The North Circular - Austerity & Nostalgia.

[Phred]

They've even snuck onto my layout disguised as Thomas the tank engine's friends, Annie and Clarabel!

[Ken Shabby]

You weathered Caledonian 4 wheeler has that authentic Colonel Stephens look about it.
I only have one 4 wheel that sees any use these days.

A trimmed down spare body on the cleaning coach chassis. I think the roof came from a Triang cattle wagon., and there's some bits of Lima Mk1 interior in there.

Ken

[Dad-1]

Sorry not to reply to phred, or Ken Shabby.
This had sort of fallen by the wayside and I've been piling spare 'stuff' on top of it since may.

The time has come to face my geological problem in Scotland, or wherever you fancy it to be.
The Deluxe Products single mix aqua magic has failed. For whatever reason it's not compatible
with something I've used, which is a surprise because as far as I recall the lake bottom was just
painted with a gloss Humbrol Enamel.
Initially it was taking on a coppery metallic colouration, then it started cracking. My reaction was
to just leave it to see what was going to happen, like any progressive 'decay'. Sadly it has broken
up badly in the initial area with additional splits as well as a coppery glint under much of it.

As this lake was to be the interesting part of a mini layout it's been left alone. I still don't know if
I can pick off, or if not would additional fills hide the disaster ??





Not fully forgotten - We all get problems some time !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I needed to end that last posting early - Lunch was ready & my wife waits for no man, particularly me
at meal times !!

Embedded in that first layer of 'water' are some patches of woodland scenics turf and threads of embroidery silks
all to be 'weeds' and fully enclosed in the chemical water as additional layers were to be put on. The plan was for
at least 3 layers, perhaps more and I have some silver painted grass seed to have been a shoal of fish carefully
laid between different levels as added.

I have used a 2 mix clear resin as water before & never had trouble, in fact the same container of the 'Failed'
single mix had been used before on a small diorama and while I will check again it was still fine when I last looked.
Could I have exceeded it's shelf life ?? When used last it was on Matt Humbrol enamel, could the gloss paint be
the problem ??

Whatever I have a significant 'problem' with what was supposed to be the focal point of a very small circle of track
that without interesting scenery is rather useless. I don't think using a stable 2 mix resin to fill up over this mess
will work. Certainly that will be the only 'water' I'll trust from now on

Embroidery threads in the original use of my failed water to show how easy it was to embed within the mix.



Add side reeds AFTER the resin mixes have set, or capillary action will draw up into a bunch of reeds spoiling the effect.

Geoff T.

[aleopardstail]

could well be a shelf life issue, these resins absorb moisture from the air once opened

pondering a solution.. paint the thing in a gloss to look like a murky pool, the bubble bits stick some clump sponge stuff on then maybe a very thin further layout over to salvage?

[Dad-1]

Hi aleopardstail,

I like to try to understand problems - this one will take some sorting.
Shelf life of what is obviously some form of resin mix, was one of my first thoughts, but this isn't the sort
of response I'd expect. I'd expect either going solid in the bottle, or not setting when applied - opposite reactions.

The first signs were the copper effect. initially I wondered if I'd splashed thinners, or some other contaminant
over the dried gloss paint, but as thinners is a component of the pain that doesn't make sense. It is even possible
there is a reaction to elements that make up the blue paint.
The water is splitting, a continuation of the drying process, but as far as I'm aware the depth and width I'd applied
should be O.K. I have now picked a small flake away and it took a small flake of paint with it so it has stuck firmly
in places. so still shrinking ??

I need to check the loft where my 2 mix resin water diorama has been for the last 10 years to see if that's still O.K
I think it was made around 2010. If O.K then my plan will be to go that way, but I'll need to source the components.
A way to go on this I think.

Geoff T.

[Phred]

Your first picture looks like a perfect representation of a drying stagnant pool. I can imagine a farmer trying to drag a bogged cow out of there with a tractor.

The bubbling effect makes me think of water contamination but no idea about the copper colour.

Nice effect with the embroidery threads!

[Dad-1]

Starting seriously again.
I sent a message to DeLuxe Products to see what might be best to remove all the failing 'Water'.

In the meantime I've done a small amount of scenic work. Mostly getting some grass down, while
adding some other colours to my rocky cutting.





Trying to get the feel of somewhere in Scotland.
The doing it on the cheap is still valid due to it just being a small circle - I'd recommend set-track
1st radius rather than code 75 flexi as I've used. One small locomotive, this is a Hornby 1970's issue
Caledonian Pug, one, or two wagons and a brake van.
The scene is up to any builder to decide what they may like. This can be hung on a nail in a shed, or
garage wall when not is use.

More progress although the lake depends on DeLuxe Products, I will replace with their 2 mix solid
water for the multi layers I need.

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Hi Geoff, what were the climatic conditions when you poured the failed mix? Long time ago we had a problem with the resin mix that was poured into the end of multipair cables to form a gas seal. It was part of the process to make the big cables airtight. WE then pumped dry desiccated air into one end, and shut the valve at the other once it started to come out. The problem was on the seals at the exchange end. Turned out to be due to the cold weather, the cable joiners had sought refuge in the exchange to do the prep and mixing, then taken it outside to pour into the prepared cable. Seals done on the same day with the same mix but in the back of the wagon had worked perfectly! Try again, do a test pour and see what happens.

[aleopardstail]

that grass is a lovely natural looking mix

also this sort of simple circuit has the ability to make for a very good "running in" loop for someone with an end to end layout, pick a suitable radius for whatever stock you have.. perfect to for testing DC stuff before chipping it and for demonstrating an amazing level of skill with the scenery stuff

[Dad-1]

Hi aleopardstail,

I've always loved making scenery, usually bucolic British countryside.
The thing is we ALL have to learn the skills, this is the reason I've made so many small dioramas.
Should it go badly wrong then little cost, or time wasted and binning is of no concern.

As a layout this is somewhat more involved, but the complexity is my choice because 'I Think' I
know what I'm doing. Then the 'Water' goes wrong, just to remind me none of us know all the
answers !!

I do have St Oval for most of my 'running in', but such a circle can offer that DCC fitting test for
for suitable locos at a minimum of cost and storage space.

If you've not checked the links in my signature line, one of them is to my diorama collection, that is
if imgbb hosting is still connecting. I've exceeded my 'free' limit and think that's why sometimes it
can't bring all the required picture in.

More to come, additional grass laid today to keep the highland cattle happy.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

More greenery down, perhaps up to 20% ?
So long since I did any, my skill has declined.




Now awaiting some comment from DeLuxe re removal of failed 'water'

Geoff T.

[Screwdriver]

Hi Geoff, what were the climatic conditions when you poured the failed mix? Long time ago we had a problem with the resin mix that was poured into the end of multipair cables to form a gas seal. It was part of the process to make the big cables airtight. WE then pumped dry desiccated air into one end, and shut the valve at the other once it started to come out. The problem was on the seals at the exchange end. Turned out to be due to the cold weather, the cable joiners had sought refuge in the exchange to do the prep and mixing, then taken it outside to pour into the prepared cable. Seals done on the same day with the same mix but in the back of the wagon had worked perfectly! Try again, do a test pour and see what happens.

I remember the smell of that resin from the time when I spent some weeks as an apprentice on those jointing staffs. Sounds like the change in humidity due to the temperature was causing the water in the atmosphere to condense and spoil the resin mix. It's like like the old video recorders when you had to let the machine acclimatise before use.

That coppery look reminded me of looking though a microscope and dealing with damaged printed circuit boards. I use a conformal coating after repair which comes in various colours and is cured by ultraviolet light (UV). You can get inexpensive UV torches to cure the coating. I wonder if that could be used on top to seal the resin. Just a thought.

[Phred]

Bufferstop wrote:
resin mix that was poured into the end of multipair cables

Reminds me of my cable jointing days with Telecom Australia. When pouring resin into joints on suburban footpaths, it was always tempting to leave everything open and go away to do something else while the resin hardened. If you did this, you could almost guarantee that a dog would come along and 'christen' the joint.
One day while working in an open paddock miles from anywhere, with no chance of dogs, I succumbed to temptation and left my joint open while I went back to my van (quite a long walk away) to boil the billy and have lunch. While I was away, a cow buried the entire joint in an enormous poo cake.
I later discovered that horses will happily chew an open joint to bits. Beats me why, especially with live cable which would be delivering a pretty decent electrical tingle.

[Dad-1]

Well, retro condition as opposed to progress.
DeLuxe Materials had never been asked about removing their Aqua Magic and understandably had no idea
what might work, a vague suggestion of trying acetone.
I have in my cupboard of wicked brews a bottle of nail varnish remover - which to my knowledge is mostly
just acetone. After a while pondering the subject I reasoned that acetone would probably soften the gloss
painted base. With some trepidation I poured a little nail varnish remover onto the cracked patch. This ran
quickly between my 'water' layer and painted base. A kebab stick was teased between and started lifting
the resin. In the end it came away doing mush less damage than I'd feared.

Here the removed piece alongside the lake base where some paint has come away. Now I need to clean up
thoroughly and repaint again with my dark blue.



Although the required volume of the two mix Solid Water will be costing me £30 I'm happy that it should be
tough enough not to split and will take the additional layers I require to obtain the depth of 'water' I want.
The plan was to add fish - part silver painted grass seed - between different layers of resin, using different
coloured layers to try & give the appearance of deep water. All a big experiment from which part 1 has been
a disaster !!

Geoff T.