4mm An EM Workbench: Mini-Signwriting (rough)

AJC

Western Thunderer
BZ looks good. I've got one to do. No idea if they ever got to Somerset in reality but in my reality, they might have!
Shed looks good, though it'll look better when there's a layout in it!

They certainly got to Andover and dad has a shot of a couple in the middle road at Temple Meads which is Redcliffe side of the Avon and thus God's own county (just and not technically since 1373 but my frame of reference is, erm, unusual).

I agree about the shed, yes!

Adam
 
Resin Bedford

AJC

Western Thunderer
A bit of a break in transmission, and modelling, for lots of reasons. Primary among these is paternity leave...

So a self-contained project. A resin kit from Milicast (as the name suggests, a purveyor of military vehicles, mostly, but not exclusively WW2 types in 1/76), this one for a Bedford OST, a short wheelbase tipper. Now they've chosen this because it was one of several pre-war types subsidised for military use and duly requisitioned for use by the BEF in France with inevitable results. Of course, this type was built again after hostilities and was utterly ubiquitous though not, strangely, in model form in 4mm ready to plonk form. Lots of kits, of varying quality, though. This one isn't bad - the windscreen pillars were a bit wide and the corners, oddly, square. There were a few more air bubbles than I'd have liked, but not the tiny pinholes that are the very devil to fix. Both easy to sort. More difficult, and something I intend to ignore (probably), is that the radiator grill should be raked back a little. The plastic headlights are simply because I seem to have lost the resin ones.

Bedford_OST_003.jpg

Bedford_OST_004.jpg

The chassis and tipper body are quite good (if possibly touch delicate around the axles), and the wheels especially well-detailed and cast. Quite nice, all in all.

Bedford_OST_002.jpg

Bedford_OST_001.jpg

Adam
 
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Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
Hi Adam,

Congratulations to you and yours, just take your time when opportunities present themselves to do any modelling, those opportunities will increase as time goes by and eventually, you will have something more to share with first born.

regards

Mike
 
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Resin Bedford

AJC

Western Thunderer
Hi Adam,

Congratulations to you and yours, just take your time when opportunities present themselves to do any modelling, those opportunities will increase as time goes by and eventually, you will have something more to share with first born.

regards

Mike

Thanks Mike. :)

It turns out I couldn't ignore the radiator after all.

Bedford_OST_005.jpg

The rake is greater with the cab on properly and the beading has been rendered horizontal, with just the side grilles left to sort out.

Bedford_OST_006.jpg

Adam
 
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Resin Bedford

AJC

Western Thunderer
That’s a cute little lorry. I’ve a couple of Milicast kits for my other interest bubble, which may get glued together at some point. Considering the size, the castings don’t look at all bad.

They're not bad at all. A couple of big bubbles on the back of the cab roof dome were fairly easy to deal with though they're not as good in that respect as the parts I have for detailing an Airfix Matador I bought a little while back. The masters are decent though and despite quibbling at some of the detailing the shapes are nice (and good value, compared to some of the alternatives).

Adam
 
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Resin Bedford

Overseer

Western Thunderer
Adam

I noticed a Bedford OST in a photo while looking for something else and thought you might like to see it. I don't know how common short Bedford tippers were in Australia, the photo shows a different mix of trucks to what would have been seen in Britain. The photo is post 1941 as the Porter tipper is a locally built International K-line, introduced in 1941. Not sure what the ancient truck on the right is. All delivering coal to the Spencer Street power station.

MCCES is005178 crop.jpg
MCCES is005178.jpg
 
Resin Bedford

AJC

Western Thunderer
It's been a while and modelling has been happening... The Bedford has been joined by a clutch of commercial vehicles that have been hiding among the boxes for *some time*. But first, here's the tipper, ready for top coating:

Bedford_OST_001.jpg

The cooling slats on the bonnet side were replaced with fuse wire. The enlargement is cruel, but it's ok, paint and weathering will hide a lot of ills.

Bedford_OST_003.jpg

Bedford_OST_004.jpg

Chassis and tipper body offered up to check for fit post painting. Not sure what the livery colour will be - I'm open to suggestions. This Austin FFK flat from Road Transport Images has, apparently, been on the stocks since 2015.

Austin_FFK.gif

And here it is today:

FFK_001.jpg

Not a lot of change, but the spare wheel and driver's grabs are there. Round the back there's a light bar and rear plate. Must add the differential next time.

FFK_002.jpg

I need to add some safety bars on the back board and a bit more detail, including a front axle, mirrors, etc.

Finally, here's the last vehicle I bought from Frank Waller at Road Transport Images before his untimely death, a Commer Walkthrough van (which you can now get from Oxford Diecast, of course). This one is part way through the paint shop and will be finished in the blue, white and silver livery of fine wholesalers of frozen produce, Birdseye [though it should technically be the high-roofed version, ssh!]: SPD / Birds Eye – 922 UUR | Transport Photo Archive

Commer_Wkthru_001.jpg

Adam
 
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Osgood

Western Thunderer
Sorry Adam, I meant entering the start gate of the long and slippery slope of learning how to spray paint 1/43 resin model trucks!
I had assumed the finish of your Bedford was the air bubbles in the mouldings under the first coat of primer!
I managed to get hold of 3 x ex Classic Commercials AEC 6 wheel tipper kits - they have quite a decent finish on them.
For full size work I spray with both hands - one for the gun and the other for the brush to get rid of the runs.....always put too much paint on :rolleyes:
I have been admiring Frank Waller's prodigious output in the adverts in recent MRJs.
 
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AJC

Western Thunderer
Ah, I see! No, the casting is quite smooth (unlike some of Frank's, though he was always happy to exchange a duff one). This Park Royal AEC cab was kept because he was away on his hols and I reckoned I could fettle it but it really should have gone back. I have now sorted it and rather that the BRS 8-legger I had in mind, it's going to be a Mandator tractor from Willmott Transport of Wells so I've taken the headboard off. I like the RTI range, they're mostly pretty good, though I have a Scammell Highwayman which is not really right in any proportion and thus won't get built as such; the older, squarer Scammell artic types from the same range look better so I'll sub the cab for one of those.

Park_Royal_AEC_III.gif

The yellow you can see is Halford's filler primer which sorted the worst of the pin holes, but decent resin castings - per all the Classic Commercials models I've seen in the flesh (I think I remember Adrian Swain telling me that CMA did those and they're very good indeed) - shouldn't need that: a good clean and a coat of primer applied in the warm and dry should be enough. I brush paint my road vehicles as in 4mm they're relatively tiny. I've got far too many, of course...

Adam
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
Yes, the CC cab is very clean - just dug a box out (an ABS branded one) for inspiration:
C464FEF2-B199-4612-8E0B-0163FD302CB0.jpeg
C4CEC9C8-CF75-476A-810A-6EA85A8A3227.jpeg

This link to Heather's CC AEC provides a good benchmark to aim for ( :eek: ): 7mm scale road vehicles

One will be a decrepit tipper - there were some well-worn examples running around pre plating:
Monarch 6x4.jpg
Another will have to be a tractor like this Sunters example, including those Anderson shelter rear mudguards! Plenty of cab variants on these AECs.
Screen Shot 2019-12-19 at 16.43.18 copy.png

Just learned that when 3 axle Chinese Six tractors became popular for a few years for max. weight artics, quite a few 8 wheeler AEC chassis (mainly ex swb 8x2 tankers) were adapted by removing the rear trailing axle!

Oops - back to 4mm trucks.
 
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