7mm On Heather's workbench - a trio of JLTRT Mk2s

[Heather Kay]

Okay, here are some pics, to appease the Pixel Gods.





My problem? I used a fibre mop to polish the sides. I forgot to make sure the sides had been cleaned of all strands before spraying commenced. Pass the Dunce's Cap, please.

Meanwhile, lurking under their dust cover...

 

[Dog Star]

My problem? I used a fibre mop to polish the sides. I forgot to make sure the sides had been cleaned of all strands before spraying commenced.

Dare I suggest a tender caress with a "Tack-Rag"? Much used in the automobile-spray business... a fine weave scrim which is tacky. Does what it says on the packet etc..

 

[Heather Kay]

Dare I suggest a tender caress wiht a "Tack-Rag"? Much used in the auto-spray business... a fine weave scrim which is tacky. Does what it says on the packet etc..

You may certainly suggest it. I shall source some for the next project. Thank you.

I think part of my problem is the rattlecans are designed for automotive repair. The spray pattern is wide for coverage, but perhaps a little too wide for the scale I'm working with. It's a technique you can't really practice in earnest, but I'm getting there. I hope. At least the paint is touch dry in less than an hour.

 

[Dog Star]

You may certainly suggest it. I shall source some for the next project. Thank you.

If you have difficulty in finding some I might be able to forward a couple from here - each rag comes in its own plakki-wrapper so will not get stuck in the post!

I think part of my problem is the rattlecans are designed for automotive repair. The spray pattern is wide for coverage, but perhaps a little too wide for the scale I'm working with.

Surprising to read this for the Halfords' range of primers in rattle cans are much used in the 7mm modelling world. If the spray pattern is to "big / broad" then try a different "top" to the can. The rattle cans from Games Workshop generally have a "smaller / finer" spray pattern than the Halfords' cans (also more like a cone than the broad swipe from some rattles).

 

[Heather Kay]

Surprising to read this for the Halfords' range of primers in rattle cans are much used in the 7mm modelling world. If the spray pattern is to "big / broad" then try a different "top" to the can.

I will take this up with Richard and Co. The supplier obviously uses the standard wide pattern top, and I don't know what options might be available. The Halfords style tops seem better suited, and while I may try to fit one to the cellulose cans, I don't know if the nozzle is designed differently for the different mix of paint.

The saving grace with the cellulose paint is the fast dry time. I've already cleaned up the hairy sides, and they'll be in the booth shortly.

 

[lancer1027]

Hi Heather,

Great work.. I fully appreciate the disappointment and frustration of "orange peel" . It happened on my CCT recently.
I look forward to your next installment with pics of course

Rob

 

[Heather Kay]

While I wait for paint to harden, and to practice my patience skills, I started a second underframe this afternoon.

All underframes now have couplings, and the bogies have been fitted and bolts shortened accordingly. As I am still waiting for that mythical package of missing parts, I can only get so far with each underframe, but the major castings are in place. The almost completed TSO is now lurking in a box, waiting for the bodywork painting to be completed.



Second TSO underframe gets some bits glued on.



First TSO underframe lurks in its box.



BSO awaits attention.

 

[Dog Star]

I am not sure that this had been mentioned in earlier posts... apologies if I have missed the details - these Mk.2 carriages are to be vac braked? air braked? dual braked? Steam heat? ETH? dual heat?

regards, Graham

 

[Phill Dyson]

I used cellulose on the yellow ends of my 121 & I have to say I didn't like the stuff at all....mine was JLTRT rattle cans & despite my best efforts the paint just went on too thick......I baked the damn stuff dry in front of the gas fire as I didn't trust it to dry without runs ..........I much prefer Railmatch enamel cans despite the occasional nozzle blockage.

BTW I did my MK2's the opposite way round (blue first) as I found it easier to mask

Cheers Phill

 

[Heather Kay]

I am not sure that this had been mentioned in earlier posts... apologies if I have missed the details - these Mk.2 carriages are to be vac braked? air braked? dual braked? Steam heat? ETH? dual heat?

These are air brake only, forced air ventilation, dual heating.

BTW I did my MK2's the opposite way round (blue first) as I found it easier to mask

There is something in that, but it's the covering ability of the paint I worry about. The last four coaches I have built for Richard were airbrushed using Precision enamels, and getting any coverage over the blue with the grey was impossible. Therefore, I take the view I start with the light colour, and overspray with the dark colour.

Although it can be time consuming, I don't find masking the grey panel all that hard. I'll show how I go about it in due course.

 

[Phill Dyson]

There is something in that, but it's the covering ability of the paint I worry about. The last four coaches I have built for Richard were airbrushed using Precision enamels, and getting any coverage over the blue with the grey was impossible. Therefore, I take the view I start with the light colour, and overspray with the dark colour.

No coverage problems with grey over blue for me Heather when I did the MK2's with Railmatch

 

[mth]

Hi Heather,
I also had no problem with grey over blue on the 12 JLTRT Mk1s i built for iploffy. (Area 51, MTH workbench)
I also use Railmatch.

Keep up the good work

 

[Heather Kay]

Hi Heather,
I also had no problem with grey over blue on the 12 JLTRT Mk1s i built for iploffy. (Area 51, MTH workbench)
I also use Railmatch.

Was that rattlecan paint, or mixed from tinlets with thinners? I think that's the difference.

 

[Phill Dyson]

Rattle cans for me Heather

 

[Heather Kay]

Hopefully this will help Heather...
View attachment 17768
Bob

Right, conundrums. Bob's graphic was very helpful, and confirmed to me the grey panel on the corporate blue livery was a constant 44 inches in height. (I have to work in inches because I use a CPL scale rule which is divided up into feets and incheses.)

Here's my maths - and remember I am useless with numbers:

• Top of gutter to centre of white line = 118mm + 9.5mm = 127.5mm = 5in (all but)
• Centre of top white line to centre of bottom white line = 19mm + 1118mm = 1137mm = 44-3/4in or 3ft 8-3/4in

By my reckoning, therefore, the grey panel should be 3ft 8-3/4in high, call in 3ft 9in because I can't subdivide the small subdivisions on the ruler that well, centred on the window height. I made a quick gauge, from a Post-It note, so I could check things looked right on the coach sides...

I think we may have encountered another one of those Not Quite Like The Real Thing issues.



Comparing that with photos of Mk2Bs and Cs, and something doesn't quite ring true. The distance between the top of the window frame and the gutter doesn't seem deep enough, and indeed scales to the 5in where the centre of the top white line should be.

Something is awry, and I suspect the windows and/or frames are too deep. There's not much I can do about it, sadly, so I'll stick with the 44in depth, even though the top blue panel will be smaller than it ought to be.

Hey ho.

 

[mth]

Was that rattlecan paint, or mixed from tinlets with thinners? I think that's the difference.

There is a difference. I have to ammit I mix my own. I find the rattlecans paint a tad to thin even railmatch.
Saying that I use there varnish (only becouse I cant mix varnish to save my life ) with no problems.

 

[Stu Fox]

Heather,

Studying that image of yours, I'd say the window is the right depth but sat too high. It just doesn't sit quite right. I wonder if painting will mask that, if indeed, it exists!?
And, referring to your work on the bogies - dare I ask what your 'patent grot mix' is?

Thanks and regards

Stu

 

[Ressaldar]

Hi Heather,

some great and also some frustrating work going on with these coaches, I'm watching with great interest as I am collecting one of the JLTRT coach kits at Kettering - the ex GWR H33 Restaurant Coach to convert into the S&T Inspection Saloon.

On the Blue/Grey front, I have just checked the HMRS pre-drawn ends for the white lining and as close as I can make it out, centre to centre is 27.5mm which is 3'11.04" and between the inside faces it's 26.5mm or 3'9.36" so there is no mileage to be gained by going along that route.

Best of luck with the rest of the build.

regards

Mike

 

[Heather Kay]

dare I ask what your 'patent grot mix' is?

It's quite simple. It's a 50:50 mix of matt black and matt earth (Humbrol 33 and 26 or 29). It gives a head start on weathering underframes.

On the Blue/Grey front, I have just checked the HMRS pre-drawn ends for the white lining and as close as I can make it out, centre to centre is 27.5mm which is 3'11.04" and between the inside faces it's 26.5mm or 3'9.36" so there is no mileage to be gained by going along that route.

Ha! It does seem to be variable. I suspect JLTRT have just missed the mark somewhere. Having consulted with Richard - I was planning on trying to match his existing Mk2 coaches - I'm reliably informed there was a degree of variation on the real thing as far as the position and depth of the grey panel.

So, I shall consult photos, make comparisons, and see if I can work out the best way forward.

In other news, still nothing from Scotland. I'm in danger of grinding to a standstill for want of brake components on the two remaining kits.

 

[Stu Fox]

It's quite simple. It's a 50:50 mix of matt black and matt earth (Humbrol 33 and 26 or 29). It gives a head start on weathering underframes.

In other news, still nothing from Scotland. I'm in danger of grinding to a standstill for want of brake components on the two remaining kits.

Thank-you Heather, I've been using a humbrol mix of matt black and white about 4:1 for a grey, I think I'll go grubbier.
On the spares front; I wonder if customers are receiving extras in some boxes? Or if everyone has something missing? I don't wish to rock the boat, but where else do we pay hundreds of £££'s for 'bits' to be missing?

Regards

Stu