4mm An EM Workbench: Mini-Signwriting (rough)

[AJC]

The next 'thing to prod wagons about with' has gone green (and black). Further detail painting is also under way and silver, dark grey and very light grey, the latter undercoat, applied. The chassis needed a little persuasion to go back in again and following a bit of scraping and filing, all is well.





The battery boxes and sandboxes look a slightly different green: they need varnishing.

Adam

 

[Heather Kay]

Looking nice and tidy.

 

[AJC]

A little bit more paint:



Head on:



The red looks quite loud and should be edged in white and black since that's how NBL did things - has anyone got a few strips of LNER white/black/white lining going spare?

Adam

 

[AJC]

One little job that I've been meaning to do for a while is to do something about the 'see-through' nature of etched diesels. This used to be a standard feature of etched diesel models (and quite a few steam ones) and was most spectacularly evident on things like 7mm scale EE Type 3s/class 37s. I have seen more that several models where looking over the roof fan or at the side grills where one was rewarded with a nice view of the drive system or the track. Such things happened in 4mm as well but bigger models offer more visible problems.



On the NBL this is simple enough: behind that big grill at the front there should be a radiator rather than the back end of a Mashima with a flywheel hanging from it. I could just have plonked a lump of plastic sheet in there but well, how hard can a dummy radiator be?



A few scraps of 40 thou' with a 15 thou' overlay and here we are. I made no effort whatsoever to seek out a shot of a real NBL radiator. The 'detail' is pure speculation, though I did take the trouble to scribe some impression of the vanes. There's a baseplate with a hole that locates over the fixing nut and in time it will be painted and epoxied in place. Job mostly done.

Adam

 

[AJC]

By way of a quick break from mucking about with the finish of an industrial diesel, I've taken to doing much the same with an industrial wagon, an RT Models Hudson tipper. The prototype isn't really important since what this post is about is matt finishes. I've had and used quite a bit of Testor's Dullcote but it's increasingly hard to find and expensive to order. Someone tipped me of that Halfords do a matt lacquer, badged as safe for use on enamels, acrylics, etc. so I bought a can just to see.

Anyhow, here is the tipper part of the wagon finished in Halfords red oxide and several coats of Johnson's Klear for the transfers, before spraying with the matt lacquer:



and after:



The slight cockling of the transfers is not a problem with the lacquer, it's my fault for not being vigorous enough in smoothing out the transfer following a dose of Microsol. You can just make it out in the before shot and I had sealed the things with a coat of Klear before spraying. The matt finish is quite nice and improved for a second coat. I have yet to test this on an enamel finish (and will do so on something disposable first, just in case) but this is promising, I think.

Adam

 

[Jon Gwinnett]

Hi Adam,

Good to see practical examples. I had good results with the new generation of Humbrol acrylic spray Matt earlier in the year, but when I used it recently (admittedly outdoors in less than perfect weather conditions) it left white residue. I suspect it works better when the can is new and in warmer conditions. Certainly on the stock I weathered during my demo at Glasgow show it seemed to work very well, drying quickly to a very even finish.

 

[AJC]

Interesting to hear Jon - I've had that problem with Testors at least once (my minfit, earlier in the thread), but was able to rescue that and I'm very pleased with the finish of that wagon. I think the issue there was that it was the end of the can, sprayed on a rather damp, coldish day and varnishes in general don't seem to work well in that sort of environment.

My experience with Humbrol varnishes (of any type) has been uniformly poor, unfortunately, but it's interesting that you've had good results with the most recent version: I haven't tried it yet. If this Halfords spray doesn't cause problems with enamels then this might just be a long term solution: getting any Humbrol product in Southampton is increasingly difficult, all the model shops having now gone, and now requires a trip out of town on the bike to Eastleigh or to Hobbycraft in West End.

Adam

 

[Heather Kay]

Just to help those of us who are often as blind as bats when seeking the right can on a shelf, would you mind snapping a photo of the lacquer tin please?

 

[AJC]

Here you go Heather:



And meanwhile, thanks to the kind donation to the cause of some Pressfix black and white lining, the NBL has reached the stage where the paint job is done.





The bottom corners had to be touched in by hand, but neat enough, I think.

Adam

 

[Heather Kay]

Thanks Adam! I feel a trip to our local Halfords might be due.

The NBL is coming together a treat. While most of my work is 7mm scale, you've got me hankering to dig out some of my 4mm shelf queens!

 

[AJC]

Now, if I can make the chassis run... I've just nipped out and given a test piece a flash of the lacquer without ill effects. The black patch on the boot is Humbrol satin black applied last night, the rest is plain enamel that's been in place for a year or so.



Interesting to note that it's done a nice job of hiding some of the brush marks!

Adam

 

[Scale7JB]

That's lovely!

JB.

 

[iak63]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!
Interesting nugget this Adam

Sláinte

 

[AJC]

Moving back to the NBL, we find the chassis mechanically complete, wheeled, quartered, gearbox fitted and ready for wiring up. And rewiring the correct way about, too no doubt...



... and not just rewiring. I've just had to cut an additional section out of the footplate so as to get the flywheel in. Oops.

Adam

 

[oldravendale]

Now, if I can make the chassis run... I've just nipped out and given a test piece a flash of the lacquer without ill effects. The black patch on the boot is Humbrol satin black applied last night, the rest is plain enamel that's been in place for a year or so.

View attachment 37427

Interesting to note that it's done a nice job of hiding some of the brush marks!

Adam

'ang on. Isn't that a Mark 1 Ford Consul/Zephyr/Zodiac? My first car, in black. Cost me fifty quid, ten year old 1956 model. Good to see that you've started to paint it to match my memory. Wonderful bench front seat and column change 3-speed box. Loved that car to bits!

Brian

 

[AJC]

You're quite right Brian. Unfortunately, the colour match wasn't quite as I wished and the paint job was poor so its been a test piece for painting on this occasion. It has a date with the cellulose thinners at some point but I haven't found myself in the mood... Was your's a two tone one?

Adam

 

[oldravendale]

Hi Adam.

No, it was plain black (and shiny!). Regrettably lent to someone and was subsequently wrecked. That taught me a lesson. I remember the wipers, driven off the manifold by vacuum, so as you took your foot off the accelerator they went at warp speed 9, but when foot was down, and you needed them, they wouldn't leave rest. At least it was simple enough to mend in the back garden at home when something went wrong, which was rarely. Minor service every 1000 miles, oil change every 5,000.

I think I would still have it, had it been returned to me in one piece.

Brian

 

[AJC]

After rather too long an interlude, back to Scottish-built diesel hydraulics. The 'little' NBL is now more or less complete barring the process of lead lining, front sandpipes, a bit of touching up and weathering. It was even wired up the right way about at the first time of asking (testing courtesy of my trusty length of EM Ratio track and a spare 9V battery for the smoke alarm). I can't remember the last time I managed that...





First, however, the last of the paint on the wheels and rods has to dry.

Adam

 

[Steph Dale]

Adam,
It looks utterly charming and with that drive should run as well as it looks.
Kinda remind me of this:

Steph

 

[alcazar]

It does look kind of attractive, I like early diesels.

And your title intrigues me...it sounds like a crossword clue?