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Hogwarts Express, Scratchbuild, 1/48 Scale


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On 13/07/2019 at 21:17, hendie said:

 

  That Avro thingy, the Mig thingy, a floaty boaty, and a sinky boaty showed you are okay with making cereal box toys

 

What an offensive comment!
He’s made remarks like this before too!

In my view this makes Hendie a ‘Cereal Offender’ 🤪 🤪 🤣🤣🙄🙄🙄

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A fantastic job - congratulations to you both :thumbsup:

 

On 12/07/2019 at 22:53, Codger said:

Be sure for a full measure of safety with eye (ear too if needed) protection and an overall/smock  or such to keep clothing out of spinny things. 

Very wise words from Codger.

On the subject of the dreaded H&S, I picked up a tip from a very skilled turner many years ago.

 

As well as the basics such as wearing appropriate clothing (no bracelets!) and always ensuring tool rests are tight and in the correct position for the tool in use, he was very keen on safe sanding techniques. His tip was to only hold the sandpaper between thumb and forefinger, or between fingers and workpiece, using one hand only. The other hand then grips the wrist of the hand controlling the sandpaper. That way, your 'spare' hand can't be tempted to help out inappropriately, and there is no chance of the sandpaper wrapping around the workpiece and dragging an arm with it.

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1 hour ago, bhouse said:

, he was very keen on safe sanding techniques. His tip was to only hold the sandpaper between thumb and forefinger, or between fingers and workpiece, using one hand only. The other hand then grips the wrist of the hand controlling the sandpaper. That way, your 'spare' hand can't be tempted to help out inappropriately, and there is no chance of the sandpaper wrapping around the workpiece and dragging an arm with it.

Thanks - good tip! I have a lot to learn WRT lathe use so appreciate any such pointers.

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Hi Steve,

 

i enjoy looking in on your woodworking projects and this one is especially interesting as last May madam and I went on a mini-bus tour from Glasgow to Millaig.  First part of the return trip was via the “express” across the Glenfinnan viaduct.  Very popular, the train was packed with Potter enthusiasts.  Fun trip.

 

Dennis

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2 hours ago, DMC said:

.  First part of the return trip was via the “express” across the Glenfinnan viaduct.  Very popular, the train was packed with Potter enthusiasts.  Fun trip.

 

Dennis

Excellent! Was the locomotive THE actual Hogwarts Express loco - I.e. Olton Hall?

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That, sadly, isn’t the Hogwarts Express. That’s an ex-LMS Stanier Black Five. Mr Stanier was trained in his engineering craft by the Great Western Railway, so you can see some of the heritage of Swindon in his designs.

 

<nerd mode: off> :wink:

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The real GWR Hall Class 5972 'Olton Hall' is currently enclosed in the "Making of Harry Potter" attraction at Warner Brothers Studio nr Watford. This was the old Leavesden Aerodrome where DH made Mosquitos and Halifax bombers.

 

hall

 Although it was Mrs 821 who wanted to visit, it was a great place to go if you are interested in modelling at it's best. Some great "how to" explanations in various scales up to 1:1. 

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10 hours ago, Paul821 said:

The real GWR Hall Class 5972 'Olton Hall' is currently enclosed in the "Making of Harry Potter" attraction at Warner Brothers Studio nr Watford.

 

That makes me very sad.

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Ah, Steve, sorry, just meant this is the locomotive that pulled us.  Didn’t know if it was the Olton Hall..

 

Cheers 

 

Dennis

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3 hours ago, DMC said:

Ah, Steve, sorry, just meant this is the locomotive that pulled us.  Didn’t know if it was the Olton Hall..

 

No sweat of course. I seem to remember hearing somewhere that  ‘The Jacobite’ was the train that gave JK Rowling the idea for the Hogwarts Express, so if that’s correct it kinda is  the original- if you take my meaning...

 

In any case it’s a very handsome machine.

 

6 hours ago, Rob G said:

 

That makes me very sad.

Of course all steam locomotives should be allowed to run free across the countryside delighting all who see and love them, but if that’s not possible at least we know she’s safe and being looked after.  At least we can be confident that Olton Hall will never be scrapped and turned into razor blades now - there would be a global uproar by kids of all ages.

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17 hours ago, Paul821 said:

 

 

hall

 

Lovely photo! Thanks for posting. I think I will be able to make use of this one as it gives a good clear close-up view of many details. She looks nice and clean - polished within an inch of her life.

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Steve

 

  A couple of years ago we talked about composite wood that is being sold for building decks and docks.   I suggested you contact some of the companies down under as they sometimes offered free samples and I believe you did that ... yes/no?? 

 

I think you and BB might find it very suitable and easier to fabricate than real wood.   My own loco was initially shaped using Renshape (before I switched it all to brass) which is very similar to these new synthetic woods and it is very nice to work with being of uniform composition and having no grain to deal with.    Just a thought. 

 

The first 2 pictures in my build log of the Scotsman show some of that early use of Renshape.

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9 hours ago, albergman said:

 

  A couple of years ago we talked about composite wood that is being sold for building decks and docks.   I suggested you contact some of the companies down under as they sometimes offered free samples and I believe you did that ... yes/no?? 

 

I think you and BB might find it very suitable and easier to fabricate than real wood.  

Yes, I did get some thanks. They sell it by the plank at the local hardware store and from what I can tell it’s excellent. I nearly used it for the saddle-tanks on the submarine but chose ‘Liquid Ambar’ At the last moment because I had a heap of it and wanted to try out a recognised elite carving wood - it was good too! 

 

The composite Plank I have is too thin for the boiler or smoke box but I think we might find a use for it underneath the running board (I think that’s the correct term). I’m looking forward to trying it out. 👍

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Lightning McQueen

 

I'm happy to report that there's been some good progress on this project.

 

Before we start though I must ask your forbearance. When putting these posts together I often write as if I'm telling you what to do. This isn't really me trying to give you lesson or a tutorial, it's just an economical way to write and it avoids a plodding commentary that goes like;  'and then BB did thing one', 'and then BB did thing two' etc, etc... ad-infinitum.

 

First use a bandsaw to cut out a block of wood that will form the guts of the tender.

cKf3kTn.jpg

 

Hack into the top of the tender with a coping saw to form the angley, skiddy bit that, if I understand these things correctly,  the coal sort of slides down.

0VnwR5z.jpg

 

To make this... the insides of the Hogwart's express tender which - in the eyes of my somewhat deranged 12 year old daughter - looks exactly like...

3gb26LR.jpg

 

Lightning Mc Queen! Number 95 - Phchowww!     

aFL657B.jpg

 

Now move to the firebox and start up the bandsaw again.

41azMPY.jpg

 

Start carving the contour into the thing - it's narrower at the base than at the top. 

9CCKLWw.jpg

 

BB decided that she liked powertools better than the chisels so we went back to the sander and she ground out the slim base of the firebox.

Ycz5YU1.jpg

 

Not bad!

RlU6FdH.jpg

 

Which left this...

JbcZUOn.jpg

 

Round off the leading and trailing corners of the firebox - they were nice and curved in real life.

EnzhICb.jpg

 

and use some two part epoxy araldite to stick the firebox onto the back of the boiler.

YCsHXfn.jpg

 

Now to what I think is called the running board - please feel free to correct any terminology I get wrong. 

NU2mDX1.jpg

 

and once the running board is cut out we have this.

sR6FcO4.jpg

 

Which does not look exactly like a steam engine just yet, but I think we are getting there! 

 

Ta ta for now.

Bandsaw Steve and Baby Bandsaw

 

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That’s looking splendid. Very impressed, I am.

 

Running board will do. I generally refer to it as a foot plate, but GWR know-it-alls tell me it is referred to as the running plate in their world. There’s a slim plate that hangs from the running plate and joins the front buffer beam (plank!) to under the cab sides, which I would call a valance, but guess what? Yup, Swindon called it a hanging bar. Why? Nobody knows.

 

 

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I'm just waiting for the sole bars, cant rails and carlines.

 

3 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

please feel free to correct any terminology I get wrong. 

 

3 hours ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

form the angley, skiddy bit that, if I understand these things correctly,  the coal sort of slides down.

 

Wouldn't that then be called the angley, slidey bit?

 

 

nice skills at work here - and you can tell BB we said so!

 

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Love me Tender

 

I'm really enjoying this project and I think BB  is too!

 

One of the good things about the subject is that it essentially comprises two independent models - the loco and the tender.   Recently, BB and I have focused on the tender. The two reasons being, firstly that its generally a simpler structure and therefore good practice for BB and secondly she's dead keen to fill it up with crushed bricks and sand and then paint it black to make 'coal'.  I don't know why she believes that making coal will be such a highlight in her young life, but she's adamant that it will be and she wants to get to the coal as soon as possible -  fair enough I guess. :confused:

 

Before we start on the tender though, I thought I should mention that we both went to our local hobby shop a few days ago and bought a couple of lengths of 'OO' gauge railway line. Unfortunately they had no 'O' gauge and so I have bought this length which is under-scale with a gauge of just 18mm.  From here one of us, either myself or BB, will have to remove the rails from the sleepers and re-lay them 32mm apart.  This is not ideal as the rails themselves will still be somewhat under-scale, but I think for a static model that should be OK.  As long as the gauge looks alright I'm hoping no-one will notice.

 

4yWDWws.jpg

 

Anyhow - back to the tender. Cut out another length of plywood to exactly the same width as the 'running board' under the loco and glue it onto the base of the main block with some PVA glue.  Clamp it into place and leave it for 24 hours or so.

odQrKM5.jpg

 

Then transfer the shape of the side plates (if that's the correct term) of the tender onto some beautiful high-quality 3mm plywood. I haven't used a lot of plywood on my recent builds but have forgotten just how good it is. This stuff is expensive lightweight stuff used on remote control aircraft but it is fantastic to use and is very amenable to all forms of cutting, shaping and gluing.

sSSLX1C.jpg

 

After cutting the rough shapes out with the bandsaw, BB is using the sander to shape the nice rounded corners on this piece.

wvo0ol1.jpg

 

And here she is getting a bit carried away with too much PVA. Note all of the scribing lines on the side of the block of wood to help the glue grip. BB loves using a craft knife to cut these lines so we always end up with far more than we really need.

ZShLjrf.jpg

 

We then clamp the side plates into position as shown and... once again leave them for a few hours while the PVA sets hard.

SF2st1D.jpg

 

And now the sides are on the tender. I've included a few everyday bits and pieces in this photo so you can get an idea of scale. When finished the model will be approximately 40 cm long.

pypFId2.jpg

 

Now mark out the two end plates of the tender.

SIRC3BG.jpg

 

And since this plywood is so thin and such high-quality you can actually cut it with scissors if you are feeling lazy.  I bought these heat-tempered steel scissors two years ago at a quilting craft show and they have been absolutely brilliant - withstanding all kinds of abuse like this.

wf7f16b.jpg

 

The end plates sit in place beautifully because BB did a great job of measuring out the exact width required.  They too have now been PVA glued into place.

d69ZFXl.jpg

 

The project is going well and BB seems to be gaining confidence with the modelling process and the tools - which is good - as I am able to give her increasing latitude in deciding what to do and how to do it.

I daresay she's even learning something!  I certainly am.  👍

 

Yours Tenderly...  :penguin:

Bandsaw Steve.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Okay, Steve, got it right now.

 

As I said over on the WiP thread: we usually go over every year.  Rides on the railed attractions are a must,

even though we’ve done them all before.  

 

https://www.visitisleofman.com/things-to-do/isle-of-man-steam-railway-p1291361

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=isle+of+man+polor+bear+zoo&qpvt=isle+of+man+polor+bear+zoo&view=detail&mid=30B6D04C3157B8315CF530B6D04C3157B8315CF5&&FORM=VRDGAR

 

 

 

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38 minutes ago, Bandsaw Steve said:

Lovely!

 

So nice to see a tank engine not painted blue and adorned with a grey smiley face and googlie rolling eyes. 🤪

 

 I had detached retina surgery in Oxford in 1988. The surgeon was Dr Awdry, guess who his uncle was!

 

Ian

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