Hey everyone,
I'd like to hear from someone that has built Walthers modern fire escape in the zig zag pattern. I am having a difficult time keeping the ladders at the correct angle, keeping the ladders in line with the platforms, the platforms level with the ground and then being able to glue them together. The instructions are super minimalist, and not much help. Has anyone had success on this. I have searched the internet with no luck. Appreciate your help.
Modern Fire Escape is an oxymoron, fire escapes have not been allowed on new construction for 40- to 50 years. The shape of a fire escape conforms to the building, not the buildingng to the fire escape.
Existing fire escapes must be properly maintained as they are still counted as legal exits on those buildings old enough to have them.
Buildings of LION are just printed on card stock. Perhaps oneday I will build the fire escapes to supplant these printed ones, but that is a very low priority on the Route of the Broadway Lion.
ROAR
The Route of the Broadway Lion The Largest Subway Layout in North Dakota.
Here there be cats. LIONS with CAMERAS
Industries1,
It takes an extreme amount of patience, let parts that were assembled and glued, to set aside for awhile for glue to cure, before continuing and a third hand, which I use a lot...click on link.
You set the railings on the stairs in the tool and then put Your adhesive on while railing is in tool, let dry and then add the platforms, also let dry. Measuring is critical so it can be built laying down and then attached to building in a couple of sections. Something that just can't be rushed.....take Your time and let the adhesive cure. A pic of a fire escape that came with the Walthers conerstone Variety printing co. Built as I tried to explain....using the tool made life easier. LOL.
Other pic' is a side porch that I am building for a Walther's Merchants row building #4 that I kit bashed into a background building. Porch is scale Northeastern stripwood and some plastic parts from some other kits I had laying around.....really needed a lot of patience for it and a Fourth hand..LOL.
http://www.amazon.com/Helping-Hand-01902-with-Magnifier/dp/B000P42O3C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1453981567&sr=
Mine does not have the Magnifyer on it, but it is removable.
Take Care!
Frank
Hey Frank
Thanks so much for the help. Great ideas. I will get the helping hand. This makes me think that it is best to build it onto the side of the building. I have 2 I am making and will go on my scratch built Coors plant. They go on the upper section. I have made a mock-up of the building attatched.
Roger
Looking good, Roger. I used 2 complete fire escape kits to add the various ladders, steps, platforms, etc., for the Great Lakes Milling and Foods plant on my layout. Yep, it takes a lot of patients. Some of the plastic "welding" solutions, like Tanex (not sure of the spelling) work much quicker that plastic cement, then I discovered that the quick setting solutions all contain MEK as the primary ingredient. So off to the hardware store, and bought a quart jug of MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), and now I use it all the time, and I also use CA (Superglue, etc).
Mike.
My You Tube
I built the "vintage" fire escapes, which look to be pretty much the same except for the platforms. I put mine together with liquid Testors glue.
I agree that the way to do it is to complete subassemblies and then let the glue set up thoroughly, for several hours, before touching those parts again. It might even help to give the joints a second application of liquid glue after they set up. There is very little contact area on these kits, so you need to make the most of what you've got.
I did use tweezers a lot to put these together, too, and a magfiying lamp also helps.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.
Hey Mike
I Really like your work. Yes, I need to learn more patience.
This building is great. I like your use of earth tones for the buildings
http://i1297.photobucket.com/albums/ag22/wirails/layout%20progress/IMG_0267_zps0ef25f22.jpg
Thanks, it is completely scratch built, tanks and railings, everything. I started out with a mock-up, like you did.