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7 minutes ago, stewartingram said:

All this talk about the AZ vaccine being manufactured "at cost", but no-one has said what "at cost" really means. 

Lets go slightly hypothetical, to put it in perspective. 

Say it cost £1 to produce a vial (or whatever) of a pre-designed vaccine. This will include all materials, containers, packaging, distribution, wages, overheads such as buildings, power, etc. But the firm is (normally) in business to make a profit (quite rightly). So they don't sell at £1, they increase that to give a profit. Say it now sells at £2. 

But they have put past expenditure in to develop the product. Say another pound, making it £3.

This is probably more like the true "at cost" meaning. More would probably be added making it say £5 at normal times.

Now these figures are simplistic, to show the relationships. I strongly suspect that the "cost" figure would be the £3 figure rather than the £5 (or more) figure. We live in the real world, these things have to happen.

And I stress again, I have NO idea of the real figures, I am just using numbers for illustration.

Based on your hypothetical figures I would say AZ are charging £1 per dose.    But on top of this the government paid Oxford to develop the vaccine and probably also paid the owners of the manufacturing facilities (who are not AZ) the cost of expanding or setting up the production plants.   So the headline £1 per dose is not the total cost to the government.   Nevertheless it seems very reasonable compared with what other vaccine firms are charging - although these firms may have paid more in the way of development and capital costs.        

10 minutes ago, jonhall said:

I'm still struggling with my Portrait 1 on Windows 10, I re-flashed the firmware about this time last lear and it worked eratically for the first day of the Stevenage show, but not the second! 

 

I was beginning to believe that the problem might have been hardware and a fault with the cutter, however it occurred to me that the WinXP computer I used to download the firmware upgrade should still work, and indeed it does, although I had to convert Studio3 files to Studio 2 format. Some of my files are studio 4 format, so I might have to do two conversions. 

 

Has anyone else had the Win10 problems with a Portrait 1 and Win10 - there seems to be a feeling online that the issue is the Protrait 1 is USB1, and Microsoft has abandoned USB1, but if you use a USB 2 hub, that should act as a converter between USB1 and USB2 - has anyone tried it?

 

Jon

I have problems.   I can get it to work if I plug the Portrait directly into a USB port on the computer rather than via a USB extension or data hub.  I may also need to re-boot the computer.   

Scalescenes multibuy - you cam purchase all the Scalescenes texture papers in one lot at a discounted price.  

If you are interested in kits have a look at Petite Properties - laser cut mdf but they need covering with embossed plastic brick/stone sheets or printed papers like Scalescenes.  

For construction of building shells, apart from card and styrene sheet there is foamboard and foamed pvc.   Stonework can be scribed on these materials.   

You ask what new models would we like to see.

JS models has broken new ground with large and very large buildings.   This is great, but I (and I think many other modelers) do not have space for such structures.  Although there are other suppliers of smaller sized buildings, many are limited to railway structures - as you say there are plenty of signal boxes.   I would be interested in smaller sized industrial buildings, shops and houses.  Petite Properties do some great models, and have have quite a number of them, but the wall finish is plain and needs cladding (or plastering/scribing).  Other models are available but are 3.5 mm rather than 4 mm scale.   Scalescenes are also very good, but some people prefer to have an embossed brick/stone surface that they can paint.  

Application of a dark wash after fixing the strips can colour the edges.  Another option is to print on grey paper.  This will change the overall colour of the tiles a bit, but should still be OK.   

I have a Silhouette cutting machine and have got this to cut the Scalescenes slate/tile strips.     I also produce slate strips on this machine from grey art paper (Daler Rowney Murano paper, slate colour), with gaps cut between each individual slate similar to those on laser cut slate strips from the likes of York Modelmaking.    They need weathering to produce some colour variations across the roof.    

8 hours ago, Julia said:

 

How many sheets is the whole kit? How many sheets need to go on 1mm card?

 

J

The wharf is 34 sheets altogether.  Of these 16 are heavy card (2 mm), 5 medium (1 mm), 1 light card, 1 OHP film and the rest print paper.   The barge is a separate file - 2 sheets - 1 heavy card, 1 mix of medium and light card and print only.  

9 hours ago, r12477 said:

The description for this box file layout (and the industrial box file layout) talk of different track layouts being possible - Does anyone have an example of these? The only one that I have seen consists of a single point and separate straight track.

The instructions with the kit show an option of three tracks running across the scene with no points, these three exiting to the right onto a traverser.  

The OO to HO scale wagon is interesting - but should the track gauge move from 18.2 to 16.5 mm?   In fact could you not do a stretch of empty track with the gauge (and sleeper / rail size?) decreasing into the distance? 

Does mortar get darker with time / dirt?    It seems that it can either be lighter or darker than the bricks or stone blocks - obviously it is also a different shade.    

This weathering looks good.   What is your method?

There is a second-hand machine on ebay currently at £51.   

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/SILHOUETTE-PORTRAIT-PLOTTER-CUTTER/292870264174?hash=item44306d956e:g:n48AAOSwe9FcFOOU:rk:3:pf:0

Seller says it needs a new blade and cutting mat.  

I now have a Portrait but if I were buying again would consider a Silhouette Curio. 

I have been quite pleased with Scalescenes slate - downloaded and printed onto heavy paper.  You cut this into strips which then overlap.   I printed onto grey paper (Daler Rowney) which removes any issue with the cut edge appearing white (or needing to be coloured with a felt tip pen or pencil).   I have also cut this grey paper (with nothing printed onto it) into slate strips (including tiny gaps between each slate in a strip) using a Silhouette cutter.   This also gives good results. 

Removed - duplicate post

I am testing 2 mm Palite (foamed pvc - Foamex may be similar) as an alternative to 2 mm card for Scalescenes buildings.   It is certainly easier to cut.   

More information at http://modelshop.co.uk/Content/DynamicMedia/cms-uploaded/files/4D_guide-foamed_PVC(3).pdf

I suggest you have a look at the thread below "Tests with my new 3D printer"

Does anyone have experience of KNK Zing Orbit and KNK Force cutting machines?   These claim to have more down-force than Silhouette machines - but are more expensive.   

I spoke to Andrew Hastie of Dundas Models at ExpoNG today.   He told me that 8 mm wheels (for both 9 mm and 12 mm gauge) are currently being manufactured and he hopes to have tham available in a month's time at the Warley show.   

Edward

A useful list of model scales - including various sizes of model soldiers, is at  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_scale_model_sizes

I am rather mytified by some of the scales claimed for 15, 20, 25 and 28 mm figures - at least based on the size of a person of this hieght.   But do model solider sizes include bases and headdresses?   

Edward

I have been thinking of an Indian-based model railway (just thinking - no more than that so far!).   For scale my inclination is 4 mm due to availability of figures, although 3 mm fits the gauges better (16.5 mm = 5'6", 9 mm = metre approx, 6.5 mm = 2'6" approx).    S scale (1:64) is another possibility - so 16.5 mm is approx metre gauge, and 12 mm is narrow gauge- and could 1.72 figures be used?  

For 4 mm, I am thinking of 9 mm narrow gauge.   There were some of these lines on the northwest frontier.   Have a look at Red Box model soldiers in 1:72 - both British colonial and Afghan warriors.   There are a couple of possibilities for outside frame chassis  - Rocco HOe 0-6-0 and Graham Farish 08 class diesel shunter with cylinders and motion available from RT models, or for smaller 0-4-0, Minitrains F&C.   I recommend joining the 009 Society where a number of members have built models of colonial lines. Charlie Insley exhibited his Fort Whiting at Warley this year.  

Good luck,    

Edward

An interesting project.  I have seen this system at the Delhi railway museum - but it has not been operating during my visits.   How are you going to get an electrical contact via the road surface to complete the DC circuit?  The road slabs could be made of brass but will need to be painted / coloured in some sort of conductive paint.    Another option could be battery power with radio control.   Or is there another solution?

Jon

I hope to be there on Saturday afternoon.  With any lick will see you then.

Edward

Jon

I would be interested to see your Portrait - when do you think you will be at the show?

Edward