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Woodland Scenics Realistic Water - How To Soften Hardened Water?

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Woodland Scenics Realistic Water - How To Soften Hardened Water?
Posted by richhotrain on Thursday, February 21, 2019 4:50 AM

Years ago, I used Woodland Scenics Realistic Water to form a river under a bridge on my layout. I built a beautiful tug boat and placed it on the "cured" water. But, eventually, the tug boat sank somewhat into the water and has now become embedded.

Does anyone have any experience with softening the Realistic Water to remove objects embedded in it?

Rich

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Posted by doctorwayne on Thursday, February 21, 2019 10:09 PM

Rich, if you want your hard water softened, just "Call the Culligan man!" Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne

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Posted by RR_Mel on Thursday, February 21, 2019 10:31 PM

I had to rip out my creek made with WS Realistic Water, it turned muddy and didn’t resemble water at all.  I couldn’t find anything that would remove it.
 
 
 
Mel
 
 
My Model Railroad   
 
Bakersfield, California
 
I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.
 
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Posted by zstripe on Friday, February 22, 2019 1:23 AM

Rich,

Although I've never tried it........this is what Woodland Scenics has to say about removing spills and dried product:

 

''Spills of Realistic Water should be cleaned up immediately with warm, soapy water.  If the Realistic Water spill has dried, dampen area with denatured alcohol. Let soak two minutes and then blot with a clean sponge.  Repeat until clean.  It may take several applications.''
 
I would try an area with a cotton swab or flat paint brush to try and soften the surrounding area around the hull. It will more than likly take the paint off, but should not harm any plastic of the hull.......I've stripped many painted plastic shells with DNA without harming anything.
 
Good Luck! Big Smile
Frank
 
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Posted by zstripe on Friday, February 22, 2019 1:35 AM

doctorwayne

Rich, if you want your hard water softened, just "Call the Culligan man!" Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne

 

Wayne,

I believe ''Ironman'' did Him in.......Whistling

Take Care! Smile, Wink & Grin

Frank

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Posted by riogrande5761 on Friday, February 22, 2019 5:37 AM

zstripe
 
doctorwayne

Rich, if you want your hard water softened, just "Call the Culligan man!" Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne 

Wayne,

I believe ''Ironman'' did Him in.......Whistling

Take Care! Smile, Wink & Grin

Frank

Was that in one of the sequels?  Laugh

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, February 22, 2019 7:51 AM

doctorwayne

Rich, if you want your hard water softened, just "Call the Culligan man!" Smile, Wink & Grin

Wayne 

Wayne, that worked!

Turns out, my Culligan Man is also a model rairoader. In fact, as a sideline, he manufactures HO scale Culligan water bottles turned upside down on HO scale bases. As soon as I applied the water, the hardened surface softened and I lifted the tug boat out from its tomb. But, not before providing HO scale glasses of Culligan softened water to the grateful, but parched, stranded crewmen.  

Now, do me a favor, Wayne, and restrict your future replies to how you plan to get the gifted Bertram's to me.  Super Angry

Rich

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, February 22, 2019 8:17 AM

zstripe

Rich,

Although I've never tried it........this is what Woodland Scenics has to say about removing spills and dried product: 

''Spills of Realistic Water should be cleaned up immediately with warm, soapy water.  If the Realistic Water spill has dried, dampen area with denatured alcohol. Let soak two minutes and then blot with a clean sponge.  Repeat until clean.  It may take several applications.''
 

Frank, that actually did work, despite Wayne's unwarranted interference in this noble effort. The denatured alcohol did, indeed, work but not without some additional prodding. Here is the tug boat in better days.

DSC02278.jpg

For Seinfeld fans, let me begin by saying, "The sea was angry that day my friends". To free the tug boat, I had to drill diagonally under the boat.

P1010666.jpg

Paraphrasing Herman Melville, "I stared at the sea and couldn’t believe what was happening. As the tug boat rose we could all see every wrinkle on its huge, gray bow , its damaged hull, its stern, and every twisted object on its tortured deck".

P1010669.jpg

But, alas, it could resist no longer, rising out of its tomb, leaving a hole in the sea.

P1010670.jpg

Like the USS Yorktown before her, the tug boat will live to see another day.

P1010671.jpg

Now some, like Wayne, might ask, was all this worth it just to salvage a stinking little tug boat? Well, consider this. That little sucker cost me $60 from Model Tech Studios, so, yes, Wayne, it was worth it.  Stick out tongue

Rich

 

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Posted by bearman on Sunday, February 24, 2019 4:53 AM

Congrats, I was not sure that it was possible.

Bear "It's all about having fun."

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, February 24, 2019 5:02 AM

bearman

Congrats, I was not sure that it was possible. 

Thanks, Bear. I was pessimistic as well, but the denatured alcohol did the trick, and I was able to save a $60 tug boat.

Speaking of good natured alcoholics, where is Wayne???  LaughDrinksLaughBeerLaugh

Rich

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Posted by zstripe on Sunday, February 24, 2019 7:11 AM

Rich,

I would not have had to dig so deep with removing My Tug boat........it's a waterline, but....a lot larger: Whistling

Re-born Alcoholic........Smile, Wink & Grin

Frank

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Posted by bearman on Sunday, February 24, 2019 8:02 AM

I wonder how much the model railroading community contributes to the profit margin of the rubbing alchohol and denatured alchohol industries.

Bear "It's all about having fun."

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, February 24, 2019 9:10 AM

zstripe

Rich,

I would not have had to dig so deep with removing My Tug boat........it's a waterline, but....a lot larger: Whistling

Re-born Alcoholic........Smile, Wink & Grin

Frank 

Frank, are you going to need to raise that vertical lift bridge to let that ocean liner pass under?

Speaking of which, I'm gonna need a bigger boat!   Smile, Wink & Grin

Rich

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, February 24, 2019 10:58 AM

richhotrain
Now, do me a favor, Wayne, and restrict your future replies to how you plan to get the gifted Bertram's to me.  

I was wondering who had sent that, it was quite good.Pirate

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, February 24, 2019 11:49 AM

BATMAN
 
richhotrain
Now, do me a favor, Wayne, and restrict your future replies to how you plan to get the gifted Bertram's to me.   

I was wondering who had sent that, it was quite good.Pirate 

Wait!

Wayne sent Bertram's to you, Brent? Crying

Rich

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, February 24, 2019 12:57 PM

richhotrain

 

 
BATMAN
 
richhotrain
Now, do me a favor, Wayne, and restrict your future replies to how you plan to get the gifted Bertram's to me.   

I was wondering who had sent that, it was quite good.Pirate 

 

 

Wait!

 

Wayne sent Bertram's to you, Brent? Crying

Rich

 


A bottle just showed up in the mail one day in a really nice wood box. The note said enjoy Rich! It had no return address or name on the package, nothing! I held onto it for a long time to see if the sender would contact me realizing he had sent it to the wrong person, but there comes a point where you don't want to see it go bad, so I just drank it.Pirate

Brent

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, February 24, 2019 1:25 PM

BATMAN
A bottle just showed up in the mail one day in a really nice wood box. The note said enjoy Rich! It had no return address or name on the package, nothing! I held onto it for a long time to see if the sender would contact me realizing he had sent it to the wrong person, but there comes a point where you don't want to see it go bad, so I just drank it.Pirate
 

There is more to this story. Where is Wayne?

Rich

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Posted by doctorwayne on Sunday, February 24, 2019 2:06 PM

richhotrain
Speaking of good natured alcoholics, where is Wayne???

richhotrain
There is more to this story. Where is Wayne?

Shorry fer the delay in replyin', r..r..Rich....I wuz down at Burrr-tram's loading dock, gettin' (urp!) loaded. (with apologies to Foster Brooks)

Al Coholic

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Posted by BATMAN on Sunday, February 24, 2019 2:24 PM

From a 2013 post.

BATMAN
Every time I see that tug under the bridge it is guaranteed to give me a "dream shattered sleep" later that night. You see as soon as I drift off for the night after seeing that photo, I am immediately drawn into a Stephen King novel. You know the one he hasn't written yet, where the crew of a Tugboat are stuck on all that is left of the ocean or maybe the whole planet! Yes, just one little sliver of sea! To stop from falling off the edge of the earth they fight the currents, the winds and whatever else old Stephen can throw at them. Exhausted to the point of collapse they eventually run out of fuel and take the plunge.

Because I will now be completely exhausted when I wake up tomorrow from trying to save myself and a couple of fellow forum members that are crew mates in my dream, I may be grumpier than usual, so WATCHOUT!

After six years of anquish, my prayers were finally answered. I will sleep well tonight........finally.Zzz

 

Brent

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Posted by richhotrain on Sunday, February 24, 2019 4:10 PM

doctorwayne
 
richhotrain
Speaking of good natured alcoholics, where is Wayne??? 
richhotrain
There is more to this story. Where is Wayne? 

Shorry fer the delay in replyin', r..r..Rich....I wuz down at Burrr-tram's loading dock, gettin' (urp!) loaded. (with apologies to Foster Brooks)

Al Coholic 

Ahh, Wayne, you are indeed The Most Interesting Man In The World.

Stay thirsty, my friend.

Rich

Alton Junction

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