Emily laid bare: A Stirling effort

[Enterprisingwestern]

 

 

after removing the sprung heads and storing them somewhere safe:

 

If you're anything like me Mike, that's the last you'll see of them.

Good luck!!

 

Mike.

[MikeTrice]

I have a second packet (if I can remember where I put it) ;-)

[Corbs]

Looks absolutely BALLER. From children's toy to a brilliant model.

[MikeTrice]

You might not think that when I have painted her.

[runs as required]

I've always loved these minimalist workshop grey primer poses.

What a simply beautiful elemental expression of steam, chimney, driving wheel and speed !

  dh

[MikeTrice]

Perhaps I should paint her in photographic grey livery instead.

[jrg1]

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:

IMG_0905.JPG

 

IMG_0912.JPG

 

IMG_0915.JPG

 

IMG_0919.JPG

 

IMG_0923.JPG

I hope Bachman take the hint-perhaps a co-production with the NRM to go with the Ivatt Atlantic?

[Poor Old Bruce]

Perhaps I should paint her in photographic grey livery instead.

 

You'd still have to do the lining.

[MikeTrice]

True.

 

Oh well, nothing ventured.....

 

I mentioned a while back that intended to paint Emily with Vallejo Acrylics and carried out some experiments in colour. Of the three main GNR colours, I was least satisfied with the use of Vallejo Miltary Green to represent the dark green. I have now come to the conclusion that the best option is to use their Black Green instead.

 

So the revised colours are:

70.968 Flat Green for the mid green

70.980 Black Green for the dark green

70.859 Black Red for the lake

 

I also mentioned that I intended to spray the paint for the main greens then brush paint the rest.

 

So the first task was to get together the various things I would need, these being:

1. The paint
2. Vallejo Retarder Medium
3. Mixing tubs (I use cheap disposable plastic shot glass at 40 for £1)
4. Vallejo Airbrush Cleaner
5. Mixing sticks (coffee stirrers)
6. Disposable gloves
7. Pipette

 

 

My airbrush is a cheap Chinese double action unit which you can pick up for around £20. The compressor was bought during the special offers when Modelzone where closing down:

 

Some drops of Black Green were added to a mixing cup, a few drops of retarder added then some tap water added with the pipette. I should add here that we have a water softener so if in doubt use distilled water. The mixture was then stirred with the stirrer. My aim was to get something like milk in consistency which basically just wets the plastic when the liquid is swirled around in it.

 

The paint was added to the airbrush, a glove put on (I am left handed hence the glove is on my right) and the compressor switched on and adjusted to 35psi. Some trial sprays were then done on a piece of newspaper to ensure everything flowed to my satisfaction.

 

The moment of truth, holding the tender body in my right hand I started laying on the Black Green paint:

 

Continue working around making sure that any areas in shadow (such as behind handrails or lampirons) are also sprayed:

 

 

The front was also sprayed:

 

The tender is now put to one side and the airbrush cleaned.

 

The process is now repeated for the Flat Green and a start made laying on the colour:

 

I got a bit carried away and rather a lot of paint got laid on too quickly:

 

Fortunately the Vallejo paints are very forgiving and I was able to speed up drying using a hair dryer. You can see how the green has flattened out nicely:

 

Here are the two parts posed together:

 

Vallejo state that it can take up to 48hrs for the acrylics to dry and fully harden so they have now been put to one side and left in peace.

 

 

[gr.king]

Funny how that mid green paint looks a lovely warm shade when wet and shiny but a good deal colder/bluer when flat. Funny too how regularly the buffer tails on model tenders line up so awkwardly with the sideframes!

[MikeTrice]

Varnishing the paint will change its appearance as well. Bear in mind that at present the paint finish is matt and I will hopefully end up with it satin.

[MikeTrice]

The rest of the painting is being done by hand.

 

Vallejo black has been painted (carefully) onto the non-green areas of the tender with reference to photos:

 

 

 

 

After letting the black dry, the tender was sprayed with Marabu UV lacquer gloss:

 

Turning to the loco the front buffer beam has been drilled for the coupling hook and a couple of coats of Vallejo Vermillion applied including the underneath for the footplate overlap and the buffers:

 

Vallejo Black Red has been applied where the lake should be using a fine brush (yes I missed the buffers so will have to do them later):

 

 

Note that I have overlapped the lake where the footplate will eventually be painted black and also ensured once again that the lake is continued underneath the footplate overhanging lip:

 

[MikeTrice]

I felt it was worth spraying Emily with UV spray to protect the already painted areas:

 

Vallejo Black has been carefully applied with a fine brush. Actually this worked out better than I expected:

 

After some final adjustments a set of custom transfers was printed and sprayed with UV varnish. I should describe how these were produced in more detail but will probably split this out into a separate topic, assuming anyone is interested:

 

IT is now make of break time. Would the concept of using home produced transfers work, or would it be a complete disaster?

 

One of the strips was cut out leaving a band of white either side, then trimmed to length and applied across the top of the rear being adjusted and floated into place with a wet brush:

 

In order to cater for the lampirons I could not simply apply the rear panel transfer without some form of cutting so in my usual style produced a template. Additional slits were added which I have highlighted with pencil:

 

Using the template as a guide the rear panel was cut out and the various slits and holes reproduced then the transfer was applied:

 

Here the side panels have been applied:

 

 

Note that some of the printed ink has washed away during the application so I will have to touch this in later. It will be interesting to see how good my colour match is:

 

The panels were aligned with those on the rear end. The camera does not give a good impression of the corner although in reality it does not look that bad to my eye:

 

One of the issues with these transfers is that it is very easy for an edge to curl under. I have tried to straighted this with a wet brush but it still looks wonky:

 

Overall I think I am happy with the result. I think I would have struggled to do it justice via normal painting techniques. Some touching in will be necessary including the rear lampirons.

[Siberian Snooper]

Mike

 

That looks bl@@dy amazing, I for one would be interested in the production of the transfers.

 

SS

[gr.king]

Very impressive, though I note the speckled nature of the printed light green. I wonder if it is possible to get an even better effect with more dpi in the image files, and/or more dpi from the printer?

[MikeTrice]

It might be possible. Bear in mind the photos show a high enlargement.

[jessy1692]

very very clever, great idea

[Wyvern]

Can't wait to see it finished - keep up the good work

[JCL]

Well Mike, that's astounding. It looks absolutely great, even enlarged so much.

At that resolution, bumpiness could be either the effect of dithering two or more inks to make that green, or a slight puddling of the ink on the surface of the transfer paper. Some paper doesn't readily take inkjet ink. It could maybe be a little better, but I can imagine it'd take quite a few test prints, and at normal viewing distance you probably barely notice anyway.

Mike, did you keep to your revised colours in the end? I've a feeling I'll be heading to a model shop in the next few weeks...

 

70.968 Flat Green for the mid green

70.980 Black Green for the dark green

70.859 Black Red for the lake

Cheers

Jason

Edited February 25, 2015 by JCL

[runs as required]

I go along with the others on the unexpected benefits of your transfer approach. It will be interesting to see the tender in a 'general arrangement' view, as you say, close-ups are totally unforgiving.

I always enjoy 'Coachman's' way of photographing and posting his model carriages in their entirety.

 

I've learnt a huge amount from dipping into this thread. Many thanks.

 

dh

 

[edit: word order]

Edited February 25, 2015 by runs as required

[gr.king]

I agree that the appearance at normal viewing distance with the naked eye is the final test of results. I too have sometimes found transfer paper reluctant to take ink, and any attempt to increase colour density to the levels that would work or photo paper can result in ink almost running off the paper!

[MikeTrice]

Mike, did you keep to your revised colours in the end? I've a feeling I'll be heading to a model shop in the next few weeks...

 

70.968 Flat Green for the mid green

70.980 Black Green for the dark green

70.859 Black Red for the lake

 

Cheers

 

Jason

I did.

[MikeTrice]

I agree that the appearance at normal viewing distance with the naked eye is the final test of results. I too have sometimes found transfer paper reluctant to take ink, and any attempt to increase colour density to the levels that would work or photo paper can result in ink almost running off the paper!

The usual recommendation is to use less ink as if printing on normal paper. I found I needed to boost the quality to get a good colour.

 

Interesting to note that changing print quality can also affect line thickness slightly.

[ianmaccormac]

Hi Mike

I would be very interested in a step by step of the transfers. At that enlargement they look good. Mine are for LB&SCR so a bit more colourful but hopefully would be similar in principle. Very good all through, cheers

Ian

[MikeTrice]

Two steps forward and one step back.

 

The splasher beading was painted with Vallejo 70.878 Old Gold. It needed a couple of coats. Note that on the right hand side I slipped a bit, however I am hoping the lining will cover this:

 

The left hand side on the other hand was much neater:

 

Remember that white spot on the tender transfer where the ink bled out? Here it has been touched in with neat Flat Green paint. It is not a perfect match by any stretch of the imagination but I think I can live with it:

 

Again using paint the various lampirons on the rear have been touched in:

 

The tender underframe has been painted in Black Red then when dry the Black applied to the springs and hornguides. I was really surprised how neatly this turned out as I expected more trouble:

 

As an experiment I created some special transfers to represent the lining on the axlebox covers and spring strap. This highlights a big problem with producing colour transfers using inkjet printers, when you cut alongside a coloured area, the ink will bleed out when put in water. The white edges have been touched up with black paint:

 

To be honest I don't like the way they worked out and will probably take them off again. You are hard pushed to see them anyway.

 

The smokebox door handles and cylinder covers have been painted in Vallejo 70.864 Natural Steel. This paint seemed quite thick and grainy and I am not impressed with the finish. Might have to clean them up and repaint:

 

I did not trust myself to paint the smokebox door hinge straps neatly by hand so I painted some spare transfer paper with the Natural Steel this time really brushing it out much thinner (almost dry brushing). Strips were cut from the prepared transfer paper and applied. Really happy with these, but they do show up the other painted steel:

 

The buffer housings have been painted Black Red (not very neatly) and a degree of tidying up the Vermillion will be needed:

 

The loco was treated the same way:

 

The original tender wheels were painted in Flat Green and given a coat of Klear to seal them:

 

I was becoming increasingly frustrated with the black/white and white/black/white inkjet printed lining. The black would bleed out and the white carrier seemed to stretch and buckle very easily. As I have access to a Laserjet printer for my everyday printing I bought some white laser transfer sheet and printed off some black lines on it.

 

Here is my first attempt at adding the lining to the right hand splasher. This highlights the problem that the white carrier film shows even though I cut along the black line:

 

In an attempt to improve the situation I ran a black permanent marker along the black edge covering the exposed white and on letting it dry applied it to the rear of the smokebox. Much much better (the new transfer sheet seems stronger as well which helps).

 

Using the modified technique I did the left hand splasher. The right hand end went wrong so I have cut it off and will put a new piece in to finish:

 

I think I will redo the right hand splasher using the same technique.

 

I really should add that in addition to relying on the transfer adhesive on its own I have also been using Micro Scale Micro Sol softener. A wooden cocktail stick is also useful to coax the transfers into position.