Martin's workbench...warning, could be anything!

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
Thanks, Giles, I do love a bit o' brass. The crankcase halves, however are too in and out and up and down and heavily filleted for brass, so I'm doing them in Ureol, with brass detailing and my caster will use silicon moulds for moulding them. No heat involved, so patterns can be "chewing gum and string".
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
Just finished this for an old colleague.
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This shows the model after I'd dropped it on a concrete path having just painted it with self-etch primer. I was in the process of filling the chips with one shot putty when the guy asked for a photo, so he gotbit warts and all! The area around the cockpit was smooth as silk when it finally went off , rubbed down and repainted! A Tecno F2 car in 1/32nd scale , a pattern for a slot car body. The main thing will be cast in resin and the brass bits will be cast in w/m.
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
I also had this on the bench a few weeks ago, but haven't been able to finish it yet.
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De Havilland Hornet Moth, scratchbuilt from styrene, mainly, with Ureol wings covered in thin styrene skins with the ribs impressed from behind.
Aluminium engine cowling, doors and window frames, Swiss pear propellor. I now have the windscreen vac-formed from the pattern in that position on the model. 1/43rd scale to go with one of my vintage car models, the AC 16/90 I did a pattern for about 30 years ago!
I have been offered a flight in that very aircraft, if we can all get together at the same time, as it's at a little flying club I used to belong to.
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
Yes, I made a master pattern of a De Havilland DH 89a Dragon Rapide in 1/32nd scale for a French company. Alas he has suffered ill health and sloth and has not yet produced the kit, 3 of which are part of the fee as well as 3% of sales, so I'm a bit miffed about that! It would look good with one of my Invicta S Low Chassis.
Years ago, I also did an Andreasson BA4b in 1/12th scale for its owner and a Super Emeraude for its owner in 1/48th scale, first aircraft my Mum ever went in!
All this different stuff is probably why I haven't done as much railway stuff as I would have liked.
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
A bit more of Lantern Yard, done while the Milliput on the Vincent crankcase was cooking in the oven. Light's not up to the camera's requirements, so a bit fuzzy. Some brickwork added and base painted with Testor's red, until I found some old Revell brick colour enamels. Also added some grass with gauche painted medical lint. I can't get no sense out of static and I'm not hugely impressed with it in all situations AND the fibres cost too much. My dear bride has agreed to hand dying the rest of my lint. Should be enough for the remainder of this set-piece and the grassy bits of Riverside, my projected standard gauge set-piece (Wisbech and Upwell based). Steps made in Foamex and the corner guard made of K&S Metal Centre aluminium sheet, folded into an angle and filed to show where the decades of ropes have worn slots in it.

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The "water" painted, only to convince myself that I'm getting somewhere and because there's a limit to how long I can have dirty plywood in my peripheral vision!

Just in view on the right is a recent decision in the form of foundations cut for a typical canal lengthman's hut. These tend to contain stuff for general maintenance of canal, locks , etc, and, of course for those inclement days , a nice pot belly or iron cased stove on which a kettle would perforce sing constantly. My experience of proper boatmen always starts with, "Y'ave a brew?" "Yes, please", I always said, but imagining that grubby old spoon standing up in the stewed concoction, but how can you refuse such a well intended offer?

Note also the raised bricks providing grip for opening and closing the gates.
 

Martin Field

Western Thunderer
Spent the latter part of this afternoon making this canal lengthman's hut from Foamex. bricks impressed with the back of a scalpel blade, vertical mortar done with a ground down Swiss file, used as a chisel. Corners made fine by the simple process of mitring and the courses run round with the same scalpel. Correct 9" wall bond observed, including Queen closers. The beauty of Foamex is you can play around with the actual texture of the bricks to make some worn, spalled, badly laid, etc. depending on what affect you're after. The other end wall is done as stucco with the corner just showing a few bits of brickwork.
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jonte

Western Thunderer
That looks the part, Martin. Well done!

Great effect and without the mess of DAS.

Great brickwork colour too.

Regards,

jonte
 
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