This is fantastic. I am really enjoying watching your progress - and learning a lot. Keep up the great work!
Thanks John, yes, necessity is the mother of Z scale modelling! Thank you Michael, I am happy you like my efforts Progressing with the rock and ground work, and made a start on making the trees. Trees will be a mix of commercial ones supplied by the client, ones that I liberated from an old model, and ones made from scratch by myself using various methods. These first ones here are done using Lorens tried and trusted method, with the additional step of a coating of grass fibres before the final ground foam foliage. Trunks will be detailed as they are planted. More soon!
OK, here's the "rocky" side tunnel portal SBS First I drew and cut out the clearance dimensions from a piece of foamboard. Then I stuck down pieces of orchid bark (from pet stores, used for reptile keeping) Attached with hot glue and CA. Remove clearance guide. Sprayed with sealer coat. Gaps filled with bits of plaster/talus/ballast, fixed with dilute PVA. Another coat of sealer. More next... .
I like to give a few light coats of sealer, alternating between white and dark. It gives you chance to spot more potential problems with the master. I made a mould from remeltable PVC. Latex or RTV would do just as well, I just happened to have this meltable stuff. Here is the first casting. Master... First cast. Reasonable detail retention. Couple of air bubbles, I will make another for the actual layout. Thnaks!
Phil, This is real good stuff,a very creative use of basic materials. Who would have ever thought your local pet store would provide good scratch building materials. You have created a fine master mold, now go ahead and market these. Then you can buy more Z with the profits. ) Congratulations on a very fine project.
This is excellent! I just acquired my first Z scale (used Marklin Orient Express) and am trying to select a small track plan for it. What size is this and what curve radius is used? Thanks, CBG
Thanks Loren! That's a great idea! Thanks! I will see if I can find a version of the plan with part numbers, if I can I will post it up. Minimum radius is 195mm Thank you, I am so pleased if this is proving useful to people! Ok, on to the tunnel liner... I don't always bother with detailed liners, but because of the position of this portal, one side at least will be very visible, so here goes... I use aluminium ducting tape, pre-crumpled, to make the shape. Liner is "cast" from tile grout... it isn't as strong as plaster, but should be not subjected to rough treatment, and if it does get knocked (eg during track cleaning) it is self coloured, so won't show. A little carving to ease the transition. Ready for paint! More soon!
Ok, here's the portal embedded in position, and some views of the rock work so far. Some texture and colour to be added, but getting there!!! More soon!!
Thanks John! Back round the other side for a while, here's the two girder bridges. Fore is the one made from the N scale gondola, aft is the one made from the cut down Peco N scale bridge. More soon!
Bridge painting.... Basic rust... Salt method... Washed off... Some light drybrushing... ...and washes... More soon!
I found that unless you are looking at the paint peel from rust (a.k.a. cancer) with a magnifier or macro lense, I just stipple on artist acrylic paints (the thick concentrate in a tube), using an 'acid' brush (those metal tubular ones). Dip in paint enough to get on the bristle tips. Touch to a paper towel to make sure you don't have too much. Start touching (like poking) the various locations on the rolling stock or other metal surfaces. This make a bumpy/pointed surface effect.
Thank you Loren! I agree, the depth and texture is not really required in this scale (can look awesome in the larger scales though!), but I really like the distribution patterns that you get with the salt method. Ok, here's a quick tree "How-To", not much original here, just distilled from the variety of information on the internet, not least from the honorable Mr L Snyder and Mr Jos ("Scotchpine") and Mr Martin ("Milocomarty"), thank you gentlemen! Piece of wire folded in half... Clamped in a hand drill and a mini vice, lower wire coated in tacky glue... Some heavy duty string, cut down to 30mm (1.25") Spread out along glue... Pull tight and twist! contd...
Cut in two, teased and shaped with scissors Covered with hairspray and static grass fibres Painted black. More hairspray, and fine turf. I use a dried out hollow grass stem cut into short sections for the trunk. Plant in place! Hope this is of use to someone More soon!
