Sir Balin Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Hi Steph, This is really inspirational stuff! You must spend almost as much time at the computer writing it up as you do modelling - so thank you. The only down side is that if I keep reading all this stuff about 7mm modelling, rather a lot of un-built 4mm kits might just appear on ebay in the not too distant future..... Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted July 19, 2010 Share Posted July 19, 2010 Hi Steph, The bogies are looking good. You must be tantalisingly close to getting a 'rolling chassis' together. I shall be very interested to see the detailing you put on it. Do you intend to complete the chassis first or will you work on the body in tandem? Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted July 19, 2010 Author Share Posted July 19, 2010 This is really inspirational stuff! You must spend almost as much time at the computer writing it up as you do modelling - so thank you. The only down side is that if I keep reading all this stuff about 7mm modelling, rather a lot of un-built 4mm kits might just appear on ebay in the not too distant future..... Regards Ian Ian, Thank you for your complement. He he, yes, I suppose I do spend a good amount of time doing this. Though to be fair it has more to do with the speed of the build, rather than spending hours at the PC. Oh and come on in, the 7mm water is lovely. There's a couple of very nice N15 kits in this scale. Assuming by your 'handle' (768, I think?) that would be your interest? The bogies are looking good. You must be tantalisingly close to getting a 'rolling chassis' together. I shall be very interested to see the detailing you put on it. Do you intend to complete the chassis first or will you work on the body in tandem? Colin Colin, Yep, I'll be happy get the floor up on its bogies as it's the next major milestone. From there it's detailing until the final assembly. I intend to do the under-floor details as I progress the body. There is loads of stuff to go under there which is very visible on these vehicles, so I won't be leaving much off. The body still has a lot of details to add and I'll want to get the four sides together before finally trimming the roof to length, canvassing and fitting it. Plenty left to do. So I'm not really sure why I'm sitting here typing this when I've got more to do on the bogies. Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 I'll want to get the four sides together before finally trimming the roof to length, canvassing and fitting it. Plenty left to do. So I'm not really sure why I'm sitting here typing this when I've got more to do on the bogies. Steph Hi Steph, what do you plan to use for canvas? I recently saw a very nice D&S ECJS Clerestory kit that had been covered with blackout curtain liner as the canvas and it looked very effective. I would also like to say I am very much enjoying this build and getting all sorts of ideas from it Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted July 20, 2010 Author Share Posted July 20, 2010 Hi Steph, what do you plan to use for canvas? I recently saw a very nice D&S ECJS Clerestory kit that had been covered with blackout curtain liner as the canvas and it looked very effective. I would also like to say I am very much enjoying this build and getting all sorts of ideas from it Rob, Please don't take this as an afront, but: bogroll! There's a little bit of a trick to using it as a roof covering, but for my money it can't be beaten as a way to get texture on to parts. Do you have more info on the use of blackout liner; that's an intriguing solution. I'm pleased you're enjoying the build - so am I! The next project is now queued up for a start after Telford, so I'd better get a wriggle on with this. Cheers, Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Pulham Posted July 20, 2010 Share Posted July 20, 2010 Hi Steph, My wife tends to buy such things at my house and I get the off cuts (I have a nice piece waiting for my next coach build to try it out) but I did a quick search on Google and came up with This The stuff we have is like rubberised canvas that is smooth on one side and canvas textured on the other but without being visibly rubber coated if that makes sense? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted July 21, 2010 Author Share Posted July 21, 2010 Rob, Hmm, interesting stuff. I'll have a look next time I go to one of the local department stores... And so to this evening's attack of fiddlitis. The bogies are progressing slowly, although this has much to do with the small amount of time I've been able to chuck at them this week. I've just reached the point in the instructions where it's time to start thinking about the brakegear and then...: I realised that the brackets for the stepboards would need to be fitted now, otherwise the brakegear will get in the way. So I fitted the Slater's stepboard brackets (an extra, not provided in the kit normally) and then used some strip to make the new end brackets. And then found out that the Slater's ones were too short and too high so would fall neatly between the stepboards. All is not lost, I've got a bodge (sorry; improvement) to get round both problems in one go. I can understand why they did it, to improve clearances around the bogie, but it does explain why I've often wondered about the appearance of their coaches in this area. It has meant I've spent about an hour and a half bending up the new end brackets though. And it's all looking pretty vulnerable so I'll be moving onto making and fitting the footboards pretty smartish as I think that fixing these in place will help stiffen up the whole assembly. I wonder how badly they'll get in the way of things like the spring hangers? Next time I do a Southern coach with end footboards I'll make sure I have a little think before getting this far: That's it for this evening. I think I lost a marble or three... Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Hi Steph, Re. Step boards: Beware from one who knows! (or found out the hard way, to be more exact). If your 'Conitnental' coach has a step at each end on a bracket below the headstock, be careful that the long step boards on your bogies do not foul them. I had this problem with my 2 **P. Luckily with plasticard, it was easy to slice away at the end of the board until a working clearance was achieved. Hope you don't mind these words of caution, but models generally have to navigate much tighter curves that their prototypes ever did... Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Colin, Thanks for the thought but I should be okay with this one. The coach hasn't got body or frame mounted corner steps; just really lloonngg bogie footboards. They seem to be about 4foot long! I've decided I'll make them up from brass and solder them to the brackets so they should be nice and strong. Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
coachmann Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 The level of detail you have incorporated into these coaches is such that one could be forgiven for thinking you are an old hand at building coaches in plastikard. Having once considered etching some of these coaches a while ago (the stumbling block in 4mm was a suitable extruded roof), I wondered how you would get on finding a suitable roof. The wooden roofs as used by people like David J. worked very well once he started covering them with paper (I used to struggle sealing the wood in the beginning). It does afterall resemble canvass. Larry G. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Larry, Thank you very much for your thoughts. Your comments have done much to reasure me that I'm heading in the right direction. As regards roofs for these vehicles, it's of enormous help to model makers that Maunsell didn't change the roof radii from the first Lynes corridor stock (the SECR 54' 1" corridor thirds of 1920). It was only the lengths of the central arc that seemed to change to account for the different cantrail widths. With the Slater's roof section being so readily available the answer seemed obvious... I'm also comfortable with vac-formed roofs having built a number of 4mm coach kits with them and the odd 1:48 and 1:72 vac-formed aircraft kit. Thankfully when it comes to doing the Ironclad stock I can use LMS roof stock as it's pretty much identical and I can get that from Peter Cowling. Cheers, Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted August 1, 2010 Author Share Posted August 1, 2010 Evenin' all - time for me to return to the fray. Unfortunately I've not had a huge amount of time to throw at this railway modelling lark over the last couple of weeks. However, I have now got a couple of the more significant lumps of brass soldered up all ready to go underneath. The Slater's bogies just need the plastic parts fitting before a final quick dab with a soldering iron to lock the brakegear. I'm going to blacken some of the parts so thought now might be a good point to show off the stepboards... The truss rods have been made too. They'll be blackened and fitted shortly. Now I know how they've turned out I need to fit a couple of mounting pieces to the frame/floor before they get fixed in place. Then I can really get cracking, there's quite a bit of plumbing and other assorted gubbins to go under the floor and I'll be doing more to detail up the sides and ends before assembly. With the bogies done I think it's mostly downhill from here... Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 1, 2010 Share Posted August 1, 2010 Hi Steph, Good shots of the bogies. They look to be designed to take sprung axle boxes. Are you doing that? I look forward to more pics of the bodywork, but I know there are more distractions from modelling through the summer. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sir Balin Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 Hi Steph, Thanks for the invitation. I pulled out my Shedmaster kits (for a SE&CR C class and SR Z class), and got so over-excited that my wife had to take me away for a couple of weeks holiday to calm down. As I've been told before, I can resist everything except temptation. You are correct about the 768 'Sir Balin ' handle, but there is a slight play on words. In addition to the loco being based at Stewarts Lane pre-war (my area and period of interest), I'm also a Tolkien fan, so if you know your Tolkien, you will pick up the reference. Hopefully, any similarity between myself and a short, fat, bearded dwarf is minimal! (No offence intended to any short, fat, bearded dwarfs who read this...) You keep up the good work, and I'll keep trying to resist temptation. Regards Ian Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted August 2, 2010 Share Posted August 2, 2010 Hi Ian, DMR also do a lovely Z Class in 7mm , go on you know you want to B). ATB, Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted August 2, 2010 Author Share Posted August 2, 2010 Good shots of the bogies. They look to be designed to take sprung axle boxes. Are you doing that? Colin Colin, Yep a full set of sprung wassisnames will be fitted. There are a couple of mods I've made to these bogies to help with that, details and painting. 1; stepboards, 2; brake hangers fitted before the plastic shoes (tricky, but I made a jig to do it), 3; drilled the axlebox retaining straps so I can slide the axleboxes on after painting and retain them with the straps. The springing is therefore a 'bonus'... Thanks for the invitation. I pulled out my Shedmaster kits (for a SE&CR C class and SR Z class), and got so over-excited that my wife had to take me away for a couple of weeks holiday to calm down. As I've been told before, I can resist everything except temptation. Ian Ian, I'm saying nothing But, I do look forward to seeing your first ventures into 0-gauge. Both the Z and C are lovely prototypes... DMR also do a lovely Z Class in 7mm , go on you know you want to B). ATB, Martyn. Martyn, Yep, me too! I'd happily have a Z; I'd need to get hold of the GAs to find out how that inside motion works though, it must have been very visible on the prototype... Cheers, Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 Hi Steph, Regarding the inside valve gear Laurie Griffin might be able to help you out there, as I'm sure he took over or is in partnership with Jim Bolland with the Shedmaster range which did include a Z class, and his knowledge of inside valve gear is second to none. ATB, Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted August 3, 2010 Author Share Posted August 3, 2010 Hi Steph, Regarding the inside valve gear Laurie Griffin might be able to help you out there, as I'm sure he took over or is in partnership with Jim Bolland with the Shedmaster range which did include a Z class, and his knowledge of inside valve gear is second to none. ATB, Martyn. Martyn, I have discussed it with Laurie - he managed to remain calm and helpful until I asked him if he knew how the second eccentric was connected (remembering this is a Walschaerts loco so would normally have only one eccentric). He suggested I get hold of a copy of the GA... Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted August 3, 2010 Share Posted August 3, 2010 , enough said. Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted August 3, 2010 Author Share Posted August 3, 2010 Martyn, Truth be told, I've always got on well with Laurie - one of the hobby's gentlemen. I really must get on with another attempt at the valvegear for Drummond locos before he runs out of patience, I run out of marbles or I come to the conclusion it can't be done. 'L' shaped slidebars y'know. A nightmare, even in 7mm... Speaking of nightmares in 7mm: The coach progresses. The truss rods are made and fitted to the floor and so are the 'V' hangers ready for an elaborate display of advanced finger singeing; by which I mean assembling the brakegear. All have been attached with gel superglue, in the case of the truss rods a little accelerator was used once I had them set in the correct place. And before you ask, Colin; yes. It's flat now, thank goodness! Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Steph Why Gell Superglue? Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steph Dale Posted August 4, 2010 Author Share Posted August 4, 2010 Pete, Basically, two reasons; mess and ease of use. There are some other trades, as it's higher density than the runny stuff it may also be stronger. In terms of the specifics, I use PACER 'ZAP' brand almost exclusively these days. The product in question at this minim is 'SLO-ZAP' and I often use it with an accelerator; 'ZIP-KICKER'. I squeeze a goodly blob of CA out onto a scrap of thick polythene as this keeps the nozzle clear. The amount I need is then applied using a cocktail stick/toothpick. Note, NOT WIRE; the metal oxides/condensation are pretty good catalysts and you can end up with all sorts of problems - like the glue setting (or at least going through initial cure) on the wire before you have the chance to apply it. The accelerator I use comes in a spray (*****y useless) so I squirt a little into an old jam-jar lid and apply it with a brush. I use the brush purely as a means of carrying the accelerator - don't let the bruch touch the glue or you'll find that you've made a permanent addition to your model. Or a permanent reduction from the brush, depending upon your point of view. In the case of the trussrods I was showing in my previous post, the frame location for the vertical elements had a healthy blob of CA applied using the cocktail stick. The trussrod was then held in place. Once I could see the fillet had formed around the two parts by capillary action I then used a brush to dribble a small amount of accelerator down the back of the brass into the glue. Hey-presto; an instant, strong joint. This was then repeated for the angled joins. With the floor weighted on glass, the glue was applied to the plastic and the trussrod then held lightly in position with a fingernail. Trickle down the accelerator and then leave for the full curing time (overnight). Using thick superglue and accelerator in this way makes a good bonding sealant or even spot filler. It gives quite a nice finish if it's carefully sanded; but don't leave it too long after using the accelerator or it'll set too hard! My apologies for the over-complicated reply and any unwitting granny-eggs-sucking moments. Steph Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted August 4, 2010 Share Posted August 4, 2010 Steph Thank you for your answer after reading George Dents glue review in Model Rail I was a bit mystified about the practical uses of Super Glue Gell, your reply actually explains the practical reasons for using the Gell thank you. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin parks Posted August 5, 2010 Share Posted August 5, 2010 Hi Steph, That was an interesting discourse on the use of super glue. I stand guilty of using a large-headed dress-maker's pin for application up until now. You have explained why it is sometimes not possible to get the glue to the joint in time before it hardens. Colin Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted August 5, 2010 RMweb Gold Share Posted August 5, 2010 My apologies for the over-complicated reply and any unwitting granny-eggs-sucking moments. Steph While Pete Harvey may well have already understood much of what you explained, there are plenty of us out here who have trouble distinguishing thumbs from fingers, so basic detail is very helpful - avoids the dubiety that conveniently stops us ever doing anything! I am finding this thread, and the parallel OO 2HAP scratchbuild by Colin Parks, to be in effect a pair of Masterclasses. The fact that you two interact between the threads merely demonstrates that while techniques may vary a little among scales, the principles and materials are often similar. These are threads for which I never miss updates. Please keep us informed! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.