A new fireman joins the crew on the In-ko-pah RR

[Ray Dunakin]

I recently finished a new figure. This one is a fireman for my 4-6-0. He's based on our son Steven. The likeness isn't quite as good as I would have liked but it'll do. I added glasses to this figure. They're a bit larger and rounder than his, but they'll do too. I plan to do another figure of Steven later, in street clothes, for another part of the layout, so this one doesn't have to be perfect. Here are a couple pics: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I found out something... it helps to shoot digital pics while sculpting the figure. I did that on my previous figures because I was planning to use them in my GR article. In the closeup, digital images, I saw a lot of things that needed refining, and was able to correct the figures as I went. . . . . . . . . . . . I didn't do that on these last two figures. Instead I relied only on the magnifying glass and thought they looked fine. When I shot pics of the completed figures, that's when I discovered things that should have been further refined -- but it was too late. . . . .

[ttrigg]

Ray Dunakin

I found out something... it helps to shoot digital pics while sculpting the figure. 

Ah!  Another helpful hint from the master.  Another masterpiece.  Thanks for sharing. 

[Mike Dorsch CJ&M r.r.]

That is awsome ! Great work .

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks! BTW, I've gotten some questions about how I made the glasses, so here's the process: I made the glasses by wrapping a very thin wire (from a multi-stranded electrical wire) around a 1/16" brass rod. Slipped it off the rod, tacked it together with a tiny dab of thick CA adhesive, and then repeated the process for the next loop. Bent the earpieces to shape, and trimmed off the excess wire. Then I smeared a film of Testor's "Clear Parts Cement and Window Maker" over each lens opening to form the "glass".