Llanfair Caereinion Station buildings

Nibbs · 17 Nov 2009

I had great fun building Castle Caereinion Signal box (see <a href="thread-view.asp?tid=437&posts=11&start=1">http://www.gscalecentral.co.uk/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=437&posts=11&start=1</a>) and the next building on my list was the station building at Llanfair. However this time I didn't have a Jackson's kit to help me. As I bring my buildings indoors when I've finish playing I didn't think it would matter as I used hardboard for the carcass as I had plenty of free offcuts in store. However it's not the easiest of materials to work with so I might have a rethink for my next project.Floors, walls and roof are all made from hardboard and then covered with corrugated 'iron' made using a cripping tool I got from Hobbycraft. Many thanks for whoever suggested this. I read about it on a G Scale Mad forum some time ago and although the tool cost me £23 it has saved me a fortune as I've been paying £6+ for the corrugated plastic staff.The only things I had to buy were the windows and doors which came from the Dolls House store near Royston although I think they are made by Jackson Miniatures. The canopy and its support beams and the barge boards are made up from jolly old coffee stirers. Have a close look at the timetable on the wall. It is actually the Welshpool Railways real timetable for 1925 scanned in to the computer and reduced down to 3 x 3.5 cms!There was a Gents urinal at Llanfair although I have yet to find a good picture of it so I have made up the design. Again the famework is all coffee stirers covered with corrugated 'iron'. The copper pipework is just stripped copper wire. I hope the staff keep the pipework well polished!!My next project is the Llanfair goods shed which will be more of the same - hardboard, coffee stirers and corrugated 'iron'. If the weather stays as wet as it has been I might even get it finished nefore Christmas!Cheers!Keith N. (Nibbs)

peterbunce · 17 Nov 2009

Hi kieth, Nice work, the building looks good. I assume that you use the aluminium sheet from beer (well lager really I suppose seeing that my favourite make for the ally sheet is Fosters) cans for the corrugated iron? It may have me that gave you the idea re the crimper - providing that the metal sheet is annealed, it can cope with thwe sheets with care. I have dome a fair amount of sheets with more to to in due course.I can see that Hardboard is cheaper but think about PVC solid foam sheet (look up Vekaplan SF on the web); I mainly use the 5mm thick stuff, but also some of the other thicknesses as well. With that material they can be left outsideYours Peter R.

trammayo · 17 Nov 2009

Very realisitic - love the corrugated (used a lot of it in the 12 inch 1 foot world) and that's a great touch with the urinal stalls and the sparge pipes (2 gallon cistern too). Great job!

ge_rik · 17 Nov 2009

I remember seeing an article about a crimper made from Meccano gears a few (many many) years ago in Railway Modeller. I think it was designed for 0 scale so might be OK for G if anyone has a box of the stuff in the loft. Mind you, probably cost more than £23 to buy the Meccano needed to make one now.

How do you anneal, Peter? Is it just hotting it up a bit?

Rik

PS - Brilliant modelling BTW. I definitely must add some urinals to my buildings.

peterbunce · 17 Nov 2009

Hi Rik, First get the sheet and flatten it - I pull it over the underside edge of a sharp edge table or desk, against the curve it has. Then cut the sheet with (your own) a pair of scissors ,to the size you want to anneal I have used sheets sizes up to 100mm x 60mm but it can be smaller.Now it is better if you have a gas stove, but a blowlamp set low will also do - that is the heat source. First close the kitchen door to the rest of the house, find a pair of longnose pliers to hold the sheet, light the gas, and gently pass the sheet held by the pliers backwards and forwards over the heat source using one half of the sheet - it will smell as the internal coating (of the can that was) is burnt off, I keep the plain (not printed) side upwards so you can see what is happening. It must not stay still otherwise it weill burn and curl up and is then no good. It turns brown (see the photo) when that colour is all over the front half put the(HOT) sheet onto a protected surface and quickly turn it round and do the reapet the action for the other half.It takes less time to do a sheet than writing this explanation! Agreed some skill is needed but the stuff is cheap or, even better, nothing at all!Let the sheets cool down, and find your crimper - mine came from Fred Aldous in Manchester though 'Knibbs' said his came from Hobbycraft - I cannot see them on their website. But I did fiind what I was looking for at 'Cheddar Stamper ( <a href="http://www.cheddarstamper.co.uk/">http://www.cheddarstamper.co.uk</a> ) and here is the image from their website <img alt="crimper" src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Peter/Desktop/My%20buildings/PerkinsProduce/produce%20building/crimper.jpg" border="0" /> Note it has two handles - the Fiskars one in the UK only has one. That will allow the sheet to twist I found (on a smaller one) Fix it in a vice so it is secure, with enough space to allow you to get your fingers on both handles at once. Also ensure that if possible the frame of the crimper is held in the vice - space will be tight. Feed a sheet into the front edge and then a small turn will 'grab it' Now with both hands turn the handles, which will be hard as the annealed sheet is still a bit stiff (these are intended for papaer don't forget), only make 3 crimps or so, and reverse it and re-run it through the crimper this will deepen the grooves, and give you more purchase top add some more crimps the same way, going backwards and forwards. With luck on finishing the sheet youwill have a sheet of corrugated iron! I glue tjhem yo an under roof (1.5 or 2mm thick plasticard) with window frame sealant, which I buy at about £1.50 per cartridge, and Evo-stik for the overlap joins, Fill the inevitable gaps with a good layer of paint _ I use B&Q tester pots of Masonry paint.Here is a recent photo of a completed roof before painting showing the brown colour that I look for - the silver one was heated on the other side, only one side needs the annealing: too much will surely wreck the sheet as it can soon heat up enough to melt it. It can can fire - that is only a small fire, a quick blow puts it out, and I think that is the print on the outside and the side nearest the gas flame catching fire. IF you have to use a blowlamp, please ensure that it is fixed securely - it is a dangerous object when lit! <img alt="annealed aluminium" src="file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/Peter/Desktop/My%20buildings/PerkinsProduce/produce%20building/shedroof.jpg" border="0" />Finally remember to open the kitchen window to get rid of the smell! Yours Peter R.

ge_rik · 18 Nov 2009

Thanks Peter

Sounds easy when you describe it like that. Will certainly have a go. I need to make a structure for my copper mine which I want covered in corrugated iron and this seems like a very economical way of doing it.

Just one more question. I've always assumed aluminium is fairly malleable in the raw. Does annealing make it more so? What would happen if you tried crimping without annealing?

Rik

Nibbs · 28 Nov 2009

Here is the station building in situ with the urinal and the newly built goods shed.
Just needs a few people and a but of rolling stock to complete the picture.

Cheers!
Keith ( Nibbs)

mike · 28 Nov 2009

very smart, like the urinale

Llanfair Caereinion Station buildings

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peterbunce

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ge_rik

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mike

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