Jack P

Hey guys, I'm trying to cut my own frames for a project and starting to run into difficulties. I certainly didn't expect everything to be smooth sailing, but my first attempt is only really fit for the bin. I have a few questions that hopefully those that know can help me with. 1: How do you cut a straight line? I've got a properly tensioned jewelers saw with a new blade in it but my straight cuts wander. Do I need to scribe the line deeper so that my cut has something to follow - or should I butt the work up against something and use that to guide the blade straight? 2: When you're measuring and transferring drawings, should you be measuring from the inside, or the outside of the line? Or - does this not matter, you just have to choose one and commit to that 3: In the same vein - when you cut the line, are you supposed to cut the inside or the outside of the line? 4: Cutting corners (not literally), is there any particular trick to this, or is it just a case of practice, practice, practice? 5: Tools, I've got a bench pin, vice, jewelers saw, a scribe, a few assorted rulers and an engineers square - is there anything else that might be classed as either 'Essential' or extremely helpful that I could add? 6: Tips and tricks, is there anything else worth knowing or trying, suggestions for a novice? I've read through Geoff Holt's books on scratchbuilding, and it's fantastically inspiring, but i'm having a little difficulty putting it into practice. Thanks in advance!

I've successfully used gloss varnish, but that's only when there's a flat surface for them to adhere to. This West Country had the nameplates applied in this way. On a loco where the plate is mounted on/over the splasher, where there is much less surface area, I've used cheap glue from the local hardware store. I pour a small amount into a specific 'glue container' and then using a toothpick or something similar, apply the glue to the back of the nameplate while holding it with tweezers. It's much less difficult than it sounds

I made some progress over the weekend Exmoor is now 'finished' The BWT is nearing completion also, and I decided to properly gloss varnish the H2 and N15x while I had some in the airbrush. I'll try and get some photos of those in the coming days. We had a big cleaning day on friday, part of which involved me packing everything away off the bench, and trying to generally make space again. This meant that last night I got the DJH L off the shelf and made a start on marking out the bits for the frames. Updates to come in due course.

HMRS Pressfix, I know they do a specific sheet for this, but I used the general yellow lining it was the same width as the lines on the model! Ah, ok - so the standard length deflectors were simply the short ones with an extra bit bolted on? that makes a lot of sense.

Looks too light, I hope it will be corrected on the production mod- wait, wrong thread... The Banana Van looks excellent - I've built a few of the 7mm Parkside versions. A scaled down one would be a welcomed addition. I have a few meat and insulated David Geen kits to get around to, they share a similar level of intricate detail on the underside.

That's right John, primarily 7mm and 10mm, but the techniques are as you say, all applicable to 4mm. They are from a Brassmasters etch Dave, http://www.brassmasters.co.uk/lswr_sr_fittings.htm Listing number: E34. Very handy for replacing an item that often is the first to disappear into the depths of the carpet.

Thanks Glenn, I was lucky to find this image: It's dated 1948, and given the location, maybe it is. but it shows the loco in the condition i'm trying to replicate. The bits from fox arrived yesterday: She's a bit wonky - but i'm happy. Some weathering will tone the whole thing down and (hopefully) draw the eye away from any imperfections.

As a knock on from the last post on oil burning, here's the finished tender attached to the loco. It's been over 2 years since any progress was made on this, and i'm now tempted to revisit the front end detail, possibly re-do the tender tank. Maybe. As part of some 'horse trading' with a friend, I managed to acquire a Beattie well tank (quite how i'm justifying this appearing somewhere on the central/eastern I don't know), which he had purchased without realising it was missing a few detail bits. She'll get a waft of primer and then a coat of black. I also managed to get around to a project I've been meaning to have a crack at for ages now - Schools bogie splashers. I picked up a Mazak rot damaged 925 'Cheltenham', and a friend of mine had a spare schools chassis from a damaged 30915 'Brighton'. I swapped the driving wheels out and made sure all was running nicely. Dave from SEF was more than happy for me to order a few sets of the splashers he provides with his kit as separate items. I also added the draincock linage while I was at it, this is supposed to be a flat bar, but 1. I didn't have any, 2. I wasn't sure about forming the bends, and 3. i'm not sure how noticeable it is anyway. Should I swap it out? I decided to limit the swing of the bogie and stop it interfering with the valve gear, I just bent some brass rod into an approximate shape and glued it in place. The pegs sit behind the rear axle and it means that at full swing the splashers don't interfere with anything else. Excuse how messy everything looks, it was just a trial run. Once properly araldited in place and painted over it's much tidier and can't be seen. Having spare bogie wheels meant that I could have a play with these ones. I put the axle in the drill and filed down the rather large Hornby flange, this prevents it from contacting the splasher, although because the bogie is plastic and the splashers aren't connected, this is really only to aid free running and not to prevent shorts. I wonder if some Gibson replacements would be better? To further limit sideplay, I added washers on the rear axle, there is now virtually no movement. I thought about building a replacement bogie from the comet etch, or seeing if PDK could supply theirs. The jury is still out. In another vein - on the suggestion of @chris25 I picked up these They are utterly fantastic, and I would recommend them to anyone that's even vaguely interested in kit-building or scratch-building.

I asked a similar question, HTH

Cue the RTR release?

Never thought about it before, but that is a good question!

Fantastic Dave, I have been hanging out for this how-to. I'm slowly amassing a list of amendments for my eventual build.

I have it on good authority (Mr Graham Muz's) that 21c122, 21c129 and 21c140 received standard length smoke deflectors in early 1947, there are a few others, but photo reference is mandatory. Which is excellent, as that fits nicely into my timeline - I did pick up some RT short deflectors too, just incase.

The West Country finally has an identity Smokebox ring and 'EXMOOR' Nameplate on their way. I decided it was time to tackle the final bits of a long standing project. When I completed the initial work on 748 'Vivien' as part of her oil burning conversion I wasn't confident enough to do the rear of the tender, which involved ladders and an electric lighting setup. Her name plates finally arrived and so I thought I should crack on and try to get this finished. The ladders were built from 0.5mm brass wire and done by eye. The lighting arrangement was much the same, 0.5mm wire and plasticard blocks with spare brass etch cut to size for the lamp irons. Not 100% perfect, but I think it looks ok. I also got around to fitting a chip to PP-fitted M7 No. 28 and giving her a good run for an hour or so on the rollers. There are a few more LSWR locos that are on the workbench for finishing off, so hopefully I can sort them in the coming days.

Thanks for posting this - these look extremely handy for the few bits of stock i've got that need cammed nem pockets.

Some might argue that they go hand in hand..

You're too kind Jesse Speaking of Southern, here are a few other bits and pieces i've been working on. SECR J from a Chivers kit LBSC i3 from a SEF kit SR W from a PDK kit - my first attempt at Walschaerts valve gear and my first use of gibson wheels Finally a Hornby WC pacific modified with an original cab The malachite isn't nearly as garish in reality as it is in the photos.

Niggles aside, I think they look fantastic. Can't wait for the release proper.

Thanks for sharing Steve. That looks fantastic, The flat top cab (and heavy weathering) changes the appearance drastically! The current SEF N/S chassis is certainly a big improvement over the Wills one. Here are two more gratuitous shots. I took these before realising the clacks weren't painted (as they are in the video)

I hope this qualifies for posting here, as its slightly more 'on theme' than my usual stuff. I was asked to add etched plates and weather my friends A4 'Kingfisher' I understand that the painted plates weren't added until much later, but this is how he wanted it. Also my first time seeing an A4 model in the flesh. I really enjoyed picking all the rivet detail out on the valences.

Progress! Transfers arrived from Fox, and I finished off the I3. Couplings added it now needs final weathering.

Thanks for your kind words Glenn! That Webpage is extremely handy, thank you for sharing!

Progress: Left side looks a little wonky in the video (tender to loco straightness), but it's because I didn't have the body properly seated. There are a few little bits of lining left to go. It's not entirely perfect, but getting 12 perfectly horizontal lines isn't as easy as it might sound. Some weathering should hide the worst of it (as per usual). I think i've decided this will end up as 21C122 'Exmoor' as it received its nameplates in August of 1947.

I think that's the biggest bug-bear, the loco has 4-5 speed settings for the sound, so it's difficult to get it looking realistic. As a cheap adventure into sound it's not too bad though.

She's ready to go into primer. I may still mask up the black bits, it seems like more work to repaint them when I don't need to. I thought i'd share a quick trick I used to enhance the appearance of the coupling rods; I used spare washers from Markits Clack valves to try and disguise the hex nut end on the crankpins. Try as I might, I couldn't get one onto the front nut, the clearances when the axle has taken up all the sideplay allocated is just too tight. I'm still not sure which loco this will end up as. Mr Muz has helped me out with 1947 allocations 21c122 - 21c132: Ramsgate and 21c133 - 21c140: Stewarts Lane. I was hoping to do one of the class that had atleast been named by then, but it seems that much of the naming happened later.