Muddling
through with Desperate Dan
Dan Jarvis offered the following hints and tips in several Merioneth Mercury magazines.Technology has moved on a bit since then, but they make interesting reading. But before Dan's thoughts here are some memories of Dan from Stuart Baker.
Dan was a larger than life character both literally – he was a very big lad! – and figuratively.
For the later years of his life Dan worked as a science technician at a secondary school – and this suited him well. He was full of ideas for school projects and loved working with young people to motivate them in science and technology.
Dan constructed a massive concrete trackbed for his proposed 16mm scale outdoor line and this extended all the way round his garden and around a 12 ft deep carp pond. He constructed many yards of 32mm gauge track all carefully prefabricated to fit on the concrete base. Unfortunately Dan never got to lay any of it before he died.
Dan loved collecting trains in all scales from HO to 16mm and G scale and over the years built a large workshop which he used both for his train hobby, construction of his large kit car (again unfinished) and his garden projects.
His ideas where often somewhat fanciful though we never managed to dissuade him from starting them, the culmination being a project to be able to photograph the Ffestiniog Railway by flying his 35mm camera from a kite. The project got as far as constructing the camera carriage and testing the operation of the remote shutter relay, but (perhaps thankfully) the kite was never constructed. Quite what the FR health and safety guys would have thought of a kite flying camera high above their gala would have been interesting to hear.
Dan was a great guy who was always enthusiastic and helpful with other people’s project ideas and was always happy to offer advice and the loan of tools to assist. Dan died very prematurely before he retired and before many of his projects could be fulfilled.
For the later years of his life Dan worked as a science technician at a secondary school – and this suited him well. He was full of ideas for school projects and loved working with young people to motivate them in science and technology.
Dan constructed a massive concrete trackbed for his proposed 16mm scale outdoor line and this extended all the way round his garden and around a 12 ft deep carp pond. He constructed many yards of 32mm gauge track all carefully prefabricated to fit on the concrete base. Unfortunately Dan never got to lay any of it before he died.
Dan loved collecting trains in all scales from HO to 16mm and G scale and over the years built a large workshop which he used both for his train hobby, construction of his large kit car (again unfinished) and his garden projects.
His ideas where often somewhat fanciful though we never managed to dissuade him from starting them, the culmination being a project to be able to photograph the Ffestiniog Railway by flying his 35mm camera from a kite. The project got as far as constructing the camera carriage and testing the operation of the remote shutter relay, but (perhaps thankfully) the kite was never constructed. Quite what the FR health and safety guys would have thought of a kite flying camera high above their gala would have been interesting to hear.
Dan was a great guy who was always enthusiastic and helpful with other people’s project ideas and was always happy to offer advice and the loan of tools to assist. Dan died very prematurely before he retired and before many of his projects could be fulfilled.
Tamiya
Paints
To dilute Tamiya water based paints use surgical spirit. It works just as well as Tamiya thinners and costs a heck of a lot less. Vodka also works well (as noted in MM No. 37).
Humbrol Paints
To dilute Humbrol enamels use wood alcohol (eg Swan lighter fluid). This will thin down the paint (but don’t smoke while you do so) without breaking down the bonder in the paint, so the paint will not spread when used in lining pens etc.
De-ionised water
De-ionised water, whist being generally sold as a substitute for distilled water for car batteries, corrodes copper and brass. So, to make it safe for use in your small locomotive boilers, add a chlorination tablet (usually 1 tablet per 5 litres). Chlorination tablets are available from camping and caravan suppliers.
Locomotive lining
To form transfers for locomotive lining etc first obtain some old fashioned brown water based sticky parcel tape (ie the tape you lick to stick). Give the glue side a few coats of dilute matt aircraft dope and allow to thoroughly dry. Now paint the lining and other twiddly bits on with a lining pen using your favourite waterproof paint. Cut out the lining from the bulk of the background unused tape. Soak in water and carefully (for the transfer is delicate) transfer on to your model. When dry fix in place with Letraset lacquer – this is expensive but works extremely well.
Hands Clean Modelling
Foe keeping your hands clean when steaming up your favourite model wear latex surgical gloves. Available from surgical suppliers in boxes of a hundred, or from next to the diesel pump at your local garage for free.
Copper Colour Paint
For painting realistic copper colour on locomotives try purchasing a gold marking pen from a good stationer and dispensing the ink via a dish onto a brush. The finish is surprisingly good, though real copper is better!
And further tips from Merioneth Mercury No. 43.
Superglue
To get white PVA glue to stick 3 times better on hardwood wipe the surface with acetone (nail varnish remover) before putting on the glue.
Plastic Primer
For priming large plastic areas (not small models) prior to painting use ceramic file adhesive primer.
Pre-paint Cleaner
Use wood alcohol (only Swan lighter fluid is made from real wood alcohol) to clean the surface of plastic and resin castings prior to painting. This will clean all finger marks and grease from the material and let the paint flow beautifully.
Cheap “Dremel”
All Dremel assemblies fit the RYOBI cordless drills available from B&Q DIY stores.
And lastly more tips from Merioneth Mercury No. 50
WD40 Warning
When you want to clean down your model steam locomotive at the end of an operating session be very careful if you use WD40 for cleaning the paint, as WD40 is a solvent which has a detrimental effect on silicone ‘O’ rings. So, if your locomotive has ‘O’ rings and you want to keep the seals steam tight either do not use WD40 or be extremely careful about where you spray it.
Aluminium Cutting Lubricant
Use surgical spirit as a lubricant for cutting aluminium. If it gets hot the fumes are acceptable for the nasal senses (and it can be drunk afterwards!).
Alternative to Evostick
If you want to glue wood to plastic over a large area and don’t want to use a plastic eating glue such as Evostick what do you do? Answer – using plastic weld glue on to the surface of the sheet plastic a sheet of model aircraft tissue paper. Then having left for at least 24 hours to fully dry out, glue the wood to the tissue using ordinary white PVA glue.
Iron-on sheeting
Also using PVA it is possible to make iron-on sheeting. Coat the surfaces of two sheets of wood with a thin overall film of PVA white glue. Wait at least 24 hours for the glue to fully dry, then having put the two surfaces glue face to glue face use a hot iron to gently heat the glue films together, just like iron edgings from your local DIY store.
To dilute Tamiya water based paints use surgical spirit. It works just as well as Tamiya thinners and costs a heck of a lot less. Vodka also works well (as noted in MM No. 37).
Humbrol Paints
To dilute Humbrol enamels use wood alcohol (eg Swan lighter fluid). This will thin down the paint (but don’t smoke while you do so) without breaking down the bonder in the paint, so the paint will not spread when used in lining pens etc.
De-ionised water
De-ionised water, whist being generally sold as a substitute for distilled water for car batteries, corrodes copper and brass. So, to make it safe for use in your small locomotive boilers, add a chlorination tablet (usually 1 tablet per 5 litres). Chlorination tablets are available from camping and caravan suppliers.
Locomotive lining
To form transfers for locomotive lining etc first obtain some old fashioned brown water based sticky parcel tape (ie the tape you lick to stick). Give the glue side a few coats of dilute matt aircraft dope and allow to thoroughly dry. Now paint the lining and other twiddly bits on with a lining pen using your favourite waterproof paint. Cut out the lining from the bulk of the background unused tape. Soak in water and carefully (for the transfer is delicate) transfer on to your model. When dry fix in place with Letraset lacquer – this is expensive but works extremely well.
Hands Clean Modelling
Foe keeping your hands clean when steaming up your favourite model wear latex surgical gloves. Available from surgical suppliers in boxes of a hundred, or from next to the diesel pump at your local garage for free.
Copper Colour Paint
For painting realistic copper colour on locomotives try purchasing a gold marking pen from a good stationer and dispensing the ink via a dish onto a brush. The finish is surprisingly good, though real copper is better!
And further tips from Merioneth Mercury No. 43.
Superglue
To get white PVA glue to stick 3 times better on hardwood wipe the surface with acetone (nail varnish remover) before putting on the glue.
Plastic Primer
For priming large plastic areas (not small models) prior to painting use ceramic file adhesive primer.
Pre-paint Cleaner
Use wood alcohol (only Swan lighter fluid is made from real wood alcohol) to clean the surface of plastic and resin castings prior to painting. This will clean all finger marks and grease from the material and let the paint flow beautifully.
Cheap “Dremel”
All Dremel assemblies fit the RYOBI cordless drills available from B&Q DIY stores.
And lastly more tips from Merioneth Mercury No. 50
WD40 Warning
When you want to clean down your model steam locomotive at the end of an operating session be very careful if you use WD40 for cleaning the paint, as WD40 is a solvent which has a detrimental effect on silicone ‘O’ rings. So, if your locomotive has ‘O’ rings and you want to keep the seals steam tight either do not use WD40 or be extremely careful about where you spray it.
Aluminium Cutting Lubricant
Use surgical spirit as a lubricant for cutting aluminium. If it gets hot the fumes are acceptable for the nasal senses (and it can be drunk afterwards!).
Alternative to Evostick
If you want to glue wood to plastic over a large area and don’t want to use a plastic eating glue such as Evostick what do you do? Answer – using plastic weld glue on to the surface of the sheet plastic a sheet of model aircraft tissue paper. Then having left for at least 24 hours to fully dry out, glue the wood to the tissue using ordinary white PVA glue.
Iron-on sheeting
Also using PVA it is possible to make iron-on sheeting. Coat the surfaces of two sheets of wood with a thin overall film of PVA white glue. Wait at least 24 hours for the glue to fully dry, then having put the two surfaces glue face to glue face use a hot iron to gently heat the glue films together, just like iron edgings from your local DIY store.