1869 Allerton Steam Pumper by gjdale - Model Trailways - Scale 1:12 - Finished

[gjdale]

Thanks Ken.

 

And thanks Ron - that’s one of the guys I’ve been watching. I think he’s pretty good.

[fnick]

For red paints Tamiya do a pink primer. If you don't mind me putting a link on heres an example on a red BMW.

https://youtu.be/dZ7KGxy31g0

 

Start watching 17 minutes in. Seems to work very well.

 

Cheers, Nick

[gjdale]

Thanks Nick. Paul is another of the YouTubers I quite like and that is quite a good demo he does in that link. He also mentioned Yellow as a primer under Red, which is going to be my next test as I’d read somewhere, sometime that this was a good combo. Waiting on the next paint delivery now……

[popeye the sailor]

this is always the hardest part........trying to pick out the perfect paint.   I've always liked the lacquer paints,  but you need to paint with low humidity.    the Billing's paints I used to have {they are mostly gone now} were good.........great shine and hard finish.  but yes......the smell would knock a buzzard off a sh_t wagon!   primers have come a long way.........remember when there were only two or three colors........now there is one for every color      the use of primers for lighter colors can vary,  depending what hue your looking for.  for the darker colors,  it doesn't have as much effect.....but for the lighter colors, it makes a big difference.   one thing I've found,  being a confirmed enamel guy,  is if your thinner says it for airbrush,  don't use it to mix paint.  it kills the shine properties,  and worse for flats.........turns gloss to a semi gloss and dead pans the flats {looks good for tires though  }.  I have a friend in Canada who swears by Alclad.

[gjdale]

Thanks Popeye. Yes, I’m fast becoming a fan of lacquer paints, and Alclad in particular. I’m also experimenting with Stynylrez primers. Although they are not a lacquer, they seem to work well with everything. Unfortunately, every time I decide to try something else, I have to wait for the postal system to catch up ‘cause virtually none of it is available locally these days.

[popeye the sailor]

not a problem.......I've had my share experiencing what paints can do.  I love it when you lay the second coat and the under coat decides to become active again, causing it to wrinkle {or crepe,  as I call it}.   I was out and about the other day,  and I ran across a cement that I hope you may have where you live.

this stuff bonds just about anything.   I haven't tried it yet.......I think it's been mentioned here in the forums.  but I saw it and bought the smallest package to try out.

[gjdale]

Thanks Popeye - I do believe I already have some of the cement/glue. 😊

[FriedClams]

Very interesting project Grant and you're off to a great start.  I agree with Denis that paint selection can be the most difficult decision in a model.  It can make or break the model.  I've pulled up a seat.

 

Gary  

[gjdale]

Welcome aboard Gary. The paint trials continue. I’m still waiting on another delivery this week. Hope to have the paints sorted out by this weekend.

[CDW]

Just found your build log Grant. Beautiful project! Your work looks superb. Going to take my time looking through all your wonderful photos of the pumper.

[gjdale]

Thanks Craig and welcome aboard. Progress is being held up at the moment waiting on delivery of more paints for testing. The COVID lockdowns give us more time for hobbies, but at the same time they slow down the mail system considerably (mainly due to overload from all the people with more time on their hands - sort of a Catch 22 situation really!).

[popeye the sailor]

the admiral saw some of the wagon kits on Model Expo.......she looked interested  {or at least,  one can hope}.  I've got two kits in the stash.....the Lindberg Stagecoach and the Clydesdale wagon {Budweiser}........hoping to get to then one of these days.  are you thinking about having horses?

[gjdale]

Well, the mail system has finally caught up and I at last have some progress to report...

Paint Trials – Completed

 The paint trials turned into something of an ordeal. Much research, watching YouTube videos, and a PM conversation with Kurt Van Dahm while waiting on several deliveries of paint and assorted supplies, including a new airbrush…

 

I was keen to try using the Stynylrez in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions – that is, by using a minimum of a 0.5mm needle. What better excuse to buy a new airbrush? After some research, I settled on the Procon Boy PS290 from the Mr Hobby range. It has a ‘gun’ style trigger, and I also bought the aftermarket handle that makes it more comfortable to hold. I’ve read (though I can’t verify) that these airbrushes are made in the same factory as the Iwatas, at a significantly lower end cost. I have to say, I’ve been very pleased with it.

 

Another thing I learned watching YouTube was the value of using plastic spoons as test mules for paint. They have a decent area to show the colour, without being so large as to waste paint, and they have a ready-made handle to hole while painting. The challenge was sourcing them! Not so long ago, these would have been in abundant supply in local supermarkets but not anymore as they have all gone with eco-friendly bamboo etc. I did manage to find some online, quite inexpensively, but the minimum order was 144 (although that was made of three packs of 48 spoons – go figure!).

 

I used quite a bit of my Zero red paint and was unable to obtain any more – the one Australian importer has been out of stock of a lot of the Zero paints for some time now. I was concerned that I would run out of this colour before finishing the model, so I needed to find an alternative in ready supply. That led me to discovering the SMS range of paints. These are actually an Australian brand, developed by a modeller for modellers. I bought a bottle of their Premium Red, and it looks to be the perfect shade – happy days! I also discovered that MIG/AMMO paints manufacture Alclad paints under licence from Alclad and I was able to obtain some “Polished Brass” under this brand name.

 

I was very keen to obtain some Stynylrez in the colours of Dull Pink and Pale Mustard (actually a yellow). I was unable to source the Pink individually (out of stock everywhere) but did manage to find it in a mixed dozen small bottles – an expensive way to obtain it, but it also gave me a few other options for down the track as well as extra white, black, and grey. I did manage to find a solo bottle of the Pale Mustard from yet another supplier, so eventually was able to continue the paint trials.

 

So now the paint trials continued in earnest. This included perfecting my technique for laying down the primer – my thanks to Kurt for his advice via PM exchanges here. I must have used about half of my stash of 144 spoons during these trials, trying to find the right combination of primer and colour coat. The picture below shows some of the final results. The top row is some of the primers. From left to right: Stynylrez Dull Pink, Pale Mustard, Oceanic Blue (I just wanted to see what this one looked like for a future model), and Alclad Gloss Black base. I tried the Stynylrez Gloss Black but didn’t like it as much as the Alclad.

 

The bottom row are my final colour choices for this model. From left to right SMS Premium Red over Stynylrez Dull Pink, SMS Gun Metal over Alclad Gloss Black, Alclad/Ammo Polished Brass over Alclad Gloss Black, and Alclad Copper over Alclad Gloss Black. All the metal colours have been clear coated with Alclad Aqua Gloss in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. The Red has been given a coat of Alclad Clear Kote Light Sheen (I was after a satin finish for this).

 

 

It was the better part of a month’s work – trial, re-order, trial, etc to arrive at this point.

 

And here are the actual parts for the Mainframe painted in their final livery. The biggest challenge here was masking the mainframe itself to separate the red and brass colours. A little patience and a lot of Tamiya tape and it all went well. Photographing the painted parts was also a challenge and I'm afraid this picture doesn't really do them justice. I've watched Kurt's presentation from his workshop recently and I think I need to do some more experimenting with photography!

 

 

Hopefully, the build will progress a little more quickly from here!

[PRS]

Wow the copper looks so good I didn't think it was paint at first.

[CDW]

That brass looks super nice, Grant.

I have read that Mig Ammo uses Stynylrez to bottle up as their "One Shot Primer" brand. I learned the hard way it doesn't spray well through an airbrush with a needle less than .5mm. It stopped up my airbrush lock solid. 

[gjdale]

Thanks Paul and Craig.

 

Craig - after much experimenting I found that the trick with the Stynylrez was to use a 0.5mm needle, with air pressure at 25-30psi and paint flow reduced to a bare minimum. Then, as Kurt and others have suggested, spraying multiple light coats (in the one session). It seems that this combination of the three factors (needle size, air pressure and paint flow) are needed to get a nice smooth application without blocking up the airbrush. It took me a while, but I'm pretty confident with it now and it really does produce a nice even, smooth and durable finish that can actually be sanded if you so desire (unlike some other acrylic primers that shall remain nameless!).

 

For cleaning the airbrush, although you can use water, IPA and/or acrylic airbrush cleaner, I've found the quickest and most effective is to use some lacquer thinner (generic from the hardware store). Of course, you need to take the appropriate precautions with this, but if you're spraying lacquer paints as I am anyway, then you've already got these precautions in place.

[mtaylor]

Hard to believe that's not brass, Grant.  Super nice looking work.  

[CDW]

That's good news about cleanup with lacquer thinner. I was afraid it would turn to goo like many acrylics do when lacquer thinner is introduced. 

[RichardG]

Grant, thanks for this. The results are spectacular. I'm a total newbie to airbrushing. I recently purchased a model of the Occre Adler locomotive - I will be bookmarking this post for ideas. 

[popeye the sailor]

great idea with the spoons.........never though to use such things     love the sheen factor of the paint........the metallic colors especially .

[BobG]

Grant, I was wondering what you were currently building and I just found your log. This is an unusual and interesting model. I love it that you have such a diversity of models you like to build. You're becoming a pro with that airbrush too. Perfection! I'll be following along. Good luck!

[gjdale]

Distractions

 

I have been a little distracted over the last week. My wife decided to re-organise the pantry and in helping her to do that, I suggested that the addition of some “stadium seating” would assist in being able to see/find things at the back of the cupboard, and hence keep it all more organised. I knocked up a quick prototype and was quickly instructed to get on and make a “proper” version.

 

It doesn’t look like much, and indeed is little more than a series of boxes. But while the prototypes were simply pin-nailed together, these are all properly joined with finger/box joints and the front/back panels are all housed in rabbets. And then of course, they had to be painted.

 

 

Making these gave me the perfect opportunity to test out my recently completed home made edge-sander. I have to say, it works a treat!

 

 

Once that was completed, I decided to try to up my game in the photography department. I have acquired a new backdrop and dug out some lighting that I had bought some years ago but not used much. Here’s some samples of some testing using the main frame as the test mule. I had to prop it up at an angle to try to get the best view.

 

 

 

 

The blue background, combined with some better lighting, certainly seems to make a difference.

 

So now at last, the build proper begins. And it starts by adding some of those small parts to the Lower Steam Box and the Upper Water Box. You can see that a decal has been added as a gauge face on the Upper Water Box.

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are now set aside for later use while more parts are identified, cleaned up, dry fit and painted. Stay tuned…

[Egilman]

Stunningly beautiful work!

 

Yes the blue background does seem to make the parts stand out better... You get subdued reflections, better color response, (although a bit darker) and a more real life like experience...

 

Might try it my self when ever I get back into it.....

[gjdale]

Seat Structure and Flywheel Assemblies

 

The next step is to prepare and paint a number of parts for the Seat Structure and the Flywheel Assemblies. I also read ahead and opted to prepare a few parts from the next step as these will be needed for the next assembly stage.

 

I spent a fair amount of time today prepping these parts – cleaning flash, test fitting, re-boring some holes, and finally scrubbing with a toothbrush and soapy water. They are now ready for painting. No fancy photos today – we’ll save that until they’ve been painted.

 

[gjdale]

A Minor Setback…

 In painting these parts, there are a few components that are called out as “unpainted - polished metal”. Okay, no problem….

 

The parts circled in the photo below are the Crankshaft Sleeves – they secure the Flywheel crankshaft  to the Mainframe. These are some of those “polished metal” parts. 

 

 

I thought the easiest way to polish these would be to mount them on a mandrel and then chuck the mandrel in my rotary tool for quick and easy polishing.

 

I found an appropriate piece of brass rod in my stash to use as a mandrel and secured them using a touch of CA glue, figuring I’ll just de-bond them from the mandrel after polishing using Acetone. Great theory. After polishing them, I gave them a good soak in Acetone and then tried to separate them from the mandrel – no dice. Then I remembered that when I was building the steering wheel from my Chris Craft runabout, I had done this numerous times by heating the brass parts to de-bond the CA. Great, I thought, I’ll do that……forgetting that I was working with Britannia metal and not just brass. Here is the result of that ill-fated decision:

 

 

After calling myself all sorts of names that amounted to: “you fool!”, I had no choice but to make these parts from scratch. Fortunately, I had a piece of ¼” Aluminium rod in my stash that was exactly the right diameter for the outer ends. I was able to take some measurements off the drawings and after about an hour at the lathe I was able to come up with these replacements:

 

 

Of course, I polished these while they were still on the lathe…

 

Painting has been progressing well, albeit slowly. It seems to take longer to do the masking up than the actual painting as some of the pieces require two or more colour combinations. More pics once painting is complete.

[Egilman]

Lessons learned and sometimes re-learned....

 

I've had a lot of these "boot oneself in the butt" moments in my model building career, they make one a better modeler in the end....

 

Fantastic recovery my friend....

[thibaultron]

If you want to, you can get free replacement from Model Expo. Your new parts look great though!

[mtaylor]

A great save on making those parts from scratch.  

[gjdale]

 

Thanks for the words of encouragement and for all the "likes".

Assembly begins…

Painting of these initial assembly parts is finally complete. Here are all of the polished brass parts:

 

 

And here are the rest – red, black and multi-coloured parts:

 

 

Most of these parts were then assembled to the Mainframe, beginning with the lower Steam Box, then the Flywheels and crankshaft, crankshaft support, slide assemblies, pushrods, and Steam Box Manifold. Then it was the Lower half of the Water Box, followed by the Upper half of the water box, the Steam Box cover and the various components of the Manifold assembly.

 

I didn’t take any in-progress shots, but here are a few of the assembly to date, starting with an overview of the complete assembly:

 

 

Here is a close up of the front end showing the water box top and the hose inlet:

 

 

And the centre section – flywheels and pushrods:

 

 

And the rear section showing the manifold detail:

 

 

Here’s a view of the front section from the other side:

 

 

 

 And another view of the rear section:

 

 

And finally, a view of the underside:

 

 

Attention now turns to the Axle assemblies. Here are the parts laid out for the Front Axle assembly, ready for cleaning up, test fitting and painting:

 

 

And the same for the Rear Axle:

 

 

I’ll be back once these are painted and ready to go…

[BobG]

Absolutely gorgeous, Grant!