Pragmatic Pre-Grouping - Mikkel's Workbench

[NHY 581]

Thanks for the kind words Southernboy. I spend an hour trying to wake up before those 20 minutes :-). I do like modelling in the early morning time though, the world is at peace and it's a nice way to start off the day.

 

Totally agree, Mikkel. Most of my weathering was done early morning. I found the light was so much better. Now the clocks have gone forward, I can see some more modelling being done.

 

You are right. It is a nice way to start the day. On a small scale, you start the day with a feeling of having achieved something.

 

Rob.

[Worsdell forever]

Thanks Chris, the brickwork is SE Finecast which I like due to the slightly rounded bricks. They were painted red, then brushed over with milky offwhite, then when dry the bricks were drybrushed with browned shades.

 

 

First thing I did with it when building Felton Lane's signal cabin was sand it down. Lovely stuff though.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/4463-felton-lane-goods-west-durham-in-the-1940s/?p=583848

[Mikkel]

First thing I did with it when building Felton Lane's signal cabin was sand it down. Lovely stuff though.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/4463-felton-lane-goods-west-durham-in-the-1940s/?p=583848

Thanks for the tip. I see what you mean but I actually like the rounded appearance. I find it helps give a slightly "old world" look, even if not strictly correct.

 

Of course, these stable block designs seem to have appeared around the turn of the century, so it's debatable how old world they should look. I tried to give it a fairly "fresh" look by using more white in the mortar courses than normal.

[MikeOxon]

....................

I tried to give it a fairly "fresh" look by using more white in the mortar courses than normal.

I think it 'works' very well.  A really nice-looking model.

[wagonman]

That led me to have a little look for other preserved goods stock in pre-1904 livery. Noone seems to have taken the leap to red yet. Mind you, right or wrong I think the grey is a very smart livery with the pre-1904 lettering, and as nothing has been finally proven either way we can all make our choices 

 

4-plank open no. 41277 : http://www.svrwiki.com/GWR_41277_4_plank_Open_Goods_Wagon

Fruit van no. 47886: http://www.didcotrailwaycentre.org.uk/wagons/47886/47886pic_01.html

 

And then there are the Toads, which according to Atkins, Beard and Tourret were grey even under the red wagon livery scheme. I have accepted this and painted my own that way, as it seems to make sense that brake vans would have a different colour - although I don't actually recall seeing an official GWR source for it anywhere?

 

GWR No. 56400 at Didcot. Shared under Creative Commons. Source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:GWR_wagon_AA3_TOAD_56400.jpg

 

 

Perhaps someone should point out to the GWS that the handrails didn't get painted white until sometime after 1904...

[Castle]

Perhaps someone should point out to the GWS that the handrails didn't get painted white until sometime after 1904...

Hi Waggonman,

 

Perhaps this could be the same 'someone' that told the project manager who masterminded No. 6023's rebuild from scrapyard oblivion that he had one too many rivets in his brand new tender?

 

Livery dates are only ever the official line and not what happened on the ground a lot of the time. I'll bet that a full repaint of a lowly TOAD that was only 4 years old wasn't top priority so it could be possible. Additions and alterations to livery policies produced a blur of changes, sometimes very piecemeal. I'm not saying this example is definitively right or wrong - I am far from an expert in both wagons and liveries from this period - but never say never. Just look at the locomotive livery variations during the GWR / BR(W) transition...

 

It is also true that this wagon is far from fully restored and isn't being presented as such either. It is in use as staff accommodation currently but by being used as such, it keeps the inside warm and therefore the wooden body dry so that when it's time in the restoration bay comes, it will be in a far better condition that it could have been. I hope this helps!

 

All the best,

 

Castle

[BG John]

Dare I mention the grey iron mink with pre 1904 lettering, that I think was discussed here earlier? Would that have been an example of the wagon works using up old transfers after the grey livery was introduced? Or is there evidence at Didcot of the red livery disappearing earlier?

[K14]

Dare I mention the grey iron mink with pre 1904 lettering, that I think was discussed here earlier? Would that have been an example of the wagon works using up old transfers after the grey livery was introduced? Or is there evidence at Didcot of the red livery disappearing earlier?

 

We've no evidence on the cessation of Red one way or the other. We've generally avoided painting anything in that livery for a number of reasons:—

 

1:– What shade/tint/hue was it, exactly?

2:– Can we realistically expect to get away with painting it that colour without stripping 3/4 of the brake gear (Mink) & adding an oil lamp (Fruit)?

3:– Concern about the amount of flak we'd get from the modellers.

 

Please note the absence of smileys in the above.

 

In the specific case of 11152, I wanted to see it in 'cast plates' livery this time round, but the budget wasn't up to it. Perhaps next time as it's a livery variant we don't have.

 

As I understand it, the wagon shops never used transfers, as they weren't in the habit of varnishing their output. It was all hand-painted very quickly using (if possible) one coat of white. A surviving W on 70335 was painted in four strokes - rather prominent brush marks, but that's 'piece rates & bonus' for you.

They did use templates for the larger lettering though — before the MOGO got restored/rebuilt I undertook some 'archaeology' on the surviving paintwork & found that the 'G' & 'W' had been scribed into the planking with, I suspect, a sharp nail, prior to the van being painted. I traced these onto acetate sheet as the planks weren't going to be kept (they would be now). Of interest, they measure 18" top to bottom - something I've never seen recorded. I also recovered sufficient fragments of the 'Mogo' & small GW to enable a fairly accurate re-creation, and discovered that Bauxite is almost impossible to sand off & had to resort to using a worrying amount of heat - thankfully GW freight grey is even more unflammable.

 

Pete S.,

C&W Dept,.

GWS Didcot.

 

 

 

I suspect stencils were used for fiddly repetitive things like NCU plates.

[Mikkel]

In the specific case of 11152, I wanted to see it in 'cast plates' livery this time round, but the budget wasn't up to it. Perhaps next time as it's a livery variant we don't have.

 

Nice idea that. For a bit of fun, you could do the livery carried by Iron Mink no. 11258 in the photo on page 369 of Atkins, Beard & Tourret (1998 combined edition). It has the cast number plates and the large 25" GW lettering. That should raise some eyebrows...

[Mikkel]

 
Time for an update. I'm still inching forward with the Park Royal stable block. It now has a roof and four walls.
 
 


The rear wall was very plain on the prototype, as per most GWR stable blocks (windows were sometimes retro-fitted). The desktop on my workbench is sagging, maybe I should treat myself to a new one!
 
 

 
In principle, the rear wall was too long to cut in one piece on my Silhouette Portrait cutting mat. But I found I could simply stick the embossed brick sheet across two mats, as seen above.  So for the cost of a new mat you can extend the scope of the Portrait.
 
 

 
The roof slates were cut from vinyl, a tip I got from Lee’s blog.
 
 

 
Once cut, the vinyl strips can easily be pulled off the backing and are not ass fragile as paper or card strips which allows repositioning. The photo shows my test piece, hence the irregularities. I forgot to make the end slates double size – but that’s my fault, the technique itself is the best I’ve tried yet. Thanks Lee!
 
 

 
I am now working on the roof ventilation.  After some head-scratching I’ve ended up with this approach. I first cut 5 thou Evergreen sheet as above.
 
 

 
This is then folded and glued, and when dry the slats (is that the word?) are gently teased to an angle with a scalpel.
 
 

 
Strictly speaking there should be 9 rather than 8 slats on the “long” side, but I couldn’t fit the last one. 
 
 

 
It took some trial and error to get the design right, and even there are rejects as the slats sometimes break. But when it works it only takes a few minutes to assemble a roof vent, and they have a fairly uniform look. Next steps are to finish the roof vents, and add ridge tiles and flashing. Apart from a new workbench, I think I also need a new cutting mat. I'm approaching 50 but I still haven’t learnt to colour inside the lines!

Edited June 12, 2017 by Mikkel

[bgman]

Absolutely superb Mikkel, I'll say that again, absolutely superb !

 

I hope you've got the satisfaction of producing the building from scratch and also using the Silhouette, big pat on the back ! 

One good tip you've alerted me to is the use of two mats taped together. To be frank, I've wondered if it was possible and you've confirmed it can be done which now opens up more possibilities for those of us who use the cutter.

 

May I ask what paint you have use on the vinyl slates and did it cause any problems ( hopefully not ).

 

Very well done matey.

 

Grahame

[Donw]

Lovely work Mikkel.

 

Don

[Mikkel]

Thank very much Grahame and Don for your kind words. I'm enjoying this project. I think it's the first time I have stayed true to prototype with a scratchbuilt building, rather than adapting it to suit my tastes. Both approaches have their advantages, I think.

 

Grahame, you are right to ask about the paint as it requires a little care with the vinyl. The trick is to avoid filling in the cut lines between the slates, which happens easily (although perhaps less so in 7mm?). Indeed, Lee mentions in his blog that he preferred only dry-brushing the roof, and with superb results. I tried that too, but found I wanted a lighter roof in my case, so I gave it an actual coat of paint, but only a single thin layer of light grey. This was then brushed with black weathering powder, which greatly helped accentuate the individual slates. I used Vallejo acrylics as usual. It may need a bit more weathering as it's fairly uniform right now, but I'll wait and see. The paint has not caused the vinyl to lift in any way so far. Whatever imperfections you see are down to my inexperience with the technique.

Edited June 6, 2017 by Mikkel

[Mikkel]

PS: This is the vinyl I used for the roof slates - the matt version: https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/Arts-Crafts/10-SHEET-BIG-VALUE-PACK/B00FCC50Y2/ref=sr_1_3?m=A2XJ786AXPT503&s=merchant-items&ie=UTF8&qid=1496775451&sr=1-3

[Stubby47]

For this train shed roof I first sprayed with Halfords plastic primer, then added vertical sections of Humbrol grey, which were then mostly wiped off with paper towel. By varying the amount of paint and wiping, I got a streaky roof.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102581-buckingham-west/?p=2733398

[bgman]

Thank you for the "tips" Mikkel, I did read Lee's methods but yours makes it quite clear from your experience. Having never used the vinyl method it's certainly one for the future I think.

 

Keep up the good work

 

Grahame

[Dave John]

That really does look the part Mikkel, glad to see you enjoying the silhouette. 

 

Mind you, the house tends to fill up with boxes labelled "bits of styrene left over from cutting which might come in useful if I ever model Z gauge "....... 

[Mikkel]

For this train shed roof I first sprayed with Halfords plastic primer, then added vertical sections of Humbrol grey, which were then mostly wiped off with paper towel. By varying the amount of paint and wiping, I got a streaky roof.

 

http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/102581-buckingham-west/?p=2733398

 

Thanks for that Stu, it looks nicely subtle. I think I'll try that out on a test piece. By the way I liked the train shed that you built for Richard so much that I've been pondering how to justify one one my next layout.  

 

That really does look the part Mikkel, glad to see you enjoying the silhouette. 

 

Mind you, the house tends to fill up with boxes labelled "bits of styrene left over from cutting which might come in useful if I ever model Z gauge "....... 

 

Thanks Dave. And yes I know what you mean about all those left over pieces! It would be an interesting challenge actually: "What can you build from the scrap pieces?".

[ChrisN]

Mikkel,

The stable, well what can I say except, yes they are called slats.  It is very clever and very well done.

 

Are you still managing half an hour each morning before you go to work?

[MikeOxon]

Great to see that you have caught up with the Silhouette cutter, Mikkel.  Your stable block looks superb

[Siberian Snooper]

Cracking work, Mikkel, The Silhouette certainly helps with the cutting, doesn't it.

 

Thanks for the tip on using vinyl.

[Stubby47]

Mikkel & Grahame,

 

I'm about to purchase a Silhouette.... Which package would you recommend ? I'm not sure whether to go for just the basic offering initially, then add other bits as needed, but would I be better buying those extra bits at the same time ?

 

And which extra bits have you found you've needed - spare blade, carrier sheets, extra mat, etc. ?

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Stu

[Mikkel]

Thanks Chris, Mike and Snooper.

 

Yes the cutter does open up a new world, and as we've discussed earlier it doesn't lead to laziness but on the contrary spurs you on.

 

Are you still managing half an hour each morning before you go to work?

 

Not every morning at the moment I'm afraid, Chris, but at least regularly. i've also been working on the backscene and a wagon with a twist - will try to take some photos soon.

 

Mikkel & Grahame,

 

I'm about to purchase a Silhouette.... Which package would you recommend ? I'm not sure whether to go for just the basic offering initially, then add other bits as needed, but would I be better buying those extra bits at the same time ?

 

And which extra bits have you found you've needed - spare blade, carrier sheets, extra mat, etc. ?

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Stu

 

I got my Portrait from Amazon, but others will know better about good UK deals and what the most recent versions are.

 

In case you've missed it, Mike's info on blades etc is very useful, it can be found in Jason's excellent index here: http://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/79025-a-guide-to-using-the-silhouette-cameo-cutter/?p=1238643

 

I personally found it good to start off with the standard Silhouette blade while getting the feel for cutting depth etc. The blades do wear down fairly quickly though - which can be hard to see unless you take a photo:

 

 

This becomes costly, so like many others I've started using the CB09 bladeholder and blades which are cheaper. Note that there are variants of the CB09 even if they have the same name, I got the one that seems to work without need for modification, bought from this ebay seller (in China, where I normally never buy from, but it came through with no trouble): http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1x-CB09-Graphtec-Blade-Holder-5-Blades-for-Vinyl-Plotter-Cutter-30-45-60-Mix-/191623289638?hash=item2c9da35b26:g:GqQAAOSwpdpVWq~O

 

Other than that, it might be worth getting two cutting mats while you're at it if you are going for the Portrait - partly to allow printing longer sheets as per my illustration above, and partly because there's a fair chance you'll cut into the mat more often than you want to. Which in my experience is not that much of a problem in the short term, but as the marks in the mat increase over time it does probably affect the "smoothness" of the cut.

 

Edit - I keep confusing the Silhouette Portrait and Cameo - mine is a Portrait. Now corrected in the post. Apologies for any confusion!

Edited June 12, 2017 by Mikkel

[bgman]

Mikkel & Grahame,

 

I'm about to purchase a Silhouette.... Which package would you recommend ? I'm not sure whether to go for just the basic offering initially, then add other bits as needed, but would I be better buying those extra bits at the same time ?

 

And which extra bits have you found you've needed - spare blade, carrier sheets, extra mat, etc. ?

 

Thanks for any advice.

 

Stu

PM sent Stu

[N15class]

As a query looking at the blades you bought Mikkel, can they not be honed back to a point or is the length critical?