Weekend Update - 2/18/2007

[John]

Would it be worth while to etch those doors for the center cab?

[wm3798]

Jerry,
The stone work needs to be darker than the mortar joints if I recall your reference photo correctly...
Lee

[keystonecrossings]

Jerry,
The stone work needs to be darker than the mortar joints if I recall your reference photo correctly...
Lee

Lee:

I noted that early on in the Atlas thread. Oddly, it looks pretty cool inverse as it is. Making it "correct" may be a monumental project. Going to solicit several opinions on the matter.

Chalks may be the best option.

[SAH]

The Valley local comes off the east leg of the wye at New Lisbon, Wisconsin on his way back to Portage. While the local "Barney Fife" is on the look out for speeders.

Jack of all trades, master of none.  Yeah Right.   

You've replaced the handrails and stanchions on those Geeps, correct?  GMM stanchions? What wire diameter did you use? 

Nice work, as usual.   

Steve

[randgust]

Would it be worth while to etch those doors for the center cab?

Yeah, probably.  It's one of those 'when you have a hammer, every problem looks like a nail' issues.  I know how to cast resin, don't know how to photoetch, and don't have any proper place to set up the facilities to photoetch.  So resin it is!

I'd love to photoetch the handrails on 2900, and John (Iain) has even drawn them in CAD.

I still consider myself a modeler, not a manufacturer, and I've got a lot to learn here.  But, a year ago, I had no idea at all how to resin cast, and was making my first painful steps in that direction with the Baldwin sideframes.  Four lots of resin later, five batches of mold rubber, and several hundred parts later, yeah, I'm past that curve.   Did my first metal casting with the Climax A 13-ton kit, and that went well, I'm probably going to do the Heisler boilers that way, too.

I really want to learn to photoetch though, maybe this summer when I can work outside with all those hazardous materials!

[skytop35]

You've replaced the handrails and stanchions on those Geeps, correct?  GMM stanchions? What wire diameter did you use? 

Steve

Yes, Yes and 0.08  ;D

[wm3798]

I noted that early on in the Atlas thread. Oddly, it looks pretty cool inverse as it is. Making it "correct" may be a monumental project. Going to solicit several opinions on the matter.

Chalks may be the best option.

I had built an old Atlas stone viaduct to resemble the PRR stone arches.  I sprayed the whole mess flat black, then worked with washes of tans and browns to get it to look "right".  Part of the problem you might be having is the raw plaster sucking everything up.  If you spray it with a base coat of a darker color, let that soak in and seal the surface.  Then your weathering techniques might work more to your satisfaction.  If the bridge isn't that wonderful dark weathered stone, it just won't look like the PRR...

Lee

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Saw it today.

It's dark.

[SAH]

You've replaced the handrails and stanchions on those Geeps, correct?  GMM stanchions? What wire diameter did you use? 

Steve

Yes, Yes and 0.08  ;D

CA or soldered the handrails to the stanchions?  CA'd the stanchions to the frame?  How are they holding up?  Had to make any repairs? 

I have a project coming on, as you probably can tell.   

Thanks,
Steve

[skytop35]

CA or soldered the handrails to the stanchions?  CA'd the stanchions to the frame?  How are they holding up?  Had to make any repairs? 

Thanks,
Steve

Steve,

The stanchions are glued to the frame and the handrails are soldered to the stanchions. They are holding up great. No repairs at all.

Bill

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Jerry
Take a look at this: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=176088

[keystonecrossings]

Jerry
Take a look at this: http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=176088

I started with a base of sandy brown... you can see brown through the black/grey. Since the last pic was posted I hit it with some thinned Engine Black, which darkened it -- I think -- just right.

Only outstanding issue is that the mortar joints are inverse to the prototype -- they are the darkest! Reversing that will be a monumental job. Wondering if I should do it or leave it. Most people won't even notice, I'd guarantee.

[John]

Only outstanding issue is that the mortar joints are inverse to the prototype -- they are the darkest! Reversing that will be a monumental job. Wondering if I should do it or leave it. Most people won't even notice, I'd guarantee.

You will know .. and the important question is: Is it important to me to have this look right? I would say yes, since you have gone to the trouble of converting actual track charts to 1:160 scale so that your track work is "excactly" like it was in 1955 ... just my $.02

[wm3798]

It really isn't as monumental as you think.  Shoot on the dark color as a base, then do lighter washes.

Oh, and if no one would notice, why did so many of us notice?

 ;D

Lee

[keystonecrossings]

Help, an intervention is needed before I hurt someone -- take the sponge and brush from my hands!!!

This is what I need (below the red line):



And here's my first attempt:



I think I'm going to hurl!!!