Finescale - of a sort?!

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
It would be easy, while sitting here now, to wish that I had started this project a few years earlier. But all things considered; if I had, I probably would not have got this far?!

Here is a little bit more from the recent past:

I have had an offcut of aluminium tube knocking around for a while and crying out a purpose. According to the various Horwich drawings, the size of my tube and the scale of the originals happily coincided. Frustratingly, there was not quite enough of the stuff to cut into 54 complete lengths though! My only option was to cut each one slightly short, then carefully install them only part way through the tubeplate, leaving an even lap protruding at the front.

That called for couple of jolly jigs...

To be sure...

hSAM_xy3297.JPG

Cut, file, turn over and file the other end. 53 times too many!

It would have been much easier in a lathe wouldn't it?

hSAM_xy3296.JPG

At least the aluminium is nice, soft and fairly easy to work with, although the constant clagging of the file teeth was troublesome by a tad.

For some reason that I cannot fathom, although one that I am not going to complain about as it turned out to be perfectly fortuitous, the outside diameter of the tube was a tiny fraction over the measured drill size for the holes. With the MDF being even softer than the metal, installing them needed a firm, but not too forceful drive for a very snug fit.

Failing to keep the strikes level or applying one tap too many, and they would have been the devil to draw back out without leaving any unsightly marks though?

Simple jig two more or less ensured a visibly even lip over all...

hSAM_xy3298.JPG

Once again I forgot to take more pictures, so jumping several stages of cutting, shaping, filling and priming forward...

The whole shebang was coming together quite nicely until:

hSAM_xy3304.JPG

Oh ratbags! One waft of rattle can primer, and look what happened...

Lovely and silky smooth on the inside!

The 3mm MDF used for the smokebox front had well and truly "gone off" - as the wretched material is wont to do after too long in storage. Nice if you don't mind your toys being fluffy I suppose?

Very disappointed, to put it rather mildly, I reasoned that several coats of "hard" enamel, allowed to fully set before rubbing down between each coat might just about rescue it?

Here it is after the first "undercoat" mix was slapped on:

hSAM_xy3308.JPG

Would you Adam and Eve it?!

If I had tried my damnedest to get a "rust bubbling up under the paint in an area that would have been prone" effect - I doubt very much whether I could have got anywhere near as close..?

Subsequent coats that were unfortunately necessary for adequate protection of the material have proved to be far too successful, even without the application of abrasives, the wonderful effect has now been almost completely lost.

Well I will be damned?!

Pete.
 

Tom Insole

Western Thunderer
It would be easy, while sitting here now, to wish that I had started this project a few years earlier. But all things considered; if I had, I probably would not have got this far?!

Here is a little bit more from the recent past:

I have had an offcut of aluminium tube knocking around for a while and crying out a purpose. According to the various Horwich drawings, the size of my tube and the scale of the originals happily coincided. Frustratingly, there was not quite enough of the stuff to cut into 54 complete lengths though! My only option was to cut each one slightly short, then carefully install them only part way through the tubeplate, leaving an even lap protruding at the front.

That called for couple of jolly jigs...

To be sure...

View attachment 133870

Cut, file, turn over and file the other end. 53 times too many!

It would have been much easier in a lathe wouldn't it?

View attachment 133871

At least the aluminium is nice, soft and fairly easy to work with, although the constant clagging of the file teeth was troublesome by a tad.

For some reason that I cannot fathom, although one that I am not going to complain about as it turned out to be perfectly fortuitous, the outside diameter of the tube was a tiny fraction over the measured drill size for the holes. With the MDF being even softer than the metal, installing them needed a firm, but not too forceful drive for a very snug fit.

Failing to keep the strikes level or applying one tap too many, and they would have been the devil to draw back out without leaving any unsightly marks though?

Simple jig two more or less ensured a visibly even lip over all...

View attachment 133874

Once again I forgot to take more pictures, so jumping several stages of cutting, shaping, filling and priming forward...

The whole shebang was coming together quite nicely until:

View attachment 133875

Oh ratbags! One waft of rattle can primer, and look what happened...

Lovely and silky smooth on the inside!

The 3mm MDF used for the smokebox front had well and truly "gone off" - as the wretched material is wont to do after too long in storage. Nice if you don't mind your toys being fluffy I suppose?

Very disappointed, to put it rather mildly, I reasoned that several coats of "hard" enamel, allowed to fully set before rubbing down between each coat might just about rescue it?

Here it is after the first "undercoat" mix was slapped on:

View attachment 133877

Would you Adam and Eve it?!

If I had tried my damnedest to get a "rust bubbling up under the paint in an area that would have been prone" effect - I doubt very much whether I could have got anywhere near as close..?

Subsequent coats that were unfortunately necessary for adequate protection of the material have proved to be far too successful, even without the application of abrasives, the wonderful effect has now been almost completely lost.

Well I will be damned?!

Pete.

MDF is a pig to paint. I can relate after spraying some myself recently for the shed.. The outcome on the smokebox is fantastic in that last image though! it looks like an old bit of metal that's aged nicely. If I had access to a local shed and it was closer I'd show you close up photos of some of the metal sat in a painted state after years in service with all the metal imperfections and patina.

At some point I'll have to come see the progress in the "material" (as much as it looks like metal we've all seen how it's made!).
 

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
Thanks Tom! Hopefully we will be allowed out to play in the big wide world again soon?!

It seems to be a bit of a lottery with that M-duf stuff. Sometimes it is OK, but then...? Of course it does depend on what you want to use it for as well. Trying to make it look like steel is perhaps pushing the boundaries as well as expectations to the absolute limit?

Having said that, just look at what the folks at Aardman manage to do with it for their film sets. Apart from some plaster, they use almost nothing else!

GDDP!
 

Tom Insole

Western Thunderer
I recon I could see how that goes at Ardman studios. Considering the man hours into those sets and the skillset of some of the team I recon they probably hit the same problems we hit a tiny bit more than we do. One I was taught was getting some sealer to dowse the stuff in before use. I had some left over from doing some counter tops (although my tops were ply not MDF the stuff still gave me a perfect base to wash them with some polly varnish). It's one that needs some good ventilation to apply but a wash of it the night before use works well. also only about three and a half quid in toolstation for 2.5L.

I'm sure if really needs be I could grab you a tin next time I'm heading your direction ;) At least there are now talks of rolling out some kind of half decent vaccine so "play time" may hopefully commence within a mildly reasonable timeframe.

We can only hope anyway!
 

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
I have heard about these special sealants for MDF and think that on the whole would indeed seem to be the best idea. I had not bothered to try any out for no other excuse than the thought of it adding an additional layer of faff. Generally, when the raw material behaves perfectly well with just a few layers of paint, that would have been applied anyway, the lazy attitude has become somewhat reinforced - rather than the MDF!

I will happily accept your offer Tom, and give it a try to see how it affects handling, tooling or the ultimate finish. No hurry though, as I have still got some pressing commercial tasks to be getting on with meanwhile!

Time enough for this thread continuum though..?!

I did forget that there was one other intermediate image available for the previous post; so here it is - or was - or should have been?:

hSAM_xy3259.JPG

Still at that time quite innocently pristine and smooth?!

With the tubeplate and dart locking bar primed, and admittedly before even starting on the rest of the smokebox interior, I fancied trying to establish an absolutely accurate colour mix for the parts.

What I was specifically looking for was an overall ash/soot/char tone that was fairly well represented by this handy shot from my own recent records:

hSAM_xy3327comp SV400252 disposal 44.JPG

My friend's newly purchased, second hand, slightly wonky but otherwise very free steaming "Speedy", after an extremely enjoyable afternoon running session, somewhere in Suffolk!

Later, in the depths of Norfolk, I was mildly surprised to note that the backhead of a much larger, but still narrow gauge locomotive was pretty much the same distinctive shade?!

hSAM_xy3327comp Firebox Gwynedd BressinghamSAM_x0459.JPG

Back at home, we have an original cast iron fireplace that is not only still in situ but is kept in fully coal fired, welcoming, winter warming use! The decidedly pinkish-brown seen in the above images is a near perfect match with the grate and firebars in our own living room!

It was therefore a fairly (or perhaps not quite so?) straightforward task to mix a blend of matt enamels by being able to repeatedly offer the palette up to the real thing for comparison until I was completely satisfied...

hSAM_xy3327.JPG

I am still amazed by just how much "Flesh" (61) and how little black was required! Indeed, the former should be applied almost neat for the "hottest" spots on the grate.

While I have yet to meet anyone with a skin colour that is even remotely similar to Humbrol's almost ridiculous description, I cannot help thinking that "Firebrick" would be a much more accurate, if rather less commercial title?! Oddly, the brown that they call "Rust" (113) is so far away from any genuine oxides that I have ever found that it is really only fit for use as a toner!

Still drying, but popped in to stand back and view:

hSAM_xy3331.JPG

Yes, I did slop it about, but it was easier to rub the splashes off the plugs afterwards than muck about with masking up beforehand!

Brass hates paint anyway, whatever the colour, doesn't it?!

Pete.
 
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Tom Insole

Western Thunderer
I’ll see about popping in to grab a tin ready for a Christmas nip in! Even if I have to stand at the door and wave from the outside I’ll make it happen.

I’ve slowly been adding to my pot collection of humbrol and was quite surprised I have all 3. Agreed the “rust” is nothing like it. So I’ve got to keep hunting for some nice tones to paint my little diesel. I’ve almost come to a point I’m ready to start assembly so maybe in the new year and the local club opens up again (CMES) to be taken guest of honour with Dave Harper to test both on real rails. I’ll have to see if I can attach a video to my thread showing “Mr.Grumpy” doing his 1st real train on some cheap Christmas train track that was very conveniently 32mm! The radius on the curves might of been a tad tight mind :eek:

32FC9395-DE30-4537-8EFA-56E59DE73F23.jpeg
considering we’ve been sorting all the crafts cupboards out at home floor space was a bit limited but I managed to find a little bit... :D
 

Peter Insole

Western Thunderer
Cheap Christmas track? I like the sound of that, and I'll wager that a special "small person" will absolutely love it later too!

For industrial lines, I suppose curves would only be regarded as too tight if anything with four wheels won't go round it?!

GDandD(P)!
 

Tom Insole

Western Thunderer
Cheap Christmas track? I like the sound of that, and I'll wager that a special "small person" will absolutely love it later too!

For industrial lines, I suppose curves would only be regarded as too tight if anything with four wheels won't go round it?!

GDandD(P)!

Oh she’s see the Christmas version chugging around the loop at 500mph. Was most impressed. With it and wanted to keep handing me the loco afterwards in hopes I’ll switch it on again when dismantling the track off her bedroom rug.

the only downside is I’ve only a small loop and face the same problem you do with the ride on, no points for making things interesting!
 

michael mott

Western Thunderer
Pete the loco is coming together very nicely, I think that the front of the smokebox with the paint surface having some texture looks great. It is funny how so many modelbuilders work hard to affect the right look with weathering and rusting and aging on the model to make them look "Real" and you are able to create a convincing looking older metal surface by accident.

Michael
 

Richard Insole

Western Thunderer
Hello All, Message from Dad (Pete). I hope that this will get to the right people.

Dad is taking a temporary step away for a little while and we want to assure you that this will only be a temporary measure. I won’t go into any details as to why, as this is personal to dad. He may fill you in with this at a later date but, I don’t feel comfortable answering any of these questions on his behalf at this stage. I can tell you however, that he is doing well and that there is nothing to be majorly concerned with or about.

Your understanding and well wishes is/are massively appreciated in advance. He will be back on his feet in no time and posting progress on the little, big build before you know it. And everything in-between of course


If you are waiting on a response from him, this may fill in a little bit of a blank as to why you have not had a response. He is not ignoring you; he is just not active on here for a short while.


Thank you all again


Rich, Tom & Pete
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
No problem from this end of Kent. Sometimes we all just need to step away from things and take the time to sort life out.

We will still be here when Pete comes back. Meanwhile, all the best wishes to him and the family.
 

Giles

Western Thunderer
Friends don't need explanations - he has our constant support and affection whether he's here on not. All the very best to him and you - particularly over Christmas, which I know for some of us is difficult.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
One of the most important aspects with any hobby, is knowing when to stop, or take a break.

Take as long as you like mate and come back with a full bag of sharpened crayons :p

ATB Mick the Dane.
 
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