Weekend Update 11/1/15

[Iain]

You can file down a LL SW1200 mechanism to fit the Trix shell.

[Carolina Northern]

Iain,

When you did it, you said it was a terrible job and you'd never do it again

[craigolio1]

He didn't say you could EASILY file it down, haha.

[wazzou]

I built a bridge kit that I received from @Alaska Railroader last week. 
Nice kit and something that would be extremely difficult to build from scratch. 
The task board does require some care during construction but as Karin has stated, the rastering would not yield the same clean look on micro plywood as it does on the task board.  I recommend the kit.

[BCR751]

A suggestion by @mark dance gave me the solution to a perfect river bed.  The freshly laid Fraser River and a 100 or so more trees.

Scott,

I have to model the Fraser at Prince George.  Yours looks great.  As per Mark Dance's instructions, how did you do it?

Doug

[Scottl]

Doug,  I just used leveling cement and poured it out on the base, which in my case was plywood.  It self-levels and leaves a good smooth surface for painting.  I made temporary dams on the edges with paper towel and cardboard that I clamped on but I think I would use wax paper next time.  It is really easy to use, but comes in 50 lb bags. My pour was about 5 lbs and is 3-4 mm thick.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Great work as usual this weekend. No modelling for me I just held my usual last Friday of the month operating session. Had a lot of fun.

[randgust]

Did this as an experiment for a customer and it's worked a little better than I thought.

1)  Take one of the TU7T's chassis with the 3.5v pager motor, and replace it with a Kato 12V 11-105 motor (which is like several others now)



The Shapeways shell is made as a dummy, takes some modification and tinkering, but other than the coupler pockets, works even though the motor barely fits.   The real trick is filling every available spot with lead.

Customer wanted an Aarmco Steel color scheme, made the decals.  I have a video of this running but it will be a day or so before I process it.



This is intended as an operating, functional tiny switcher - not a novelty, so performance and tractive effort first.   Specific goals for number of cars, slow-speed, pickup, and delay uncoupling were met.

[Cajonpassfan]

For some reason, the last two days I've been getting "the uploader is full" message when trying to post a relatively small pic... Is it me, or is there problem? I see other pics being posted here..
Otto K.

[mark dance]

Doug,  I just used leveling cement and poured it out on the base, which in my case was plywood.  It self-levels and leaves a good smooth surface for painting.  I made temporary dams on the edges with paper towel and cardboard that I clamped on but I think I would use wax paper next time.  It is really easy to use, but comes in 50 lb bags. My pour was about 5 lbs and is 3-4 mm thick.

One great thing is you can water it down a long way so it flows really easily and thinly but will still set up.  I even used alcohol to break the surface tension and get it to flow around trestle pilings.

md

[Scottl]

I have a few spots where the alcohol trick would have helped.  It is great stuff to work with.

[peteski]

Thanks for the info on the dullcoat.  I will do some experiments on some scrap styrene to see if I have anything I can seal it with when I get to that point.

Any of the water-based acrylic clears should be safe.  Although Tamiya acrylics uses isopropyl alcohol as solvent and that might make Sharpies run too.  But if you can find some of the PollyScale flat finish, that should work.  Or take some Pledge Floor Finish (used to be called "Future") and mix some Tamiya flattening agent (or talcum powder) into it to make it into a flat finish.  Experiment on a plastic spoon first to check the compatibility with Sharpies and for the overall results.

[Chris333]

Did this as an experiment for a customer and it's worked a little better than I thought.

1)  Take one of the TU7T's chassis with the 3.5v pager motor, and replace it with a Kato 12V 11-105 motor (which is like several others now)



The Shapeways shell is made as a dummy, takes some modification and tinkering, but other than the coupler pockets, works even though the motor barely fits.   The real trick is filling every available spot with lead.

Customer wanted an Aarmco Steel color scheme, made the decals.  I have a video of this running but it will be a day or so before I process it.



This is intended as an operating, functional tiny switcher - not a novelty, so performance and tractive effort first.   Specific goals for number of cars, slow-speed, pickup, and delay uncoupling were met.

Randy have you found 12v version of that motor without using the Kato chassis?

[Dave V]

Slow progress on the Colorado Midland Railway's depot at Aspen...

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  I didn't realize that Tamiya acrylics used alcohol, although I had noticed that they brushed differently.  I've never tried them over Sharpies, but will will test first if I do.  Thank you!

If one doesn't have PollyScale, Model Master's should work about the same.  I have a bottle, and it seems to brush the same as PollyScale.

Walther's Solvaset seems to react with Sharpies as well.  I've tried them for small painted areas for service stencils, and they seem to run a little when the decals were applied.  I gave up and went back to paint and a very small brush.