MikeTrice

One of the issues with building anything, especially with no instructions, is working out the order to do things. For example should I make and fit door handles and grab rails before, or after, painting? First I have to make them. A piece of 0.4mm brass wire has the end bent thus ready to be used in a Bill Bedford handrail bending jig: Once the correct length has been determined the bent end is inserted through the hole. For short handrails I find it easier to put the unit upside down trapping the wire: The second bend can now be made: The surplus is now trimmed back: One of the "prongs" is now flattened: The partially formed handrail is removed from the jig and reversed so the other "prong" protrudes: It too, is now flattened: On removing from the jig you should have an embryo grab handle thus: It might need some coaxing to get a good shape using a fine pair of pliers: The result temporarily fitted to the pre-drilled holes accompanied by a Romford/Markits turned handle. One down, nine to go! In answer to my earlier question I cannot see a practical way to fit the handles before painting so will probably defer fitting for the moment.

Thanks Colin, much appreciated.

After a slight diversion regarding vacuum pipes (http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/84327-4mm-vacuum-pipes/) onwards and upwards. Superb castings from Lanarkshire Models and Supplies: VP01 Vacuum brake pipe. Rather than relying on just glueing them in place, I have drilled through the mounting bracket with a 0.5mm drill and superglued a short length of 0.5mm brass wire: My buffer beams are too thick to use the moulded mounting plates so these were cut off flush with the pipe: The pipe was offered up to the coach end and marked with reference to the pin location: The beading was nipped out with a scalpel and a 0.5mm hole drilled: The vacuum pipe that is to go on the alarm gear end needs a 0.5mm hole drilled in the top. The pipes are kinked below the mounting bracket: The vacuum pipe is then stuck in place with superglue and on the alarm gear end the connecting pipe from the alarm gear itself to the vacuum pipe fashioned out of 0.4mm N/S. The top is bent through 90 degrees and has a hole drilled in the coach end to take it. T'other end is superglued in the hole in the top of the vacuum pipe: Another view:

Thanks Colin. Canon Powershot SX150 IS on Auto mode.

Jason, not certain if this solves one of your other problems or not. Two lines have been added and centred: Select one of them then choose Object-> Objects to Guides And you end up with a guide line centred on another object: You can also set the snap settings so an object's midpoint snaps to the guide.

I am still learning.

Make sure the following option is turned off:

It is why I asked it. The other variable is that different solvents cause different amount of warping, something we are all trying to avoid.

Yes you can. See here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/page-19 The only thing to bear in mind is there is likely to be a burr around the cut edge.

Mick, as Jason says, I cannot control the number of cuts from Inkscape and I use Jason's suggested method of copying the drawing as many times as I want cuts, so for a 2 cut then just duplicate once, for 3 cut duplicated twice etc. Do not use Ctrl-A then Ctrl-V or the duplicated entries will not align with the originals and will have to be moved. Instead having selected them (Ctrl A is OK for this) then use Ctrl D to duplicate them in place. Another option is just to print to the Silhouette and once it has finished, print it again. You can do this as many times as you like providing you do not eject the cutting mat and styrene from the machine until you have finished doing all the cuts and do not intend to do any more. The next version of Inkscape when it eventually appears promises to include better cutter control. Always good to hear of someone else taking the plunge and I am sure I speak for everyone else that we would love to see any photos of anything you make. Don't be frightened to ask any more questions should you have any.

Colin, out of interest what solvent are you using?

The w-irons are three layer. To be honest using odd numbers of layers does not apply to styrene, the warping being caused by bonding the spring/axlebox to the side of the w-iron. I should add that so far the Di-Limonene has not caused any distortion.

I am now starting to think about producing the axleboxes and springs, so I dug out earlier examples produced back in December. This was just after the time I started using Deluxe Plastic Magic. Even though no warping was previously evident, after almost 3 months, they have warped alarmingly. So I guess the lesson from my perspective is AVOID PLASTIC MAGIC!

As Andy says there must be two V hangers per cylinder. The inner one is usually offset from the vehicle centre line.

Hate to say this but your rainstrips look very high! http://www.flickr.com/photos/johnmightycat/5973740019/

Dry brushing is quite a good description and gives an indication of just how little top colour is needed. I should add that you probably want to pick out some of the panels in slightly different shades before applying the graining.

I managed to pick up some Romford short handrail knobs so decided to redo the end handrails: Much happier now: The roof handles have now been added. A Bill Bedford handrail bending jig was used

In answer to your earlier question here is the method using the rounded object. The technique uses a steel ruler and a craft embossing tool. The ruler is 1mm thick and the embossing tool has a 6mm ball end to it, although any suitable rounded tool can be used. I must say the embossing tool is probably the easier option. A piece of 20thou is arranged over the ruler with about a 1mm overlap, then the embossing tool is run along the styrene as close to the ruler as possible using downward pressure. Repeat two or three times. Move the styrene further over the ruler, say another 1mm and repeat. The styrene show here has been moved and curved three times The curve produced against a 5p coin. For those of you who do not have such a coin handy it is approx 17.5mm in diameter. Does that help?

Nice.

Likewise I have not had any distortion with it.

Bear in mind 1 litre is a LARGE bottle which you will have to store and you will want to decant the solvent into something smaller to use. The 250ml is still considerably larger than the normal solvent bottles available in model shops.

I got mine from ebay from this dealer: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Laboratory-solvents-d-limonene-dipentene-250ml-/161256571522? Check their other items as they do various different quantities. I was very pleased with their speed of delivery.

I assume you have a PDF reader installed?

Agree wholeheartedly.

Subsequence evidence suggests that the end handrail is not quite are semi-circular as I originally thought, so have produced a new drawings showing it flattened slightly. Here some 0.4mm NS wire is being coaxed into an approximation of the curve. I am not after a perfect match here as I wanted to be able to spring it into the locating holes. Holes drilled and handrail knobs fitted (after threading onto the partially formed handrail) then the handrail fitted. All glueing by cyano applied with the small piece of wire: In hindsight I would have preferred to use some short handrail knobs, but did not have any to hand. These are (I think) standard Gibson from over 20 years ago.