Coincidentally, I'm working on my first F&C kit too - an FEC ventilated boxcar.
One thing I found was that the instructions don't cover everything - they still leave you guessing in a couple of places.
Jon
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jon grant wrote: Coincidentally, I'm working on my first F&C kit too - an FEC ventilated boxcar.One thing I found was that the instructions don't cover everything - they still leave you guessing in a couple of places.
Jon,
That's because in general, F&C instructions suck. If it wasn't for the photo on the box cover and the line drawing in the instructions, they'd be largely unbuildable. That's why whenever I start an F&C kit I start by collecting as many prototype photos as I can, and use them as my "instructions".
Let me know if you need any for your kit and I'll see what I can come up with.
Ray Breyer
Modeling the NKP's Peoria Division, circa 1943
SpaceMouse wrote: Ray,I still have to build a bunch of ore cars/wood sided gondolas. When the time comes next year some time, you know I'll be looking for advice.
Ray,
I still have to build a bunch of ore cars/wood sided gondolas. When the time comes next year some time, you know I'll be looking for advice.
Just say the word Chip and I'll pass along any tips I can. I learned a few things with that gon about creating a "simple" resin kit master, and the tricks aren't really intuitive. My boxcar masters sort of fell into place, so you might want to start with one of those.
exPalaceDog wrote:That has the Old Dog wondering. First, you seem to be fairly well set up for wood working, so why go with a plastic master? Second, why go to reisin casting to make the copies. Wouldn't it be just as easy to make extra parts using jigs and fixtures when you build the master, then just assemble the copies?
Speed, speed, speed. Plastic builds faster than wood, so it's easier to creata a master out of it (and in fact, I've never heard of a model master for resin kits made out of wood).
And making ONE master and casting them is a whole lot faster than making a string of all-scratched cars, especially if you want more than three or so. Consider how long it takes to add rivet details to a car (the longest part of any scratching process) and multiply it by the number of cars. In that same time you'll have three times as many cars cast, built and painted.
SpaceMouse wrote:Just an FYI guys, I'm watching this conversation and greedily soaking up hints and techniques.
Gee, Chip. The box says Funaro & Camerlengo, Honesdale, PA. Thats about an hour SE of me on nice PA country roads. A nice drive. Perhaps I could go down and ask if they forgot to include your parts?? I could look at some real trains while I'm there, too. LOL
-G .
Just my thoughts, ideas, opinions and experiences. Others may vary.
HO and N Scale.
After long and careful thought, they have convinced me. I have come to the conclusion that they are right. The aliens did it.
exPalaceDog wrote: SpaceMouse wrote: Dog,Now that's what I call a revenue car....They don't pay the bill and they bring out the revenue car.Wrong! These are "revenue" carshttp://www.worldwar1.com/foto/ft062a.jpghttp://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/images/Railguns/USA/WW1GUN4.JPGhttp://www.worldwar1.com/pharc005.htmhttp://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/Structure/Railwayguns/Railguns%20index.htmlhttp://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/490-9163Have fun
SpaceMouse wrote: Dog,Now that's what I call a revenue car....They don't pay the bill and they bring out the revenue car.
Dog,
Now that's what I call a revenue car....They don't pay the bill and they bring out the revenue car.
Wrong! These are "revenue" cars
http://www.worldwar1.com/foto/ft062a.jpg
http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/images/Railguns/USA/WW1GUN4.JPG
http://www.worldwar1.com/pharc005.htm
http://www.aopt91.dsl.pipex.com/railgun/Structure/Railwayguns/Railguns%20index.html
http://www.walthers.com/exec/productinfo/490-9163
Have fun
One of those links has a page on the DORA German 80cm (31.5 inch) railgun. This enormous bugger ran on double tracks. Incredibly, someone just issued a 1/35 plastic model of it!!
http://www.squadron.com/ItemDetails.asp?item=ACMT3511
A guy who got one said the kit weighed about 50 lbs!
KL
I managed to get my kit to the painting stage, instructions permitting.
I'm not sure if the B end should actually have a step with this particular brake wheel, but what the heck. I've applied a black wash to the resin so that the details show up better in the 'before' photos.
jon grant wrote: I managed to get my kit to the painting stage, instructions permitting.I'm not sure if the B end should actually have a step with this particular brake wheel, but what the heck. I've applied a black wash to the resin so that the details show up better in the 'before' photos.
Not bad Jon, but the eye bolt to hold the brake staff and the brake platform are both too low. The eye bolt should be just below the roofline, and the platform should be in between where it is now and the roof.
orsonroy wrote: jon grant wrote: I managed to get my kit to the painting stage, instructions permitting.I'm not sure if the B end should actually have a step with this particular brake wheel, but what the heck. I've applied a black wash to the resin so that the details show up better in the 'before' photos. Not bad Jon, but the eye bolt to hold the brake staff and the brake platform are both too low. The eye bolt should be just below the roofline, and the platform should be in between where it is now and the roof.
I think one can find and hire a 12 foot brakeman somewhere LOL.
I have to say, I've only just started building some resin kits as well, and I really like them. I actually have several in partial completion stages:
Two F&C, one Speedwitch, and one Speedwitch "kitbash in a box."
The last one is the most complicated, actually. For some modeling-history-reference:
I got back into the hobby about a year ago, work on stuff when I can, and started with an Intermountain box car kit, then an Accurail box car kit, then a Branchline blueprint heavyweight and reefer. I've been leaning towards the more detailed kits, and really the keys have already been mentioned:
Good tools, patience, and practice. Oh, and something Ted Culotta recently said in one of his clinics: Don't wait for everything to be perfect. Just do it, and you'll get better as time goes on.
Some specific tips, especially with resin 'flat kits' (i.e. a box car where the sides, ends, roof, and floor are different castings, not a flat car). Test fit and sand carefully. On one of the kits I'm working on, the grab irons attach to the side, and the side of the end. Although the part was square top-to-bottom, the nut/bolt/washer detail between these two parts was not exactly in line. So check those details carefully.
I test fit the pieces using regular white glue. The parts peel apart fairly easily, and the glue scrapes off. If you are uncomfortable tring to pry them apart, you can run them under water to wash off the glue (it's water soluable).
Also, I didn't actually wash my kits (gasp) and it holds the paint just fine. You do want to make sure there's no resin dust from sanding, though. I use a primer as well. If possible, I prefer to complete and paint the underbody and the main body separately before gluing them together.
I like that the resin is softer than styrene, and find it very easy to work with. I think it was in that last article where it was mentioned that you can sand the back of the detail part to sand away the webbing between all of the pieces. That was a good tip I hadn't seen before.
Another thing you might want to consider is standardizing some of your parts. Although the specific placement details vary from car to car, the basic A/B brake components (or K brake) remain the same. I'm in the process of deciding which company's brake parts I like the best, and I'll use them for all of my kits, instead of the different ones that come with each kit (resin or otherwise). It makes those parts of the process easier.
Anyway, good luck, and enjoy.
Randy