SimonD’s workbench

simond

Western Thunderer
Thanks Heather, I’ll have a look. I’ve a feeling it might be a bit too thick. I’ve a roll of lead flashing in the cupboard for weighting locos, etc, and it’s 1.3mm thick, around a sixteenth in old money.

We’d be looking for 0.03mm to scale, so cooking foil might be about right, though to be fair, the lead might have been a wee bit thicker in the thirties, on an industrial building intended to last “forever”.

still, 30 microns...
 

Heather Kay

Western Thunderer
I’ve a feeling it might be a bit too thick

I can’t speak from personal experience, but a lot of the aircraft modellers use it for adding panels, and even for a shiny natural metal finish. I think the stuff I have in mind is quite thin.
 

Deano747

Western Thunderer
I can’t speak from personal experience, but a lot of the aircraft modellers use it for adding panels, and even for a shiny natural metal finish. I think the stuff I have in mind is quite thin.

Simon, I have a couple of large rolls of the stuff Heather mentioned and it is quite thin. I used it for joining foil coated insulation (Celotex) Unfortunately I'm away with work till 16th when I can measure it. If it's any use I'm happy to send you some to try (If you can wait that long?)

Regards, Rob.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Simon (@simond),

I think that we have some of the self-adhesive aluminium tape for sealing the joins between sheets of Celotex... just not sure where the roll is at this instant. Happy to have a look-see if that helps you.

regards, Graham
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Thank you both, if someone would tell me how thick it is, and a brand name if possible, I can go & get a roll

cheers
Simon
 

Deano747

Western Thunderer
Thank you both, if someone would tell me how thick it is, and a brand name if possible, I can go & get a roll

cheers
Simon

I'm afraid I don't have/recall a brand name but I have 2 full rolls so could send as much as you need. It's 4" wide so there's loads of it!
As mentioned, I'll be home on 16th unless Graham (Dog Star) gets to his before then.

Regards, Rob.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
This is what we have been using to seal the celotex boards - here , possibly the same type as product as noted by Simon in the previous post.

Peter tells me that he used kitchen aluminium cooking foil for the ridge of his 7mm goods shed.

regards, Graham
 

simond

Western Thunderer
Thanks Graham,

Screwfix have two types, one near-identical to the Wickes and one half the price, which is marked “not heatproof”. Leaving aside how hot “heatproof” needs to withstand, I'm guessing the cheaper stuff is either thinner, or has less good adhesive, or possibly both.

Both shops are 5 minutes from my office, I guess I’ll go to whichever I need first.

I’ll get a pot of Birchwood Casey Aluminium Black too, though I understand it might come out very dark.

Atb
Simon
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Interesting, and something that I've been thinking of using for flashing.

I note that it's very stick - any top tips on how to cut thin, shaped pieces without getting totally stuck up?
 

Pencarrow

Western Thunderer
Well, I’ve been playing with the laser again.

On t’other channel I posted progress on the locoshed roof, it would be fair to say this did not attract universal approval, so some further work was required. Now done, the kerf that the laser produces is a bit wider than the proper gap should be, but it is what it is.

View attachment 142869

Flashing required, foil seems favourite, a suggestion that only that which covers the corks on fine wines would be best.

On another subject, anybody remember Peco Wonderful Wagons?

I rather fancy a decent meat train to go behind my 47xx, but the wagons are a price, and a “decent meat train” would require quite a few. I have two Parkside and a WEP, but three wagons does not suffice. Even with a toad.

So I posed myself the question, can I preprint card sides, laser etch them, and cut them out, and fit them to a cheap, dimensionally stable “box”. Presuming that handrails, locking bars etc can be appliqué or poked into holes as appropriate. And if so, can I mass produce the van bodies for my train?

there’s still the matter of chassis to be addressed, but I’ve made some progress on the box (easy) and the roof (we’ll see).

View attachment 142870

Roof jig

View attachment 142871

first off roof, three layers laminated card. Close but no cigar, yet...

View attachment 142872

Shame, I was rather pleased with the jig...

A little further work will get us over the line, I hope.

View attachment 142873

(The other side isn’t as straight...)

thoughts?
Simon

Slates are much better Simon. Not sure if you intend painting the slates but that also helps make the gaps thinner.

Have you also considered lasering a groove rather than a cut? Perhaps with a little nick at the bottom edge??
 

paulc

Western Thunderer
Hi Simon , when you get the roof on the wagon to your satisfaction then lock it up with a few coats of shellac inside and out . Sets like concrete and easy to paint .
I do like your idea of a meat train , possibly a side line for a bit of extra income as I'm sure other people would be interested , just a thought .
Cheers Paul
 

Deano747

Western Thunderer
Interesting, and something that I've been thinking of using for flashing.

I note that it's very stick - any top tips on how to cut thin, shaped pieces without getting totally stuck up?

Chris, the tape I have has a backing so you can cut it and then peel it off. It cuts very easily.
I note on Am@2on there are two thicknesses available, 50 and 30 Microns; like anyone could tell the difference, but if you wanted the thinnest it's there.

Regards, Rob.
 

simond

Western Thunderer
The Wonderful Wagon approach took another half step today. I’m not convinced yet, but with some work, I think it has potential. The big downer is that registration of the laser with a preprinted card body outer layer simply doesn’t work. I cut these out by hand.

image.jpg

Adding the overlays for the locking bar & hinges will make a difference, as will the relief given by handles & steps. Eventually Matt varnish & weathering of course.

I’ll have to consider how to do the cutting as the intent was to laser etch the planking grooves. If the registration is astray, that’ll not work. Maybe a Silhouette beckons, I believe they have the means to align the cutting image over a preprinted sheet?

Continuing the theme of economic mass production, does anyone have any experience of card chassis construction? I’m thinking of thin card for the solebars, fabricated girders, not trying to bend them to form the channels, and either laminated of slightly thicker card for the W irons, arranged so one side can rock to provide compensation. Slaters wheels & bearings, resin axleboxes. Card brakes. Steps & brake levers will need to be brass I guess.

thoughts, suggestions very welcome.
Cheers
Simon
 

Giles

Western Thunderer
I fairly often laser etch something thats been pre-cut, by cutting out the shape of the item in 2mm MDF that has been secured down, and placing the component to be etched within the void - having of course drawn the cut-out and the etch detail on the same drawing file. I etch planking on the reverse side of things this was as well. One is slightly at the mercy of the kerf thickness....

Hope that makes sense!
 

AJC

Western Thunderer
A secondary issue, but the variation in letter forms is really striking. Plausible GW lettering and what? Calibri, second from right? That really sings out at this range as wrong, though saying that, all three of the others are different!

Adam
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Good morning Simon,

I have successfully made W Irons using a layer of .5mm styrene backed either side by a later of 0.25mm styrene the laminations giving much more strength than a single 1mm layer would.

What I am not sure of is whether you would get similar results from card. Although the Silhouette's are designed for crafters I have never managed to get on with cutting card on my machine so I have no experience with using it as a medium.

On the subject of Silhouette and cutting to registration marks I understand that you can and there are people on RMWeb who have successfully cut out pre-printed coach sides (printing onto styrene with an inkjet) but I haven't had the need to use registrations marks so I can offer any help as t o how easy/difficult it might be or how good the results are.
 
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