7mm Stanhope Glass

[danielb]

Well, after checking the measurements of my little match car, I've confirmed what I suspected yesterday at work, and that is that the wagon is considerably under scale. It seems the printer I used to print the drawings has compressed the image along the way.

Rather than waste time trying to enlarge it to the correct size, I will simply start again with the same wagon but using my own measurements.

In the mean time, I do have a small open wagon that is to the correct scale, which I am having a go at making using Jim's drawings.

I had 30 minutes before work and got the sides of the wagon cut out and glued. I'll continue the work on my lunch break this afternoon.

The wagon is designed to have sprung buffers on one end and dumb buffers at the other, which is why one end has a full bufferbeam and the other end doesn't.

 

[danielb]

I had a half hour to work on the wagon at lunch time, and so I just had to get a couple of progress shots. Let me know what you all think!

 

[Yorkshire Dave]

Hi Daniel

Thanks for the foam board info. I would like to use this to build a lightweight layout but I'll have to work out how to make the boards durable enough to stand up to a lot of handling and knocks without crushing them.

David

 

[danielb]

The ones I have are surprisingly robust, however if you set them in a wooden frame that should give them extra rigidity.

 

[danielb]

It would appear that Stanhope Glass has purchased it's first locomotive!

It's going to be fun seeing what I can turn this into.

 

[danielb]

Having had nothing but great performance from my N scale Atlas models, I'm sure this is going to be a sterling performer, but I'll be testing it as soon as I am able.

Over my lunch break I've been attacking card with a stanley knife. Can you tell what it is yet?

 

[Dog Star]

NER Y7?

 

[danielb]

Good eye that man!

 

[danielb]

Well, the plan tonight was to use some shellac on the card kits pieces I've got prepared, using some shellac I already have mixed up in a bottle on my workbench.

Only it's not on my workbench, and I can't find it anywhere.

As such, I've mixed up some more and will leave it overnight for the shellac flakes to completely dissolve. In the mean time, I've pottered around on the layout and done whatever I can. It's not much but Rome wasn't built in a day.

First up, I've put together the basic frame of the coaling stage for the works locomotives:



Next, I've added a backscene, as well as the warehouse beside the cullet store:



Finally I decided to place my new loco on the board just to see what it would look like. The loco appears easy to strip down and I should be able to remove most of the body leaving only the chassis behind ready for a new scratchbuilt body. Not sure what it will become yet, but we shall see. A six wheeled Peckett, perhaps?

 

[danielb]

Something of a small update this afternoon, but a few sets of Hornby B12 wheels turned up today, which should lend themselves very well to making some cheap industrial loco wheels.

They are plastic centered so will ensure no electrical shorts on the locos as I build them, which is useful for a relative newbie to scratch building locomotives.

I've got a few loco projects in the works, including a new body for the 0-6-0 diesel I have, as well as re-gauging a pair of Hornby 0-6-0 chassis to make small industrial shunters out of.

We'll see what I can make of them, I guess.

 

[InvernessTMD]

Nice to see another Foamboard layout taking shape!!

 

[danielb]

Not much to look at now, I grant you, but give it time and that will change.

I received a package to work today with a load of partially built wagon kits in it, there are a few bits missing here and there but I'll be able to scratch-bash replacements without too much trouble.

Looks like there should be enough there to get 4 open wagons, 3 vans and a brake van, with a few addition van parts to use as scratchbuilding aids.

A great deal for £40 I'd say, and a big thank you to the chap who sold them to me!

 

[Heather Kay]

That should keep you busy for a bit!

 

[danielb]

I'm thinking so too!

More stock now than space on my layout!

 

[danielb]

Tonight I've spent an hour coating all my scratchbuilding card pieces in shellac. I'll see what becomes of it when it dries

 

[BrushType4]

Newbie question, but what is shellac, and what does it do?

 

[adrian]

It's a resin used in french polishing. You dissolve it in alcohol and paint it on, when dry it provides a waterproof protective coating - a bit like a varnish but a natural product. In french polishing you apply several thin layers and the alcohol softens the previous layer so the next coat blends in. My step-mother used to have a Grand Piano and that was polished in such a fashion. I remember it got slightly damaged once and the french polisher came in and repaired the lacquer finish. It was impossible to tell where the repair was and the depth on the lacquer was incredible.

 

[danielb]

I had a couple of hours today and decided to work on the coaling stage. This is where I've gotten to now:

 

[danielb]

Cheers Jordan, I've already had the side frames and body off of it to see how it strips down but this info saves me from potential blunders.

 

[danielb]

Well, quick update for now.

I might be a little quiet on this front for a while as I doubt I'll have time do much modelling, but here's hoping.

The shellaced card pieces for the models I am scratchbuilding appear much stronger than plain card, but I keep could do with a few more coats in the mean time.

More to come when I've got anything to say!