After one hour and thirty one minutes of modelling, the platelayers' hut is finished.
The
time wasn't recorded as a challenge, but simply a reflection to myself
of being able to finish things in a reasonable time. My Y14 locomotive
is approaching four years since I started it, and although there is only
the lining and finishing to do, I still can't motivate myself to end
the job...
Anyway, superglue was used throughout, I didn't glue
my fingers together at any point, and nothing fell off when it was
washed under the tap with Shiny Sinks.
So the next thing is to make a small base to place it on.
I was inspired to do this little scene by this cropped section from
picture in the Windwood Collection of the Great Eastern Railway Society:
Unfortunately I'm not going to hit my target of finishing it by Friday night as work has taken me out and away from modelling for three nights this week. Hmm... I have just cut this too fine! It does give me the opportunity to make a proper job of the diorama base though :-)
Cheers
Flymo
For reasons that may become obvious in a few days, this weekend's project is a non-rolling stock, non-trackwork related one...
Prompted
by a certain Mr Brandreth of this parish, on Monday I ordered a kit
from Severn Models. This turned up on Thursday. I missed it lying on
the doormat, which meant that I was only able to chat about it at that
evening's CHEAG meeting, rather than show it.
The intent that it is assembled with superglue rather
than soldering, so that will be an interesting experiment. Expect stuck
fingers at some point!
Cheers
Flymo
A couple of days ago, I wrote:
"However
the real reason for the feeling of shame is that I've just gone to put
out some materials to build a replacement turnout - and I found that I
hadn't unpacked and plugged my soldering iron in since Missenden!"
Well,
I haven't needed my soldering iron so far. My first task has been to
salvage and clean up the rails from the ply-and-rivet built turnout that
this new one is replacing.
That done, it's down with the template on a piece of board and start on construction:
This is the first time that I'm building pointwork using
plastic chairs. I've done one of the Exactoscale turnouts in a box
before, and found it quick and easy. So far this seems to be just as
straightforward, and a lot less messy than soldered construction.
The
one thing that I really like, and it's quite a childish pleasure, is
that with the detailed plastic chairs, you finish a bit and it already
looks "right". That gives quite a big sense of achievement.
I
did discover that I'm dangerously close to running out of Daywat though,
so I've popped an order through this morning for another couple of
bottles, and some ModelStrip whilst I'm at it. That's for all of those
wagons that I still need to restore.
Nothing for the next couple
of evenings though, as I have to be out at work events and will have no
chance to do any more modelling. I'm really looking forward to starting
it again though 
Cheers
Flymo
How long is it since I last updated this thread with news on my own modelling? I've been busy with work, but not that busy.
There has been an autumn Missenden that came and went. Very enjoyable it was as well, with excellent company, and some very good modelling to be seen on a range of people's projects. It's amazing how many variants of High Level Kits appear in the 4mm group at Missenden!
I took along a good couple of boxes worth of ratty wagons. These are ones that either
- I built a long time ago, and my standards have now improved
- I have carted around with me from house move to house move and have been damaged through being bounced around in boxes
- Built or part-built models that can be picked up cheap on Well Known Auction Sites that are a candidate for finishing or stripping down and rebuilding.
At Missenden I had mostly the latter, and spent quite a bit of time with a set of Xuron cutters, a sharp scalpel, and some files as I reduced a fair quantity of GWR wagons to their bare bones, ready for rebuilding in a fully sprung and cosmetically detailed way. As the weekend wore on, the pile of plastic shavings around my workbench (these were mostly Coopercraft models) increased substantially.
Part of it was also to work on a set of five LNWR ballast wagons. One of them was an original of mine, where I wasn't satisfied with the paint job on it, and the other four are updates to secondhand purchases. I've just finished the lettering of them with the transfers from the original Ratio kits, and these are them sitting on mats whilst the varnish over them dries. I use Testor's Dullcote, which seems to give a super-thin and properly matt finish when I've previously used it.
These seem to be drying nicely, and later in the week I'll be starting on the weathering on them.
However the real reason for the feeling of shame is that I've just gone to put out some materials to build a replacement turnout - and I found that I hadn't unpacked and plugged my soldering iron in since Missenden!
Oh woe is me! I must do better!
Cheers
Flymo
