A group build....

QUOTE (Richard Johnson @ 15 Feb 2013, 13:24) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>*** Cos I can.

Actually I reply to lots of complex emails with several questions needing several answers. Answering within the body of the email is always clearer as it keeps things in context. Not all email users use rich text so I can't always use colour or bolding to identify my answers within the text, so I always preface my information with *** so it will be easily found.

The *** is a carry over from that, that's all.

***Aha, thank you!

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Masterclass??? I will look forward to watching your Pendon-level results Dave.

Richard

I blush at your kind comment, Stu!

I'm not joining the group build as the model, however adapted, wouldn't fit either with the image or available space on my railway or indeed the time available. I'm interested to look at the thread, though, so I can squirrel away a few hints & tips for the off chance I do start using plastic kits.

What I have gained from this site is the updating of skills from my school days with modern techniques & materials. I hope that anyone who has seen my thread would notice how I have moved from tentative building of proprietary products (largely Scalescenes) to scratchbuilding my own bits & pieces.

My aim is to build to the best of my ability & with luck improve. I am mindful however, that I lack space so if I have to cram in things that might not make strict sense I will gratefully receive advice for the future but not necessarily amend what I have. At least this way I can practise lots of techniques.

Funnily enough The Small Controller was as fond of the bare baseboard as he just wants to drive trains. He is coming to a point when he wants to add things, so that's a bonus

Not part of the build, but I would recommend adhesive copper tape for the lighting runs. Used it on my buildings and once it's painted over/covered with texture paper it's almost invisible:







Sorry to go OT!

Thanks, StuB. Quick answers to your questions:

1. I have not tried jointing the copper tape for precisely the reason you mention - I believe the adhesive would act as an insulator so there would be no connection. I did consider trying to scrape some of the glue off and then taping over the top to hold the joint but wasn't convinced it would work.

2. I solder once the tape is in place, then paint over the top. In future I will look at putting the tape between the layers of card or under the texture layers (as seen on the signal box roof) so there are minimal bits exposed.

3. It should be possible to solder the LEDs/wires to the tape prior to fitting as the tape is backed with paper which is then removed to stick the tape in place. I wonder if this would be even more fiddly, though.

4. As you can see I've not soldered since School 25 years ago, but I wouldn't have been that concerned about melting the plastic just putting a wee blob on to make an adequate connection for an LED.

Sarah is correct, the box is the Scalescenes one with Brassmasters windows/lever frame and some small details added from the Scalescenes furniture pack & other kits.

For more of my experiments in lighting see my thread on pages 2 & 3. I'm particularly pleased with the last picture in post #30 and the ones in post # 33.

QUOTE (KGR @ 9 Apr 2013, 12:30) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Is there any easy way to make the guttering?. I know Ratio do a plastic fret of guttering etc, but it seems expensive for a very small amount.

Keith.

I use styrene strip, rod and half-round. Here's a picture, sorry it's not better quality, but it was taken on a camera phone:



For the guttering I take half round and then glue bits of strip round the curved edge for the joints. Once the glue has set I snip off the protruding ends sticking up from the flat side. Brackets to hold the gutter under the roof are made from more strip.

Geoff Taylor of The Gresley beat fame actually says that in 4mm it's not really necessary to use half-round for the gutters. When painted in a dark colour the eye sees what it expects to and it is only from close up the difference is evident.

For downpipes I make joints/brackets by wrapping strip round rods, allowing the solvent effect of the glue to melt the styrene into place. I found that trying to just bend the strip made it fracture. When the strip is completely round the rod I glue the inner faces to make the brackets to go into the walls.

The angles in the pipes can be made, when using 1mm styrene anyway, by dipping the rod into very hot water then curving it into shape. Strangely enough this does work and the rods don't morph back into straights. Just be careful (as I also found when making concasse tomatoes while distracted by a rugby match not to lose attention and dip the fingers into the very hot water to retrieve the next bit to be worked on!

Thanks, StuB, I'm fairly happy with the effect. I like your suggestion for the mounting of the gutters. I had used small bits of strip coming down from under the edges of the roof and glued the half-round to that, but it was very delicate as I discovered when I ripped them off my signal box by accident recently!

Just to clarify I use Evergreen half-round pieced which are D shaped in section. I don't try to dig out a channel in them, obviously I have let standards slip

QUOTE (StuB @ 15 Apr 2013, 17:57) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Hi Sarah

Ever since I decided to build my market square I have turned into a sort of building nerd. Looking at all sorts of details like door frames and chimneys. I keep thinking how I would go about making some of the features that I see. The men in white coats will be calling soon

Stu

Glad to hear I'm not alone. Every time I'm on some of the open bits of the District Line like West Brompton I fantasize about building it, & a detailed picture of the brickwork of the towers of Battersea Power station had me jotting down some plans...

QUOTE (TheBufoon @ 15 Apr 2013, 18:39) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>OK, will do, I'll pick up a kit sometime this week, I have already thought of what to do, loosely (very!) based on this:

Cheers, Chris.

Some modern stuff is so much easier to scratchbuild, I find. It must be all the flat edges & neat corners!

Jaz, if you have a Modelzone nearby they might have Evergreen products. My local one is very well stocked & it's pretty well priced.

Completely OT, but here's a pic of my scratchbuilt model pub, with a picture of the real thing for comparison:



I think it's easy to forget how big things are when built in 4mm:1ft. I took some liberties with this model, but it's accurate in terms of footprint & that makes it the best part of ten inches long!