TRIANGS
REVISITED
We have all come across original Triang Minic ships, which have
suffered from poor storage, fading, adaptation, or even harsh play over the
years. One of the factors in buying
and storing Triang Minics is the nature of the alloy from which they were
produced. The 1/1250 Noticeboard has run
a number of ‘chains’ on this topic over the years, with both fatigue and
bending being reported. Of my own fifty
odd Minic ships, both merchant and naval, I am pleased to say there is no sign
yet of bending I but do have a case of metal fatigue in a RMS Arlanza, with
vertical cracking ahead of the main superstructure, lending to a slight
'bannana-ing'. I have a vague memory
suggesting this was a problem in particular to these models.
With the 1980’s productions
I have a case where the red plastic base and the metal superstructure have
obviously expanded and/or contracted at different rates resulting in the hull
breaking due to the tension created by the strength of the screws holding the
red plastic waterline in place.
Shell
Tanker Varicella repainted
Roger Dawson answered
several of these questions in a reply dated 31st March 2003 when he
wrote, “I have always understood that Triang/Hornby used MAZAK for their
models. This means that it is likely to be zinc oxide powder that is found on
unpainted parts of the models as they get older. The bending and cracking of
the models probably comes about from poor quality control in the casting process
resulting in separation of the metals in the MAZAK alloy and subsequent
recrystallisation and oxidation of the zinc. It is possible that storage in
unsuitable locations may accelerate the chemical reactions but the use of a
caustic paint stripper (e.g. sodium hydroxide solution) would be fatal to these
models.
It is most unlikely that
collectors would get lead poisoning from their hobby because most lead
compounds are very insoluble and are unlikely to be absorbed into their bodies.
Drool over your models, if you wish, but don't suck them or chew the paint off
them! Hornby Miniships were still being sold to children in the early 1980's
and toy regulations would have prohibited their sale if they had contained any
lead in those days. I did buy a Hornby Canberra in 1980 that has become bent
but all the other Hornby models I bought around that time still seem to be
sound.
Most other manufacturers do
(did) use lead based alloys and the lead can transform to a non-metallic form
and crumble to powder under conditions of prolonged cold. (It was said that the
use of lead solder in the petrol cans and the subsequent leakage of fuel when
the joints gave way affected the outcome of Scott's South Polar Expedition).
Keep your collection of ships warm and dry.”
[I have a couple Dinky ships
- one perfect but again one suffering badly and have seen some for sale so
fatigued that I felt it was a risk even to examine them. Iain]
RMS
Caronia
Noting what Roger has said,
and taking care of which paint stripper is used the clear cut lines and the
detailing made a repaint relatively easy giving a satisfactory finished
product. Any I have repainted e.g. a RMS
Caronia have been either badly chipped or as in her case had been repainted as
an auxiliary ship. It had not occurred
to me take a perfect model and up grade it until now. I have recently received a Port Brisbane as a
birthday present from Susan. Port
Two photographs from Jeff
Stevenson show other possibilities:
HMS Triumph from HMS Bulwark and a Leander Class frigate
from HMS Rothesay
Incidentally Martin is a well-known collector and distributor of
second hand ships. He began like so many
with Eaglewall and Triang, developed an interest in wargaming and built up a
collection of over 2,000 ships. It was
when he started refining his own collection that he became a player in the second
hand market. He has an extensive knowledge
and can be approached to fill in all those questions of ownership and livery
with a particular expertise in Cameron Robinson’s Red Ensign Series as well as
Triang Minic. He can be contacted at: usbrownsat@btinternet.com
for his current lists, which cover both second hand and new models.
There are two sites dedicated to Triang Minic. The original collectors site may be found at:
www.minicships.com*
(Laurence Carr) and the newer commercial site of Charles Shave:
www.triangminicships.com Charles is in the process of completing the
set of forty ships, covering eleven
classes of contemporary Royal Naval vessels ranging from Invincible Carriers to
the Hunt and Sandown minehunters. These
have received much acclaim.
For a review of the ‘New’ Triang Minic Ships and information on
the collectors site please see November’s
‘NEWS’. The British Distributors are Martin Brown (see above), Les
Hodder of Wirral Miniature Ships (wirralminiships@aol.com) and Dave Willcocks (dave.willcocks@ntlworld.com)
Creating
your own Decals and suppliers of parts