Always wash the plastic in warm water with detergent (not soap) to remove molding grease! Also use 2 or 3 thin coats of paint. The van's roof definitely needs another coat! Also also, I just discovered my contacta nozzle clogged - but tapping it against a hard service has freed it!
I use a cigarette lighter to clear blocked Contacta nozzles. It works really well although you do have to remove the nozzle beforehand to avoid setting fire to the pot!
Kit is more like 60 years old. Originally by Kitmaster in the late 1950s, early 1960s, the kit range range was soon taken over by Airfix and most of them reappeared under that name. Twenty odd years went by as Airfix models and they were then re-released under the Dapol brand. And here we are with the Kitmaster name being used again. Looking at the current range it seems like most of them were the Airfix-era models. The BR Mk1 coaches dont seem to have been made since the early 1960s. In my mind they will always be Airfix kits but in fact they have been Dapol far longer than anything else.
Despite some of the comments I personally like it, and there is a feeling of pleasure when a kit is completed you just don't get with ready-to-run. Well done, old chaps......
build a few of these, surprisingly good little kits if you are prepared to put a little bit of effort in - different couplings for one thing, found gluing about 12p in 2p coins inside helped a heck of a lot. cheap enough a short rake of them is nice and they are easy enough to build in a batch
Tx for this post (I'm a subscriber). I've recently moved to the UK and am getting back into Model Railroading (mix of OO and HO (Canadian)). I remember Kitmaster/Airfix from my youth. I've now have 2 trackside kits to build and may get some vans later.
Thanks! For goods wagons, I prefer brush painting. I find it more controllable and - controversial opinion - I find airbrushing looks a bit too even for working wagons. Dirt doesn’t fall evenly in real life.
@@JagoHazzard Interesting thoughts. I've never tried an airbrush and it's very much on my wishlist. It's a long time since I actually painted anything but I struggled with brush marks on anything I tried. I've learnt a lot since then, in theory, just need to try and put it into practice now.
I've built a few of them Airfix / Dapol wagons (of several types) over the years. They are great kits, easy to build, great to kit bash and very good value for money. Their only real issue is the weight, even with metal wheels they are rather light, not an issue if they are gonna spend their time being shunted, but a group of them in a train with heavier R-T-R stock can lead to derailing issues on tighter curves. So all of mine now have a bit of ballast weight built into them, which has sorted the problem out.
I never thought you would have such an extensive model railway video lineup O.o I recently acquired a pair of ancient Hornby engines, a bit of track and controller and I am hoping to build this into the Bromley North branch which is where I grew up alongside and I know its signalling, old yard layouts like back of me hand. I know I am going to be getting a lot of the Dapol kits as they remind me of the old Airfix kits e.g. brake van, tankers, road-railer and I have seen people motorise the Dapol engine kits too so dead keen on that.
Bought loads of these kits as Airfix early seventies . Mineral wagon, tank wagon, box van , guards van . Still have most of them in boxes , not constructed. In the loft. Paid 39 p each at the time. Very good but plastic wheels generally no good. Addition of metal wheels should be good.
In order to avoid silvering of the decal backing, which shows with under certain angles of lighting, coat the area the decal is to be applied to with gloss varnish. Microscale setting / softening solutions help to achieve a 'painted on' look and allow the decal to conform to surface detail such as planking. I prefer to use the very thin types of cement, such as Humbrol liquid poly cement, or the Tamiya version, applied with a fine brush. There's no need to clean the brush after use -- the cement will soften it next time you use it.
The only plastic cements I ever use, are 'Plastic Weld', and 'Tamiya extra thin' cement. Plastic Weld will fix styrene, ABS (what LEGO is made of), and acrylic. It bonds almost immediately. The Tamiya cement comes with a tiny brush to apply it, and gives you some time before it bonds. Both are relatively expensive, but will last for ages, as you only need tiny amounts.
Nice looking van but it would have been nice to watch the construction and have a list of paints and powders used in the description. A very enjoyable watch. 🚂🚃🚃🚃
The prongs protruding downwards from the headstocks (buffer beams) do not form part of the prototype detail. They were simply to restrict the movement of the old Airfix couplings which came with the original Airfix kit. They are best removed before construction begins. However, very interesting video and nice build. Please make some more Dapol (ex-Airfix) kits.
Dark art? Like turning on a light switch one must simply try it and the dark leaves and its just an art. "Ventilate my meat at once" a railway manager once said in my imagination.
If its any help. the right width guitar wire is perfect for cleaning out those nozzles. You can just push it all the way through and remove the clog. Though I can't remember what thickness the stuff I use is unfortunately!
Unfortunately they are too iight. The trick is to fit some tire weights (used by mechanics to get the wheels geometry perfect when running). They are sold in packs of 5 kg but if you know a car mechanic or politely ask a garage, you'll perhaps be able to recuperate used ones they throw away when changing wheels on cars... another way is using fishing led weights. Also, to improve the decal appearance, it's best first to apply a gloss varnish, apply the decal using decal softener (I use the one made by "Ammo by MiG") then once dry you can seal it with a coat of Vallejo acrylic polyurethane matt varnish before weathering. The added bonus of the decal softener is that it'll allow the decal to fit on uneaven surfaces or sit in small crevices, and thus not leaving air trapped below the film that would make it seen. One of the best tutorials on decal application is the one by "The Loco Builder" (ua-cam.com/video/-8sUg8T2R40/v-deo.html). He's using microscale products that are similar to the ones from Vallejo or from MiG. Finally, about plastic cement, I use only the MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) from Slaters that I apply with a synthetic brush. The glue is quite liquid and I apply it from the inside of the joint, and it dry very fast and provides a perfect sturdy bond between the elements as it melts the plastic on the surface, thus making more of a "cold weld" than a "glue joint" like you'd have with contact cement. Hope those advices will help you.
The weathering on the roof should go fore and aft, not across ways. Reason is the wind slipstream would be leaving the deposit as it traveled along on its way...
I had airfix wagons when I was a boy. They looked ok but they had plastic wheels and they weighed nothing wich caused constant derailment. No fun at all.
Fairly sure you mounted the vacuum brake pipes upside down ,other than that great job . Built a few of these kits myself over the years ,but not this van .
He has them the right way up. BR wagons usually had them hanging below the buffer beam whereas pre-BR wagons often had them raised up above the buffer beam.
These dapol kits are a real mixed bag for me; I got a brake van a couple months ago, built it, it looked great with a bit of weathering, but it constantly derails. I think the plastic is warped in places, or it's not heavy enough.... I'm tempted to get some vans after this though
@@JagoHazzard oh the anticipation! Look forward to it, glad I'm not the only one having issues with it. Most people on Rmweb seem to think they are OK...
hi there. this is not a genuine kitmaster kit. roebud kitmaster passed into history along time ago, the moulds were passed on to various companies like airfix,when they founded dapol took some of the moulds. the plastic they use is rubbish. all recyled stuff. thats why u have painting problems. its a pity the original airfix co, of west london went under. so did a lot of the moulds !
True - Dapol has revived the name, but ironically very little of it is true Kitmaster. I believe a lot of the moulds were lost in a factory fire, which is a real shame.
Always wash the plastic in warm water with detergent (not soap) to remove molding grease! Also use 2 or 3 thin coats of paint. The van's roof definitely needs another coat! Also also, I just discovered my contacta nozzle clogged - but tapping it against a hard service has freed it!
I use a cigarette lighter to clear blocked Contacta nozzles. It works really well although you do have to remove the nozzle beforehand to avoid setting fire to the pot!
Kit is more like 60 years old. Originally by Kitmaster in the late 1950s, early 1960s, the kit range range was soon taken over by Airfix and most of them reappeared under that name. Twenty odd years went by as Airfix models and they were then re-released under the Dapol brand. And here we are with the Kitmaster name being used again. Looking at the current range it seems like most of them were the Airfix-era models. The BR Mk1 coaches dont seem to have been made since the early 1960s.
In my mind they will always be Airfix kits but in fact they have been Dapol far longer than anything else.
Despite some of the comments I personally like it, and there is a feeling of pleasure when a kit is completed you just don't get with ready-to-run. Well done, old chaps......
build a few of these, surprisingly good little kits if you are prepared to put a little bit of effort in - different couplings for one thing, found gluing about 12p in 2p coins inside helped a heck of a lot.
cheap enough a short rake of them is nice and they are easy enough to build in a batch
Tx for this post (I'm a subscriber). I've recently moved to the UK and am getting back into Model Railroading (mix of OO and HO (Canadian)). I remember Kitmaster/Airfix from my youth. I've now have 2 trackside kits to build and may get some vans later.
A very neat job, nicely painted too. Good to see it done with a 𝑏𝑟𝑢𝑠ℎ for a change; not everyone has an airbrush. 👍
Thanks! For goods wagons, I prefer brush painting. I find it more controllable and - controversial opinion - I find airbrushing looks a bit too even for working wagons. Dirt doesn’t fall evenly in real life.
@@JagoHazzard Interesting thoughts. I've never tried an airbrush and it's very much on my wishlist. It's a long time since I actually painted anything but I struggled with brush marks on anything I tried. I've learnt a lot since then, in theory, just need to try and put it into practice now.
Jago ,
I didn’t know you were a model train enthusiast ! And , from looking at the playlist you do a lot of it . Thank you for making this happen !
I've built a few of them Airfix / Dapol wagons (of several types) over the years. They are great kits, easy to build, great to kit bash and very good value for money. Their only real issue is the weight, even with metal wheels they are rather light, not an issue if they are gonna spend their time being shunted, but a group of them in a train with heavier R-T-R stock can lead to derailing issues on tighter curves. So all of mine now have a bit of ballast weight built into them, which has sorted the problem out.
almost better as static use in a diorama. Airfix always had broken bits, missing bit, but the plastic is better than Dapol and other modern mouldings.
I never thought you would have such an extensive model railway video lineup O.o I recently acquired a pair of ancient Hornby engines, a bit of track and controller and I am hoping to build this into the Bromley North branch which is where I grew up alongside and I know its signalling, old yard layouts like back of me hand. I know I am going to be getting a lot of the Dapol kits as they remind me of the old Airfix kits e.g. brake van, tankers, road-railer and I have seen people motorise the Dapol engine kits too so dead keen on that.
Great looking weathered van matey.
Thanks!
Bought loads of these kits as Airfix early seventies . Mineral wagon, tank wagon, box van , guards van . Still have most of them in boxes , not constructed. In the loft. Paid 39 p each at the time. Very good but plastic wheels generally no good. Addition of metal wheels should be good.
In order to avoid silvering of the decal backing, which shows with under certain angles of lighting, coat the area the decal is to be applied to with gloss varnish. Microscale setting / softening solutions help to achieve a 'painted on' look and allow the decal to conform to surface detail such as planking.
I prefer to use the very thin types of cement, such as Humbrol liquid poly cement, or the Tamiya version, applied with a fine brush. There's no need to clean the brush after use -- the cement will soften it next time you use it.
The only plastic cements I ever use, are 'Plastic Weld', and 'Tamiya extra thin' cement. Plastic Weld will fix styrene, ABS (what LEGO is made of), and acrylic. It bonds almost immediately. The Tamiya cement comes with a tiny brush to apply it, and gives you some time before it bonds. Both are relatively expensive, but will last for ages, as you only need tiny amounts.
Looking impressive!
Thanks very much, nice humour 😊
Nice looking van but it would have been nice to watch the construction and have a list of paints and powders used in the description. A very enjoyable watch.
🚂🚃🚃🚃
I didn't know you made modelling videos before the tales from the tube!!! and i'm a subscriber, what a shame! will you do some of this again?
Awww I wanted to see it run
A+ title
The prongs protruding downwards from the headstocks (buffer beams) do not form part of the prototype detail. They were simply to restrict the movement of the old Airfix couplings which came with the original Airfix kit. They are best removed before construction begins. However, very interesting video and nice build. Please make some more Dapol (ex-Airfix) kits.
Dark art? Like turning on a light switch one must simply try it and the dark leaves and its just an art.
"Ventilate my meat at once" a railway manager once said in my imagination.
If its any help. the right width guitar wire is perfect for cleaning out those nozzles. You can just push it all the way through and remove the clog. Though I can't remember what thickness the stuff I use is unfortunately!
awsome.. I have N gauge .. now that fun in building wagons !!
Unfortunately they are too iight. The trick is to fit some tire weights (used by mechanics to get the wheels geometry perfect when running). They are sold in packs of 5 kg but if you know a car mechanic or politely ask a garage, you'll perhaps be able to recuperate used ones they throw away when changing wheels on cars... another way is using fishing led weights. Also, to improve the decal appearance, it's best first to apply a gloss varnish, apply the decal using decal softener (I use the one made by "Ammo by MiG") then once dry you can seal it with a coat of Vallejo acrylic polyurethane matt varnish before weathering. The added bonus of the decal softener is that it'll allow the decal to fit on uneaven surfaces or sit in small crevices, and thus not leaving air trapped below the film that would make it seen. One of the best tutorials on decal application is the one by "The Loco Builder" (ua-cam.com/video/-8sUg8T2R40/v-deo.html). He's using microscale products that are similar to the ones from Vallejo or from MiG. Finally, about plastic cement, I use only the MEK (Methyl Ethyl Ketone) from Slaters that I apply with a synthetic brush. The glue is quite liquid and I apply it from the inside of the joint, and it dry very fast and provides a perfect sturdy bond between the elements as it melts the plastic on the surface, thus making more of a "cold weld" than a "glue joint" like you'd have with contact cement. Hope those advices will help you.
Decorator's caulk is a good one for adding weight to fully enclosed wagons or wagons with loads. Cheap and easy to apply.
Think you should have applied Matt vanish first , before the powders which the powder will adhere to , great tutorial though
The weathering on the roof should go fore and aft, not across ways. Reason is the wind slipstream would be leaving the deposit as it traveled along on its way...
No, weather comes down from above and runs down the sides. These wagons never ran fast enough for a slip steam to create an effect!
spray primer!
That is splendid! Have you ever considered joining the Model Railway Club?
Great kit ."Thumbs up for you" .Hope you like mine diesel dave's
I had airfix wagons when I was a boy. They looked ok but they had plastic wheels and they weighed nothing wich caused constant derailment. No fun at all.
Fairly sure you mounted the vacuum brake pipes upside down ,other than that great job . Built a few of these kits myself over the years ,but not this van .
He has them the right way up. BR wagons usually had them hanging below the buffer beam whereas pre-BR wagons often had them raised up above the buffer beam.
4:40 :)
These dapol kits are a real mixed bag for me; I got a brake van a couple months ago, built it, it looked great with a bit of weathering, but it constantly derails. I think the plastic is warped in places, or it's not heavy enough.... I'm tempted to get some vans after this though
Matty P Funny you should say that, I also had a bad experience with their brake van - I have an upcoming video on the incident.
@@JagoHazzard oh the anticipation! Look forward to it, glad I'm not the only one having issues with it. Most people on Rmweb seem to think they are OK...
@airscrew1 I've heard their new O gauge stuff is pretty good, though with anything that scale you need a mortgage to be able to afford it...
Is there a vegan option lol
hi there. this is not a genuine kitmaster kit. roebud kitmaster passed into history along time ago, the moulds were passed on to various companies like airfix,when they founded dapol took some of the moulds. the plastic they use is rubbish. all recyled stuff. thats why u have painting problems. its a pity the original airfix co, of west london went under. so did a lot of the moulds !
True - Dapol has revived the name, but ironically very little of it is true Kitmaster. I believe a lot of the moulds were lost in a factory fire, which is a real shame.