Ian Fisher

DTV bodywork tonight marking up the vent behind the cab door and first roller shutter on all six cars... Bit dubious as if there was going to be any movement in the filled glued glazing glazing but I can replort its all OK! I am going to scribe some 4mm plastic strip to beef up PH designs etch. Its looking more 325 detail wise every day...

Left off from fitting last night on the DTV's were fuse holders I think they desrve a little more attention and have come up with this sketch. I am now thinking how best to make 'em robust enough but as see thorugh as they are on the prototype!

Well Mike....there you are...!

DTV have seen some remdial work today with cabs ends being reinforced with aradilte, superglue and some milliput! The large air tank LH side is glued in one all six DTV's as is the smaller box on the same side..it took a while getting the floor smooth too on all six floors but its done! Back to the TAV's before bed Night night all

Been looking at ways of allowing access to the bodies once painted and glued...the lip is a good fit but maybe too good a fit so some have been shaved off and strip glued into the bodies to allow some tapping screws to allow for a more clip fit approach with screws rather than grip tight! Also cabs have seen a lot of work this weekend with space being cut to allow the buffer beams and fairings to be part of the body. Progress at least. 90% of the the resin parts are now on the PTMV's and the floor has been cleared of pips and locators on the TMV's marked up before bed to allow the supergluing to begin tomorrow! Night all

Bearing cups....are just the right size to replicate the relocated door opening twiddlers by the cab ends, handy eh? Just off to have a play and see what comes out.

Bought some more Extreme Etchings Wipacs O0I from Derby show yesterday. Very nice fine item which having only had a quick ooh lets see, I can say make a huge difference to the face of the unit. Just hoping they will be visible through the glazing which is a little smoked. Ian

It did make the location much easier. It allowed accurate soldering and once one was "in" they all fell in line zigzagging. up and down the row only took a tiny wipe of solder paste too. It also then supported the cleaning up of the tag.

Only had three solder joints fail partly during cleaning up to remove the tag all now resoldered and happy to report all tags removed! Tomorrow is a super glue day......maybe why they dont roll

44 roller shutter doors underway! the other four of the forty eight total had already been done very very carefully and very very very slowly...and boy did it make my fingers hurst still after some pantograpgs I meant HURT, til the eureka minute.

98% complete more than likley...how are we getting there though???

I have had a little idea which has worked out wel so far. The doors have a very fine lip on the bottom which have two tabs and a slot to locate them in. These are incredibly fine and it took me an age to do two and trying to keep them straight off the etch. Well having had a look at them for weeks, maybe use the fret as a way of locating them as sort of freebie jig..well I have done a units worth so far with no distrotion. The fact that they are now secure on the door side and solderled firmly in place with some solder paste should allow for a much easier fret removal and a straight bit of bar at the bottom of the roller shutter. Again images to follow, but I have one strip to solder and I have all my doors ready to get snipped tomorrow, well later today for the mammoth fix session to start.

Eh up Michael, No need for em mate the fit is good and once shaped profile wise, which is dead easy it just sort of sits there as the glue goes off

Ta Will! Today is door snipping fettling and later soldering.... Oh and a PTMV got its first red oxide UC...looking very blended so far, even if I do say so myself. Its only roughly the same jobs just a few more to do over each one! Anyway I need something to keep me busy.... The etch for the doors was of course deisgend to fit a Bratchell base model so no fettling fit for me. not sure what they mean..but felt it warranted something

Breaking news a PTMV has got its roller shutter doors fitted.... These have had a extra care of rub down and having had all the yellow primer they will ever need, now move on to getting there neat PH designs roller doors fitted ( the 1:76 versions dont roll though!) but they do look like they could. it has taken a lot of plastic to be removed to get the top depression in the shutter to look OK but I am happy that I am about there with that removal so tonight I have took the massive decesion to GLUE A SET IN!! I know I can hardly belive myself. Images to follow once I charge me camera battery

Ok it is taking time but will be worth it in the end...

The mustard colour in the images above halfords filler primer. I noticed someone in an other thread is using it as it should be on metal. My experience of suing it on the sides mainly does allow for a marker annd QC of where I am upto with getting the sides smooth. I know they are plated over and as I understand the window apertues are there in the bodysides just on the model it would be hard to replicate the blemishes that are on the prototype. Having used two cans of the stuff so far!? I have not noticed any detail clogging on the models what so ever, could be down to using fine mists of it rather than lay it on thick and hope! All cars now have a coat or two of the stuff and will next be getting a red oxide misting ready for the GPO red top coat Personally that day cant come soon enough!

More filling and priming in the last few days...and playing with shore supplies bits of plastic off cuts...

Maybe done a little too quick, but I think the idea has potential, the pictures I think maybe a little cruel. the strip is .65mm by .20mm to give a idea of how thin the frames are. I think it could be an area that will repay some time to add those heavy rubber frames. Not all the strip is fused to the screen yet and is tacked into place to allow for tweaks, some of the seals on the prototype are all over the pace!

As I understand it they went on the roof to avoid sucking sand in whilst going through the dunes in and around Formby area.

Although not in focus the buffer beam unit this is the first bits stuk to see how I can make something robust enough but also get-at-able

Bit of a jumble of images, the blue Co2 lights are hard to get an image of!

96 small slithers of plastic strip cut for the security door opening type lights. I have attempted to glue one together ( I know its only two bits!) but need day light.. Images to follow..

Thanks Will, I wonder if any snowploughs were fitted to production stock? They have the bolt holes or seem to in most images that are out there but havent come across any with the ploughs fitted! I have moved another little job off the todo list, the gangways have all now got their three fabrication stiffener folds now glued in place, most wont be visible normally but at least I know they are there!

Rush on....325 0110 has gone to the great razor blade cloud in the sky...just the spur I need! 325 010 made up of aa collection of demics long stored went for scrap it turns out the other month, which makes these models all the more likely to get an airing RTR! Bufferbeams are being worked on today I want mine to contain Kaydee's or at least some of the units. the inner ends also having a plate fitted with dimensions gained from a sprinter end, why cant they just have a straight edge buffer beam!