Hope I’m not over-egging the pudding by posting so frequently on the same subject, but just thought I’d share with you the latest dilemma with the build and - hopefully- how I’ve overcome it.
Those kindly following this rudderless build may recall that one of the first tasks I addressed was to drill the platform/gantry/stage for the handrail stanchions before it all got a little congested as the build ‘progressed’. This was a bum-steer as I soon discovered as the various mechanisms, would prove to be hindered by the components of the rails, plus it would prove difficult to attach them when the time came due to spacebeing at a premium. The number of stanchions would certainly have to be reduced for starters, obviating the need for those I’d started to fabricate. Or so I thought.
Cutting to the chase, I decided that the pre drilled holes in the brass gantry thingy would remain redundant and that the solution lay in providing a larger surface area on which I could attach the handrails and stanchion. A search of the modelling room revealed some Evergreen (?) embossed planking sheet of thin/thickness left over from my Minories build. This would be ideal, not only for the already scribed surface, but would be just the right thickness/thinness for sliding under the balance arm fixings on the dolls which are at the lowest datum point on the gantry. Thus they were predrilled and cut into two sections, one for each side, as they would have to be attached independently to allow for the obstructions caused by the dolls etc.
The 5-stanchion look was back in favour due to the extra space afforded, although I decided to refabricate the stanchions from thicker 0.5mm wire rather than the 0.3 mm of before as they just looked right, although 0.3 was chosen for the handrail - prototypes seem to have the same thickness for both but as I say, this just ‘looked’ better on the model.
One thing I forgot was to form a ‘hoop’ on one side for fitting above the ladders, so these were fitted post-build using a jig from a block of 2”x1”, blutac and offcuts of 0.3mm wire to ensure nothing moved during soldering, and that the hoop was perpendicular, the hoop itself being formed round a 4.5mm drill bit.
As with the rest of the build, nothing was straightforward with regard to the fitting of the stage boards and rails. The section in front of the rails has been cut around to fit (even the extension to the sides couldn’t extend too far as one of the cranks marked the furthest point to which it could extend) and it proved another fiddle to thread it between the operating wires et al. In the end, it was necessary to remove the far left section as you look, the rails having to be eventually fixed in place afterwards, the styrene having been predrilled for the fitting of:
Apart from a ‘U’ shaped section from one end to fit around the main post, the rear styrene board will be easier to fit as there are no wires to negotiate, thus the handrail could be fitted prior to attaching to the gantry. Wire fixed with a spot of superglue:
The piece of 2”x1” upon which it sits was greased with a candle prior to fitting to,prevent the superglue, well, sticking. Broken candle in background.
Thankfully, some 1mm x 1.5mm L angle arrived today from Scale Model Supplies, so a start can be made on the angle iron brace that can be seen on this type of signal. The rest of it will be from scrap fret.
Then it’s a wash in CIF before spraying with etch primer and then a coat of acrylic primer. To,ease the painting process, I probably won’t attach the handrails until the signal is painted, choosing to paint the rails and timber platform off the model.
This really has proved a test.
jonte
They tend to ping stuff away less to IMO.
