2mm Cookie's 2mm exploits - Painting
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Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Just caught up with the thread activities over the last couple of days.
Oh
Top marks for those who tried to help and for those who brought it back on track, certainly appreciated from my side of things
Tidy work on the window frame and the door (especially in card), I look forward to using them in anger
Good to see I'm not the only one who has had problems trying to scribe the clear Slaters sheets, my first attempts for the windows in the building used that method and resulted in me scrapping them after scribing
Thanks for the alternative name Neil, I'll try and source some in due course (current plan is to try and paint the crossbars on, all depends on how well acrylics will work with the lining pen).
Beautiful buildings too, nothing like setting the bar on the high side for the rest of us 
Steve
Oh
Top marks for those who tried to help and for those who brought it back on track, certainly appreciated from my side of things
Two in one day Guv, you'll be indispensable at this rateJim, I can confirm that works
Tidy work on the window frame and the door (especially in card), I look forward to using them in anger
Good to see I'm not the only one who has had problems trying to scribe the clear Slaters sheets, my first attempts for the windows in the building used that method and resulted in me scrapping them after scribing
Thanks for the alternative name Neil, I'll try and source some in due course (current plan is to try and paint the crossbars on, all depends on how well acrylics will work with the lining pen).You were at least on topic my good man, feel free to carry on if the mood takes you
Beautiful buildings too, nothing like setting the bar on the high side for the rest of us Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
No worries Alcazar.
If you have questions about scales and gauges it would be worth posting something in the help section, not least because it will be a lot easier for people to find it in future
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Making Gutters
Having proved the concept earlier this week, today has been spent trying to refine the process of making gutters and brackets so its repeatable and a bit more accurate than the last lot.
First up are the two formers required. The one of the left is a piece of 2mm x 10mm brass strip with a 0.9 mm hole drilled through and then flats filed on to create the external shape of the bracket (the gutters are turning out @ 0.75mm in diameter so the 0.9mm hole allows for the thickness of the bracket material). The right hand one is a scrap of 0.5mm thick brass etch, filed to a semicircular profile along its top edge.
A strip of thick foil is cut over length, then sanded on both sides to remove the plastic coating. Its an idea borrowed from Jerry - he uses disposable BBQ trays to form corrugated iron sheets but unsurprisingly at this time of year BBQ bits are difficult to source so I'm using thick baking trays instead.
The foil is clamped behind the former in a small vice with approx three quarters of a mil of material showing above the top of the former.
A wooden clothes peg is used to start rolling the foil over the top of the former.
Once the basic shape is right, the peg is used on end to push the foil around the former - multiple passes create the right shape within the peg end.
The former and foil are then placed flat on a cutting mat so that the formed shape now finishes on the mat side of the former (former and foil tend to stick together well at this point). A ruler is laid across the top and a sharp knife used to trim the gutter (you can also see the groove worn into the end of the peg in this shot).
If all goes well, you end up with a very thin strip of curved foil attached to the former.
Whilst everything is well supported, I use a piece of 600 grit wet and dry paper wrapped around the peg to gently smooth the cut edge (sanding from right to left in a diagonal motion in this photo).
The foil strip is then carefully removed from the former and sanded with both cut edges face down on the wet and dry paper, gentle finger pressure is all that is needed to remove the last of any burrs. The inside of the gutter is gently cleaned using a glass fibre brush. Any deformation in the gutter as a result of the clean up can be removed by putting it back on the former and using the peg end to get it back into shape.
Trimming to length is done by putting the gutter back on the former with the waste material protruding over the end. This is then held into the bracket making former and a sharp blade used to trip off the excess. Correct any distortion and a light pass with the wet and dry and its good to go.
Hopefully, at the end you have a strip of thick foil at the correct length with a good profile along its length..
As for the ends, well they are so small that trying to form a piece of foil to fit is a recipe for madness so a spot of paint will do the trick I should think
Brackets next when I've made more and photographed the process.
Steve
Having proved the concept earlier this week, today has been spent trying to refine the process of making gutters and brackets so its repeatable and a bit more accurate than the last lot.
First up are the two formers required. The one of the left is a piece of 2mm x 10mm brass strip with a 0.9 mm hole drilled through and then flats filed on to create the external shape of the bracket (the gutters are turning out @ 0.75mm in diameter so the 0.9mm hole allows for the thickness of the bracket material). The right hand one is a scrap of 0.5mm thick brass etch, filed to a semicircular profile along its top edge.
A strip of thick foil is cut over length, then sanded on both sides to remove the plastic coating. Its an idea borrowed from Jerry - he uses disposable BBQ trays to form corrugated iron sheets but unsurprisingly at this time of year BBQ bits are difficult to source so I'm using thick baking trays instead.
The foil is clamped behind the former in a small vice with approx three quarters of a mil of material showing above the top of the former.
A wooden clothes peg is used to start rolling the foil over the top of the former.
Once the basic shape is right, the peg is used on end to push the foil around the former - multiple passes create the right shape within the peg end.
The former and foil are then placed flat on a cutting mat so that the formed shape now finishes on the mat side of the former (former and foil tend to stick together well at this point). A ruler is laid across the top and a sharp knife used to trim the gutter (you can also see the groove worn into the end of the peg in this shot).
If all goes well, you end up with a very thin strip of curved foil attached to the former.
Whilst everything is well supported, I use a piece of 600 grit wet and dry paper wrapped around the peg to gently smooth the cut edge (sanding from right to left in a diagonal motion in this photo).
The foil strip is then carefully removed from the former and sanded with both cut edges face down on the wet and dry paper, gentle finger pressure is all that is needed to remove the last of any burrs. The inside of the gutter is gently cleaned using a glass fibre brush. Any deformation in the gutter as a result of the clean up can be removed by putting it back on the former and using the peg end to get it back into shape.
Trimming to length is done by putting the gutter back on the former with the waste material protruding over the end. This is then held into the bracket making former and a sharp blade used to trip off the excess. Correct any distortion and a light pass with the wet and dry and its good to go.
Hopefully, at the end you have a strip of thick foil at the correct length with a good profile along its length..
As for the ends, well they are so small that trying to form a piece of foil to fit is a recipe for madness so a spot of paint will do the trick I should think
Brackets next when I've made more and photographed the process.
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Making the brackets.
These are much easier than the gutters, its just amazing how much longer it takes to make and photograph a simple process. The raw material for the brackets is the individual strands of wire from some 16/0.2mm cable.
After the strands have been stripped from the outer casing one end is clamped in the vice.
The aim is to create a flat section to maximise the contact area between the bracket and the gutter (ready for gluing) and also to thin down the section of wire so it doesn't stand out so much.
The ends of the flattened ends of the wire are then dipped in blackening solution to make them easy to identify.
Any blackening which extends past the flattened area is cleaned off ready for soldering, then it is placed into the former (detailed in the previous post) and the shank of a 0.8mm drill bit used to press the bracket into the former.
When removed, the wire has taken on the following form. The tails on the formed end have been left long - they will be cut down to size after the gutter has been glued in place, by my reckoning it is far easier to get a better finish by cropping to length after installation than it is trying to form at the right point to start with. This one has been left fully blackened so it shows up in the photo better.
A pile of brackets to suit the current and next building on the list.
Next job tonight is to work out the how far the brackets will need to extend over the roof to suit both the roofing and the bargeboards and the order in which they need to be fixed in place. After that I can work out the apex tiling, the current thoughts are to solder a brass strip across the roof that the corrugated iron panels can butt up to, a plasticard representation of tiles can then be glued on top of this to get an accurate fit. Given the fragility of the brackets when in place, I want to complete the majority of the soldering and mocking up before assembly.
Steve
These are much easier than the gutters, its just amazing how much longer it takes to make and photograph a simple process. The raw material for the brackets is the individual strands of wire from some 16/0.2mm cable.
After the strands have been stripped from the outer casing one end is clamped in the vice.
The aim is to create a flat section to maximise the contact area between the bracket and the gutter (ready for gluing) and also to thin down the section of wire so it doesn't stand out so much.
The ends of the flattened ends of the wire are then dipped in blackening solution to make them easy to identify.
Any blackening which extends past the flattened area is cleaned off ready for soldering, then it is placed into the former (detailed in the previous post) and the shank of a 0.8mm drill bit used to press the bracket into the former.
When removed, the wire has taken on the following form. The tails on the formed end have been left long - they will be cut down to size after the gutter has been glued in place, by my reckoning it is far easier to get a better finish by cropping to length after installation than it is trying to form at the right point to start with. This one has been left fully blackened so it shows up in the photo better.
A pile of brackets to suit the current and next building on the list.
Next job tonight is to work out the how far the brackets will need to extend over the roof to suit both the roofing and the bargeboards and the order in which they need to be fixed in place. After that I can work out the apex tiling, the current thoughts are to solder a brass strip across the roof that the corrugated iron panels can butt up to, a plasticard representation of tiles can then be glued on top of this to get an accurate fit. Given the fragility of the brackets when in place, I want to complete the majority of the soldering and mocking up before assembly.
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
No macro lens, just the macro function on the camera (Canon S95) - I'm making it work today thoughHave you bought a macro lens for this thread? that is getting seriously small
It is all a bit titchy despite being overscale, we shall have to see if the end results justifies the effort or whether it should just be classed as over-reaching and failing
I thought adding the ogee on 1/32 gutters was getting a bit crazy
Perfectly normal chap, perfectly normal
Excellent
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Having mocked up some corrugated iron panels on the roof, I decided it was a step to far to make them butt up against a central rib so I've just made a capping strip instead
Two 1mm wide strips of phosphpr bronze were cut slightly overlength, laid next to each other on the cutting mat and two bits of masking tape applied at the ends. By lifting the whole lot off the mat and rolling the tape together, it was possible to hold both strips at the right angle with the top edges creating a shallow V.
They were tacked together, then placed on the roof to get the angle correct. The roof was covered with permanent marker and used as a jig, the strips being placed over the apex and overhanging one end, solder was then chased into the V, bit by bit. 0.35mm phosphor bronze wire was laid into the V and soldered into position to finish off the capping and get close to the right profile.
Final trimming will take place once the corrugated iron panels are in place, the roof capping will just be glued on over the top. Everything is now cleaned up and shown with a pile of said corrugated iron sheets.
The panels were made by following JC's advice in MRJ212, pushing the foil into the ridges around the cap of a Nescafe Jar lid with a cocktail stick. I've another two strips to do tonight...
Steve
Two 1mm wide strips of phosphpr bronze were cut slightly overlength, laid next to each other on the cutting mat and two bits of masking tape applied at the ends. By lifting the whole lot off the mat and rolling the tape together, it was possible to hold both strips at the right angle with the top edges creating a shallow V.
They were tacked together, then placed on the roof to get the angle correct. The roof was covered with permanent marker and used as a jig, the strips being placed over the apex and overhanging one end, solder was then chased into the V, bit by bit. 0.35mm phosphor bronze wire was laid into the V and soldered into position to finish off the capping and get close to the right profile.
Final trimming will take place once the corrugated iron panels are in place, the roof capping will just be glued on over the top. Everything is now cleaned up and shown with a pile of said corrugated iron sheets.
The panels were made by following JC's advice in MRJ212, pushing the foil into the ridges around the cap of a Nescafe Jar lid with a cocktail stick. I've another two strips to do tonight...
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Oh Yeah Looks brilliant, I'm getting itchy build fingers
Looks brilliant, I'm getting itchy build fingers 
queensquare
Western Thunderer
This is all looking great.
Your guttering looks good Steve, I'm afraid my method of doing guttering and downpipes is much more of a fudge.
Guv, that looks pretty much a complete building there - its either 2mm or a very big cutting mat!! I do like the ready spaced windows, a great time saver. Do tell more - what finish will the walls get and what's the prototype - if any?
Jerry
Your guttering looks good Steve, I'm afraid my method of doing guttering and downpipes is much more of a fudge.
Guv, that looks pretty much a complete building there - its either 2mm or a very big cutting mat!! I do like the ready spaced windows, a great time saver. Do tell more - what finish will the walls get and what's the prototype - if any?
Jerry
28ten
Guv'nor
Its Wallingford shed. I promised cookie a 1/32 version but so far it has ended up a little smaller
Its really just an experiment to see what happens 
Dog Star
Western Thunderer
Great idea for holding the two strips at an appropriate angle for soldering - I expect that I shall not be alone in pinching that idea on a frequent basis.
The wire as the "roll top" is a good idea, nicely executed.
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
And some doors. Windows are nice and easy, ready spaced
Thats bloomin' brilliant Guv
Cheers Jerry, although I suspect your work is much more realistic in terms of effort vs reward
I'm just playing about at the moment, quite enjoying pushing myself with all the small bits - gaining a new skill set Its Wallingford shed. I promised cookie a 1/32 version but so far it has ended up a little smaller
I'm good with the little 'un for the moment
Its really just an experiment to see what happens
Hopefully more making stuff over Xmas
Steve