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Pugsley

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  1. Pugsley

    Wax on. Wax off.

    By Pugsley,

    Well, more like slap on filler and sand off. It's coming on, with a little help from my new friends:

    The sanding sticks have proved to be a worthwhile investment for this project (I got mine from Netmerchants) not exactly cheap, but not ludicrously expensive either, in the grand scheme of things. More of this later though.
     
    Riveting - Part 1
    Through filling the second set of footsteps in the tumblehome of the loco, losing some of the moulded rivet detail around the area was inevitable. However, all is not lost:

    These really are good, I bought them ages ago for another project (actually exactly the same problem as here, but in 4mm scale!) but they've sat in a drawer for ages. They arrived from the US in roughly 4 days after ordering - sterling service. They are effectively blobs of resin on waterslide decal paper and apply exactly like a transfer. The instructions recommend fixing in place with Klear, which I would endorse, they may come off a little too easily if you don't (found that out the hard way).
     

     
    The results are worthwhile - this job would be a real bu**er to do if they didn't exist!
     
    Drilling down
    I've also taken the opportunity to finish off the two cab ends whilst the potential for distraction was reduced. At this stage I've drilled out the tail and marker lights in preparation for fitting the lighting at a later stage in the build. These were easy, selecting the right size of drill to fit the aperture, using the existing shallow holes as a guide, meant that the holes were automatically centred.

    The headlights weren't going to be so easy. In order to show the marking out a bit better, the headlight was coloured in with a pencil. The overall width of the light was measured in terms of both height and width. By calculating half of both dimensions, setting the calipers and using the outside of the light housing as a guide, I was able to accurately mark the centre of the aperture. Once marked, I carefully used a 0.5mm drill to find the centre marking and drill a pilot hole.

    Once the pilot holes were drilled (above) I opened them out with a 1.0mm drill, right through. this was then the guide for a 3.5mm drill that I only drilled part way down, so that the angle of the drilled hole forms the shape of the reflector. More on this in a later chapter.
     
    Riveting - Part 2
    I needed to make a blanking plate for the boiler exhaust aperture, so made one from 5 thou brass sheet that was to had. The blanking plate was measured, and the piece marked out before cutting with sharp scissors. They're not quite so sharp now
     

     
    Whilst at the Reading show back in December, I purchased one of the GW Models rivet presses, which I thought would be ideal for forming the rivets on the plate. It turns out that it was! I used the calipers to mark 2mm in from each corner and used the punch to create the rivet in this location. the plate was rolled with a bit of brass tube on a pad of kitchen towel to make it conform to the roof profile.
     

     
    After gluing it in place, I realised that it was sticking up far too far. I've since removed the boiler port so that the plate is now flush to the roof. The port was removed with a combination of scraping and filing and the plate re-secured with CA adhesive.
     
    Back to the start
    And now 'tis back to the start and the reasons for massive filler consumption and dust generation. Firstly, the cab mouldings required a lot of fettling in order to get them to fit and even then required a far bit of filler to get the profile to match the rest of the body, more than I expected TBH. Got there in the end, although I expect to have to do a little more fettling after the body is primed.
     

     
    This was the biggest use of filler - as the kit is supplied, there is one more bar in the cantrail grilles than there should be, 11 bars instead of 10. I'm not sure if this is a design error, or a design compromise - the joint between body and sides would be less straightforward if it had been stepped. I've filled this with the green stuff, but would use a suitably sized piece of plasticard in each aperture to be filled if I was to do it again.
     
    It's still a little rough round the edges in the cantrail grille area, this is one of the tasks to complete this week, along with assembling the bogies to a certain extent, although not quite for the reason you may think. More elaboration on that mystery in the next (thrilling?) episode....
     
    Thanks for reading - especially if you got all the way down here..
  2. Pugsley
    Having had the house to myself most of the weekend, I've used it wisely to get quite a lot of modelling done, both in real world and virtual. I've now created the axlebox for the Nitric tank project, and I'll probably do the Timken version at some point in the future.
     
    Behold the mysterious floating axlebox:
     

     
    The SKF logo is a little more prominent than it should be, but that's unavoidable due to the resolution required for printing. I understand that the minimum feature size for FUD is 0.1mm. I'll reduce the size with judicious use of wet and dry after printing.
     
    Just the rest of the wagon to go now!
     
    I've made a start on the second class 37 bogie as well, so there is a slim possibility that it might be sat on its bogies at Telford. It probably won't though
  3. Pugsley

    Back to life....

    By Pugsley,

    Back to reality. I've given the virtual world a bit of break for the minute, instead turning back to the 37 bogie in the, possibly vain, hope that I'll have one assembled for Telford.
     

     
    The picture above shows the last of the motors undergoing final adjustment (cf. bodging) and testing before assembly. I am pleased to confirm that they all actually work, having been tested on my ancient Hornby controller.
     
    More soon!
  4. Pugsley

    Virtual reality

    By Pugsley,

    I've been getting into 3D design in a big way of late. I need to get some parts made for the 7mm scale tank wagon projects, which are slowly progressing beyond ideas in my head, so set to learning the drawing package (Alibre) by knocking up a buffer of the type required. It's taken some time to get to this point, but I'm now happy it's as accurate as I can make it.
    Behold the mysterious floating buffer:
     

     
    Unfortunately, as the head has been built as the same part as the shank, it appears chromed in the final render (pimp my buffer ), but that's a lesson learned for next time! The plan is to send the model to Shapeways, or similar, to make a master, which will then be used to make wax copies for lost wax casting.
     
    It's been a nice diversion from the weathering and 37 projects, although I've now discovered that I need to redesign the traction motors slightly, after running into a little problem with tolerances. Still, the new drawing package should be able to help with that as well.
  5. Pugsley

    Doing a jig

    By Pugsley,

    No, I've not taken up Irish dancing, but have had a bit of an issue with the traction motors. I've made a bit of an error when calculating the relative position of the gears, meaning that the teeth mesh too tightly, leading to tight spots if anything is even slightly out of position. Sadly, the 42 tooth gears that mount on the axle were slightly out, mostly due to the way that I'd held them in the chuck when drilling them out to fit the axle.
     
    I then tried mounting them in the chuck by the boss, but can't tighten the chuck enough to stop it moving, without crushing the boss, particularly when reaming out to the final dimension. This meant that they were always ever so slightly out of round, leading to jamming.
     
    So, thoughts turned to how I could hold the gears adequately during this operation, and how I could make it consistent across all of the gears. In the end I came up with the idea of drilling two holes in each gear, and using these to screw the gear onto a mount that would fit in the lathe chuck. To ensure that the holes were consistent across the gears, and on the mounting block, I made a drilling jig out of a piece of 0.5mm brass.
     

     
    Whilst I made one of the holes slightly off centre, it didn't really matter as the position will always be relative to the other. As seen in the photo, the jig is drilled to 5.9mm in the centre, to fit over the boss of the gear. The holes are drilled to 2.2mm, clearance size for 8BA. The jig is used to drill one hole in the gear, then an 8BA screw is slipped into the hole, to maintain the jig position, whilst the other hole is drilled.
     

     
    Apologies for the slightly crap photo, but this shows the mounting block. The centre was drilled out to 5.9mm, to fit the gear boss, then a drilled gear was used to mark out the position of the two mounting holes. These were drilled out to 1.8mm, then tapped 8BA. The gear to be drilled is fitted onto the mount, secured with two 8BA screws, then the whole assembly is mounted in the lathe chuck, gripped on the outside of the block.
     

     
    This shows the whole thing assembled, with a gear for drilling, ready to be put in the lathe. Early indications are that it has pretty much worked, although I will have to do a small bit of bodging on a couple, by filing a small amount off the teeth. Still, it's a whole lot better than previous
  6. Pugsley
    Railex has managed to do what several other shows have singularly failed to do this year, and that is to inspire me enough to get on with this layout. I've also got Chris Nevard to thank, as reading the description of Combwich in the programme sparked a Eureka moment - expanding foam filler!
     
    I'd been wrestling with how I was going to achieve the landscape that I desired, and this, combined with some flue tape (like gaffer tape only much, much stickier) is the answer. I considered blocks of extruded polystyrene, I have some left over from Chittle, but cutting it to the right dimensions and angles seemed like a lot of, messy, work. So, I've set about laying the tape over the areas to be foamed, then covering it in foam. I need to get some more, however, as the small can didn't go as far as I thought it might have.
     

     

     
    The foam will be carved to shape with an old kitchen knife. I also managed to pick up the last track components I needed and have now laid all of the sleepers, with the exception of the bay as that is a little close to the area being foamed, and once that stuff is stuck it's not going anywhere!
     
    More terraforming updates soon.
  7. Pugsley
    Due to a varnish malfunction, what used to look like this:

    Now looks like this:

     
    And what used to look like this:

    Now looks like this:

     
    The moral of this story is, if you're using a varnish for the first time, don't use it on anything important. On the plus side, I now get to try the filter technique on the TTA, and set myself a huge challenge in replicating this:
    http://www.flickr.co...57603195747980/
     
    I wanted to do it before, but wasn't sure how I was going to do it. Now, these oils seem to be perfect for this kind of thing, so I'm going to give it a go.
  8. Pugsley
    I've put a small article on the Showcase about colour variation with oils, as the format seemed to fit a little better over there. The article can be found here:
    http://www.rmweb.co.uk/showcase/?p=2289&preview=true
  9. Pugsley

    3rd time lucky

    By Pugsley,

    This is it for a while now, I promise! The more I use these oils, the more I like them, and the more I'm getting to grips with using them. The 3rd wagon is by far my favourite of the ones I've done recently, it just looks that bit better than the others.
     
    I've used a photo of a different tank as a guide for this one, for a bit of variety:
    http://www.flickr.co...57603195747980/
     
    The model:

     
    I've used the same techniques that I've developed over the other two wagons, but have added more artificial highlights and shadows on the underframe, and on the roofwalk. Again, the underframe was exclusively oils, with talc added as required to matt the finish, the same was done to the bufferbeams.
     

     
    The base grime under the filling hatch was created by loading the tiniest amount of paint onto the brush, then rubbing it gently over the barrel. The streaks were added with a small brush, then worked into the barrel by tapping and scrubbing until the desired effect was achieved.
     

     
    I think a rake of these will look rather nice in the oil terminal on the layout, which I really should get on with building...
     
    More as and when!
  10. Pugsley

    Still loving it!

    By Pugsley,

    It's sad, but I've been like a child with a new toy over the last few days seeing what else I can do with these oil paints. I've known about them for a long time, Rich Divizio of mtw (http://modeltrainsweathered.com/forum/) has been using them for years, but I'm still getting excited by playing around with them and discovering things for myself. I think I need to get out more....
     
    Side two of PR58265 has been completed, and I've now worked out how to use them for the spillage staining effectively:

    Which involves applying the paint sparingly, then dragging down with a dry brush.
     
    On this side, I've also used the oils on the underframe to good effect, using raw umber mixed with black and white in varying quantities to add highlights and shadows. This leaves things a bit glossy though, so it needed to be overcoated with some matt varnish on this one, as I didn't want any shine.
     
    Pix - I've used the JSV on this one, it brushes beautifully and dries nicely matt. It is definitely spirit based, and cleans up OK with the odourless thinners I normally use. I'll run some through the airbrush soon and let you know how it goes.
     
    Quick top shot:

     
    One more TTA to do now before finishing off both of the TEAs
  11. Pugsley

    The novelty...

    By Pugsley,

    Still hasn't worn off. Sorry if this is now getting a bit boring, but I'm enjoying myself, which is the main thing! Tonights experimenting has revealed that the oils can be matted down nicely by stippling in talc.
     

     
    as demonstrated on the W irons.
     
    I've also been experimenting further with the addition of highlights and shadows, doing it a little more on this one than the others. Again, it seems to work, but I think it has to be carefully controlled, or the model could end up looking like a caricature of a tank wagon.
     
    I've played around with the barrel as well, putting larger patches of crimson, blue, white and yellow on before manipulating them first with a dry, and then with a moist, brush, using dabbing and scrubbing motions, as well as running the brush down from top to bottom. It seems to have added a slightly blotchier effect to the barrel, which I kinda like.
     
    Time to carry on playing!
  12. Pugsley
    I bloody love these water mixable oil paints that I've been using!
     
    I thought gouache was the wonder stuff, well it still is really, but these oils are even better and much more versatile. It's taken a while to figure out how to use them effectively, it requires a slightly different technique to gouache, but I'm now glad that I've persevered with them after the initial disappointment that I had.
     
    I've used them quite successfully, I think, on a couple of the TTA wagons that have graced the bench of late.
     
    Exhibit A:
     
    The inspiration:
    http://paulbartlett....b08c1#h303b08c1
     
    The model:
    Before:

     
    After:

     
    Pretty much all of the barrel weathering, with the exception of the streaking from the filling hatch, has been done with the oils on this one. The streaking is gouache, which is still the best method of achieving this kind of effect. The underframe is a mix of the oils and powder/hairspray, with additional powder used dry on top for variation. The powder/hairspray mix was usd on all the black bits of the underframe, with highlights and other colours added as required.
     
    The oils are great for adding subtle variation of colour, as they can be added sparingly and spread around, quite a long way, using a stiff-ish flat brush. They do dry pretty permanently, unlike gouache, after a period of time but the finish is still relatively fragile. They need to be sealed with varnish if the models that they're used on are going to handled regularly.
     
    They can also be used in wash form, with either white spirit, or water with a drop of screenwash in the case of these particular paints. They can also be used in a form of dry brushing to add very subtle highlights.
     
    Exhibit B:
     
    The inspiration:
    http://paulbartlett....17179#h2d017179
     
    The model:
    Before:

     
    After:

     
    Again, the barrel weathering is exclusively oils, including the spillage stains. So far, I've not found anything quite as good for doing subtle weathering as these, especially with the ability to add extremely subtle variations in colour.
     
    The oils aren't as opaque as gouache, so they're no use for the heavier effects, for example I tried them on the truly filthy ex Esso tanker, as seen a few posts ago, and the oils wouldn't cover the original livery, even brushed on neat. I ended up using the gouache for that particular model, which reminds me that I must finish the other side of it!
     
    This is probably going to sound a bit pretentious, but I think these materials allow the boundary between modelling and art to be blurred a bit. To explain, part of producing a painting of a wagon would be adding the highlights, shadows and other subtle variations to bring the subject to life. In a way, weathering a model of wagon works the same way, except that the wagon itself is the canvas, if you see what I mean. I am definitely no artist, but am using these paints in almost the same way as one would, I guess.
     
    Still, whichever way you look at it, I'm pleased with the results so far, and look forward to seeing what else I can do with this stuff. More soon!
  13. Pugsley

    Same difference

    By Pugsley,

    All four of the current batch of TTAs are now at the ex works stage. Now that the chassis and brake layouts have been changed, and all of the decals have been applied, no two are exactly the same! I was surprised just how different the placement of the various notices was, especially as the prototype tanks seem to have repainted at roughly the same time. Perhaps they were done at different locations? I don't know, but it makes for some interesting modelling.
     
    I'm happy with the appearance of the S Kits walkways, they make a big difference to the appearance of the model, and look great once weathered (but more of that later).
     
    Of the models pictured below, they are essentially of two different types built by Met Cam (PR58247 and PR58252) and Pickering (PR58261 and PR58265). Both of the Met Cam have been fitted with the pipework for steam heating coils, made from wire and plastic rod.
     




     
    I must add a big thanks to Paul Bartlett at this point, if it were not for the availability of his excellent photos these models would not be anywhere near as accurate. They're not rivet counting accurate, life's too short for that, but they've been modified enough to resemble the prototype in my eyes.
     
    The next step for these is weathering, which has been started but there's a fair bit to do yet. I have started weathering the Total bogie tank, however, which is going to be quite subtly done. This is progress so far:

     
    More as and when it happens
  14. Pugsley

    A milestone moment!

    By Pugsley,

    I'm feeling rather pleased with myself this afternoon, as it all appears to work! I've spent the last few modelling sessions constructing the axleboxes and their stirrups and fettling the equalising beams to fit.
     
    After the test assembly appeared to be successful, I couldn't resist plonking the body on top to see what it looked like, and it looked rather good IMO.
     

     
    Everything appears to be OK in terms of width across the bogie - nothing looks out of place there. There is an issue with one of the springs being slightly out of alignment (obvious in the pics), but a careful bit of work with a file on the mounting stud will sort that out. I've resigned myself to lightly gluing the springs in position, instead of relying on a friction fit anyhow.
     

     
    The ride height appears to be ok, in as much as in its current state the distance from the ground to the bottom of the body is less than I had allowed for the overall height of the bogie, so by the time the secondary suspension is installed it'll be at the right height. I just need to find out what that height is, as I don't appear to have written that down anywhere...
     

     
    What it has highlighted though, which I did kind of expect, is that I'm going to have to add a fair bit of weight inside the model to get the springs to ride at the correct height. In the photos above, the model is sitting at pretty much the maximum downtravel of the axleboxes, the idea is that the normal position will be at half travel, so the wheels can go up and down with the undulations in the track.
     
    It needs a bit of tweaking, but at least I've proved to myself that I haven't been wasting my time!
  15. Pugsley

    Spring bounce

    By Pugsley,

    An appropriate title in a couple of ways, one, that the first of the production primary springs have taken shape this afternoon, and the coming of Spring has given me a chance to get on with this madcap scheme.
     
    So, for starters, a view of the first bogie with one of the equalising beams in place, on the first two springs:

     
    To the front left are some more springs in various stages of completion. The long coil of wire behind the individual springs is how it starts. This is 0.61mm soft copper wire wound, under tension, around a 3.3mm drill bit, making sure the coils are lapped up tight to each other. The next stage involves stretching this out until there's roughly 1.5mm between the coils, which is the stage this particular example is at.
     
    The next step is to cut the large spring down to make the individual springs, which are 7 coils each. Each end is levelled and the spring recompressed, before the end is filed to make it sit level. These then fit onto the studs on the sideframe and the equalising beam. The next photo shows it in close up, with one of the prototype secondary springs loosely plonked in place to give an idea of what it'll look like:
     

     
    And this is what it's supposed to look like:

     
    It's close enough for me!
     
    The next job, after finishing another 14 springs, is to work out how far out the stirrup needs to be packed out from the front of the hornblock, followed by filing down the equalising beams to fit in the stirrups.
     
    It's been a long time coming, but it really does feel that the end is in sight for this project, at last!
  16. Pugsley

    More bogie progress

    By Pugsley,

    With the coming of Spring, almost, I've been able to get on with the class 37 bogies, with the key being the assembly of enough traction motors to test assemble the first one. It's been too cold to do anything in the shed!
     

     
    Putting the 3 motors in place showed exactly where the cross-members needed to be trimmed, to prevent the reduction gears fouling on them. A bit of a design cock-up there! These have now had sections cut out with a piercing saw, which doesn't seem to have affected the strength of the bogies at all. It looks a bit untidy, but it isn't going to be easily visible, so I'm not too worried
     
    A view of the other side, with the cosmetic sideframe from the kit attached with Blu-Tack! It's wonderfully versatile stuff, although something a little more permanent will be used in the end
     

     
    The last recent achievement has been adding the brackets for the torque reaction arms. These are soldered to the cross-members and will both prevent the motor rotating around the axle, and it will also locate the motors laterally.
     

     
    The arms will, quite simply, be made out of wire, probably 0.7mm NS, although I haven't made my mind up yet. They'll hook into the top holes on the motor brackets and the soldered brackets. The theory is that the motor will be able to move around the axle slightly as the axle moves up and down on the springs. The original plan was to have slotted brackets, so the motor could move up and down in the same plane as the axle, but these looked a bit too tall in the end, so I substituted some other parts that were included on the frets for a different purpose.
     
    I'm still learning as I go!
  17. Pugsley
    From the moment I saw this picture:
    http://gallery6801.f.../p61948874.html
     
    I knew I wanted to model it. Admittedly, I've not gone down the 100% fidelity route, so the details are still that of the Bachmann tank, representing a Met-Camm built example, but it's close enough, I feel. It certainly captures the essence of the prototype, in my opinion.
     
    The first stage was to mix up a wash of white spirit and grimy black powder, and give the barrel a good coat of that. Once dry, any excess powder was brushed off with a large flat brush.
     

     
    The whole tank was then covered with gouache, mixed up from raw umber, burnt umber and black. Liberally applied with a flat brush, it was left to dry before work with the powders started.
     
    Powders mixed from grimy black (which could be approximated with Mig Black Smoke and Europe Dust) and Mig Europe Dust were applied to give the matt, grubby look.
     
    After grubbing, the clean patches were created by removing the gouache and powders with a stiff flat brush and cotton buds, moistened with diluted screenwash. As the decals are laser printed, it didn't affect these, even without varnish sealing.
     

     
    The ends and other side now need finishing, before the whole wagon is given a coat of Vallejo matt varnish to seal everything in place.
  18. Pugsley

    Tanks a bunch

    By Pugsley,

    The first of the 45 tonners is now almost complete, with just tidying up and painting left to do. i also need to fit the catwalk that fits above the buffer beam, on the solebar, but will fit that once the barrel has been painted.
     

     
    The kit instructions are quite straightforward, but I did struggle with one bit, folding the legs on the catwalk. I got my head around it eventually, and took the following photo to illustrate the correct way of folding:
     

     
    The legs need to be folded over to the outside, despite the half etch fold line being on the inside. In the picture above, the first two legs have been folded over, the rest haven't.
     
    The first of the 102T tanks is also now complete and ready for weathering.
     

     
    Let the fun commence!
  19. Pugsley

    Tanking along

    By Pugsley,

    Oh, the irony!
     
    The tanks are coming together slowly, and I was getting bored of stabbing myself removing the springs from the 45 tonners, so started yet another new project in the form of a Bachmann TEA.
     
    I bought 3 of the tanks when Kernow MR Centre were selling them off cheap, thinking that I'd have to repaint them all, as the livery wasn't really suitable for the Total oil terminal, or the time period. However, a visit to Paul Bartlett's Fotopic site changed all that:
    http://gallery6801.fotopic.net/p61948874.html
     
    This is a fairly straightforward weathering project, more than a detailing exercise, there are subtle differences between the prototype picture and the model, but I'm not going to do anything about them. I don't feel it's worth really detailing something that is fundamentally wrong to start with (barrel diameter) and most people won't notice anyway!
     

     
    So far, the moulded ladders have been removed and the gaps at the end filled (please Mr Bachmann, can we have tanks that fit together properly?), this was the best of the 3 in terms of the ends fitting the barrel, the next two are going to require a lot more work. I've also gone over the whole wagon with 1000 grit wet and dry paper, used wet, to matt down the finish, both to distress the paint and also to provide a key for the later weathering.
     

     
    At this stage I've built up the area under the tank slightly to vaguely resemble the prototype, and fitted an etched ladder. It's not the best, I'll admit, but it is an improvement on the original moulding.
     

     
    The first of the custom decals from the laser printer have been used, and I'm really happy with the results. In the pic above, the number, the 'no naked light' and 'not to be loose shunted' are ones I've designed and printed myself. I was worried that the yellow lettering on the shunting notice wouldn't work too well on the grey tank, but it's worked out fine.
     
    Next job for this one is to decal up the other side, then start on the weathering. I'm going to enjoy that
     
    Meanwhile, work also continues on the 45 tonners, with the next stage being the work on the barrels.
     

     
    The first 4 have got the 'Esso' style of walkway, with the ladder on one end of the barrel, instead of having a ladder down to each side, from a central platform, on one end. The S Kits parts consist of an etch fret and fairly comprehensive instructions. It looks like it should be fairly straightforward to fit.
     
    More as it happens!
  20. Pugsley

    Quick bogie update

    By Pugsley,

    Not much to say, other than slow progress is being made on the bogies. I've now assembled the first of the frames, and popped in the first motor unit to see how it all fits together.
     
    The good news is, it all fits together!
     

     

     
    The sideframe is just held on with blu-tack for the moment, but it all looks promising.
  21. Pugsley

    Spot the difference

    By Pugsley,

    I've made a start on the chassis of the first TTA, replacing the springs and making it look a little more like the prototype it's based on.
     
    Whilst looking mostly similar, 45t Monobloc oil tanks are a minefield once you get into the details. Suspension brackets are different shapes, there are different rib quantities and spacings, different handbrake arrangements, etc, etc. There are also different lengths, but more about that later.
     

     
    So far, the detail that isn't required has been removed, with new detail added in place, the SAB load sensing valve has gone and the brake arrangement has been changed. The new handbrake came from another wagon, which will be modified to have a completely different arrangement when its time on the workbench arrives.
     
    The Bachmann model is based upon a Pickering design, the one currently on the bench is being modified to represent a Powell Duffryn built example. Eventually the fleet will consist of examples from Pressed Steel, Pickering, Powell Duffryn, Standard Wagon and Rootes Pressings, hence the variety in the fleet. The first batch of 4 comprises of 2 Powell Duffryn and 2 Pickering examples, the latter requiring very little modification in terms of the chassis.
  22. Pugsley
    For those of you who asked about drawing up your own decals, yes you , here's a little info about how I've gone about it. I won't claim that this is the only or best way to do things, it's just how I've ended up doing it
     

     
    I use CorelDraw for this, although any vector graphics program would do the job. Inkscape is free, but I can't vouch for how good it is, as I've never used it. CorelDraw X4 home and student edition can be picked up for under £100 on ebay, older versions for even less (the current version is now X5).
     
    Of the 3 examples above, the blue wagon owner panel and the Hazchem panel have been done in the same way. They are just simple shapes with text added in the appropriate font. There are several useful font resources on the net, a few of which are listed below:
     
    Free font sites:
    http://www.fontyukle.net/en/
    http://www.dafont.com/theme.php?cat=114&page=1&fpp=20&text=58134
    There are many others.
     
    What the font:
    http://new.myfonts.com/WhatTheFont/
     
    Is extremely useful if you have a good image of the text you want to create, as it'll tell you the closest match. It is a commercial site, so if you want one of the ones it highlights, you'll have to pay for it. Of course, there's nothing stopping you googling the name of the font in question... It has its limitations though, for example it'll only read dark text on a light background and it struggles if the letters are quite close together.
     
    If you can't get a good image, or you're looking at something that is light on dark, you'll have to trawl the font sites looking for something similar to what you require. It's time consuming, but ultimately rewarding when you find exactly what you're looking for, or something that's near as dammit
     
    In terms of company logos, it's a bit more restricted, but there are a couple of sites about that have vector images of corporate logos:
    http://www.brandsoftheworld.com/search/logo/shell
    http://www.seeklogo.com/search.html?q=norsk+hydro
     
    They're mostly North American logos, but not all. For example, the Total logo I've been using has come from the seeklogo site. These are downloaded as vector graphics, so can be opened up in your program and resized as necessary.
     
    If you can't get the logo you need, as long as you can get a decent photo to work from, you can trace the outline and then fill in as necessary. The Railfreight Petroleum symbol was done this way, and as they're standard size, in theory I could draw the Coal or Distribution symbols from it, now I've got the proportions right. It's time consuming, and a total ballache, but it is ultimately satisfying when it looks like it's supposed to I've done the Caib logos in the same way.
     
    The other source of images for use, such as the hazard diamond on the Hazchem panel, is Google images. They won't be the best quality, but if you're scaling them down to fit on a 4mm scale wagon, then no-one will notice!
     
    I try to scale from photographs if dimensions aren't known. Something like the Hazchem panel is straightforward, I know that they're 700x400mm (even if you didn't know, you can look it up quite easily). Other items can then be referenced to known dimensions from photographs. Failing that, if you're not sure, print them out on paper, stick them to the model with blu-tack and see how it compares with the photos.
     
    One thing to watch, if you're going to end up transferring the images between different programs is their interpretation of colour. For instance, in the image above, the Marcroft Engineering panel is too turquoise, but looks fine in CorelDraw and when printed from it.
     
    Of course, you'll spend all this time doing these little panels for your wagons, with all of the correct text and, once printed, you'll hardly be able to read any of it
     
    For those of you who've got this far without falling asleep, well done! I hope it's been of some use/interest.
  23. Pugsley

    Low fidelity?

    By Pugsley,

    Who needs expensive decals when you've got paper and blu-tack?
     

     
    I've started another project to give me a break from the 37, I thought it was about time I indulged in a spot of wagonry. Besides, now slow progress is being made on Bisley Jct, I really could do with some stock for the oil terminal!
     
    The plan is for 8 wagons initially. All will be fitted with S-Kits walkways, and various detail differences in chassis in terms of strengthening ribs, handbrake locations etc will be represented. To the untrained eye, it'll look like there is two types of tank, look a little closer and it'll become apparent that there are 4 different types across the 8 wagons.
     
    I'm also going to change the springs this time, for the later parabolic version. At least some of the wagons will feature springs by Cambrian, the rest will probably be built from strip.
     
    I've designed my own decals for the project, the testing of which is under way in the picture above. The Total logo is now the correct size, the Caib logo needs to be a bit bigger. The beauty of doing it this way is that I can tailor the decals to match each wagon as required, and I only have to get what I need, instead of buying large packs of transfers for only one or two items. Of course, this may turn out to be a more expensive way of doing things, I haven't had the price for the sheet back yet, but it will be sufficient to finish 16 wagons (13xTTA, 3xTEA) so even if it is relatively expensive, it shouldn't be too much per wagon.
     
    Not having to make TOPS panels from individual letters and numbers is probably the best advantage!
     
    More progress as and when, hopefully this week, when I can outline the mods required to each wagon. I need to do a little more to the 37 at some point though, I'm hoping to have the frame of one of the bogies fully assembled by the Bristol show, in a little under two weeks.
  24. Pugsley
    leave it alone....
     
    Having my Dad over for Christmas has been an ideal opportunity to give him a bit of tuition in weathering. Using one of his Christmas presents, I've demonstrated a few basic techniques using gouache.
     
    Before:

     
    After:

     
    The clean patches on the Kernow models are just that little bit too clean. Both of the patches were brushed over with a grime mix made from raw and burnt umber and black gouache. When dry, they were brushed over with a large, soft flat brush to add subtle streaking.
     
    Once satisfied with that finish, the white spillage was added and run over with the same brush, imparting a dirty tint to the white. This was repeated a couple of times to build up the finish.
     
    Twenty minutes later, you have a wagon that is a little bit different to the rest. Go on, give it a go.
  25. Pugsley

    Getting there slowly...

    By Pugsley,

    Progress is at it's usual snails pace, but it is progress none the less! I've managed to get the first of the traction motor/axle assemblies complete, and it all fits between the wheels. I knew it would...
     

     
    The R on the top of this one denotes that it is the innermost unit of the bogie, and as such has the motor mounted the other way round, so is wired to run in the opposite direction to the other two on the bogie, whilst keeping the wire colours consistent.
     
    A view of another, partially assembled, unit, waiting to have the other wheel pressed on:
     

     
    Another view of the completed unit:

     
    I need to work out a way of blackening the gears, possibly using permanent marker, but they shouldn't be too visible once the frames are all in place.
     
    Meanwhile, work continues on assembling and cleaning up the main bogie frames. More anon!
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