Custom Number Plates in 4mm

[Newport_rod]

Coast Line Models, aka Alan Jones, are advertising a custom number plate service in 4mm scale https://www.coastlinemodels.co.uk/product/customplates/. He will process a batch once he has orders for a complete sheet (approx 60-80 plates) so if Circle members are interested it's as well to get your orders in.Their website seems to suggest that there are orders in the pipeline for the Rhymney, B&M (hurrah!), TVR, Barry and Cambrian (as well as LNWR and GWR).

[Newport_rod]

Apparently these number plates have now been withdrawn from sale, which I find a pity, they would have filled a gap in the market.

Rod

[Sedge]

In writing this, I may be making a rod for my own back, but if there is sufficient interest, in any scale size, then I could make enquiries of the cost from the company that I use for my etched brass work. Some time ago an A4 sheet of 0.4mm brass cost about £70 and that was with me doing all the artwork ie design. An A5 sheet would obviously cost less but not pro-rata. Thinner thicknesses would also cost less.This is not only limited to number plates but any item a modeller cannot obtain but has a drawing of. Repeat orders of the A4 sheet would cost approx. £25 less since the setting=up costs are a one-off charge.

Ifor

[Newport_rod]

That's an interesting idea Ifor. Some sort of joint enterprise, be it officially endorsed my the Circle or a looser affair, might bear fruit. The question is where does the artwork come from. I could probably cobble something together for the B&MR - are there other out there who could do something similar for other companies?

BTW 0.4mm might be too thick to allow fine detail to survive in 4mm scale, 0.25 or 0.3 mm might be a better bet.

Rod

[Penrhos1920]

I'm drafting as many A(N&SW)D&R number plates as possible as I will need a good few myself. It has turned into a research project as there were many types. I've already etched number 14 at home but the full set would probably be done professionally.

[Newport_rod]

There may be a few people around who want A(N&SW)D&R 34 or 35 in 7mm too.

[Sedge]

I use CorelDrawX5, an old version by modern day standards, but it has always produced excellent results. If this idea takes off, then I would suggest WRRC purchase a newer version of the programme for use by members on their own computers or at HQ. I should imagine that a multiple use licence would be available. It cost me about £100. That is the easy bit. The difficult part is learning how to use it, especially if some members are not skilled in CAD work. Drafting cabside engine numbers and engine names in say GWR curved segments would not be difficult but if complex parts are required then a higher skill level and engineering understanding will be required. I made a 1/15 scale model (low pixel photo attached) of my wife's grand piano last Christmas and after receiving the disc my contractor phoned me to ask if I really wanted it in the scale that I had sent since it was full sized, so even those who know a bit make huge mistakes. Depending on the volume of work I would be prepared to give some time, but lets see how it develops first.

[Newport_rod]

Ifor

I love the piano.

Rather than the Circle, or anyone else, fork out for drafting software I can recommend Draftsight (https://www.3ds.com/products-services/d ... -software/ which is free to download and use, available for most operating systems and its commands are very similar to AutoCAD.

[Sedge]

If anyone is considering purchasing CAD software check with your "preferred" etching contractor to make sure that it is compatible with his system since not all CAD systems are compatible with each other. AutoCAD is expensive but I bought my software at a greatly reduced price from Serif just after they put a new version on the market.

Ifor