Louvres to you too – JLRT

One of the things that I have tried to do is to make as much use out of each drawing as I can. The NBR and the NER (I haven’t looked too closely at the other constituents of the LNER too closely yet). really help with this because of the many variations on a theme.

Using the example of the 8 ton Jubilee vans that I have just done I managed to use the artwork twice with minor amendments to make the matchboard version. looking a little further in vol 3 of Tatlow brought me to a 3rd and 4th variation this time in the guise of yeast vans same sized bodies, with both beaded and matchboard variations the only difference being is the added complication of louvres.

Since doing the louvres for the NER CCT I have studied and discarded a few methods of making louvres using combinations of styrene strip cut at angles etc. The flush sides of the louvres on the NBR vans gave me the opportunity to try another method which has far exceeded my expectations even if it is a bit time consuming to do.

This is where I have got to with the first van – or rather side of a van. Each side/end is made up of 3 layers and on the two inner layers I have moved the position of the louvre cut outs up by one pixel (I also marked each layer so that I knew which order to assemble them). To cut the slots I used an Exacto type chisel blade which was just marginally too wide for the length of the slot so I rubbed it on a diamond stone to reduce it a little.

To cut out the narrow end I used a suggestion from Graham (Beare) which was at the time for something else but applicable in this instance too. That suggestion was to use a piece of piano wire (0.8mm in this case) and file a chisel blade on one end I then gripped this in a pin vice and away I went – admittedly the patience only let me cut the slots in the 3 layers for one side at one session.

NBR Yeast Van

NBR Yeast Van

IMG_9812
Please excuse the odd second photo I took it this way to illustrate that when viewed from a low angle you can see through the louvres but from the more normal side on view you can – JLRT…….

It still needs some beading finishing off and the other side and the ends need their louvres cutting out