Dad-1 - Workbench - West Bay Wagon Works

[Dad-1]

Don't know why I missed the 'start' button for a new topic earlier, but I've started my thread now.

Back in March or was it April ParkeNd made a roof with a hidden valley. Being unable to see any details in a photograph
as it was obscured, he made one with a glaring error by putting the valley on top of his roofing. So I started a building
to show how I would do it, It had to be quite a large building to justify the twin ridge roofing structure. Well, as usual
I stalled at a reasonably advanced stage, but have returned to it today 'cos it's raining.

I've recently given a wash of earthy colour over the basic grey, and it'll probably need another, but it's allowed me to
glue the roof sections on and attach the lower works entrance doors.
Of interest to some may be the as yet unpainted silver chain a small section of which will dangle from the hoist beam.
This was from a cheap jewellery stall at a flea market for just £1 ............ so if you want some cheap fine chain ??



My buildings will continue here, as will my weathering of wagons ...... I still have a few to do !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

For one reason or another I've not been working much on my projects. Time is still hard to find
and we're off to a wedding at Southampton on Friday.
Today I decided I just had to tidy up the craft room floor, where somewhere in the mess should be
5 chimney pots ready for the Fisherman's Arms - now found and the best 4 going on today.

Having collected more Wills tile sheets at Buffers yesterday I've cut one piece to fit my semi's roof
and just for the sake of it photographed alongside the pub & factory unit. One advantage of loose
buildings is the flexibility of using on different layouts or dioramas. With the pub having been made
to fit an odd corner it's shape allows for use on other than a straight edge



In a way I'm looking forward to winter and more time indoors !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

UGHhhh I hate windows,
Simply because I want windows of the size I WANT, and that frequently is not what's available
from commercial suppliers. There would also be the need to spend 10's if not 100's of pounds
for a huge stock that would have to be searched before even starting a building design.

That only leaves the slow job of making your own. Currently I need 38 windows over a range of
at least 10 sizes. Here I'm cutting & adding glazing bars to a small landing window.



My basic frame plan is having one that's about 2 mm smaller than the wall opening. This allows for a small frame edging all
around and an external window ledge if required. Even in buildings where there is a curved lintel often the frames are straight.
My outer frames are of a suitable thickness plasticard cut into 5 mm wide strips, then formed by sticking 4 pieces around the
outside of a suitable sized former with corners trimmed off. Trimmed corners should prevent liquid poly adhesive from sticking
the former to frams - just be VERY careful when sticking !!
Glazing bars from suitable microstrip are then added I usualy use either 0.5 x 0.75, or 0.5 x 1.00 mm These have to be cut
to an exact fit & with some being only 3 mm long it's a fine tweezers job.

At least I can have my size whatever I want !!

Geoff T.

[bike2steam]

Why 'spoil a ship for a ha'peth of tar', I get all my window frames from;-
http://www.gtbuildingsmodels.co.uk/
if he aint got it 'off the shelf' he'll make it if I send a drawing.

[Dad-1]

Hi Paul,

For fancy or arch windows I would say it sounds a great idea ......
I wonder how much they cost ? Perhaps you can tell me IF we get a chance at Warley.

There is however a warped enjoyment of having made your own. Something of a test
getting accurate spacing by eye as well as trimming exact lengths of glazing bars.

Here are two I finished tonight, the large window is 12 pieces, small 7 pieces.





Geoff T

[bike2steam]

Hi Paul,

For fancy or arch windows I would say it sounds a great idea ......
I wonder how much they cost ? Perhaps you can tell me IF we get a chance at Warley.
Geoff T

Hi Geoff,
It should all be on the other Geoff T's web-site ( as in my last post on this thread ).

[Dad-1]

A use for the grey pub !!
Almost certainly going onto the Thomas layout .......
At times I'll just fancy making a building, no requirement, but some idea flashes past and then I'll plunge in.
Nice to find a use though & have now finished adding all the glazing bars. Just need to glaze & add curtains
then the roof can go on.
Latest picture on the Thomas thread.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

I have so much going on & then switching from project to project slows thing even more, particularly
from someone who was never overly fast anyway.
These two semi-detached houses were started because ? well, I just fancied doing it one evening !
Then having started I almost regret it due to including so many windows, some 10 per house. Then
in a design frenzy - that's a laugh - Perhaps more a moment of madness I included 5 different window
sizes, you know one of those balancing 'the look' drawings.

Well rather than having laying around too long (several years for some at times) when I got in from a visit to
the Weymout exhibition I though I'd spend the evening working on frames. All 20 outer frames were made
and now I have to decide on the actual glazing bar structures for each.

My three finished frames for the grey pub are there to show frames with glazing bars & 'dressed' on fine wet &
dry paper ready for either painting or installation





I know bike2steam says buy etched brass which is so much faster as well as being easier on the eyes, but going that way
dictates how many different sizes & shapes are practical. When making your own having a huge range of sizes in a building
is no problem, once you've decide a window is required the size you make is of little consequence any one frame is as easy,
or difficult as another.

So that was Saturday evening's work !!

Geoff T.

[VerdevaleRailway]

I hadn't seen a window sizing template before now, that's a great idea. Thanks for posting the work in progress pic.

V.R.

[bike2steam]

I know bike2steam says buy etched brass which is so much faster as well as being easier on the eyes,

Geoff T.

No problem, it's just for me that time is precious, and I will cut corners ( metaphorically speaking) where ever I can, each to their own, at least you can claim 100% scratchbuilt.

[Dad-1]

Hi Paul,

Hope you didn't see that as a criticism, and that link should be useful for others, I'd not found it before.
Etched brass is such a good medium for windows, I would agree with you & recommend their use.

I have some Ancorton laser-cut frames and while good, and fast to use, I found that they had little outer
frame, so little that when inserting into a hole they just didn't look right. Firstly because fitted in a hole
brought them too near the outer wall surface. If you wanted to fit on a buildings inside wall to keep depth
around the windows there was not enough depth of frame to stick them in. I got around that by adding a
plasticard frame around the outside - which made me think doing it all from scratch wasn't such a bad idea
after all !!

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Hi Verdevalerailway,

Sorry I didn't reply, been busy with the wife's little jobs.

WIP can help, often difficult to fully explain. Note the cut-out corners to keep liquid poly
away from the jigs, it also needs a fine brush to put on. As yet I've not stuck one to my
frames.

Spent a little time adding all my glazing bars and will dress off on wet 'n dry tomorrow.
I still have to add a couple of interior walls to stop 'see through' & then paint those inside
walls with whatever colours I fancy. I doubt the roof wil be on this week.

Geoff T.

[Dad-1]

Bright sun ? Also had to move a few bits & pieces so here is the
best photo yet of my Fisherman's Arms pub. I still have to add some
external plumbing and down pipes. This is now my favourite part of
railway modelling .......



Need to start dressing off those house window frames, but you can get
sore finger tips from sliding around over wet 'n dry paper.

Geoff T.

[Bufferstop]

Know what you mean about the finger tips. I accidentally discovered how to make the faded tyre paths on a road paved with 600grit wet and dry, when attempting to do the darker strip with a Peco rubber.

[sleeper]

I love that pub Geoff, it's coming along great. I've always admired your skills with building these buildings from scratch, the joints in between the window bars and the frame are immaculate. Do you use a cutter or a craft knife?