Living the dream.
Hello to all my Model Railroader Forum friends. Welcome to a brand new weekend!
Last weekend we had an A+ edition of Weekend Photo Fun. I have high hopes for this week as well.
My share for this week is a new tool I tried out. I intend to use Homasote for my roadbed, and I had settled on the smooth knife edge jigsawe blades to cut it.
A co-worker suggested a better way. He said he used these wavy edges Bosch blade to cut soft materials, and he had excellent results.
They are Bosch blade number T313.
I bought a pack of three to try these out for myself.
These blades are wicked looking. They look like some crazy medieval sword. They are razor sharp.
I installed one into my Milwaukee Fuel D-Handled jigsaw and gave it a run through on a piece of scrap Homasote as a quick test.
The cut was almost perfectly smooth and there were nearly no burrs or fuzz along the edge of the cut.
These blades hogged through the Homasote with amazing speed and ease. I had to apply almost no forward pressure on the saw. This was much better than the results I had with the straight smooth edge knife blades. The blades I used previously required significant pressure to move the saw through the material as it was cut.
One of the great things about the Milwaukee Fuel D-Handle jigsaw is that the shoe will adjust to 45 degree bevel cuts in both directions. Since I plan to profile cut my roadbed from Homasote, this feature is quite handy to have.
Cutting 45 degree profiles on both sides of the 1/2" Homasote went very easy. I am happy with the results from the quick tests.
I still need some practice at accurately following the lines. This is a bit tricky when cutting a 45 degree bevel, but I think I can master this.
The end result is very useable, and I am happy with it.
-All Photographs by Kevin Parson
There was absolutely no dust produced from the cuts, and the saw blade did not get anywhere near as hot as the straight knife blade did.
These new blades, along with the Milwaukee D-Handle jigsaw will make cutting profile roadbed very easy.
We are started... I am looking forward to seeing everyone else's fun photographs this weekend. Thank you to everyone who contributes.
-Kevin
Thanks for setting us up with another fine edition of WPF, Kevin.
Now you're talking "my" brand (well, among many) I have long been a fan of Bosch tools. When I started at GE in 1977 I remember using the excellent Bosch saber saw the tool room had. When I left there in 2016, that Bosch saber saw was still in the tool room, looking a little beat up, but still performing as new (the stator was replaced by them, in Chicago, in 1986)! I bought the very same saw for my layout and home needs plus many other Bosch products. Their blades are my favorites. Dremel is a Bosch product.
I continued on several areas of the downtown project. One thing was to get the farthest building set up with lighting and an "interior":
Grand_Hotel-open by Edmund, on Flickr
This is printed paper "curtains" with random ones sliced open, Genesis board "floors" and gussets plus the backing board is Genesis, too.
Grand_Hotel-backing by Edmund, on Flickr
It really isn't as red and purple as the photo portrays, the red color is actually Krylon oxide primer and the "purple" is a color called aubergine. All I needed was a somewhat "maroon" shade to help give the interior some sort of coloration as viewed from the outside.
Grand_Hotel-lit by Edmund, on Flickr
Here she is all lit up. I will reposition a few of the LEDs that are too close to the edge. I used sticky-glue dots to place them so they are movable. Plus a few details in the lobby. A bench or two, maybe a "front-desk" and a few figures. This is where a bit of "Hollywood magic" comes into play on our layouts. All I want is to trick the eye for the implied appearance of a lighted, occupied building.
Let's shoot for another record-breaking weekend of fun and great photos!
Cheers, Ed
Thanks for starting WPF, Kevin. Bosch tools are really good. Got some myself.
Ed. Great looking Grand Hotel. Are they taking bookings?
A scene on the layout is really out of the way, (but is there). Jimmy Rickleton working on a new generator he has bought. He should really be cutting back the bushes, but he is like me in liking the overgrown look.
IMG_5902 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Trying out the camera on my phone.
Arriving at Leeds Sovereign Street Station
IMG_1932 by David Harrison, on Flickr
David
To the world you are someone. To someone you are the world
I cannot afford the luxury of a negative thought
Kevin, where was that blade when I was hogging my way through the homasote on my layout with utility knives?! Them are wicked looking. I lean towards Milwaukee power tools, but not exclusively. Makita, Dewalt Metabo, and Craftsman have been good to me too.
Ed, The Grand Hotel is looking grand! The randomly placed light show really brings it to life. Makes it look cozy even.
David, I kind of like the natural look of bushes and such too. I like how you name all your characters.
I"ve been busy but who wants to look at track prepped to be ballasted. Hopefully I'll have some ballasted track and backfilled dirt ROW to show before this WPF is expired.
Good looking stuff guys. Let's see s'more. Dan
I think Kevin has discovered the Holy Grail of Homasote Cutting. That's is the cat's pajamas!
Ed's Grand Hotel is a bit of illusion, but very artful illusion.
David's peek into the backyard is charming, whether the neighbor's yard or doan at the rail yard.
Good luck to Dan and his ballasting. Someone's gotta go it.
<My project for the week is written up elsewhere here> with more pics and details. I took a Custom Finishing Models Model 30 Burro Crane and converted it to HOn3. Here's a pic.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Kevin. How well does that work on the pink foam. Even if used by hand and not in a jig saw? looks like it would cut clean
David. Question. Do you have a scene where somebody is working on an old Rustin hit and miss engine or something similar to those early industrial engines? Seams to a big thing there collecting and restoring them
shane
A pessimist sees a dark tunnel
An optimist sees the light at the end of the tunnel
A realist sees a frieght train
An engineer sees three idiots standing on the tracks stairing blankly in space
Dan & Mike thank you for your kind comments. Naming some of 'the little people' brings (imo) little scenes to life. A reason to be where they are.
Shane. I only have workmen working in the scrap yard. It is the late 1960s and Charlie Marston is just getting enquiries (typical to the timeframe) of people wanting to purchase old steam locomotives.
I'll do a little section on Marston's Yard on my Leeds Sovereign Street & Clarence Dock thread in the near future.
Great job on the hotel, Ed. I have that same structure on my layout although it looks like you doubled it up. Eventually, I hope to get around to interior and lights but that is #342 on my to-do list and I'm working on #3 right now.
Kevin, Thanks for the WPF start-up. Now, that's a blade.
Ed, A grand hotel indeed, can't help but think of that famous movie line, "I want to be alone."
Thanks to all the contributors and viewers. Have a safe and happy weekend. Regards, Peter
Good afternoon
Thanks for hosting another WPF Kevin. I like those Bosch blades also. I buy em when I find them which isn't very often.
Love the Slice and Dice job you've done with the Hotel Ed. I'd also like to complement you on the marble job you did with the brown India ink on the lower panels last week. Great idea for the lights. Makes me hopeful to try something like that for lighting one day. That model is Looking Choice!
I like the thick foliage as well David. I bet your accommodation of the close clearance tolerances for the passenger cars going between those two buildings wasn't an easy one
Nice job on the Borro Crane kit Mike. I like your pick of the bright yellow paint job. Looks great!
Great job on the track side industrious and the Harley Babe Peter.
I won an auction for the add-on CB&Q #9910A E5A Silver Speed for $60.00 last week and received it Friday night.
I was happy about that score because I'm wanting to add a couple Dome Cars and a few others to the Silver Streak set. I'll need the extra pulling power when I find them.
TF
Kevin, thanks for starting us out this cold weekend, that is some kind of wicked looking saw blade.
Ed, you do some outstanding work with your structures, they are beautiful!!
David, that is some thick foliage, ever lose some parts in there? But it looks great!
Mile, like the burro crane, saw a lot of one when we built the temporary track for the Toledo Terminal while their new bridge over I-475 in Toledo was built, now torn down.
Peter, you little scenes are so great, it is a pleasure to look at them when you post.
Track Fiddler, nice looking passenger car set, I recently ordered two more domes on the surprise announcement from Rapido on CP mid train domes, I hope I get them before they were sold out.
Kevin asked if I took my 86' Hi Cubes to the club, well I did last Saturday and here is a picture. I did not get anything modeling wise done this week but a lot of stuff is in progress, while I try to find the decals I know I had before I moved 3 years ago.
Rick Jesionowski
Rule 1: This is my railroad.
Rule 2: I make the rules.
Rule 3: Illuminating discussion of prototype history, equipment and operating practices is always welcome, but in the event of visitor-perceived anacronisms, detail descrepancies or operating errors, consult RULE 1!
Sunday Update, anyone?
David, just shrink yourself 87 times and plan a visit! There's a room in the penthouse waiting! Great little scene, generator by the loo?
Thanks, Dan!
We're all in the business of illusion one way or another on our layouts, Mike. We're basically set-designers.
Thank you, John, yes it is one kit, split on the diagonal and a back and side wall trimmed and stacked. Cornerstone kits are fun to chop up.
I'm glad you picked up on the Grand Hotel theme, Peter. Greta Garbo in one of my favorite movies Excellent scene you modeled there. I sure like that gas meter! I bought some from Bar Mills but they were pretty anemic. May I inquire where you found yours?
Thanks for the compliments on the marble work, TF. I thought I'd lost my marbles and here I just diluted them and painted 'em on a building! Your Burlington Speedsters are looking great! Kato is top notch in N scale.
Who would have thought we would get nostalgic over some Hi-Cubes, Rick? I remember solid trains of these over by Rockport Yard and the Chevy plant. Nice scene!
I made some final touches on another building for the city tonight, the so-far unnamed Big Bucks Bank:
Big-Bucks-Bank-LEDs by Edmund, on Flickr
I had this thing for years! Bought it when Walthers first offered it and I built the basic structure and it sat on the shelf collecting dust. I'm glad I found a place for it and found all the parts (except the front steps that I had to kitbash from another building)
I made this beam with the suspended globe lights which align with each arched window. I use printed textures for the red marble counter. First time I've ever made a bank teller's window!
Big-Bucks-Bank-insidejob by Edmund, on Flickr
The roof is another printed, Photoshopped texture laminated over the styrene. I'll add vent pipes and maybe some scupper drains later.
Big-Bucks-Bank-lit by Edmund, on Flickr
This is another building that lends itself well to the stippling effect. I made the columns and pediment a little darker to set them off.
Big-Bucks-Bank-facade by Edmund, on Flickr
I think I need a sign or some kind of symbol in those two squares on either side of the center arch? Hey, maybe a pair of flag poles in fancy brackets?
Big-Bucks-Bank by Edmund, on Flickr
I'd Really like to find a clock like this to perch on the corner. Any ideas?
Marshall Field Clock by Craig Sanders, on Flickr
Still time for more photos — anyone?
TF Land is a premium at Leeds Sovereign Street. My little four wheeled carriages look okay going between the water tower and Hudson Ward Flour Millers. Passengers on the longer carriages give a little squeeze to themselves.
Rick. I don't think I have lost anything in those bushes.
A panoramic view of part of the layout.
The 45t crane is out on a job, passing the junction
IMG_1969 by David Harrison, on Flickr
Thanks for all the kind comments.
TF, Difficult to see from that angle, but she's riding an Indian, actually my daughter rides an 08' dark blue Electra Glide, maybe time to think about breaking out the Artitec Liberator kit I've got stashed.
Ed, I liked Crawford and Beery too. Love your bank and the nighttime Elvis car sighting. Gas meter is a Scale Structures Limited casting, Large, sku# SS2097, also available in smaller size: SS2376
Wishing everyone a good Sunday. Thanks and regards, Peter
Sorry for jumping in so late.
A thank you to Ed for the link to the boat railings vendor last week. Turns out he is 2 hours away from me so I got the railings on Thursday and got them painted.
Great stuff from everyone. My contribution this week is a completed station for St. Cloud using a HRM Laser Kits CNW Oostburg station kit. Really like the board and batten construction.
Scott Sonntag
Going to try posting with flickr...fingers crossed.
I found some nice 12x12 craft boxes. I figured I could use them for some sort of storage, and then realized I could use them to store passenger trains nicely. They can hold 8 HO scale width cars, and they have plenty of room for couplers if it's full size heavyweights, streamliners, or an Acela. I lined them with foam that we wrap artifacts for shipping at work (I work for a museum).
a1 by Michael Strittmatter, on Flickr
The Backshops - A blog dedicated to modeling projects
A few more comments for this weeks WPF.
Mike, great work on the Burro crane. I'm as much a crane fan as a RR fan. Have a 1/25 scale scratchbuilt RC crane truck to show for it, but probably not here, unless I call it G scale. Yeah right. Anyway, nice job!
Peter, a quiet moment in a back lot captures the weekend feeling! Especially with someone on a motorcycle. Same for the street view.
Wow, TF! you grabbed that whole set for $60.00? What a score! Kato is great stuff.
Rick, Nice to see the fruits of your labor rollin' down the road at least.
Ed, More nice lighting effects and capturing the stonework look.
Scott: Neat work on the station. Gives that little 2-6-0 a nice place to stop.
Well, this afternoon and late evening, I got about a combined scale acre and a half of ballast down in a yard and along the branchline, totaling about 56 linear feet of track. Messy work! And a bit of dirt in some areas...
But not in time for this WPF, even here on the west coast. Next week! That'll give me time to touch up the boo-boos, and maybe get more ground area covered.
Good stuff, guys. Dan