Weekend Update 3/16/14

[craigolio1]

pushing myself to decal 12 trainworx 85' flats

I very much dislike having to put 6 very small indivual numbers in a straight line 

I've been doing the very same thing on 6 Kaslo Shops skeleton log cars so I feel your pain right now. I think maybe I am crooked though.

[craigolio1]

Tamiya masking tape is one of the best ones available out there. But it is pricey.  Instead of buying wider tape,  use the narrower stuff for the actual paint demarcation edges. Then I cover the rest of the masked areas with standard blue masking tape.

DKS:  It is great to see you doing some detail miniature modeling again!

I normally do just that, but what about getting that long sweeping curve of yours just perfect?  I'm working my way up to the lightening stripe on some BCR locos and I plan to use a photocopy of the Microscale decal sheet to make a mask from one large piece of tape. I thought that would be easiest, especially now that I know Tamiya makes such wide tape.

[peteski]

I normally do just that, but what about getting that long sweeping curve of yours just perfect?  I'm working my way up to the lightening stripe on some BCR locos and I plan to use a photocopy of the Microscale decal sheet to make a mask from one large piece of tape. I thought that would be easiest, especially now that I know Tamiya makes such wide tape.

You have a point - in that type of application I think that a wider tape will be the best option. Unless you can take a paper template, stick it temporarily on the model, trace it with a pencil sharpened to a point, then apply thinner strip of tape following the penciled mark.

[craigolio1]

You have a point - in that type of application I think that a wider tape will be the best option. Unless you can take a paper template, stick it temporarily on the model, trace it with a pencil sharpened to a point, then apply thinner strip of tape following the penciled mark.

Actually, that is a great idea!  Then if I don't like the position I can wash it off and try again.  I have another car I'm going to try that on, where a line has to match another on a car that will run coupled to it.

Thanks for the tip!

Craig

[peteski]

Actually, that is a great idea!  Then if I don't like the position I can wash it off and try again.  I have another car I'm going to try that on, where a line has to match another on a car that will run coupled to it.

Thanks for the tip!

Craig

Hey, you're welcome Craig!  That.s what online forums are for (along with trolling, arguing, bitching, providing unsolicited self-apointed-expert advice, and showing-off).  Guilty on all counts (and probably few more I haven't even mentioned)

[flight2000]

I normally do just that, but what about getting that long sweeping curve of yours just perfect?  I'm working my way up to the lightening stripe on some BCR locos and I plan to use a photocopy of the Microscale decal sheet to make a mask from one large piece of tape. I thought that would be easiest, especially now that I know Tamiya makes such wide tape.

The method you just described is how I masked the lightening stripe on this one.  Photo copy the decal sheet and then use the same 18MM tape to lay out the Z.  From there, you can just use the skinny tape and then the blue tape for the overage.



Peteski's method works too... 

Cheers,
Brian

[Smike]

DKS: great video, I'm impressed with the engineering aspect of the project. Oh and the detail on the compressor!

[kelticsylk]

Dave,
Spano's is a great model. Can't wait to see how you paint all those details. What oil company?

Sorry to hear about the health issues.

[craigolio1]

The method you just described is how I masked the lightening stripe on this one.  Photo copy the decal sheet and then use the same 18MM tape to lay out the Z.  From there, you can just use the skinny tape and then the blue tape for the overage.



Peteski's method works too... 

Cheers,
Brian

WOW!!!

[bnsfdash8]

I beat up a Trainworx hopper:

[DKS]

Dave,
Spano's is a great model. Can't wait to see how you paint all those details. What oil company?

Thanks! Mobil.

[Puddington]

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all ye Irish, real and "one day only".......

Before this wicked chest cold set in I managed to weather a few more Great Northern hoppers (I figured out I have 17 GN covered hoppers in the fleet; should really add some variety to the CP fleet when adding a few NP; CB&Q, CN and assorted singles form other roads...)

Sorry for the quick snaps or dubious quality.... too tired to take them again..

Another of the "Green Giants....."



A Big Sky Blue three bay - used a proto photo to guide me - the ribs quaickly discoloured way fater than the rest of the car... but this colour also faded.. as we will see.........



and.... a BSBB"... "Big Sky Baby Blue".... this car is found in the Morning Sun guide and I copied the weathering pattern (which I don't like but when in Rome... or Montana for that matter....)



The BSB faded badly in some series, very quickly too.... PWRS did this as their mystery car a few years back and I was amused when I found out that I had bought one and stored it away... now it fits right in....

[C855B]

Our report is an update to last week's update. Now home, we were on our annual train excursion to Stockton, the armpit scenic garden spot of the San Joaquin Valley, for the Winterail train show. Our routing this year was City of N.O. to Cal Zephyr, then Coast Starlight, Texas Eagle, and Illini back home. Texas Eagle has a bad reputation, and I can't say that I disagree. Four uninterrupted days on a train pushed our endurance considerably, only slightly mitigated by booking a deluxe bedroom. For yet more fun, the highlight of the trip was our rental car being broken into.

We had a slight theme going - Amtrak's Baby Toasters. We drew a B32-8WH on two trains, a surprise on both. Also (and posted in the weekly prototype thread) was the parlor car on the Starlight, the Santa Lucia Highlands. This is the car Kato chose for the collector's edition Amtrak version of the Santa Fe parlor.

[davidgray1974]

Great work this week everyone.  Especially dig your Wally's Service Station DKS!  Really impressed with the mechanism you came up with to raise and lower the lift.  Not to mention all the other tiny details such as tools and the air compressor.  The detail on the compressor is amazing!

This week I finally got some progress done with the rock work for the bridge install on the right side of my layout.  I dreaded doing this side as I didn't know how I was going to approach it and make the scene work.  Luckily,  DKS helped jump start my creativity by giving me the idea for the stone bridge using tunnel portals.  As you recall, this is the scene before I added the bridge and rock work.



Here I've added the rubber rocks.  These are so easy and fun to use.



Before adding the sculpt-a-mold, I put press and seal wrap around the stone bridge.  This would protect it from the sculpt-a-mold and allow me to easily remove the bridge once everything started to set.  This step made it easier for me to airbrush everything and add rock in later steps.


Here the sculpt-a-mold has dried and I'm test fitting the bridge.


This is where I am as of today.  I've painted, weathered and added some leaves and rocks around the river.




Will add more rock later this week and start dry brushing some of the rock around the river to add highlights.

As always, thanks for looking!!!

David

[Puddington]

David; that's going to be a signature spot for shots of a wonderful layout - congrats!