4mm Starting out in pre 1971 kit building!

[midnightmiller]

I made one last year, but put it on the relatively rare Hornby Dublo plastic wagon chassis. The body and chassis are not glued, but have a single screw holding them together. The colour should be crimson, but I was trying to match Dublo's red plastic colour of their horsebox. A Dublo standard 12T van is behind it. I'm also building a Kitmaster/Airfix/Dapol Prairie onto to a heavily machined Dublo 2-6-4 chassis.

I bought a Westdale B set kit and Thompson 52'6" CL non-corridor kit for peanuts recently on ebay. I think I've got a vintage kit disorder.

All very "plastically incorrect" for today's day and age, but I have O gauge to fall back on when I need some finescale.

It's all fun and part of the rich tapestry of our hobby, apparently...

Tony

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I made one last year, but put it on the relatively rare Hornby Dublo plastic wagon chassis. The body and chassis are not glued, but have a single screw holding them together. The colour should be crimson, but I was trying to match Dublo's red plastic colour of their horsebox. A Dublo standard 12T van is behind it. I'm also building a Kitmaster/Airfix/Dapol Prairie onto to a heavily machined Dublo 2-6-4 chassis.

I bought a Westdale B set kit and Thompson 52'6" CL non-corridor kit for peanuts recently on ebay. I think I've got a vintage kit disorder.

All very "plastically incorrect" for today's day and age, but I have O gauge to fall back on when I need some finescale.

It's all fun and part of the rich tapestry of our hobby, apparently...

Tony

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Please would you write up some more of the Hornby Dublo conversion , your not alone playing with vintage for a bit of light relief .

 

[76043]

Yes, it is light relief as you don't have to worry about every little detail and you get something running more quickly as there's just not enough time to complete a masterpiece. Well, for me anyway. I'm not lowering my standards as such, everything I do is cut, glued, sprayed and finished to the standards I was used to as a professional architectural/propmaker.

Here's my meat van.



I didn't know how to tackle the weathering as these items run with stock Dublo that I may not weather.

I refurbished a Wrenn BlueSpot and built a Parkside Fish Van with Dublo couplings. The Blue spot needed the underframe replacing and the Parkside kit was made in three separate pieces for spraying, so just bolts together. It had to have new centre section put into the chassis, made of plastikard in order to make it demountable.

 

[AdeMoore]

Forgot to take some wagon shots so some of the roof progress until I get to it.
Received my Rumney Model order as recommended by Jan good service from Justin did a bank transfer to avoid the PayPal 4% charge. Wagon Detailing | Rumney Models hard to find on website I found!




Rub down of the grey enamel with wet and dry paper.



Mixed up an acrylic grey was to hot for painting dried way to quick.

2nd coat no better so more rubbing down and try again.l’ll add some water next time as probably a bit thick too.



Until next time Cheers

 

[AdeMoore]

Here are the wagon body photos as ever going for an unloved hard worked example.
Prototype photo Birmingham Snow Hill - An unknown ex-Great Western Railway 2-8-0 2884 class locomotive is seen passing Snow Hill station's North Signal Box and sidings whilst at the head of a down cattle train on 16th December 1961 copyright so can’t add here.
More to do washes on enamels so better results. Couplings to make up and add weather the underframe and finish the roof and stick back on.



Thanks for looking in all comments welcome.
Cheers

 

[AdeMoore]

After the roof was painted with my own mix of acrylic grey.
It had a blast of Matt varnish as per Matts previous advice, no pun intended!



Then out with the weathering powders.



Tried for the white highlight on the rain strip as in the prototype photo.



Then a little oil leakage from the axle box. Found super glue from a cocktail stick makes a good representation.



Then a bit on the pivot etc.



That’s all folks! Making my mind up between instanter or screw couplings seen both.
Until next time thanks for looking in.
Cheers

 

[AdeMoore]

Rumney screw couplings currently being put together tiny difficult work!
So as a reliever I decided there wasn’t enough grime between the planks, on the photo’s it dose look ok but in the flesh they are not dark enough IMHO so out came the humbrol black weathering powder. Applied by brush, I should of photographed after application everything was black so attempted to lift off with a damp tissue that didn’t work or a wet brush in the end I made progress with a scouring sponge first foam side then the green side it’s the obvious panel left of the door. Not at all what I was after so perhaps back to my self mixed acrylic colours seem to get on better with them.
Also read a great tip on FB pastel chalks rubbed on emery cloth to make dust and sprinkle on and rub in where you want with a brush. So if you mess up can be washed off. I’m gonna try that and probably use it to weather my first attempt on a new loco the USA tank for Meldon.
Photos messed up side first.


Yes the transfers need better disguising what else?
As ever all comments gratefully received.
Until next time.
Cheers

 

[AdeMoore]

Screw link couplings as you saw above I bought from Rumney Models B.96 I thought I’d try supergluing the three parts that make the main body together, worked ok until I came to file it up to shape then it de laminated!
So with modelling time at home being thrown at Meldon I decided to take van lunchtime modelling to a new level!
I decided to invest in a gas soldering iron, read many reviews and finally settled on this Portasol one https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003A67KXQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=
Mighty impressed with it, have done a few couplings now, followed Justin’s instructions and mounted on 2 drill bits so when it solders up the holes you just drill them out works a treat as it’s pretty tiny to see what your doing with an iron that’s bigger than something at home you would use.
Pics below are first attempt second one was much better I lifted the coupling off the wood to ease burning wood from the radiated heat and more flux!



The set up in the van workshop


Yes those are different size drill bits! Only had 1 x 0.5mm so the other is 0.3 just ment drilling the 0.5 back through after I released them.
As you can see it’s really out of shape but I thought first one made no difference on the finer details so used the superglued parts cleaned up.
I’ll get the loops on then paint and on the wagon and we’re about done.
Cheers

 

[AdeMoore]

Well I need some proper 0.5 wire for the pins only had some alarm cable I took a strand out of, but put it together anyway to get an idea of the look. Also need to beef up the Tommy bar as described in the instructions.
But first attempt at anything like it I’m reasonably pleased.



Cruel close up be fine at 3ft weathered.
Until next time Cheers

 

[AdeMoore]

Tiny bit more.
The above had to be redone as the pins were poor. Not great now but better.
The instructions call for a wire reinforcer attempted on the left then decided to drop super glue down the tommy bar to strengthen and round up the flat.




Looks better and you can see the prototype on the box in the background.
Needs painting, chemically backing in the instructions, but that sounds like it won’t be doing my lungs any good so I’ll be trying some other way.
Thanks for looking in.
Until next time.
Cheers

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Tiny bit more.
The above had to be redone as the pins were poor. Not great now but better.
The instructions call for a wire reinforcer attempted on the left then decided to drop super glue down the tommy bar to strengthen

Looks better and you can see the prototype on the box in the background.
Needs painting, chemically backing in the instructions, but that sounds like it won’t be doing my lungs any good so I’ll be trying some other way.
Thanks for looking in.
Until next time.
Cheers

Nice work, Matt
I don’t know if it will take to solder, but I use a black laundry marker for ‘painting’ wheel rims (not an original idea, but one that I’ve picked up somewhere along the way). I see Precision Paints do one C1066 Metal Black for Solder - 50ml. for solder. I’ve used chemical blacking, too. It’s not so bad on your lungs in my experience. Precision do one for NS C1068 Metal Black for N/Silver - 50ml. and I know folk use Birchwood Casey aluminium black for NS.

Cheers

Jan

 

[AdeMoore]

Nice work, Matt
I don’t know if it will take to solder, but I use a black laundry marker for ‘painting’ wheel rims (not an original idea, but one that I’ve picked up somewhere along the way). I see Precision Paints do one C1066 Metal Black for Solder - 50ml. for solder. I’ve used chemical blacking, too. It’s not so bad on your lungs in my experience. Precision do one for NS C1068 Metal Black for N/Silver - 50ml. and I know folk use Birchwood Casey aluminium black for NS.

Cheers

Jan

Ummm Jan not quite up to that Matts standard! https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?members/matto21.2643/
I’m pleased to be confused with Matt though! Joking aside I’m sure you ment Ade so thanks for your tips above.
I’ll look into them.
Cheers

 

[Lyndhurstman]

Ummm Jan not quite up to that Matts standard! https://www.westernthunder.co.uk/index.php?members/matto21.2643/
I’m pleased to be confused with Matt though! Joking aside I’m sure you ment Ade so thanks for your tips above.
I’ll look into them.
Cheers

Sorry Ade. Yes... Too tired to model apparently means I shouldn’t be typing, either...

Cheers

Jan

 

[AdeMoore]

Well after almost 19 months i.e. 24th August 2018 I started these! Must be a record for the slowest build! I’m going to call them completed, we’ll certainly for now.
Although at the odd 20 minutes grabbed at lunch on my van workbench is the main reason for it being prolonged.
Enjoyed them though and developed my modelling skills I hope...
Even painted and weathered the photo prop track!
Need to get them together for a pic.
Realised the screw coupling was dislodged below.



Rain came so had to jump back in the van for the roof shot.
Then I noticed in my rush lost a screw coupling! Ahhhh had a look for it after the storm no luck bugger!
Thanks for looking in.
Thanks for the encouragement advice and likes.
Until next time
Cheers