When I wrote the first blog on this topic I concentrated on how to keep the paint finish on ones model in good condition.  I was interested to read that the Merchant Navy Locomotive Preservation Society (MNLPS) have a new regime for keeping their already spotless locomotive’s paint sparkling.  They wash it down with warm water and a suitable car wax to remove the grit and grime and avoid using dirty oily rags like the plague.  A method I would wholeheartedly endorse.

A mirror smooth finish?

Blemish free platework?

Modellers strive hard for the perfect, blemish free finish on their models.  Mirror smooth metal work and paintwork gleaming brightly.  Museum models are precise and pristine.  Prize winning models at exhibitions are flawless.

For the day to day work horses reality is different so why if we are modelling one of these do we spend time producing an unrealistic finish?

Pass the Isopon P38 filler please!

My restored model of the the steam yacht ‘Elizabeth Morag’ came in for some ribbing over the planish marks on the copper hull; “You should have filled it with Isopon and rubbed it smooth.”  Show me a plated and riveted hull which is smooth.  Even a welded hull has ripples across it which can be seen clearly in certain lighting conditions.  The only truly smooth hull I can think of is on the Royal Yacht ‘Britannia’ and John Brown spent a lot of effort achieving that finish.

The perfect deck?

William Mowll in his book HMS Warrior 1860 makes the point on page 53 when he writes about ships planking.  I would suggest his opening sentence ‘The question of decking on model ships and boats is a paradise for critics.’ He basically says in real life there is no such thing as a perfect deck so why put one on the model.  This is applicable in many other areas.

I am not condoning sloppy or careless work, but unless you are modelling a Rolls Royce I am suggesting that a perfect, blemish free finish is unrealistic.

Okay, perhaps this is going a bit too far!

This last one illustrates a museum’s approach to preserving as much of the original as possible. Personally I think this is too much the other extreme and just shows neglect after it came out of use.  The original manufacturers and owners of the engine would be appalled!

T’was the night before Christmas and I was hunting around for some decent clear cellophane or similar with which to glaze some windows on a model.  As nothing remained in my modelling stores I packed up until after Christmas when I could purchase some more.

Christmas present opening over and debris clearing under way.  Our Council are keen on their recycling targets and so I was separating out the non recycling when there it was, staring me in the face, the perfect clear glazing sheets from the Christmas cracker lid and the packaging encapsulating the Minion’s ‘Fart Blaster‘ (brilliant present, by the way.  Hours of childish fun!).

So now I have for free acres of clear sheet.  Uncle Bulgaria would be proud!

Our Model Engineering Club purchased the excellent Ryobi Petrol Line Strimmer, model RLT30CESA.  It has performed reliably and is heavily used during the summer on our 7 acre site.

Missing Start Lever

Sadly its one design defect is the plastic start lever.  This is not robust enough to survive the rough handling that Model Engineers are known for.

Broken Start Lever

The plastic shaft splits when it is forced too far back against the stop, the handle then falls off and the machine is hors de combat.

Speaking to Ryobi they do not supply a replacement start lever, instead you have to purchase the full carburettor assembly (Part Number 5131-008533) at a cost of £36.87 plus postage.  Now I found that rather expensive for what would be an inexpensive plastic piece.

So I came up with a much more robust solution made out of brass.

Replacement Start Lever

Turn out a brass collar 0.410” Ø by 0.265” deep.  Next turn out a handle 0.187” Ø by 1.0” long.  Silver solder the handle to the collar.

Then drill a 5mm Ø hole across the collar to take the shaft from the carburettor choke butterfly.  At 90⁰ to this drill and tap a hole 8 ba to take a locking grub screw.

Place the new start handle over the shaft, apply some stud lock to the grub screw and then tighten up to hold the shaft.  Replace the air box cover and violà a working Ryobi Strimmer once more.

Ryobi Start Lever In Run Position

Ryobi Start Lever In Start Position

The repair also works for the:

OEM # 308054015
RBC30SESA (Petrol Brush Cutter)
RBC30SBSA (Petrol Brushcutter)
RHT2660DA (Petrol Hedge Trimmer)
RLT30CESA (Petrol Line Trimmer)
RLT30SESA (Petrol Line Trimmer), ORLT30PRT and the RPR3025JA (Pole Pruner)

If you wish me to make one for you then please contact me for price.

This is what a purchaser wrote about the replacement lever

Have been asked to restore a clock that was constructed by the owners father as a school project.  The mechanism is brass and from a much earlier clock as revealed by the brass pendulum bob which is inscribed ‘St Paul’s Church’ and the rear of the mechanism body which is further inscribed with the names and dates of previous services.

The wooden body is mahogany and has been adapted from something else whilst the face has been hand made and painted by the father.  When newly completed it would have been a very comendable school craft project.

It is the face of the clock wherein lies the restorer’s dilemma.

It didn’t strike me at first, but on closer examination something was not right.  It was then that I discovered the number sequencing on the outer part of the dial was wrong.

Time Stands Still

From the top it went 60, 5, 5, 15, 20, 25, 30 etc.

Here is the question; do I restore the dial ‘as is’ complete with error or do I correct it?  The owner was unaware of the problem (a question of the brain seeing what it wanted to see?), but has said they will leave it up to me!

This occurs time and time again when restoring someone elses work, do you rectify errors or restore them?

As theses items are rarely required for historical accuracy, but for the pleasure of the owner, then often the errors add to the charm of the model or item.

So, what to do in this case?  Well, I think the solution is to conserve the exisitng dial as it is part of the clock’s charm.  If the owner decides they want a correct dial then I shall make them a new one and they can keep the original for posterity.

As long as no one thinks the conserved error is actually an error on the part of the restorer!

Just returned from a visit to the Portsmouth Historic Dockyard.  Principally this was to see the new museum for the Mary Rose and as an ‘extra’ a visit to HMS Warrior.

As expected the Mary Rose was fantastic.  It lived up to and exceeded my expectations.  Too often I am disappointed by what I call ‘Mickey Mouse’ museums which have been dumbed down in the name of progress (sorry, but I include the recently refurbished SeaCity museum in Southampton under this category).  The Mary Rose Trust have excelled themselves and I thoroughly recommend it.

A Wonderful Job

The restored HMS Warrior was another breath taker. The detail that has gone into recreating the ship is astounding.  The quality of the work is such that you could believe it had never spent its time as a derelict mooring barge.  One of my lasting impressions was just how big and solid it felt when on the main deck.  What a shame as a nation we have not preserved one of our World War Two Battleships, that would be truly awesome.

Undressed?

HMS Victory on the other hand was looking very much the very poor relation as she is in the middle of her major refit.  Ships are referred to in the feminine tense and when one gazed upon her I couldn’t help thinking that it felt like I had caught her in the middle of getting dressed.  Weird.

Beautiful Job!

However, the unexpected jewel (for me anyway) had to be the 1:48 scale model of HMS Warrior in her glass case in the Dockyards main entrance lobby.  This was totally unexpected and was quite unlike all the other large scale builders models I have seen over the years.  No matter how grand the builders models are somehow they come across as just that, models.  Perhaps it’s the too perfect paintwork or the gleaming brass work that makes them look unrealistic.

Midships

Stern Detail

The model by William Mowll seems to have captured the soul of the real thing.  It looked impressive and I am sure that if it was seen on the water under steam and sail it would look as if it meant business.  A powerful, purposeful beast if ever there was one.

A credit to the builder.  I hope my pictures do it justice!

Have you ever needed to reproduce a specific logo, name or writing on the model you are scratch building or restoring?  Up until recently the only way I knew of was to either find a supplier who had the ones you required or to hand paint or draw them directly onto the model.  A case in point was the restoration of the Louis Marx Southern Pacific Crummy.

Recently I was looking at reproducing a Plimsoll Line for the steam yacht I was restoring and when ‘GOOGLING’ for water slide transfers I came across the Crafty Computer Paper of Leicester.  They advertise various papers for printing your own decals and so I purchased their Inkjet Water-Slide Decal Paper. Provided you follow their very clear instructions (which includes a YouTube video) then you can’t go wrong.  Prompt service too.

The clear Acrylic Varnish that I used is the Humbrol Crystal Clear (AD7550) spray.  Two coats and it works a treat.  Hope this is of use to others.