Wagon progress
Main building
Cassette drilling jig
Stephen had produced a wagon based on the design he and Geoff had developed, which was inspired by the GVT 4 ton wagon body, but on a L&B style, low-slung underframe. Photos had been circulated over the previous week and given the 'thumbs-up'. As usual, Stephen had used 1.5mm plywood and plasticard detailing, including 0.5mm sq fixings. A spray coat of grey primer finished it off.
However, the plywood was not suitable for cutting on the laser cutter, so Geoff had been experimenting with other wood types. Balsa had proved easier to use than Obeche, but a pack of 1/16" x 6" wide Basswood sheets imported from the US was found to be extremely good and almost the same price of UK balsa! Geoff had finalised the drawings for the wagon bodies (one square end and one curved end design) and now produced samples of the cut-out wagon panel sheets for discussion.
As the underframe kits had arrived from Cambrian Models, packs of 5 were made up for Geoff and Stephen to assemble (then just another 8 to make). Stephen wanted to continue with plasticard external strapping/fittings and fixings. Geoff preferred to develop a set of laser-cut card strapping and also had ideas to produce the fixings using self-adhesive paper/card. He will report back in due course. He provided Stephen with a dedicated sheet of card fittings for possible use internally, to save time.
Stephen had been working on the main building, adding a range of details and finishes. All three bays were decorated, lighting fitted, doors applied, roof added and the stonework painted.
The office detailing comprised partition walls & doors, furniture & fittings, wall hangings etc. and grain-of-wheat lighting.
The office and garage bays - are individually switched.
The 'irregular' laser-cut roof slate strips had been glued onto the roof. The ragged edges and occasional offset slate worked perfectly.
The plasticard road paving sheets do not extend into the building. After discussions, it was decided to apply a layer of card to represent concrete, with a mock planked-over access pit in one bay. A threshold strip across the doorway might allow a pivot mechanism to be incorporated, for the doors.
The doors were a joint effort - Stephen produced a drawing, Geoff laser cut the sheet in two thicknesses of card and Stephen assembled and spray-painted them.
Unfortunately, the acrylic paint used for the stonework was not stable and rubbed off very easily. It will have to be removed and a better product investigated.
Laurence progressed the cassette retaining block system by fabricating a jig for drilling the holes in the cassette angles. Another jig to drill the drop-in blocks will follow.
