Spitfire's G3 Workbench

[Spitfire2865]

This is very interesting, as I am currently building one of Mike's D305s! I think I will try the (cheap) washing up detergent and then my favourite HiChem All-Surface Primer (possibly this is only available in Australia, though) when the time comes.
Trevor your original wood finish looked brilliant - could I have a brief tutorial on how you did this?

David

Thanks
So I start with a grey primer and then an even coat of a light tan. Then start drybrushing every woody colour you have. A bit of silver drybrushed every so often in certain areas. You should end up with a varied colour across every plank.
Then start picking out certain planks with slightly heavier or lighter drybrushing.
Overall a heavy wash of black wiped across the planks to sit in the gaps.
Then another black wash lightly wiped along the planks once the previous is dry. I think I ended up doing 3 or 4 washes by the end.
Then brush with dark powders to take the sheen off. Ive done powders on both wet and dry surfaces before, so you can try a bit of both and see how that ends up.
If you wanted a replacement plank, youd then have to repaint those the lighter colour with a lighter drybrushing.

Its a long process but Ive used similar in both 4mm and G3.

 

[DavidinAus]

It does sound a lot of work, but easily worth it. Thanks.
Fortunately the HiChem All-Surface Primer is grey and very thin, to start with.
I will give it a try.

David

 

[Spitfire2865]

While I regain my strength to retackle the Midland open, Ive begun on a 16Mills kit.
Specifically the LBSC 4t ballast.

Chassis put together and a side being worked on. Im going to use rivets with fake nuts to represent carriage bolts.
Just have to source fake nuts now....anyone got a source?

Ive also got a couple side tippers and WC minerals from Dave to build as well but those will have to wait for more wheels.
Just from what Ive done so far, these kits are excellent with plenty of easy detailing to be done.

 

[Spitfire2865]

Well, progress.

I must say, Im really impressed by the lasercut card strapping. Soaked in CA, it makes a very nice material that sands easily and holds its form well. Corners round off really nicely too. Sand enough and the seams just disappear.

Coach bolts represented by rivets with drilled out 14ba nuts soldered on.
Ive also had my first try of the CA and baking powder filler technique. Very effective for filling some unneeded lines around the buffers.

Once the strapping is finished, Ill get onto priming and painting my usual wood effect.

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Trevor
What is a 'WC mineral' and 'CA'?

Jon

 

[Spitfire2865]

Trevor
What is a 'WC mineral' and 'CA'?

Jon

West Cornwall mineral wagon (as offered by David Mills of SixteenMills) and cyanoacrylate (I used the thin stuff to stiffen up the card)
Ive got two of the former to build as well as his side tippers to make a bit of a freelance contractors train behind my neilson.

 

[Spitfire2865]

Well Ive got a couple side tippers mostly assembled.

I have quite a few NBW castings coming in the mail soon so plenty of detailing to add to all 5 wagons.

 

[Spitfire2865]

Well I had a 'fun' afternoon.
I had a slight disagreement with a pothole while driving home. This resulted in a voilent blowout of the front and a flat on the rear.
The rest of the afternoon and evening sitting by the roadside, in a tow truck, and in an autoshop has seen me with 4 new tires, an oil change, and significantly lightened pockets.
Im ready for bed....

 

[oldravendale]

Did you manage to get a photo of the pothole, and precise location?

I believe that local councils are liable but require evidence. I had the same issue on one of the Buckinghamshire country roads and the District Council advised that tis was necessary to accompany a claim. When I went back the pothole had, of course, been filled. The Council has some wriggle room, though. I believe that the hole has to be unreported, or if previously reported marked up and dealt with within a certain time - three days i think. Those conditions may not, of course, be standard across the country.

In any event that's really bad news, Trevor, and I empathise.

Brian

 

[Spitfire2865]

Did you manage to get a photo of the pothole, and precise location?

I believe that local councils are liable but require evidence. I had the same issue on one of the Buckinghamshire country roads and the District Council advised that tis was necessary to accompany a claim. When I went back the pothole had, of course, been filled. The Council has some wriggle room, though. I believe that the hole has to be unreported, or if previously reported marked up and dealt with within a certain time - three days i think. Those conditions may not, of course, be standard across the country.

In any event that's really bad news, Trevor, and I empathise.

Brian

Well I expect my local government here in the US to prove even more useless.

 

[Spitfire2865]

Eating 3 (well really 9 but who's counting?) elephants at the same time. But some progress on each.

The two side tippers are mostly assembled and working on details. Strapping done on one, nut castings done on both. Plus the chassis have had some black sloshed on em. Black seemed a fairly reasonable colour for something like this. Dumb buffers added to the headstocks and Ive filled the bufferstock mounting holes with Apoxie sculpt. A beautiful material for those uninitiated. 2 part epoxy putty that can be worked so easily both wet and dry. Even is machinable and can be tapped!


The sole ballast wagon finally got a coat of primer today before my typical wood treatment. However I have just realized I forgot to add the nameplate. Suppose it wont be much issue adding it later.

And a start on the WC mineral wagons.
One I think Ill build normally.
The other to be modified with a 'high' curved end.
Thought itd make an interesting variation, regardless of its usefulness on such a low sided wagon.
You can also see the modifications needed to fit the coupling hooks I have.

 

[Arty]

Excellent work Trevor, one of the reasons I like David’s kits is that they can be modified so easily.

 

[Spitfire2865]

Im not dead.
Just havent been working on trains.

But I do have the etched strapping for 3 more D299s. Just in time to be replaced by the Slaters kit.

 

[Arty]

They look very nice Trevor, did you get them etched “locally” ?

 

[Jon Nazareth]

View attachment 102655
The two side tippers are mostly assembled and working on details. Strapping done on one, nut castings done on both.

Trevor
Where did you get the nut castings from?

Jon

 

[Spitfire2865]

They look very nice Trevor, did you get them etched “locally” ?

All my etches are from PPD LTD. Theyre quick and helpful, so I cant complain. Ill be building the D299s eventually, but theyre a LOT of work on account of the 4 doors and multiple catches so it may be a bit. Still on a binge of other work so we will see.

View attachment 102655
The two side tippers are mostly assembled and working on details. Strapping done on one, nut castings done on both.

Trevor
Where did you get the nut castings from?

Jon

Those are from IronCreekShops.com here in the States.
F scale but close enough. Hes got a few "normal" nbw patterns and he will run a mold for you very quickly. Took him a day to do my order of bits. He also offers a WM casting service IIRC.

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Trevor
Are they brass or plastic nuts? I should have asked the first time around.

Jon

 

[Spitfire2865]

Trevor
Are they brass or plastic nuts? I should have asked the first time around.

Jon

Oh, neither. Ironcreek does whitemetal casting only.

 

[Spitfire2865]

Wow. Its been a while...
Have had a massive binge of wargaming, other modelling, helping a friend learn to make things, and generally being a lazy bastard.
But Id like to do SOMETHING with trains.
So I figured Id start with finishing off a couple sixteenmills kits Ive had in a box for the past half a year.

Still need to repaint the strapping and internal woodwork.


Higher ended wagon waiting for strapping and NBWs.

And I tried to drill out some LBSC brass axleboxes and well...


I dont know why I expected anything else from myself.

 

[Jon Nazareth]

Trevor
I usually use the mill to open up axle boxes, by raising the table, there is no risk of snatch.

I looked back at your Nielson coupling rods and they've come out really well. I wished the ones that I made for Lion came out as well. Even though the rod part is round, I expect that something could have been dreamed up for the ends by using etches.

Jon