Mike Trice's 4mm Workbench

paratom

Western Thunderer
If your going to make your own bending bars make sure that the edge of one of the bars is less than 90 degrees because you will find that you will have to bend the material to say 87 degrees for it to spring back to 90 degrees.
 

Mike Trice

Western Thunderer
Before progressing I want to compare the appearance of the Molotow Chrome pen against Humbrol Silver and Aluminium before deciding on the roof colour. Not the easiest to capture photographically:
IMG_3707.JPG
Happy that both gave a good contrast I went with Humbrol Silver Acylic spray and after masking sprayed the body roof:
IMG_3701.JPG
The chassis has had bespoke 3D printed front buffers added and various primers sprayed. The white snowfall effect on the interior (which will be brush painted) was due to a dodgy Humbrol white spray which has since been thrown away. Normally I do not have any problems with the Humbrol sprays:
IMG_3709.JPG
The rear was fitted with some MJT whitemetal clipped buffers:
IMG_3713.JPG
I have now got to the part which I am partly dredding, painting the chrome trim. Just need to build up my nerve and hope the chrome pen is controllable enough!
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
That Fablon finish looks the part that's for sure. I wonder if the metal finish was painted over when these coaches received BR blood & custard.
 

Mike Trice

Western Thunderer
Thanks to everyone who has replied. Will produce the artwork to cut the Fablon and give it a go. I am pretty sure, like you, that I will prefer it, if not it is easy to remove.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Seeing as you can produce the most difficult roof and ends, the sides could have been etched in 16 thou stainless steel or nickel silver and the 'chrome' bits scraped after painting. Just a thought, but probably not a viable one if keeping costs down for a one-off model.
 

Mike Trice

Western Thunderer
Seeing as you can produce the most difficult roof and ends, the sides could have been etched in 16 thou stainless steel or nickel silver and the 'chrome' bits scraped after painting. Just a thought, but probably not a viable one if keeping costs down for a one-off model.
I try to be as self sufficient as possible. As you say I could have gone the etching route.
 

LarryG

Western Thunderer
Being self-sufficient in being able to produce roofs of any kind is something I would be looking to do if I were much younger. I remember the compromises when producing coaches that were outside the sphere of available extruded ali roof sections.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Mike (@Mike Trice),

Cutting mat for Silhouette machines... who supplies the mat in your photo? (the one with such a gripping name as "Sticky Icky Mats").

thank you, Graham
 

Mike Trice

Western Thunderer
I have started applying the Fablon cut chrome trim. It is a tedious, slow but strangely satisfying process.

For the main windows first the toplight vent frames are separated:
1 IMG_3747.JPG
And coaxed/cajoled into place:
2 IMG_3740.JPG
Next the outer frames are separated:
IMG_3743.JPG

And also placed around the window aperture:
IMG_3744.JPG
Finally there are the sliding vent draught excluding vanes to separate:
IMG_3745.JPG
And locate:
IMG_3749.JPG
I will revisit some of the less than straight lines later in the process.
 

Mike Trice

Western Thunderer
I am beginning to have second thoughts regarding the approach I have taken with the model so far. Sure I have made mistakes along the way and a second attempt would give me a chance to avoid those mistakes. I really should have printed the model at the printer's highest resolution.

The reason for my doubts relates to the use of Fablon trim. Yes it looks good and I do not intend to change tack however the model was printed with the full trim in place so the fablon is being stuck on top of the moulded trim. If I took a different approach and printed the body without the trim it would be a lot easier to apply the fablon and the cut pieces could be made a little more robust.

Printing a new body at 0.01mm layer height is going to take in excess of 40hrs so I am in the process of putting together a cutting file containing just a portion of the body to test things out on before doing it for real.
 

Tim Watson

Western Thunderer
Fully agree re: trim, Mike. It’s a bit like people putting boiler bands on 2mm locos; it’s far easier to use the transfer to represent them.

Tim
 
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