HeatherKay

Flickr. I've been a Flickr user since at least 2008. The free option has a terabyte of storage, virtually unlimited uploads, and tons of ways to share the images to places like forums. If you care about stats, then there's a paid for option, too. The elephant in the room for some folk is Flickr is (currently) owned by Yahoo, and they prefer you to set up a Yahoo account to use the service. It's not exactly onerous, but can be an understandable problem for some. As others have said, I always upload images, suitably resized of course, directly to the forum. Unless the forum host's server has a serious problem, all images remain in place and accessible.

I imagine there were sound reasons for roofing over tanks. For one, it would help prevent a lot of rubbish getting in - including personnel! Secondly, I expect it helped prevent freezing to an extent. That's some structure you've made. I am very impressed.

I think I'm correct in assuming that even such large tanks were covered in wooden planks. That might help your water problem. Nice work, though. Very impressive.

It's the angle. The decals didn't quite settle as much as I'd have liked, and at some angles they're very obvious.

Finally, I managed to catch up with Alan Buttler of Modelu and collect the bottles and crates. In an effort to kick start my modelling mojo after the Telford weekend and a short break, I thought it was time to finish the float. I think it looks the part. I'll contact Chas off-forum to sort out when we can arrange the hand-over.

Sadly, I'm still pending bottles and crates. I should get them organised in a week or two. The state of play: Milko has had a lick of paint. I've added a door mirror and wiper. Just the door windows to fit, and the load.

The thing about concrete is its not just a single colour. I had the misfortune of driving round the Surrey sections of the M25 the other day. None of the concrete structures were grey. In fact most had taken in a dull beigey-brown hue from the traffic and general atmosphere. You'd never find a colour match for any of it. I would suggest taking a look at concrete structures in your locality. Study the way the colour varies, how the weathering happens. Then take your favourite paints and mix things up to try and replicate it on your model. Have fun, and I'm sure we'd like to see some photos when you're happy with it!

I see a confection in nickel silver etch, but sadly impossible to fold reliably. I'll stick with the more basic 3D print versions, I think.

I think it's good to have more than one hobby. I have far too many, some of which are currently being seriously neglected.

He came from my stash. He was from Phoenix Scale Miniatures, reference OF27, which I think are marketed by S&D Models now. He needed some reconstructive surgery to tuck his legs in further and to lose enough of his rump that he would actually appear to be sitting on the seat. This figure comes with separate arms, so once he was seated I could adjust the arms so he grasps the steering wheel.

I've found a suitable figure to stand - or sit - in as a milkman. He just needs painting. Today I glazed the windscreen and the rear porthole, and applied the custom transfers. Just door glazing and mirror and wiper to fit, and the load of course.

They would most likely have been formed of wire. I have dim memories of wire crates on the floats around when I was little. The 3D printed ones I've sourced via ModelU are closer to the later plastic form. Reproducing the open wire mesh style would be a challenge, I think. The bottles are the right shape, though!

Some progress on the milk float. I was originally intending to paint in the dark blue Express Dairy livery, but research showed me the signwriting included a royal warrant. A bit more digging and I settled on the United Dairies colours instead. So, burnt orange with white lettering. I've commissioned some suitable transfers, as well as some crates and bottles. I need to work out the glazing and final details, but otherwise I think it's coming along nicely.

My first thought is it was an early form of the mirrors fitted to forward control lorries and vans so the driver can see where the front bumper is. It was very common in Japan, and has begun to be more common in Europe and here in Blighty as a safety feature to avoid running over cyclists. It seems odd to have it fitted as a rear view mirror as it's outside the cab and impossible to adjust without help or leaping in and out a few times, but it's possible. Perhaps the rusty one has just drooped over time? The model has a window aperture in the back, but nothing in the cab. I suppose it ought to have one but it would be all but impossible to cut. It's for the same reason I'm leaving the cast rivet pillar in the cab panel.

Um, nope.

Ha! I think there are plenty of plain vanilla ones out there. This one was always slated for the super detailing, but I never had an excuse before.

As you wish, but I might forget to tell you!

Since I took the photo and posted, I've reviewed the windscreen frames and decided they had to come off. The moulded ones are too chunky, and frankly quite battered. This is my main reference photo, but I won't be heading for that livery! Smith's Electric Milk float at Beverley Westwood, 1958 or 1959. by Beverley exile, on Flickr

I have found a few spare minutes to work on the Dinky milk float conversion. Here's where I am at the moment… Work done so far has been to disassemble the model, strip as much paint as possible (that old enamel stuff they used in the olden days is tenacious stuff), fill the worst of the play damage and generally tidy things up a bit. A quick coat of primer completes the bodywork for now. I found some ideal wheels that match the real thing quite well from an Oxford Series 1 Land Rover surplus to requirements. The same donor vehicle provided suitable seats for the cab, and a steering wheel. I've ordered some milk crates and bottles from ModelU, which I'll collect and pay for at RailEx at the end of May. Then I need a suitable milkman driver, and to work out the livery. Glazing and sundry details like wiper and mirrors will complete the model. Unfortunately, it's not a quick project as I fit it into spare time between the umpteen other projects I have on the go!

What I've found with masking tape is you really have to let the sprayed or brushed coats dry thoroughly. This can be a couple of days or more in my experience. Even if a coat of paint feels dry, it's not really until all the so-called volatiles have evaporated out. I use the Tamiya range of low-tack tape for critical masking, filling in with the usual domestic stuff as required. I do like your idea of using card to temporarily mask areas, though. That crimson looks smashing!

Thick superglue would fill some of the gap, with Squadron White or Green to finish off. I use Squadron for most filling uses. The thing to know about it is it must be used in thin layers to build up a filling. The volatiles evaporate from the mixture as it hardens, so if too much goes on in one go it never fully sets in the centre.

Chaz, I am very happy for the float to go to a good home. I am also very happy to breathe new life into it as it'll make a lovely change from the pesky GWR engines which are infesting my workshop at the moment! I shall not ask for anything in return, aside from the warm glow of a job well done. Now, the "researchlight" turns to finding suitable east London dairies and their liveries.

Found 'im! I bought this at a toy fair/swap meet what must be twenty years ago now. One stall had a really battered example with most of the wheels missing for thirty quid. On the next stall I found this one for a fiver! While I was rummaging I found a donor vehicle that can give up its wheels for the float.

I believe the older Dinky Toys, of around the 1940s into the 1960s, were a fairly consistent 1/43rd. I seem to recall reading they were often sold as being the same scale as Hornby O gauge. Dinky and Spot On (Triang) retained the scale, whereas Corgi seemed to go off on 1/50th for their commercial vehicles but stayed with 1/43rd for cars and vans. Finding correctly scaled commercial vehicles is one of the things that bugs me about 7mm scale model railways. Having said all that, I hope I've still got the thing! I think a rummage in the stores is in order before I go any further!

I think the model is based on the four-wheeled NCB type with an enclosed cab. If you do a quick image search for "Dinky toy electric milk float" you'll see what I mean. I will retrieve it from storage and see what I need to do to bring it up to spec.