Fishplate7's Workbench

[fishplate7]

With Covid-19 affecting us all in one way or another, I decided it was time to get off the sidelines and dip my toes into a bit of modelling to pass the time and develope my skills! I had bought this SLNCR cattle wagon kit from Leslie (Provincial Wagons) at a show some years ago. I have no experience of building a resin kit, nor much more in the modelling world tbh. So following the instructions, and spending an hour or more each night over the last couple of nights, this is the end result! I have a small portable workbench, some sanding files, Swann Morton scalpel, steel right angle, tweezers, Loctite glue (the small 3 pack glues), good lighting, etc. With these I set about the task. I found it a really enjoyable experience, and learnt a lot from it -  (this was a trial run for me before I attempt the first of 10 kits of the CIE cattle wagons, also from Leslie).

So to some of the points I picked up, and things I would do differently next time:

1. I should have painted the full buffer casting before fixing it in place. Much more difficult to do when it is stuck in! The gloss black also looks wrong
2. I taped over the barrel of the buffers to keep the chrome appearance of the working element, but I failed. Ended up painting them all black.
3. Pay more attention to aligning the sides and ends before gluing.
4. There are gaps between the roof an the body which are noticeable on the ends. But this adds to the charm of the van in my view and i think I will leave it as is!
5. The roof needs to be painted a darker colour - that will have to wait for another day when the shops are back open!
6. I hope to fit Kadee couplings soon

So to anyone thinking of having a go - just go do it! It is great fun and more importantly you'll learn a lot.

There are lots of inspirational modellers on this site, and if I can develope a smattering of their talents over time to come then I'll be more than satisfied!

All comments, tips, tricks etc welcome!

Thanks

Eamonn

 

[Galteemore]

Nice job!! 

[NIR]

You can true up levels, angles and joins in resin by immersing in hot water then remove and apply a little pressure until it cools.

Edited April 4, 2020 by NIR

[Midland Man]

Looks great 

[Georgeconna]

well that looks quite nice in all fairness and something I'd be very happy with!

If you got the roof down a wee bit better you'd be sorted.

 

[popeye]

That's great for a first attempt.

You will learn a lot from the first one and roofs are always difficult to get on.

Good job. 

[DART8118]

Nice modelling.  Hoping to get some of Leslie's cattle wagons done myself during this cocooning phase.  

What paint did you use?

Just thinking out loud now.  I wonder if any of the specialist modellers on the Forum would have advise about lightly 'scuffing' the buffers to expose the metal and give the effect of buffers clashing?

8118

 

 

[Galteemore]

Have a look on this excellent resource - click on image to move into it.  It seems to suggest that buffers tend to actually have a smear of grease on the contact surface rather than the scuffing one might intuitively expect.  

 

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by Galteemore

[murrayec]

To do the buffers- I use Humbrol Gunmetal loaded up with talc, blob it on the buffer face nice and thick, after about an hour take a bud with a pointed end and polish the buffer from the centre pushing the blob to the edges and polishing the centre. Gunmetal gives a polished metal look and the gunge around the edge looks like grease that's been pushed away by 'scuffing'

Eoin

 

[jhb171achill]

A superb find, Galteemore. Shows what things were like c1970, with all-brown beginning to replace all-grey, and the great variety of vans. 

[leslie10646]

Very well done, Eamonn. As I explained in an e-mail the SLNCR cattle wagon kit came into existence when Michael realised that he only had to make two new moulds to move from GNR production to SLNCR ones.

The GNR one is nine years old this very day - the first one rolling off the line on 5 April 2011 - they were all sold built then! At 230 wagons, they were my second best seller - helped by the fact that Old Blarney and I have TWENTY each.

In my case to run the Enniskillen Shipper, which was the big train of the day on the Armagh Line - yes the Midland cattle went over the SLNCR, then the Irish North to Clones and then the Ulster Railway via Armagh and Portadown Jct to the boat at Belfast. I'll get the wagons out of storage and put a video on the layout thread.

The SLNCR wagon has a nice old fashioned look to it, I think. Still got some of the kits upstairs (hint!).

 

Edited April 4, 2020 by leslie10646

[David Holman]

14 hours ago, murrayec said:

To do the buffers- I use Humbrol Gunmetal loaded up with talc, blob it on the buffer face nice and thick, after about an hour take a bud with a pointed end and polish the buffer from the centre pushing the blob to the edges and polishing the centre. Gunmetal gives a polished metal look and the gunge around the edge looks like grease that's been pushed away by 'scuffing'

Eoin

 

That's very much the way to do it. 

Only need another 20 or so for a nice SLNCR train!

[fishplate7]

16 hours ago, DART8118 said:

Nice modelling.  Hoping to get some of Leslie's cattle wagons done myself during this cocooning phase.  

What paint did you use?

Just thinking out loud now.  I wonder if any of the specialist modellers on the Forum would have advise about lightly 'scuffing' the buffers to expose the metal and give the effect of buffers clashing?

8118

Many thanks Dart 8118. Re the paint I used a 500ml can of Halfords Primer Grey. I think it cost me c. €9. The best advice on using I got is to first put the can in a basin of warm water for a couple of minutes. Then remove and shake the can vigorously for over 2 minutes to agitate the paint. I sprayed it outside in a sheltered area with little or no wind. Hope this helps. Leslie's cattle wagons are next on my list. Good luck!

 

 

Many thanks Dart 8118. Re the paint I used a 500ml can of Halfords Primer Grey. I think it cost me c. €9. The best advice on using I got is to first put the can in a basin of warm water for a couple of minutes. Then remove and shake the can vigorously for over 2 minutes to agitate the paint. I sprayed it outside in a sheltered area with little or no wind. Hope this helps. Leslie's cattle wagons are next on my list. Good luck!

[David Holman]

Have used Halfords primer cans for years, both for their intended purpose and as 'wagon grey'. The red oxide primer works well for fitted wagons too. Don't know what is behind the design of the spray nozzle, but in my experience, they are far superior to most other rattle cans, which can be more like muck spreaders!