2750 (Tom's) Workbench-North Eastern Modelling 1938

[Tom F]

Tom, I would be most grateful if you could take a few moments to explain the process and materials used to achieve the excellent weathered ballast look around your track especially in the shed area please?

Hello Jim

The method depends on what area of the shed. I used the method Tim started with, and have further experimented. The area in the middle of the layout is just smokebox ash from a real steam locomotive which has been through various sieves to alter the particle size.

The area around the shed was first coated with air drying Clay, pushed between the sleepers and between the roads, but relatively thin so that the sleepers still clearly protrude. This was then painted with children's paint powders. I then began to sieve with powdered paint and real ash. All was stuck with acrylic Varnish, similar to PVA but doesn't discolour.

You just see what works and once you are happy let it dry.

[2002EarlMarischal]

Thanks for that Tom.

It is certainly both effective and authentic! Probably even smells right!

[Tom F]

Happy New Year everyone!

Hope everyone is enjoying New Years Day...before we are plunged into the drabness of January!
While most people were out counting down to the New Year last night, I was upstairs sorting out my workbench. My Father has been nagging at me to get it tidied....and in all fairness it has been a tip, and you certainly wouldn't be able to find anything on it. Anyhow, over the last two days we have been watching a couple of the Tony Wright 'Right Track' DVDs and all Dad kept saying was 'just look how tidy Tony's work bench is'. I didn't really have an excuse for the state mine was in, so at 11pm I started sorting the whole thing out....as you do!
I've put tools into one ice cream tub and all my weathering paints and powders into another and this is how things look currently.



I intend to only keep the essentials on the workbench, i.e the soldering iron, airbrush and stanley knife. I'm not going to be strict with this, but if I can stop the whole thing becoming cluttered, then I'm doing ok.

So what is the plan for the coming year?
There is Leaman Road's buildings which should be done by late Spring. With the help of RMweb member James I'm going to be tackling a Dave Alexander J25 (awaiting confirmation when he has them in stock).
The wiring will be finished before the summer and the remaining yard lights as I'm very much looking forward to doing some night time shots.

Thanks for the continued support everyone and best wishes for 2013!

[jwealleans]

I'm going to be tackling a Dave Alexander J25

Good-oh, look forward to that.

[Atlantic 3279]

Tom, I'm sorry to upset your Dad, but Tony's workbench was obviously tidied up for the camera. I've seen in its "normal" condition......

[60800]

Ay up, (uh, oh, I'm going like BB )

You shoud see my workbench! The area where the work is done often has the laptop on it, so whatever is being worked on often sits on the edge of the small table. Or in the more common case, both locos and their parts end up here whilst waiting for the next process (as you can see, the railway is still far from being finished (mainly the hills) - that should hopefully change this year). It dosen't look too bad now, but there's usually four locos worth of parts crammed on there:

That perspex along the back will eventually be replaced with scratchbuilt / wills kitbash bridge sides or an extensively modified Hornby suspension bridge. If only I had the skills to build a mini forth bridge...

[Tom F]

I think one of the best decisions I made was to have a perminant workbench to do my weathering/ modifications and hopefully kit building. Before then I had a tray I used to work on, but I got fed up of being told to move my stuff off the dining room table.

Just did a £85 order from Eileen's for specialist tools. Expensive I know, but I know these will last me throughout all my modelling I do.

[Blink Bonny]

Ay up!

Blackout, Ah'll get thee civilized yet!

My workbench looks like a bomb has burst on it! Still, new workshop next week so new workbench. Wonder how long it'll stay tidy?

Mrs BB: milliseconds



Mine currently looks worse than usual (Mrs BB: Is that possible?!?) because I'm sorting out projects to take in with me. My camera refuses to take a piccie of it, lest its innards get damaged by all that detritus!

[Atlantic 3279]

I'm STILL working on the dining table, so I'm well accustomed to having to shift! That properly organised toolbox I built does make the process easier, but I do have to remember to periodically put tools back in their slots, not just keep piling them up on the board I use as a work surface.

[Tom F]

Hello all!

With this being the last weekend before I start back at work, I decided to weather a loco which has long sat on Leaman Road.
Peppercorn A2 60539 'Bronzino'. To have her in apple green, which I have is somewhat pushing my era to the extremes as she went into Doncaster for her overhaul in February 1950 and came out in BR Green. Saying that she did run in apple green for one month in 1950...which is good enough for me!

Weathered in my usual method of airbrush, brush and powders here is the finished results.





One of the greatest headaches those modelling the ex LNER lines after nationalisation is the infamous curly 6 on smoke box doors. All transfer sheets from the likes of Fox and Modelmaster are generally the correct Gil Sans 6, but a number of locos came out of works with an incorrect curly 6 and 9. 60539 has the curly 6 and 9 in my period although photos have shown she changed to the correct 6 and 9 later in her life. Now it had been suggested by Tim, via mikemeg that the HMRS Sheet 12 for goods wagons might hold the answer. After further discussion with RMweb member peppercorn525, it would seem that this pressfix sheet would hold the answers, and below is the results. It's rather fiddly trying put each number on individual but overall I feel it works well and allows the curly 6 to be finally modelled quite easily.



That is all for now, I have a little project planned later this month which will stretch me a bit more than I'm used to but should have some pleasing results!

Cheers

[52D]

Love Bronzino for a couple of reasons she was one of the two at 52D later in life and you have captured the essence of her, cheers Tom.

[Daddyman]

Very nice weathering. The rest of the thread shows that you truly are Master of the Mucky Boiler Top.
You sound like you've found a solution now, but Fox nameplates come with both curly 6 and normal six. Strip them off, spray them white; couple of days later spray black then after an hour or so gently sand the black off the number faces.

[45609]

Bronzino looks very nice Tom as do your weathered teaks earlier in the thread. More power to your elbow. I've always found this period of railway history fascinating if only for the mix of liveries to be seen. Big four, interim, experimental and the new British Railways eventually finding it's own identity.

Cheers....Morgan

[Tom F]

Very nice weathering. The rest of the thread shows that you truly are Master of the Mucky Boiler Top.
You sound like you've found a solution now, but Fox nameplates come with both curly 6 and normal six. Strip them off, spray them white; couple of days later spray black then after an hour or so gently sand the black off the number faces.

Thanks Daddyman,
That is a somewhat useful tip.

Bronzino looks very nice Tom as do your weathered teaks earlier in the thread. More power to your elbow. I've always found this period of railway history fascinating if only for the mix of liveries to be seen. Big four, interim, experimental and the new British Railways eventually finding it's own identity.

Cheers....Morgan

Many thanks Morgan!
It is a very interesting period for all the reasons you state! I very much enjoyed seeing what you had done with a DJH A3 on RMweb. Stunning work!

Cheers

[giner]

Tom, Don't mind me, I'll just sit here and gape in awe as usual.