5 Minute Makeover: Thinning buffers (N part 57)...

It's been a while since I posted one of these '5 minute makeovers' but a little work on this Farish 'Poole' era tooling VBA van felt worth sharing in the series for the visual impact it makes...

I've done this on old Mainline and Airfix OO models in the past, but never with a before during and after photo - and it can also work on locomotives (I've done it on the Dapol N gauge Class 26). There is nothing tricky in the approach, a little gentle sanding with even pressure holding the model vertical is all that is required. Buffers shouldn't be entirely flat, but the visual impact of the thin-edge negates the lack of a slight dome, especially in N gauge.

Step 1 - Remove the couplings (if you intend to refit them then do this carefully)

Step 2 - gently rub the buffers on medium grade sandpaper. I use a circular motion and be careful to hold the model upright. Check for progress and to get a feel for how much pressure to use.

Step 3 - Enjoy the results, refit original couplings or for me, the next step is to fill in the gap in the buffer beam and add DG couplings.

So there you go, nothing too difficult and a massive visual improvement on some elderly but otherwise fairly crisp tooling, certainly good enough to hold it's own against the OBA, OCA and SPA in the newer Farish range. Until next time, more soon...

Donate

I love writing and creating material for the blog. If you enjoy what you read and engage with I would be appreciative of any donation, large or small, to help me keep it advert and restriction free.