Tools, tips and tricks
US Geological Survey
I thought I would share some tools that I'm using to design a new prototype railroad. I'm interested in modeling Denver in particular in 1959. I have traveled to Denver and lived in Denver for many years but as anybody knows the railroad's don't look the same today as they did and 59.
Interior Hopper Car Weathering
A chat list conversation on hopper car interior weathering a couple of months ago inspired me to try a few techniques to reflect the prototype. These processes have been posted on my blog along with several images to illustrate the ideas. It's the lead post on my blog.
Riveting Valve Gear Assemblies
What do you guys use to spread the rivets in steam locos when assembling all the valve rods?
I just received the #754 Valve gear kit for my 0-4-0 "Little Shifter" and can't find my Riveting Tool that came with an older Mantua kit I purchased about 25 years ago.
Bowser sells a Riveting Tool for $2 but want $10 shipping, possibly more as I am in Canada. Any suggestions?
This week in 3D Printing
So last week I ran across this little gem:
http://www.solidconcepts.com/news-releases/worlds-first-3d-printed-metal...
This is the world's first 3D printed 1911 gun.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u7ZYKMBDm4M
The gun is made using the metal sintering process. They did not make a plastic part and then cast a mold, the machine welded layers of metal powder together building up the final piece. They up to 600-1000 rounds with it now...
Cardstock constrcution video
We have just posted a YouTube video on cardstock construction if any one is interested. This is a generic video but uses a 1970's style house as an example, done in both N scale and HO scale, but can be done in OO and O scale as well. The N scale plans can be reduced to Z scale.
Here is the link:
http://www.scalemodelplans.com/smp/tutorials/cardstock_video.html
This is the HO scale example:
Scale Model Animation 8: Starting Projects and Virtual Rooms for Modeling
HO Scale Model Animated Rooms
Baking soda sand blaster
A while ago some one posted pictures of a home made sand blaster that used baking soda to remove model paint, would it be possible to obtain further details?
Thanks in advance,
Graphite track treatment
Rather than derail the NoOx thread and in response to Bill's request, I'm starting a new topic on using graphite for contact enhancement on track. I'm sure someone has mentioned it here before, but I couldn't locate a specific thread on the topic.
One way to bevel a 45-degree angle in a wall section
Over the years, I have attempted to bevel kit wall sections at a 45-degree angle so that two adjoining wall sections come together, especially for material patterned with brick or stone. All with a notable lack of success.
For basswood or plastic, I don't think a powered planer/sander would be appropriate tear the basswood or melt the styrene. I'm sure there must be other ways than what I devised but I wasn't about to spend the money to buy a powered hobby sander for this project.
>> Posts index
Navigation
Journals/Blogs
Recent Blog posts: