Rob's 7mm Rolling Stock Workbench

[drmditch]

Well done (with everything) but especially the drilling and bolting. Did you use any kind of jig to make sure that strips were drilled centrally?
(This being the major problem I've found using this technique in 4mm.)

[greenglade]

lovely work Rob......

Pete

[Robpulham]

Well done (with everything) but especially the drilling and bolting. Did you use any kind of jig to make sure that strips were drilled centrally?
(This being the major problem I've found using this technique in 4mm.)

Thanks Gent's,

The only thing I did was draw a line down the centre of the strip and then patiently drill the hole with an Archimedes drill. Quite therapeutic really.

I had a work out and I have just over 40 hours of building pleasure from this - I reckon that represents excellent value for money (the kit itself worked out at about £20 tops)

[Robpulham]

This weekend hasn't seen any construction works but I did added transfers to the open wagon and start to weather it. I also finished the weathering on another NBR 8 ton box van.

I am on the look out for some more of these to use as the basis for some semi scratch builds.

I used this van as a bit of a test to see if IPA works the same as meths for manipulating acrylic paint after it's dried and I am pleased to say it does and it isn't quite as aggressive as meths which is a bonus - I have had a couple of instances with meths where I have inadvertently taken the paint back to bare plastic

[Robpulham]

The next one to get hit by the weather is the Midland 10 ton Brake van.









And then I noticed that I haven't painted the lamp.......

[Robpulham]

The next kit across the bench was one of my Christmas pressies (well you have to don't you)
Along the way I picked up a new technique along the way that helped tremendously on this one with the overlays and I thought it worth sharing.

First I would like to offer my thanks to Geoff Stratford of Gladiator for sending me some more end stanchions after I melted one. Such customer service will be missed in your well earned retirement Geoff!

I planned from the outset to glue the etched overlays onto the cast frames on the sides but as I was tinning the various body sections to allow me to add the cast parts with 70 degree solder and subsequently melting one of the end stanchions I started to think ahead to the bits that I might struggle with later - in terms of either melting them or bit's dropping off.

I decided to try tinning the overlays with 145 degree and then tinning them again with 70 degree over the top of the 145. I then placed the overlay on the cast frame applied some flux and ran my lower temp iron down the side of the overlay and hey presto it was stuck fast.

I even used the same process on the corner brackets on the bras to brass bit's where they covered the cast frames.











In terms of the kit itself I made it up as per the instructions with the only deviations in the form of adding a brass floor and a couple of 14ba nuts on the outsides of the brake levers where they attach to the V hangers.

I also made the roof removable to aid painting.

[Robpulham]

I completely forgot to add (again) that it's an LNWR Beer Van.

[jwealleans]

Good. Saves me asking.

[Robpulham]

Good. Saves me asking.

Funnily enough it was you that I thought of I as I posted it

[Robpulham]

I couldn't resist a couple of shots of the latest three vans together.

[Robpulham]

Not much in the way of modelling done this last weekend - I went along to Manchester O gauge show yesterday but I have managed to get the Beer van into primer.









I have also had a complete interloper cross the bench - an ex SR meat van. I have had this in the pile for a while but it didn't really fit with my interests so I have arranged to swap it for a couple of unbuilt open wagons..

[Robpulham]

The Beer van now has it's transfers and I have started to weather the roof.



The buffer looks to droop in the next shot but having checked it's an optical illusion.









And lastly I tried some of the Skytrex barrels out to see how they fit - they could have been designed for it.

[Robpulham]

In between other modelling I managed to finish weathering the Avery tool van. I am quite pleased with the finish on this one.

[Robpulham]

Another one that got some weathering attention last weekend was the LMS coal wagon.





The sunlight has lightened the inside somewhat - much more than in reality.









I am undecided as to whether I put a few lumps of stray coal inside to finish it off.

[Robpulham]

Over time I have built up a reasonable collection of drawings - mostly locos but some wagons. Amongst them is a drawing for a PO Lime wagon by Skinley.

Spurred on by my recent detailing of the LMS open wagon and having run out of plastic kits to build I decided to have a go at scratch building a Lime wagon.

Here are a few photos of progress to date - still a way to go though.