Mjwomack Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 This has been in the stash for a bit too long, but it needs to be built because there's a gap on my model railway waiting for it... A pair of industrial rather than military silos. One of the reasons it's sat in the stash is the instruction sheets Do you remember the old Airfix instructions which were mainly text and regardless of how complex the kit always had 4 stages? Well, these ones are pretty much text with a grand total of 5 illustrations, but run to 34 stages and as you can perhaps see end with It is stressed that this is an adult's model containing very small parts and is not suitable for children Maybe I shouldn't attempt it; open the box or take the money time! Too late, I've opened the box The very small parts don't look that small after all, I just have no idea what most of them could possibly be. The instructions start with Important- It is to your benefit to read the following information fully before proceeding. Please identify each part and remove any obvious flash mould flashing. This time I think they mean it, now to work out the difference between a Cat-ladder double hoop (never seen my cat jump through a hoop) and a Cat-ladder Pegged-hoop (to be modified)! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyW Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 What could possibly go wrong? 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted April 13, 2021 Author Share Posted April 13, 2021 26 minutes ago, TonyW said: What could possibly go wrong? Which along with Where's the fun in that Are two of my mottos, I take this as a good omen 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corsairfoxfouruncle Posted April 13, 2021 Share Posted April 13, 2021 3 hours ago, TonyW said: What could possibly go wrong? Famous last words. That and “Whats the worst that can happen” are the two phrases no one should ever say out loud. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 Welcome along, show us how they look in your display when finished too! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim R-T-C Posted April 14, 2021 Share Posted April 14, 2021 Old school model railway modelling - when you needed a degree in engineering to complete a model and if all the parts were included it was a miracle 😁 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted April 14, 2021 Author Share Posted April 14, 2021 43 minutes ago, Tim R-T-C said: if all the parts were included it was a miracle I'm not promising I'll even notice if any parts are missing🤪 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 What! This build has started?!! Can't be rushing us country boys, and tradition dictates that I NEVER start a build on time; give me a couple of weeks and I should be along. There again, I might slip in a bit of cleaning up while waiting for paint to dry etc on other builds. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted April 22, 2021 Author Share Posted April 22, 2021 (edited) I sort of started last night; I was tidying the work space, which was a big mistake as I dropped this and everything contrived to fall out of box and bag. So I took the opportunity to stop tidying up and see if the carpet monster had dined well. It hadn't! Every part identified and accounted for. But oh my days, some of them are very rough indeed and will need a lot of cleaning up when I get started for real. Always nice to do a bit of parts fondling and getting to know the kit though. The white metal ladders worry me because I think they might turn out to be hard to work with- might look around for some brass replacements, but the problem is that they're far longer than the usual ladders you can get for signal posts. Edited April 22, 2021 by Mjwomack typos 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim R-T-C Posted April 22, 2021 Share Posted April 22, 2021 45 minutes ago, Mjwomack said: The white metal ladders worry me because I think they might turn out to be hard to work with- might look around for some brass replacements, but the problem is that they're far longer than the usual ladders you can get for signal posts. Langley models do some long brass signal ladders in N gauge, about 10cm and you get 5 on a sprue. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted May 1, 2021 Author Share Posted May 1, 2021 I seem to have started... you know how it is; stalled on a build so you look at the next one for some light relief. Part fondling leads to a test fitting and before you know where you are, out comes the CA😜 That was easy. I'm now up to step 5 in the 37 stages of the instructions. They're not quite as bad as I'd expected but a few more pictures, or even a note saying, you can put this where you like BEFORE you've glued it exactly how the previous stage said would help. Next 'up' come the ladders, which have a lot stages to them in the instructions. My new year's resolution was to be less ambitious (or maybe more pragmatic) about what I attempted in my builds...but it IS the 1st of May so I'm going to replace the kit ladder with etched brass because I prefer the finer nature of it. Also I think that a ladder up the side of each silo is far too generous towards my serf workers and they can get by with just the one and an elevated walkway joining the two at the top! 10 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ray S Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 I love the way these Group Builds so often produce something ... unexpected! Don't forget for the 'I know it is there' brigade, the silo needs to be full of 1/160 scale dry bulk corn Good luck with the rest of the build, Ray 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dnl42 Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 This is different. On 4/13/2021 at 8:40 AM, Mjwomack said: One of the reasons it's sat in the stash is the instruction sheets A clear example of the value of a picture 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alt-92 Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 On 4/13/2021 at 9:20 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said: Famous last words. That and “Whats the worst that can happen” are the two phrases no one should ever say out loud. It'll be fiiine... Nice PE bendybits. Should be a breeze (to stay on brand) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Gordon Posted May 1, 2021 Share Posted May 1, 2021 There I was thinking that Silos was the Greek god of storage .Looking good so far old fruit. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted May 3, 2021 Author Share Posted May 3, 2021 On 5/1/2021 at 2:04 PM, Ray S said: Don't forget for the 'I know it is there' brigade, the silo needs to be full of 1/160 scale dry bulk corn I'll get milling- on extra fine setting. It'll probably be easier than building the ladders and walkways; after two days of studying the instructions, lay out parts and dry runs, I'm still none the clearer on how they go together! I might need to go and find a local farm and study a real one; Monty, it's time for your walk! 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 3, 2021 Share Posted May 3, 2021 Written instructions, tsk... My take on such instructions is that 1) you shouldn't need them, the workings of any device should be clear at first glance and 2) if they're not, my wife reads the instructions and explains the workings to me 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 On 5/3/2021 at 11:18 AM, JeroenS said: Written instructions, tsk... My take on such instructions is that 1) you shouldn't need them, the workings of any device should be clear at first glance and 2) if they're not, my wife reads the instructions and explains the workings to me I think you might be onto something...I'm starting to think that if the instructions don't make sense, why bother with them? Especially as Monty enjoyed his walk... tbh, if you were a dog, you'd love a walk by a pig farm😬. These are conical topped but most probably I'll try to make the walkways as close to the ones on these and see how many parts that I'm left with. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 1 hour ago, Mjwomack said: These are conical topped but most probably I'll try to make the walkways as close to the ones on these and see how many parts that I'm left with. Sounds like a plan. Oh boy, pig farms... the only thing worse than stepping into one is stepping into a poultry farm! Slaps you in the face it does. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 2 minutes ago, JeroenS said: Sounds like a plan. Oh boy, pig farms... the only thing worse than stepping into one is stepping into a poultry farm! Slaps you in the face it does. Finally someone else who finds chicken farms far worse than pig ones; slaps your face and never leaves your throat. Hope I don't come back as a dog 🐕 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JeroenS Posted May 4, 2021 Share Posted May 4, 2021 1 minute ago, Mjwomack said: Finally someone else who finds chicken farms far worse than pig ones; slaps your face and never leaves your throat. Hope I don't come back as a dog 🐕 Better than a chicken... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 Psychologists call it displacement activity; waiting to hear if I got and interview (I didn't) and trying to figure out a plan for the ladders (I didn't), I turned my attention to the walkways atop the silos, and finishing the easy bits (the ground floor doors and equipment boxes)... Then I decided that there should really be 'toe boards' around the top of them (I've known two serious accidents of farmers sliding off the top) so I added them as well.... I've started formulating a plan for the handrails, though they need a bit of modification from the ones supplied to fit over the toe boards and I might just be starting a plan of attack for the ladders. @JeroenS, you were quite right! The instructions are unnecessary!!! 9 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete in Lincs Posted May 6, 2021 Share Posted May 6, 2021 Houston, Abort plan A. we are going visual! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted May 6, 2021 Author Share Posted May 6, 2021 9 minutes ago, Pete in Lincs said: Houston, Abort plan A. we are going visual! That's the one. Prototype for everything and I'm clearly following a good path 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mjwomack Posted June 12, 2021 Author Share Posted June 12, 2021 Oh dear, right near the bottom of page 3 and lots of 'completed' threads around me.... not for the first time in my life, I asked myself why am I doing this? Except this time it wasn't at an existential level or even some philosophy of modelling musing but the simple business of making an etched brass ladder when I couldn't see a thing. Then I realised that I what was effectively two brass grids together against the grid of a cutting board so it was not so surprising that I was making no progress and getting headaches. Change of plan, sprayed one of the ladders in red primer because I could and I really like it! And put white paper atop the cutting board. Result! It's a very battered farmyard ladder for sure but it's servicable so hopefully they'll be progress before the harvest is in (I notice the barley is coming along nicely out there) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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