Scalefour Forum

But what do you look like? Well, I'm extraordinarily handsome, irresistable to women, have a terrific head of hair, and don't really look my 42 years. And I sometimes tell lies. Seriously, I can't remember when someone last took a photo of me - in our household we don't have smart phones so no self...

You lot can laugh! However, I'm now going to be at Scaleforum, wearing my name badge, so I expect you all to say hello (even if I won't have the slightest idea who you are!).

DT

A litre bottle of MEK was going to be a good deal at price less than £10.00, I thought. Meet most of my plastic welding requirements till I turn up my toes, I thought. Well, I dare say it is entirely satisfactory for welding plastic chairs to ply sleepers, and I am glad that some have obviously fou...

I stuck my plastic chairs to ply sleepers using some Methy Ethyl Ketone (M.E.K.) that I bought from ebay. There's still plenty available there, often in very large amounts, but you can buy a litre for £9.99 delivered (https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1-LITRE-PURE-99-9-MEK-METHYL-ETHYL-KETONE-SOLVENT-1L-2-...

David T., if you have all the skills that you profess to have (and I don't doubt you) then why not offer yourself as a demonstrator at one of the society's events? Nice of you to suggest it! However, it's a case of Jack of All Trades and Master of None, I'm afraid, although I am quite a good bodger...

David, can I ask, when you go to shows do you wear a name badge? Sadly if someone wants an excuse to not go they will find one but let’s be honest here, it’s a bit feeble to put it all on name badges. If it's me, yes, I've worn one of the sticky white labels and subsequently a plastic badge supplie...

Without wishing to worry you, do make sure that you are using an appropriate track gauge when laying track using Exactoscale chairs. The reaon is that these chairs hold the rail at a prototypical angle, with the top of the rail canting slightly in. If you use a gauge (as I did) that holds the rail s...

Thanks Danny, that's a reasonable reply. While I very much appreciate the suggestions you make for evening entertainment, it doesn't address the situation at the show itself where, at least in my case, I tend to enter as a stranger, pass through as a stranger, and leave as a stranger. If people were...

Isn't it at least worth a try, perhaps starting at Scalefour North next year? If that happens I might actually go. This is getting a bit surreal. Are you saying that your decision to go or not go is based on people wearing name badges? Yes. It played a major part in my decision not to go to Scalefo...

When it was decided to make badges available at Scaleforum virtually all of our area group collected theirs, and wore them. I still have mine. However, I would now feel very conspicuous if I did so, as so few other people seem to. It appears that this is one of those matters where members have 'vot...

I think the Society does promote badges and has done so for a few years now; a little before our events something comes up on the Forum telling you how to apply and where they can be picked up. Short of insisting Society members don’t get in without wearing a name tag there’s not much more you can ...

Surely the point of a show is to talk to people (if you want to) about what they are doing and not because of who they are? I don’t see how having a name badge changes that TBH It would appear that for a lot of people, the social aspect - meeting old friends - is one of the most important aspects o...

I have long campaigned for members at the show to wear name badges, but it has never happened. Not every one does, but some do, so it is not correct to say it has never happened, and we cannot make people wear badges During the seven or so years I have been going to Scalefour North I cannot recall ...

I reckon the social aspect is also important. Meeting old chums and exchanging reminiscences of the year's modelling successes and disasters. I'm sure that's good - if you know people at the show and have "old chums" there. If you come from an area that has very few P4 modellers and as a ...

I had been quite seriously thinking of going, but having read the programme I feel that there's not an awful lot of interest to me, and certainly not enough to justify the journey and expense. I do think that the format is getting just a bit "same old, same old" and that it needs refreshin...

Paul Townsend wrote:Lovely chap, Matthias, said no problem. If I dismantle it to ponder mods and abandon the project he will give a full refund.

That's both generous and helpful. As a matter of interest, what's the retail price of the cleaner? Having seen it I suspect it's not cheap.

DT

I haven't used that one, although like you I did initially find difficulty in finding a suitable adhesive for glazing for coach windows. I have now settled on Formula 560 Canopy Glue, which looks like PVA, dries clear, and sticks plastic to metal. And of course it doesn't string. I believe that Delu...

I saw this wheel cleaning apparatus at Perth - indeed, I stood and watched it for some time. It certainly seemed very clever and I don't doubt that it works as claimed, but I do doubt very much that the 00/H0 device that I saw could readily be converted to 18.83, if at all. I would have asked, but t...

While there is considerable evidence linking TCE with Parkinsons, there's no statistical link connecting xylene with Parkinsons. According to Wikipedia, the main effect of inhaling xylene vapor is depression of the central nervous system (CNS), with symptoms such as headache, dizziness, nausea and v...

As requested I have squirted some of the WD40 contact cleaner on some sheet plastic sheet that I first roughed the surface with wet and dry. There was no reaction or tackiness on the surface after a couple of hours. Thanks Gordon, that's reassuring. I tried a squirt of Halfords Surface cleaner (nap...

Paul, I look forward to hearing the results of the tests you propose. And Gordon, would it be possible for you to test your WD40 Contact Cleaner on a bit of plastic to see if there is any reaction? Meanwhile I've been looking at a can of Halfords Surface Cleaner which I've had for some time but not ...

Feedback on Amazon (93% 4 or 5 star) suggests that this stuff is pretty good at cleaning anything electrical, so it may be worth a punt. May also be good for cleaning loco driving wheels too, I suppose. Might also be worth trying on the control knobs of my crackly old hi-fi amp!

DT

Quite an interesting discussion on replacement motors going on on RMWeb at the moment:
https://www.rmweb.co.uk/community/index ... nt-3564553

DT

It's up to over £30,000 now and rising.....

DT

There are cheaper alternatives to the CMX model, eg the Sharge cleaners - same principle, but £79.50 as opposed to £149.95 - http://www.model-trainstrack-cleaner.co.uk/. I note that one purchaser of these had it modified for EM by the seller at no extra cost and there is a suggestion in the review f...