122 Dmu

Fantastic result and well worth the wait. Just how does one start negotiations to build a G1 garden railway?

Very impressed of Wiltshire

Thank you to everyone for the comments and encouragement.

Picture later, but I did manage to get the plug mould out of the cast, although this time it required dis-assembly of the plastikard core in situ, I stuck it back together afterwards and I think a bit of release agent will be helpful on the next cast.

I managed to cut out all the windows more or less perfectly, and I have to say that I am very pleased with the results, the resulting cast is perfectly useable for a model.

That said, and this was always going to be an "interesting" aspect, the pads for thinning or piercing the windows and destination blind areas although mostly in the right places did not yield consistent body thicknesses, most notably the three front windows were much thicker to cut out towards their lower edges and the resulting cast therefore has window pillars that thicken towards their bases in fact the lower edge is really quite chunky, although as there will need to be some representation of the control panel built in this probably does not matter.

Flush glazing of the three front windows was always going to be required and his coupled with the interior being a darker colour and in the shade will minimise the effects of this, but I am currently thinking about trying to modify the plug mould by cutting it about a bit and sticking and building it back with silicone sealant.

I think this might work and is worth a go, I don't think I have got the energy to alter the pattern and make two new moulds.

Apart from the thickness issue sorting his out will make cutting the windows out much easier as the resin is very tough, and it will also make the casting process more satisfying, plus saving on a bit of resin!

Simon

... but I am currently thinking about trying to modify the plug mould by cutting it about a bit and sticking and building it back with silicone sealant.

Simon,

Glad things are coming together nicely. While I agree with your comments that I have copied over, would it not be wise to make a second casting identical to the first before you make any amendments, that way should things not turn out as you would like with the amended mould, you will at least have a 'pigeon pair' to continue with, rather than have to wait to see how things might turn out (of the revised mould)

cheers

Mike - (just noticed that I have missed off the anti-surfing boards from the Guard's van 'side' doors on my 121 )

Hi Mike

You are quite right, but casting another plug mould would be very easy if I do codge this one up!

Crickey, look at the time, I'd better get moving.....

Simon

Simon

That looks fantastic, I so pleased its gone well, when can I put my order in !

Richard

Well here is the result, the second pair of pictures show some of the thickness inconsistencies.






Definitely useable, and going back to Mike's comment above I will cast one more cab end before fiddling with the plug mould.

As regards selling them, I am very flattered by several expressions of interest but fear that I am not the person to try and create and then market a complete kit, or even incomplete kit.

I am really doing this to create some trains for my garden and suspect that at best I will have a set of "scratch aid" parts, although that said several components clearly lend themselves to being cast in resin, the bogie side frames being the most blindingly obvious to my fuddled brain.

Anyway, I'm pretty pleased with progress so far and thank you again for all your positive comments, interest and encouragement. It's not as if it is anywhere near finished but I do wish I'd got off my backside and got to this stage much earlier when I could have shared it with Cynric, I do wonder about myself sometimes

He had suggested a trip to the South Devon Railway to collect information, and in the event I managed this in June 2013 courtesy of Captain Kernow and the South Devon Railway, so I have lots of detailed photography to help me get on with the project.

Here's an interior shot in the cab as an example.



Right, back to work!

Simon

Thickness issues aside, I think you should be justifiably chuffed with the outcome. Well done!

Hi Simon they came out really good, do you know why they were thicker at the bottom and will you be correcting it?
Len

Len Cattley said:

Hi Simon they came out really good, do you know why they were thicker at the bottom and will you be correcting it?
Len

Click to expand...

Hi Len

It is because the inner mould doesn't accurately "follow" the outer mould and its window pads are at slightly the wrong angle. Being less sloped the "glass" thickness is thicker at the bottom than at the top.

It was really difficult to judge this when making the inner mould pattern, but now that I can measure the resulting "gap" between the two moulds by reference to the cast produced in the cavity (if you see what I mean) I think I could make a much better job of getting the inner mould to match the outer, thereby producing a better casting from the wall thickness and window piercing point of view.

Although I think I said earlier that I wasn't going to do this, but instead modify the actual plug mould with silicone sealer and bits of rubber, I am now wondering whether I might actually try and do it "properly" by modifying the pattern and casting a new plug mould.

This is because I am realising that I have achieved "proof of concept" with this cast whereas before I couldn't quite believe it would all work, and so any extra work won't be wasted. On the other hand the cast "as is" could be used fairly happily from the point of view of a finished (hah!) model.

But then the pleasure of casting a more accurate and useable cab end is really very appealing - and it would use less resin too.

Hmmmm....

Simon

Looks great, the easiest way would be to sand one of the resin cabs to the correct thickness and use that to make a new plug (or even pour new silicone between your plug and a thinned down cast cab).

Simon.

Something like that was my first idea, but have tried actually sanding the stuff?

It's incredibly tough and makes hideous amounts of dust when you can attack it, it will be easier to modify the Plastikard and filler core pattern.

I have decided that this is the course of action I will take and am just looking at it now and working out what to do with it....

Simon

Really Amazing Finish is as good as or in some cases better than some of those resin kits out there . Good to see your project back on track .

If you haven't already guessed my default modelling setting is 'it'll do'; and the cab casting looks fine to me. Given that you're not going into the business of selling kits any fiddling puts you well into the realms of seriously diminishing returns. I reckon a spot of flush glazing coupled with some sharp painting would fool the eye quite nicely especially given that the shape looks to be bang on.

I agree with Neil, Brilliant results .....what's the next component

You are quite right Neil, and I have just one thing to say to you both - bogie sideframes

Simon

I'm with Neil: while vexing, it's not going to show even a few feet away, never mind the bottom of the garden, the reflections from the glazing will see to that. Of course, having got the very difficult - and most important bit right since you've nailed the outside you could do all the mods and have a crack at a 116 after...

Adam

Simon said:

.... I have just one thing to say to you both - bogie sideframes

Simon

Click to expand...

Good man; taking the Johnny Cash approach I see. Could the sides be tackled as door and window modules? I'm not familiar enough with the prototype to know whether this might be feasible.

I built it one bit at a time,
but it took me a very long time,
Just because I'm the slowest builder in this town

Finishing and painting it'll take me a while
The line it runs on drives her wild
Instead of up and down it may have to go round and around.....

With sincere apologies to Johnny Cash and anyone else reading this.

What a great song, I'd forgotten just how funny it is.

The man in faded blue

Very impressive Simon

Steve

If it's like Johnny Cash's Automobile, it could end up being a 122 at the front and a 153 at the back, and don't forget it only had one tail fin (don't know where you're gonna squeeze that

Ross....