Last few days I've been performing "reconstructive surgery" on the 45 ends. The PC board ties are thinner than Atlas C55 flex ties, and, in my haste, I didn't sand down the main section of cork enough when laying track, so the rails make a slight descent down at the ends. Nothing most trains can't (and haven't) rolled over, but put two 45's together, and that dip becomes a trough that longer steamers get stuck on with the pilot and tender holding the drivers spinning over the rails. So, somewhat similar to those buttcheek implants (and it is at the butt-joint!), I slid in a styrene implant under the roadbed at the endplate. The incision: The implant of 0.02" styrene: [I used a healthy amount of Gorillia Glue to secure] The clamp & cure: [Not a lot of pressure from the clamp, just there to keep things even while the GG expands and cures] The result: You can see a little GG seeping out the side. Nothing a little scenicking can't fix! But now the track is even across the whole module and, more important, across two or more modules! Perhaps I should expand my layout design service to include some reconstructive and cosmetic surgery? "Yardgoat Styrene Surgery" Hmm.....
Between fun family frolicking and house cleaning (Japanese thing: whole house must be spotless before the New Year, as evidenced by my workbench: ), haven't had a whole lot of train time (but dang if the garage ain't purdy!). Have been slowly working on the other set of 45's, which involve concrete roads, "big" industries and a lot of detail. First tacked some forms for the concrete (lightweight spackle + craft paint + water: Lee Weldon's Moonshine Recipe) pour: Then poured. Didn't mix enough, so thought I'd just pour & mix on the fly: FAIL!! Actually worked out alright: just used an old brush to mix the colors in the lightweight spackle toot-sweet, and it settled alright: If you do use lightweight spackle mixed with paint & a little water, the trick is to pour more than you need, LET IT CURE, COMPLETELY, and THEN sand it down to a nice evenish surface. In this case (garage, very cold nights) it took 2-3 days to completely set enough for sanding. [cont.]
Chopped & Frankenstein'ed a couple "curved" buildings, one will have a concrete loading dock, the other door-to-door: So, after spray painting one red oxide and the other boxcar red (over a grey primer), now in the middle of painting all the little window sills and doors. BOOOOOOOORRRRRRRRIIIIINNNNNGGGGGGG. Forgot how boring this was: last time my daughter & I took turns for the long kitbashed structures on the "Alameda-Belt-in-a-Box" layout. From now on, I'm not doing multi-window/door buildings unless I can "print" the layers and paint separately, so I guess I'll be getting a Silhouette or ?? soon. So here it stands today: Well, back to painting windows and doors! Gotta train show in a couple weeks in mid-January. Now I just have to figure out how to fit all this in my car again with all the structures intact! Thanks for looking.
Alrighty, been slowly creating some industries / industrial scenes on two of the 45 deg modules: The two modules can join together to create a short through siding / runaround. The industry on the far module will be a freight house: While I'm still trying to figure out what these two will be: One (the two-story thing) is rail-served and kinda like a furniture factory (Three Bears Furniture?) [hmm, forgot to put the awnings up over the loading docks], while the other is a truck-served fenced lot. Thinking pipes or just piles of dirt, rocks, gravel, fertilizer ??? Any suggestions appreciated! Did put a couple of posters up on the smaller building, so thought I'd make another "How To" video: [video=youtube_share;7Tw56VcI56Q]http://youtu.be/7Tw56VcI56Q[/video] [video takes longer than to do the frickin' posters!] Am trying to get these two scenes done before the GTE show in Richmond, CA next weekend. Thanks for looking.
Sure! Here it is: 1) spray wall pieces with spray paint (red oxide, boxcab red, rail brown, whatever) 2) let dry 3) brush on cheap-o white craft paint diluted with water (this will be the mortar) 4) let dry 5) brush on stain from "Big Jug O' Stain" 6) let dry 7) brush on some weathering powder / chalks (if necessary) 8) it's already dry! Tah-dah! :startled:
I had a building much the same on my old layout...except it had straight walls. The name of the company... T.H.E. Fertilizer And Herbicide Company I am sure you will catch the irony...LOL.
MC...apologies for not knowing the answers to these questions, but i am wondering: #3 ... is that acrylic paint or oil based paint? and #5 ... is "Big Jug O' Stain" a term you use for something or is it actually a large container containing stain, and if so, what kind of stain? thanks in advance. really appreciate your craftsmanship and skill. respectfully Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
The paint is just the $1 acrylic craft paint found at Michael's. (I like things that are water-soluable , though I've heard oil paints are good for weathering cars and oil puddles and whatnot) BEHOLD!!! THE BIG JUG O' STAIN: Just 70% iso alcohol, lots of India Ink, and a bunch of other water-based colors I've dumped in over the years. The trick is to never wash out / clean the jug, just keep adding too it (just like Pappy's moonshine). But just booze and ink will do you just fine
M.C., nice work as always. Once I get past the next Freemo-ish On30 show (early February) I am switching gears to my FreemoN stuff to get ready for late March. I love seeing what you're working on.
MC, excellent tutorial video on how to apply signs to the side of a building. Having it actually demonstrated reinforces just how simple and easy it is to do. Your work is always inspiring and I can't wait to get past the benchwork, track laying and wiring stages on my layout so I can start implementing some of your techniques. I always look forward to your updates.
thanks MC for the replies to my questions. good information and good ideas which seem to lead to really good results. thanks again! respectfully, Gary L Lake Dillensnyder
Thanks for the kind words, and glad people find the tutorials helpful (and not a snooze-fest: I'm trying to edit it down as much as possible!) Inspired by David K. Smith and his very fine twisted cable/chain on that little car of his, I thought I'd give something similar a go for the support cables of the awning on Unnamed Industry loading dock: That's 3 of the 7 wires of 22 gauge stranded spun in a drill until tight, painted and then CA'ed to the awning and to Grandt Line rectangular NBW details mounted on the brick. Up close it looks a bit thick for the job, so next time I might use 30 gauge wire or just 2 strands of the 22. From a couple feet away it looks alrighty and "good enough" for now: Still debating about putting up an awning on the trackside loading dock: Probably will, though this one will be of weathered corrugated metal. 'Bout time for some more dirt, ground foam, static grass & bushes! Thanks for looking.
MC, you are taking me back in time to the 1970's!! Why? That's the earliest I remember seeing old guys like Art Curren and Earl Smallshaw putting up odd shaped buildings to fit available real estate. Very fine modeling!!
Sometimes, when I'm drifting away from my modeling projects or can't quite find an idea for a scene, I look at some of MC's work for inspiration. A prime example is those brick buildings! Boy, does that brickwork look magnificent! Sure gives me some ideas for a few buildings around here. If I could do them up that well, they'd look great! MC, what kits did you use to throw them together? Alex
