i think letting my two cats into my room/trainroom was a big mistake. they chase trains, uproot trees, and my heaviest cat causes earthquakes that make the cars wobble (depends on where my cat jumped from).
it's a good thing i'm practically nowhere in the hobby
Remember: In South Carolina, North is southeast of Due West... HIOAg /Bill
Originally posted by dkelly Well, mothers/wives/girlfriends/significant others are a good thing. Not only do they keep the kids on the straight and narrow, but they prevent us from selling the (pick one) house/car/kids/etc to buy some more rolling stock! (wait - that's a bad thing right?) lol [/quote Yes, definitely a bad thing. You need the house to keep the rain off the basement, the car to go buy more supplies, and the kids to do the lawn mowing so you have more time to spend in the basement. ] Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more. Reply darth9x9 Member sinceDecember 2002 From: US 665 posts Posted by darth9x9 on Thursday, September 30, 2004 1:38 PM I tried to mix up lightweight hydrocal for a rather large pour into a mold. The mold was approxiamtely 2 feet by 1 foot in an oval like shape. The problem is that the hydrocal sets in 15 minutes and it takes 16 minutes for you to thoroughly mix up that much hydrocal. I ended up with a very large bowl of hardened hydrocal with my spoon stuck in the middle. Bill Carl (modeling Chessie and predecessors from 1973-1983) Member of Four County Society of Model Engineers NCE DCC Master Visit the FCSME at www.FCSME.org Modular railroading at its best! If it has an X in it, it sucks! And yes, I just had my modeler's license renewed last week! Reply RedLeader Member sinceJanuary 2001 From: Barranquilla, Colombia 327 posts Posted by RedLeader on Friday, September 24, 2004 11:07 AM Ahh... electricity a blessing from mother nature but a nightmare to model railroaders. I have a little nephew that in that time he was like 5 y/o. He once entered the "sancto sanctorum" and asked me what was I doing with that neat loco. I explained to him that I was cleaning it. I asked If he could help and I said yes. He picked up a car and started cleaning with a cloth. I decided to take a rest and have a drink. When I came back I noticed the little boy washing something under the water in the sink of the bathroom. When I got closer I noticed my so beautifull Atlas engine complately submerged under water with little bubbles coming out from the trucks. - WHAT ARE YOU DOING! I shouted. With all the innocence a 5 y/o could have, he answered: - That gray dust by the sides did't came out with the cloth, so I'm washing it with water and soap. The loco didn't run again... :( and that grey dust was just weathering.... He wanted it to look new... Reply Nieuweboer Member sinceApril 2001 From: Netherlands 226 posts Posted by Nieuweboer on Friday, September 24, 2004 10:25 AM re: Scott218 this proves beyond any reasonable doubt that of all the problems one encounters in a lifetime of model railroading the electrical problems are the most baffling. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 24, 2004 9:02 AM Scott218, Ouch! Now I'm wondering if you were intentionally targeted by come Contra related spies . . . . . hmmmmm any conspiracists on this forum? Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Friday, September 24, 2004 6:37 AM The most memorable goof up I was involved in occured at a Train Show on my club's portable show layout. A good friend of mine who was opperating the layout with me was attempting to switch cars in the Industrial Switching area of the pike and was having difficulty getting his locomotive to run properly. Try as he might he couldn't get his locomotive to run more than 2 or 3 scale MPH even with the throtle wide open, obviously there was a short some where but he could not find the source. None the less he continued to opperate his engine despite the slow speed and the electrical problem because after all he was switching and didn't need to go very fast. Anyway, while trying to help my friend issolate the short, I couldn't help but notice an unusual tank car that was among the pieces of rolling stock my friend was trying to switch. It was painted red, white, and blue and labled for "Ollie North Liquid Assets", my friend explained that it was a brass tank car Precision Scale produced that poked fun at the Iran Contra scandal. "A brass tank car? Neat!" I said "can I take a closer look?" "sure" I picked the model up off the track and my friend's switch engine sudenly took off like a rocket! "OWWWWWWW!!!!!!" I screamed as I droped that burning hot tank car with a number of on lookers wondering what the heck was wrong with me. It turned out that one of the trucks on this brass tank car had swivled arround 180 degrees allowing electrical current to pass from one truck, right through the entire car, to the other truck causing the mystery short. By the time I picked up that tanker it was hot enough to burn flesh!! Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 23, 2004 4:20 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by cbq9911a Building some fairly elaborate scenery above hidden trackage - and allowing 1/2" less clearance than necessary. I did something similar. To keep grades as low as possible on my small layout, I cut every bit of elevation as possible. In two tunnels, where one track passes below another, I cut a "slot" in the 1/2" homasote roadbed. This saved me 1/2" out of 2 1/2" of elevation. The upper track easily supported itself across the narrow "slot", so I simply installed sheet balsa wood to hold ballast and ground cover. Well, in one tunnel, when I installed ballast (using wet-water and diluted white glue), the balsa wood warped into a shallow "U" shape, decreasing the height of the tunnel ceiling enough that my piggy-back cars get wedged in that particular tunnel now (everything else runs fine through there). I could have simply used sheet brass, and it would have been fine. Piggyback traffic is now re-routed on my layout. ---jps Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 23, 2004 2:49 PM Well, mothers/wives/girlfriends/significant others are a good thing. Not only do they keep the kids on the straight and narrow, but they prevent us from selling the (pick one) house/car/kids/etc to buy some more rolling stock! (wait - that's a bad thing right?) lol Reply Edit Fergmiester Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Out on the Briny Ocean Tossed 4,240 posts Posted by Fergmiester on Thursday, September 23, 2004 2:46 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dkelly Fergie, Isn't it funny how hard it is to keep one's language acceptable when there's younsters around? lol. For some reason certain words just have a way of making the hurt go away! lol. Well the good thing is it never sunk in as both my boys are well behaved. Their mother has them well trained as anytime I watch TV they will rat me out if I so happen to stop on a channel that's showing the "Simpsons"[:(!] Not a bad thing! http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959 If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 23, 2004 2:22 PM My funniest goof up is tryng to mix my elephants with my cattle.[:D] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Thursday, September 23, 2004 8:48 AM Fergie, Isn't it funny how hard it is to keep one's language acceptable when there's younsters around? lol. For some reason certain words just have a way of making the hurt go away! lol. Reply Edit Fergmiester Member sinceFebruary 2004 From: Out on the Briny Ocean Tossed 4,240 posts Posted by Fergmiester on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 9:02 PM It's nice to know I'm not the only Darwinian candidate. Again his involves lttle ears and profanity. But I'll keep it as clean as possible. Several years ago, 12 to be more exact I was in the basement with my oldest who would have been about two. The little guy was watching Dad doing his craft with skill and precision when out Dad hollered a nasty word three distinct times. This was a result of me reaching for the wrong end of the soldering iron, while concentrating on doing and clamping an intricate piece of brass work. I was cautioned by my wife who heard the comotion from upon high and in the kitchen. I blushed and young and impressionable son grinned ear to ear. Next day while again attempting to solder smaller than the eye can see pieces I dropped a piece. Not owning a soldering iron stand I draped the iron over the edge of the table and proceeded to go down on hands and knees to find the missing piece. After several minutes I sighted it and backed up..... Butt first into the tip of the soldering iron. I bolted up straight and bit down hard. then out came a mighty Owwww, Owwww, Owww. My beloved son looked at me with big grin and said "No Daddy" UK..., Uk...., Uk.... Sorry if I've offended Now you know..... the rest of the story http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959 If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007 Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 6:16 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dragenrider I guess I'm the only one to burn himself with a soldering iron in two places on the same hand in only two seconds. My first jerk away from the pain twirled the iron around to smack my hand again. Ouch! My wife just shook her head and went to get the ice. [D)] By the way, I agree also! Fergmiester must share his story. It's a good time now that everyone's curiosity is up! [#ditto] I've done worse. I was soldering and I burned my hand, causing me to drop the iron. It swung around on it's cord and hit me in the leg, burning me there. I pushed it away and burned my hand again [xx(][B)] BTW, use cool water next time, not ice. It will reduce the pain more effectively [8D] Reply Edit dragenrider Member sinceMay 2003 From: Ozark Mountains 1,167 posts Posted by dragenrider on Wednesday, September 22, 2004 5:47 PM I guess I'm the only one to burn himself with a soldering iron in two places on the same hand in only two seconds. My first jerk away from the pain twirled the iron around to smack my hand again. Ouch! My wife just shook her head and went to get the ice. [D)] By the way, I agree also! Fergmiester must share his story. It's a good time now that everyone's curiosity is up! [#ditto] The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line! Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 9:35 PM I agree, Fergmiester has to come clean! Reply Edit trainfan1221 Member sinceJuly 2003 From: Elmwood Park, NJ 2,385 posts Posted by trainfan1221 on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 7:19 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester Well mine's kinda like that but involved a soldering iron and carpenter's butt. Come on! You gotta tell us this one! Reply chutton01 Member sinceDecember 2001 3,139 posts Posted by chutton01 on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 7:10 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by dkelly After reading all the posts on here I've realized that I'm not the only klutz/spax/nitwit/etc that is attempting to build a model railroad!!!! Sometimes I actually amaze myself when I build something without incident!! Well, that's why the Micromark catalog is full of bottle holders, and xacto knife stoppers (triangular rubber piece which slips snuggly over the round handle and prevents it from rolling), and bibs, and workbench backdrops, and such. It can be a messy and frustrating experience. And yankeejwb, the key to a bottle holder is: Make sure it's about 3/4 the height of the bottle, and the hole a reasonably close size in diameter to the bottle (this means you may need a few different holders). And also, secure that holder to the workbench, so when you smack it with your hand it just vibrates a bit, and doesn't slide off the bench (remember - your hand's skin is self-replacing - the carpet underneath is not [of course, that's why I use a cheap throw rug underneath my workbench]). And please, no more open paint bottles on chair or couches! [V] Reply cbq9911a Member sinceDecember 2001 From: Chicagoland 465 posts Posted by cbq9911a on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 4:06 PM Building some fairly elaborate scenery above hidden trackage - and allowing 1/2" less clearance than necessary. Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 3:58 PM Actually, I have recurring goofs: 1. I chronically spill liquid cement. I've tried using a wide base holder. Still manage to knock it over. [:-^] 2. Just this weekend I was painting the body of a skeleton log car using a bottle of brown acrylic paint, the kind you get at Wal-Mart in the craft section (cheap[49 cents], lots of colors, highly recommend them), while sitting on my blue couch in the living room, sorta watching a movie. Like a moron I set the bottle next to me, on the cushion, against my leg, with the top off. About a minute later as I was gluing a cross beam to the body, I remembered the paint bottle. To my absolute joy I discovered that it had tipped, of course, and emptied it's contents (yes it was full. Just bought it that day), onto the cushion [D)]. Fortunately, it was acrylic, and most of it came out, and what didn't isn't visible. 3. glued my fingers with CA to all kinds of assorted objects (styrene, metal castings, other fingers).[xx(] I think my wife constantly alternates between sheer laughter and frustration over her clutzy husband trying to build an empire composed of itty bitty pieces that require stuff that sticks, stains, and stinks, built around two electrified rails. [:o)] Reply Edit Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 3:47 PM After reading all the posts on here I've realized that I'm not the only klutz/spax/nitwit/etc that is attempting to build a model railroad!!!! Sometimes I actually amaze myself when I build something without incident!! If they gave out diplomas at the modelrailroading school of hard knocks I'd have a PhD! And if they ever made me dean . . . i think I'll scroll up and start picking my faculty! Model Railroading if FUN! Reply Edit chutton01 Member sinceDecember 2001 3,139 posts Posted by chutton01 on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 2:51 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by willy6 As I went back in the house after drinking a cold one I heard the vacuum cleaner running. My wife had just past my hobby desk. I stopped her and said "didn't you see any shiny little objects near my desk"? she replied "yes, Isee crap around your desk all the time". Needless to say It ended up to be a 70 mile round trip to the LHS getting new grab irons. Hmm, actually I thought this is a very common thing to do when detail parts slip out of the tweezers onto the floor, and can't be found after an intensive search - I have done it too often (abliet using bag-less dirt-devils and shop vacs) and usually (not always) find the part, along with a lot of other stuff that I didn't realize was gone (bag-less, of course, since you eventually dump the contents of the vac onto a big sheet of paper, and commence combing through the results clump by clump). I so far have hesitated to adopt the correct solution to this problem vis: a "jeweler's" apron or bib, which is a big bib from your neck down to the work table - a piece slips out of the tweezers (locking, non-locking, serrated jaw - makes no difference, tweezers and detail parts are like telfon and wet-ice) and instead of falling to the floor to disappear, drop into the bib. The reason being I will need a break-away system of mounting the bib to the workbench - because I WILL stand up and start to walk away, forgetting to untie the bib from my neck... Reply Anonymous Member sinceApril 2003 305,205 posts Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, September 21, 2004 2:34 PM QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern This didn't happen to me, but to a friend: While working on a model, his X-Acto knife started to roll off his workbench. His natural instinct was to quickly close his legs to stop it from falling on the floor. Stop it he did - with the blade right into his thigh! Ouch, that's gotta hurt! That's why my X-Acto knives are all the kind with a non round handle so they don't roll! Bob Boudreau I did that [B)][:I] And today I was opening a tube of krazy glue that had a needle stopping the hole. I pulled the needle out wit pliers, and it shot out across the room. I found it later, stuck in my foot [xx(] Reply Edit 123 Subscriber & Member Login Login, or register today to interact in our online community, comment on articles, receive our newsletter, manage your account online and more! Login Register Users Online There are no community member online Search the Community ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT Model Railroader Newsletter See all Sign up for our FREE e-newsletter and get model railroad news in your inbox! Sign up
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Bill Carl (modeling Chessie and predecessors from 1973-1983) Member of Four County Society of Model Engineers NCE DCC Master Visit the FCSME at www.FCSME.org Modular railroading at its best! If it has an X in it, it sucks! And yes, I just had my modeler's license renewed last week!
QUOTE: Originally posted by cbq9911a Building some fairly elaborate scenery above hidden trackage - and allowing 1/2" less clearance than necessary.
QUOTE: Originally posted by dkelly Fergie, Isn't it funny how hard it is to keep one's language acceptable when there's younsters around? lol. For some reason certain words just have a way of making the hurt go away! lol.
http://www.trainboard.com/railimages/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=5959
If one could roll back the hands of time... They would be waiting for the next train into the future. A. H. Francey 1921-2007
QUOTE: Originally posted by dragenrider I guess I'm the only one to burn himself with a soldering iron in two places on the same hand in only two seconds. My first jerk away from the pain twirled the iron around to smack my hand again. Ouch! My wife just shook her head and went to get the ice. [D)] By the way, I agree also! Fergmiester must share his story. It's a good time now that everyone's curiosity is up! [#ditto]
The Cedar Branch & Western--The Hillbilly Line!
QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergmiester Well mine's kinda like that but involved a soldering iron and carpenter's butt.
QUOTE: Originally posted by dkelly After reading all the posts on here I've realized that I'm not the only klutz/spax/nitwit/etc that is attempting to build a model railroad!!!! Sometimes I actually amaze myself when I build something without incident!!
QUOTE: Originally posted by willy6 As I went back in the house after drinking a cold one I heard the vacuum cleaner running. My wife had just past my hobby desk. I stopped her and said "didn't you see any shiny little objects near my desk"? she replied "yes, Isee crap around your desk all the time". Needless to say It ended up to be a 70 mile round trip to the LHS getting new grab irons.
QUOTE: Originally posted by FundyNorthern This didn't happen to me, but to a friend: While working on a model, his X-Acto knife started to roll off his workbench. His natural instinct was to quickly close his legs to stop it from falling on the floor. Stop it he did - with the blade right into his thigh! Ouch, that's gotta hurt! That's why my X-Acto knives are all the kind with a non round handle so they don't roll! Bob Boudreau