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Model Builder's Trash Can Forensics

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  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
  • 18,255 posts
Model Builder's Trash Can Forensics
Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 22, 2019 8:02 PM

My wife watches way too many Forensic Investigation shows on the television.

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On a recent episode they solved a crime by "Forensically Analyzing" the contents of the wastebaskjet in the criminal's workshop.

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The detective that was being interviewed went on an on about how much information can be obtained by the contents of a wastebasket.

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I think all they would find out from mine is that I apply tons of decals, use lots of Kadee couplers, and drink an awful lot of bottled water.

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My trash can outside obviously belongs to someone that paints way too many models. It looks like a crime scene, but it is perfectly innocent.

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No crimes to be solved here.

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

  • Member since
    September 2003
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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, December 22, 2019 8:11 PM

Hmmmm... what kits provided those sprues?  Did that glue bottle dry out early like every one I ever bought or did you get to use most of it?  All kinds of forensic interest in that can!

I propose we play I Spy with Kevin's can and see what we can deduce from the visible evidence there...

 

  • Member since
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  • From: Northern NY (Think Upstate but even more)
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Posted by Harrison on Sunday, December 22, 2019 8:20 PM

Wow, that wastebasket looks like something I would buy at a train show! All kinds of styrene scraps, wheelsets, ect.

Harrison

Homeschooler living In upstate NY a.k.a Northern NY.

Modeling the D&H in 1978.

Route of the famous "Montreal Limited"

My YouTube

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  • From: Bedford, MA, USA
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Posted by MisterBeasley on Sunday, December 22, 2019 8:32 PM

Detective :. This guy was a model railroader.

Observer :. How do you know that?

Detective:. His wastebasket is empty.  He never threw anything away.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

  • Member since
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  • From: SE. WI.
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Posted by mbinsewi on Sunday, December 22, 2019 9:15 PM

MisterBeasley
His wastebasket is empty.  He never threw anything away.

Laugh I have to agree with Mr. B.  I have a box for that.

Mike

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, December 22, 2019 10:00 PM

What's that old adage? "One man's trash is a model railroader's treasure."

  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Sunday, December 22, 2019 10:47 PM

Overmod
Hmmmm... what kits provided those sprues? Did that glue bottle dry out early like every one I ever bought or did you get to use most of it? All kinds of forensic interest in that can!

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Wow, I did not think anyone would reply to this!

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Those sprues had unpainted 1/72 scale military figures. Yes, I emptied all the glue bottles. I use a lotof glue fixing lead sheet weights into freight cars.

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Harrison
Wow, that wastebasket looks like something I would buy at a train show! All kinds of styrene scraps, wheelsets, ect.

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Since I use exclusively Kadee trucks, all the kt supplied parts hit the wastebasket.

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Overmod
What's that old adage? "One man's trash is a model railroader's treasure."

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I have boxes filled with trash from other people. Wire scraps, heavy duty corrugated cardboard, military model scraps, etc, etc, etc.

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

  • Member since
    April 2019
  • From: Pacific Northwest
  • 780 posts
Posted by SPSOT fan on Monday, December 23, 2019 12:20 AM

MisterBeasley

Detective :. This guy was a model railroader.

Observer :. How do you know that?

Detective:. His wastebasket is empty.  He never threw anything away.

Yeah, that explains why I’ve got bits of large flange Mirco Trains wheels or bad McHenry couplers in with all my good Train stuff! Also explains why that bad hopper car with a very damaged step is still in my collection, along with that old Athearn blue boxcar with busted coupler boxes!

Regards, Isaac

I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!

  • Member since
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  • From: 4610 Metre's North of the Fortyninth on the left coast of Canada
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Posted by BATMAN on Monday, December 23, 2019 1:19 AM

Bottle caps and glue bottles belong in the recycle bin! Book'em Danno. 

Brent

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

  • Member since
    January 2017
  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, December 23, 2019 1:24 AM

BATMAN
Bottle caps and glue bottles belong in the recycle bin!

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Not down here. It seems every month we get another announcement that something else cannot go into the recycling bin.

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Any plastic container that cannot be rinsed cannot go it, like the glue bottles. Any other plastic must have the triangle logo and a number 1-7 (I think) to go in, so no sprues and no bottle caps.

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Also... no plastic bags, no pizza boxes, and no cereal boxes (corrugated only).

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

  • Member since
    July 2006
  • From: Bradford, Ontario
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Posted by hon30critter on Monday, December 23, 2019 2:08 AM

SeeYou190
It seems every month we get another announcement that something else cannot go into the recycling bin.

The recycling movement seems to have run into some challenges here in Canada as well. Apparently the market for selling the stuff has fallen flat. Most of it used to go to China but the Chinese have finally realized how messy and polluting the recycling process really is. Lots of the stuff that we have so dutifully separated into the various bins just ends up in the dump anyhow these days.

Even compost recycling has proven to be a challenge. A few years ago a composting plant was set up in Newmarket. It didn't go over well. The stench from the process was sickening. I know how bad it was because my office was just around the corner!Ick! They spent a fortune trying to solve the problem but they couldn't eliminate the odour. Eventually they were forced to shut down. I don't know where the stuff goes now.

Dave

I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!

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  • From: Canada, eh?
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Posted by doctorwayne on Monday, December 23, 2019 3:37 AM

BATMAN

Bottle caps and glue bottles belong in the recycle bin! Book'em Danno. 

 
That was my first thought, too, Brent.  Around here, the range of acceptable recycling stuff is rather broad, and fairly well embraced by the public.  We put out actual garbage perhaps only once a month, as everything else goes in recycling.
 
Wayne
 
 
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Posted by riogrande5761 on Monday, December 23, 2019 10:01 AM

Many years ago I worked for an engineering firm which was hired to do a Waste Stream Characterization, aka Dumpster Dive.  I never thought I'd ever read about one on a model train forum but here at coffeeclutch forums it's like a box of chocolates, you never know what you are going to get.

Rio Grande.  The Action Road  - Focus 1977-1983

  • Member since
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  • From: Southern Florida Gulf Coast
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Posted by SeeYou190 on Monday, December 23, 2019 12:50 PM

riogrande5761
here at coffeeclutch forums it's like a box of chocolates

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I guess we could just have endless talk about intermountain wheels and various decoders.

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It is better here. Much more enjoyable.

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-Kevin

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Living the dream.

  • Member since
    April 2003
  • From: Clinton, MO, US
  • 4,261 posts
Posted by Medina1128 on Monday, December 23, 2019 5:10 PM

MisterBeasley

Detective :. This guy was a model railroader.

Observer :. How do you know that?

Detective:. His wastebasket is empty.  He never threw anything away.

 

I must be an anomaly. Not only do I have a 13-gallon kitchen trash can, but also a 39-gallon trashcan. Now that most of the layout construction is complete, it takes a lot longer to fill up the larger can. 

The point I'm trying to make is that both cans get filled up, although my scrap lumber pile/crates are growing. I guess we really DON'T throw things away.

 

  • Member since
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  • 443 posts
Posted by Wolf359 on Monday, December 23, 2019 5:11 PM

MisterBeasley

 His wastebasket is empty.  He never threw anything away.

 

That sounds a lot like me as well. I very rarely throw stuff away, even things that are beyond all hope of repair. Case in point is three old wheels with chips taken out of them that I recently replaced. They could be the beginning of a scrap load or some yard debris.Whistling

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