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More on the etching and hopefully some 3-D printing
I received the test etch back from the etchers and after a family holiday (Lisbon – hot but great and with fab trams – see below………) I have had a chance to look at it.
I still have some things to learn, as where I have drawn things up at 4mm the smaller elements have come out a bit fine. so things like the framing around spectacle plates or the cross to the centre of the brackets is a bit too delicate to use. Also, I made a number of the fold lines and the holes are a bit too small so need to be drilled out. Thus, whilst the 4mm ones are usable, they can be done better so I am going to edit the etch.
I also included the signal arms etch at 7mm and this is much better. Whilst one or two elements would benefit from a slight redraft, it is definitely usable and therefore I am just in the process of some 7mm modelling (excommunication from the Scalefour Society?). I’ll get some posts up when I can get it a bit further.
In the meantime, I have also managed to have a bash at some 3-D modelling on CAD to get some finials made up. The idea will be to do an initial set via 3-D printing and then to use these to make some lost wax castings. Whilst these are available via MSE as a whitemetal casting, they are very delicate and will last very little time in my clumsy mits. I will do a lamp via the same route for the same reason.
Anyway, this is what the 3-D model looks like (actually the final version has a sprue coming of the top to support the top of the finial but it rather blocks out what it is you are looking at):
And to give a flavour of the trams in Lisbon:
Etching Artwork
I have not actually picked up a modelling knife or soldering iron for a couple of weeks now; largely because I got a bit of a bug for sorting out the etch artwork.
I have now completed, I hope, all of the artwork I will need for all of the signals that will be required on Glenmutchkin. Indeed, it should do all the signals I and just about anyone else ever needs for any scheme based on the Highland era!!!!
I am fortunate that I have a couple of an 1895 McKenzie & Holland catalogue and a further partial copy from a bit later. I have also been provided with a number of really good drawings of bracket signals from M&H, prompted by my ramblings on the web. This has given me with a pretty good handle on how they were constructed and I can draw up rather more comprehensive (and a little more specific to the Highland) artwork than are available form any of the other sources.
So this is what I have come up with. Firstly, an etch of all of the arms, balance weights and a track mechanism for raising the lamp to the top of the post (I think this was peculiar to the Highland):
and then an etch that includes the large brackets used for the multi-doll signals and all of the support brackets and landing.
and this one is the smaller bracket; used on twin doll signals:
I have been recommended to use PPD as a first port of call for etching, so they have been winged off tonight. Lets see what a week or so brings us…………..
As this is now out of copyright, an article by OS Nock on the Highland’s signals from the Model Engineer might be of interest too – it may even show what I am trying to make in the etchings a little more clearly.
And for my next task, I am going to have another bash at the water column and the finial; more on this when I think I have been successful!
Brighton Road and Some Etch Masters
Less modelling has been achieved this week – due to a combination of work taking me a little more afield than normal and also because I was playing with someone else’s trainset.
In this case, the layout was Barry Luck’s (with assistance of the Mid-Sussex AG of the S4 Society) Brighton Road. It was shown in the carriage repair shop at Horsted Keynes; so we were serenaded by the sound of the real thing (and the occasional burble of a Sulzer as they had a class 33 working too.
Some rather nice photos from Jonathan Hughes are here:
and if you wish to see anymore; then go to here http://www.flickr.com/photos/nimbus20/sets/72157634415164752/
I was not totally idle otherwise, as I have had a bash at producing my own artwork for etching. I think this (it is a bracket for a signal a little like the one here https://highlandmiscellany.com/2013/02/03/first-signal-for-glenmutchkin/) is capable of being etched. I’ll be submitting it too Grange & Hodder soon to find out!
Whilst I appreciate that there are many that are now quite experienced etch designers, even if this started as a means to forward their own builds, I am still taking first steps in this direction so I am pretty proud of the above. Mind you, I might be counting chickens before…………….
highland miscellany 