Recreating Leek station signal box

Discussion in 'Line Side Buildings' started by Andy_Sollis, May 1, 2020.

  1. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    And now we have a base. Still some issues to work around but getting there (although I’ve come home tonight from work to find little fingers have been touching it and broken a bit! :mad:)

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    and then we can start fitting out. Lever frame and some other bits won’t go in till after painting. Nothing glued yet.
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    Maybe start some priming. Once that’s done I can look at securing the floor panel in place. I’m leaving it out for now as it will make it easier for paining the inside walls (still not sure how I will do the black line between the green and ivory colour?
     
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  2. Rob Pulham

    Rob Pulham Happily making models Staff Member Administrator Feature Contributor

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    Ha,ha, as long as you don't do my daft trick.

    Many years ago when my son was small my mother in law remarried. I was decorating her wedding cake when my son came into the kitchen and touched it breaking off a small section of icing.

    Seeing it I threw a teaspoon down on the worktop in disgust, it bounced up and hit the cake doing much more damage than the little fingers.

    Lesson learned!
     
    Last edited: Mar 23, 2021
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  3. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    On this occasion, no.
    And I already have some spare finials printed.
     
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  4. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    The last part of the model not yet printed was the small annex building to the south end of the box. I’m informed this was a lamp room and toilet respectively (toilet on the outside walls and identified by the air brick along side the door frame.)

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    Printing complete.
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    only thing I’m concerned about are the door knobs look closer to the door game than expected.
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    managed to damage (and repair the roof when removing from the scaffold. Will redo before the next print and maybe make the roof thicker. (It’s the right hand side if you can’t see it.)
    CE8AE370-439C-419D-A8AA-5897CDB6C0ED.jpeg ACD75E2E-3CA6-42A9-AA89-786481C16331.jpeg And in position with the main box.
    newrly at the point where it all goes for another wash and we start some primer.

    Andy
     
  5. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Finally I’ve been able to make a start on the painting.
    Parts are now moving to the spray booth for a coat of primer from the Halfords rattle cans before the parts are hand painted (I’ve never learnt to use an air brush really.. not since school days!)
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    base and internal floor in grey primer.
    (03 chassis is there to hold the floor flat as it has a tendency to keep warping!)

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    Roof, internal roof and windows and porch being given a white coat.

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    this is the new NSR bungalow version signal box.

    more soon!
     
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  6. jakesdad13

    jakesdad13 Staff Member Moderator

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    For large paint jobs, locos, rolling stock etc in O gauge I've always used rattle can primers, usually Hycote brand as it gives a great finish and the same brand satin black for my locos.

    Cheers, Pete.
     
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  7. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    The NSR bungalow version doesn't look dis-similar to the new (1980's) toilet block built on the site of the old corn warehouse next to the weighbridge hut at Cheddleton :avatar:

    Seriously its coming along a treat Mr S.:tophat::tophat::tophat::thumbup:
     
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  8. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Nearly everything is primed now, so paint colours are being picked and painted.
    Still been doing the odd bit of filing to fit items, the floor for instance is remaining out until the inside is painted, purely for access. Unfortunately, it has a slight curve on it, but this will go when I glue it in place.

    A new roof has also been printed today to replace the damaged one seen in these photos.

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    Cabin and the roof in the spray booth.

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    Windows
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    sitting on the brickwork
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    Starting the Vellum.maybe I need a different shade. I will see how it looks with the Eau de Nil green/blue paint on the lower half of the box.
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    floor panel being trialled with the lever frame, signalmans plank and wire tensioners.
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    and with a little weathering and wear of where the signalman has been trudging!

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    And inside.. showing the roof fit.

    more soon.
     
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  9. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    If you're intending having lighting in the box Andy, can I suggest that before you glue in the 'false ceiling' section in the middle, that you either give it a couple of coats of black on the back side of it or glue thick card there instead. This will prevent any 'light bleed' when seen from outside as you won't want a 'glow-in-the-dark' roof.:giggle:
    Keith.
     
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  10. gormo

    gormo Staff Member Administrator

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    Good advice there Keith....:thumbs:
    Two coats minimum would seal the deal........it`s amazing how the light can bleed through......:scratchchin:
    :tophat:Gormo
     
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  11. York Paul

    York Paul Staff Member Moderator

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    There used to be a "glow in the dark" signal box which controlled access to Norton Colliery served by the Biddulph Valley line, the following day all that was left of Ford Green Yard box were the bricks and a rusty lever frame covered in ash. There was also a "glow in the dark" station at Oakamoor on the Churnet line, in 1970 demolition contractors for Staffordshire County Council set fire to the building in order to make it easier when it came to removing the stone, glowing nicely in the evening light the contractors had gone home with flames leaping up into the air making an eary halo.. I saw a colour slide taken of the station being burnt... think it was at a Basil Jeuda slide evening many years ago now.
     
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  12. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Your right, but as the resin is nearly 2mm thick, not much light passes when it’s painted.. plus I don’t have a scale 1000watt bulb inside:giggle: unlike some buildings/models I’ve seen.

    signal boxes tend to be dimly lit anyway, so I only need a dull glow, but your quite right to point it out. Not sure how to do the lights on this one yet. I’ve only guessed at 3 and 2 for illuminating the track diagram. I’d suspect there may be a 6th light over the desk.?
    The last O gauge box I made had lights in, but works of a battery sat above the false internal roof (in the void) so I can do that again, but.. I had the battery circuit from Maplins. Not sure if the on line system still has these?
    Lights were OO from Express models??? And I fit a larger shade to them. (LED warm white) but truth be told, I’m a long way off doing that yet.:hammer:
     
  13. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    If using 3mm LED's then for the standard conical light shade used in commercial and industrial premises (Known in the electrical trade as 'Coolicon shades') then take a 3mm hole steel washer of an outside diameter around 15mm, put it centrally over the hole in a suitably sized nut and with a hammer and punch, dent it to form the 'Coolie' hat shape. Paint the underside white, upper side was usually dark green, then glue it onto the LED to form the complete light fitting. These were made by the million years ago, usually stove enamelled so they stood the test of time. You can use a similar method for the 'swan-neck' outside lighting fittings of the day with a slightly smaller outside diameter washer, these don't need any dent, just glue them on flat.
    Some time ago, I put the circuit diagram I use for coach lighting on the forum, so if you're ok with building very simple electronic circuits on 'Veroboard', you could make up one and use it to power any lighting in the signal box from your 'Bus', it's only 4 1N4001 diodes, a 1k resistor and a capacitor, costs about 60p a board if you bulk buy the bits and about 15 minutes to make one up.
    Keith.
     
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  14. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Great progress Andy.

    I run a strip of black insulation tape along each internal join.

    On the corners, to reduce the curling, you may need to increase the number and thickness of supports on the outer edges. I've also found that a raft with a tapered edge helps to nail the build to the plate.

    Paul
     
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  15. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    thank you for the kind words.

    the Roof actually fits in slots so edges overlap... making the light hard to go around corners.. I hope..
    The proof will be in the pudding and I’m hoping I’ve got it right.. otherwise you guys will be saying... “I told you so.”


    I don’t honestly know re the curing Paul. That’s the same advice as I’ve been given else where and I’ve been using the large supports on the corners (3-4 sometimes) yet it doesn’t seem to help.. one bit of advice was to make the scaffold taller (so it stands further off the build plate, and now at 10mm.

    however, reprinting the roof at an angle and square on, has resulted in a bowing out of the structure in the middle. This I can’t fathom... unless it’s not a big enough support. What I haven’t tried yet is actually beefing the large support up a bit more.. I’m still using default settings.
     
  16. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Veroboard.. now that’s an idea.. :scratchchin:
     
  17. paul_l

    paul_l Staff Member Administrator

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    Andy as your joints interlock, use some resin down the joint and cure with UV, this should give you a good weld.

    With the passenger tank chassis, I had similar issues with bowing and ended up using sacrificial cross braced supports



    I ran horizontal cross braces, then verticle supports from the bottom to top cross brace 1 mm in from the sides - to allow easy removal, then added diagonal braces from each corner.

    Check the tensioning of the FEP sheet.

    Which software are you using to slice with ?

    Paul
     
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  18. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    FEP still has a good drum tension to it.
    I’m using chitchubox as found the scaffold much easier to work with.
     
  19. Andy_Sollis

    Andy_Sollis Staff Member Moderator

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    Not everything goes to plan.

    the local “Boyes” store that stocks Valjeo paints doesn’t stock the one I wanted for the closest match I could find for the Eau De Nil lower internal
    Colour. So it was back to Evilbay to source.

    not due till Monday (tomorrow the 12the April) I was pleased when it arrived yesterday 2 days early.
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    Perfect!!

    right, let’s have a look what it looks like painted..

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    Erm, that’s not green? That’s grey! Even after a good 5 min shake, no change... I’m not sure if it’s gone off, or someone has just decided to be a prankster and refill these with another paint after the original ran out?? So back to order another bottle from someone else.. or I’ll see if the local model shop reopens tomorrow and has this shade in stock. kind of set me back as can’t finish the upper structure and fit the floor until this is done.

    Oh well..
     
  20. Keith M

    Keith M Staff Member Moderator

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    Hi Andy.
    I think WD in Chesterfield will reopen tomorrow and he does stock a range of Vallejo now I believe. Not been into Boyes in Heanor for quite a while but I gather they stock Vallejo too but at least it's a couple of options.
    Keith.
     
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