Gibbon, Cozad & Western - "The 100th Meridian Line"

[Philip H]

Were you a tab closer I might take you up on it - I've been on a learning-about-lightweight-benchwork kick for a while now and there are a lot of guys doing foamcore stuff.  But shipping a sheet from there to Mississippi is probably too  much for an experiment.   

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Your template reminded me. One of the more handy tools I have kicking around is a set of one, two, three and four foot rulers. How did I get the one and two footers? I bought a three and a hacksaw...

But seriously, they're very handy for laying out track.

[Scottl]

Painting backdrops away from the layout is going to be much easier.  How do you plan to cover the edges of the sheets? 

[davefoxx]

Your template reminded me. One of the more handy tools I have kicking around is a set of one, two, three and four foot rulers. How did I get the one and two footers? I bought a three and a hacksaw...

But seriously, they're very handy for laying out track.

Yeah, I took Ed's advice a few years ago and purchased a four-foot ruler, that has been indispensable as a straight-edge when drawing track centerlines, laying cork, and installing track.  I like his idea of cutting one down, because there have been times that the four-foot ruler was too long to fit into the space where I needed to draw a straight line.

DFF

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Yeah, I took Ed's advice a few years ago and purchased a four-foot ruler, that has been indispensable as a straight-edge when drawing track centerlines, laying cork, and installing track.  I like his idea of cutting one down, because there have been times that the four-foot ruler was too long to fit into the space where I needed to draw a straight line.

DFF

Exactly. By having a 1, 2, 3 and 4 footer, I've got most bases covered. Can't recommend enough, especially given how cheap it all was.

[C855B]

Oh, I'm good on straightedges, 3" up to 8'. I have an 8' aluminum monster acquired 35 years ago, essentially a saw guide for plywood and other sheet stock. I use the 4' version for straightening ME flex.

I was extolling the virtues of the laser cut straight but flexible-ish template because it seriously helps with the subtle jogs and transitions that don't work with the largest Tracksetta and would require hand forming. I dunno about you guys, but even with my graphic artist eye it is not easy to form a truly smooth curve by hand with the stiff ME flex, so the stick between the rails is an important tool for me. Atlas flex is easier in this regard, but I'm committed by virtue of a huge stash of ME.

Painting backdrops away from the layout is going to be much easier.  How do you plan to cover the edges of the sheets? 

Yes. We're trying to figure out an easel system for her, which may amount to two large store-bought easels. I haven't quite worked out a system yet for the edges. I was thinking white drafting tape for touch-up after hanging, but what's worse? One crack between panels, or two visible tape edges? I may live with the cracks since one of the concepts being considered is hanging the sheets with Velcro so the usual artist tweaks can be done off-layout.

Also... talking about wasted material, the thought at the moment is cutting the sheets down to 3'x8'. I keep looking over at the layout, visualizing the backdrops and thinking to myself that 4' above the benchwork (to ~8' off the floor) is too much.

[Scottl]

Even 3' is a lot.  If you made it 2' you would have a lot of visual space and 100% material use.  I like the velcro hanging idea, that would work well with foam panels.

[pdx1955]

A 2' high backdrop is enough in N especially if the benchwork is at 48" or higher. Going taller is only worth it if you are going to have tall spectacular scenery, really deep scenes, or in the larger scales. Its a lot less to paint too and sections are much more easier to handle regardless of material.

[Cajonpassfan]

Well, that's a generalization. In my experience, needed backdrop height is as much of a function of viewing distance and elevation as anything having to do with scale. If you have big scenes and sections of layout scenery visible from a distance of more than a few feet, a backdrop much taller than 2' is prudent, even if it's just a skyboard. This is particularly true of larger layouts in large spaces, as I believe this one to be. Mocking it up is the only way to truly see the effect...
Best, Otto K.

[C855B]

Well, that's a generalization. In my experience, needed backdrop height is as much of a function of viewing distance and elevation as anything having to do with scale. If you have big scenes and sections of layout scenery visible from a distance of more than a few feet, a backdrop much taller than 2' is prudent, even if it's just a skyboard. This is particularly true of larger layouts in large spaces, as I believe this one to be. Mocking it up is the only way to truly see the effect...

Aaaaaannnnnnnd... that's where our thinking is. The 13' ceiling changes the perception of relative space.

Yesterday's lunch conversation was hashing out the process, including texturing the sky across panels. We couldn't come to a firm conclusion on panel height, so a mock-up with butcher's paper and tempera paint is probably going to happen in the next few days. Mind's eye still says 2' is not enough and 4' is too much.

Another product of the lunch meeting was that she wants stars, given that night effects are part of the plan. We happened to have been dining a block away from the art supply store. Coincidence? With her, hardly. So a bottle of UV glow paint was in the basket at checkout. If y'all will recall, UV is in the lighting palette. Preliminary tests are promising.

[peteski]

Another product of the lunch meeting was that she wants stars, given that night effects are part of the plan. We happened to have been dining a block away from the art supply store. Coincidence? With her, hardly. So a bottle of UV glow paint was in the basket at checkout. If y'all will recall, UV is in the lighting palette. Preliminary tests are promising.

Ah, the fluorescent (Dayglo) paint - cool!  That reminds me of the '70s with the funky blacklight posters with fuzzy black areas (applied probably the same way we now apply static grass).  I had lots of fun with those paints back in the day.  I also spend some time in the back of the Spencer's Gifts store in the local mall - that is where the blacklights, strobes, lava-lamps and those posters were sold. Not sure if you had one of those stores in your neck of the woods.

The idea of using small dots of the fluorescent paints sounds good, but you have to make sure that the paints you use in the room and on the backdrop (or even on the layout) will not fluoresce.  You would be surprised what lights up under blacklight!  You don't want the  backdrop or some random scenery elements on the layout to glow along with the stars on the backdrop. Make sure you test the blacklights before committing to this venture.

Another idea would be to use either very small SMD LEDs or fiber optics to illuminate your nighttime sky.

[MVW]

Ah, the fluorescent (Dayglo) paint - cool!  That reminds me of the '70s with the funky blacklight posters with fuzzy black areas (applied probably the same way we now apply static grass).  I had lots of fun with those paints back in the day.  I also spend some time in the back of the Spencer's Gifts store in the local mall - that is where the blacklights, strobes, lava-lamps and those posters were sold.

Instead of "Peteski," I think we start calling you Cheech. 

Jim

[C855B]

... Make sure you test the blacklights ...

Tested every Saturday night when we hold our weekly disco party. Lighting system even has a strobe setting.     

Spencer Gifts? Never heard of 'em. (Now where did we put our Lava Lamps? We have three or four in a box somewhere.)

Seriously... lots of experience with this, and already a fair amount of testing. Biggest offender is plain white paper. It fluoresces nearly as well as the paint. The paint we tested yesterday is OK, but we bought a second (cheap) bottle of supposed glow paint to try. It was light blue in full light, but dark dots under UV - didn't fluoresce at all. It's going back as "product does not work", even though it stressed the blacklight capability on the label.

Folks I've used for another UV project is http://www.blacklight.com . Huge selection of blacklight supplies. At $695.00/gallon for "invisible red" they're serious about fluorescent paint! It's the "Wildfire" line of paint. In searching I kept running into this brand at professional stage supply companies, so apparently it's the go-to product. "Invisible white" is slightly less pricey and can be had in a 6 oz. jar for a mere $60.    Underscores that you don't get the real stuff at the craft store.

Robyn just suggested using this paint on structure windows to save a bunch of wiring for buildings that don't need the full illumination treatment. Worthwhile to experiment with.

[davefoxx]

Robyn just suggested using this paint on structure windows to save a bunch of wiring for buildings that don't need the full illumination treatment. Worthwhile to experiment with.

Depending on the results of the experimentation, this idea could be genius!

DFF

[peteski]

Tested every Saturday night when we hold our weekly disco party. Lighting system even has a strobe setting.     

Spencer Gifts? Never heard of 'em. (Now where did we put our Lava Lamps? We have three or four in a box somewhere.)

They are still around (https://www.spencersonline.com) with B&M stores, but not quite what they used to be in the '70s and '80s.  They usually have stores in shopping malls.  A while back they even brought back the dark section in in the back of the store where they displayed all the posters and lights.  But I haven't visited for quite a few years so I don't' know what the store looks like now.