Steph Dale
Western Thunderer
Well, it appears you have your trident/toasting fork ready for that eventuality...
Sorry, I'll get my hat.
Steph
TFW’s workshop
- Thread starter Tim Watson
- Start date
Well, it appears you have your trident/toasting fork ready for that eventuality...
Sorry, I'll get my hat.
Steph
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Remember making one of those at school.
Tim
Tim
A bit quicker than Mons Meg...
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Can you tell what it is yet?
Well it’s fairly obviously two sets of 2mm Scale Association etched rods. The one in the foreground is sold for the modern Farish Jinty conversion, whilst the rather more robust version is also sold for Farish conversions. I think that the one in the foreground is too delicate, being only 10 thou thick across the rods, as it is half etched both sides. Anyway, the thicker ones were used for the Farish Jinty conversion below:
After one days work, it now needs some couplings and weathering; the chimney has been replaced with a correct shaped casting. Quite ironic that the previous Grafar Jinty had a good chimney and poorly shaped dome. It runs really rather well, although I had to make new plain muffs, as the supplied ones were a touch too loose for my taste. All the running gear was chemically blackened before assembly. All in all, a really good introduction to making finescale locos - who would have thought that thirty years ago we would have such high quality commercial models available?
Tim
Well it’s fairly obviously two sets of 2mm Scale Association etched rods. The one in the foreground is sold for the modern Farish Jinty conversion, whilst the rather more robust version is also sold for Farish conversions. I think that the one in the foreground is too delicate, being only 10 thou thick across the rods, as it is half etched both sides. Anyway, the thicker ones were used for the Farish Jinty conversion below:
After one days work, it now needs some couplings and weathering; the chimney has been replaced with a correct shaped casting. Quite ironic that the previous Grafar Jinty had a good chimney and poorly shaped dome. It runs really rather well, although I had to make new plain muffs, as the supplied ones were a touch too loose for my taste. All the running gear was chemically blackened before assembly. All in all, a really good introduction to making finescale locos - who would have thought that thirty years ago we would have such high quality commercial models available?
Tim
Good value loupes
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
My students have sourced these loupes:
https://emea01.safelinks.protection...6yV/1VjZWSttS0u5fNsnZ6AYTNMKpipQs=&reserved=0
They are incredibly good value,
with reasonable optics. They cannot be fitted with prescription lenses, however. Obviously, not quite in the league of the ones I use, but the box is pretty good anyway!
Tim
https://emea01.safelinks.protection...6yV/1VjZWSttS0u5fNsnZ6AYTNMKpipQs=&reserved=0
They are incredibly good value,
with reasonable optics. They cannot be fitted with prescription lenses, however. Obviously, not quite in the league of the ones I use, but the box is pretty good anyway!
Tim
simond
Western Thunderer
It arrived, looks much like it does in the adverts, of course the hunky fashion model is not included...
It all appears to work as advertised, except I found that I had to adjust the convergence of the lens axes - it says “don’t” in the instructions, which are predictably Chinglish - to have a satisfactory stereo view. I’ve not used it in anger yet, but it certainly gives a very good view of small things.
The light is more than powerful enough, it is nearly good on minimum setting, and is really too bright on max.
Field of view is predictably tiny, fingertips, not hands, and the acceptable depth of focus is a bit further away than I’m used to when wearing my usual specs. That’s not an issue, just need to get used to it.
I’m tempted to make a block to fit a spare pair of my usual specs, and bolt the binoculars to them. This would mean that I could use my prescription lenses too. Not sure what effect that would have, probably increase mag and bring the focus closer, I think.
Initial conclusions are that it’s much better than the headband thing I have, and it’ll therefore get rather more use.
Thanks to Tim for the pointer.
Simon
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Absolutely no reason why you shouldn't adjust the convergeance Simon. The way to check that you have them set well is to put your two thumbs together at the working focal point. Close one eye and the thumbs should stay still, ditto for the other eye. Having coaxial illumination is a major boon. Loupes can give you a better posture because they encourage you not to stoop over your work.
Tim
Tim
Poor relation to signals
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Telegraph poles are often a bit of a Cinderella subject on model railways. On top of Gasworks Tunnel there was the mother and father of a telegraph pole that probably terminated some of the wires before sending them down through the tunnels. In fact the base of it still in-situ.
I played around with this and other images to try and work out what the pole consisted of. We are very fortunate that Bob Jones made some rather good telegraph cross arms to our design many years ago and these can be adapted quite well to a number of configurations. The pole was made from brass rod turned to a long taper, suitable length cross arms were added, soldered on at 90 degrees to each other, as well as bits of brass for the wiring conduits and other bits. The pole is firmly located in the ground of the tunnel top (it may remain a removable item), whilst the railed fence leading up to it was made from square brass section and rod, again well fixed into the ground. There was very little painting, as the pieces were chemically blacked and then dry brush weathered.
Cecily thinks that a mascara brush would have been just as good. Maybe she has a point.
Tim
I played around with this and other images to try and work out what the pole consisted of. We are very fortunate that Bob Jones made some rather good telegraph cross arms to our design many years ago and these can be adapted quite well to a number of configurations. The pole was made from brass rod turned to a long taper, suitable length cross arms were added, soldered on at 90 degrees to each other, as well as bits of brass for the wiring conduits and other bits. The pole is firmly located in the ground of the tunnel top (it may remain a removable item), whilst the railed fence leading up to it was made from square brass section and rod, again well fixed into the ground. There was very little painting, as the pieces were chemically blacked and then dry brush weathered.
Cecily thinks that a mascara brush would have been just as good. Maybe she has a point.
Tim
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
The fun starts once you add the wires ....
....
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
Hi Tim,
Chris recently painted that very pole seen here in the late 1930's
Chris recently painted that very pole seen here in the late 1930's
Started new engine 11/11/2018
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
There were a number of memorial engines specifically so named after the Great War. One of these was Valour, made by the Great Central Railway. It’s name plate commemorated the employees lost during the conflict.
These engines have always been one of my favourites and very appropriate for Copenhagen Fields.
So this will be my next 2mm scale engine. Made a start on the tender frames this evening, so that at least I will remember when the model was started.
Tim
These engines have always been one of my favourites and very appropriate for Copenhagen Fields.
So this will be my next 2mm scale engine. Made a start on the tender frames this evening, so that at least I will remember when the model was started.
Tim
Last edited:
warren haywood
Western Thunderer
And this is Chris Warfords (Severnmill) version
Petrol 1/-
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
One of the advantages of modelling a real location is that there are some wonderful prototype shots that it might one day be possible to reproduce.
If you look carefully, you will see a splendid sign advertising petrol at 1/- a gallon (1p a litre for the youngsters). That is actually remarkably cheap petrol even for the 30s.
This group of buildings is being made for CF by Richard Wilson and so we have used this photo as a basis.
The sign was made by hand drawing some artwork at four times oversize and then reducing in a colour photocopier. I have used digital imaging for signs on buildings, but the effect is a bit too perfect and lacks the character of old sign writing.
I’m not sure if Tony Wright will be able to bend his camera to reproduce the opening shot, but at least it’s one our boxes ticked for CF.
Tim
If you look carefully, you will see a splendid sign advertising petrol at 1/- a gallon (1p a litre for the youngsters). That is actually remarkably cheap petrol even for the 30s.
This group of buildings is being made for CF by Richard Wilson and so we have used this photo as a basis.
The sign was made by hand drawing some artwork at four times oversize and then reducing in a colour photocopier. I have used digital imaging for signs on buildings, but the effect is a bit too perfect and lacks the character of old sign writing.
I’m not sure if Tony Wright will be able to bend his camera to reproduce the opening shot, but at least it’s one our boxes ticked for CF.
Tim
Petrol inflation
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
There has been some over-night inflation:
These are the correct 1930s prices - I had not looked closely enough at the original.
Tim
These are the correct 1930s prices - I had not looked closely enough at the original.
Tim
Rob Pulham
Western Thunderer
My apologies, if I have shared this already but this is Chris take on the same view but showing only the end of your building in the upper middle right
Edited to add that I have the original hanging on my office wall at home.
Edited to add that I have the original hanging on my office wall at home.
Ghost signs
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
A method for making ghost signs of a complicated design or those directly written on walls is to use colour photocopied / printed computer paper stuck to the walls. The trick is to make the paper fag paper thin by scraping away the backing with a scalpel blade (No 15 is good) until it is almost down the the ink.
It will almost be transparent when held up to the light and very delicate.
If the background to the sign is light, then the area of wall should be painted white otherwise it may darken the image. The sign is stuck onto the wall using dilute PVA glue. When it’s dry the glue shrinks the paper down onto the brickwork; a sort of poor man’s decal / transfer. The artwork can then be distressed with paints to show bricks weathering through.
There is lots more careful weathering to do. Richard Wilson is making a superb 1930’s garage to go on the northern end of the complex so we will soon start to get the area more detailed. It is quite thought provoking, that the small area of CF that we are currently working on is as big as some 2mm layouts!
Tim
It will almost be transparent when held up to the light and very delicate.
If the background to the sign is light, then the area of wall should be painted white otherwise it may darken the image. The sign is stuck onto the wall using dilute PVA glue. When it’s dry the glue shrinks the paper down onto the brickwork; a sort of poor man’s decal / transfer. The artwork can then be distressed with paints to show bricks weathering through.
There is lots more careful weathering to do. Richard Wilson is making a superb 1930’s garage to go on the northern end of the complex so we will soon start to get the area more detailed. It is quite thought provoking, that the small area of CF that we are currently working on is as big as some 2mm layouts!
Tim
Paget Christian Mission
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
A little taster of Tom Knapp’s Paget Christian Mission in place on CF. This area is currently being worked up, scenically.
Will need a bit of gap filling between the pavement and the road.
Tim
Will need a bit of gap filling between the pavement and the road.
Tim
and behind Tom’s building...
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
On a layout one can often end up with awkward corners, which should have a building, but would probably entail cutting through it at a funny angle, only having part of it modelled. We have always tried to avoid this ugly effect on CF; although the York Road tube station will be an exception to this rule. A building in a dilapidated state, or being demolished is an alternative which Matthew Wald very successfully used on the south end of the original Caledonian Road scene.
At the south end of CF, behind Tom Knapp’s Paget Christian Mission is a very awkard piece of real estate. It is one of the most obvious parts of the Belle Isle section on top of Gasworks Tunnel, and so needs something interesting to hold the eye: there are only just so many trees that you can plant on CF.
I therefore started making a cameo of a building being demolished, as a demonstration at the Model Engineer show at Ally Pally. Whilst building it, I was fortunate to get lots of advice from retired civil engineers and carpenters, and it has now been completed with a few more hours work at home. The building was obviously a small 3rd rate London terraced house, of which there were examples on this road.
The ‘one holer’ will have a tin roof on it when complete and there will be pavement at the front. Our home made brick styrene sheet is very useful for helping to get this sort of decrepit appearance in a building. The workmen have been incredibly tidy so far, clearing away all the debris as they work(!) It will be painted in this condition and then piles of timber, bricks & detritus added, subsequently. Painting will be fun...
Tim
P.S. From certain angles it does look a bit like the Alamo.
At the south end of CF, behind Tom Knapp’s Paget Christian Mission is a very awkard piece of real estate. It is one of the most obvious parts of the Belle Isle section on top of Gasworks Tunnel, and so needs something interesting to hold the eye: there are only just so many trees that you can plant on CF.
I therefore started making a cameo of a building being demolished, as a demonstration at the Model Engineer show at Ally Pally. Whilst building it, I was fortunate to get lots of advice from retired civil engineers and carpenters, and it has now been completed with a few more hours work at home. The building was obviously a small 3rd rate London terraced house, of which there were examples on this road.
The ‘one holer’ will have a tin roof on it when complete and there will be pavement at the front. Our home made brick styrene sheet is very useful for helping to get this sort of decrepit appearance in a building. The workmen have been incredibly tidy so far, clearing away all the debris as they work(!) It will be painted in this condition and then piles of timber, bricks & detritus added, subsequently. Painting will be fun...
Tim
P.S. From certain angles it does look a bit like the Alamo.
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
First go at painting, before further detailing, debris & rubbish (model not yet glued down).
Need to put some detail in Tom’s back yard now.
Tim
Need to put some detail in Tom’s back yard now.
Tim