New Street retaining walls

Inside the fence.
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jim s-w
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New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Tue Sep 30, 2008 5:54 pm

First up peeps, thanks for all the kind comments at Scaleforum and thanks to all who took the time to have a chat.

Spurred on work starts on the retaining walls for board one. The outer sides will be ply but the inners are the new dense foamboard you can get. This stuff seems to have no reaction to superglue or spray paint which is interesting.

Image

The first wall - A relatively simple affair until I realised there is a walkway and a lighting point near one end.

Image

Close up of said walkway. Still got the ladder and its safety cage to add yet but pretty pleased with it so far. And yes, before anyone asks, this will be the operating side not the public facing side.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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John Bateson
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby John Bateson » Wed Oct 01, 2008 6:25 am

What is this new dense foamboard you mention? Any sources/prices/techniques
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Wed Oct 15, 2008 7:15 am

Hi John

The foamboard is by Bienfang and is called MightyCore

It comes in 1/4 and 1/2 inch thicknesses in white and in 1/4 inch white with black core. I think I paid about £16 for a 8ish by 4ish (feet) sheet from Lions art supplies Birmingham

HTH

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

Andy C

Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby Andy C » Wed Oct 15, 2008 6:13 pm

Jim

I presume that the SE Finecast brick styrene sheet - what did you use to glue it to the foamboard (as one who has had difficulty with this in the past!!) I presume as well the dense foamboard is a bit more resistant to bending than its lighter counterpart?

cheers

andy

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Thu Oct 16, 2008 7:39 pm

Hi Andy

The sheets (SE finecast yes) are stuck to the foamboard with double sided tape. The foam board is very resistant to bending. A sheet seeming far less flexible than 2mm hardboard but still cut-able with a scalpel.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Sat Oct 18, 2008 12:10 am

Hi All

A few more in progress pics showing, I hope, a little of my methods

Image

The wall marked out and cut out of foamboard. I draw everything in illustrator first, print it out and stick it to the material I am working with. I then cut though the template and material at the same time. Keeps everything nice and square and saves marking out again.

Image

Using a scrap piece to hold the wall to the angle I need. To ensure a good fit of the angle I cut the edge with a 45 degree mount cutter (pictured)

Image

Building up the wall using card and embossed plasticard. The wall slopes gently at the bottom so I used 2mm card spacers to give the effect I wanted. Everything is stuck together with double sided tape.

Image

By using the mount cutter you can get very neat corners with minimum faff. The mount cutter itself takes a bit of effort to learn to use but the amount of wonky cuts I am making is getting slowly smaller.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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John Bateson
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby John Bateson » Sat Oct 18, 2008 8:49 am

Jim,
Just received the two samples you sent to me. Impressed I am, very strong and just as light as the traditional foamboard.
Definitely on my Christmas last.
John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

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Jonathan Wells
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby Jonathan Wells » Sat Oct 18, 2008 4:35 pm

jim s-w wrote:The foamboard is by Bienfang and is called MightyCore

It comes in 1/4 and 1/2 inch thicknesses in white and in 1/4 inch white with black core. I think I paid about £16 for a 8ish by 4ish (feet) sheet from Lions art supplies Birmingham

I found this datasheet for MightyCore: http://www.forframersonly.com/sellsheets/-4163-Mighty%20CoreTech%20guide.pdf

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John Bateson
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby John Bateson » Sat Oct 18, 2008 6:15 pm

I don't think there is another UK supplier ...
On their web they say sheets of this size are just under a tenner, but you have to buy 25 sheets to order over the web.
1016 x 812mm / 40" x 32", 5mm thick
The Logan 1500 Foam Board Cutter looks a good bet for working on this.

John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Tue Oct 21, 2008 7:12 am

Hi John (and Others)

Next time I need some I can fetch additional sheets if you dont mind me chopping it down to more postable sizes.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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John Bateson
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby John Bateson » Tue Oct 21, 2008 10:18 am

Hmmm! I wonder if we could persuade Jeremy to buy a box and try to sell it at Scalefour North next year from the 'Stores'...The size mentioned below is easily transported for visitors with a car.
Shall have a think.
John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Fri Oct 24, 2008 2:51 pm

Hi All

Been outside in the sun working on the layout a little. I needed to check the fit of the retaining walls so the attached shows a temporary mock up.

Image

EMU for scale

Image

A little more here http://jsmithwright.demonweb.co.uk/layout/scenic/walls-westend.html

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:33 am

Hi All

Yep you have guessed it! More walls! Anyone bored yet? LOL

Image
Image
Image

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

Andy C

Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby Andy C » Sun Nov 09, 2008 2:33 pm

jim s-w wrote:Hi All

Yep you have guessed it! More walls! Anyone bored yet? LOL

Cheers

Jim



or driven up it Jim

I know it isnt painted yet but that drooping cabling looks spot on - keep on posting!

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John Bateson
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby John Bateson » Sun Nov 09, 2008 6:49 pm

Jim,
How do you paint the cabling so that it looks like multiple cables and not an enamel or cellose blotch?
John
Slaving away still on GCR stuff ...

davebooth

Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby davebooth » Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:06 am

[quote="jim s-w"]Hi All

Yep you have guessed it! More walls! Anyone bored yet? LOL

Jim,
That is top-class modelling, - well done.
The cabling particularly took my eye and brought back memories of long ago spotting days alongside the Woodhead route, sitting on such cabling hung from ground-based timbers. Seemed comfy enough then but my backside is now shuddering at the thought!

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Mon Nov 10, 2008 9:07 pm

Thanks Gents

John - on the plank I just painted the cabled with enamels. No reason to think that wont work just fine this time too. A wash of dark brown tends to bring out the detail a bit.
(see pic)

Dave - sparking memories like yours is what its all about!

Cheers

Jim
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Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:08 am

Ok

If you thought the signal box interior and first retaining wall were pointless exercises I think I have gone one better! :roll: :roll: :roll:

Image

Not only does this wall also face away from the public but its under the tunnel! Seriously though, yes the public will never see it but if I did plain, flat walls I would be wiping out any possibilities to take pictures of the layout from the back. Plus most importantly I am really enjoying this so thats all the reason I need!

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Mon Nov 24, 2008 6:48 pm

Hi All

Spent this afternoon working on yet another wall! This is the one that faces platform 5 (hence away from the public) so I can take a few short cuts with the construction. As this one is structural to the layout and will help support and take the tension of the OLE it has 6mm ply as the base (i'll trim it to shape later!)
Image

This is the real thing
Image

The 26 arches were punched from the base card using this 14mm punch - Very Handy and took about 5 - 10 minutes to do all of them
Image

I need to etch the actual arch for the brickwork but as I need over a hundred of them for the whole layout its worth doing them this way.

Also I have been playing with signaling troughs. With the help of a fellow WFRM member we have produced 2 types of etches for the c1/8 type

Image
the first type can be used on layouts but are intended as wagon loads. They consist of 6 'boxes' and 6 lids.

Image
the second type is for layout use and is 2 runs of 10 sections as a single piece fold up etch. These can be curved (gently).

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

modelmaker87

Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby modelmaker87 » Mon Dec 01, 2008 8:06 am

Jim,

Don't forget that I will need any/all details you have managed to collect for the turnout motor master you would like me to make. If you can get them to me before I leave for the US I will be able to discuss with MWT here at Wirrall Finescale. How many do you want me to cast once I/you are satisfied with the beta unit...?

Tony

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Mon Dec 01, 2008 6:46 pm

Hi Tone

How long Have I got before you head back? I will need probably 3 dozen.

Been getting busy with paint. I am happy with progress so far but still some more to do. On the plank I experimented with using Markers (letraset ones) to pick out variations in the bricks. You need to leave this stage to the very end though as weathering washes the marker away. Thus the wall is fairly flat and yet suitably grimy.

Hope you like :D

Image
overview - not started on the main girders yet.

Image

Image

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

modelmaker87

Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby modelmaker87 » Mon Dec 01, 2008 7:40 pm

[quote="jim s-w"]Hi Tone

How long Have I got before you head back? I will need probably 3 dozen.

Last day for any hand over info is Sunday December 14 at Wigan expo. Flight the following day back to NC. Thereafter snail mail or e-mail. 3 doz no sweat.

Cheers, Tone

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Wed Dec 10, 2008 7:34 pm

Hi All

Walls are finished! For the moment anyway (no cheering at this point!) But you dont get away without a parting shot (or 2!) :D :D :D

Image
Theres a surprising amount of greenery sprouting from the walls and even a tuft of grass growing out of the platform! And there I was thinking I wouldn't have to do the green stuff!

Image
A trick i first tried on the plank was to use a loose mask and spray a heavy shadow under the bridges. Seemed to work fine there so I have repeated it here. The verigirder still needs a bit more paintwork yet.

Thing is, by posting the pics here is the only way the public will see it as you (probably) cant see these when the layout is finished.

Cheers

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!

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Captain Kernow
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby Captain Kernow » Fri May 29, 2009 4:45 pm

jim s-w wrote:Using a scrap piece to hold the wall to the angle I need. To ensure a good fit of the angle I cut the edge with a 45 degree mount cutter (pictured)

[By using the mount cutter you can get very neat corners with minimum faff. The mount cutter itself takes a bit of effort to learn to use but the amount of wonky cuts I am making is getting slowly smaller.

Hi Jim,

Stunning work, as usual - top notch matey!

One question - I've not come across a mount cutter before and wouldn't know where to get hold of one - where would you suggest please? Thanks.

Tim M
Tim M
Member of the Devon Riviera Area Group.

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jim s-w
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Re: New Street retaining walls

Postby jim s-w » Fri May 29, 2009 6:12 pm

Hi Tim

They are used for cutting the bevel onto mounts used in picture framing. A supplier who deals in this sort of thing will have one (such as Lions in Birmingham but they also crop up on Ebay.

HTH

Jim
Jim Smith-Wright

http://www.p4newstreet.com

Over thinking often leads to under doing!


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