7mm On Heather's Workbench - the answer to life, the universe and…

[Heather Kay]

Right, final bits.

The front buffer plank vacuum pipe parking plug is fitted. There seem to be bits on one of the sprues that really ought to be a single casting, but I've bodged together something that sort of works.



The brake fittings, at last. I found various odds and ends of castings in the Bits Box which looked about right, mounted on a 1.6mm brass rod. The pull rod is "resting" on the rigging so it can all be removed.

Removing the brake rigging proved possible. Yesterday I was tidying things up, preparing for painting, when I noticed one of the front hangers had broken loose. I had to disassemble the connecting rods, remove the cylinder block and then carefully remove the shoes and rigging to repair things. It worked well, so that was pleasing.

The beast is currently in pieces. I think dunking the body in some Viakal, then a period in the airing cupboard to dry out, is the next stage. I have other builds I can get on with while I think about beginning the painting.

 

[Heather Kay]

No piccies just yet, but the outside temperature has risen sufficiently that I felt comfortable in the paint shop in the loft. With the oil radiator deployed, and judicious use of an old hairdryer, I've managed to get a coat of primer on the loco, roof and side screens. I think I should leave it for the rest of the day before checking on it again.

I didn't use the hairdryer to spray the primer, of course. Just in case you're wondering. Just a standard rattle can primer from the can.

 

[Heather Kay]

Shiny. A little retouching needed to cover the bits the airbrush missed (spraying gloss black is hard, as all the reflections mask missed areas nicely), paint the cab interior and buffer beams, fit the spectacles, side screens, couplings, buffers, brake pipes and sanding pipes, plus plates and transfers - and we will be done. Oh, yeah, a satin varnish to finish.

Phew!

 

[Scale7JB]

Hi Heather,

Any reason for putting brake pipes on after spraying?

JB.

 

[Heather Kay]

No particular reason, but it's a bit easier to get paint on the buffer beams without any more clutter around.

 

[Heather Kay]

Nearly there. I really struggled with the large totem transfers. Every single one - and I used six to get the two that worked - split or fractured as it slid from the backing sheet. Perhaps it was a bad batch, but I think I shall look at alternative suppliers in the future.

The list of things to do is getting shorter. Once the transfers are dry, and the model has sat at room temperature for a day or so to let the paint harden more, I shall get a couple of satin varnish coats on. Then it's down to sanding pipes, buffers, couplings, brake pipes, spectacle plates and crew.



Here's the office, waiting for the crew to arrive. I know GWR cabs were painted the main livery, but I went with the preserved loco cream finish to make it a bit less dark in there.

 

[Heather Kay]

And with that, it's done!

Photos in the gallery thread.

I have this love/hate relationship with loco chassis. Although I had ironed out some lumpiness, it was obvious there was something still awry with the running of this loco. After some vocabulary extension I worked out that the compensated leading axles were too sloppy, leading to the second axle fireman's side wheel to be lifted when under power. This caused shorts and all kinds of lumpy running. After consultation with the client, it was agreed to bung up the leading axles so they became solid. This helped, but there was still some binding. Anyway, to cut a long story short, a little quartering adjustment (yes, you can make tiny tweaks to Slater's wheels, believe it or not!) and some playing with spacing washers, and the loco now runs like a sewing machine. It's very pleasing to see.

I can't really review the build, as many of the issues encountered have been covered in the foregoing thread. As a lot of the hard work had already been done by the client I can't really claim any cleverness, apart from adding a few little touches, correcting odd details and generally making it look nice. I think it turned out okay, and I hope it gives many hours of happy play time in its new home!