Gimme Air

[Chrisp]

I think the yellow turned out well - the orange peel effect looks like painted cast metal.

[Bilco]

Hi Chrisp - many thanks for posting the photo - yes, my orange peel has replicated the prototype finish well - wish I could claim credit for that!

The yellow paint is made in Germany:



The can is covered in warnings about all the dangerous stuff in it - must be meant for the US market. The art shop on the Broad has a rack full of colours, most
of which probably wouldn't appeal to modellers, but there are some nice greens, reds and blues that might look good. As I mentioned, the pressure
is lower than the usual cans. I sprayed a piece of coated chipboard - on off-cut from the kitchen revamp we had a few months ago - it has a nice smooth surface.
I usually spray from 8" or so, after various foul-ups with painting models that I've documented elsewhere on this forum. In this case I held the can nearer - and got no orange peel!

I'll use the test piece with the weathering liquids -




These also have an alarming number of warnings - although it's water-soluble it is also a solvent, so I guess has to be kept off unpainted plastic. I'll post the results in due course.

Hours of fun

[Bilco]

The results of the test on those weathering liquids -





The captions tell most of the story. From the left, straight from the bottle, diluted 1:1 with water, diluted 1:2 with water, and the diluted mix with some of the excess moisture blotted off with tissue.

At the top of the test sploges I used a damp tissue 24 hours after putting them on to see how much comes off.

The slate grey leaves more of a residue than the others - the diluted
and wiped still has a faint grey mark, but the others are gone.

So, dilute and wipe seems controllable, with the option of wiping most of it off again.
This is similar to the technique I use with the acrylics, except that there is very little time available to wipe it off if you don't like it.

Now, do I have the bottle to try it out on the model?

[Corusman]

I am sure you have the bottle. Have you tried mixing the colours?
If you put all three together you should get a grimy black.
After wiping try using a small brush or pen to add more distinct patches of dirt. I always like a "stripe" where something has scraped the side and then gone rusty. Floor of cab wants to be suitable grubby.
Looking foward to seeing the finished model, its a cracker!

[Korschtal]

That's a beautiful model. I don't know why you keep claiming you're moving slowly: if I could biuld at your speed and quality I'd be turning cartwheels...

[mad gerald]

Bill,

great modelling so far!

If you don't mind, you could probably give me a hint:

I had a look at Tim Stolle's drawing (scale 1/20.3) showing the EIMCO 401 and started wondering, if the ruler/scale/measurements he noticed are made in inches ... or is it metric?

Kind regards

[Bilco]

Many thanks for the kind comments, chaps. I haven't managed to summon up the courage to weather it yet - I think I'll wait until the Ernie-bash is painted and do them both together.

Gerald - I reproduced the drawing to 1:22.5, using the known dimension of the tank - 40 inches. Comparing the tank diameter to the scale I would say it's in feet and inches - 3 ft 4 ins is
just about spot-on. To build the model I just measured off my rescaled drawing, so everything apart from the wheelbase is pretty much to scale.

[mad gerald]

... Gerald - I reproduced the drawing to 1:22.5, using the known dimension of the tank - 40 inches ...

... thanks Bill, that figured it out for me ...

BTW: Did you use 1mm or 0,5mm styrene/plastic card for the frame ... was just wondering about the thickness regarding the prototype ... seems to be only 10 or 12mm when looking at the photo(s) ...

Kind regards

[Bilco]

Hi Gerald - I used 1mm plasticard for strength, but chamfered the top edge a little to make it look thinner.

[mad gerald]

Hi Gerald - I used 1mm plasticard for strength, but chamfered the top edge a little to make it look thinner.

... really looks the part ...

[Booga]

Great modelling, Bill.

What are the grey nut and washers you used on the underside? Are they the Cambrian 16mm "NA5 180 Nut & Bolt Heads"?

[michael]

Bill you are doing a great Job, you are working at lightning speed compared to my air loco (which might even be building in reverse).

I like the texture, you have captured the prototype well.

will check in again soon.

[Bilco]

Hi Chaps,

Many thanks for the kind comments. The project is on hold at the moment while I work on Ernie-with-skip, and then I'll look at weathering.

Dave - yes the NBW moldings are from the Cambrian NA5 pack. I get through them at quite a rate - I'll have to order up some more - and the rivets.

[Bilco]

I see it's over 4 months since I posted about the Eimco Compressed Air loco build - that's a long time, even by my standards. Since the New Year I've had other calls on my time,
although I've managed to keep up with the Forum. I have managed to give the odd bit of time over to the modelling, but as March approached I thought I'd better get a wiggle on
and finish it off.

I tried weathering with those Weathering liquids, but found it frustrating to use them layered, as the new coat washed the previous one away! Probably it's intended to be the final
bit of weathering. Anyway, after a couple of attempts I washed it all off and reverted to my 'slosh it on and wipe it off' technique with well-thinned
acrylics. The results follow:




Left side




Right side




Front




Rear




A view into the driver's 'cab'




As usual, Den the driver gate-crashed the photo-shoot. Since I stuck a 4mm insert into his mid-section he's got a bit above himself. He does lend a bit of scale, I suppose.

I wanted to have a dirty, work-scarred finish - over-done again, by the look of things.

[dieselwater]

This is some of the best weathering and modelling I have seen You've got me drooling sir. A masterpiece to add to your fine critter collection

[Little Andi.]

I wanted to have a dirty, work-scarred finish - over-done again, by the look of things.

Not at all Bill........................ I happen to think this works extremely well.
But I know what you mean with all this "filters and pin washes" and stuff!!!-?

Why did they have to try and re-invent the wheel? I of course have my own thoughts on the matter but the truth is your project will need to be handled pretty constantly and will probably lead quite a hard life as it serves it purpose, so I think a good robust finish is exactly what it needs - this isn't crude or coarse by any shake of the imagination and it does its job very well - Subtle enough, and Man enough. WELL DONE.

[Moronguhl]

That is stunning Bilco, really awesome. The weathering and modelling of the controls is particularly brilliant. I will have to come back here for control modelling inspiration in the future!

[rue_d_etropal]

nice one. Are there any photos of these beasts with driver sat in place. Thinking it wqould be a good model in 1/6, but concerned how well driver will fit in, or overhang sides.

[Glen A]

Another great model from you, really enhanced by that weatering job.
It looks so real.
Great job!

[Bilco]

Many thanks for the very kind comments, chaps. It has worked out better than I dared hope - in fact, after the first application of 'slosh & wipe' acrylics I thought I was going to have to
re-spray the yellow! In the end I put it to one side, and a couple of days later looked at it again in good daylight, and realized that it wasn't so bad, so kept working on it.

I discovered that an ordinary pencil eraser will take off some of the acrylic wash, so I could reduce the thicker bits and blend them in with the rest. I think the orange-peel paint job
worked to my advantage with the weathering - another bit of serendipity.

Simon - there is a photo here http://www.narrowgaugechaos.com/RPC/Mat ... Eimco1.jpg showing a bloke sat in one of the stuffed & mounted Eimcos.

I wonder where his feet are - there isn't much leg room in the 'cab' - as this pic shows http://www.narrowgaugechaos.com/RPC/Mat ... mco_11.JPG

Den certainly won't be given the chance to drive this one - his feet are way too big.

[Bilco]

A Flickr album of the lost PB photos of my Eimco compressed air loco ...

https://flic.kr/s/aHsm6EAc2o

[Bilco]

Some more photos have been added to the Flickr album.