7mm Mickoo's Commercial Workbench

[mickoo]

Couple of quick photos, getting there but not quite complete yet.

Warren has weathered the enginer but the rotary bunker stayed here as I wasn’t happy with the surface texture. It now needs a final coat and little weathering to blend it in, some coal fines and over spill in and around the donkey engine, walkways and crannies to complete. Then the wheels and slide bars need cleaning up and a final test run.

Last parts are the backhead to go in and the rotary bunker gear ring cover. I may add the vaguest hint of tonal colours to break up the overall filth and some wet oil patches on the motion and lubricator areas. Some gun metal on the step treads and polishing of handrails, especially the cab access ones, to top it out.

 

[oldravendale]

Dunno what to say really, Mick, except it looks fantastic. I have one of these (JM Models) in the stash. If I get round to starting it I'll hesitate before putting it up on WT... In the meantime the Royal Scot still sits on the shelf of doom while I deal with a number of signal gantries for club. That started as a single and seems to have unexpected progeny.

Brian

 

[James Spooner]

Couple of quick photos, getting there but not quite complete yet.

Warren has weathered the enginer but the rotary bunker stayed here as I wasn’t happy with the surface texture. It now needs a final coat and little weathering to blend it in, some coal fines and over spill in and around the donkey engine, walkways and crannies to complete. Then the wheels and slide bars need cleaning up and a final test run.

Last parts are the backhead to go in and the rotary bunker gear ring cover. I may add the vaguest hint of tonal colours to break up the overall filth and some wet oil patches on the motion and lubricator areas. Some gun metal on the step treads and polishing of handrails, especially the cab access ones, to top it out.

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Coo, that is rather splendid Mick! Something for us mere mortals to strive for!

Nigel

 

[mickoo]

Coo, that is rather splendid Mick! Something for us mere mortals to strive for!

Nigel

You elevate me much higher than I deserve I'm afraid, nothing on the Garratt is unachievable, you just need the will and patience to achieve it.

It has taken a very long time (over two years) and I do have to thank the client for holding his nerve and patience to see it through. There isn't much left of the original kit and if we knew what we know now, back when we started, then it would have played out very differently.

 

[mickoo]

Dunno what to say really, Mick, except it looks fantastic. I have one of these (JM Models) in the stash. If I get round to starting it I'll hesitate before putting it up on WT...

Brian

Brian, my advice would be to hurl it over the hedge as far as you possibly can , or sell it for scrap and with the funds take the wife out for a drink!

 

[mickoo]

Pushing on now, second BLP FMJ complete, well as complete as it can be before strip down and the final bits adding, in this case the sanders which will slot into tubes so that they can be removed for paint and avoid damage.

The sand box lids, sliding covers and washout plug blanks all go on after paint; the wheel over lays will be fitted as well as crank pins and retaining screws cut back whilst the models are away for paint.

Like backheads, wheels and motion all remain here for processing whilst the model goes for paint.

In other news, all the FMJ etches for other customers arrived this week ready for delivery at Stafford, all of the 3D is done for casings and chassis packs except the last two roofs. I've managed to trim the print time down to 38 hours so it'll be touch and go to get them in the bags before I leave, especially as there's a ton of other stuff to print for other projects/clients.

Neither of these will be available for viewing at Stafford as they'll be striped down and bagged/sealed up ready for paint I'm afraid, sorry. But I do have another build in a few months

 

[cmax]

Pushing on now, second BLP FMJ complete, well as complete as it can be before strip down and the final bits adding, in this case the sanders which will slot into tubes so that they can be removed for paint and avoid damage.

The sand box lids, sliding covers and washout plug blanks all go on after paint; the wheel over lays will be fitted as well as crank pins and retaining screws cut back whilst the models are away for paint.

Like backheads, wheels and motion all remain here for processing whilst the model goes for paint.

In other news, all the FMJ etches for other customers arrived this week ready for delivery at Stafford, all of the 3D is done for casings and chassis packs except the last two roofs. I've managed to trim the print time down to 38 hours so it'll be touch and go to get them in the bags before I leave, especially as there's a ton of other stuff to print for other projects/clients.

Neither of these will be available for viewing at Stafford as they'll be striped down and bagged/sealed up ready for paint I'm afraid, sorry. But I do have another build in a few months

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Fantastic Mick, as are all your builds, sometimes it seems a shame to paint them, but can't wait to see Warren's magic when they return.

 

[mickoo]

Apologies for the blizzard of updates (things moving real fast around here now) but all the projects are coming to an end/update at the same time, other than the Garratt final studio shots I don't think there's anything else to bother y'all with before the Stafford show

The next time the camera will be out is on a date with the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon/Washington chasing heavy freight

MOK 4MT Flying Pig, long runner this and it's good to finally get it all wrapped up, one of the legacy backlog items finally cleared away. Paint and weathering by Warren Haywood

Gladiator 2P tank, another model back from Warren Haywood after being weathered in the last few weeks (part of a larger batch of models doing the A14-A1 shuttle). One or two 3D extras on this and new scratch built boiler and firebox. All in all a nice little model to work on, I've never given these a second look but now that it's all done it's a nice little engine.

 

[Dave Holt]

Fantastic models, as always. Have to say it's the Pig that does it for me.
Dave.

 

[Matt.S.]

Certainly an awkward charm about that 2P. As always nice neat, restrained builds.

 

[Pencarrow]

Don't forget the nice wrinkly tin finish, Mick...

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Brian

Spitfire, my favourite....

 

[Pencarrow]

That's a really interesting photo Brian, in that it confirms that you shouldn't believe everything that you read on the internet.

To elaborate, I read sometime in the past that the air smoothed panels were made of some kind of particle board and being built during/just after the war in times of shortage I never questioned it. I doubt that particle board would have rippled quite like that.

Hi Rob, that was I think the Limpet Board used on the early Merchant Navies not the WC / BoB.

 

[mickoo]

Spitfire, my favourite....

There are only two names for Bullied Light Pacific's, Spitfire and Winston Churchill, the rest are stocking fillers......

 

[Compton castle]

There are only two names for Bullied Light Pacific's, Spitfire and Winston Churchill, the rest are stocking fillers......

Hmm Fighter command with the Geisel ejector

 

[simond]

Spitfire, my favourite....

Are we talking beer here?

 

[mickoo]

Hmm Fighter command with the Geisel ejector

Yup, someone just ordered one of those, now working up the roof (cut and shut already built Giesl chimney pack onto main roof) and then rework the blast pipe and petticoat for the interior, I'm glad about that as I was fearing I might have to build one myself

 

[mickoo]

Are we talking beer here?

Both.....

 

[mickoo]

It's finally over, 37 months build time, I thought it was only two years but it's month over three









Now it's back to the LNWR 2-4-2T and a David Andrews Jubilee, I'll only get a couple of days as the Stafford show is this weekend and right after I have a date with the Columbia river in Oregon....short notice three week break for it all chasing trains.

 

[oldravendale]

Splendid Mick. I remember the Garratts - just. We used to visit an aunt and uncle in Borehamwood and my sister and I were allowed out to watch the trains at the station. I must have been about 6 or 7. We used to collect the numbers and then throw the lists away! We didn't know what we were meant to do with them. However it sticks in my mind that I was always hoping to see a Garratt - even at that age I recognised them as something different and HUGE.

See you over the weekend and will wish you happy hols then.

Brian

 

[spikey faz]

Makes my 18 month (to date) Crosti build look a bit insignificant!

The thing is though is that we have a bit of a grumble about the quality of some of these kits, but for me the challenge of trying to elevate the the finished item to a much higher standard is strangely compelling. I guess it's a bit different for you Mick as you are building for commission and just want to get the project done ASAP.

Mike