S7 scratch building

[S.D.L.]

3 hours ago, airnimal said:

I have painted the corner plates and tried to clean up the other Black painted ironwork by cutting back with a scalpel.  This has helped a little bit so I am going to continue until I get to the next crisis !

 

The wagon photograph I am working from has a sheet over one end but the sheet has fallen into the centre of the wagon.  I may have ago at trying to reproduce this but that will will be a long way off just yet. 

 

I agree that we all should be our own worst critic otherwise our own standards would never improve. 

 

Just had a message from one of our grandsons wishing us both happy wedding  anniversary . Both my wife and myself had forgotten.  37 years wed.

It is stunning, remember the accuracy of cutting in is like bearing clearances, doesn't scale perfectly.

[airnimal]

Thank you to everyone for there kind words. 

I have glued the first of the hexagonal bolts in after carefully painting the top part. That might be it for a couple of days because we have our grandsons tomorrow. 

 

I got it wrong about our anniversary because it is only 36 years !  Ops 

Still I bought my good lady a bottle of gin and took her out for meal in a pleasant country pub so I am not in the dog house,  not any more than usual anyway. 

 

Looking at the photograph of this wagon with a tarpaulin hangling over the end I experimented with some Black tissue paper soaked in Resin-W and draped it over a scrap wagon body. It does show promise but I will play about with colouring and weathering before I attach it to this wagon. There is still a long way to go but I am glad I carried on with it.

Edited January 31, 2023 by airnimal

[airnimal]

Oh dear ! 

I glued the axleboxes and springs on and thought I will record the progress on camera. The light inside is not brilliant so with it being a sunny day I would take it outside and photograph it on the garden table. 

The the back of the house isn't very photogenic so I place behind it a large White board. I went  inside when a large gust of wind sent the lot crashing down on to the flags below. 

One bent and bruised wagon ! One buckled wheel and a few dents and abrasions. 

Sometimes I wonder why I bother. 

I can repair the damage but I don't know if I have the heart. I think i will have a few days doing other things and then make a decision on whether to finish it or scrap it and recycle the parts.

[Compound2632]

7 minutes ago, airnimal said:

One bent and bruised wagon ! One buckled wheel and a few dents and abrasions. 

 

It's not as if wagons in traffic didn't have the odd mishap. I think the dents and scrapes on the dumb buffer look quite realistic. Mind you, I'm not suggesting you throw the wagon around some more to achieve even greater realism...

[Schooner]

57 minutes ago, Compound2632 said:

I think the dents and scrapes on the dumb buffer look quite realistic.

 

This, absolutely this. 

[Simond]

Massively frustrating, but I do agree that the damage adds an air of realism.

[Regularity]

When I saw the photo, before reading the text, I wondered how you had gone about so effectively representing the results of some rough shunting, and marvelled at your bravery for gouging bits out…

[Tricky]

On 18/05/2022 at 14:12, airnimal said:

Oh dear ! 

I glued the axleboxes and springs on and thought I will record the progress on camera. The light inside is not brilliant so with it being a sunny day I would take it outside and photograph it on the garden table. 

The the back of the house isn't very photogenic so I place behind it a large White board. I went  inside when a large gust of wind sent the lot crashing down on to the flags below. 

One bent and bruised wagon ! One buckled wheel and a few dents and abrasions. 

Sometimes I wonder why I bother. 

I can repair the damage but I don't know if I have the heart. I think i will have a few days doing other things and then make a decision on whether to finish it or scrap it and recycle the parts.

 

Love the ‘damage’! As others have said, looks quite realistic and definitely advise against scrapping. 

[wagonman]

On 17/05/2022 at 20:23, airnimal said:

Looking at the photograph of this wagon with a tarpaulin hangling over the end I experimented with some Black tissue paper soaked in Resin-W and draped it over a scrap wagon body. It does show promise but I will play about with colouring and weathering before I attach it to this wagon. There is still a long way to go but I am glad I carried on with it.

 

 

The latest MRJ (289) has an article on making tarpaulin sheets from scratch silicone bath sealant and Kleenex! That said, your method looks pretty effective too.

 

 

 

[airnimal]

Only a small amount of progress because of family matters as well as a bit of cycling.  All the bolts had been glued in and painted and the lettering set out on the sides in pencil to gauge the layout before I commit to paint. The tarpaulin has been draped over one end and into the centre of the wagon as per photograph and dusted with crushed limestone dust. This was sprinkled on the wet paper that had been soaked in Resin-W and will be left to dry before I attempt to brush off the surplus. 

[Coal Tank]

Hi Mike, I have to say that you have done a lovely job on this 

John 

[airnimal]

After the paper tarpaulin had dried out overnight I brushed it to remove any loose lime dust. Having looked at the photograph I have draped mine over the other end but as rule 1 say this was on another day.  I have just got to get my signwriter skills out before I weather everything. 

[wagonbasher]

5 minutes ago, airnimal said:

After the paper tarpaulin had dried out overnight I brushed it to remove any loose lime dust. Having looked at the photograph I have draped mine over the other end but as rule 1 say this was on another day.  I have just got to get my signwriter skills out before I weather everything. 

I like the way you can still make out the bottom planks through the tarp, this is very realistic.  Modelling things that have naturally taken on a shape though a combination of their physical environment and gravity with our soft, semi soft or rigid modelling materials is very difficult.

 

Andy

[wagonbasher]

On 02/04/2022 at 21:49, Poggy1165 said:

They are all excellent but I particularly adore the Richard Evans one, which would (cough) look good behind an MS&LR outside framed 0-6-0.

 

On the question of being conscripted into doing stuff, you may need to go on an assertiveness course. Because overload can lead to issues, and you really do not want to go there. (My personal brand of assertiveness is very simple - I have learned to say 'no' to almost everything.) Life is too short and there are not as many days left as one would like.

 

Maybe develop an ailment, something that comes and goes.  It could be quite debilitating at times.

 

Andy

[airnimal]

Wagonbasher, which of the many ailments that I suffer from would be best to fend off friends asking for favours. Like most people over 70 years old I have plenty to choose from.  

 

I have started to letter the first side using drawing ink with a old fashion pen knib. I think the basic spacing is not to far off but the shape of the letters is not quite right yet and the Buxton is pretty bad and it will be rubbed off and I will make a second attempt. I will probably use some Humbrol matt White with a fine brush when I can get a new tin to sharpen up the letters before attempting to do the shading.

Edited May 25, 2022 by airnimal

[wagonbasher]

16 minutes ago, airnimal said:

Wagonbasher, which of the many ailments that I suffer from would be best to fend off friends asking for favours. Like most people over 70 years old I have plenty to choose from.  

 

I have started to letter the first side using drawing ink with a old fashion pen knib. I think the basic spacing is not to far off but the shape of the letters is not quite right yet and the Buxton is pretty bad and it will be rubbed off and I will make a second attempt. I will probably use some Humbrol matt White with a fine brush when I can get a new tin to sharpen up the letters before attempting to do the shading.

 

H'mm not sure which ailment, but a shaky hand is clearly not one of them.

 

Andy

[S.D.L.]

Did you repair the drop damage, it looks like it?

 

Steve

[airnimal]

Steve, yes I repaired most of the damage with just a small amount to do. 

 

I have tried to letter both with paint and with ink but I haven't got the shape of some of these right.  I also tried to do the shading with the same combination with mixed results.  What I think I will do is let it dry until tomorrow and then give it a slight rub down and try and correct the letters. 

 

The reason that the last picture is on a background with spots is because I was painting at the dining table when I knocked over my new tin of Matt White paint.  This was on our one and only table cloth. 

My good lady was out at the time so I cleaned it the best I could with turpentine which of course left it smelling of turps so I put it in the washing machine and hung it outside to dry.

Of course as soon as she came home the words rang out what have you spilled !

I am in the dog house so much I am thinking of calling our house " Cruffs "

[airnimal]

I have rubbed all the letters off rather than waiting till tomorrow because I'm impatient and started again. It's a little better so will keep going for the time being.  

The photograph was taken with the early evening sunshine pouring through the window.

[airnimal]

Sorry the light wasn't very good so I have got my big sheets of card and taken the photographs again. 

I think the lettering is getting better. 

[Simond]

Mike,

 

your patience in remaking stuff til it meets your standards is exemplary.  
 

I have a number of projects which have stalled due to one issue or another, and require a period of un-making before to re-making begins.  This usually leads to a period of frustration, and very little progress in my case!

 

 

[Northroader]

With wagon lettering I do the shading first, then overlap the main lettering on top, so you can get a narrower band for the shaded bits.

[airnimal]

I have made some progress this morning while my good lady has gone shopping.  I have made up the door chains and weathered the first side before starting to letter the other side. I do realise that I should letter both side before doing the weathering but as I said earlier,  I am impatient.  

The thing that stands out as not being correct is the letters on Buxton. The relationship between the X and the T is wrong.  I think I have got the letters to close together and it jumps out at me. I keep looking at the photograph of the wagon I am building and it is starting to rattle me. 

The weathering is not over done and is more or less as the photograph. 

 

[airnimal]

I am unhappy with both sides of the lettering on the second row down.

Now what do I do about it.

 

I could paint over with a wood colour as a new plank and try harder on the other side ?

Or rub it down and try and make a better job of it. ?

Or I could ignore the faults and apply a heavy weather coat of grime and try and disguise my poor lettering.  ?

 

I will ponder overnight and make my decision tomorrow.  

 

I have tried to alter the letter X but I think the better option is to rub the planks down and start again. 

[Simond]

I don’t know.  I do see something in the “x” but I can only say that what you have achieved is better than I could, and I suspect many others could too, so don’t be too harsh on yourself.

 

maybe build another one like this and see if you can do better.

 

but don’t be dissatisfied with this one!