Anglia105E

I had a good feeling about this O gauge GWR coach, which was delivered today. I really like the coach and it photographs very well, especially within a diorama scene. This model is by LIMA of Italy, and it is in good original condition. The passenger coach will occupy the 36 inches of track, along with the steam loco assembled from 3D printed parts. Here are some photos of this interesting model, which I am sure will be an important addition to the Hooper & Co. diorama. David

Here it is guys ! https://kalmbachhobbystore.com/product/dvd/15206 Only US $ 49.95 David

I did try mounting a very small spy camera on the rolling chassis of a 1:43 scale model car . . . The chassis was pulled along the roads and streets of the diorama with fishing line, so that the line was not visible on the video footage. By using a nail that was hammered into the baseboard on the far side, I could have one model car being pulled in the opposite direction to the ' camera car ' . . . The second car appeared to be driving towards the camera, and then passing by. This experiment did work surprisingly well at the time, and the two cars were attached to the same piece of fishing line. David

This is a link to one of my recent test videos on YouTube, and I am not using a tripod, so not smooth ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3FCrk1RZdY David

Excellent video Paul, and there's lots to see in this diorama of yours . . . I like to tinker with YouTube videos, which is yet another enjoyable aspect of our wonderful hobby ! David

Just like you Andreas, I am 69 now, but I came back to building scale model cars at the age of 63, having not built any models for 50 years. When I was a 13 year old boy I used to build the 1:32 scale Airfix kits and brush paint them . . . You have done an excellent job on your 1951 Chevy Bel Air engine, and those straight 6 cylinder engines are really interesting, compared to the more widely used V8 engines later. I have built some straight 6 cylinder engines in 1:24 scale for my 1950's Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud model cars, and also a straight 6 for the 1953 Hudson Hornet, which was a Moebius kit from an Ebay seller in Germany . . . You will enjoy building this Chevy kit, which I imagine is a 1:25 scale kit. The British and American motor cars from the 1950's are of special interest to me, so I tend to concentrate on the 1955 to 1959 period of automotive scale model building. Well done ! David

The 1:43 scale Hooper & Co. factory diorama has been brought back onto the worktop, and alongside this baseboard, which is off to the right, there will be the O gauge railway line. The steam locomotive is being built to run on this track, with a 7-plank wagon and a brake van coupled. The image of the map shows the Hooper factory, with Duke's Road to the left of the factory, then Masons Green Lane and then the railway line to the West. This map shows the position of the factory as it was during the 1950's. 3D printed some further brakes parts today. David

Well Martin . . . I agree with Steve Milberry, that your photos instantly led me to believe that I was looking at a 1:1 motor car. This is an exceptional build, and you should be very proud of what you have achieved. Moebius kits are a dream to assemble, but you have gone the extra mile with this one. Having built a Moebius Hudson Hornet myself, there is something in me that would like to build a Chrysler 300B. Well done with your 3D printed parts also . . . I guarantee that you would thoroughly enjoy building the 1953 Hudson Hornet . . . I know I did. David

This is my daily drive . . . 1994 ( grey import ) Mitsubishi Pajero 2.8 TD SWB, auto with overdrive. Newport Metallic Grey - Over 250,000 miles. The speedo and the mileometer no longer work, and haven't worked for several years, so mileage is a guess. Sat Nav tells me my speed on the road. This vehicle is 2 tons in weight, and can easily tow 3 tons, such as my 4-berth sailing yacht and twin-axle trailer ( 300 miles each way to Cornwall ). My Pajero is so strong and reliable, and I would not want to drive any modern car. David

Here are my four replicas of cars that I have owned and driven . . . First up is the 1968 Pontiac Parisienne 4-door RHD, then the 1994 Mitsubishi Pajero SWB, then the 1988 Suzuki SJ413 Samurai, and last but not least is the 1960 Ford Anglia 105E . . . All great cars in their own right ! David

Some nice colourisation going on there . . . The second pour should bring satisfying results. David

Thanks Paul . . . Yes, you are right to point this out, and the instructions on the designer's webpage show this 90° angle as being important. Being very much a car person, my knowledge of steam locomotives is somewhat limited, so I would not have got this driving rod setup correct. David

I like the ice effect on the windscreen of this truck Charles . . . I see from the registration number plate that this Scania is a UK vehicle. You have some interesting techniques for icicles and frost effects. This is quite an unusual idea . . . I like it ! Would this be the Italeri 1:24 scale kit that you have used? David

Having 3D printed the 34 parts that I need to get started on the assembly of this steam loco, in 14 days, work has commenced, with good results so far. As you can see from the following photos, the boiler underside part was not fully printed properly, so I measured and cut two pieces of thin styrene sheet to make the part good. The two side frame parts have been joined together using four spacers, for which I used super glue and baking powder. After selecting one wheel and one driving rod, I then applied some red oxide primer by brush to these few parts. For the top coat of paint I have purchased some Satin Black enamel, to be applied by brush over the red primer. The essential first step was to make sure that the frame sides are square, level and straight, so that when the three axles and six wheels are in place, everything will line up on top and this will also determine the track width. It seems the super glue takes a long time to actually ' grab ' the two parts of PLA printed material, but the bond is stronger later. This is one reason why I chose to use the baking powder to increase the overall strength of the join. David

This is just one of the wonders of technology from this year 2022 . . . What might they come up with next ? David

I have just 3D printed 34 parts for my steam locomotive build in 1:43 scale ( O gauge ), which has taken 14 days over the festive period. David

Nicely done family cemetery plot, so just waiting for Santa-zon I guess. David

Here are some recent 3D printed parts for the steam loco in 1:48 scale ( O gauge) . . . I can print two center wheels in 3 hours, then four non center wheels in 6 hours, and the main frame of this loco in 9 hours. David

I like where this is going Paul . . . especially with the chain link fence, which will be realistically ' rusted, bent and sagging ' . It is not often you hear of plaster of paris being used these days . . . good for you ! David

Hi Charles . . . I am currently 3D printing 37 parts for an O gauge steam loco for a diorama, which is 1:43 scale in UK and 1:48 scale in US. Like you, I am more used to working in 1:24 or 1:32 scale. David

The price tag of $250USD is around £206.00 GBP, and I just found one on Ebay for £150.00 GBP ( see this link: https://www.ebay.co.uk/p/16032576950 David

I picked up this 1:20 scale Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud II Convertible with V8 engine on Ebay the other day, which is made by Solido of France. This is quite a nice diecast model, but nowhere near as heavy as a 1:24 scale Franklin Mint Silver Cloud I I got this one cheap because it has no Spirit of Ecstasy hood emblem, and it was not boxed. One small bad patch on the paintwork. David

Something like an Ender 3 Pro or an Original Prusa i3 will certainly give you much smoother results than my home built cheapo A8, and this is a case of you get what you pay for . . . As 3D printing was a new technology for me, and I didn't know if I would use it much, I chose to go cheap. Now of course, I find myself wanting an Ender 3 Pro or a similar level Prusa ! David

Yeah, this has been a long running problem with my 3D printing, and I have tried all sorts of tweaks and adjustments to stop these unsightly layer lines, but nothing works. Many A8 users have said that the problem is Z-Wobble with the two upright threaded rods on this printer, so I printed a couple of anti-wobble bushes and fitted them to the top of each rod, but the layer lines continue. I have also tried many different settings in the Ultimaker Cura software in an attempt to produce smoother printed models, but no joy . . . My layers are set to 0.08 mm, and I don't think the nozzle jet can handle smaller than that figure. I also make sure that the print run is going well, before leaving the printer unattended for long periods . . . such as 5 hours 30 minutes for example. This A8 3D printer was assembled by myself from a large box of parts, and it was the cheapest Chinese printer on the market ! David

Hi Paul . . . No, my 3D printer is not a resin printer, it is an A8 (PLA) type printer. I do get layer lines showing on the Z-axis with my printer, so when parts are placed vertically on edge on the build platform those layer lines are a problem. When the part is in the ' Lay Flat ' position, I get a much smoother finish to my printing, as the X-axis and the Y-axis don't have the layer lines issue. So yes, some sanding and filling will be required ! Well spotted ! David