Protection

Following on from the last post, it is very important to protect yourself when spraying. I use these two items to prevent any mishaps to my health, I only have one so it seems sensible to protect it!
Goggles are easily obtained and are not too expensive, as are the Dust Masks, which you can usually pick up at any market or DIY outlet (the market is usually cheaper)
The goggles are sized to enable spectacle wearers to put the over the top of your usual eyewear.
To please the wife I also wear old clothes, nothing worse than getting paint on you last birthday present!
Masking tape comes in various types, I use the low tack type, blue in colour. It is helpful to be able to mount your painted model so the masking tape can be taken off before the paint cures, this will prevent a ridge between colours, impossible to get transfers to align or stick properly.

Finishing Touch

 When all this modelling is done, the item has to be painted. There are various ways this can be done. Depending on the size and number of models to be painted dictates the method I use. First of all the model must be fully cleaned and any bumps or lumps removed. I cheat a little by using a spray can of primer/undercoat, the one shown is by Simoniz which is my preference.One of the most useful things in my kit is a turntable. This was made for me by Sedco in Sheffield many years ago and I would not be without it.

Again, depending on the size of model to be painted,dictates which spray gun I use. For small, numerous items I use my old DeVilbiss Sprite Airbrush. This has a top feed and has given many years of trusty sevice, I help by keeping it spotless, a little time spent after spraying saves hours trying to clean dried paint from inside it. Larger items are tackled with a DeVilbiss MP gravity feed  gun. This only uses marginally more air than the Airbrush but has a higher capacity resevoir and I prefer the finish it gives. Both spray guns are powered from my old Compressor which is probably older than me but just keeps on going. It has a good sized reciever to store air and also I have a regulator/filter connected to the airline to ensure no water or oil get through to the spraygun, probably overkill but ruining the paintwork on an 'O' gauge engine is prevented.

Now something to hold the model in place whilst painting. I have numerous pieces of wood of various shapes and sizes to attach the item to. Usually I temporarily attach them with double sided tae to hold them in position. A word of warning, don't use White Tack, this seems to leach through plastic and at worse will be seen as a stain on the finished articl and its a devil to clean off.
Final detailing is by paintbrush and well mixed paint, before transfers are attached and a final coat of varnish applied.

Scammell Mechanical Horse Kit

Managed to pick up another kit for a Scammell Mechanical Horse at the AGM. Having made one of these before I  thought I will make one and record the assembly. The previous one was Blood and Custard, this one will be all over Maroon.

3mm Society AGM 2011

After a 300 mile round trip I am back from this years AGM. All of the specialist traders were there plus the Societys Shop and S/H Sales.This years venue, a Methodist Church in Market Harborough, was vey spacious and even had a lift for wheelchair users as it is designed on two levels. The competitions this yaer were really excellent with some worthy winners of the various trophies. The business meeting took just over the hour leaving just enough time for those last minute purchases.
I have decided to motorise the Hymek with a Society chassis kit.This as can be seen is a large etch with various gears, nuts & bolts  and pcb for pick ups. All I have to do is select a drive option and motor of choice. This comes with eight pages of instructions and step by step photos. There is more on the 3mm members site to aid the maker.
So that is my next to do-will try and remember to photograph the construction.
Also managed to get another fo Worsley Works delightful Morris Commercial Vans, must remember to put the glazing in before I fix the roof on this one.

A Pair of 0-6-0s

Two tender engines have now arrived for use on the new layout. The first, in the background, is a Dean Goods, bought from S/H stall. This has an ECM motor/gearbox fitted, a little noisy but this will improve with running. Chris Hardy wheels are fitted, the centre flange having been ground off. Needs a pair of cabside plates, probably make these from etched kit.
The second is a Collet Goods, made from a Gem kit, this has been cut along the centre  reduced in width (for a Tri-ang TT mechanism) by Nigel Cullimore. A Brynkits chassis is fitted with Romford wheels, Mashima 9/16 motor and Branchlines gearbox. Both have run on 'Hennock' but are too long for a normal length train due to fiddleyard restrictions. Both need smokebox numbers, these I will make from pressfix numbering.
The Dean Goods is going to be subject to Modellers Licence, most were gone by the early Fifties and few appeared in Devon as far as I am aware. . However Bob Brown has given me a couple of possibles seen in the South West.Further examples would be welcome-please let em know.

New wheels for a Pannier

For the next Pannier I have used Scale Society wheels. I think they have given a better look due to finer flanges plus the crank throw is not so great. This is noticeable under the Pannier body, Romfords need a fair bit of metal removed along the footplate to give enough clearance.
The Dorset Group were lucky enough to get Peter White to come along and show us how they went together. Daunting at first, I must have learned something because this chassis worked virtually straight away.
I have used my usual gearbox from Branchlines, 40:1 in this instance couled to a Mashima 9/16 motor. The wires connecting the pick ups to the motor  are very flexible and for the life of me can't remember from whence they came. Sorry.

My first kitbuilt loco.

Wen I first began in 3mm, I thought I would test the water by building a loco, coach and wagon to see if I could make it work.
So I chose a 14XX 0-4-2 Tank! The Chassis is one of those produced by 3SMR, simple, two sideframes and coupling rods Society brass chassis spacers and Romford wheels. I must admit that it went together beautifully, the body had the cast handrails removed and handrail knobs and wire replaced them. Top feed on the boiler and push pull pipes along the footplate and it was finished. It ran well until Wilton. It stood there attached to its Autotrailer, Driving wheels spinning -the trailing axle had somehow seized. This meant removal of the body and offending axle, clean bearing and axle, replace and all is now well. I had used some model grease when the locos were serviced before the last show and I believe that is what caused it -moral-stick to what works for you.

A blast from the past.

I was going through my boxes the other day and came across this Merchant Navy loco. I remember painting, lining and fitting new plates. These are for 35014, Nederland Line. They were produced ,I believe, for a Dutch 3mm meeting some time ago. The bonus was that they were already etched to shape so just a matter of painting the surround red and an approximation of the flag in the centre.
I have a spare chassis for this loco so will see if I can make it run through Peco pointwork. Also it will need the bogie wheels replaced, may slit the face off the old Tri-ang ones and fit into a scale wheel.
The body is a very good representation of these locos, I think the repaint has brought it to life.

Hymek Resin Body Kit

Next new project is this Hymek kit. Purchased from Bruce Smetham it is a well cast resin body with fuel tank. The bogies, buffers and horns are cast whitemetal and are very crisp.
The body needs a bit of fettling to clean out the window aperatures. A nice touch is that the handrail positions are already marked, in the right place.
I will have a look at the Bullant motor bogie at the 3mm Society AGM on Saturday and see how it can be fitted, otherwise iy will have the Halling I already have.

Now Thats What I Call CAKE!

It really doesn't get any better than this! Ex Tri-ang TT enthusiast now is cake supremo in this house.
Youngest daughter Pamela has created this superb Victoria ponge packed with Strawberries and Cream-must go -time to eat.

Bogie Mink

This model was purchased from the S/H stall at a 3mm Society meeting some time ago. It is an elderly Ian Kirk kit of the GWR bogie Mink. There is a couple of pictures in Russells books, mainly of pre-nationalisation liveries. There was one that survived into BR days, mainly used as a store at Swindon I think.
The kit came without a roof and after much searching I found an old Venetian blind, one of the cheap plastic ones, that had been discarded. This was found to be the right width so one of the slats was cut to length , microstrip was cut for the slats on the roof and fixed into place.
Another wagon is now in the fleet,although somewhat tenuous-show me the picture that it didn't happen!

Blogger interruption.

Sorry to those unable to see my posts yesterday, due to me being unable to access or see wether posts had been made. I have added them manually so hope you can see them OK. Not on my own, everyone else seemed to experience problems. Well must get ready for our Dorset Group meeting today.

Ex-GWR 16' Goods Van V12-V18

Whilst trying to get a loco chassis to work I had a play with the new camera. I seem to be getting there but still have some more to learn. However, I took this shot on Teignford, bare boards with track soon to be ballasted. A couple of vans from Parkside kit PP17 in the Society range, this makes about 6 of them so far. These are both unfitted, the onlty thing done to them was fitting of rainstrips over the doors. Thes could be in several forms, reference to Touretts 'Bible' shows how many which I won't bore you with.
My standard 'West Harptree' couplings from Worsley Works and two more ready for the road.

Forgot to mention the Wilton show last weekend-two very enjoyable days, excellent lunches, especially cake as well as some interesting layouts in O to N were on show.
I did manage to take a few shots of an interesting group of houses near to the hall which will form the basis of a set of buildings for Teignford. Oh and before you ask-excellent pint of Firkin Fox on the way home, all this exhibiting can cause quite a thirst.

Parkside Wagons for 3mm Society

Found this amongst my photo files the other day.
It shows a couple of wagons made from kits exclusive to the 3mm Society. They are both made by Parkside and are a masterpiece of moulding.

The Southern PMV is the oldest whilst the GWR fruit van is somewhat newer.

They both have been finished in BR colours, the transfers are from a 3SMR sheet.

Looking forward to the Wilton exhibition this weekend, Hennock is erected in the loft and having track cleaned and everything else checked. Usually spend more time preparing for a show than actually exhibiting. Make sure you come and say hello.