Building Dotti

[trammayo]

Houston Gate Locomotive Works are a bit cheaper

Yes they are a lot cheaper. I just fancied the plastic kit as I normally scratch build or bodge in wood - or even card. Having bought some sheets of HIPS I thought I'd try the kit. Must say I find the plastic fine to work with.

 

[trammayo]

Well my attempts to add rivet detailing ended up a bit of a shambles (well, a lot of a shambles!).

As there was no 0.5mm plastic in the kit, I thought I'd be clever - too clever - in using the lid of a margarine tub. Cut the narrow strip to go around the top of the cab sides, used the Mek-Pak (it seemed OK), and then started applying the rivet details.

Even with specs on, the blighters proved difficult - flying out of the jaws of the tweezers or launching into orbit after being released from the sprue - so in the end, I used the brush that I applied the glue with.

After a messy hour (maybe less - but it seemed like a day), they were on. The rivet heads virtually melted leaving a dirty appearance on the plastic they were (I thought) glued to. Pictures down to my usual low standards...





I should have twigged that something was amiss when I applied the rivets to the bonnet. I had barely time to position them before the glue fused them in place - whilst the detailing applied to the strip around the cab allowed me to a lot more time (different plastic - I got that thought right!).

After lunch I went into the workshop to expoy glue the two mounting screws in their place and also the motor. Then I turned my attention to the exhaust silencer. Supposed to be glued into place, I thought this large casting might be susceptible to rough handling, so I drilled and tapped the silencer. With a thread of 3.0mm, I drilled a hole in bonnet side to accept the short screw.

Trouble was, with near numb fingers and having to use pliers to turn the screw inside the bonnet, I dropped the bonnet on the floor. See, I was right assuming rough handling. The bonnet (and the the rest of the superstructure) were fine but where were the rivets around the cab side?

So I left the lot in the shed and went for a cuppa!

 

[playmofire]

After that, a cuppa sounds a very good idea!

As for the photos, did you remember to switch to the "little flower" setting or even to the "little flower plus magnifying glass setting"? I think the latter was the one you needed, and to pull back a bit from the subject.

You can always photograph something and then to get the detail bigger, crop the picture.

 

[Rhinochugger]

The point of a sharp modelling knife or a pin works for plastic rivets. Stick it in the rivet, and it just about holds it 'til you apply it to the surface - a twizzle of solvent and then lean the knife / pin slight sideways and the job's a good 'un

 

[trammayo]

The point of a sharp modelling knife or a pin works for plastic rivets. Stick it in the rivet, and it just about holds it 'til you apply it to the surface - a twizzle of solvent and then lean the knife / pin slight sideways and the job's a good 'un

View attachment 220186

Yes I tried that - managed to send them flying. Might try metal rivets.

After that, a cuppa sounds a very good idea!

As for the photos, did you remember to switch to the "little flower" setting or even to the "little flower plus magnifying glass setting"? I think the latter was the one you needed, and to pull back a bit from the subject.

You can always photograph something and then to get the detail bigger, crop the picture.

It's those cropped pics that fail to upload - even one resized PNG showed its' face and then promptly left the screen!

Whilst I now remember to press the flower button I still forgot the magnifier bit - is that the zoom in?

 

[trammayo]

Well the epoxy was poxy because it hadn't set! It was hard for me to squeeze the stuff out of the double tube - maybe I got the proportions wrong. Will have a go with new one after lunch.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Yes I tried that - managed to send them flying. Might try metal rivets.

Try Peco brass track pins - adds a bit of weight as well



The only drawback is that you need to drill the holes on a straight line - it wasn't as easy to mark out as the whaleback tender was - well, that's my excuse

 

[trammayo]

Try Peco brass track pins - adds a bit of weight as well

View attachment 220187

The only drawback is that you need to drill the holes on a straight line - it wasn't as easy to mark out as the whaleback tender was - well, that's my excuse

Ah - ahead of you! I have brass pins with nice heads - although the shank s will have to be cut down to a fraction under 2mm - that'l strain the eyeballs. As for drilling, if it's like my mind, it will be all over the place - I usually do first and think later!

 

[3Valve]

The point of a sharp modelling knife or a pin works for plastic rivets. Stick it in the rivet, and it just about holds it 'til you apply it to the surface - a twizzle of solvent and then lean the knife / pin slight sideways and the job's a good 'un

View attachment 220186

Yep that's how I do it too. I've also found that making the tiniest indent in the structure where the rivet is to be placed helps. Pop a tiny bit of superglue into the indent then position the rivet (quickly)

 

[playmofire]

Yes I tried that - managed to send them flying. Might try metal rivets.




It's those cropped pics that fail to upload - even one resized PNG showed its' face and then promptly left the screen!

Whilst I now remember to press the flower button I still forgot the magnifier bit - is that the zoom in?

The flower with the magnifying glass is for very close-up work. If you are too close, there should be the letters AF in red flashing to the middle right of the screen viewer.

 

[trammayo]

The flower with the magnifying glass is for very close-up work. If you are too close, there should be the letters AF in red flashing to the middle right of the screen viewer.

Ha I thought the AF stood for auto flash. Doh!

Yep that's how I do it too. I've also found that making the tiniest indent in the structure where the rivet is to be placed helps. Pop a tiny bit of superglue into the indent then position the rivet (quickly)

View attachment 220188

The plastic is extremely hard on this kit, I seem to have to press on even when drilling! I wondered about superglue but thought that might also cause them to be lost. The Mek-Pak really works well - if only I was quick enough!

 

[Rhinochugger]

Ha I thought the AF stood for auto flash. Doh!



The plastic is extremely hard on this kit, I seem to have to press on even when drilling! I wondered about superglue but thought that might also cause them to be lost. The Mek-Pak really works well - if only I was quick enough!

Position the rivet, still holding down with the pointed implement, and apply the Mek-Pak left handed - gowon, you know you can do it

The beauty of solvent welds for plastic is that you apply them once the pieces are positioned - polystyrene adhesives need to be applied before bringing the pieces together

 

[3Valve]

Ha I thought the AF stood for auto flash. Doh!



The plastic is extremely hard on this kit, I seem to have to press on even when drilling! I wondered about superglue but thought that might also cause them to be lost. The Mek-Pak really works well - if only I was quick enough!

Ah I see. I've been fortunate to have only used stick on Rivets with Plasticard so far. Didn't even occur to me to use the huge bottle of Mek-Pak I've got in the cupboard to stick em though. Would've been so much easier positioning my rivets then applying the glue - Doh.

 

[trammayo]

Ah I see. I've been fortunate to have only used stick on Rivets with Plasticard so far. Didn't even occur to me to use the huge bottle of Mek-Pak I've got in the cupboard to stick em though. Would've been so much easier positioning my rivets then applying the glue - Doh.

Position the rivet, still holding down with the pointed implement, and apply the Mek-Pak left handed - gowon, you know you can do it

The beauty of solvent welds for plastic is that you apply them once the pieces are positioned - polystyrene adhesives need to be applied before bringing the pieces together

I have problems holding things in position - it's not my hands but the muscles in my arms! I used a brush to apply the solvent and I end up moving things or flooding everything!

 

[trammayo]

Well, I fastened down the air intake by drilling and tapping the tiny casting, then screwed into position...


I also noticed that the fall on the floor had damage the exhaust pipe when I dropped model on the floor and all the rivets left town. I had drilled the pipe to make it look like the tube it should be. So now it will have to look like a tatty, rust pipe.

Screwed from inside the bonnet ...


I sanded down where the rivet heads had been so I have a clean start .....

Although the epoxy hasn't fully hardened, the motor doesn't seem to move in its' mounting. I've brought the chassis and base into the house to see if the change in temperature will cure it. If it doesn't, then I will mix some new stuff.

The motor has a slight tilt towards its' end of the chassis - this was to make sure that the worm meshed OK with the wheel...





and finally (for today) the two screws glued in so that the chassis can be attached - or removed...

 

[Rhinochugger]

The mesh of the gears need a little bit of play - not too tight.

In a past life I used to build white metal / brass 00 kits for the model shop in Guildford - evening work, I could earn about 50p per hour but I could also build kits that I would never have been able to afford to buy

When you're young, married with a couple of extra mouths to feed, you need all the money you can get

 

[playmofire]

Lots of progress with Dotti and the photos - some close-ups are sharp and others are sharper.
With some close-ups you'll never get everything sharp because you are so close, but you can check on the screen before you press the shutter that the bits that are important are sharp.

 

[trammayo]

The mesh of the gears need a little bit of play - not too tight.

In a past life I used to build white metal / brass 00 kits for the model shop in Guildford - evening work, I could earn about 50p per hour but I could also build kits that I would never have been able to afford to buy

When you're young, married with a couple of extra mouths to feed, you need all the money you can get

Eeh by gum - ten bob an hour! Yep, I remember those days when it wer real money! A second job was a must (or tons of overtime if it was available).

Yes you're right about it needing some play. The trouble with positioning the motor on this kit is that the hole is not an interfence fit (near, but not near enough). with a depth of only 2.0mm. When I tested it on the track it had a tendency to kick the motor/worm away. I used the point of a pin to stop that for the test and gravity when glueing. Just had a look as I let the darned cats out and I need to reglue. Doh!

 

[trammayo]

Lots of progress with Dotti and the photos - some close-ups are sharp and others are sharper.
With some close-ups you'll never get everything sharp because you are so close, but you can check on the screen before you press the shutter that the bits that are important are sharp.

It looks OK on the camera screen most of the time - apart from all the different pictograms and other symbols. The trouble is when I have taken the pic - it looks bad, so I take another shot, and another - you want to see the ones I delete . I'm going to copy and print your posting about the camera to see if I can get my head around it! But, given my past history, I'm not holding my breath!

Do me a favour Mr Gates and bring back Picture-it Photo 7!

 

[Madman]

Mick, on the use of a camera, hold it with two hands, point it at the subject, press the shutter release.....LOL.....Seriously though your photos look great, as does your work on Dotti.

Way back in 1968, while I was still in the navy, I had a Kodak Instamatic. The kind with the revolving flash cube on the top. I was taking slide shots. It was a very simple camera where everything was in focus, regardless of distance. The only thing I couldn't do with it was take close-ups. Surprisingly, the slides I shot were very crisp and clear. I even managed to get clear shots of the Navy's Blue Angels as clear as my next camera which was a Miranda Sesorex SLR !