Kallisti Posted January 20, 2016 Author Share Posted January 20, 2016 Progress is continuing on this, I've started painting some of the sub assemblies, but things will slow for a while as I've got the GF visting from Portugal for the next couple of weeks, so other priorities take presedence for now 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SleeperService Posted January 20, 2016 Share Posted January 20, 2016 A great start to a very unusual choice. I remember watching one of these 'ticking over' running a large carousel. The engine was just rocking back and forth and the dynamo was as loud as the steam exhaust. Very restful and almost hypnotic. I hope your build brings as much enjoyment. Have a great break! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Oh I like that dynamo very much. You must be a global leader in traction-engines-per-modeller by now! Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 6, 2016 Author Share Posted March 6, 2016 So a month later and I'm returning to this build having been on holiday with the GF and built the 22" Eagle Transporter. Revising the paint job on the main components as I'd left them and I'm not very happy. I pretty much messed up the paint job IMO. Here is the main body with lines of white primer visible around the masking zones... and then the boiler is just not the right colour: and the water tank is not right either So these are all getting their paint stripped off and will be repainted. To be honest, I'm having second thoughts about lighting this as well - I'm thinking it might just be a step too far... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 It's nice to see you back onto this one Kallisti and 'respect' for taking the decision to re-do your paintwork. This has the potential to be a cracking model Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepers Creepers Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 I can see I'm going to have to lend you a book about the bits of Traction engines. Not a boiler in sight in those pictures! The Horn plates and inside of the bunker wouldn't be a matt colour, and as far as I know would be the same colour as the rest of the engine (waste of time having a different colour!). This is probably due to gloss paint being polishable - don't forget that the Showman's engines are polished to within an inch, then polished again! And a lot of paintwork is cleaned with oily rags to give it a 'gloss'. Shiny, shiny, shiny! It's a full-time job looking after one of these Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Thats what I noticed in the various photos I'd collected and another reason for stripping the paint off... So what the hell is that thing called then if it isn't the boiler???? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmekanik Posted March 7, 2016 Share Posted March 7, 2016 So what the hell is that thing called then if it isn't the boiler???? I believe that would be the firebox Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 7, 2016 Author Share Posted March 7, 2016 Isn't the firebox where the fire goes... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepers Creepers Posted March 8, 2016 Share Posted March 8, 2016 I believe that would be the firebox Isn't the firebox where the fire goes... Yes! The firebox is the bit on the end of the boiler that holds the fire (Groan) which heats the water in that part of the boiler (cylindrical bit in front of it) which in turn creates the steam powering the engine! In essence Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 8, 2016 Author Share Posted March 8, 2016 So what do you call the cylindrical bit if it isn't the boiler? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nsmekanik Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 (edited) So what do you call the cylindrical bit if it isn't the boiler?The boiler, the black box that sits under the cylinder is called the firebox and this is where the fire is maintained, the heat from the fire then flows up from the firebox through the cylinder/boiler, in which the pipes, known as boiler tubes, filled with water run back and forth inside the boiler absorbing the heat from the fire box. The exhaust from the combustion and what heat is left after having passed through the boiler tubes then exits through the smoke stack. Hope this clears things up a bit, lovely build by the way Edited March 9, 2016 by nsmekanik 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Will Vale Posted March 9, 2016 Share Posted March 9, 2016 I wonder if confusion is stemming from there being a duplicate picture which should probably be this one? Will 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 9, 2016 Author Share Posted March 9, 2016 That would explain a lot Will, doh! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted March 11, 2016 Share Posted March 11, 2016 Nice build so far Kallisti, on board for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 19, 2016 Author Share Posted March 19, 2016 Do its been a while since the last update but lots of work has been takign place in the background, mostly around painting the bloody thing Taking advice from my good friend Jeepers Creepers, I've gone all glossy as these are SHOWMAN engines so would be kept in an excellent condition and polished constantly as they are there for show... Here is the main body and the boiler, both of which were given an undercoat of ALcad gloss black and then a mix of Tamiya X-7 with a drop or two of gloss black darkened it up. Then the bands aroudn the boiler were re-sprayed with Alcad Gloss black and Alcad Pale Gold The masking for the black onthe main body went off without a hitch I'm pleased to say... makes a change!!! The wooden floor for the cabin has been painted and given a dark wash. needs some coal dust and mud added! Next is the chimney stack top and the polished "G" that will be on the front of the boiler Gaim both were done with Alcad Pale Gold Next, the brass support pillars for the roof have been sprayed with Alcad Polished Brass There were some tricky mould lines on thes parts - I have almost certainly missed a few spots but I did spend a whole bloody evening sanding them down to get a nice finish for the alcad! Back to the red again and here are most of the other main components for the engine, all give the dark red treatment. Finally in this update, the crankshaft has been built. A usual with a kit this old the mould lines, sink marks and ejector pin marks were pretty horrendous - you can see some of the filler before this bit is painted. It all works well, but the joints WILL be fragile - the Steam Roller's crankshaft didn't last all that long before something broke Its slowly coming together - I'm just thankful this GB doesn't finish until April!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted March 19, 2016 Share Posted March 19, 2016 Looking good, the Alclad finishes really do look like polished metal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepers Creepers Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Now that's better A showman's engine would have towed the ride, if it had a crane on the back, been used to put it up, and then powered it. Next lesson though ... the bit where the driver and the steersman stand is called the footplate (like a railway engine) not the cabin! Seriously though, paint looks good. Looking forward to seeing it. If I want to use Alclad, I shall be coming to you for a lesson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Looking very impressive! Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 23, 2016 Author Share Posted March 23, 2016 Only a little bit of progress to report on tonight but its important... its all about eh generator, remember that pathetic little thing from a few weeks ago? Well now look what its grown up into... (look in the background you can see the control panel after its brass paint job) Now compare that to this... Going to need a bit of a steady hand to paint those lines I reckon 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killingholme Posted March 23, 2016 Share Posted March 23, 2016 Do you think you might be able to save yourselve some time and use proprietary model railway transfers for the intricate lining? Looking excellent by the way. Will Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CliffB Posted March 24, 2016 Share Posted March 24, 2016 Quite a transformation! Beautiful work Cliff Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kallisti Posted March 28, 2016 Author Share Posted March 28, 2016 So moving on, lots of work done this Easter weekend... and a major decision was made... almost accidentally, but I've been mulling it over for a couple of weeks... First off, progress on the main engine: So the boiler and main body have been joined as has the front of the boiler - this is what finalised the decision to not go ahead with the plans for lighting the lamps in the roof. It partly due to forgetting to insert the cable that would take the power from the batteries at the rear to the generator at the front before joining the pieces together, but mainly it stems from the disquiet thats I've had building for a while that the lighting wouldn't be very effective and create a LOT of problems. There are 40 bulbs that would have needed lighting and the wiring would have been insane. Even reducing that number considerably wouldn't have helped as it would have looked half-hearted and still created a lot more work. I will fake up some cables in the roof as the lamps would have to be connected to SOMETHING to have worked, but that is a lot easier than actually having 40 surface-mount LEDs up there! Anyway back to the pic above - here you can see the crankshaft has been built up and the pistons and rods all put in place. Sadly the crankshaft doesn't rotate cleanly - there is just too much stress on it. I remember building the Steam Roller version and that crankshaft lasted about a day before it broke due to the stresses. Its just not well made enough to handle the rigours of actual operation. Oh well... I've used a variety of paint finishes to give some interesting variations, from Alcad aluminium to gloss red, to matt faded black and gold and brass Alcads. Here it is from the other side... Oh you'll also notice the deca; stripes for the boiler, the front plates and the main body have been applied as well. These decals are quite old but actually work reasonably well. I've tried to cut back the carrier film as tight as possble. Lots of pieces all ready for the various assembly stages... The water tank has had its decals applies as well and the Brass Stars applied One of the big jobs has been done - namely the front wheels: Had to use the hot water trick to get the tyres over the rims - very tight fit, which is good as it means they don't need glue! The spokes have a painted gold stripe and red nuts and bolts, topped off with al Alcad Gold hub cap. http://www.mardona.org/gallery/d/20784-2/DSC_4832.JPGp/img] Decals also applied to the steering unit Very pleased with how that turned out in the end. I'm currently working on the rear body and the various differentials and winch assemblies... More to come... 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeepers Creepers Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 Well, Mr Kallisti, looks very good ... the Alcladding is really nice. Look forward to seeing it in the plastic at club night Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Heath Posted March 28, 2016 Share Posted March 28, 2016 That looks stunning, great skill on display here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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