7mm On Heather's Workbench - Multiple Maunsells

[Heather Kay]

Well.



An odd day, Monday. I managed a grocery shop. Then a spell of paint inspection. Each yellow tag is a flaw that needs addressing. No coach came out unscathed. Then I ran out of energy. Another day for the varnish curing wouldn’t hurt for what was to come.



So, I think a fair amount of loud music to keep my brain cell from veering off to darker places, plenty of fine emery, and away we go. I hope a simple blast or two of varnish will do for repair, but I fear some remedial green will be required here and there. Even allowing for the fact the models represent coaches towards the very end of their service lives, I don’t think I’ll get away with a really shoddy paint job.

I may be some time.

 

[Heather Kay]

Why are there never enough GUARD labels? I’m short of a pair, so that’s another order for Fox on its way!

 

[Heather Kay]

Unless I've missed your comments...

I failed to make any comments!



This is the beast. Iwata HP-C Plus. I’m not sure if it’s a current model now, but there must be an equivalent in the range. I purposely chose the model with the largest cup, and so far it’s proven to be an absolute sea change over the previous broken one. It’s so easy to disassemble to clean the needle, nozzle and cup. At the end of the barrel is a knob that restricts the needle travel, which is very handy at times. The spray pattern can go from very wide (and quickly emptying the cup) to very narrow. The black contraption is an air control valve which lets me lower the air pressure at the brush. It lets air out of the hose before it gets to the brush.

Bought as a thing to keep me going, I find I’m quite unlikely to get the other brush repaired now. The HP-C Plus is the brush I should have bought the first time!

 

[Heather Kay]

#notmy4mt

Fox delivered again. Less than 24 hours from the order being place, the transfers dropped through my letterbox. So, main body lettering now done and varnished. Time for that there glazing to commence.

It may be a while. I have my second Covid jab this afternoon, so we’ll see if I get any side effects this time.

 

[Heather Kay]

I felt a little lightheaded this morning, and my upper arm felt as if I’d been punched by a very small boxer. Those symptoms have passed, but I am prepared for more of a hit over the come day or three. I always expect the worst - I think it’s the depression - so when the worst doesn’t happen it’s all to the good.



And so, while Test Match Special desperately padded time while the England vs New Zealand first test was rained off, I began glazing coaches.

 

[Heather Kay]

They really wanted you to be utterly certain what the class of the compartment was into which you were clambering. I did check numerous photos, and this does appear to be correct.



The corridor side is simpler, with just the first class branding centrally in the large windows, aligned above the handrail. The question, though, was branding carried over to the internal divider glazing? I’ve assumed the No Smoking was.

I just need to glue in the CK compartment assembly and this coach will be done. The three brakes will follow in due course.

 

[Heather Kay]

With all lettering complete and interiors installed, that’s another milestone reached. Door furniture, end filler pipes and handrails and a fair bit of underframe paint retouching next.

 

[Heather Kay]

I distinctly remember the fuel bowsers like the one you are building.

Thank you for the kind words, Ian. Sadly, for various reasons, the refueller has been moved to the Shelf of Doom for a while. It may be finished one day, but not right now.

Finally, the mojo returned, sufficiently refreshed that I could begin to construct the end handrails and fillers. It’s a slow old job, because each installation is bespoke, not helped by my past self neglecting to work it all out before getting to the stage current self is at. The story of my life.



Here’s one of the BTK van end installations. Things are always complicated because of my removable roof fetish. You’ll be pleased to know the handrail does unclip from the roof.



And this is the other end of the same coach. As built, a poor railway worker armed with either watering cans or a hose had to clamber up on to the roof and fill the WC header tank. From my reading, after Mr Bulleid took over and as these coaches went through the works, the end handrails were converted to pipes so the tank could be filled from ground level. Anyone familiar with the BR Mk1 installation will instantly spot the similarities. Thanks to the SREmG web site, there is a fairly clear image along a preserved coach roof that shows how the modifications were made, and I’ve attempted to make it look about right. The split so the roof can be removed falls on the support blocks up by the tank.

I think it looks okay, and will look better once painted. Now all I have to do is repeat this lot twice more, and then four sets of pipes for the compo. I may be a while.

 

[Heather Kay]

Another little milestone passed: all the brass work installed on the doors.

I have to say that some of the brass used by Slater's for their castings in these kits has been a bit soft. A couple of the T-handles snapped off as I was poking them into the holes, and two of the grab handles snapped while being cleaned up. Still, all done now. I’ve dobbed green paint on the fittings, which I’ll clean back when I also darken things with Birchwood fluid. Everything is a bit bright and shiny at the moment and needs to be toned back like the real thing as it tarnished in the wild.

Removing fingerprints from the glazing is the next job. I still have to work on the gangway top covers. I’m not sure about the supplied crepe paper, although it would be absolutely fine. It just doesn’t look quite right to my kind. The alternative is masking tape suitably painted, which is something I’ve used on other builds to some success. The worry there is the longevity of the adhesive and whether it needs bolstering with something for the long term.

I need to update the client with progress, and I’ll ask him how far he wants things weathered.