My good friend Steve Berkheimer sent me some more great photos of alligators and they show him in the reeds and lilly pads. Excellent!
If you have some good swamp photos, would you share them with me?
Showing posts with label scenery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scenery. Show all posts
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Sunday, July 19, 2009
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
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Stumps Hot Out of the Oven!
The shop is so messy! I have got to get it cleaned up before Friday when the guys come over. When I cleaned up the scenery materials I found a lot of things that belonged in the shop so I just sat it on the counter. I did clean up the coffee materials.
Tubs and tubs of stuff everywhere. Maybe I'll get some time tomorrow to go pick up.
Here is my tree/stump carving station. It consists of a hardwood plywood base (cabinet grade, 1/4 inch) that has rounded and sanded corners. This gives me a stable working platform. The turntable is from Michaels and is heavy aluminum with bearings to it stays stable and spins very well. It is a lifesaver! I built a tool holder next to it for my carving tools, knives and the like. On top is a small stainless steel cup for holding balls of clay. So far it has worked very well. Mostly I take it upstairs so that Marie and I can chat and I can work. I also can watch the big TV.
I bought another set of carving tools today. This set was about $15. Frankly, I like my dental tools better. There are several repeat blades in this set and its not that great.
The stumps are moving right along. It takes about 20 minutes to carve one, including about five minutes to study the photograph and draw the design. Yes, I sketch out every one. This way I don't get duplicates and the detail is realistic. These are very tall stumps because about 1/2" of the stump is under water in the swamp.
Here is the carving table at work at the kitchen table. A large Coke, some all natural animal crackers from Trader Joe's and some Sculpey clay, and we're in business! I put a small piece of aluminum foil on the turntable (which is not mounted on the board, btw) and I begin to cut away anything that doesn't look like a cypress stump.
Here you can see the early shaping of the stump. The buttresses are smaller and more tapered on this model (from a picture of a real stump) and it will have more ridges. There are three types of cypress in the Okefenokee and the stumps are very different on each species.
The turntable is heavy and gives me a very stable work space. The top of the turntable is removable so that I can take it off and do very fine work up close.
My daughter is learning the hobby now at the ripe old age of four. Here she is learning how to paint. She's got a single alt brush and is practicing her fine moter skills. She is going to be GREAT! Fourth generation model train nut.
The first six stumps are ready for the toaster oven. I'll bake them for 40 minutes since they are quite thick. Its 15 minutes per 1/4". They are pretty and white now, but will come out brown and purple when done. I don't really care about the color as they will only be masters for the molding process. This is about a pound of Sculpey on this tray. I like a toaster oven better than our big kitchen oven. You can move it to the garage and get the fumes out of the kitchen, plus, it doesn't heat up the whole room which is a big consideration here in 96 degree Georgia. For some reason the fumes aren't as bad in a toaster oven anyway.
Here are all the new sculpting tools. Several are duplicates so I'll weed them out.
This is a more rounded and tapered stump. The loggers didn't want to cut through the thick buttress, so they would cut at the point where the tree tapered off. I start with a lump of Sculpey that has been THOROUGHLY kneeded to make it soft. Sculpey is hard as a rock and I'll take a ball with me while I drive in traffic or at the computer and squish it to get is soft and pliable. Then I'll make a rough shape just a bit larger than the finished stump and work it down with my fingers.
Here is the first dozen just out of the oven. They aren't a finished stump yet. I'll sand the bottoms perfectly flat for mounting and will remove the small clay balls that form from the wire brush. These match the photos perfectly!
Next week...we start the cypress knees!
Got a question or a comment? Post it here!
Tubs and tubs of stuff everywhere. Maybe I'll get some time tomorrow to go pick up.
Here is my tree/stump carving station. It consists of a hardwood plywood base (cabinet grade, 1/4 inch) that has rounded and sanded corners. This gives me a stable working platform. The turntable is from Michaels and is heavy aluminum with bearings to it stays stable and spins very well. It is a lifesaver! I built a tool holder next to it for my carving tools, knives and the like. On top is a small stainless steel cup for holding balls of clay. So far it has worked very well. Mostly I take it upstairs so that Marie and I can chat and I can work. I also can watch the big TV.
I bought another set of carving tools today. This set was about $15. Frankly, I like my dental tools better. There are several repeat blades in this set and its not that great.
The stumps are moving right along. It takes about 20 minutes to carve one, including about five minutes to study the photograph and draw the design. Yes, I sketch out every one. This way I don't get duplicates and the detail is realistic. These are very tall stumps because about 1/2" of the stump is under water in the swamp.
Here is the carving table at work at the kitchen table. A large Coke, some all natural animal crackers from Trader Joe's and some Sculpey clay, and we're in business! I put a small piece of aluminum foil on the turntable (which is not mounted on the board, btw) and I begin to cut away anything that doesn't look like a cypress stump.
Here you can see the early shaping of the stump. The buttresses are smaller and more tapered on this model (from a picture of a real stump) and it will have more ridges. There are three types of cypress in the Okefenokee and the stumps are very different on each species.
The turntable is heavy and gives me a very stable work space. The top of the turntable is removable so that I can take it off and do very fine work up close.
My daughter is learning the hobby now at the ripe old age of four. Here she is learning how to paint. She's got a single alt brush and is practicing her fine moter skills. She is going to be GREAT! Fourth generation model train nut.
The first six stumps are ready for the toaster oven. I'll bake them for 40 minutes since they are quite thick. Its 15 minutes per 1/4". They are pretty and white now, but will come out brown and purple when done. I don't really care about the color as they will only be masters for the molding process. This is about a pound of Sculpey on this tray. I like a toaster oven better than our big kitchen oven. You can move it to the garage and get the fumes out of the kitchen, plus, it doesn't heat up the whole room which is a big consideration here in 96 degree Georgia. For some reason the fumes aren't as bad in a toaster oven anyway.
Here are all the new sculpting tools. Several are duplicates so I'll weed them out.
This is a more rounded and tapered stump. The loggers didn't want to cut through the thick buttress, so they would cut at the point where the tree tapered off. I start with a lump of Sculpey that has been THOROUGHLY kneeded to make it soft. Sculpey is hard as a rock and I'll take a ball with me while I drive in traffic or at the computer and squish it to get is soft and pliable. Then I'll make a rough shape just a bit larger than the finished stump and work it down with my fingers.
Here is the first dozen just out of the oven. They aren't a finished stump yet. I'll sand the bottoms perfectly flat for mounting and will remove the small clay balls that form from the wire brush. These match the photos perfectly!Next week...we start the cypress knees!
Got a question or a comment? Post it here!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Stumpede! Carving Cypress Stumps
I built a carving station as I have about 120 carvings to make which include trees, stumps and knees for the swamp. Might as well have a good place to make them. I'll start with the stumps because when you are doing the big tree castings you often have a small amount of resin left. I'll take the remnant resin and pour it into a stump or knee mold so that none of it is wasted. Therefore, I need these molds ready before I start the trees.
Before I start carving there is a lot of prep work to be done. The first thing is to research what a real stump looks like. I surfed the web and came up with about 25 stump photos. The thing to keep in mind is what did the stump look like in the time period you were modeling? For me, I'm modeling 1920. The trees the loggers were felling were quite large, some over 12 feet in diameter. They would have been fresh cuts and mostly would have been cut off up high, then the stump cut with a saw. Most of the stump pictures I found on the web were old stumps that were cut about 80 years prior. So we'll have to improvise.
Once I have the pictures, I'll decide how many stumps to make. There is a list on this blog of the stumps and quantity. The first stumps will be the large foreground models, one dozen of them. After deciding the quantity, I then sketch each stump and give it a number so that I can reference the stump to the mold.
Nothing fancy, but it keeps me from making 12 stumps that all look identical. On the layout, each stump can be turned 60 degrees six times to give six different views. That makes 12 stumps turn into 72 different looking stumps.
I sat down last night and carved the first two out of Sculpy clay and left them on the table. Marie saw them and really like the look of the new stumps. I'll wait until I have all 12 and bake them. Then I'll pour the mold. Usually I'll wait until I have enough casting to mold before I order a 10 lb container of silicone molding compound, and then cast them all at once. So I'll wait until I have a set of knees and a few trees, then do them all at once.
By carving a stump or two per night, or a tree or some knees, we'll have the 120 units done in no time.
Marie was fussing at me about not being able to get the train expenses as a write off again. So I've agreed to sell the products I'm making for myself for a tax deduction. Look for Southern Scale Models to start business soon and you can have your own cypress stumps!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Easy Trees and Track Plans
It was a fun night for model trains! We had a good turn out at my house and I appreciate the guys coming over since my wife was out at Bunco and I couldn't go out since the Punkin was with me. She was very cute tonight and dressed up formally to great the men as they came buy.
Tonight's players: Steve-bay, Glue Bob, Coalfinger Ken, Reverend Wade, and a shaved Packrat Paul who looked like Curly from the Three Stooges. Man, I wish my company would let me do that. Much cooler in the summer. Mark my neighbor also dropped in to help.
The goal tonight was to work on Coalfinger's coal mining layout. He has a 3x6 layout already and is adding another 3x7 foot extension. He wanted our input on his design.
I love his finished portion, so and addition would be even better. Here you can see a mock up of the track plan. Click on the photos to enlarge.
The room is plenty big enough for the layout. Here Bob checks the clearances and sees that they are at least two feet all around.
Naturally I can't mind my own business so I had to redraw the layout. Ken may never speak to me again and I wouldn't blame him. But its his layout and he can do whatever he wants with it. The major suggestions were:
Next we had a tree making party for Bob's layout! Yes, we didn't work on mine and that's ok. I have plenty of expendable room and work tables, so its easier here to do messy projects. Bob sent us an article on making inexpensive connifer trees done by a fellow named Dave Lawler at an ONR convention. The trees are magnificent. Our first step was to tinker with the technique.
The first tree had too much paint on it and too much flock. We thinned it down for the next one. Bob wasn't real pleased.
Once we got the technique down pat, we set up an assembly line with cutting and trimming, painting, flocking, and storage. Basically we were flocking all night!
Here Bob and Steve are adding the second coat of flocking to a lightly sprayed tree. On this step we used a clear paint.
Bang it, dang it! I have to slap the tree to get the loose flock off.
A little more light flock to the top than on the bottom.
Steve puts the finishing touches on the tree and pushes it into foam for drying.
Not great, but not bad. Let's make some more!
Basically all you need is some garland rope, cutting pliers, scissors, dk green, green, brown and clear spray paint and some Woodland Scenics flock in different colors.
We coverd the table in newspapers and applied the flock over folded pieces of cardboard so that we could recycle the flock. In retrospect, it would have been easier to use a plastic tub. This is a messy business and we wore latex gloves to keep the green off our fingers. The spray paint is another issue. We took a box fan and put it in the window, then opened a door to get fresh air circulating to pull out the fumes. I was stoned in minutes!
Many of the aerosol cans say "the color matches the cap" which is all well and good until you take the cap off. So I wrote on the dome of the can with a Sharpie marker the color so we could quickly pick up the right can.
The first step is to trim the "tree" in a tapered fashion and to trim out some of the "limbs". Once that is done the trunk of the tree needs to have all limbs removed. We then spray the trunk with brown paint and set it aside for a few minutes to dry. The next step is to take the dark green paint and spray the tree limbs. We did this in a directly down from the top of the tree direction, then a directly up from the bottom direction. You want to cover the needles, but not soak them in paint. Quickly then you shake or sprinkle dark green flock over all the tree. Once the tree is covered, shake out the excess flock on the cardboard and set the tree in a foam sheet for drying.
The first step gives you a nice, green fluffy tree! These trees are destined for the northern regions of Canada so they are naturally a little sparse and thin.
We used a paint box to catch the overspray. Here are some trimmed trees with painted trunks that are drying.
Reverend Rick has a keen eye and is not above rejecting a poorly trimmed tree. Note the green paint on his fingers. Gloves are a must!
Mark, who is not a model railroader, didn't hesitate to jump in. We had an assembly line going. Paul, Mark and Ken would trim the trees, which takes the longest amount of time. Rick and I would paint the trunks and put the first coat of green flock on. Steve and Bob would put the second lighter coat of flock on the tree and do any final touch ups or corrections. Perfect! Having a bench high long table to work around helps.
Here you can see some of the finished trees. Magnificent! Cheap! Fast!
Once we got the tree techniques figured out and got a rythym going, the work went fast.
Being a factory guy, mass production of items, especially trees, makes a lot of sense. In just less than two hours the team made 75 trees at a very low cost per tree. We had a great time chatting and kicking around new ideas (and each other).
The trees look very realistic, especially from a few feet away.
Here is Bob's forest!
Here are 25 trees, completely finished on their foam carrier. They'll spend the night at my house while the paint dries. They vary in size from 10 scale feet to 80 scale feet.
It was a great evening!
Tonight's players: Steve-bay, Glue Bob, Coalfinger Ken, Reverend Wade, and a shaved Packrat Paul who looked like Curly from the Three Stooges. Man, I wish my company would let me do that. Much cooler in the summer. Mark my neighbor also dropped in to help.
The goal tonight was to work on Coalfinger's coal mining layout. He has a 3x6 layout already and is adding another 3x7 foot extension. He wanted our input on his design.
I love his finished portion, so and addition would be even better. Here you can see a mock up of the track plan. Click on the photos to enlarge.
The room is plenty big enough for the layout. Here Bob checks the clearances and sees that they are at least two feet all around.
Naturally I can't mind my own business so I had to redraw the layout. Ken may never speak to me again and I wouldn't blame him. But its his layout and he can do whatever he wants with it. The major suggestions were:- The yard didn't have an adequate yard lead or a run around track, so we added them.
- We flipped the whole yard complex so that it was accessed from what would be the end of the line.
- Took out the turn table as a maintenance issue is always present.
- Put a loco run around or "escape track" in the yard.
- Installed a scenic divider to separate the coal region optically
- Put in a run around track for the coal mine.
- Add industrial back drop to the yard.
- Moved the ice house close to the main line where it should be
- Lengthened the main siding.
Next we had a tree making party for Bob's layout! Yes, we didn't work on mine and that's ok. I have plenty of expendable room and work tables, so its easier here to do messy projects. Bob sent us an article on making inexpensive connifer trees done by a fellow named Dave Lawler at an ONR convention. The trees are magnificent. Our first step was to tinker with the technique.
The first tree had too much paint on it and too much flock. We thinned it down for the next one. Bob wasn't real pleased.
Once we got the technique down pat, we set up an assembly line with cutting and trimming, painting, flocking, and storage. Basically we were flocking all night!
Here Bob and Steve are adding the second coat of flocking to a lightly sprayed tree. On this step we used a clear paint.
Bang it, dang it! I have to slap the tree to get the loose flock off.
A little more light flock to the top than on the bottom.
Steve puts the finishing touches on the tree and pushes it into foam for drying.
Not great, but not bad. Let's make some more!
Basically all you need is some garland rope, cutting pliers, scissors, dk green, green, brown and clear spray paint and some Woodland Scenics flock in different colors.
We coverd the table in newspapers and applied the flock over folded pieces of cardboard so that we could recycle the flock. In retrospect, it would have been easier to use a plastic tub. This is a messy business and we wore latex gloves to keep the green off our fingers. The spray paint is another issue. We took a box fan and put it in the window, then opened a door to get fresh air circulating to pull out the fumes. I was stoned in minutes!
Many of the aerosol cans say "the color matches the cap" which is all well and good until you take the cap off. So I wrote on the dome of the can with a Sharpie marker the color so we could quickly pick up the right can.
The first step is to trim the "tree" in a tapered fashion and to trim out some of the "limbs". Once that is done the trunk of the tree needs to have all limbs removed. We then spray the trunk with brown paint and set it aside for a few minutes to dry. The next step is to take the dark green paint and spray the tree limbs. We did this in a directly down from the top of the tree direction, then a directly up from the bottom direction. You want to cover the needles, but not soak them in paint. Quickly then you shake or sprinkle dark green flock over all the tree. Once the tree is covered, shake out the excess flock on the cardboard and set the tree in a foam sheet for drying.
The first step gives you a nice, green fluffy tree! These trees are destined for the northern regions of Canada so they are naturally a little sparse and thin.
We used a paint box to catch the overspray. Here are some trimmed trees with painted trunks that are drying.
Reverend Rick has a keen eye and is not above rejecting a poorly trimmed tree. Note the green paint on his fingers. Gloves are a must!
Mark, who is not a model railroader, didn't hesitate to jump in. We had an assembly line going. Paul, Mark and Ken would trim the trees, which takes the longest amount of time. Rick and I would paint the trunks and put the first coat of green flock on. Steve and Bob would put the second lighter coat of flock on the tree and do any final touch ups or corrections. Perfect! Having a bench high long table to work around helps.
Here you can see some of the finished trees. Magnificent! Cheap! Fast!
Once we got the tree techniques figured out and got a rythym going, the work went fast.
Being a factory guy, mass production of items, especially trees, makes a lot of sense. In just less than two hours the team made 75 trees at a very low cost per tree. We had a great time chatting and kicking around new ideas (and each other). 
The trees look very realistic, especially from a few feet away.
Here is Bob's forest!
Here are 25 trees, completely finished on their foam carrier. They'll spend the night at my house while the paint dries. They vary in size from 10 scale feet to 80 scale feet.It was a great evening!
Saturday, May 2, 2009
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
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
Thoughts on The Swamp…
We’ll probably finish the benchwork this coming week, which means we’ll be laying track soon. There are so many things that I have to figure out and quickly. Now, keep in mind I’ve been designing this layout for about five years, so it is nothing new. I’ve even built some test modules as well. But I’ve never been happy with everything.
Prove that focusing layout design on people rather than trains can produce a higher level of realism and interest.
Goal:
To produce an On30 model railroad layout that focuses on the PEOPLE of the Okefenokee during the 1920’s when heavy cypress logging was in full swing. The layout will provide an insight into their lives and times as well as to the mythology of the great swamp.
Swamp Layout Objectives:
- Reproduce the flavor of swamp logging in the Southeast. Absolute accuracy is not important.
Techniques:
- To use Theatric Scenery to provide the richness of life and mythology in the railroad and to convey a sense of time, mood and feeling. See the theatric scenery spreadsheet.
- Use
- Convey prototype logging practices in the southeast swamp areas.
- Use story telling to help set the stage for the characters that live in the swamp. Make visitors feel that they know these people and can sympathize with their hardship.
Definitions:
Theatric Scenery – As with a theater, the backdrop and scenery set the mood. Likewise, I want to use the scenery not to just say “hey, we’re in a swamp” but to use it to build a mood and a feeling that the swamp itself brings. In the swamp, its people are the most important factor. I want the scenery to reflect not only where they live but how they feel and live. The swamp is a hot, sticky, infested place where few are hardy enough to exist. As you move deeper into the swamp the hard it is for humans to exist and the more mythology becomes prevalent.
Click on grid to expand...
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Scenery Cross Section
We're starting to build the swamp base tomorrow and I wanted to double check my notes and previous designs. I'm going with two layers of foam, the first layer being the sandy, soupy, soggy "trembling earth" and the second layer being island material. Only Billy's island and small sections of Honey Island and the others will be "high swamp".
In this drawing (scale to 1/2 inch - click it to see the full size) you can see the pink foam on the plywood base. The water is a half an inch thick. The pilings are 1 1/2 inches long with a tie on top. 
Here is a longer cross section with the full piling trestle. The occasional diagonals appear when a piling has quite settled on the bottom and are completely at random. The taller weeds and saw palmettos grow on the low lands. The cypress trees will be everywhere.
In this drawing (scale to 1/2 inch - click it to see the full size) you can see the pink foam on the plywood base. The water is a half an inch thick. The pilings are 1 1/2 inches long with a tie on top. 
Here is a longer cross section with the full piling trestle. The occasional diagonals appear when a piling has quite settled on the bottom and are completely at random. The taller weeds and saw palmettos grow on the low lands. The cypress trees will be everywhere.Friday, April 24, 2009
A Night On The ONRR
I love train night! I live for it, in fact. Every train night with the NCIOG (North County Interchange Operating Group) I learn more and push myself more.
Tonight was Bob the Builder's night. The Ontario Northland is really slick. Bob is allergic to scenery, but he's about out of track to lay so its the next step in the progression. Wade was there tonight and he's a good scenery guy, so he and I began to plan and design.
The key to starting the scenery is the layout scenic divider. It is structural and will hold up scenery, so it has to be installed. We came up with a clever way of mounting it over the staging tracks using an L-girder system. I think it will work great!
I always learn so much. Packrat Paul was working on mechanical turnout linkages. He spent a great deal of time getting an education tonight and I look forward to downloading his knowledge so that I can use it on the swamp.
Ken got his knickname tonight! Poor guy was staining ties with a shoe polish/alcohol mix and accidentally bumped the fascia. Ink went all over him, the layout and the floor. We're calling him Coalfinger after the dark, stained hands he now owns.
Steve-bay is really kickin' butt with track laying! He spent the evening hand laying the yard trackage. He does really nice work. The psychologist is going to visit him later next week to see if his condition improves.
Meanwhile, Bob the Builder kept avoiding the scenery team until finally we cornered him and made him go cut some boards. I've volunteered to have a tree making party for him at my house and that might kick start him a little more.
Tonight was Bob the Builder's night. The Ontario Northland is really slick. Bob is allergic to scenery, but he's about out of track to lay so its the next step in the progression. Wade was there tonight and he's a good scenery guy, so he and I began to plan and design.
The key to starting the scenery is the layout scenic divider. It is structural and will hold up scenery, so it has to be installed. We came up with a clever way of mounting it over the staging tracks using an L-girder system. I think it will work great!
I always learn so much. Packrat Paul was working on mechanical turnout linkages. He spent a great deal of time getting an education tonight and I look forward to downloading his knowledge so that I can use it on the swamp.
Ken got his knickname tonight! Poor guy was staining ties with a shoe polish/alcohol mix and accidentally bumped the fascia. Ink went all over him, the layout and the floor. We're calling him Coalfinger after the dark, stained hands he now owns.
Steve-bay is really kickin' butt with track laying! He spent the evening hand laying the yard trackage. He does really nice work. The psychologist is going to visit him later next week to see if his condition improves.
Meanwhile, Bob the Builder kept avoiding the scenery team until finally we cornered him and made him go cut some boards. I've volunteered to have a tree making party for him at my house and that might kick start him a little more.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Benchwork and Saw Palmettos
This week we are going to try to complete the first half of the swamp benchwork.
We'll start with the far back wall and work our way around to the right hand side. There is an access hatch in the middle of the back wall, so there are some extra supports. I'll post some track plan drawings a little later.
I found a website tonight: http://www.geocities.com/bkempins/ASMMain/Main.html and it belongs to Alkem Scale Models. They are purveyors of etched brass parts and I've reached out to them to see if they can etch the saw palmetto plants for me. These are perfect for etching and we'll need a lot of them. They give a very distinctive look to the layout. If he doesn't do them I can do them myself.
We'll start with the far back wall and work our way around to the right hand side. There is an access hatch in the middle of the back wall, so there are some extra supports. I'll post some track plan drawings a little later.
I found a website tonight: http://www.geocities.com/bkempins/ASMMain/Main.html and it belongs to Alkem Scale Models. They are purveyors of etched brass parts and I've reached out to them to see if they can etch the saw palmetto plants for me. These are perfect for etching and we'll need a lot of them. They give a very distinctive look to the layout. If he doesn't do them I can do them myself.
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