Drums and Power Pole (1/35)

While I had the air brush out to paint the interior of a lorry cab, I took the opportunity to also get some drums painted. They had been primed in Games Workshop 'Chaos Black' in advance. I gave the drums a quick blast of colour, not being particularly concerned if the paint covered equally well everywhere. I added a bit of rust on some of them.

Freshly painted drums. They will be used at Bankes Bakelit for transport and storage of the chemicals used to make bakelite. Below is a concrete pole that will carry power lines to the bakellite factory. I dug it out of my spares box. Research showed it to be made by the French company Ironside. How it came into my possession is a mystery - I have never bought an Ironside kit.

After drying I gave the drums a wash of heavily diluted burnt umber oil paint. I mounted them on some wood profiles. In that way they are easy to place at different locations and vehicles.

Drums washed with a thin mix of oil paint and turpentine. To ease handling the barrels are mounted with double sided tape on a wooden stick. New Year's morning sticks from fire works rockets are strewn across the streets in Denmark and while I take a walk to clear my head I can easily pick up a year's supply of sticks - for free.

Five of the drums fitted to a few boards (so as not to scratch the lorry's load bed).

Ready to depart to the bakelite factory with a full load of chemicals.

While the oil paint dried on the drums I sanded down the prominent mould lines on the pole. The pole is 20 cm. long, meaning it would be 7 m. when enlarged 35 times. After sanding and a little Humbrol putty in the worst sink holes, I applied a rough surface to the pole. I covered a small area (half a length on one side) at a time with plastic glue. I left the glue to soften the plastic for about a minute and then worked the area with an old tooth brush. It left a slightly rough surface without it looking out of scale. After priming and painting the result looks as below.

I drilled holes in the top of the pole and mounted three nice Part insulators. After painting and a little weathering I consider the pole ready to mount next to the bakelite factory building (must finish the construction of the building first, though).

Pole fitted with turned brass insulators and weathered.

A close up of the insulators. Now I just need an insulator enthusiast to tell me I have used a type of insulator not used in Denmark!