murrayec

As Robert says- the furry nature of the model will have it's touch up problems, I would go with the thickest paint (leave it in the palette to dry a bit after spraying) to cover the black runs. Thin paint from a brush might do the same thing- running into the black! Maskol fluid could be used on the edge of the black line to stop running if it happens.

Cellulose or Universal thinners is for cellulose paint.....

Eoin

Looks real.

Eoin

Alclad is the best metal paints I reckon;-

Yes, I do similar- making mock models, for layouts and buildings I use CAD more as I'm setting up the parts for say a building/buildings I can 3D them to get massing and fit ideas, then modify accordingly

The same when building model locos CAD is very handy, but I also make up mock models in styrene to check fit- especially for scratch valve gear and motion rods.

This is one example, 'Hibernia' the styrene model was constructed to work out how the brass chassis could be made, it was also used to work out the tolerances on the valve gear, drive rods and bellcranks. It was well worth doing as I found a number of difficulties to be sorted before starting the brass model;-

Eoin

January Fair Date;-

Happy New Year

12 minutes ago, angr607 said:

Ease of construction is a big thing for me. Where possible, I want things to be as easy as possible while retaining prototypical construction and good detail. Hopefully the first coaches will be ready to go end of next month ready for test running.

Jon

Have you any information/detals on the 071 kits, and when they might be available?

Eoin

I would be interested in the 071 and Duetz kits

Eoin

2 hours ago, Broithe said:

Ah, I did have the Lego motor unit and the individual rails.

Lego had the advantage of packing down with little airspace and not being very fragile.

With traction tyres and ridged rails, it would ascend a fair slope and rather extreme bridges could be constructed.

The batteries fitted in the larger box, above the motor housing.

You could, of course, make all sorts of things with the motor as the basis, not just railway-related items.

I still have these;-

Eoin

3 hours ago, WRENNEIRE said:

One very happy customer this Christmas Eoin
Jordan, not me!
Taken at our last show of the year at Bray Wheelers

So that's where Santa is hiding

Thanks all for the very kind comments and likes, it does help the brain immensely knowing that I'm not alone hacking away in my workshop......

Happy Christmas

Eoin.

The final assembly and testing;-

Preparing the coal for the tender, this is a bit of coal from Merlin's tender.

Taking advantage of the coal space by adding a few bits of lead. The tool boxes have been epoxied on at the same time.

Coal in and squirted with dilute PVA n some washing liquid to ease the tension.

Installing the wiring loom from loco to tender.

I turned up a tapped brass pin for the tender drag bar, these bits will be chemical blackened eventually.

Test fitting, the tender will be permanently fixed and held with the second screw.

Setting up the lead weights for the tender, the loco relies on the weight of the tender on the drag beam for maximum traction, so a lot of lead is the trick, with more weight to the front.

And more in here!

8 pin socket wired up in the tender, the speaker and DCC sound chip installed with sticky pads.

Ready for the first track test run!

oops! nearly forgot to install the whistle pull cord!

The first test run did not go well- electrical shorts everywhere and the model would only run on radius 3 track. To repair the shorts the model had to be dismantled- nerve racking as it was not easy to put it together in the first place, which caused a bit of paint/decal damage.

The chassis and tender was test run without the loco body, which made things simpler.

General views as to how the wiring was run from loco to tender.

The front bogie had a small spring added to its fixing to the chassis- the suspension beam acts on the front of the bogie which caused the rear wheels to rise up off the track and not rotate. The spring did the trick.

The bogie rear wheels would rub off the chassis on curves causing a short, not enough to trip the chip but it just looked wrong with sparks flying, so out with the file to shave the wheel arches back a bit.

After 3 days of tweaking, dismantling the loco twice, eventually we have a constant running loco. A few minor issues to be resolved, final delicate parts to go on, paint/decal touch ups, and final lacquer........

I'll post up a better daylight video soon.

Eoin.

There was 3 turntables, can be seen above on the branch leading to the two story workshops, which had a lift to get stock up to the second floor!

The turntables at that time were only 10 foot long, locos and tenders had to be rotated separately.

Eoin

I hear Eileens Emporium have shut down

It's a pity they carried great stock, especially in metal sheet & section

Eoin.

Stunning

Excellent work David

Eoin.

Photos of the 'Shelving Shed'

It's your common 2.4x1.2m timber garden shed with tar sheet roof, tight headroom and a 'Duck' door head.

All the timber was liberally oiled with Creocoat and then a few mods were made.

The floor was insulated with aeroboard and silver stuff- the floor is upside down in the photos.

The ground was prepared by removing the sod, levelling with gravel, installing level bricks with a bit of dpc stuck on top.

Floor down sitting on the dpc/bricks.

The walls up, their sitting on a dpc dressed down over the floor and will be carried up the inside of the walls. the walls were screw fixed with galvanised steel L brackets- so easy to dismantle if needs.  I added a few roof frames to give extra support to the roof- these type of shed roofs always droop in the middle!

Aeroboard being installed in the walls. Not much room here, I want an air gap behind the wall sheeting so I installed 12x12mm strips adjacent the studs and then fitted 18mm boards on top of the strips- flush with the inner face of the studs.

Silver stuff was then installed on the walls, the ceiling will be later as I am insulating the roof on the outside and finishing with corrugated iron sheeting, so holding off silvering.

Shelving going in,

Yet to do the electrics and the roof......

Eoin.

More decals & stuff;-

The tender's red makers plate about to go on with Pledge floor polish!

Buffer stocks being epoxied on.

Blackening some of the final parts.

Black.

Smoke box door handle epoxied on.

Ready for a few paint touch-ups.

When doing the touch ups and installing the buffers the decals were coming free, I'm going to fix and wash them over again with Micro Sol, then lacquer the parts, do paint touch ups then, and lacquer again.......

Eoin.

December Fair date;-

1 hour ago, MGWR110Bat said:

.........I suppose, then, this will start with some questions:

1.) Where would be a good place to start sourcing some suitable axles for 21mm Stock?

2.) Has anyone tried regauging 16.5mm stock to 21mm? What was required and how did you go about doing it?

3.) Any recommendations for sourcing further M&GWR and GNR(I) locos and rolling stock from the latter part of the 19th Century through to the 1920s?

4.) Unrelated to the M&GWR, but anyone tried converting a Hornby 4P tank into a UTA 'Jeep' in 21mm or is that a stretch too far?

Hi Dan

1.)  A few possibilities here;-

2.) That would depend on what stock you start with- some have wide enough W irons that allow 21mm and some don't, filing the inside of the irons may allow for 21mm if the stock has enough 'Meat' - others don't, so the irons could be cut off and re-glued to create space.

3.)Mayner and KMCE on this forum are producing some kits, have a look at posts in this link;-

4.) That's a lot of work for starting out, especially the chassis mods for 21mm - Worsley Works do a body scratch aid for the jeep but needs a lot of input from the builder!

Eoin

Yes I do the same, a lot of my tools are mounted on an MDF board which are clamped down like your photo above.

I use ujktechnology.co.uk T slots and clamping system on the low workbench which takes most of these mounted tools.

Eoin

'Shelving' that's my main problem in the workshop, none left!

Other tools and equipment are stored in the attic and the 'Coal Shed' both full to the brim!

Hence the need for a 'Shelving Shed'

Eoin.

Excellent,

I have another shed happening as well as the 'Lathe Shed' I'll post up a few photos soon- this one is a timber 2.4x1.2m shed taken from my brother's place and am using it for shelving storage to keep the Lathe Shed as clear as possible.

Eoin.

The shed arrived last weekend

Next will be insulation inside all-round, timber roof and wall sheeting, electrics, and move in.........

Eoin.

Decals going on- this is not for the faint-hearted or anyone with a pacemaker!

The kits decals have some very fine lining and the sheet supplied with the kit had damage, so I sprayed some lacquer over them to try and hold it together. I also ordered a new sheet should disaster happen- and it did!

3 coats of satin lacquer applied.

Started on the boiler first, strips of the lining were cut from the sheet and applied by wrapping the decal on the backing paper around the boiler, then applying water with a paint brush, encouraging the decal to slide off onto the raised boiler detail.

The decals still broke up but with patiences I could get the bits to line up, overlaying small cut strips on top of the bad bits also works.

The cab sides and the valance decals were cut into sections and applied, these will need some touching up.

Same again on the buffer beam.

I'm still waiting for issue of the valance decal sheet, described above some time back, to finish the back-end of the valance. This lining is tiny and brakes up into many bits!

A few more bits to go.......

Eoin.

I would use 2mm piano wire, as the drive gears need to be glued onto the new axles with Locktite- Locktite works best on steel rather than on brass.

Eoin