MrSimon

Thanks Kris - I use a lot of thinner on the top coat, usually gets it where I want it

I got the modelmaster transfers from the NGS pack MMT557, I'm putting off applying them though because its my absolute least favourite modelling job ever - I usually wait until I've got a sheet worth of waggons ready and then do them all at once or have a mad pannic at the last possible moment before an exhibition

I REALLY must have a transfer day soon!

Simon

Hello Everybody!

I've had a few days off working on the scenery for Gresby and turned my attention to working on some stock for a change. First to reach the desk was a pair of NGS JGAs (I resisted the temptation to make all four in my box at once) closely follwed by the clam and the grampus from page 5 for painting - I even remembered to take some photos of how I paint them:


Step 1 - built clam ready to paint. One day I'll remember to keep the buffers off until painting is complete!


Step 2 - I paint the sides all over yellow, this ensures there isn't a step in the paint halfway down the side. I also paint the top edge of the side and the axle box covers. For this waggon I used quite a strong yellow but others I've finished have had a more faded shade.


Step 3 - With a very sharp 2B pencil I draw a line 2mm from the top using a metal ruler (on one where the line went wonky I levelled the ruller and moved the line up the wagon to create a smaller yellow area)


Step 4 - with a flat ended brush (I wet a humbrol brush and trimmed the end with my scalpel to make it flat) and thinned grey paint edge up to the pencil line but don't go over it. I do the flat bits first, then the tops of the ribs and then go back for the bits I've missed on the sides of the the ribs. It always takes two coats of grey so I tend to only go up to the line on the second coat.

Step 5 - neated up the the black on the underframe and paint the buffers some sort of black/dark grey (not forgetting to paint both sides of the buffer head which I always forget to do before fitting)

Step 6 - paint the end of the brake lever, the lamp iron bracket and the handrail white (I only paint one edge of these as it usually makes a mess of it if I try and paint the sides)

Step 7 - paint the inside of the waggon a mixture of Humbrol 66 and 160 which I mix in the waggon (one brush of each colour swirled around the bottom to mix and then painted up the sides from the bottom to the top, not going over the side onto the body colour)

The waggon is now ready for transferring and weathering, but I think I'm going to do them as a rake on a day when I need to be punished.

In more scenic news I have planned out the area behind the shop infront of the garage and will get cracking with it shortly

Lots to do!

Simon

Thanks Grahame! I'll get some ordered

Simon

Hello everyone!

Thank you for your comments! Spookily, Gresby is on the way to Doncaster - maybe she commutes

I'm liking the idea of a washing machine, or a fridge or something - it'd have to be a normal washing line though, I don't fancy making a whirlygig thing!

Are wheelie-bins available in N Gauge? If I scratch build one maybe its worth somehow making a mould of it and casting a load of them in some sort of resin... what do you think?

Stock to finish today!

Simon

PS. Chinahand use any ideas you like, I'm putting them on here to share - have you got a topic on here?

Hi, loving the shed area and the hard-standing; can't wait to see it finished!

Simon

Hello everybody!

Thank you for your comments I have pretty much finished the house I was working on:


The front,


The side - in the photo it doesn't seem to be sitting level so I'll check that out this afternoon. I also need to make some gates.


The back. I need to add a few more details like dustbins, satelite dishes, tv aerials, chimney pots and weather it all.


Close up of the back yard. The lawn stopped being a lawn pretty much as soon as I wrote it, but I'm not sure if it should be a cobbles or concrete or muddy grass... the shed roof is sandpaper.


The house in the street, it won't be stuck down until I've fully finished it. I need to do a tiny bit of patching up the paint...

I'm not sure which bit to work on next - the pub on the other side of the bridge or the yard behind the house infront of the garage? Or I could work on some stock!

Lots to do

Simon

Hi Forward!

I'm still getting used to being here, its pretty cool but I've not ventured furthur north than the airport The window on the shop front is a PVC window with the lower parts made from opaque uPVC panels like on the building I'm copying - it must be more reversable than bricking the window up - so they've just been painted matt white to match the frames. Theres a bricked up window round the back which is a slightly different colour to the surrounding brickwork, but I'm not sure how well this shows up on the pictures.

Hi Southernboy

Glad your enjoying it, how's Frankland coming on? I've not seen an update for a while

I'm almost ready to attach the shop front to the shop and move on to the next building. Today I was doing a bit of work on the back yard of the shop, first off was a replacement back wall with coal hole and old coal bunker. Next up was a garden shed:


The shed was made from plasticard, and then clad in Evergreen 0.25 x 1.00mm strips after trying to scribe the planks didn't turn out very well.


The shed and coal bunker. I need to paint the paving slabs the shed is placed on before everything is stuck down.


The shed from the end of the drive. Todays third little task was adding meter boxes to the extension - they just need some details scribing in to them and dirtying up a bit.

Lots to do!

Simon

Haha I never thought of that! Its supposed to be an old shop thats been converted into a ground floor flat, hence the windows being filled in with white plastic instead of glass.

The white paint sounds like a good idea, I'll give it a bash!

Simon

Thanks Grahame!

Yesterday I got the barge-boards, gutters and some of the downpipes done on the main house - they need a bit more work and the black toning down:


I also need to alter the roof slightly so it sits a bit lower, but I'm pretty happy with how it looks.


The guttering and downpipe on the extension, just the pipe coming from the appliances in the extension to put on and then add some mossy weathering on the north-facing bits.


Here is the shop-front with the uPVC glazing fitted... it took forever! It looks a bit white and I want to tone the white down, but not too much because its supposed to be uPVC - does anyone have any tips?

Lots to do!

Simon

PS. its -14 and snowy outside and the traffic and trams are still running smoothly

Hehe thank you - the walls are like a British Rail sandwich in reverse

I gave the doorframe its first coat of paint today, one more and I'll be ready to fit all the upvc-style window and door frames - will take photos tomorrow when its light

Thanks again

Simon

Hi Kris and Steven,

Thanks for your comments, its good to be getting back into the swing of building things and posting the progress on here - it really spurs me on! I thought about putting lights in but decided against it; but its something I'd like to try on Gresby's replacement (assuming I can get lights small enough )

I would like to exhibit when its finished - either in its present form or extended - it will be a few years before its ready and back in the UK, but I'd maybe give exhibiting it in Finland a whirl.

I managed to get a bit more modelling done, I would have liked to do more but it took me forever to cut out the arch above the front door - the inner arch is smalled than my cutting-compass thing can manage


Here is the shop front, I'm going to paint all the wood work later today and then make the window frames when the paint is dried.

I also made a new base for the building. The original bit of street I made in the summer didn't go back far enough and I thought it would be a good idea to make the backyard the same level as the street, and make it in one piece so the building can be fully bedded in away from the baseboard:


The front showing the pavement. When I've finished all the paths etc in the back yard I will cut out the footprint of the building and fit it to the base. I'm not sure if I like the back wall yet, and I might make a new one later.


The back yard. I need to add some meter boxes on the end of the extension, some gates, a shed, down pipes from the kitchens and bathrooms, and I need to dig out the lawn and lay some grass. If I change the back wall it will be plainer and will have a coal hole.

Lots to do!

Simon

Hello Everybody!

This afternoon I did a bit of work trying to finish the house and got the interior finished and the front inner and outer walls fitted:


I can't tell if the front wall bows out slightly, but the corner is slightly off and I can't quite get it square - but i do know which corner I'm putting the downpipe on! Later on or tomorrow I'm going to make a start on the shop front and see if I can wrestle the roof into position...

So much to do!

Simon

Morning!

I would never have thought to use superglue for laminating - I'm usually pretty messy with it and would end up with things stuck in my hair and allsorts! I'll give it a go on the next thing I make

Last night I made the interior walls for the house I've been working on, then I think the glue fumes got to me and I made furniture to go in it...


Here is the front, I've not put the furniture in the downstairs flat yet, it needs a bit more detail than the upstairs flat because it has large windows and its right on the front edge of the layout.


The back, I'm not sure why I put the full flight of stairs in - I think I thought it would be more visible than it actually is!


Her is the back of the house with the interior fitted. I put the roof together last night but it needs a bit more work (and sticking down) once the interior is fitted I can put the front wall on and detail the outside walls!

Lots to do!

Simon

Hi Bernard,

Whats cyno? I've seen it written in places but never known what it was - is there a brand you can reccommend? Is the advice about compartments also true for brass sides/compartments? I've still got a load of stuff to build for my Dad...


Today I found the mounting board inner-shell I bult for the house in the summer and glued it in:


Its a definate inprovement to yesterday's picture! I'm slightly worried that the evostick I used will eat the building from the inside out - the small test piece I did hasn't been dissolved yet but I'll know for definite in the next 24 hours (and if it dissolves I've still got the front and will build a new back and sides and chalk it down to experience)


Here is the view from the side, the card managed to get all the curl out! This evening I'll be making a start on the interior details and the back yard.

I need to get the hang of using the lamp for taking close up shots

Thanks again for the advice Bernard and Kris!

Simon

Hello everybody!

This afternoon I christened my new lamp with a spot of modelling. It was hard to know what to do first, its been so long since I've done much, so I decided to start finishing the house I started in the summer.

The sides had curled a bit, I think its the normal plasticard curl combined with lashings of cement on the back and a few months wrapped up in a box - I'm hoping the curl goes when its stuck to some sort of strengthening skeleton:


I thought I would start on the back of the building because of the large ammount of construction still needed on the front, so I stuck together the extension - next job is the chimney and neatening up the joints/paint work and then gutters and some sort of interior detail - must get my mojo back after two months off!

I think maybe the Ratio roofing sheets are a bit thick...

I also prepared a test piece to try out using milliput for inlaid track. I'll put some pics up when there is something to see.

Lots to do!

Simon

Hello everybody!

The sun came out today and I managed to take some better pictures of yesterdays work:


This is the buffer stop end, the siding on the left will be fully inlaid with concrete, the siding on the right will be ballasted and weedy with a Noch crash barrier protecting the track.


This end of the sidings will have security fences and gates with an oil pipe running on a bridge over the mainline hiding the sector plate.

I'm going to put a second layer of card on this afternoon but I have to go up to the attic first and find where I put it

Snow tomorrow!

Simon

I think a lamp is definately the next thing i buy - I touched up some paint on a coach earlier and I've just seen what a mess I made!

Simon

Hello everybody!

Today I have actually done some work on the layout - not much because today was cloudy in Helsinki so it got dark two hours earlier and I still don't have a work lamp



I painted the sides of the rails on the second board and made a start on the concrete loading area and fuel delivery siding - I didn't quite get finished by the time it got dark but if the sun comes out tomorrow I'll try for some better pictures. This is the first layer of the hard standing in mounting board, the second layer will either be in mounting board or layers of thinner card.

I'm not sure whether to do the space between the rails with card or filler - any suggestions?

I also did some tidying up of my bits boxes and found this:

Not sure if I should try and save it or put it back in the box for another few years...!

Tomorrow I want to get the ducting and dummy point motors on the second board; then ballasting and I'll have to see about weathering!

Lots to do!

Simon

Hello Everbody!

Thank you for your replies on the glue-to-water mix, I opted for the less watery mix in the end because part of the ballast I was putting down was over the road bridge - and I didn't really want it dribbling through onto the street


Here is the dry ballast on the road bridge


Close up of a point motor in the ballast - I need to add some wires to the trunking, but I will wait until I am ready to spray the trackbed.


Here is the station throat. I found what I thought to be grass in my model box, but it turned out to be some sort of bizarre sponge; I only used a little to hide the glue blobs but it looks ok and I will probably add to it with some more modern looking grass/weeds.

I sort of wish I'd used some finer ballast, but it looks OK, and once its been weathered etc it should look better.

Lots to do but I left my paintbrushes in Newark so it'll have to wait

Simon

Hello!

I'm all unpacked now and would like to start work at the weekend; maybe start with a spot of ballasting - the only problem is it must be 15 years since I last stuck any ballast down and I can't remember the ration of PVA to water! Can anyone jog my poor cold brain?

Thanks

Simon

Not forgetting the random October snow showers and biting winds Andy! It all seems a little confusing at the moment - I probably should have done a bit more homework before setting off instead of cutting Oxford Diacasts in half but I'd do exactly the same if I had a second chance haha

Think I found a modelling chair today so I might be able to get the ballast out!

Simon

Hello everybody!

Just a quick note to say that work will be recommencing on Gresby soon, but not straight away as my removal man jettisonned all my chairs to get the weight down on his van! At least it wasn't the layout

Must unpack

Simon

MrSimon:The finest Microstrip I have is 010 x 040, the retailers I've used don't sell anything finer. Do you or does anyone else know where to buy anything finer? 010 x 020, or 010 x 010 perhaps?

Hi,

I got mine from GeeDee models in Nottingham and Access Models in in Newark, its the Evergreen Scale Models StripStyrene - it normally comes on a double sided display that looks a bit like a christmass tree - and for each thickness it comes in different widths. http://www.evergreenscalemodels.com/Strips.htm I must have imagined the 0.010 thick one There isn't a list of suppliers either

Hope that helps!

Simon

Hello!

Loving the gardeners' hut - I never knew what the original in Soho Square was - it looks really good (especially love the mossey side of the roof)

For the ultra-fine beading it could be the really fine scalescene plasticard: 0.010" thick strips, I use the 0.020" wide one for window frames etc but this could be the 0.010"?

Excellent work as always Mr!

Simon

PS. Did you see Oxford Diacast are bringing out a London Tram?

Hello everybody!
 

Perhaps the easiest way to paint the Clams would be to buy and extra set of body mouldings from Parkside and cut them at the appropriate height and stick them together when they're dry!

I might give this a go one day, I'm going to save it for Plan C on the clams but I'm pretty sure I've got some old wagons to play with in storage! (PS. Wooo I worked out how to do the green box thing on here )

This is my last progress post for two or three weeks because I had to pack everything away today so it can go into storage on Tuesday and then off to Finland on Saturday. I'm assuming that latitude doesn't affect the gluing properties of contacta proffessional but I'll just have to see when it gets there. I've got a lot done this summer and I think my rate of work will drop somewhat when I get set up in Helsinki (pesky work and building snowmen!) It'll be good to have my own place and all my modelling bits back though... and a job!


Here is the first shot in a long time of both the boards together, you can see by the change in rail colour and lack of trunking that board 2 hasn't had anything done to it since leaving London, although today I stuck the sloping piece of wall down so I don't loose it in the move.

Yesterday I popped into Total N Gauge and as well as another pack of dummy point motors for board 2 I bought my birthday present from my aunt:

I decided that as it was a present (and my dad had some tail lights sitting around doing nothing) that it should be the end wagon, so I fitted the pipes for the first time ever... they're a bit curly, I might swap them for some Dapol ones! I'm think I'm going to start weathering them in threes when I have a desk again...


Yesterday I also got my platform sides stuck down. They still need detailing and weathering, but the platform roads are pretty much ready to ballast now!


I taped down the sector plate so it doesn't damage anything in transit (note mug holding the wall in place while it finished glueing after Simon the mug had been holding it still for 20 minutes)

 
All screwed in to its holding boards, I'll probably fill between the boards with bubble wrap and then wrap the outside in binbags to make sure its waterproof. I took photos of all my stock, and theres enough pictures of the layout on here, so if any baltic ferries go down in the next two weeks I'll be starting again (or O Gauge Trams!)

Nowt left to do now!

Simon