Wednesday 12th January 2022

Worklist:

Review latest building developments.

Corrugated iron machine.

Rocks.

With a welcome full house this week, the session started with Stephen setting up the cottages he'd been working on at home. The basic components were now assembled, with gable ends, roof supports, wall stiffeners, chimneys etc. There were still two sections, broken at the change of direction, so that the remaining detailed work would be easier. There was also a preliminary facade for the managers residence/office.

The top/end gable was able to be fully accommodated on the layout which made the 'footpath disappearing around the back corner' the feature we hoped for.

A lot of discussion centred on the managers building, seen below with the alleyway beside it on the adjacent board. Designed with the door on the left (see above), Stephen wanted to wall-off a small area/garden to visually separate it from the works site and allow stored stone goods to be stacked close-by. Geoff wasn't so keen at first, but finally agreed, subject to further investigation. The facade was also reversed as a trial (below), which also had merit.

Stephen had also started on an engine shed, to stimulate discussion. Needing to be as thin-walled as possible, he'd opted for a timber frame on a low brick wall, clad in corrugated iron. As all were happy with the idea, Geoff talked through various features usual with such buildings, which Stephen will take on board.

Talk of corrugated iron (CI) led to questions about how Geoff was getting on with the CI machine - nothing, it transpired, which was immediately rectified. The machine started as a free download from 3D model website 'Thingiverse'. Supposedly for 7mm, it was clear after printing it that it was more G than O. Geoff had created a new scale profile roller set that would also allow prototype 8ft sheets to be made. The original supporting frame was now a problem for the longer rollers, as they bowed under the pressure and resulted in no corrugations in the centre. He now added steel axles and made a brass frame. There were still teething problems with long strips, but single, standard sheets soon appeared.

Stephen had taken home the rubber mould for the rock face used on the bridge board. It made sense to continue onto the cottage board, but Geoff had no quick drying plaster, so experiments were undertaken using some one-coat plaster. For a long section of wall, the moulded units need to be 'played with' to disguise repeat features. Turning upside-down and breaking it up all work. Filling corners and joints with extra plaster and carving work too, which we'll have a go at when the glue has set. 

A very productive week/session.