Scalefour Forum

On the basis that you're not going to be scratchbuilding (well, not yet anyway) I'd agree that the Avonside chassis jig and the GW Wheel press will make life a lot easier when you're building a loco kit. These two plus a high Level gearbox enabled me to build the first loco chassis I'd done that act...

Start again - it's essential that you get your baseboard right. I find 9mm ply fine when braced. Paint or varnish both sides, then I suggest you use cork rather than foam for the trackbed - I've heard too many stories about problems with foam whileas good old cork is tried, tested and generally foun...

That looks absolutely terrific, Mike, and has certainly inspired me to investate cellulose paints for future use. It was also very helpful your letting us know a suitable source for such paints.

David

I'm sure it's good. But the trouble is that at £125 for a sound decoder, it's hard to justify - or indeed, be able - to equip all the locos on one's layout with sound. I've tried sound in locos, and have found that apart from anything else it adds a new and very welcome dimension to driving the loco...

Rather late in the day, but I'd like to take this opportunity to say how much I enjoyed Scaleforum (my first visit since City University days, although I have of course been to Scalefour North on numerous occasions). Basically, everything was good - the layouts exceeded my expectations, the demonstr...

If you're working in the vicinity or even in the same room as other family members, the contant banging of a hammer descending onto a rivet on a steel block can become somewhat irritating, to say the least. Pliers are really much simpler - it's easier to judge the pressure, no need for the steel blo...

I've built a lot of trackwork in the past using the ply-and-rivet method without the luxury of a punch. Using my cheap and no doubt not brilliantly accurate digital caliper, the few rivets I have left have a diameter of 1.19mm. Now it so happens that I also have a drill bit that measures 1.19mm (I'v...

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...