Aston On Clun. A forgotten Great Western outpost.

[lezz01]

I have what's known as trigger finger in both hands on the ring finger. It's really unpleasant. I'm waiting for an operation on my left hand and once that's sorted I'll get the right one done as well. The problem is they keep cancelling the op and it's one of the reasons that the black dog has bitten me. The op has been cancelled so many times I've been able to have another steroid injection in my left hand. It's been going on so long my doctors referred me to another hospital and I got an appointment straight away for 2 months from the referral, happy days but no with a week to go the new hospital cancelled on me as well. It doesn't help my modelling at all and also means that I can't play guitar which is how I usually pull myself out of a depression as my music helps me immensely  but the trigger finger stops me playing as my left hand just locks onto the fretboard and I can't move it around properly. It's been a big blow. 

I too have had tennis elbow from archery, back in the day I used to hunt with the bow and was one of the main suppliers of rabbits for the butchers shop in the village I grew up in. I had to change to a .22 rifle but this cut down the number of rabbits I could get on a trip which was a blow to the pocket money. Fortunately I had other means of generating income, building models for my local model shop's window display, but I lost 2/3rds of my income from the rabbits for a whole summer.   

Regards Lez.           

[brumtb]

Hi Rob, sorry to hear you have double arm trouble, one has been enough for me!

I'm sure Aston will be excellent therapy but do take it easy to let your body heal itself.

Looking forward to seeing your modelling progress and wishing you all the very best.

Tony

P.S. I'm having an operation on my right wrist in a fortnight so hopefully I may have the use of my hand back by Christmas!  

PPS. I also have found a TENS machine very beneficial.

[MrWolf]

Thanks to you all for your messages of support and advice.

I do feel a bit of a fraud taking it easy, because I have been through far worse, even shaking hands with that bloke with the scythe at one point and I am well aware that there's a lot of you dealing with far bigger health issues.

 

Which to be honest is part of the problem. I'd been having the odd bout of pain in my right arm a year ago and I put it down to old injury and the fact that is my dominant hand. As a result I've been using my left a lot more than before, although I'd had to learn to use it better after my right got rearranged.

On the upside, if it had to happen, I'm glad it happened somewhere in what we call the developing world, as the orthopaedic surgeon who looked at it back here some time later said that they would probably have amputated because of the infection on top of the damage, so I count myself lucky!

 

On the railway front, I've got some fencing done and if we're staying in tonight, I might just have an hour or so to get it installed.

[chuffinghell]

you’re definitely not a fraud!

 

If anyone is it would be me because I have no medical reason not to do anything on the layout unless ‘can’t be ars*d’ is a recognised condition?

 

 

[MrWolf]

3 hours ago, chuffinghell said:

you’re definitely not a fraud!

 

If anyone is it would be me because I have no medical reason not to do anything on the layout unless ‘can’t be ars*d’ is a recognised condition?

 

 

 

CBA is a recognised symptom of a general air of gloom / mild depression.

 

I recommend getting out on a motorcycle at least twice a week and not just to your local Honda dealership for a cup of coffee....

[Siberian Snooper]

I have had tennis elbow, when expanding boiler tubes, trying to fight the windy expanding machine and house maids knee, cutting the tubes out, being on my knees all day on uneven cold surfaces. Both sorted out with heat lamps and some physiotherapy.

 

 

[Winslow Boy]

8 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Thanks to you all for your messages of support and advice.

I do feel a bit of a fraud taking it easy, because I have been through far worse, even shaking hands with that bloke with the scythe at one point and I am well aware that there's a lot of you dealing with far bigger health issues.

 

Which to be honest is part of the problem. I'd been having the odd bout of pain in my right arm a year ago and I put it down to old injury and the fact that is my dominant hand. As a result I've been using my left a lot more than before, although I'd had to learn to use it better after my right got rearranged.

On the upside, if it had to happen, I'm glad it happened somewhere in what we call the developing world, as the orthopaedic surgeon who looked at it back here some time later said that they would probably have amputated because of the infection on top of the damage, so I count myself lucky!

 

On the railway front, I've got some fencing done and if we're staying in tonight, I might just have an hour or so to get it installed.

I will add my voice if I may Rob to all the others shouting you are not a fraud.

I got the dreaded tennis elbow and the housemaid knee when I was able to venture back outside. This was following a long spell of house confinement due to the black dog using me as his chew toy. So you are definitely not alone nor even the first.

The body needs some downtime particularly as you get older and you need to accept it and adjust your life  accordingly.

[Fishplate]

Hope you're on the mend soon Rob. Looking forward to seeing progress on Aston due to instructed 'take it easy' time. 

 

I've been away from RMWeb for a while and progress on my project has slowed (stopped!) as I have been concentrating on other stuff. But this weekend I 've been catching up on the topics I follow. I also have at least half a days designated modelling time today. Hopefully I won't spend that going 'now, where was I . . . . ? '

 

Health-wise it's always good to stop the world and get off for a bit. 

[MrWolf]

I've had a bit of a production line going making lengths of fencing and I've used the two sections that were made as guinea pigs using the original fine plastic wire as supplied with early versions of the Ratio fencing.

 

The first two posts are glued in, left to set hard and the rest tensioned from there.

The right hand posts haven't been planted yet.

 

I've been installing the tensioner posts I made and for some unexplained reason, I haven't made enough. Five more in progress, when I can find the solder!!

 

[NHY 581]

Morning Rob. 

 

Great images above but the middle image nails it. Lovely tone. 

 

Simply excellent modelling. 

 

Rob

 

[Limpley Stoker]

Excellent work ! You have just become de fence secretary for RMweb on the strength of your tensioning posts!

[MrWolf]

49 minutes ago, Limpley Stoker said:

Excellent work ! You have just become de fence secretary for RMweb on the strength of your tensioning posts!

 

That makes a change from my usual default of secretary for off fence.

 

Just to keep me in the house and out of The Profanium, I now have a case of man flu. 

It must be man flu because the Memsahib is still full of bounce and it will only be upgraded to actual bona fide flu if she gets a sniffle too...

 

On the upside I have been granted a one time permit to assemble some of the shiny painted and chromed bits of the Star Twin with shiny replated or new bolts into sub assemblies in the spare room ready for the phoenix from the ashes reappearance of said BSA. It's only things like the rear lamp / number plate, fuel tank, headlight etc, but it all represents progress.

 

[Nick C]

1 hour ago, MrWolf said:

Just to keep me in the house and out of The Profanium, I now have a case of man flu. 

It must be man flu because the Memsahib is still full of bounce and it will only be upgraded to actual bona fide flu if she gets a sniffle too...

Sounds familiar - I had it last week and Mrs C has it now (not really flu, just the usual autumnal bug)...

[MrWolf]

Installing the fencing is not going well.

 

The first two lengths that used the original "wire" have fallen to bits. They were assembled using mek as per the instructions, but obviously dislike being formed with the lie of the land and the wire has snapped in numerous places.

 

Not to worry, I'll replace it with the fencing with the fishing line. 

 

Or not. Any attempt form it over the landscape causes the wire to break off the posts.

 

I've tried mek, it doesn't stick. So I have tried liquid and gel superglue, poly cement and a universal adhesive. 

I get a couple of posts in and set, but as soon as I fit a third, following the shape of the ground, off come the wires.

 

I also don't fancy drilling seven accurate holes in around 300 posts before attempting to thread 120 feet of fishing line!

 

It also made me think about the dimensions of the "wire" .

10swg fencing wire is 0.128" 3.25mm thick. In 4mm scale that equates to 0.0416666mm.

To put that into perspective, a human hair is 0.016 to 0.05mm thick.

3lb fishing line is 0.12mm.

 

Really not sure what to do here, although the easiest solution is to fit the posts and forget the wires.

[lezz01]

How about this Rob?

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/175815357978?hash=item28ef69761a:g:374AAOSwpCxgYqIQ&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAA8J5oIbOfog2IrVT6EHngk7pmcNyEf6lm0E4K5TXwBddNPva8dkRyAUfUjHInoUv%2F09kOkwVyuQ481biDVGGH4lYUWPqD%2B%2FuAqGaY9JmmQBDLxkMl9fYUEU0jWrqd6r0EZIrB2vcIHALGmn0s3rQh4BV1pGKGNvpnXvEB1zcMM3slzMlLmjjk5dULF9xQY4Ry%2BhDzpZ%2BmkXRvvlwMCThkov23OfQKnRxopdxW3TNCj5YmLG4hQVOklvM%2BN2GR371tpX5LWiuEWqwRJNhWgrwd86aDV8mSPqcgUAtoGgPkEMZleC516htkQbMMP1H44T8fdw%3D%3D|tkp%3ABk9SR4j379vwYg

Thinnest I've found so far is 0.13mm I'll keep looking.

Regards Lez.

[lezz01]

Yep I've got 0.04mm at £2.65 for 100m

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/404507500346?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D1110006%26algo%3DHOMESPLICE.SIM%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D256748%26meid%3D658a083a56dd420bbef7f8ddd22abded%26pid%3D101195%26rk%3D11%26rkt%3D12%26sd%3D175815357978%26itm%3D404507500346%26pmt%3D1%26noa%3D0%26pg%3D3458402%26algv%3DSimplAMLv11WebTrimmedV3MskuWithLambda85KnnRecallV1V2V4ItemNrtInQueryAndCassiniVisualRankerAndBertRecallWithVMEV3CPCAuto%26brand%3DUnbranded&_trksid=p3458402.c101195.m1851&amdata=cksum%3A404507500346658a083a56dd420bbef7f8ddd22abded|enc%3AAQAIAAABYObhgc4Nk8%2BdtAwOww4FKLaj%2FQ5qqgDlQCuqZA43WcPFUWDERCUugbbOk7XQv0JXlBfqCg2xKF3WcPghxGMFw2oSlXvfExEaMYr7I7LmrHcP6czY1wIMt0ORyKiCWt95xldincyyBx3g%2BNDW%2B%2FhWUgTWfn6eCT3NtDHjv17vLLrVdWZZ72FgFx7PkjNDZ9F2XmvKka%2BqS9SMAIYTopcKJgeM9jzpQcjnzUX%2BqekEwhLYJAClYMnVfYapyFAkkOo49%2BNS0g0WISTle8RhEH8T7FNWTwgTVPaIK4cnf4ylAOsxAdNTiWB5CDgbm6aeCL8TNwObceedLaC49xVTe8i6mnVPueIH2gXMe9ekjxpa2kuWY2bg%2BxcPa9LwN5BmJHVCe6W5qVgeidJkkhfU2scWd3MjdzMbqQF1EYVmRzSWq7A2h%2B4f5%2BR7wEdmFk7aXe11Ju6RcNYSxetqExTPWhYn2cM%3D|ampid%3APL_CLK|clp%3A3458402

That should do the job mate.

Regards Lez.

[MrWolf]

Thanks Lez, that's really useful, I've bought some of the thinnest to try out.

 

What will be an advantage over the fishing line is that the wire will kink upwards or downwards from the post as per the real thing. The nylon line tends to form an S curve when I change elevation and any attempt at tension causes the bond with the post to break.

Another advantage is that lacquered copper is far more likely to respond to adhesive than nylon.

[lezz01]

Yeh I thought you might like that, it was a b****r to get the search parameters right the search engine didn't recognise armature wire as that and brought up thick wire for making clay figures. I ended up with electric motor winding wire as a last desperate shot and bingo. Even that only gave me one listing for the coated copper ultra thin stuff but that listing gave me links to other listings. I do believe I have an old roll of it somewhere that was my grandfathers but where it is God alone knows. Anyway with a roll of that you can also make your own solenoids or repair damaged Peco/H&M solenoids as a little bonus.

Regards Lez.    

[BroadLeaves]

2 hours ago, MrWolf said:

Really not sure what to do here, although the easiest solution is to fit the posts and forget the wires.

There's modelling precedent for not installing it. Point rodding is occasionally modelled, but only the truly insane dedicated add in signal cables. Fencing wire would, I'd think, be thinner than a signalling cable, so I'd say it can be "imagined".

[88C]

If I remember correctly our club layouts use thin piano wire threaded through pre drilled posts, not something that I was involved in. As for my own layout I have used Peco flexible, there was loads of it on the abandoned loft layout so a shame to waste it. I agree that post and wire is more authentic but hey ho.

 

Brian

[MrWolf]

I recall having a roll of very fine copper wire on a large wooden bobbin, also inherited from my grandfather, it's probably still in the garage at my mother's.

When I was about twelve I decided to string up all the Airfix telegraph poles on my first layout with scenery.

(It was a double track roundy roundy on a 6'x 4' board, developed from the original train set) 

I actually managed to do it, eight strands in all IIRC. 

It lasted about three weeks until what can only be described as a high speed derailment involving a Hornby Brittania and five coaches snapped about half the poles off in a true Looney Tunes / Roadrunner moment!

 

I'm thinking of getting on with the signals while I wait for the wire to arrive, I've put in pulleys outside the signal box, will put in the posts for the wires, but might avoid the wire. I've got the point rodding in, I thought it essential and I found that although some talk about it being overscale, the Will's version was easy to use, decently priced and robust enough to stand up to my shovel paws.

 

The doctor says that the memsahib isn't allowed to play with piano wire....

 

 

 

[chuffinghell]

I cheated! Firstly by using posts with holes in them and secondly by threading rigid nickel silver rod through so I didn’t have to worry about the wire tension 😳

 

But I still feel your pain because even that was a pain in the rear end

[MrWolf]

4 minutes ago, chuffinghell said:

I cheated! Firstly by using posts with holes in them and secondly by threading rigid nickel silver rod through so I didn’t have to worry about the wire tension 😳

 

But I still feel your pain because even that was a pain in the rear end

 

Where would that be on a scale between sitting on the TV remote to mistaking a pine cone for a suppository? 😳

[chuffinghell]

24 minutes ago, MrWolf said:

 

Where would that be on a scale between sitting on the TV remote to mistaking a pine cone for a suppository? 😳

rough end of a pineapple

[Captain Kernow]

I have a wide selection of hair shirts in the wardrobe and I always pre-drill the Ratio posts 0.5mm, before planting (have I told you this before??).

 

But only a maximum of 5 holes per post, never the full 7. I'm not that mad...

 

Anyway, I then cut five more or less identical lengths of very thin nylon thread (partly translucent) and attach each in turn to one of the end posts in the run. On the outside face of the end post, each nylon thread is tied in a knot, maybe 2 or 3 times, until the knot is bigger than the 0.5mm hole.

 

Each thread is then epoxied in place and left overnight to harden (even with 5 minute epoxy).

 

The end post is also reinforced, by drilling a 0.8mm - 1mm hole in the base, to a depth of about 7mm or so and a corresponding piece of brass rod is epoxied in place and again left to set hard.

 

That end post is then planted in the scenery, again probably using epoxy for maximum strength and left to harden. The remaining fence posts in the run are also glued into position whilst the above stages are going on.

 

When all glue is set hard, each length of thread is - each in turn - threaded through each hole in the fence line using tweezers.

 

At the opposite end, I normally also reinforce the other end post with a piece of 0.8mm to 1mm brass rod in the base and glued into the landscape.

 

I then epoxy each individual thread as it enters the final 0.5mm hole and then pull it tight, looping the end round a hidden nail or pin and again securing with epoxy. The 5 threads coming from the final end post to the hidden nail or pin are then hidden under a convenient growth of brambles or similar.

 

Not sure if I've used these two photos of a short fence run, on Callow Lane before, but it illustrates the above points, I feel. In this case, I reinforced the bases of some of the intermediate posts as well...

 

 

 

The epoxied knots at the end of the right-hand post are trimmed further and then what's left is again hidden by suitably draped growth.