Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you so much class27, Overseer and Simon! I am trying to be confident!!
Pete.
Pete.
Let's roll - Finescale of a sort
- Thread starter Peter Insole
- Start date
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you Fitzroy! The weather has been a bit too windy to carry on, but I'm hoping to get cracking again tomorrow?!
Focussing on this job is keeping my mind otherwise occupied!
Pete.
Focussing on this job is keeping my mind otherwise occupied!
Pete.
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Although today was still rather too breezy, I didn't feel like waiting any longer for the promised improvement in the weather... so while the garden gate was open and Mr. O was busy working with his horticultural hat on... I grabbed the paint pots and brushes again!
Despite an assumption that having done the first side, I might start "getting my hand in" and find the second attempt a bit easier... for some reason it took almost twice as long this time?!
I am mightily relieved to declare that the legends are emblazoned on both sides now:
Just the fiddly little "1925 Bassett-lowke" markings on the left hand ends... and the all round clean up job to do next!
Pete.
Despite an assumption that having done the first side, I might start "getting my hand in" and find the second attempt a bit easier... for some reason it took almost twice as long this time?!
I am mightily relieved to declare that the legends are emblazoned on both sides now:
Just the fiddly little "1925 Bassett-lowke" markings on the left hand ends... and the all round clean up job to do next!
Pete.
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you Chris and Adam, it has turned out to be an epic venture... and it is also not quite finished yet!
The originals had diamond pattern metal "tread plate" strips covering the top of the solebars above the footwell. Although I don't want to encourage any of our passengers to actually put their weight on it, I still think it would be a good idea to protect the timber and paintwork in that area from inevitable wear and tear?!
Despite lengthy searches, I can find no-one these days that manufactures or markets anything remotely similar to such a traditional style material... which is a shame. "Triple-grip" is much too crude, let alone being outlandishly modern, so I might just have to make do with plain, aluminium sheet?
I did find myself wondering if it might be possible to punch a pattern with a die of some sort?
But then again, that must be the surest route to (complete) insanity?!
Pete.
The originals had diamond pattern metal "tread plate" strips covering the top of the solebars above the footwell. Although I don't want to encourage any of our passengers to actually put their weight on it, I still think it would be a good idea to protect the timber and paintwork in that area from inevitable wear and tear?!
Despite lengthy searches, I can find no-one these days that manufactures or markets anything remotely similar to such a traditional style material... which is a shame. "Triple-grip" is much too crude, let alone being outlandishly modern, so I might just have to make do with plain, aluminium sheet?
I did find myself wondering if it might be possible to punch a pattern with a die of some sort?
But then again, that must be the surest route to (complete) insanity?!
Pete.
Heather Kay
Western Thunderer
What about that stuff Halfords sells for car repairs? It’s an aluminium mesh that be stretched and shaped.
Osgood
Western Thunderer
The original does rather look like plastering mesh stapled on!
When you say 'triple grip' - do you mean this stuff?
I'd have thought it would be far better looking than both the original material and aluminium chequerplate strip, and if painted the same body colour would not be visually intrusive?
Amazingly still available from a long-established Gentlemans' Commercial Body outfitters at Welwyn Garden City:
I might just happen to have a couple of offcuts exactly the right length (whatever that is) ......
When you say 'triple grip' - do you mean this stuff?
I'd have thought it would be far better looking than both the original material and aluminium chequerplate strip, and if painted the same body colour would not be visually intrusive?
Amazingly still available from a long-established Gentlemans' Commercial Body outfitters at Welwyn Garden City:
I might just happen to have a couple of offcuts exactly the right length (whatever that is) ......
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Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you Heather and Tony for the wonderful suggestions. It does indeed look very much like expanding mesh on the prototype, but I would be a bit worried about how to secure the outer edges... while the "pyramid" strip is a bit narrow, (my solebars are an awkward 55mm wide) and otherwise perhaps rather too beefy?
I have just had an idea... so please pardon me while I go off on another search?
Pete.
I have just had an idea... so please pardon me while I go off on another search?
Pete.
-missy-
Western Thunderer
Hi Pete.
That stuff reminds me of textured stainless steel sheet you can get. Like this stuff
or maybe this..
Steel Finishes
Julia
That stuff reminds me of textured stainless steel sheet you can get. Like this stuff
or maybe this..
Steel Finishes
Julia
Tim Watson
Western Thunderer
Will passengers be charged a little extra for travelling in the car?
Tim
Tim
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Thank you Julia for the most welcome suggestion. That fine diamond pattern in stainless steel looks very acceptable indeed, but there doesn't seem to be much specification information on the website. As it is embossed, I'm a bit worried that it might be too thin, and therefore not terribly easy to hold down at the edges? I definitely think it would be a good idea to request a sample though.
Thank you too Richard... I will keep looking, but so far all the patterns that I have found (except "triple-grip") are much too large!
Incidentally, (Tony) the stuff below is what was thus referred to, and I had ordered for the "speeder". It is just a very small patterned version of the more regular "tread plate".
I felt it looked appropriate on this locomotive... but it is definitely a modern design, and which I feel is rather too "industrial" for an ornate 1920's passenger carriage?
A cunning plan is still quietly bubbling away though...!
Oh by the way Tim, I did rather fancy the idea of having a nicely tailored pair of slim, loose cushions covered in a classic UndergrounD moquette... both for the style and comfort of my passengers... but frightened myself almost witless when I discovered the price per meter being charged!
In that case, such an investment would certainly be unsustainable without the application of supplementary fares I fear!
Pete.
Thank you too Richard... I will keep looking, but so far all the patterns that I have found (except "triple-grip") are much too large!
Incidentally, (Tony) the stuff below is what was thus referred to, and I had ordered for the "speeder". It is just a very small patterned version of the more regular "tread plate".
I felt it looked appropriate on this locomotive... but it is definitely a modern design, and which I feel is rather too "industrial" for an ornate 1920's passenger carriage?
A cunning plan is still quietly bubbling away though...!
Oh by the way Tim, I did rather fancy the idea of having a nicely tailored pair of slim, loose cushions covered in a classic UndergrounD moquette... both for the style and comfort of my passengers... but frightened myself almost witless when I discovered the price per meter being charged!
In that case, such an investment would certainly be unsustainable without the application of supplementary fares I fear!
Pete.
Oz7mm
Western Thunderer
Pete
That treadplate looks very familiar. We re-did a bathroom about 25 years ago and we couldn't find a bath panel we liked, so I went into Mackays in Cambridge and bought a piece of that treadplate and used it as the bath panel to give the bathroom an 'industrial' look, at least until we could find a panel we liked. Needless to say, the treadplate is still there.
John
That treadplate looks very familiar. We re-did a bathroom about 25 years ago and we couldn't find a bath panel we liked, so I went into Mackays in Cambridge and bought a piece of that treadplate and used it as the bath panel to give the bathroom an 'industrial' look, at least until we could find a panel we liked. Needless to say, the treadplate is still there.
John
Osgood
Western Thunderer
Pete - I too have had an idea, that might sit well with your usual approach to solving unsolvable problems.
If you were to cut a 3 row tread plate (pyramid) strip lengthways to make a 2 row strip and a 1 row strip, you could put the 2 row strip alongside an unmolested 3 row strip to make a 5 row strip, which would be -
55mm wide.
If you were to cut a 3 row tread plate (pyramid) strip lengthways to make a 2 row strip and a 1 row strip, you could put the 2 row strip alongside an unmolested 3 row strip to make a 5 row strip, which would be -
55mm wide.
simond
Western Thunderer
If you fancy a trip to Folkestone, we have a guillotine that stands idle most of every day, and all weekend.
It’s about four feet wide, I’d have to check the cutting capacity, but 1mm stainless or 3mm ally should be ok.
You could combine your visit with a ride on the RHDR which is only a couple of miles away.
atb
Simon
It’s about four feet wide, I’d have to check the cutting capacity, but 1mm stainless or 3mm ally should be ok.
You could combine your visit with a ride on the RHDR which is only a couple of miles away.
atb
Simon
Mike W
Western Thunderer
There are some embossed rubber strips available for things like car running boards - might suit? But from past record I feel your cunning plan will somehow be far better, whatever it is!
As regards the price of moquette, is there a group restoring an LT carriage who might have some offcuts or even part worn old stuff that they are replacing? You need so little that you might get what you want from their waste. I suspect you have far better contacts for such LT groups than I do.
Mike
As regards the price of moquette, is there a group restoring an LT carriage who might have some offcuts or even part worn old stuff that they are replacing? You need so little that you might get what you want from their waste. I suspect you have far better contacts for such LT groups than I do.
Mike
Peter Insole
Western Thunderer
Wow, such a lot to think about now! The more I look at that original photo, the more I am convinced that an expanding mesh was used! There does appear to be a distinct, rolled edge visible - at least on the inner side... although admittedly it is not so clear on the outer. I do wonder if that material was contained by a rolled over frame of some sort?!
I am probably overthinking this, (?) so for the moment it is back to the "cunning plan"!
Aluminium sheet we have a plenty, (salvaged from the demolished caravan body) so smooth plates will be no problem, but I would still like some sort of appropriate finish on the surface. A distinctly period, transport related solution does exist... and I had the opportunity to examine it closely during a recent visit to the East Anglian Transport Museum.
Unfortunately, being unaware of any future potential I didn't take any close-up, detail photographs at the time, but during a trawl yesterday I managed to find this example:
(Cropped from a copyright image published elsewhere, and shown here for illustrative purposes only)
Fish scale polishing was quite a popular feature at one time, although perhaps more commonly found in the early automotive industry. Whilst admittedly it is not historically accurate for our particular carriage, I nonetheless feel that it's application could be a very pleasing and traditional, period style embellishment?
Not only the ally, but a box of small, fairly course abrasive discs is to hand... and a simple, wooden jig could be built up on the drill press platter... so how hard could it be to have a go?
Famous last words I suppose?!
Pete.
I am probably overthinking this, (?) so for the moment it is back to the "cunning plan"!
Aluminium sheet we have a plenty, (salvaged from the demolished caravan body) so smooth plates will be no problem, but I would still like some sort of appropriate finish on the surface. A distinctly period, transport related solution does exist... and I had the opportunity to examine it closely during a recent visit to the East Anglian Transport Museum.
Unfortunately, being unaware of any future potential I didn't take any close-up, detail photographs at the time, but during a trawl yesterday I managed to find this example:
(Cropped from a copyright image published elsewhere, and shown here for illustrative purposes only)
Fish scale polishing was quite a popular feature at one time, although perhaps more commonly found in the early automotive industry. Whilst admittedly it is not historically accurate for our particular carriage, I nonetheless feel that it's application could be a very pleasing and traditional, period style embellishment?
Not only the ally, but a box of small, fairly course abrasive discs is to hand... and a simple, wooden jig could be built up on the drill press platter... so how hard could it be to have a go?
Famous last words I suppose?!
Pete.
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