Bluemonkey presents....

All the roofs have now been primed and sprayed white. Got brave last night and airbrushed the beast and the other loco I have but now back to the brushes to touch up and do finer detailing. Appears my airbrush nozzle thread has sheared, as well honestly when it is against you! At least I managed to remove the thread from the airbrush main element. I would be very interested in other people's experience or personal recommendations for airbrushes as the two I have are cheap ones. Any pointers etc as these things can be very expensive. Is there much difference between something at say £39.99 and £179.99?

My first subs issue arrived this morning. Thank you to the team for their continued efforts to issue all subscriptions and general sale mags. It is very much appreciated.

Ric thank you for those airbrushing links very helpful and a decent watch aswell.

Cheers Ric, So I held my breath, closed my eyes and got on with the matter in hand. Rain strips formed, cut and attached and in true style of this build I have run out of styrene strip with just one rain strip to go!!!! Arrrrrrrgggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. Replacements ordered as are the couplings so fingers crossed these will land by the weekend. Destination board locators cut and attached. The running boards will be created some other time as they are a different colour to the roof and I will need to find someone who is willing and able to produce transfers for these at a reasonable price as there are 14 boards required and the same for the name boards to be placed on the sides, all in brown text. I have also a few siphon Fs that would benefit from similar so may increase numbers required. Appreciate they look a mess but hopefully once primed you will not know the nasties underneath. I have certainly had to work a lot harder on these than I imagined and they have been more frustrating than I care to remember. I hope the roof paint does not craze unless they will be sent into orbit! Anyway Wickes having finally delivered the promised goods for making new smaller boards. So I should be getting those started whilst waiting for the styrene. Lets hope after three weeks of waiting the woodwork goes a little better than the kits. Suns out and I believe it is cider o' clock. So that is me for the day cracking a cold one and cutting my first asparagus of the year. Toodles

Thanks Ric, already amended the roofs though. Had to cut the vents off as the de-activator destroyed the paint i had already applied underneath and i was worried for the plastic. All areas filled and heavily sanded back. I have re-masured and drilled out two vent positions for each as illustrated in Slinn and Clarke. The original three measurements can be used for the running board anchors. Thanks everyone for the advice on the airbrushing i have more studying to do now.

Whilst following the build instructions including visual ones supplied I could not help returning to 57XX's comment about using photograph references rather than or more so than the instructions. I measured up all the roofs, drilled out locating holes for the vents and fixed with superglue. Lovely just ready for tomorrow to prime and top coat. I just can not shake 57XX's comment out of my head. Nothing for it off to the reference books to check. Firstly Slinn and Clarke, a little there but nothing concrete, phew! Russell's Coaches Appendix vol2 and there it is!!!!!! There are only TWO roof vents not the three as directed and pictured in the kit instructions Seriously these kits! Having already been misdirected by the brackets and falling short of the number of detailing parts required/supplied now this I seriously was ready to jack everything in sell up all my kits and just continue with RTR stock and possible not even that! The scene of annoyance, especially as they all measured up nicely and no drill slip so everything for once is 100% accurate; Now I will have to try to fix this current problem hopefully without creating more problems or even having to make further purchases just for the roofs. Very annoying not only for the waste time and effort but now the potential to ruin roofs or details. Not to mention the fact that there has now been over spend wasting more money on unnecessary items.

All wagons have now been painted in base GWR stock brown ready for some washes before transfers. Although happy with the finish and coverage of the airbrushing I can not help feeling I am doing things wrong. Seems to take a while to paint and I don't think I am using my airbrush correctly I have a too small a needle. I use 0.2mm needle and this seems to clog even though my paint is very thin almost ink like. Does anyone have any ideas or know of a good self help/tutorial video to watch on the net please? I learn from watching and listening to others rather than reading, especially for practical skills. Thank you. Next though it will be the roofs, fitting the vents rain strip and destination type boards before fitting. Each one is of a slightly differing length less than 1mm between them all but it universally drill and fit boards and vents would mean some if not all will be slightly out. Can't have that now.

That is exactly what I am doing with my siphon C builds I will have the Calne branch modelled leading off from my mainline station Chippenham. We are talking years and years though lol.

Still great shots Kevin.

Nice one. Thank you for sharing, food for thought.

Hi Ric, thanks and do you need any close ups of the Ratio chassis as built to give a reference. I may show a few easy fixes?! I was also surprised by the ends, nearly as much detailing as the sides. I have a heavy OCD when modelling kits especially if I have a pictorial reference. I usually find myself walking away overnight or for a day or two to have a word with myself and then it may take another week before returning to the bench. Still trying to persuade myself to get on a spray the siphons as well as the two loco bodies from way back! All I need to do is green and brown but it is never that easy is it!

Hi Ric, thanks and do you need any close ups of the Ratio chassis as built to give a reference. I may show a few easy fixes?! I was also surprised by the ends, nearly as much detailing as the sides.

Great work on those kits and a new tool, some kind of mitre?

New design of gun holster surely?

I think that is possibly classed as evidence not a claim to fame.

Still waiting for my subscription issue SWMBO made me dig a very long established holly tree out this afternoon as punishment! I hope my copy arrives tomorrow unless who knows what other tree will break my back and lose it's life in the coming days

Definitely agree with Donw also sweet wrappers with foil. I have used these for tarps as well, obviously painted but you need to get the crinkles you want first unless all the paint will crack and rub off when you start manipulating.

Thank you Mikkel, for your suggestion. You saved the day again. Very fiddly using scissors and tweezers as fingers too large and cumbersome. They do not seem out of place at all once primed so finished item will be fine. Don't think I am going to use any riveting detail either as it certainly will not show unless under very close inspection.

No subscription issue in the post today. Fingers crossed for Tuesday now. Will have to settle for a glass of something to 'scratch the itch' til then

With thanks to Mikkel for his suggestion of replacement parts from styrene I have found some glazing thin enough and with some very sharp scissors and holding breath etc managed to cut eight shapes to represent the missing parts. Appreciate they are not the same (probably pictured the worst pair) or as fine but a decent representation and after all the are to be painted in brown so should not be too noticeable. Lower door brackets are from more off cuts from the kit sprue. Pictures for comparison and of the final end detailing before priming and ……………………….. After priming will look at adding some Archers rivets if necessary but this could be over kill and a waste.

Oh and finish the door handles for the sides, just 24 more to go. Bending brass wire to make these as I'm not keen on the flat brass ones provided. It's the second side bend that gets me. Then hopefully ready to paint and make up those roofs.

Thank you Mikkel, great idea. I will need to find something thinner than the styrene I have but will give it a go. The top brackets are very fiddly though. Here's a picture of each of the ends so you can see why I initially decided just to ignore the missing parts. Once painted and running probably would not notice. I do still have to insert the central open bar to complete. I did make my own lamp irons from brass waste from these kits again the comparison can be made in the pictures.

Definitely 14mm Mansell wheels.

Another frustrating and disappointing modelling session. Again I am missing details for the Shirescene Siphons. Two complete wagons missing all the end detailing (except door hinges). I am unable to bodge these items to supplement the kit as I did for the side door detailing. Lesson here is to make kits near the time of purchase so anything missing/damaged can be reported for possible replacements. I. This case I purchased these at least a year ago from the suppliers so more fool me. I decided to leave the siphons for the evening as I also managed to break both of my drill bits in opening up the door handle holes ready to fit handles.