{"id":5673,"date":"2024-01-08T15:55:00","date_gmt":"2024-01-08T05:55:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?guid=1f7bab6c14e073eaee9f822fd1b718f2"},"modified":"2024-01-08T15:55:00","modified_gmt":"2024-01-08T05:55:00","slug":"watching-paint-dry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vibewire.com.au\/?p=5673","title":{"rendered":"Watching Paint dry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Some updates.<\/b><\/p>\n

When I start a new project,  I have a lot of enthusiasm.  Work commences, and progress is steady for a time.  Then, either a problem arises, some unavoidable delay happens, or I get distracted.  I am sure this is not a common situation with many.   This post documents a couple of my recent experiences.<\/p>\n

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Fresh out of the paint shop, SSR’s new livery on ex VR C506 and C507 is stunning in the Junee sunshine last December<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

 Finding a train room – progress is like watching paint dry.<\/u><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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On the inside of the Train room, Brett my builder mate fitted some timber mouldings to the corners, and the ceiling.  These cover up the gaps that were left after the walls, and ceiling was installed.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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My main tasks<\/i><\/p>\n

1) Paint the ceilings with the ceiling white.  Two coats of paint, and 50 square metres each coat.  and<\/p>\n

2) fill the gaps between the yellow tongue boards with “no more gaps” and fill in the numerous nail holes<\/p>\n

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Last Saturday,  Brett was able to attend for the first time in 4 weeks, and he fitted the framing for both windows, and 2 out of the 3 doorways.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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Front entrance door framing<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Front Entrance door from inside the train room.  We had to move the light switch about one cm across, to allow the framing.  This was our mistake initially, we bored the hole for the wires too close to the door.  Yes, the door will need to be painted too.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Side door to the main garage<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Window over the future kitchenette bench<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Window to the north.  Both windows were earlier fitted with security mesh around 5 years ago, to keep the insects (et-al) out.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

My next step is to paint the walls.  I had some leftover wall paint from my workroom.  It is a light grey, with just a tinge of blue.  The paint was previously mixed for me by Brett’s late father, Garry.  It seemed appropriate to me to also honour Garry’s painting skill by using the same colour, which to my eyes appears to be ideal for the train room too.  However, there is a wrinkle.   Garry just used some tints he had lying around, and mixed these into the interior white paint.  So, I am going to have to get the paint colour matched.<\/p>\n

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Fortunately, the paint Garry mixed 6 years ago was still viable, and as an experiment, I painted some on the wall.<\/div>\n
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Masking the cornice prior to painting the wall<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Brush paint for the edge of the cornice, and then roller for the rest.  I didn’t paint the full wall, as I don’t have enough paint<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Remove the masking.  The pictures do not quite show up the grey as well as in real life, but I was happy with my small test.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Brett has advised me which paint company in Wagga for mixing up the colour.  I need to paint 80 square metres of wall, and 2 coats preferable.   I am also needing paint for undercoating the customwood used in the framing.<\/div>\n

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The next work on the room (besides my painting) will be the assembly of the Kitchenette cabinets.  <\/div>\n
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The Xmas project.<\/u><\/p>\n

For distraction, I decided to restore a brass NSW79 class, that I bought on ebay for $100 buy-it-now.  <\/p>\n

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The NSW 79 class is a modified GE 44 tonner, and was the first diesel loco in NSW.  Used at the St Mary’s ammunition depot in the 2nd world war, and the numbers were those used by the US Army.  Google for a full history.<\/p>\n

The model dates from the mid 1970s.  Peter Duckett, then the owner of Model Dockyard, contacted Westside Models who were producing a GE 44 tonner for the USA market.  Peter had a number made for his shop. with NSWGR features, basically the cab, and buffers were different from the standard 44.  The mechanism was the same for both models<\/p>\n

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The ebay seller showed pictures of the model, and good photos of the mechanism, which was missing quite a bit of hardware, including screws,. There was also an unidentified DCC chip.   I am a sucker for acquiring basketcase models.   Restoring them is often be a challenge, and I get a great sense of satisfaction seeing them restored. <\/p>\n

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My own pictures of the model were better than the ebay seller’s picture.  But it is obvious that the paint is poor, and will need to be removed<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The mechanism, after I had removed the DCC wires.  What I hadn’t picked up in the sellers pictures was that the bogies had been fitted with additional wheel pickups<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The DCC installation was expertly done.  There was directional SMD leds for the headlights, and the extra pickups were excellent.  How the model ended up in bits, and badly painted is a mystery. <\/p>\n

Ace up my sleeve.<\/i><\/p>\n

Many years ago, I purchased another 79 class, so I had a model to inspect and compare bits <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
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I painted this model over 30 years ago – not accurate colours.  I still haven’t fitted glazing either<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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My original 79 class mechanism<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The to be restored mechanism, after I had made an insulated bushing for the bogie under the motor, and located a screw  Big missing part is the universal cup on the motor<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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Original and fabricated universal shaft for the link between the bogies<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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I made up a crude “ball” for the universal by using low melt 144C solder. This stopped a lot of “chattering” when the mechanism was running.  This could be an original idea of mine. <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

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The link from the motor to the gear tower was a combination of NWSL cup, shaft, and neoprene tube.  <\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Not going to win any awards for slow speed running, but it does run as seen in this short video<\/p>\n