SimonD’s workbench

[JimG]

I thought Swindon painted everything grey, inside and out, top and bottom. How long said shiny grey paint lasted on the inside is another matter entirely.

As a teenager in the 1950s, I worked the school summer holidays as a coal trimmer in the distillery in the town. We tipped 16T minerals on hydraulic ramps into pits under the rails where the coal was lifted by bucket chain to feed the power station boiler hoppers. The wagon inside bottoms were bright steel after the coal was dropped although how long they stayed that way until starting to get a rusty sheen would be debatable.

Another feature of any 16T mineral that went through us was a row of dents in the floor above the axle at the opposite end from the door. We had a long pole which was laid on the raised axle which was then thumped on the floor to remove the last vestiges of coal stuck in corners, especially if the coal was wet.

We occasionally would get a larger, longer mineral wagon where the wheelbase was too long and it couldn't be tipped. So the wagon was parked with the side doors over the pits and we had to hand shovel the whole load out of the wagon. Stained with blood sweat and tears would probably be appropriate.

Jim.

 

[simond]

Where I lived as a kid, we had a mushroom farm at the bottom of the garden. About once every six months they got a large trailer full of (horse?) manure which they used as the growing medium (after sterilisation, I might add!).

but if the trailer didn’t tip, there was a decent pocket money bonus for getting stuck in with a garden fork…


thinking back, I could imagine my Mum being horrified that her little darling was up to his armpits in s**t, but Dad had grown up on a farm, so I guess he was more sanguine about it.

 

[simond]

I discovered today that meths (methfix transfers) can seriously mess up acrylic paintwork. The N6 I was playing with ended up looking like it had been whitewashed.

To the extent that the transfers were scrapped and the wagon repainted.

Every day is a school day…

might try to find some waterslide alternatives.


in other news, the RCH w iron etch design is progressing.

 

[magmouse]

I've had the same issue, using Vallejo acrylics - I have managed to get away with it by minimising the amount of the diluted meths used, and allowing things to dry. The paint re-hardened, leaving some watermarks that disappeared under some weathering, not it's not a great situation to be in.

Nick.

 

[simond]

Cheers Nick. I quite like the Vallejo paints but frustratingly I could have just sprayed the wagon in rattle can black. Well, when the weather is up for it, anyway! But of course I had not just used plain black, I had mixed it with a little grey, and I don’t think Halfords do that!

Hoping I’ll get the etches sorted out in the next week or so, and hoping they’ll actually work as designed!

Once they’re done, and off to the etcher, I can have another go at the N4s…

 

[Rob R]

But of course I had not just used plain black, I had mixed it with a little grey, and I don’t think Halfords do that!

Volvo Dark Grey?

 

[Rob Pulham]

I discovered today that meths (methfix transfers) can seriously mess up acrylic paintwork. The N6 I was playing with ended up looking like it had been whitewashed.

To the extent that the transfers were scrapped and the wagon repainted.

Every day is a school day…

might try to find some waterslide alternatives.


in other news, the RCH w iron etch design is progressing.

Hi Simon,

It's fine if you water it down but another alternative to meths is Microsol/Microset. They don't affect the acrylic paintwork. I have used them exclusively for some time now when applying transfers.

 

[magmouse]

That's a useful tip, Rob - thanks.

I find the black spray paint intended for barbecues is often less black (=dark grey). Also, if you are going to weather the wagon, a grey mix of black and white weathering powders allows you to move black paint to a dark grey, as long as you are starting with a truly matt surface. Matt spray paint is good for that, but I find acrylics often end with a slight sheen, which can be nice for making a wagon look new (a 'scale' gloss) but hard to weather into with powders.

Nick.

 

[simond]

Hi Simon,

It's fine if you water it down but another alternative to meths is Microsol/Microset. They don't affect the acrylic paintwork. I have used them exclusively for some time now when applying transfers.

Thanks Rob,

does that work ok with the HMRS transfers? I’ve got both and use them on waterslide.

on reflection, I suspect it was not the Vallejo paint, but I’d overcoated with Humbrol gloss acrylic as I wanted to avoid any silvering, then didn’t use waterslide….

whatever it was, the meths & paint reacted, but it’s very dark grey again now!

 

[Rob Pulham]

Thanks Rob,

does that work ok with the HMRS transfers? I’ve got both and use them on waterslide.

Yes, I much prefer HMRS Methfix to press fix although I do use waterslide as well.

 

[simond]

Yes, I much prefer HMRS Methfix to press fix although I do use waterslide as well.

Thanks Rob.

Iupon re-reading the thread, I realise “I’ve got both and use them on waterslide” could be misconstrued.

I have both Microsol and Microset, which is what I meant. I have both Pressfix and Methfix transfers, I think I prefer waterslide!

cheers
Simon