Ian Rathbone's Workshop

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Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
The springs don’t actually exist - what you see is all there is. There is no room behind the splasher for both the wheel and the spring so, as the wheels are essential, they win. The spring stubs are attached with glue.

Back to painting. After the statutory wait of 24 hours for the etching primer to cure, and a close inspection for foreign bodies, it was time to spray the NER green cellulose paint.

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In theory this could be masked up for the next colour after an hour but I waited until the next day before masking and then spraying the black.

IMG_0054.jpeg

The red oxide is the finish colour for the inside of the frames. Many railways used ‘red’ inside the frames and this was most likely ‘red lead’, a rust inhibiting primer but, on a model, I think this is too bright.

More anon.

Ian R
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
I use Flash floor cleaner (wife’s choice) but any proprietary floor cleaner will do as, unlike dish washing detergent, there is no lanolin. The cleaner may lift and soften dirt and grease but it’s the rinsing that removes it from the model.

So far so good. The previous photo of the masking didn’t show the full bit as I hadn’t yet finished around the bunker. Here it is mounted on the chassis with the inside face of the frames and the balance weights showing as a dull red. I have cleaned out the leading axle bearing with a cotton bud soaked in celly thinners.

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Lining next plus other details.

Ian R
 
simond

simond

Western Thunderer
Thanks Ian,

My approach to washing is the other way around - I tend to scrub assemblies with CIF & an old toothbrush, followed by a rinse in hot water, and then into the ultrasonic bath for half an hour on hot - there’s half a cap of Flash in there, for the same reasons you have outlined - and then a final rinse. I try to do this throughout the build.

As you suggest, I would do a degrease rinse in IPA or Acetone before paint. (Beforehand, I’d probably put fresh water in the ultrasonic for a second session too)

There are some recent pics on my workbench thread.

Best
Simon
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
The lining is white and black on the superstructure and red below the platform. The sequence is to do the least vulnerable first so that means doing the more complex front of cab and the awkward bunker rear. These are areas where I’m not tempted to hold the model while attending to another part, and they can be drying off while I do the first side.

The first lining on the sides is the edge white lining which is done with spring bow compasses, the point running along the edge while the nib puts down a line a constant distance away. I never use white as it is too stark so I add a mustard spoon of black to the Humbrol white paint.

IMG_0002.jpeg


The wheels were lined in a similar way, from the edge rather than the centre. It is possible to line Slaters wheels from the centre by replacing the compasses’ needle with a fat rod with a conical end that will rotate in the hex screw hole.

The straight lines along the base of the splashers and base of the bunker, and the bit in front of the cab (what is it called?) were done with a normal ruling pen using the running plate edge as a straight edge. I did check that was actually straight before starting.

Ian R
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
The next stage is to start the panel lining, horizontals first and then the vertical. I usually set my dividers at the lining width and use compasses to put a dot of paint to mark the lining height above the running plate. I also set another pair of dividers at the corner radius dimension. The corners are put in with a fine brush.

IMG_0003.jpeg

While the white lines are drying I can get on with the buffer beams, the black edging and making some transfers for the boiler bands.

Once dry I could then do the black infill. One exception to this was the lower lining on the back of bunker. I could draw in the lower edge lining in the same way as the sides but I couldn’t get a straight edge in position (lamp irons, and particularly the vac pipe in the way) to do the other horizontal set so I used a transfer, and carefully merged it in.

IMG_0005.jpeg

Red lining and buffer beams next.

Ian R
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
All masked up to paint the cab roof. This couldn’t be done earlier as the boundary depended on the position of the lining

IMG_0009.jpeg

And then catastrophe - a cab step fell off after I’d completed lining the valance and the complex step plate. Soldering it back on ruined the paint on the plate and a tiny bit on the valance so, I stripped it off. Drastic but it has to be right.

IMG_0010.jpeg


To be continued.

Ian R
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
Recovery of the valance painting didn’t take long, just 24hours. Just after I took the photo I reprimed the area and left it overnight, then gave it a coat of black, left that for an hour and then lined it out again. While waiting for the primer to cure I applied the boiler band transfers.

IMG_0015.jpeg


That’s pretty well it for now apart from a bit of touching up. The number plates are due to arrive soon then I can give it a final check and varnish. The one thing that’s not right about it is that the handrails should be unpainted steel. Had I been given notice that it was coming my way I could have asked Mike to leave them off. As it is they are brass wire so I reckon the least worst solution is to leave them painted.

IMG_0018.jpeg

Ian R
 
tomburnham

tomburnham

Active Member
Ian Rathbone said:
That’s pretty well it for now apart from a bit of touching up. The number plates are due to arrive soon then I can give it a final check and varnish. The one thing that’s not right about it is that the handrails should be unpainted steel. Had I been given notice that it was coming my way I could have asked Mike to leave them off. As it is they are brass wire so I reckon the least worst solution is to leave them painted.



Ian R
Click to expand...
Ian,
I hope that you're intending to remove the paint from the safety valve cover just like you did with the brass trim to the splashers? It should be polished brass as was the ring that covered the joint between the smokebox and the boiler.
Tom.
 
J

J_F_S

Western Thunderer
Ian Rathbone said:
That’s pretty well it for now apart from a bit of touching up
Click to expand...

Ian, thank you very much indeed for taking the time and trouble to post an in depth account of this job. It is great to see a true craftsman 'at work' and learn a bit more about how you tackle the tricky bits - especially where you have said clearly why you adopt a particular approach in preference to other options. That is real insight and is invaluable - not least since I am sure that this is one area where 'modern technology' offers no assiatnce whatsoever!

Keep up the excellent work!

Howard
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
Tom Burnham, thank you for reminding me, now done.
tomburnham said:
Ian,
I hope that you're intending to remove the paint from the safety valve cover just like you did with the brass trim to the splashers? It should be polished brass as was the ring that covered the joint between the smokebox and the boiler.
Tom.
Click to expand...
 
sjp23480

sjp23480

Western Thunderer
simond said:
Are we talking Ajax, Flash, something else?

I’ve been using Flash in the ultrasonic bath, it seems to work. Other suggestions
Click to expand...
Hi all,

I still have the remnants of a tub of CIF powder (was Ajax?) that is the first part of my cleaning process with a soft toothbrush!

Next is an ultrasonic bath. I have experimented with several cleaning agents. The most effective I have found to date is a couple of caps of Goo Gone.

I put the bath on for a short cycle to heat the solution, start a second cycle then put the body in. It's almost like a shock treatment, as you can instantly see the crud come off the model.

Once completed, immediately rinse in clean water and leave to dry. As Ian recommends, after this I try to minimise handling the body before painting.

But has anyone tried soda crystals in the ultrasonic bath?

Many thanks
Stephen
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
Well the number plates from Diane Carney arrived yesterday so it was a quick clean up, spray and reveal. I varnished it this morning then reassembled it. The brake pull rods needed soldering in place so there was further touching up - and more to do on exposed corners then I’ll let it dry before packing up for delivery at Kettering.

IMG_0011.jpeg


IMG_0010.jpeg

Ian R
 
I

Ian Rathbone

Western Thunderer
I spent a couple of hours at a G scale garden railway yesterday (literally just around the corner), so I was finally able to photograph a steam tram engine that I lined out over a year ago. A Roundhouse model that comes in plain green is much improved by some simple lining in red and black.

IMG_20260314_121408_211.jpeg

Also finished is Martin Finney’s last coach build, an LSWR Dining Saloon, built from his own kit. It is sitting on borrowed bogies as there were no wheels included in the parts I received. (And the roof is not screwed down).

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Ian R
 
Chas Levin

Chas Levin

Western Thunderer
Hello Ian, I've just been reading an article in the May 1979 issue of Model Railways Magazine, "Have gun - will use it", by Jim Whittaker, about various aspects of painting models. Amongst other techniques he covers using a gas oven - set as low as possible without the flames going out - to dry the paint (he mentions the models getting sufficiently hot during their 12-15 minute drying time - oven door closed - to be only just hand-holdable). He says this hardens the paint (oil based, turps thinned) sufficiently to allow safe handling in 15 minutes, with a finish so durable that masking tape - left on during the oven drying - can be easily and safely removed every time and chipping or removal is very difficult.
I couldn't see any mention of oven drying in your book (please excuse me if it's in there and I missed it!) so I wondered if you've ever done it and/or whether you have any thoughts about it, and about the ways it might affect paint?

Thank you, Chas
 
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