NWNG Railways No.1

[River Lin]

Hi all.
Outer over door vents made, painted and fitted. Windows glazed including droplights, making sure excess glue is removed from droplight edges so they don't jam in their runners.

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One point i feel i need to share is the way that after all the time since painting, the gloss has dulled a little from the paintwork due to all the handling the coach has had. At the end when i give it a final varnish to protect the paint it will put the gloss back but it is a little disconcerting at present.
A couple of panels might even get another coat of paint. Even some areas that had 3 sanded coats of primer the woodgrain is still too prominant i feel. Some places that i would expect to have to touch up at the end are where you can just see the cream between gaps in the beading and around the door vents. This is probably a little over the top i know but if i can see it so will others.
Anyway now to start on the interior. Marking out the 3rd class seat frames this evening on a strip of hardwood. I originally planned to use oak or mahogany for the seat slats but i now think pine would be more appropriate.
More anon.
D.

[FWLR]

I know you think it looks dull, but I like it...from a distance would you be able to see the woodgrain...

[philipy]

I know photos don't always show it like it is, but to me the surface paint finish in this picture is perfect, a high gloss model never looks right IMO.

Overall it looks just beautiful.

[River Lin]

You are both probably right but i will be varnishing at the end to make the coach more weatherproof. :-)
D.

[Peter Butler]

This has been my main concern about using wood for coaches, the wood-grain effect. A varnish would probably help to create a smoother surface but gloss finish might exaggerate the problem further. Satin varnish might be the answer?
'Hycote' make a very good clear lacquer in a rattle can which is sold for about £6.00. I use it to seal transfers and lining on my models and it helps to give an even finish. It says 'high gloss' on the can but I wouldn't call it that!

[River Lin]

Hi Peter.
I usually use Humbrol 'Clear Cote'. Comes in little jars for 3 quid each in clear, satin and matt. I usually brush finish my coaches as masking windows etc would be a pain. D.

[River Lin]

Actually i might try a spray varnish. If i delay fixing the glazing permenantly until the end i can replace it with card while varnishing as i did when painting the body. This should give a nice sheen to the finished model.
As for using wood Peter, i am a retired design teacher who specialised in wood and as coach bodies were mainly wood it allows me to continue using the material i have worked with all my life. Albeit on a smaller scale.
At school i was responsible for looking after a woodwork shop with an industrial circular saw, floor standing bandsaw, two wood lathes and two drill stands. I have built a lot of furniture over the years.
D.

[Peter Butler]

At school i was responsible for looking after a woodwork shop with an industrial circular saw, floor standing bandsaw, two wood lathes and two drill stands. I have built a lot of furniture over the years.
D.

Interestingly we seem to have similar backgrounds resulting in different opinions (just as it should be!)
My area of responsibility was for technicians in a woodworking workshop making and installing display systems for works of art in a major museum and art gallery.
Prior to that a qualification from the Fine Art Trade Guild in bespoke picture framing.... all wood connected. I love working in wood and it is without doubt my preferred material.... except for models. I have a blind spot when it comes to scale wood-grain, similarly I avoid using real water on layouts for the same reason.
I do admire your work and have mentioned before that I couldn't achieve the build quality in wood myself. I must remain faithful to plastic and live with its own limitations.

[FWLR]

I have a blind spot when it comes to scale wood-grain, similarly I avoid using real water on layouts for the same reason.

Now then Peter, we don’t what you falling into any pools with that blind spot of yours...

Has for the modelling, you are both brilliant at what you do, has many other members on the forum...may only wish and hope is to be able to get some where close to you all in that respect.

[River Lin]

Hi all.
On the Caernarfon plan there is not much detail on the 3rd class seating although the 1st class is fairly detailed. I have made a plywood template for a frame to hold the seat slats in 3rd and the photo below shows how it will look bearing in mind the slats will add a little height to the seat.

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To make the seat frames i cut two pieces of 4mm thick pine to 20mm wide and taped them tightly together with white masking tape so i can cut them out in matching pairs. As there are 3x 3rd class compartments with two benches in each, i need to draw around the template 6 times. The following photo shows this taped up pair of pine pieces with the shapes drawn on. One pair has been cut out, opened up and a small strip of softwood glued on to add rigidity and a larger surface for the slats to glue to.

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D.

[tom_tom_go]

Looks good.

Brandbright did something similar for the Accucradt IoM coaches.

[River Lin]

Talking of Brandbright-

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D.

[LNR]

Icing on the cake! I sense your on the downhill run now.
Grant.

[FWLR]

Brilliant work Grant.

[River Lin]

Hopefully.
D.

[Big Jim]

Grease from fingers can affect a paint finish, especially if it has not quite hardened yet. While I do not pretend to understand the chemistry behind it all, I am given to understand that some paints remain quite soft long after they have dried.

[River Lin]

That is certainly true Jim.
D.

[River Lin]

As a rough estimate i think i need about 72 slats in total for the 6 3rd class bench seats. I am thinking of 3mm wide and 2mm thick hardwood. This i know i can buy at my local model shop but i am getting satisfaction from cutting my own from larger sections using a Proxxon modellers circular saw. (A treat to myself after Peterborough this year.)
I know it might be classed as a little over the top, but i want them all exactly the same length. I am cutting them slightly over length with a knife and then sanding the ends on a shooting board that takes me back to my GCE woodwork days.

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You can see that i have used this a lot over the past few projects. I have put a panel pin at the appropriate spot on the board so that i can sand one end of the slat lightly, turn it round and then sand the other end of the slat until the sanding block rubs on the end of the board and stops removing wood from the slat.

I then tried to start gluing the slats to the seat frames in the coach but found it too fiddly to hold the endframes in the correct position and to get the ends of the slats overhanging both ends of the frames by the same amount. I then found a low sided wooden box that had square corners and base.

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Using this box, and once i had glued one slat in position with equal overhang at each end, i could hold the seat touching the back and one side of the box and glue all of the other slats in position, each one touching the side of the box thus ensuring that the overhang is the same on all.
Now to get back to cutting and sanding more slats. Only about another 60 to do.
D.

[markoteal]

The old shooting board! I remember that

[LNR]

Putting your patience to the test again I see. The end result will be good I'm sure.
Grant.
PS rather you than me though!