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[quote user="tppytel"] It's that I want to make sure I'm serious enough to finish a smaller job before tackling a larger one. I also think that I'll learn a lot building a simpler layout quickly and then be much better equipped to make design choices on something larger. [/quote] Bingo! Glad to hear that -- ultimately, it's the best thing you can do. Just be warned: I (re-)entered the hobby ten years ago with a thrown-together 4x8 because I wanted to get something up and
[quote user="Phoebe Vet"] Nothing derogatory intended. Who among us has never had a brain cramp? Just correcting the formula. [/quote] And I thought it was just that new math again!
"Santa" gave me some trains for Christmas, 1971. I was 8. He had set up a figure 8 next to the tree, but we had a "real" layout on an unused ping pong table frame within a month. Had an "EL" trolley line and two interconnected loops with several sidings at ground level. The layout has long since vanished, but I retain a picture of the first two locos I unwrapped. Still have the tank engine.... and it still runs!
tppytel -- A couple of comments on your replies to various posts: Yes, a 4'x8' anything is fairly awkward to handle. The heavier it is, the worse it gets. Even if you decide you don't want true modules, you probably want to split your layout down the center for ease of handling. Also, a 4x8 layout is a fairly inefficient use of space (it tends to leave a lot of unused real-estate in the center of the oval). Sure, it's easy, because that's the size of a stock sheet of plywood,
This is a toughie. There are a lot of ways to skin this cat. First, however, you want to think about the height issue. Unless you're very short, a standard table will be far too low. A standard table stands about 30" high; you will spend a lot of time hunched over the table, and will end up with a huge backache. So the expandable tables may be convenient, but probably not a good idea. For the actual layout, I would avoid a 4x8. That's not really a good idea for something that you're
[quote user="RFinch"] Now that you have got me all excited about entering the MR Sweepstakes, I went back to their home page just now and clicked on the button to enter the Sweepstakes. Imagine my surprise when "Page not found" popped up in response. My evening is ruined and it's all because of you all. Maybe someone at Kalmbach has been following this thread and decided to eliminate the Sweepstakes. Just remember, that if you win, you'll have to report the retail value
I think the key point is that you probably DON'T need hundreds of realistic-looking trees. As others have pointed out, only foreground trees and the ones in the front couple of rows of forest need to be realistic. The rest can be made with cotton balls, poly-fiber, furnace filters, scouring pads, or any other fibrous material, painted varying shades of green and dusted with ground foam.
You probably should have just searched for Online Hobby Stores on these forums and you would have found lots of answers. www.walthers.com is the cornucopia of hobby stores. Of course, even their sale prices tend to be high, but their selection and customer service is unequalled, anywhere. I have had good luck with the both Dallasmodelworks.com and modeltrainstuff.com (AKA MB Klein), and I think you'll find them highly rated here as well. While I have never had trouble with them, Blue Ridge Hobbies
Just to address the some of the points: 1) I make trees out of sedum, and with a couple of exceptions, I wouldn't use them for foreground trees either. 2) Having said that, sedum isn't brittle if you dry it thoroughly, then soak it in matte medium or glycerine solution. Just like the MR article said. 3) The shape of the plant isn't ideal. You have to trim and combine several stalks to get a natural-looking tree. Just like the MR article said. You have to add some polyfiber and foliage
If I were going to paint a hydrocal structure, where I wanted the paint to be opaque, I'd seal it first with any acrylic-based sealant. Thick artists acrylic (as in Liquitex, not Poly-Scale or Modelmaster Acryl) would also do the trick. For rocks, however, I use earth toned watercolor washes, because, basically, you WANT rocks to look blotchy and have streaks of various colors through them. The washes soak into the plaster in places and pool up in others, creating great effects. In fact, my 6
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