John57sharp
Western Thunderer
Short update as things continue to be glacial. This is the state of my EM train this morning. The handrails on the loco are just placed. I’m enjoying the change, and the 2mm call is beginning to be a little stronge….
John’s workbench - a miscellany.
- Thread starter John57sharp
- Start date
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
It must be time for an update, and there is news, progress even:
On the EM front I’ve started on my first underframe from Rumney Models, it turned out to be the wrong one (my fault) but I’ll be able to use it anyway. In the process I realised that my little Antex wasn’t up to the 4mm size tasks ahead, bought a cheap one from Amazon, blew it up, got my money back, all in under a week!
The old Formula 1 bug has resurfaced, so I have dug out some 1980s vintage 1:43 kits to see if they can be improved on and resurrected.
Lastly I discovered and became obsessed with F Coales steam flower mill that used to be alongside Newport Pagnell station with its own sidings (2) and some lovely atmosphere. In fact MRJ used it in a Real Atmosphere spread which kicked me off. Photo for illustration. Right now I am delving, counting bricks and trying to come up with a working drawing… probably in 2mm, so that’s another mojo located. In fact it’s just what my Greygates layout needs.
More soon…
John
On the EM front I’ve started on my first underframe from Rumney Models, it turned out to be the wrong one (my fault) but I’ll be able to use it anyway. In the process I realised that my little Antex wasn’t up to the 4mm size tasks ahead, bought a cheap one from Amazon, blew it up, got my money back, all in under a week!
The old Formula 1 bug has resurfaced, so I have dug out some 1980s vintage 1:43 kits to see if they can be improved on and resurrected.
Lastly I discovered and became obsessed with F Coales steam flower mill that used to be alongside Newport Pagnell station with its own sidings (2) and some lovely atmosphere. In fact MRJ used it in a Real Atmosphere spread which kicked me off. Photo for illustration. Right now I am delving, counting bricks and trying to come up with a working drawing… probably in 2mm, so that’s another mojo located. In fact it’s just what my Greygates layout needs.
More soon…
John
daifly
Western Thunderer
Unless he had found a strange use for flora, I suspect that Mr Coales ran a flour mill.
Dave
jonte
Western Thunderer
Great weathering on the GT car; barn find?
Amazon are great for that sort of thing. Same story here with an airbrush. Sorted in a couple of days; no quibbling
Love the piccie; such a modellable scene.
Keep us apprised
Jon
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
Flower? One of my other things is bread, I even sometimes grind my own flour, can I blame predictive spelling? Please?
Thanks for the corrections though, good to see people actual read this stuff!
The jag was more or less as found in the display cabinet. three decades of dust! Hope the after photo looks more like a showroom example..
My research so far suggests many changes to the scene, including major expansion in the 50s or 60s, after which it was closed down. Early drawings suggest wooden structures prior to the brick, so it may have been connected to the canal that the railway purchased, shut down and built on. Fascinating anyway.
John
Thanks for the corrections though, good to see people actual read this stuff!
The jag was more or less as found in the display cabinet. three decades of dust! Hope the after photo looks more like a showroom example..
My research so far suggests many changes to the scene, including major expansion in the 50s or 60s, after which it was closed down. Early drawings suggest wooden structures prior to the brick, so it may have been connected to the canal that the railway purchased, shut down and built on. Fascinating anyway.
John
Progress report
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
Well there is some! I’ve finished checking and cleaning a myriad of handrails for the 03, now they have a white primer layer.
Theres a Parkside 12T fruit van body done, chassis to follow, but it will be a testbed for my first attempt at OPR weathering. This is @jonte ’s fault for posting the Warbonnet YouTube links. These struck a major chord for me and, a big plus, I have almost everything needed in stock, the one extra arrives tomorrow all being well, and we’ll get going. OPR is oil paint rendering and it’s all very subtle. I’m Not expecting to crack it straight away, but I have done a very little of this before and have high hopes. Huge thanks for the nudge, I’ve been immersed in his otherYouTubes ever since, except for when I’ve been watching SpaceX pulling a new design out of the hat this week.
oh and a few bits to go on the garden railway’s new brake.
Friday night is music, no, Indian takeaway night so must dash
cheers
John
Theres a Parkside 12T fruit van body done, chassis to follow, but it will be a testbed for my first attempt at OPR weathering. This is @jonte ’s fault for posting the Warbonnet YouTube links. These struck a major chord for me and, a big plus, I have almost everything needed in stock, the one extra arrives tomorrow all being well, and we’ll get going. OPR is oil paint rendering and it’s all very subtle. I’m Not expecting to crack it straight away, but I have done a very little of this before and have high hopes. Huge thanks for the nudge, I’ve been immersed in his otherYouTubes ever since, except for when I’ve been watching SpaceX pulling a new design out of the hat this week.
oh and a few bits to go on the garden railway’s new brake.
Friday night is music, no, Indian takeaway night so must dash
cheers
John
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
Postscript. The curry was delicious, as you’d expect from the winner (yesterday) of the best curry house in the NW of England.
Warning ⚠️ I’ve realised I’m going to need to get my airbrush out. There may be bad language, anguish and blue finger disease. On the other hand it may behave and all will be sweetness and joy.
John
Warning ⚠️ I’ve realised I’m going to need to get my airbrush out. There may be bad language, anguish and blue finger disease. On the other hand it may behave and all will be sweetness and joy.
John
jonte
Western Thunderer
‘tis a fair cop, John. ‘Mea maxima culpa!’
He’s good though is Michael. As you say, a host of vids on almost as many techniques that he’s kindly posted up. Some you may get on with or perhaps not, but plenty of choice all the same, so there’s something there for everyone in my book.
Glad to see you’ve persevered with the handrails
We enjoyed (or was it endured?) a curry last night at the local Wetherspoons in Formby, but it’s not a patch on the Ghurka restaurant in Crosby - also a National Award winner There’s absolutely nothing on the menu I wouldn’t eat, although my favourite is the extra spicy House (chicken) curry ………
With mention of ‘dash’, it usually ends up that way shortly afterwards, but worth it all the same
Good luck with the oils
Jon
He’s good though is Michael. As you say, a host of vids on almost as many techniques that he’s kindly posted up. Some you may get on with or perhaps not, but plenty of choice all the same, so there’s something there for everyone in my book.
Glad to see you’ve persevered with the handrails
We enjoyed (or was it endured?) a curry last night at the local Wetherspoons in Formby, but it’s not a patch on the Ghurka restaurant in Crosby - also a National Award winner
There’s absolutely nothing on the menu I wouldn’t eat, although my favourite is the extra spicy House (chicken) curry ………With mention of ‘dash’, it usually ends up that way shortly afterwards, but worth it all the same
Good luck with the oils
Jon
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
Needing to cut a square recess into a pair of SM32 frames, I expected a deal of sawing and filing, but no! Some years ago I purchase a mailing cutter for purposes currently forgotten and rigged up the top slide in the little Peatol lathe and lo! A recess. It’s not chippendale standard, but it’ll do for this job and I am most pleased indeed. Just need to do the other side now. Slow and gentle seems to work. Finished it with a minimal dressing using a hand file.
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
A bit Of a diversion had me digging out some 1:43 F1 car kits from way back and very much inspired by some builders on YouTube sharing techniques, I thought I’d try and resurrect a couple of mine. Here’s something I came up with along the way…a useful tool for other applications where you need to hold things together. Short video Soldering clamp. Made with lolly sticks and cocktail sticks it feels about Japanese to me for some reason.
Back to the railway soon I promise.
John
Back to the railway soon I promise.
John
MarkR
Western Thunderer
Hi John,
In a similar vein, I have been using the simple dodge show in the picture (please forgive the poor quality, I'm waiting for the LED lights on my garage to be rewired following a total garage refurbishment) Its an idea I got from Model Boats magazine many years ago.
It consists of a sheet of 24swg 430 stainless steel, mine is bright polished but 2B dull is just as good, and 4 welders magnets from Amazon.
My piece of stainless is about 48" x 12", to allow the holding of a model boats keel, but of course you can have any size you want. The stainless steel needs to be 430 grade so that it is magnetic, other grades such as 304 are non-magnetic.
The arrangement is very flexible as the magnets can be placed in the best position to hold the object.
The object is held firmly and upright by the magnets.
I hope this might be of interest.
Mark
In a similar vein, I have been using the simple dodge show in the picture (please forgive the poor quality, I'm waiting for the LED lights on my garage to be rewired following a total garage refurbishment) Its an idea I got from Model Boats magazine many years ago.
It consists of a sheet of 24swg 430 stainless steel, mine is bright polished but 2B dull is just as good, and 4 welders magnets from Amazon.
My piece of stainless is about 48" x 12", to allow the holding of a model boats keel, but of course you can have any size you want. The stainless steel needs to be 430 grade so that it is magnetic, other grades such as 304 are non-magnetic.
The arrangement is very flexible as the magnets can be placed in the best position to hold the object.
The object is held firmly and upright by the magnets.
I hope this might be of interest.
Mark
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
I like it a lot, thanks Mark.
Picking up the 2mm threads
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
Think I’ll be posting more on here even just as an aide memoir. I got out the 2mm buildings I’ve been avoiding for ages and sat staring at them trying to recall where is was up to. This particular building had 2 mock-ups and some production parts in card, some in white plastic and some in plastic brick card, so I couldn’t decide what I had last decided to do! So today I made a decision to continue with the white plastic card (especially after some quality control on the others) and between gardening and a little SM32 action came up with a bit of progress - second photo.
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
So as promised, so far today and yesterday off and on, nd with supplies arriving this morning, the loading bay building now has downspouts and a roof access hut, while the mysterious rail served building now has a plastic shell and a small extension, maybe a lift or a blower, truth is nobody knows…
My current scheme is to build a robust plastic shell and then add the thin card and paper textures atop of that. Seemed to work for the roof hut.
cheers for noe
JS
My current scheme is to build a robust plastic shell and then add the thin card and paper textures atop of that. Seemed to work for the roof hut.
cheers for noe
JS
jonte
Western Thunderer
Nothing ever changes….
John57sharp
Western Thunderer
When Gilly suggested I move up a scale to save me from the struggles of 2mm scale bits being universally tiny, I'm not sure we had really thought it through. This knitting is the brake gear for a 21t wagon, Rumney Models chassis. The wires are .3mm and while this isn't a la instructions, I'm getting there slowly and with the constant aid of magnifiers. I've broken one which is why it's stretched out like this on a jig, I'll try and mouth it correctly once I've got it all loosely in place.
My hats off to you talented folk who do inside valve gear and indeed outside ones too….
John
My hats off to you talented folk who do inside valve gear and indeed outside ones too….
John