Philip's Workbench

[murphaph]

Cheers Mark. Getting there anyway

[popeye]

They look great.

I use Microsol to soften transfers but it depends on the transfer.

I would think MIR transfers would be older, thicker and maybe a little brittle, so keep

the ones you have and put lots of Microsol on and let it soak for a while.

Some small transfers can be thinner and just melt with Microsol.

They are always tricky to work with. Good luck. 

[murphaph]

Yeah the MIR transfers are brittle indeed but seem fairly thin I have to say. I was also expecting them to be thicker. I have decided to slice the transers along the panel lines as a next step. In reality they would be discontinuous at panel line junctions and a wash will be applied in all the panel lines later also. This may hopefully allow the transfers to sit down into those panel lines at least. I'm giving them one more go now with micrsol after slicing them (1 Railtec and 1 MIR). In an ideal world I'd have a laser cutter and I'd cut out a stencil from Tamiya masking tape and just airbrush the logo on. I think it would work as there are no "islands" thanks to the break in the top of the "R". 

[popeye]

As the transfers are white, any problem areas can be touched up with paint.

[irishthump]

21 hours ago, murphaph said:

No it's a trade secret. Only joking 

Bogies:

The bogies are disassembled and resprayed after applying a primer but if you're not regauging thm you might get away with not disassembling them. Not sure. Respray a dirty colour as they got filthy really with no trace of the bauxite red being visible after a short while. Then apply dark grey washes to the bogies into all the crevices and clean off the excess when dry. Then a bit of dry brushing with titanium white oil paint, very sparingly applied. Don't forget to apply sleeper grime or frame dirt to the wheels (except the running surfaces) or it will look odd.

Wagon:

Matt varnish the wagon and apply washes into all the crevices (mostly dark browns and greys, bit of rust colour wash as well but not much). Then clean off the excess when dry. Then for the rustier ones I think I applied a "powder" effect wash from AK and rust colour powders and a rusty coloured paint mix I made up. Then blast the underframe and bogies with frame dirt acrylic from the airbrush. Bit of dry brushing with the white oil paint is optional here I think. Then seal the whole lot with matt varnish again. Buffers get a bit of gloss acrylic black on the faces and the shanks (sparingly so they don't seize!).

I think that was it.

Thanks for going into detail. I really like the mixture of techniques especially washes and dry brushing (which really underrated technique that doesn't get enough love). You've struck a lovely balance and achieved an excellent finish. I don't think I've seen a better job anywhere else.

[murphaph]

1 hour ago, irishthump said:

Thanks for going into detail. I really like the mixture of techniques especially washes and dry brushing (which really underrated technique that doesn't get enough love). You've struck a lovely balance and achieved an excellent finish. I don't think I've seen a better job anywhere else.

You're welcome and that's very kind of you to say.

[Georgeconna]

Mr Mark Decal Softener is ace TBH.

 

[murphaph]

I will see if I can locate some George. Thanks for the tip. Have you used it with Railtec transfers?

[Bob229]

Progressing nicely

[John-r]

They really look the part, great work 

[murphaph]

I have parked the NIR 111s for the moment as I want to try laser cutting a stencil and airbrushing the logo on the side. The laser cutter is on the way. In the meantime a bit of messing about weathering some Oxford diecasts. I imagine these old things were operated by the local builders' providers...

[Galteemore]

Those look terrific 

[DJ Dangerous]

Incredible!

Love the rusted arches on the Transit!

[David Holman]

And the dirty windscreens, with the areas wiped clean by the wipers.

[DJ Dangerous]

45 minutes ago, David Holman said:

And the dirty windscreens, with the areas wiped clean by the wipers.

I hope that Transit is LHD, or else it's definitely not roadworthy.

[murphaph]

The owner is mates with the local DoE lad. She sails through with flying colours every year.

[DJ Dangerous]

7 minutes ago, murphaph said:

The owner is mates with the local DoE lad. She sails through with flying colours every year.

Any chance you could give me his number? "I know a man" who has to take the mods off to pass his test every year...

[murphaph]

I have stripped and resprayed this piece a number of times as I try to familiarise myself with the Vallejo polyurethane primer. This stuff gets extremely mixed reviews but on this material if you follow the Vallejo instructions (thin the primer about 20% thinner and 5% flow improver and spray a mist coat first and then build it up) then it works well IMO. As the loco is to be heavily weathered I am trying a post shading effect here. The paint did not age uniformly. UV damage was highest on the top for obvious reasons but also areas along panel lines tended to be darker and areas under projections like the louvres and turbo cover were also darker relative to the more exposed panels. As mentioned briefly above my plan is to further experiment with a laser cut stencil of the NIR logo. I could probably get a good enough result from transfers but I want to challenge myself a bit.

[Broithe]

10 hours ago, DJ Dangerous said:

I hope that Transit is LHD, or else it's definitely not roadworthy.

I had an 'advisory' note about the nearside wiper on last year's UK MOT test - but, I couldn't see anything wrong, so I left it, for a bit, intending to change before this year's, to look like I'd made a bit of an effort.

But, I forgot.

It wasn't even mentioned this year...

[murphaph]

A bit more weathering fun, this time with an agricultural theme...

This baler hasn't been used for many years, not since the round baler replaced it. Sun bleached paint from lying up out behind the barn most likely:

The livestock trailer sees regular, erm use:

These old Masseys are still doing the odd light duty:

And best not ask what this thing is used for:

Group photo:

 

Edited November 4, 2022 by murphaph

[Broithe]

5 minutes ago, murphaph said:

A bit more weathering fun, this time with an agricultural theme...

These old Masseys are still doing the odd light duty:

 

Needs a dog, keeping the seat warm..?

[Galteemore]

Great work. Getting flashbacks to early 80s north Leitrim….

[murphaph]

Damn I was aiming for south Kildare. Must do better lol. Now you've reminded me of the time a young Garda asked me why I was riding around on an old Suzuki GSX 250 with "foreign plates". The foreign plate being IIT 702....a pre 87 Leitrim plate. 

[Broithe]

19 minutes ago, murphaph said:

Damn I was aiming for south Kildare. Must do better lol. Now you've reminded me of the time a young Garda asked me why I was riding around on an old Suzuki GSX 250 with "foreign plates". The foreign plate being IIT 702....a pre 87 Leitrim plate. 

I got stopped at a serious checkpoint in Laois in the 70s and was asked for my name.

Simple, you might think...

But, I have one of those names that it's easier to mispronounce when living on the Big Island - so, I got it wrong and then quickly corrected myself.

This got me a funny look, but a few more questions and it became clear that the Guard knew my uncle - so I escaped...

 

To be fair to your Guard, anybody who might be from Leitrim being found in the outside world is likely to be suspect or lost.

[murphaph]

This one will someday adorn the small PW compound at Kildare:

Needs a very light dusting of grime when the oil paints have cured. The cab windows are crystal clear which is unlikely in a dusty environment moving ballast around.

[connollystn]

Very impressive weathering, really adds realism to the model. Funnily enough, my face is fairly weathered now but it took me 72 years to get it to this stage.

[Georgeconna]

Should look a lot worse by then!!! Good Work there!

[Robert Shrives]

amazing atatention and such sharp modelling - puts mine to shame !  Almost smell the oil and rust on the JCB.- brings back happy memories.

thanks for showing

Robert.  

[murphaph]

And now for something completely different....

As some of you may know, I am (for the longest time now) repainting 3 086's into NIR 111's, in mid 90's condition. I wasn't entirely happy with the large NIR logo transfer so I decided it was finally a good enough excuse to buy a laser cutter to see if I could cut out my own masks and airbrush the logo on instead. Well I'm not quite that far but progress has been made as the laser cutter arrived and has been assembled and tested. Using plain copier paper I can achieve a very crisp mask. I am hopeful when I get wide enough Tamiya masking tape that it will produce a very decent mask and I can forget about getting transfers to sit down into all the unevenness of the side of a 111. Interestingly I believe the MM logo is slightly too rounded, when I compare it to the mask I have cut out and when compared to the real thing. 

Side on Flickr image for comparison:

Even the prototype looks, well, a bit off if you ask me. The bottom strokes of the N and I are not parallel. I guess it was hand painted after all. It's not a vinyl sticker by the looks of it.

Edited November 29, 2022 by murphaph

[Flying Snail]

Very interesting project - do you mind me asking what laser cutter are you using? When you mentioned decals, I wondered if you considered any of the vinyl cutters like the Cricut Maker etc.? I presume the laser cutter will give you more options around materials to cut ....

[Georgeconna]

Hi Phillip,

Good work Phillip and nice purchase.

When doing Stencils and the masking tape is not wide enough the lads just overlap the tape on each other

See from 21.44mins

Trumpeter's 1/32 English Electric Lightning F.2A/F.6 (part two of three) - YouTube

 

I expect this  tamiya sheet will cover your needs it but I would think transfers still would be easier!!!

Tamiya Masking Sheet Plain 240x180mm - 5pcs - PlasticModels

 

[murphaph]

9 minutes ago, Flying Snail said:

Very interesting project - do you mind me asking what laser cutter are you using? When you mentioned decals, I wondered if you considered any of the vinyl cutters like the Cricut Maker etc.? I presume the laser cutter will give you more options around materials to cut ....

It's a no-brand chinese diode laser, 40W input power, unknown output power lol. It's mounted to a 3018 cnc machine, again a no-name Chinese thing with the most questionable instructions. I did originally look at Cricut machines a couple of years back but personally I think for most applications we are already beyond them with laser cutters. The primary advantage of a Cricut I would say is that you can cut PVC materials without releasing chlorine gas, which is what happens when you burn it (as a laser does). Chlorine gas is highly dangerous obviously.

Nice one George. I did consider overlapping my 10mm stuff but I thought it might be tough to properly burnish it where it overlaps so I have just ordered some wider tape from a local supplier. Should be here in a couple of days and then I can see if the whole idea is folly or not. Probably handy to have anyway. I think Tamiya actually does A4 sized sheets of paper backed masking tape, for exactly this sort of purpose. 

[murphaph]

Hi all. I have been asked by a couple of people to write a more detailed "how to" on my IFI Net Nitrate transfers for the IRM fert wagon loads. So, here is exactly how I do it.
1: Apply microsol to the degreased wagon load. If you haven't been mauling them they should be fine out of the box to be honest. The one in the pictures here was not degreased as I had not handled it.
2: Cut out the transfers by cutting right down the middle line between each column & row decal design, leaving all the white border material attached.
3: Soak one transfer at a time in cold water and after about a minute it will release from the backing paper. Remove it from the water and slide the decal off the backing paper onto the top of the double pallet stack load.
4: apply some microsol (microset would probably work too) around the overlaps, even the undersides and fold the flaps down at one end, then the longer sides, then the other end, tucking the corners in like wrapping a present. It will stick to itself.then smooth around the edges with a wet finger. apply some microsol all over and let the whole thing dry.
5: Optional: After letting an hour or so, you can work on getting the transfer to sit down into the crevice between the two pallets. It would be ok to pierce the transfer in this crevice in a number of spots with a sharp scalpel or needle and apply more microsol, to get the transfer to "pull in" to the crevice. It's not really necessary though, but I think it's a nice touch.
6: Optional: Apply a protective coat of clear varnish if you expect the loads to be handled much. 
Some pictures to illustrate the process. Remember, this is just how I do it. As long as you are happy with the results your way is fine too
Once more, a big thank you to everyone who has bought one or more packs from me. Thanks especially for your kind words of encouragement. If you would like a set, which is enough to do 4 of the IRM wagons with a few spares for mishaps, feel free to message me directly.

And then optionally the crevice line can be pierced or even cut aling with a sharp scalpel and decal softener applied along it and the result is the following once dry (The gloss finish can be left or matted down according to taste):

Other decal softeners also seem to work ok, though decalFix could maybe do with a little dilution:

[John-r]

Great job Phil, the transfers are something else .

[murphaph]

Ok so the longest project in the world draws a big step closer to completeion. I was satisfied with a test spray of the laser cut NIR logo on the side of one of the 111s but felt the actual paint job was letting the end result down. I took back down to bare plastic and I ordered Stynelrez primers as an alternative to what I had been working with and I am very glad I did. Priming is a breeze with my setup and these paints. I chose to "zenithal prime" these three, that means priming them all black, then priming the upper surfaces white, so that when painted over, the upper surfaces would be more bleached out due to the effects of the sun. A lot of this will disappear under roof dirt and soot but I wanted to give the technique a try and it works, at least for these darker top colours. I then painted the blue and finally the NIR logo was airbrushed on through the laser cut mask. For me the results are far superior to using a transfer. There's no translucency in the white, it's proper opaque white like the factory finish. It's obviously not quite as good as the factory finish but the actual shape of the logo is closer to the real thing IMHO.

I will use the same technique to cut out masks for the yellow warning panels. These were a mare to prepare by hand previously and the result still wasn't as good as I expect to be able to achieve with the laser. It was just too tricky to get the corner radii right/uniform doing it by hand.

 

Edited December 11, 2022 by murphaph