Hinton Ampner

[emt_911]

After a late start this evening, I decided that the only thing to complete is the Mek holder as suggested by Jason

 

 

[jcredfer]

.......................................................             WAAaaaY too tall  ........      

 

After a late start this evening, I decided that the only thing to complete is the Mek holder as suggested by Jason

 

...................    and what is more    .......    d'recly en-route to the mug of tea    ....................        ............    hope your CC Subs are up to date   ..       

[emt_911]

.......................................................             WAAaaaY too tall  ........      

 

 

...................    and what is more    .......    d'recly en-route to the mug of tea    ....................        ............    hope your CC Subs are up to date   ..       

Not quite. Nice and solid.   I tried knocking it over (with the lid on)   and failed so that's one problem solved.   As for the mug of tea............................I only drink coffee and it was only there for the photo. Normally the mug is to the left and the adhesive to the right.

[emt_911]

Signal Box

 

Version 1: Looked wrong and scrapped

Version 2: Looked alright until the cladding went on. Scrapped

Version 3: Started. It already looks better. Photos tomorrow

[emt_911]

For anyone interested. Jeff (Physicsman) has started the new Kirkby Luneside 2 (KL2) thread here http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/94282-kirkby-luneside-2/

[emt_911]

Signal box update:

 

Version 3: Was looking good until I tried to get the framing for the window thin enough. 2mm ply doesn't like being that thin. It ends up breaking in so many places. Scrapped

Version 4: Started in plasticard. The front face is cut out but I've given up for the night after cutting my thumb twice. Not very clever and difficult to do any fine work with plasters holding your thumb together.

 

If everything carries on like this Jeff will be on KL4 and Andy will have built 10 more layouts after Bitton before I get anything running

[skipepsi]

Signal box update:

 

Version 3: Was looking good until I tried to get the framing for the window thin enough. 2mm ply doesn't like being that thin. It ends up breaking in so many places. Scrapped

Version 4: Started in plasticard. The front face is cut out but I've given up for the night after cutting my thumb twice. Not very clever and difficult to do any fine work with plasters holding your thumb together.

 

If everything carries on like this Jeff will be on KL4 and Andy will have built 10 more layouts after Bitton before I get anything running

It is making progress that matters not a race to the end, you have learnt some things, obviously not safety but some things....

[emt_911]

It is making progress that matters not a race to the end, you have learnt some things, obviously not safety but some things....

Have to agree with you Mick. I'm actually enjoying finding out how fine I can work with different materials.

 

Safety. I'm normally pretty good at not cutting myself when modelling, I leave that bit for work. I'm not a fan of red plasticard though especially when using my blood as the colouring

[67A]

Hi Duncan,

 

I'll give you 10 out of 10 for trying mate, its nice to see someone having a go then being prepared to scrap it and start over, its not a race and in the end you are the one who has to live with it. I'm sure you will get the box' right once your fingers recover! As for the stairs, try and get hold of a 'Prototype Models' signalbox kit as they have a nice plastic mould of a set of box' stairs.

 

Best wishes for 2015.

[emt_911]

Hi Duncan,

 

I'll give you 10 out of 10 for trying mate, its nice to see someone having a go then being prepared to scrap it and start over, its not a race and in the end you are the one who has to live with it. I'm sure you will get the box' right once your fingers recover! As for the stairs, try and get hold of a 'Prototype Models' signalbox kit as they have a nice plastic mould of a set of box' stairs.

 

Best wishes for 2015.

Thanks Mike

 

Although it is a bit frustrating at times, I'm quite enjoying the journey. It's certainly a fairly cheap way to improve my scratch building skills being a small structure although I may be tempted to lay my hands on some etches for the windows and stairs. We'll just have to see how it goes.

[Jason T]

I used the York Modelmaking steps for my box, although had to buy two sets to get the correct height and do a fair bit of bashing to get them right. With scratchbuilding steps, Getting the steps level and horizontal is the hardest part so anything to help is a bonus. Evergreen (or similar) do steps but they are to HO scale and a bit diminutive. If you want to try them though, I can send you some that I won't be using.

Etched steps wouldn't really be thick enough unless you layered them (e.g. Sweated them together) and that is a pain in the backside to do.

 

As for windows, etched ones are the way to go in my opinion but unless someone already makes them for the style of box you are building (LSWR ?) then you may have to get thm etched yourself which would mean drawing them up in CAD first. Another option would be to talk nicely to someone with a laser cutter and see if they can help?

 

Keep at it you'll get there in the end. For what it is worth, although I tend to use mounting board for the shell of my buildings, I used 40 thou Plastikard for the Signalbox and made sure I added enough bracing, etc., on the inside lower level to keep it straight and rigid. As such, it weighs a ton and when someone dropped it (at the Shipley show where I was demoing), it survived unscathed.

[ChrisN]

Duncan,

I think signal boxes are probably one of the hardest things to scratchbuild.  The base is simple but the windows are really difficult.  As Jason says you can use an etch, or if you start by using the glazing as a base you can add stripes of plasticard for the window frames, or you can do what Sasquatch has done on his Mill on the Goathland thread and score the windows one side vertically, the other side horizontally and paint and wipe off.  That may not be good enough for a signal box in a prominent position but it may be worth a try.

 

Enjoy yourself and mind your fingers.

[Jock67B]

Morning Duncan,

Jason's idea of looking at etched windows might be a good move. Not because I'm going to use it, but to get some practice in, I had a go at the 'Scalescenes' signal box kit which came free with one of the mags(Hornby?). Didn't like the kit that much but they recommend a set of windows produced by 'Brassmasters' which are very fine - I've saved them for a later project and as a bonus, the set comes with a fine handrail for the steps! If you go to the Scalescenes site 'Scalescenes.com' and click on the signal box kit, you can see the window sizes listed. Can't remember what I paid but it certainly wasn't too much.

Hope this helps, it's not a bad idea to work from the windows out as they are the first thing that an onlooker notices and I've never managed to produce anything so fine!

One book I read many years ago had a clever idea of using clear plastic with glazing strips cut from self-adhesive labelling paper - the whole label had the glazing bars drawn on and then it was stuck over the plastic. With a very sharp knife, the space between the bars (ie the pane!) could be gently peeled away leaving just the bars. I think they were then sprayed to fix but I can't remember what they used. This method would need lots of experimentation but could be useful if running,as I do, on a tight budget! I'm certainly going to try it on coaling stage office windows, bothy, engineering shops, and shed because all those would be very grubby and so wouldn't matter if the spray used limited the clarity of the glazing.

Hope the fingers get better soon and that you reach a conclusion which suits you - I admire your tenacity!

Kind regards,

Jock.

[emt_911]

I used the York Modelmaking steps for my box, although had to buy two sets to get the correct height and do a fair bit of bashing to get them right. With scratchbuilding steps, Getting the steps level and horizontal is the hardest part so anything to help is a bonus. Evergreen (or similar) do steps but they are to HO scale and a bit diminutive. If you want to try them though, I can send you some that I won't be using.

Etched steps wouldn't really be thick enough unless you layered them (e.g. Sweated them together) and that is a pain in the backside to do.

 

As for windows, etched ones are the way to go in my opinion but unless someone already makes them for the style of box you are building (LSWR ?) then you may have to get thm etched yourself which would mean drawing them up in CAD first. Another option would be to talk nicely to someone with a laser cutter and see if they can help?

 

Keep at it you'll get there in the end. For what it is worth, although I tend to use mounting board for the shell of my buildings, I used 40 thou Plastikard for the Signalbox and made sure I added enough bracing, etc., on the inside lower level to keep it straight and rigid. As such, it weighs a ton and when someone dropped it (at the Shipley show where I was demoing), it survived unscathed.

Morning Jason. Thanks for the offer for the steps. I'm going to have a look round over the next couple of days to see what's available although I have to agree with you about etched steps. If I don't find anything I'll let you know.

 

I think I'm also going to be searching for some appropriate window etches. If I have to draw them up in CAD, so be it.

 

Plasticard seems , to me anyway, the best material for the base even though it will need bracing.

 

I have recently found this thread - "Anything You Can do, I Can Do Better ! Robinson and Downes. which has given me some new ideas as well.

[emt_911]

Duncan,

I think signal boxes are probably one of the hardest things to scratchbuild.  The base is simple but the windows are really difficult.  As Jason says you can use an etch, or if you start by using the glazing as a base you can add stripes of plasticard for the window frames, or you can do what Sasquatch has done on his Mill on the Goathland thread and score the windows one side vertically, the other side horizontally and paint and wipe off.  That may not be good enough for a signal box in a prominent position but it may be worth a try.

 

Enjoy yourself and mind your fingers.

I've several ideas for the windows but I'm starting to lean towards etched ones

[emt_911]

Morning Duncan,

Jason's idea of looking at etched windows might be a good move. Not because I'm going to use it, but to get some practice in, I had a go at the 'Scalescenes' signal box kit which came free with one of the mags(Hornby?). Didn't like the kit that much but they recommend a set of windows produced by 'Brassmasters' which are very fine - I've saved them for a later project and as a bonus, the set comes with a fine handrail for the steps! If you go to the Scalescenes site 'Scalescenes.com' and click on the signal box kit, you can see the window sizes listed. Can't remember what I paid but it certainly wasn't too much.

Hope this helps, it's not a bad idea to work from the windows out as they are the first thing that an onlooker notices and I've never managed to produce anything so fine!

One book I read many years ago had a clever idea of using clear plastic with glazing strips cut from self-adhesive labelling paper - the whole label had the glazing bars drawn on and then it was stuck over the plastic. With a very sharp knife, the space between the bars (ie the pane!) could be gently peeled away leaving just the bars. I think they were then sprayed to fix but I can't remember what they used. This method would need lots of experimentation but could be useful if running,as I do, on a tight budget! I'm certainly going to try it on coaling stage office windows, bothy, engineering shops, and shed because all those would be very grubby and so wouldn't matter if the spray used limited the clarity of the glazing.

Hope the fingers get better soon and that you reach a conclusion which suits you - I admire your tenacity!

Kind regards,

Jock.

Thanks Jock. Exactly what I was looking for. Looks like I'll be ordering a few different sets once funds are available

[Clive Mortimore]

Hi Duncan and All 

 

For Sheffield Exchange signal box I am going to try my new Silhouette Portrait cutter. 

 

Remember with signal boxes to do a signal diagram first, get one of the signal experts to check it out. Once you have the signalling correct that will give you the number of levers required in the box. Add a couple of spares and that is the size of the frame, and this gives the size of the box to go round the frame. Too many model railways have signal boxes that are either too big or too small because the modeller chose one that looked "nice" "came out the box" or "copied another modeller". Post 1960s then many locations had boxes that were larger than needed but these were the ones in place before any track rationalisation took place. So for layouts based after the good Doctor had pruned the system do a signal diagram with all the old lines in to get an idea of how big the box would have been. 

Edited January 3, 2015 by Clive Mortimore

[emt_911]

Hi Duncan and All 

 

For Sheffield Exchange signal box I am going to try my new Silhouette Portrait cutter. 

 

Remember with signal boxes to do a signal diagram first, get one of the signal experts to check it out. Once you have the signalling correct that will give you the number of levers required in the box. Add a couple of spares and that is the size of the frame, and this gives the size of the box to go round the frame. Too many model railways have signal boxes that are either too big or too small because the modeller chose one that looked "nice" "came out the box" or "copied another modeller". Post 1960s then many locations had boxes that were larger than needed but these were the ones in place before any track rationalisation took place. So for layouts based after the good Doctor had pruned the system do a signal diagram with all the old lines in to get an idea of how big the box would have been. 

Clive, as usual the voice of reason. I honestly hadn't thought about how many levers would be required and how it would dictate the size of the box.

 

Time to do some more drawing to get the answers

[emt_911]

After Clives post (above) how would this be signalled.

 

Information:

Region - Southern

Time Frame - 1943 - 1945

The Red Boxed area is military. So I am assuming (probably incorrectly) that this would just be ground frames.

 

Any other information I will supply, I just can't think of anything relevant to add

 

 

Many thanks

[emt_911]

While I haven't been able to do any constructive work today, I thought I'd try out a couple of techniques to see how well they worked.

 

One is drying so the effect won't be seen until it is, but I also had a go at improving how my brickwork turns out. The wrong colours were used as I didn't have the right ones, but it certainly gives the right sort of results.

 

[Sweven]

Hi Duncan

That brickwork is looking great. I have used Brassmasters window etches in my buildings and have been very pleased with them.

If you haven't already visited it the Signalbox Portfolio thread is full of great ideas and somewhere in there (or perhaps ion the original version on the old RMWeb) gravytrain has an excellent tutorial on making signal boxes.

Cheers

John

[emt_911]

Hi Duncan

That brickwork is looking great. I have used Brassmasters window etches in my buildings and have been very pleased with them.

If you haven't already visited it the Signalbox Portfolio thread is full of great ideas and somewhere in there (or perhaps ion the original version on the old RMWeb) gravytrain has an excellent tutorial on making signal boxes.

Cheers

John

Thanks John. I've tried what I learnt from ther 'Anything you can do' thread

[emt_911]

Definitely no modelling this week. Far too many hours working so anything will have to wait for the weekend.

 

On top of that, the signal box project is on hold until the signalling questions and some possible track plan changes take place.

[HAL 'O THE WYND]

Hi Duncan,

 

Just caught your thread - well, you will keep dropping it! Seriously, as someone who dreads certain aspects of model building, your efforts bring me precious relief; especially so since, as I'm learning, people are so wonderfully supportive. I'll keep blaming my sparring-partner, Arthurs right hits, (groan!) but I suspect folk will get bored with that. Tenacity and humour are obviously the techniques to be sought.

 

Loving it! - Soldier on!  but try and hang on to your thumb and forefinger, these are a minimum for modelling. (Although... look at all the brave artists who paint with brushes in their mouths or between their toes... )

 

I salute you!

 

Hal,

[emt_911]

Thanks Hal

 

I'll try my hand at anything and some things just don't work. If that's the case I try and find a different way of achieving similar results.

 

This is an excellent community for learning how to achieve the end results. Especially people like Andy P, George T, Jason, etc. There are also many how will try things and show the results even if they don't turn out as expected.

 

I'll have to have to return the favour and visit your thread tonight