7mm Pencarrow - Cornish BR(S)

[Pencarrow]

If the Wills sheet will not hold the curve, and I think the smaller the piece you have, the harder it is to make it retain the bend, could you reform it, either by the gentle application of heat when it is held against a former?

The old fashioned method is to tape it to a bit of pre shaped timber and then pouring boiling water over it, but I should imagine a hot air gun (Used carefully) could do an equally useful job.

Hi Richard, the Wills sheets can easily be curved by either thinning down the material for smaller parts or by scoring the rear with a Tamiya scriber - a very useful tool. With both methods the key to it retaining the curve is to fix it to a curved structural shell.

The plane it, and any sheet material, doesn't curve well in is vertically along brick or stone courses. The trick here is the use of narrow strips of material. I did this on the arch ring from SEF brick sheets, and the Wills course stonework on the abutment.

Curved brickwork for a an arch would be easier using a laser etcher/cutter. I don't however have one!

Part of the enjoyment I get from making stuff is finding ways around not having certain bits of kit. I also find I get more joy from hands-on making with tools than using computers to draw stuff and machines to cut bits out. I'm quite happy, however, to place orders to get bits cut if accuracy and/or the number of parts needed is high...

 

[Pencarrow]

I've had a question off thread about cutting the Wills stone sheet and it being difficult.

The key is investing in one of these:

Mark up and cut the flat rear of the sheet, don't try and get a straight line on the front! Use the scriber to start with, then finish off the cut with a craft knife.

Always over cut parts, and undercut openings, then trim to size using a coarse file. Don't be scared to use solvent to melt joints and reshape later. Also, don't be concerned by gaps or bits that don't look right - filler and reshaping works well in those situations.

 

[Osgood]

I see you have the laser level set on ABS, not HIP (plasticard)?

 

[Pencarrow]

I see you have the laser level set on ABS, not HIP (plasticard)?

I see what you did there, very good.

 

[simond]

I had to look…

 

[Pencarrow]

Currently pondering the buttresses on the girder bridge. The pilasters at the top all seem to be a posher type of stone finish. I did wonder if they were rebuilt later but the stone used is identical to the stone directly under the girder. Makes a nice change to very coarse stone...



All 4 pilasters look the same and I think are original. Need to check older photos...

 

[Lyndhurstman]

I've had a question off thread about cutting the Wills stone sheet and it being difficult.

The key is investing in one of these:
View attachment 232762
Mark up and cut the flat rear of the sheet, don't try and get a straight line on the front! Use the scriber to start with, then finish off the cut with a craft knife.

Always over cut parts, and undercut openings, then trim to size using a coarse file. Don't be scared to use solvent to melt joints and reshape later. Also, don't be concerned by gaps or bits that don't look right - filler and reshaping works well in those situations.

Ah... A Skrawker... very useful things. I got my cheapo version from Squires (http://www.squirestools.com/files/13-13.pdf , Page 8).

Cheers

Jan

 

[Pencarrow]

Ah... A Skrawker... very useful things. I got my cheapo version from Squires (http://www.squirestools.com/files/13-13.pdf , Page 8).

Cheers

Jan

Yes indeed, cracking tool - plasticard cutting and abuse for the use of. Had mine 15+ years, on its second blade.

 

[simond]

You get through blades a bit quicker if you use it on brass…

That bridge - how far into the stonework does the steelwork extend? It looks almost embedded in the pillars, but I’d have thought that would be a very bad idea from a hidden corrosion point of view?

You don’t want to find that it is too rusty after it has collapsed…

 

[Pencarrow]

So yes, looking at the collection of old photos earlier, I've concluded that the posher stone is an origin feature.



Edit, although it may be that it's different posher stone.

 

[Overseer]

Currently pondering the buttresses on the girder bridge. The pilasters at the top all seem to be a posher type of stone finish. I did wonder if they were rebuilt later but the stone used is identical to the stone directly under the girder. Makes a nice change to very coarse stone...

View attachment 232834

All 4 pilasters look the same and I think are original. Need to check older photos...

View attachment 232835

The abutment parapets have definitely been taken down and rebuilt. The bearing stone supporting the steel probably failed so would have been replaced at the same time. Older, pre 1970 or so, photos will show how it previously looked. I think the steelwork is newer than the abutments, but not as recent as the parapets.

Just read your post - definitely rebuilt with new stone as there are different numbers of courses.

 

[Pencarrow]

You get through blades a bit quicker if you use it on brass…

That bridge - how far into the stonework does the steelwork extend? It looks almost embedded in the pillars, but I’d have thought that would be a very bad idea from a hidden corrosion point of view?

You don’t want to find that it is too rusty after it has collapsed…

Hi Simon, no not embedded. There's a rebate in the rear of the pilaster for the beam. This can be seen in Google street view images like the snip below:

 

[Pencarrow]

The abutment parapets have definitely been taken down and rebuilt. The bearing stone supporting the steel probably failed so would have been replaced at the same time. Older, pre 1970 or so, photos will show how it previously looked. I think the steelwork is newer than the abutments, but not as recent as the parapets.

Just read your post - definitely rebuilt with new stone as there are different numbers of courses.

I should have mentioned it's two different bridges in the photos. The period ones are of the long demolished bridge at the end of the station approaches. Now a supermarket site. The new photos are the next bridge along that never seems to have been photographed prior to the cycle route along the old trackbed.

The different number of courses could be down to them being different bridges. Will have a further look this evening. But I think I'll work off the period photos for this element.

 

[Pencarrow]

A good hour this morning working out the dimensions and relative locations of the girders and pilasters and buttresses. Then working out the layers and thicknesses of materials to make them up.

 

[Pencarrow]

And I've made a start...

 

[Pencarrow]

2x buttresses now done. Each one of the four is a different height (to suit relative ground level). T get the slope angle the same on each, I've made them all the same length and have cut down of the base to suit.





Starting to look more and more like a bridge.

 

[mickoo]

Oooh, gotta get me one of those digital level boxes, need it to set the gradient a bit better on my trainset..... I've been using an app on my Iphone but the side buttons throw it out a bit.

What laser level is that you're using, need one of them too

Addendum, it's okay, just found it, Rockseed, here tomorrow by 1PM

 

[Pencarrow]

Oooh, gotta get me one of those digital level boxes, need it to set the gradient a bit better on my trainset..... I've been using an app on my Iphone but the side buttons throw it out a bit.

What laser level is that you're using, need one of them too

Addendum, it's okay, just found it, Rockseed, here tomorrow by 1PM

Evening Mick,

I bought both the laser level and digital level for house DIY jobs. One of the rare occasions that DIY stuff has headed into the train room. Normally tools seem to migrate out of the train room when I have a DIY project on...

What I do like is that the laser level can be fitted to the camera tripod so horizontal datum heights can be altered to suit. I got the digital level when working on the stairs last year. Wish I hadn't as it just showed there's no two things in the original house build the same level or angle.

I also find it reassuring that the laser line and the digital level seem to agree on what's vertical and horizontal. Better than my spirit levels, none of which agree. Usefully the digital level is magnetic and will stick to the spirit levels, meaning you can check and then ignore the bubble.

 

[mickoo]

I also find it reassuring that the laser line and the digital level seem to agree on what's vertical and horizontal. Better than my spirit levels, none of which agree.

Ah, what you need is a box of new bubbles, they get worn out over time and need replacing now and again.

Done that a few times and worked a treat

 

[MarkR]

bought both the laser level and digital level for house DIY jobs.

Hi Paul,
Can you recommend a laser level and digital level. I have a garden fence to put up in the spring!
Many thanks.
Mark