On The Road Again!

I'm off to Enid, Oklahoma for a three day trip this morning. To keep me out of bars and away from wild women in the evenings, I've included a current issue of Model Railroader and about 50 photos of alligators to study. During the trip I'll draw and sketch 12 gator models that I'll build in clay and cast.

We'll need lots of these critters in all sizes!

I used to carry modeling tools with me, but they really confuse the rocket scientist that work for Homeland Security. They either won't check my bag or steal them.

So I do my design work when I'm on the road.

Sculpting Alligators

In the 1920's Okefenokee Swamp, the alligators still reigned supreme. While the average gator was about 8 feet long, specimens in excess of 13 feet were common and reports of gators around 16 feet were not unheard of.

In order to model the swamp I think I'll need about 12 alligator masters to make about 40 models. The gators available as parts in 0 scale stink, so I'll have to carve my own. I took a stab at it today and my first effort was really good, but I got the head dimensions wrong. So, let's start studying alligators and taking pictures.

Information on Alligators

American Alligators

Gator Pictures

Computer Model of Alligator

Introduction to the Okefenokee Railroad

Here is a hand slide show that can introduce you to the layout...

http://www.savefile.com/files/2090486

This is a free storage site, so don't pay for anything, just download the Powerpoint file and enjoy.


Its stored on www.savefile.com

I found a swamp layout!

It just so happens that an Australian modeler has built a section of a Louisianna swamp that looks fantastic! I don't know who he is yet, but I'm running it down so that I can squeeze him for every piece of information I can!

http://www.nmra.org.au/Layout_Tours/Muskrat/index.html

There is a movie on the page, too. Just check out the end of the movie

A new model...

After working on the raffle layout I'm finding that my painting skills are a bit rusty. I've not build a kit in many years because I usually scratchbuild. So I went an bought a kit at Trainmaster Models.

Walther's Cornerstone Kit in HO
Champion Packing Co.
#933-3048
Cost $40.98

Tenax Glue $3.99
Testor's Enamel Thinner $8.00
Woodland Scenics figures
A1823 Dock Workers $9.79
A1867 Factory Workers $9.80
A1843 Hereford Cows $8.10

This is a very large kit with several hundred pieces.

Idea - take the sides of beek and cast them. There are only four in the kit and it would look more realistic if there were more on the dock being loaded.

Goal: to get my skills back and practice. Also to use Dr. Ben's pigment paints, which I've not used before. I have a complete set of them.

I opened the kit, examined the parts and read through the instructions.

Name of the new industry: Stamped Meat Packing Company, Slaughterhouse #5

The slaughterhouse fits well on a layout. It has a great deal of in and out traffic.

Inbound loads can be cattle, supplies, machinery, coal (furnace and power), packaging materials, ice, etc.

Outbound loads can be processed beef, fertilizer, hides, byproducts.

The structure doesn't come with everything. I'm going to add an ice house, cattle pen and walkways, clean out track for cattle cars, clean out track for reefers and a coal dock for the power plant.

Cast In A Bad Light

Crap! I hate it when things go wrong, which is usually every time I walk down to the shop. Today I checked on Steve-bay's casting of a side frame and the silicone had not set! For some reason the blend didn't work. I first thought that it was the temperature of the shop, then it was that the casting material was old.



But I finally found the reason when I went to make the mold again. The measuring cups furnished with the kit don't have the proper measuring marks! It would never work using the cups! So I chucked them and went back to weight measurement and repoured. It appears to be working nicely now and I'll make the frames later this week.

I've been using Alumilite's products for years and love them. I love their staff even more! They are always very helpful. Most always I weigh measure so I recommend that for you too.

Piedmont Raffle Layout

I have trouble making it to the Wednesday night raffle layout work session. Most of the time I'm on the road. So I volunteered this time to build some structures. I'm off for President's Day today so I put the finishing touches on two buildings.

I've worked on many of the Piedmont Raffle Layouts and have had several at my house. They are fun projects and are a good exercise in getting folks to actually build something. This year its an N-scale coal hauling line.

The first one is Walther's Clarksville Depot. I changed it to shades of gray to make it loo less conspicuous. I used light gray for the sides, and dark gray for the trim. It is not a showy building and doesn't sick out, which is what I wanted.



The other is the Model Power Brewery. This is a horrible kit, and not a very American building. But with some color changes it came out rather nice. The yellow brick is ghastly, but when you paint it oxide red, it really takes on a whole new feel.

Once I get these weathered I'll take some pix.

I'll finish the weathering and give them a coat of Dullcoat and they'll be good to go.

Truck Sideframe Casting

Man, is my shop a mess! I've got to spend a few hours to get it back in shape. The vertical milling machine is still in pieces and coffee drippings are on my electrical work bench. Yuck!

I spent some time today getting ready to cast some side frames. Steve-bay had a caboose or some other similar rail car that was missing all but one side frame. I sanded the back of the frame and mounted it in a metal tin using bathtub caulk. On the back of the truck I smear a very thin coat, just enough to hold the frame but not enough to distort the thickness. The caulk allows the master to be easily removed. When I mount it I push the sideframe down hard and squeeze all of the caulk that I can out from under the piece. Once it is dry I'll trim the excess caulk and pour the Dow silicone molding compound.