For almost a year running, I have not had many days off work, so when I do get a day off, I either head down to the Niles Depot to run trains, or run on out to the garage, check if the laser still works, and think of something to work on. I am looking at my my Pair-O-Dice Sawmill Module and thinking of what to add to detail it, and I decided I want to add a bunch of wrapped lumber loads to go with the unwrapped stacks. I remembered back in the early 90's there was a company, CS Models out of Canada, that made individually wrapped lumber loads, so I pulled out my old stash and looked them over. They were difficult to use because you had to cut each one out from the main sheet, and then glue them around a precut wood stick, so I decided to update that design for Z Scale. The hard part was the scissors work, so I drew them up for a color laser printer with registration marks for placement in the laser cutter after printout. I was lucky in that by chance 1/8" basswood sheet, wraps up to be exactly the thickness I need to fit 4 wrapped loads on a Z Scale Centerbeam car. So I cut up scale 8', 10', 12', 14',16', and 20' basswood, and for the next few weeks will be making wrapped stacks for both Centerbeams and to stack around the sawmill yard.
Robert, again your modeling skills are amazing. But I worry about your working schedule. I think California has laws against so many consecutive work days. Take care of yourself! James
Robert, it is great seeing an update from you! It has been much too long. The wrapped loads are wonderful! Please, please don't work too hard at the 'real' job. Rob
Today, day 13 and a holiday at that, I looked over my module and realized I have no way to load the Centerbeam cars, so I looked online for a suitable forklift. The only one that looked good enough was an N Scale GHQ model, so I had to do a shrink based off photos. I'm not sure yet, but this is my progress so far: It's made from various thicknesses of Lazerboard, VectOboard, and Basswood for the frame: So I gave it a shot of primer to see if the detail is acceptable: And I think the only part that bugs me is the control levers:
Well, I quickly put that baby to work: Now I just gotta slap 5 more forklifts together, and wrap up a bunch more loads in my SPARE time!
Not too shabby for a guy with nothing to do on a major holiday. Beautiful work Robert.........well what else would we expect from you? As always, every project you undertake turns out to be a first place winner. The Z community really does miss the creative genius of one certain Robert Ray from Fremont, California. Now I know you could sell a whole bunch of these to interested folks. Wanna make it into a kit? You're not doing anything else besides feeding Toad. )
Dang Robert, next thing you know you'll be lazerboarding locomotive shells! That forklift is neat as all heck.
:crying: Sadly, I'm not feeding Toad anymore, Toad passed away a couple weeks ago. He came scratching at the bedroom door one night, and I got up to see what he wanted, and he was laying on his side crying. I pet him a couple times and he went to sleep right in front of us. Then as a double whammy, the next morning at work, my old boss from the Litho department, the one who hired me, did not show, and later that morning they announced he passed in his sleep at 55. This all just a couple months after my N Scaler neighbor from across the street, passed away. Grandpa, and 2 online train friends make 6 in the past 6 months. Back to the trains... If you really think someone might like that forklift, I'll send the files to Karin and she can make it into a kit.
Robert, you are the man! You always amaze me with your ideas and finest craftmanship. Sorry to hear about all your losses.
Robert, sorry about toad. Its bad year for z scalers. We already losss couple of them this year. On the forklift, I feel its badly needed. I sure could use couple of them on my Tropicana module. I need them to load juice into my reefers.
Robert, I am sorry you lost Toad recently. I know how torn up you must have been. Karin would take it very hard if one of her cats died suddenly. You have had your share of sad news lately. I hope your immediate future will take a turn for the better. We feel for you. We'll look into turning your original into something that many can use. Give us a little time.........N scale convention coming up real fast.
I'm astonish at how round your wheels are, did you raster their contour ? (per the look, I know the middles shaft were rastered) but I've always had difficulty cutting the exterior of so tiny wheels, I've always needed to raster them, like in photo-etch parts, but then rastering leaves a fuzzy surface finish. Really nice forklift by the way.... Ben
Hi Ben, yes I rastered the inside. I was pushing the limit trying to see if the "Wheel Rim" would show and make it easier to paint the wheel hub without the tire, and that .024" brown lazerboard was up to the task. The first one looked terrible, so I cleaned the guide ways on my laser with 91% alcohol, then lubricated with NSK bearing grease, and wiped the excess off with a paper towel. Once the laser's guide ways were clean and lubed, the rastering came out very symmetrical, although there is an offset between raster and vector cut, it made the tire thicker on one side of the wheel than the other, but not that noticeable.
Ben and Robert, don't forget you can do 3D on your lasers and the tires can be curved down along the outside too, maybe some tread showing
Hi Karin Yes, I know I've been using this 3D technique for quite a wile now, my query was rather about the exterior of the wheels, being cut by vector lines and not rastered, because my laser can't cut tiny wheels and have them a perfect circle, to compensate, I need to raster the exterior M3 Stuart tank Ben
