7mm Building JLTRT diesels - marker / tail lights for flat front diesels

[Dog Star]

The resin parts have an inherently slightly rough surface, so you don't want it too smooth or it might show under the paint.

I was thinking that to achieve a consistent surface finish across the entire body is a lot of work.

Use about 800 then apply primer and see how it looks.
I make up some wet'n'dry rubbing sticks to make sure that I keep things flat.

So 600 dry and then 8oo wet... seems ok.

I can guess as to why you have made a rubbing stick with a vertical bar... however, to make sure that I understand please do explain.

thanks, Graham

 

[OzzyO]

A flat stick is a flat stick? But a flat stick with a vertical bar down it's back should be flat and stay flat.

Before you add the wet'n'dry you can cut them up into say 1" lengths and have something to grip. Or leave them as the length of the stick.

I would always use the wet'n'dry wet for rubbing down no matter what grade, plastic, paint and resin can clog up wet'n'dry and leave drag marks.

Also before you start work on the 37 body sides ask Laurie at JLTRT if they do the body sides that you want.

HTH

OzzyO.

 

[Heather Kay]

I was thinking that to achieve a consistent surface finish across the entire body is a lot of work.

Don't forget a coat of primer will help to cover some inconsistency in the surface texture. Once you've done the surgery, it might be worth a light blow over with the standard primer you prefer just to see how it looks and whether remedial work is required. Like repairing car bodywork, in fact.

 

[mickoo]

I was thinking that to achieve a consistent surface finish across the entire body is a lot of work.

So 600 dry and then 8oo wet... seems ok.

I can guess as to why you have made a rubbing stick with a vertical bar... however, to make sure that I understand please do explain.

thanks, Graham

I think he means a flat stick with a reinforcing strip down the middle that you can grip, sort of an inverted T shape, with the abrasive surface stuck to the flat top of the T.

 

[Dog Star]

... before you start work on the 37 body sides ask Laurie at JLTRT if they do the body sides that you want.

I did ask Laurie, maybe three months back, and his reply was along the lines of multiple ends with one style of roof and one style of side. If anyone knows different then photos shall be good. At the time of asking, Laurie thought that there are eight (8!) styles of cabs - maybe WT could get a gallery of those variants to help budding builders of Cl.37 - we have three variants of cab here and I could start the ball rolling if anyone is interested.

regards, Graham

 

[SimonT]

Well to start with there are two different roofs! By the way Abranet is very good for this kind of finishing work as the resin dust can be knocked out of the mesh. Available in all popular grits from Axminster Power Tools and probably other lesser tool emporiums. It also makes up into Ozzy style sticks.

Simon

 

[mickoo]

Pikkies please.

http://britishrailwaybooks.co.uk/magazine/locomotivesillustrated/mli171.php

If your serious about your class 37 then you really need a copy of this magazine, it covers almost all variants in detail but basically the two roofs are RSH and EE built and the cant rail grills are the major difference as well as riveted/bolted roof panels. If your modelling a refurb example post mid 80's then you need to know it's original number to find out which factory built it and then work forward from there.

 

[tomstaf]

Also before you start work on the 37 body sides ask Laurie at JLTRT if they do the body sides that you want.

HTH

OzzyO.

They only do one type of side Ozzy. The variations apply to the roof (welded/riveted) and cabs (split, centre, panelled front, with headlights/without and the grill variations).

Cheers

Tom

 

[Dog Star]

The sides for a JLTRT Class 37 need modification to produce a representation of 37408... remove panels, fill some footstep recesses, fill some handhold recesses, fill a recess in a valance panel... and I am using white Milliput.

Inevitably some filling is very close to the "bolts" in the resin mouldings and some rivets have disappeared in the sanding and smoothing stage. There is a fair chance that one or two bolts of the fan surround are going to go AWOL when fitting the cabs. I have been considering using Archer rivet transfers to re-instate the missing bolts.

What do other WTers do when filling / sanding the bodysides and roof of JLTRT diseasels?

thanks, Graham

 

[tomstaf]

I find it's best to use the white milliput too. I just apply it to the relevant areas and then sand to shape using various grades of wet and dry with a light helping of water until you get the desired surface.

HTH

Tom

 

[Dog Star]

Tom - how do you re-instate any bolt heads that get lost in the filling / sanding?

Any WTer is welcome to offer experience in this request... especially use of Archer transfers.

 

[alcazar]

Micro-fasteners?

 

[OzzyO]

When I was doing the turntable IIRC I used a mix of Archer's and Micro Mark




The Micro Mark sheet, IIRC you get two of these for your money,


The Archer's ones, you only get one sheet for your money.


So you pays your money and takes your choice.

OzzyO.

PS. they did save me a lot of rivet bashing.

 

[Dog Star]

Thank you Paul,

If you can remember... where did you buy the items and at what price?

regards, Graham

 

[OzzyO]

Hello Graham,

I just bought them off there web sites, I've just had a quick look now,
Micro Mark $16.95
Archer's $17.95 + $6.95 P&P

Then you have P&P on top for Micro Mark.

HTH

OzzyO.

 

[Dan Randall]

I didn't realise Micromark did 3D printed rivets too (even though I followed Ozzy's turntable conversion thread!), so that's worth knowing.

I bought my Archer's 3D transfers via DCC Supplies' (UK), web site.


Regards

Dan

 

[OzzyO]

If the link works this should take you to the Micro Mark page,
http://www.micromark.com/decal-paper.html

OzzyO.

 

[tomstaf]

Tom - how do you re-instate any bolt heads that get lost in the filling / sanding?

Any WTer is welcome to offer experience in this request... especially use of Archer transfers.

There's loads of possibilities:

• Apply expoxy glue blobs with a cocktail stick
• Drill small holes, insert tiny lengths of plastic rod and dab with liquid poly which will soften and leave you with a domed top
• Apply transfer rivets
• Buy and apply Grandtline rivets
• Search what others have done on google etc etc.

Cheers

Tom

 

[alcazar]

Drill small holes and insert micro-fastener rivets.

 

[Dog Star]

To complete the original question about assembly of the sides / ends / roof of a Cl.37 - the posts here have helped in deciding how to approach the task. The first step was to clean the "tab" on top of each side and the corresponding slot in the roof to ensure that each body side was flush with the roof at the cantrail. The second step was to fix one side to the roof using 5 minute Araldite epoxy as the adhesive and with the floor / second side for location. The parts were held in position by the use of masking tape wrapped from side to side and over the roof - strips at each end and in the middle of the side. After the glue had "set" I cleaned the surface of the joint with Butanone. The second step was repeated with the other body side.

Whilst others have found ways to assemble cabs and sides before fitting the rear bulkheads into the cabs I was not comfortable with the idea of inserting the bulkheads after gluing cabs to sides (see this topic). A dry run of one cab plus loose bulkhead into the sides/roof established that:-

a) the bulkhead was loose in the back of the cab;
b) the cab was loose between the sides.

I stuck Evergreen strip around the edge of the bulkhead so that the bulkhead was a good fit into the cab... and pushed the cab sides outwards enough so that the cab became a sliding fit into the sides/roof. Araldite 5 minute expoy was used to secure the strip around the bulkhead.

Working with one cab I sanded the joint faces of the cab / sides / roof to get a good fit with minimal gap whilst maintaining the body line from side to end (using a steel ruler to check alignment). Araldite epoxy used as before. Whilst the side to roof joints have minimal tolerance for adjustment the cab to body joint has some freedom of vertical movement. I chose to set the cab against the roof such that there is minimal step at the point where the cab rain strips meet the main roof - I think that this minimises the need for filling / sanding of the joint.

regards, Graham