possibly the transfers will get a little thick. Is it worth a test?

 

As a lining coward, and now I've seen your tests, that's how I think I might do it.

[MikeTrice]

How about this? If you are going to use two layers, first layer is the thin black lining surrounding a plain white rectangle with inverted corners, second and upper layer is a green panel that you've sprayed with your light GNR green and that you've cut a mm or so inside the black line of the bottom layer so that, through omission, it creates the inner white line of the white-black-white lining.

Worth a try.

[gr.king]

I forgot to mention that I did have some success by wiping down the transfer sheet with IPA (no not the beer).

 

Would it be as well to be specific when ordering a pint in the pub too?

[alastairq]

Up here,it's a 'what's that?' response.

[MikeTrice]

Further experiments.

 

The left hand panel was produced by masking the light green with Frisket then painting the darker green (by hand) around it. The Frisket was then removed and a lining only transfer cut out and applied. Very fiddly and not a wonderful result.

 

The right hand panel was produced following Jason's suggestion of painting a transfer in the light green then cutting around it and layering it over a plain lined panel. Much more successful (nice one Jason):

 

Just to put the cat amoung the pigeons I also had a go at reworking the printed green by producing various shades on transfer material then applying over the dark green. You would be hard pushed to tell them apart:

 

BTW, the colour swatch on the right is 16mm * 14mm.

 

I am tempted to use the printed light green for the simple reason I can also print the lettering and only one transfer needs to be cut out instead of two per panel. It will also be easier to produce the light green with a single white line surround for the tender flare.

[JCL]

I agree with your third option as it gives you more control overall. One thing, be careful what type of varnish you put on it, I've had printed material fade with the wrong type. I suppose a uv resistant one will help arrest fading.

[MikeTrice]

I have used Marabu Klarlack and Marabu Seiden-mattlack to seal the transfers prior to soaking and after applying. I note that they also do UV versions so it looks as if I will be taking a trip tomorrow to get some.

[MikeTrice]

Back to modelling for a while.

 

Holes for Markits turned buffers drilled 3.2mm and the buffer housings glued in place after removing the sprung heads and storing them somewhere safe:

 

Unfortunately the tails of the buffers align with the sideframes and have broken through. I have made them a bit deeper in the hope I can re-fit the sprung heads later:

 

The same was performed on the front buffer beam. Note that to reproduce the correct rivet patterns some of the embossed rivets have been filed off:P

 

Unlike the tender there are no issues behind the buffer beam:

 

The rear loco footsteps were cut from styrene then the front edge curved and fixed in place. Steps also added:

 

After cleaning up the steps the concave front was cut out:

 

The rear drawbar had small pieces of styrene added to pad them out a bit:

 

The foot steps glued in place:

 

To improve their strength a fillet of epoxy was added behind them (I use steel filled quick set epoxy):

 

Finally two clover leaf shapes were cut from 10thou styrene and fixed under the front lampirons as was done for the tender:

 

[MikeTrice]

Apart from putting in the slots for the coupling hooks, that is Emily ready for the paintshop. This is the last time you will see her posed in her grey underwear. For the final primer spraying the buffer housings were filled with blutack. Shame I forgot to add her valve cover before taking these: