London Bus type B, 1912 - Roden 1/72nd

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

 

 

Since I can't use the airbrush because of a respiratory infection to complete pending projects in their final stages, I decided to start another project until I am recovered.

The main (but not only) reason I build vehicles in 1/72nd is that they are excellent photography companions for my 1/72nd planes.

Not long ago the market didn't provide many options (for civil vehicles, that is), but then slowly but surely they started to pop.

The predecessors of these more modern and better detailed kits are the Keil Kraft releases in 1/72nd, of which I bought and build a small number. They are a source of nostalgia and fit the bill if you are not too demanding. Some were simpler than others.

Among them was this very London Type B bus that I posted here some time ago:

 

 

My experience with Roden buses was in general good:

 

 

So I got the London Bus.

It came without instructions, decals or clear window film, which apparently slid off while packaging the goods, and the vendor is sending them separately -after he was made aware of the situation. But the vendor is Eastern Europe, and that means at least a month-long journey (at the very least) in the mail, so I went online and found photos (not really good, though) of the instruction sheet, and will be using that as a guide.

 

I am thrilled that this visually-appealing and historically meaningful piece of mechanical history was released, and shout a cheers! to Roden.

The offering is inline with similar of their products: overall good detail, a fit that is good enough but many times not the sharpest, instructions that occasionally will have you scratching your head, and ultimately the potential for a good model to be obtained from the kit.

All the areas are covered here: the fully detailed chassis, the passenger seats for the two tiers, driver office with some gizmos, even including a horn.

 

 

 

You get a large number of parts, with nice detail and a tiny bit of flash in almost every part, so individual cleanup of the parts is mandatory. Some of those parts will need special attention, because they are half-clogged with flash, like parts 35b and 36 b (the guard-rails on the sides).

 

Continuing with one of the silliest traditions in the industry, very small parts and assemblies are represent by equally minute drawings, since the terms "blow-up drawing" and "zoom image" are many times not part of the common modeling lexicon.

Needless to say the location of some parts is vague and fuzzy, and in occasionally you will be mislead (for example, the engine cowl assemble does not go over the ridge marked on the firewall, but inside it, a fact I only discovered after liberally pouring cement in the wrong place, since that was where the "glue here" arrow pointed.

As said above you get window material, but no clear lenses for the lights. You may use MV lenses or make your own to enhance the kit's plastic parts, as I do.

I started to build sub-assemblies related to the chassis, transmission and suspension.

As usual, I diverged form the sequence suggested in the instructions, which to me seems many times designed by a non-modeler that never has to paint anything in different colors.

 

 

 

 

The name of the game here seems to be painting strategy, trying to group areas that are the same color, and avoiding as much as much possible convoluted masking or painting conundrums. Summarizing: planning is the key.

Separating, cleaning, manipulating all those minute parts, given their tendency to flee in all directions (never the one you expect, though), will provide the necessary exercise that some modelers shun (by some modelers I mean me).

I already crouched so many times and did so many push-ups looking for parts on the floor with this model, that my thighs and biceps are those of Charles Atlas, and no bully will ridicule me in front of my girlfriend at the beach anymore. Not to mention my lethal dexterity with tweezers and the sanding stick, disciplines I cultivated extensively during my training at the Shaolin Modeling Monastery. 

 

 

[Roy vd M.]

Following this, as by coincidence this Friday I’ll start on the Miniart 1/35 equivalent of this kit, for a group build!

 

Good luck!

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

56 minutes ago, Roy vd M. said:

Following this, as by coincidence this Friday I’ll start on the Miniart 1/35 equivalent of this kit, for a group build!

 

Good luck!

Oh, that's a really nice one, Roy

Looking forward to it too.

 

[square]

Just today I have started my build of this kit, so I look forward to see how your build will progress.

I am in doubt how to paint all the parts in the right order, so I hope you have this figured out.

 

When I bought the kit, I did not notice how small it really is.

I need more light and better glasses 😀

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

5 hours ago, square said:

Just today I have started my build of this kit, so I look forward to see how your build will progress.

I am in doubt how to paint all the parts in the right order, so I hope you have this figured out.

 

When I bought the kit, I did not notice how small it really is.

I need more light and better glasses 😀

It is indeed very small, and the number of parts is big.

I am trying to group all the sub-assemblies that are black first.

I am treating the upper deck as a built unit -less seats- for the purposes of painting.

My idea is to paint the interior color, mask it, paint the exterior white, mask it, paint the red.

And as we know all our plans are infallible and we never have to change anything or encounter a problem

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

[Bengalensis]

Ah, this will be so nice to follow! There is something very special with a classic London bus. The parts look quite crisp and detailed, it will be interesting to see what you create from this one.

 

I recently got the new 1/35 version from MiniArt. I was hoping for a 1/24 to go with my Routemaster I built a few years ago, but I don't even know how to find time for the smaller one...

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

20 minutes ago, Bengalensis said:

The parts look quite crisp and detailed,

Hum, yes and no. There is plenty of detail, and it is mostly crisp, but there is also the ever-present flash and mold lines associated with short-run kits.

 

Great care has to be used to detach the parts from the sprues. A Xuron tool will only do occasionally, and most frequently you will need a very sharp X-Acto. Most of the times I am using a razor blade (kids, don't try this at home).
Once separated each part will need a cleanup, invariably, being it a mold line or flash, varying from minimal to abundant:

 

 

 

[square]

Are you going to use an airbrush to paint the larger areas with and what paint are you going to use ?

I myself use an airbrush for priming with Ultimate primer and paint most of my models with Revell acrylics.

 

 

[Marklo]

36 minutes ago, Moa said:

 

Great care has to be used to detach the parts from the sprues. A Xuron tool will only do occasionally, and most frequently you will need a very sharp X-Acto. Most of the times I am using a razor blade (kids, don't try this at home).

I have a nice set of Rbtools  micro saws that I Use for things like this. They’re basically thick pe and fit an x-acto handle. I used it today to do a bit of surgery on my Snark, having made the spinner and cowl in one piece and deciding to separate them to fit the propeller.

 

As for the bus being in the wrong forum, just stick some wings on and no one will notice.

Edited March 19, 2020 by Marklo

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

The lower deck is assembled, without interior. Again, the idea is to airbrush the interior color, then add the painted seats, then stuff the interior and paint the exterior, then add the clear material from inside (all this masking the lower area, that shall be painted black before):

 

The fit of the components is fair, but you have to do some cleanup, and sometimes try to figure if a thin edge is flash or is a feature of the part.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

About 45 minutes into the task of cleaning the flash from the side guardrails it's obvious that there is still plenty more work ahead.
This is an ideal candidate for a photo-etched part (as well as a few other iterms in this kit)
Anybody listening?

[Marklo]

Just now, Moa said:

Anybody listening

Surprisingly yes.

[Mattlow]

Nice work Moa

 

I reckon you could scratch those guard rails more quickly than cleaning them up...?

 

Matt

 

PS - they'd look better too.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

31 minutes ago, square said:

Are you going to use an airbrush to paint the larger areas with and what paint are you going to use ?

I myself use an airbrush for priming with Ultimate primer and paint most of my models with Revell acrylics.

 

 

In general I use an airbrush for most of the painting. Some details by hand.

I use Alclad primers.

For painting, depending on the case, mostly Aclad lacquers, Humbrol and Model Master enamels. Occasionally some acrylics of a variety of brands.

That in general. For some specific cases I may use any of the dozens of brands I gathered through the years, including those meant for figures and railway models.

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, Mattlow said:

Nice work Moa

 

I reckon you could scratch those guard rails more quickly than cleaning them up...?

 

Matt

 

PS - they'd look better too.

Thinking exactly the same.

Sigh... I scratch enough as it is in general already, was trying to get off the hook, but it's not working.

We'll see.

 

1 hour ago, Marklo said:

Surprisingly yes.

I mean, photo-etched aftermarket manufacturers.

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

14 minutes ago, Marklo said:

They’re basically thick pe and fit an x-acto handle.

Yeap, I have those, but the most fragile parts of this kit will not tolerate that at all, the see-sawing. A very new, very sharp, very thin razor blade with a taped edge is perfect, if you know what you are doing,

 

[Marklo]

Yeah, I’ve taken to using scalpels lately, but have list the odd finger tip or fingernail section due to carelessness on occasion  

Edited March 19, 2020 by Marklo

[Paul821]

8 hours ago, square said:

Just today I have started my build of this kit, so I look forward to see how your build will progress.

That makes three of us as the WIP for my build is at, they always say London buses come in threes

 

1 hour ago, Moa said:

This is an ideal candidate for a photo-etched part

There is a PE set available for the bus made by NH Detail its actually for the Ol Buill version and does not include the guards

 

as @wamwig warned and @Moa mentioned cutting the small parts is this key issue. I use a very thin saw (see my thread) I have steered clear of the old style double sided razor blades for similar reasons to @Marklo my father used to swear by them (not at them) as he used to build the old Mircomodels card kits and found them ideal

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Parts 2C (driver and accompanying gumby seats) do not have the pips shown in the instructions that are supposed to lock them in place, but a butt-joint (in this case almost literally) will suffice.

Parts 5C have three attachment gates that will make cleanup a challenge, but they are not really visible in the final model (which is good, because the chances of damaging that thin disk at the end are ten in five).

Only the mysterious gods of modeling know exactly where parts 12B and 13B should be glued to the chassis.

 

And I don't want to succumb to despair, but I just realized that this bus has no restroom. What could be its purpose in life? transport people to the nearest restroom? shall I build a public restroom to accompany this model?

I went to a public restroom once in England, this was in London, in a nice area. It was exactly the same as in the horror movies. You had to go down a stair. It was a mix of Victorian and Medieval.

Then I went to a restroom in a Pub, in Sloane. That WAS an horror movie. Plus the room-temperature beer. Puaj!!!!!!

But our hotel (the Milestone, in Kensington, across the street from Hyde Park) was immaculate, and I have the best memories of it.

This was a lifetime (8 years) ago.

I am told the food has improved lately. But that's just @general melchett opinion, and who knows what he eats (high iron-content medals to avoid anemia?)

 

[wombat]

If beer tastes good you don’t need to chill it to freeze the tastebuds.

 

on the other hand, I will grant that California certainly seems to offer better views from the average modelling den...

[Paul821]

34 minutes ago, Moa said:

Only the mysterious gods of modeling know exactly where parts 12B and 13B should be glued to the chassis.

Although I have not got that far on my build the person who drew the instructions had no idea either. Part 12b is shown outside the frame, while somehow you  are expected to weave part 13b through the springs to the inside..

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

1 hour ago, Paul821 said:

Part 12b is shown outside the frame, while somehow you  are expected to weave part 13b through the springs to the inside..

I think they may go here on these little dimples:

 

 And at this point we are as we were in the beginning, having to start to paint and not being able for the moment to do so. Most parts separated and cleaned-up, and all that could be built already built (considering assemblies that are the same color or can be managed during paint easily for masking):

 

I think this may follow by scratching those chunkily represented and flash-ridden rails.

But for that I will have to gather my superpowers back for a little while, spend as they are fighting off persons that want me to drink room-temperature beer.

So I will go now for a chilled Chimay and tipsy stuffed olives, if you don't mind.

 

Cheers

 

[fjaweijfopi4j48]

Well, regarding colors:

Many era photos show indeed a slightly darker hue on the sides of the body than the white advertisement on the bus, thus cream is an option.

A few show no light hue, but the body painted either all in the same color (red) or two colors that render in B&W similar hues.

Regarding those rails, they vary quite a bit from photo to photo, giving some latitude regarding the way you may scratch them.

The number of slats vary, their disposition, they are straight but angled in respect to the centerline, or in cases they are curved -as in the kit.

I guess I will try to match photos with the kit decals/ads and rail design, if I can find a photo.

Otherwise, given the immense array of possibilities, I will end up with a generic solution.

As soon as my lungs give me the ok, I will, very cautiously and taking all precautions, try to do an airbrush session (with the extractor, filter, mask, of course).

May be in a few days.

Meanwhile, I will dedicate my efforts to what seems the preferred modeling activity for some: speculating and talking.

[square]

Occre has this bus as a kit. Maybe you can take some color information from there.

 

https://www.occre.com/various/model-vintage-vehicles/aec-bus-b-type.html