Giles

Ah...... ive tried both..... Mine has spent most of its time with a sound decoder in the front, an non-sound in the hind engine. The off-beat sound is a double-heading feature on the decoder. I had surprising difficulty in synching the two decoders- even with identical motors and decoders from the same family (one was simply the sound version of the same decoder). I got there in the end, but going up that steep bank one unit would always slip. In an effort to cure that I tried a single sound decoder. One unit now slips coming down the bank! If using two decoders, build in a switch so you can easily switch one out to alter the settings on the other..... If I were doing it again, I would probably try one decoder first and see how that went, if the mechanics match up well enough it will probably be fine under most circumstances. Probably worth pulling through as many wires as you might need just in case! What motors and gears do you have?

Steering chains have been fitted - these run in pipes along the balwarks on both sides from the bridge to the stern, and this to the tiller. 2020-05-30_05-15-57 by giles favell, on Flickr 2020-05-30_05-16-35 by giles favell, on Flickr

Great stuff Simon! You'll love it once it's done!

You may find that washing up liquid dries up and becomes sticky. I strongly suggest polishing both surfaces thoroughly with talcum powder (French chalk).

We do now have some sort of chart table 2020-05-29_01-04-50 by 2020-05-29_01-04-04 by giles favell, on Flickr

The wheel-house now has its wheel, binnacle and engine room telegraph, as does the flying bridge 2020-05-26_05-28-17 by giles favell, on Flickr The balwarks are now reinforced (still got the ones astern of the bridge to do....) 2020-05-26_05-29-03 by giles favell, on Flickr 2020-05-26_05-27-43 by giles favell, on Flickr She has gained her whistle 2020-05-26_05-27-18 by giles favell, on Flickr And she's finally got her rails on the after bulkwarks. These had to match the irregular curve of the hull, so a 10mm square grid was printed, and held over the hull, and then traced on to the grid. This was then transcribed on to CAD and printed, then checked, adjusted, printed until correct. The capping were then lasered using this drawing- although the drawing could have been stuck to the material and cut out by hand.... 2020-05-26_05-56-46 by giles favell, on Flickr 2020-05-26_05-58-11 by giles favell, on Flickr

Progress as of today . It looks as if not much has been done, but the hold combing has been completed, the forecastle populated, the bunker hatch added, water tank added, the stern Capstan and grating added and the wheelhouse glazed.

Thank you! You'll find more on this here.... https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index.php?/topic/154666-the-sparrow-new-layout-proposed/

At the moment, planning on burying it - although i retain the option of chopping it to a water-line model!

This is the wheelhouse - double skinned for glazing. It needs a chart table, and bits and pieces before it gets fixed down (not to mention a wheel, binnacle etc) 2020-05-17_06-58-07 by giles favell The flying bridge assembly - all Trotec except for the ply decking. The laser was very helpful with both these assemblies. 2020-05-17_06-58-32 by giles favell The two assemblies put together 2020-05-17_06-57-45 by giles favell The aft cabin assembly is a carcass of 2mm MDF with 1mm ply overlays and Trotec doors. I have used the kit supplied castings for the ventilators (cowls) and grills. 2020-05-17_06-59-23 by giles favell

The next layout will be 'The Sparrow' - a small harbour, served primarily by narrow gauge, but with at least a standard gauge self-propelled steam crane (to be built). In port at the moment is a very small and elderly coaster - Sparrow - shabby, and nearing the end of her life. Trans-shipment of goods or minerals will take place to keep things busy....... Work is taking place on 'Sparrow' at the moment. She is having scratch-built uppers works (to 1:43 scale) on a Caldercraft hull (SS Talacre, Which was to 1:48). I hope to use some of the supplied white metal castings, but we will see! 2020-05-16_03-54-45 by giles favell, on Flickr

Progress.... 2020-05-12_03-22-59 by giles favell, on Flickr

Thank you Simon! I was planning on going the other way round as it were - possibly using a standard gauge self-propelled steam crane with a grab if unloading, or a working conveyor if loading - I've not quite made up my mind !

2020-05-10_07-38-08 by giles favell, on Flickr Stern cabin starts to appear. 2020-05-10_07-37-30 by giles favell, on Flickr

The balwarks and stem post were then added being made from Trotec (acrylic) which is much nicer than the plywood they supply for the job 2020-05-06_05-21-19 by giles favell, on Flickr A start was then made on a new wheel-house, of a slightly different design than the kit version (the ship will 'scale' to a different size and length, so I'm not pretending it's the same vessel...). It's double- walled to allow for glazing just as soon as it's painted the right colour! 2020-05-07_05-13-20 by giles favell, on Flickr The basic flying bridge has been added 2020-05-09_01-26-52 by giles favell, on Flickr and it's starting to take shape... 2020-05-09_01-26-20 by giles favell, on Flickr

My thoughts for a new layout have drifted towards a rail-served harbour scene in 7mm scale, and with that in mind, I picked up a 1:48 scale coaster kit made by Caldercraft. It was supposed to be old stock (new) but I'm not convinced as the instruction book was missing......... I was planning on re-working the superstrure as necessary to 1:43, as 1:48 wasn't going to look right, given that it was going to be quite prominant. However, I found that the hull was supwhat distorted and had been poorly trimmed, and so there was very little I would actually be able to use anyway! I spent a little time and some quantity of araldite in straightening out the hull and fitting the propeller and rudder, and then set about the decks. Printed plywood is supplied, and you're supposed to cut it out to form all the various structures, but my hull didn't really match the shapes sufficiently, so for things like the fo'c'sle deck, I printed and adjusted several paper templates (which I drew in Draftsight) till I got it right, and then added planking etc, and laser cut the result. 2020-05-06_05-23-20 by giles favell, on Flickr 2020-05-06_05-24-17 by giles favell, on Flickr

Build up with 5 minute epoxy to form a domed lens in situ (having painted the inside silver first!). It works quite well.

I will add the pigeons (kit) to my web page in the next day or so........

I can do a batch of pigeon 'kits' . They assemble in three layers, and then settle with a needle file to round the corners off..? IMG_1145 by giles favell, on Flickr IMG_2554 by giles favell, on Flickr

The principle of a diode is a good one. I have an Emblazer 4W, and my regular materials are 2mm MDF, 1mm ply and black acrylic sheet (Trotec, mostly 0.8mm). It performs very well,band has put very many hoursvservice in. However, it is also reasonably rigid, it is accurate, and it has very good software that enables me to actually use it! I dont know this particular machine, but for it to be useful, it should have the above listed qualities, otherwise it will fail to live up to its promise.. You can't cut normal plastikard with a laser, as it gives off toxic gases when heated. Trotec/Rowmark is a decent alternative though. Trotec have changed their formula, and it now doesn't cut cleanly. I cannot recommend. Best Giles

4mm setts by embossing tool by giles favell, on Flickr

Hi Simon, I always cut the comb bricks a fraction longer, and then dress them all back with a large file after assembly. This also gets rid of any residual charring on them!

What a cracking job! Extremely nicely built! You'll have great fun with her when you get the chance....... A Showman's would be lovely! 3"?

I true terms, setts.... yours are a fraction squarer than shown, but equally valid.