wyomingrailfan wrote:never let small children touch that craftsman kit you built(don't touch that!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!)
Reese
Modeling NS One Locomotive At a Time
Do not think that that small imperfection at the rail joiners is good enough. Do not ever think that track work is "good enough".
Do not accept derailments on a an even semi regular basis.
Magnus
Don't drink and airbrush...(or try and install decoders...)
Don't let your little people take sunday drives on spline roadbed before the scenery is installed...
Regards,
Charlie
loathar wrote: Don't drink and airbrush...(or try and install decoders...)
Don't detail with a brush and drink. Else you'll end up with boltgun OJ...
And a bill from the dentist concerning the improptu teeth whitening...
Never use your cordless paint mixer to mix your drinks. http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=80975
Andre
tatorsalad wrote: wyomingrailfan wrote:never let small children touch that craftsman kit you built(don't touch that!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!)
Nor the cat
Enjoy
Paul
Driline wrote:Don't use a heat gun on or near your locomotive shell.
I hear you on that one.
Never stand up too soon under a duckunder.
Never try to adjust the kadee coupler airhose without the proper tool.
Never hold your finger over the open jaws of a needle nose pliers while sqweezing something slippery.
Never program your new decoder before making sure the others are off the track or you program track is activated properly.
IRONROOSTER wrote: tatorsalad wrote: wyomingrailfan wrote:never let small children touch that craftsman kit you built(don't touch that!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!)Nor the catEnjoyPaul
I agree. Never let the children touch the cat.
Modeling the Rio Grande Southern First District circa 1938-1946 in HOn3.
Dave Vollmer wrote: IRONROOSTER wrote: tatorsalad wrote: wyomingrailfan wrote:never let small children touch that craftsman kit you built(don't touch that!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!)Nor the catEnjoyPaul I agree. Never let the children touch the cat.
Move closer to the toilet. It's shorter than you think! (totally not train related, yet important)
Don't reply to posts after drinking malt beverages. (sort of train related)
When you think you need to do a little more weathering, don't. (finally, train related)
Definitely, don't fruit the beer! (man law)
Don't sit your drink in a glass next to the jar of water that you clean your brushes with!
wyomingrailfan wrote:Mine would be:Never use white-out to simulate cement mix(I did that)don't hand letter equipment(did that too)never let small children touch that craftsman kit you built(don't touch that!!! NOOOOOO!!!!!!)
I believe you forgto the word "CRASH" as 6001 pieces hit the floor never to be seen again.
reklein wrote: new decoder before making sure the others are off the track or you program track is activated properly.
new decoder before making sure the others are off the track or you program track is activated properly.
By doing a blanket Factory Reset...
On the Naptown Layout...
-Morgan
secondhandmodeler wrote: Definitely, don't fruit the beer! (man law)
Man law!
Don't forget how bad it felt last time you sliced your hand open with that razor knife before you use it again...
Don't let the carpenter work on the other side of the wall from your shelf layout until you have removed the rolling stock, etc.
Don't let a jackhammer be operated in the room next to your layout...
...wonder whatever made me think of these...
Never try to give your kid's pet rat a ride in a open gandola car. It seemed a good idea until i blew the horn then my special payload bailed out and had a rampage through the forest.
.....no animals were hurt during this event.....
when using hot lights for photos, don't forget to turn them off before going to answer the phone!
or better yet, take the phone off the hook!
see tender in blow up
river_eagle wrote: when using hot lights for photos, don't forget to turn them off before going to answer the phone!or better yet, take the phone off the hook!see tender in blow up
can't tell. what's in your sig?
On topic:
Never give your dad a great big hug in a hobby store after discovering he gave you a PCM Reading T1 American Freedom train loco until your sure you won;t tear a pair of 3/4 inch gashes into your thumb and index finger on the nearby Metal Peg Shelf...
user="Flashwave can't tell. what's in your sig?On topic:Never give your dad a great big hug in a hobby store after discovering he gave you a PCM Reading T1 American Freedom train loco until your sure you won;t tear a pair of 3/4 inch gashes into your thumb and index finger on the nearby Metal Peg Shelf...
tender side melted
rule #1? "It's MY railroad, and I'll do what I want!"
Missouri Pacific E7s on the Colorado Eagle
Plastic couplers. I prefer Kadees thank you.
400 dollar steam engine models with plastic coupler dummies on the front.
Spray painting in a changing wind speed and direction.
Engines that jerk into motion or jerk to a halt under DCC control. There is a problem decoder that needs replacing.
Never be caught without a small warchest filled with money the day the limited run, out of production never to be made again item shows up at the hobby shop.
1.Don't grab for that Xacto knife as it rolls off the workbench towards your thigh, (you might find out how deep it will go into said thigh).
2.Be sure to wear shoes in case the knife misses your thigh.
Jay
C-415 Build: https://imageshack.com/a/tShC/1
Other builds: https://imageshack.com/my/albums
modelmaker51 wrote: 1.Don't grab for that Xacto knife as it rolls off the workbench towards your thigh, (you might find out how deep it will go into said thigh).2.Be sure to wear shoes in case the knife misses your thigh.
Upon noticing your cat watching your prized n scale passenger consist traversing the open frame bench work above it, don't just wonder whether it could swipe at your train and bring it all tumbling down, take immediate action.
Ouch and arghh on both counts !
Never build a craftsman kit naked at the kitchen table during a tupperware party.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
Xactos are probably the most dangerous of all things on the workbench.
Never have more than one open container of something. You will spill that chemical or paint. If you have more than one of something, something open... there probably will be a problem.
Spouses, Family and other important people will walk in the workshop the moment you are placing the kingpin part that holds the entire model together and represents the critical step to the entire bloody assembly process that which you have endured.
Usually said part is being installed under powerful magnification and total concentration.
Hello! Are you listening? Hello! Im talking to you! Hey!.... lol.
SpaceMouse wrote:Never build a craftsman kit naked at the kitchen table during a tupperware party.
Ouch...painful....
If your layout is portable, make sure that everything is mounted down before you turn it 90 degrees or you'll have a new waterfall scenery
Bob Berger, C.O.O. N-ovation & Northwestern R.R. My patio layout....SEE IT HERE
There's no place like ~/ ;)
Brakies no-nos.
Hmm very few but here's some.
Never ever place your coffee cup next to a cup of mixed glue or paint.
Never work at your work bench in bare feet.
Never assume the law of gravity applies to small parts and screws.
Never assume that the lid on a jar of paint is tight before shaking it.
Never assume a mouse hasn't taken up residency in your longest tunnel while you was away on vacation...
Larry
Conductor.
Summerset Ry.
"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt Safety First!"
As a recently relearning tracklayer:
Never, ever, place one rail *above* the rail joiner and then glue down the track. If you do, make sure that it's the sliding rail on a piece of flextrack and that you haven't attached anything to the other end. Most certainly never, ever, do this with a couple of Atlas code 55 switches...because it's no fun to cut away enough ties to be able to slide the joiner out of the way and then back into the right place.
Gah, that's what you get for not working with better light and an eye-level position. Lesson learned, though, and all is repaired and running ok.M
SpaceMouse wrote: Never build a craftsman kit naked at the kitchen table during a tupperware party.
Would this be a cry for help????? Something about these four words in one sentence.....craftsman,naked,kitchen,tupperware.......that just screams HELP ME!!!
secondhandmodeler wrote: Move closer to the toilet. It's shorter than you think! (totally not train related, yet important)
What's too short? Let's not get personal.
Ray
Never tell the wife you only need a couple bucks to pick something up at the LHS, thats all she'll allot you!
Never put the xacto knife in your hobby drawer without the cap on ( I swore I put it on )
Never use your fingers as a clamp when using super glue
Empire under construction !
The early bird catches the worm.
But, the second mouse gets the cheese!
When you are playing with your trains and wife calls (doesn't matter how urgently), don't say, "In a minute."
Adding, "...Dear," won't improve things for you.
Building anything trains related at the kitchen/dining room table....period.
Reneging on your agreement to store all the Christmas stuff in those huge tubs under your layout.
Backing shirtless into the hot GA10 mini-halogens after leaning over the higher parts of the layout using a stool.
Thinking it's okay to resume an erect posture after clearing the duck-under.
selector wrote: Backing shirtless into the hot GA10 mini-halogens after leaning over the higher parts of the layout using a stool.
Selectors topless OPs! That's a visual I don't think I want to see.
Heeeeyyyy!!! I'll have you know I can suck it back like the rest of you! Tiring, but I can do it.
One thing I have learned, though...get my back waxed once a month. Otherwise, the smell....whew!
rayw46 wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote: Move closer to the toilet. It's shorter than you think! (totally not train related, yet important)What's too short? Let's not get personal.Ray
Folks:
Do not use food products such as coffee grounds, dry spaghetti, and papier-mache made with homemade flour-water paste, or your scenery will become a sort of microscale garden railroad...
Do not think that you can paint rolling stock with latex house paint...
Do not collect ten switches and nine machines, and then install the loose cannon at the point where a branch will eventually leave the open-grid roadbed, and then neglect to install any sort of bumper or cover the open tabletop with any scenery, and then decide you're going to run trains...
Do not assume that your Tyco Plymouth is on dead track, just because it isn't moving, even though the plastic wheel centers make very nice smoke effects...
Do not buy anything with "Arbour" on the box...
On that note, do not assume that "solderable" = "solderable and unmeltable using that monstrous iron you got at a farm sale"...
Do not tell any relatives or friends you are into trains, unless you have a lot of room for the inevitable horrors of alarm clocks and desktop gewgaws that will appear on various occasions...
Do not waste time reading pointless online lists when you should be building Jack Work pine trees. Slacker!
Remember that all hobby-knife blades have a sharp side and a dull side. And be damn sure you know which side you are grabbing when you go to pick it up!
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Autobus Prime wrote: Folks:Do not use food products such as coffee grounds, dry spaghetti, and papier-mache made with homemade flour-water paste, or your scenery will become a sort of microscale garden railroad...Do not think that you can paint rolling stock with latex house paint...Do not collect ten switches and nine machines, and then install the loose cannon at the point where a branch will eventually leave the open-grid roadbed, and then neglect to install any sort of bumper or cover the open tabletop with any scenery, and then decide you're going to run trains...Do not assume that your Tyco Plymouth is on dead track, just because it isn't moving, even though the plastic wheel centers make very nice smoke effects...Do not buy anything with "Arbour" on the box...On that note, do not assume that "solderable" = "solderable and unmeltable using that monstrous iron you got at a farm sale"...Do not tell any relatives or friends you are into trains, unless you have a lot of room for the inevitable horrors of alarm clocks and desktop gewgaws that will appear on various occasions...Do not waste time reading pointless online lists when you should be building Jack Work pine trees. Slacker!
for a moment I thought you were refering to this thread...
Monstrous Iron at the sale....
That put a smile on my face in a other wise grim morning.
THANK you!!!!
Ive been known to increase availible heat with a bigger and more power consuming transfer instrument until the dam part got either melted or soldered. I learned about heat sinks and flux in those days.
Im listed a little weller 40 watter at the store to pick up this year and frankly am apprehensive about it's soldering ability =) however some saturday morning classes soldering with it helped ease those fears.
DO NOT ALLOW the solder to run off and drop onto sensitive areas of the body. It will somehow find the one spot that will land you in the burn ward hollaring for relief while roasted ward patients quietly endure grafts.
Your coffee mug does not go on the workbench.
That coffee mug does not go onto the stand that holds your DCC command station and power supply.
That coffee mug needs to be empty and free of heat upon entering the train room.
The fire extinguisher on the doorway shall not be allowed to display zero pressure.
Interesting posts in this thread. Plenty of humor too.
I did not see any super glue war stories. (I'd type faster, but my thumb is connected to my fore finger at the moment.)
Also, I suggest protection of trains on tracks close to edge of a layout. Always have a barrier to keep derailed trains from falling on the floor.
GARRY
HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU
concretelackey wrote: SpaceMouse wrote: Never build a craftsman kit naked at the kitchen table during a tupperware party. Would this be a cry for help????? Something about these four words in one sentence.....craftsman,naked,kitchen,tupperware.......that just screams HELP ME!!!
If you are looking for help on the layout, count me out.
Until proven we will assume you operate like that too, so no ops with us.
John
Conrail5 wrote: Never tell the wife you only need a couple bucks to pick something up at the LHS, thats all she'll allot you!
Shoot, that just gives her that free feeling of shoping with no limits.
Don't use the coffee grinder to make those bits of real coal smaller unless you like the taste of coal even after washing out, and that for several batches. That said, it's a great way to way to show your ferroequinologist friends you don't cut corners as you live the hobby.
p.
-|----|- Peter D. Verheyen-|----|- verheyen@philobiblon.com -|----|- http://www.philobiblon.com/eisenbahn -|----|- http://papphausen.blogspot.com/-|----|- http://www.youtube.com/user/papphausen2
Falls Valley RR wrote: The fire extinguisher on the doorway shall not be allowed to display zero pressure.
I sincerely hope that's not a lesson learned the hard way....
GARRYHEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR
Conrail5 wrote: Never tell the wife you only need a couple bucks to pick something up at the LHS, thats all she'll allot you!Never put the xacto knife in your hobby drawer without the cap on ( I swore I put it on ) Never use your fingers as a clamp when using super glue
73
Bruce in the Peg
stebbycentral wrote: Falls Valley RR wrote: The fire extinguisher on the doorway shall not be allowed to display zero pressure.I sincerely hope that's not a lesson learned the hard way....
That is why we have had two on hand. Ive fought many a fire on the road and discovered that one or two out of the total group of extinguishers made availible will be zero.
Don't scratch your head while holding a hot glue gun in your hand...
Mike Tennent
Autobus,
You're really dating yourself. Most of the people on this forum have no idea who Jack Work was, although many have a plastic copy of his coal mine.
Another long time reader of MR
Bob Hayes
CofGaMike wrote:Don't scratch your head while holding a hot glue gun in your hand... Mike Tennent
Or a soldering iron..... (not from expiriance, don't worry!)
Autobus Prime wrote:Do not think that you can paint rolling stock with latex house paint...
You can weather them though, with thinned latex paint.
EDIT: Spacemouse, I hope for your guests sake that this isn't from expiriance....
concretelackey wrote: Autobus Prime wrote: Folks:Do not use food products such as coffee grounds, dry spaghetti, and papier-mache made with homemade flour-water paste, or your scenery will become a sort of microscale garden railroad...Do not think that you can paint rolling stock with latex house paint...Do not collect ten switches and nine machines, and then install the loose cannon at the point where a branch will eventually leave the open-grid roadbed, and then neglect to install any sort of bumper or cover the open tabletop with any scenery, and then decide you're going to run trains...Do not assume that your Tyco Plymouth is on dead track, just because it isn't moving, even though the plastic wheel centers make very nice smoke effects...Do not buy anything with "Arbour" on the box...On that note, do not assume that "solderable" = "solderable and unmeltable using that monstrous iron you got at a farm sale"...Do not tell any relatives or friends you are into trains, unless you have a lot of room for the inevitable horrors of alarm clocks and desktop gewgaws that will appear on various occasions...Do not waste time reading pointless online lists when you should be building Jack Work pine trees. Slacker!for a moment I thought you were refering to this thread...
So did I...
Never follow wiring instructions exatly. There will be something go wrong!
daveR1193 wrote: Never follow wiring instructions exatly. There will be something go wrong!
Some instructions need to be tossed and a method INVENTED that will work.
For example the walthers tannery kit says cheerfully to install the window to the pane and then to the building.
Actual procedure.
Dremel tool, grind out the molding tabs that prevent the windows from fitting to the building etc.
Whisker 148's will be your future. Try one.
No more springs.
Another no no is shag carpeting.
You can solve this problem by electrifing the powerlines. 220vac ought to do it.
wyomingrailfan wrote:never leave your bedroom open , and then your HUGE cat chews off the tops of the powerline(it happened)
If there are no dogs in heaven,then I want to go where they go.
Don't use the track on the layout as a site for checking coupler height. Something about Kadee coupler height gauges left on the track and power supplies; they just don't play well together.
Attaching more than one wire before testing means you'll spend hours figuring out which one you goofed up.
No short circuit is resolved in less than 3 hours of searching for the source.
Don't run trains after laying track without passing a magnet over the track first. Spikes and other bits do nasty things to speakers, gears, and bearings.
Trying to build a craftsman kit when there is anybody else in the house awake is just tempting Murphy beyond his ability to stay away.
remembering model railroading is fun
Fred W
While working on plastic structure NEVER!! leave a bottle of liquid cement where you can knock it over.Been there,done that.I use a long shelf as a work surface so I can lay on the bed and work and the last time I spilled a bottle of liquid cement it hit the sheets.Darn near welded the sheet to the mattress.I'll never do that again.Bob
BRAKIE wrote:Never ever place your coffee cup next to a cup of mixed glue or paint.
And similarly, don't put the coffee cup (or drink glass) next to the cup of solvent you clean your brush out in (least of all, when in the midst of a painting session!)...
Never decide to nudge the spring in the Kadee coupler 'just a little more' (unless you'd like to play a guessing game called "Where the $%&* is that spring?") to fit it in (Simpler to get another coupler out of the package).
Never forget to make good notes of how much of each color paint you used to make the custom color you used in your RR's paint scheme. (You may need it for your next loco you will get...)
Never pre-order that special kit or loco and forget to write down when it's expected to come in (and do remember to set back the money for it - plus some $$, since there *will* be something else at the LHS that you like when it comes in).
Jim in Cape Girardeau
I use a glass topped workbench to resist those glue spills.
A wad of paper towels quickly clears the mess away and construction continues.
Even so I still tap that bottle a few times a day.
That last sentance did not come out the way it means so I will just leave it there for today.
Falls Valley RR wrote: I use a glass topped workbench to resist those glue spills.A wad of paper towels quickly clears the mess away and construction continues.Even so I still tap that bottle a few times a day.That last sentance did not come out the way it means so I will just leave it there for today.
FVRR:
An admiralable decision.
Heartland Division CBQ wrote: I did not see any super glue war stories. (I'd type faster, but my thumb is connected to my fore finger at the moment.)
I almost had one. Recently got contact lenses. The CA bottle and the eye drops bottle were the same size and shape. Got the CA bottle about 4" from my eye before I smelled it and stopped. I don't keep the eye drops on the work bench anymore.
loathar wrote: Heartland Division CBQ wrote: I did not see any super glue war stories. (I'd type faster, but my thumb is connected to my fore finger at the moment.) I almost had one. Recently got contact lenses. The CA bottle and the eye drops bottle were the same size and shape. Got the CA bottle about 4" from my eye before I smelled it and stopped. I don't keep the eye drops on the work bench anymore.
*runs away from computer screaming*
loathar wrote: secondhandmodeler wrote: Definitely, don't fruit the beer! (man law) Man law!Don't forget how bad it felt last time you sliced your hand open with that razor knife before you use it again...
My middle finger is still sore from Saturday night at the workbench. New #11 Xcto blade across the top of the finger. Grabbed a shop rag and wrapped it around the finger until bleeding stopped.
So, we have established a few rules looks like:
Don't mix food, drink, medicines (e.g. contact lens fluid) with the hobby workbench. I never do this...Make one or more of those 'open-paint/glue bottle holder' (these are scraps of thick wood, with a cylindrical core drilled out - place open bottle inside, helps prevent knock-over when the bottle is hit (I have only 2 - I really should make more, different sizes, and attach to the workbench w/ velcro strips to really guarantee no splash over). Also, separate any thing which you DON'T wanted painted or extra glue on from the open bottle as far as possible. I do this consistently...Place a 'gutter' at the working edge of your workbench - this way dropped knifes, files, big parts (for springs and fiddly bits see later) fall in this gutter (which I use, BTW, a real piece of plastic roof gutter, cut down to the length of the workbench and secured to it's edge). I have found this beats the 'parts bid' from MicroMark, which one end secures to the workbench edge and the other ties around your neck. I placed styrene plastic at each end of the gutter (and used Gorilla glue to secure that) - make sure your legs/lap clear the bottom of this gutter when securing it to the workbench (I ended up cutting a bit off the front of the gutter sides).Create a portable test track, using a few pieces of flextrack on a wide enough board (1x6?), use this to break-in and test your locos, and to adjust coupler height, truck tracking, etc. Run this on the floor, or on a wide enough table (if furniture, make sure there's plenty of felt or other soft fabric underneath the board to prevent scratches) to prevent engines and rolling stock from falling off a canyon.Fiddly bits - make a small work box, paint the interior white, maybe a half roof on top (half so light gets in), maybe 1-2 in strip in front - increase the chances when the small fiddly bits pop out of the special, locking, hi-grip tweezers (let alone the standard crappy tweezers I usually end up using) they will not be able to achieve escape velocity, but will be locatable in the box after their energy is expended (note - this increase the chances of finding the parts, but as always there's no guarantee.
And after all those freaking tips, I still managed to skewer my foot (barefoot, of course), with a errant needle file a few weeks back...
1. Don't think you've ducked enough for the duck under, try to go through it and wonder how you ended up flat on your back with people laughing at you. (Yep. Me. last Saturday)
2. Be careful when trying to set up a G scale portable with your friend the owner. You never know when one of those huge rails will slip into your covienently located finger. Took 20 minutes to stop the bleeding.
3. Don't set your Dr. Pepper can on the track, turn it on and spend 3 hours looking for your short.
4. The probability of the part flying off to wherever it is that little parts fly off to is inversely proportional to the critical nature of the part.
5. Make sure the Xacto knife handle looks different than the screwdriver handle.OR be careful which end of the screwdriver (or handle that looks like screwdriver) you grab.
6. Try to decal with the hiccups.
Artur wrote:Don't let the cat walk on your unfinished layout, ever. Even if he is gingerly and innocently investigating and smelling everything especially the powered track with his wet nose, now thats not a problem the problem is him rampaging from one end of the layout to the other after getting a shock of his life.
I once solved the problem of the cat on the layout. I made numerous trees by spreading Woodland Scenics foilage over very sharp thorned bush branches. I installed them at various strategic locations. They looked like real trees, and soon the cats stayed away from the layout.
Nothing is worse than a cat who thinks ballast is cat litter.
Scenario one:
1. Don't leave turntable pit holes cut in the top of your upper deck with track leading to them and no bottom in the pit. Especially dont park locos on this track.
2. Don't leave a wireless throttle assigned to this loco in a spot where the loco is not visible to the person picking up the throttle
3. Don't pick up a wireless throttle and turn the throttle knob expecting the loco in front of you to move without confirming the address of the throttle.
4. Don't assume the crash you just heard is a 2 x 4 falling off of the workbench.
Scenario 2:
1. Never assume that your helix trackwork is so good that you can back your new loco and the ten car train down it without watching....The helix trackwork was fine, one of the car trucks was not.....
Scenario 3:
1. Never drill bare wire feeder holes at angles underneath the track where they might intersect...
Scenario 4:
Never put a second coat of concrete sealer on the layout room floor unless the directions specifically call for it...
Always check the plans for your scratchbuilt turntable bridge for the correct loco width before building said bridge.....
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
Make sure that stripped screw boss in your loco chassis isn't open at the bottom before you pour CA in to re-form the threads and wonder where it's all going.
Don't ever, under any circumstances, convince yourself that you can straighten that warped plastic pilot beam on your brand new Pacific by heating it with a lighter, unless you want to see the cowcatcher shrivel into a molten blob.
Never spray out a motor with contact cleaner next to your gas stove. Vapor trail + pilot light = flash fire and flaming towel, motor, and hands, and a crash course in fire dancing.
Nelson
Ex-Southern 385 Being Hoisted
If you MUST build that laser-cut craftsman Caboose kit at the kitchen table, do NOT get up to answer the phone, especially if you happen to own an 18-pound Maine Coon cat.
Tom
Tom View my layout photos! http://s299.photobucket.com/albums/mm310/TWhite-014/Rio%20Grande%20Yuba%20River%20Sub One can NEVER have too many Articulateds!
twhite wrote: If you MUST build that laser-cut craftsman Caboose kit at the kitchen table, do NOT get up to answer the phone, especially if you happen to own an 18-pound Maine Coon cat. Tom
And especially with a 35 pound Maine Coon cat! You'd be amazed how quickly he can abscond with something and make it through the cat-door.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
Medina1128 wrote: twhite wrote: And especially with a 35 pound Maine Coon cat! You'd be amazed how quickly he can abscond with something and make it through the cat-door.
twhite wrote:
Whoa! THIRTY FIVE? I must have gotten the 'runt' of the litter, LOL!
My dog and I are really enjoying the way cat stories keep showing up in this thread.
My own no-no is this: Never watch the game, movie, etc. on your shop TV while running the table saw (band saw, scroll saw, etc.). I caught myself doing this so I relocated the TV out of sight of the "heavy equipment" in the interest of keeping my digits.
Here's to counting to ten on your fingers.
-Phil
Phil, I'm not a rocket scientist; they are my students.
SteamFreak wrote: Never spray out a motor with contact cleaner next to your gas stove. Vapor trail + pilot light = flash fire and flaming towel, motor, and hands, and a crash course in fire dancing.
So...Do you do the Safety Dance instead now?
Modeling the N&W freelanced at the height of their steam era in HO.
Daniel G.
Kudos to whomever started this post: it's funny!
Here's another one-
Don't have your powerpack/throttle on full speed with a loco on the track then plug said powerpack in just to see your loco go full speed into a bunch of cars and projects so you have to do the projects again...
Do not use a motor tool without safety glasses on.
Thankfully I don't know of this problem the hard way.
Buy belt sanders with dead man switches only,that way it won't sand all your scenery flat,in its rush to the end of the cord.
When you are vacuuming up your work area after a ballasting session, do not, under any circumstances, succumb to the temptation to see if you can use the suction of the vacuum cleaner to move those detailed and weathered freight cars along the track.
reklein wrote:Buy belt sanders with dead man switches only,that way it won't sand all your scenery flat, in its rush to the end of the cord.
Is that a good method for turning code 100 rail into 70?
Don't invite a bunch of crazy friends over for a party and leave black N scale ballast sitting out in a bowl with a spoon in it.
They think it's some kind of special pepper.
Cleaned their teeth pretty well, OTOH!
Don't wonder just how hot the hot glue is, and don't get mad and throw it across the room when you discover the answer.
Don't use 2 pair of channel locks to grip and open that Floquil Safety Yellow that you bought back in the late '70's. Amazing how well that paint covers things when applied in spewing blobs.
And don't store all of your N Scale engines and rolling stock on top of the refrigerator in the workshop, turn the heat on very high, as in salamander high, and forget that it's supposed to get up in the high 60's in an "unseasonable warming trend".
Oh no, don't do that.
They all bend up on the ends.
Speaking of teeth, don't apply CA glue to a part and then hold it in your teeth while you find the other pieces of the assembly. I assure you, CA sticks to tooth enamel, very well!
And yet, if you break your false teeth the morning of starting your vacation, super glue will do you absolutely no good at all! Even if you glue them over and over and....well, you get the idea.
And the wife's hysterical laughter does nothing for helping the exact alighnment needed to not fix them right!
Just the memory still leaves a bad taste in my mouth!
This is a great thread, here's mine
Never clean the tip of the CA bottle with an Xacto knife.
5 stiches later and a newly shaped finger!
Never use Gorilla Glue on anything model railroad related. (I'm still trying to chisel off those big foaming blobs of rock hard glue between the flatcar floor and the load.)
Never lay across the rails reaching for something on the other side of the layout when you're hot ,sweaty, and shirtless. (I guarantee you'll beam brightly like an SP SD9 running mars lights.)
Never grab hold of a hot glue gun by the wrong end. (Ever smell burning flesh? Indeed it's not a pleasant smell after you are able to gather your other 4 senses from the excrusiating pain.)
Never try and hold tiny parts in one hand and drill a hole in them with a 3/8" electric drill with the other. (I still have a scar where the bit went through my finger.)
And finally, Never give up on the hobby. (Eventually you'll get it right if enough time and money is spent on model railroading.).... chuck
For heavens' sake, Chuck, be careful. This hobby is not supposed to be painful.
I've got to be serious for a second. A lot of you tell about x-acto knife injuries; I urge you to consider the number 16 blade instead of the number 11.
Click here to see the number 16: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=50279
It has a shorter sharp edge so your mistakes may require a band-aid instead of stitches. I use both 11s and 16s and I find that the #16 stays sharp longer because the tip is less fragile and I cut myself less frequently and less seriously.
OK, back to the fun!
Happy model railroading,
Phil
Would Athearn Blue Box be okay?
Never drill any hole up through a baseboard without having drilled a pilot hole down first... thus establishing that the upward hole will emerge clear of things you do not want holes in. (Boring but practical).
at your first attendance of a large model railroads operating session with 13 other regular operators, try not to scream over the radio to the dispatcher (when everyone else can hear you)....."DISPATCH THIS IS FPWX I JUST WENT THROUGH A SIGNAL THAT WAS GREEN AND IT JUST TURNED RED AFTER MY ENGINE WENT THROUGH IT....IM STOPPING AND BACKING UP"....everyone found that quite humerous...i was embarrassed to say the least!!! but i now know how block signals work!!!!
Joe
Modeling:
Providence & Worcester Railroad
"East Providence Secondary"
HO scale
Never let your not-even 1 year od puppy investigate the Lionel Warbonnet and it's track. A yellow stain on the floor and a derailed excpress train.
OK, I'll fess up....
When I was about 9 or so I bought a model kit of a Huey helocopter. Being the "mature" modeler I was I decided to paint everything before assembly. So I set up 3 or 4 of those little tables you use to eat while watching tv, covered them with newspaper and went to town with 3 or 4 shades of green (i was looking for the full camo look). I just finished the last tray full and stood up a bit to quickly, bump one of the trays...............ever see the movie scene where the library bookcases fall like dominoes????? Trade the bookcases for 3 or 4 trays with about 80 plastic parts LOADED with wet paint scattered to the 4 points of the compass.........in the living room...........on the carpet which just celebrated its 2 month birthday................and the carpet WAS NOT remotely green beforehand.
I vaguely recall my dad saying something like ........."we leave you alone for an hour........."
I DISTINCTLY recall running for my life....
The good news is that most of the sharp contrast lines between the different shades of green ended up getting blended pretty well........
"There's got ... to ... be ... one ... more ... joke ... in there. ...!"
ALways put away your parts sprues, the unconsumed ones that is. Back into the box they go. Why?
That bottle of glue or paint you just kicked over with the elbow will go straight to that pile on the side then to something else that has any significance to you or spouse.
once i super glued my hands together. the result......
it was our maine coon that brought the power lines down, so the town switched to undergroud.
a cat knocked over micro set(decal stuff), ruining a good engine.
never leave a dremel tool on that fan being ground off, or else you will have a new exhaust stack (ex-Sou unit being turned into slug, it had that fate because it refused to run, so I rearanged it, by.... ripping the motor and ALL the gears out.
I am going to turn it soon from this....OO_____OO... to this....0-=0..::>xc]]^///(junk)
so far I've scrapped two engines, one an F7 and a BN GP38. Soon the slug will suffer the same fate.
Never try to quick dry the paint on your new AC4400 by puting it in front of a ceramic heater and forgeting about it.
Jerry SP FOREVER http://photobucket.com/albums/f317/GAPPLEG/
cwclark wrote: Never use Gorilla Glue on anything model railroad related. (I'm still trying to chisel off those big foaming blobs of rock hard glue between the flatcar floor and the load.) chuck
chuck
Uh Oh
*runs to layout room..................
Never ask anyone to plug in your soldering iron while trying to fix a extension cord on the table in front of you. While unnerving it can be shocking.
Johnnny_reb
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
My Train Page My Photobucket Page My YouTube Channel
shayfan84325 wrote:I've got to be serious for a second. A lot of you tell about x-acto knife injuries; I urge you to consider the number 16 blade instead of the number 11. Click here to see the number 16: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=50279It has a shorter sharp edge so your mistakes may require a band-aid instead of stitches. I use both 11s and 16s and I find that the #16 stays sharp longer because the tip is less fragile and I cut myself less frequently and less seriously
It has a shorter sharp edge so your mistakes may require a band-aid instead of stitches. I use both 11s and 16s and I find that the #16 stays sharp longer because the tip is less fragile and I cut myself less frequently and less seriously
That may be very true, but the answer to this is simple: Those blades are running at 15 for $7.45 (50cent a blade) while real Xacto #11 are running 25.77 for a 100pc bulk pack (26 cents a blade), but in reality there's knock-offs #11 (about as good) for a third or more less. And when either blade dulls about the same, the price trumps all...
2 Things 1. You use DCC I assume? and 2. What is your track voltage?
chutton01 wrote: shayfan84325 wrote:I've got to be serious for a second. A lot of you tell about x-acto knife injuries; I urge you to consider the number 16 blade instead of the number 11. Click here to see the number 16: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=50279It has a shorter sharp edge so your mistakes may require a band-aid instead of stitches. I use both 11s and 16s and I find that the #16 stays sharp longer because the tip is less fragile and I cut myself less frequently and less seriouslyThat may be very true, but the answer to this is simple: Those blades are running at 15 for $7.45 (50cent a blade) while real Xacto #11 are running 25.77 for a 100pc bulk pack (26 cents a blade), but in reality there's knock-offs #11 (about as good) for a third or more less. And when either blade dulls about the same, the price trumps all...
Everyone has their price. Once I cut my finger pretty bad, it's been 20 years and there's still a portion of it without any feeling - it's permanently numb. For what I'd pay to undo that injury, I could buy a lot of 50 cent blades. We all make choices, and live with the outcomes.
Never let your cat on a grass mat, if it's just drank water...
Never leave cords on the foor when you have two puppies.
Never look away when cutting stuff with a bandsaw. (got part of my fingernail cut off)
Leave the layout unattended, when my little brother's freinds are over. (I find holes in everything, and the occasional BB [yeah shoots them])
Never let your sister use your brushes. You won't be able to use them again.
Never buy anything that's company brand is under 2 words long, but longer than 6 letters
Don't use plastic glue when working on your foamboard. (more holes)
Never let anyone touch any of your proto 2000s, and always ask for pictuers before buying on E-bay. (my second SD9, i learned my lesson; but I fixed it)
Vincent
Wants: 1. high-quality, sound equipped, SD40-2s, C636s, C30-7s, and F-units in BN. As for ones that don't cost an arm and a leg, that's out of the question....
2. An end to the limited-production and other crap that makes models harder to get and more expensive.
When you find that the office chair you use while at the bench has developed cracks in the vynl arm rests, go ahead and use super glue to repair it, but DO NOT forget that it is there, and still wet.
Yes, Personal experience...........
RJ
"Something hidden, Go and find it. Go and look behind the ranges, Something lost behind the ranges. Lost and waiting for you. Go." The Explorers - Rudyard Kipling
http://sweetwater-photography.com/
I'm sure all of you went after all your accidents.
By the way, don't forget after you modified Marias Pass in Train Sim that the track over Glaceir River dead ends....which results in the entire train going ewwwwwwwwwwBOOM!
loathar wrote: Man law!Don't forget how bad it felt last time you sliced your hand open with that razor knife before you use it again...
You had to remind me of that didn't you? <shakes his finger with the 1" scar>
Don - Specializing in layout DC->DCC conversions
Modeling C&O transition era and steel industries There's Nothing Like Big Steam!
shayfan84325 wrote: chutton01 wrote: shayfan84325 wrote:I've got to be serious for a second. A lot of you tell about x-acto knife injuries; I urge you to consider the number 16 blade instead of the number 11. Click here to see the number 16: http://www.ares-server.com/Ares/Ares.asp?MerchantID=RET01229&Action=Catalog&Type=Product&ID=50279It has a shorter sharp edge so your mistakes may require a band-aid instead of stitches. I use both 11s and 16s and I find that the #16 stays sharp longer because the tip is less fragile and I cut myself less frequently and less seriouslyThat may be very true, but the answer to this is simple: Those blades are running at 15 for $7.45 (50cent a blade) while real Xacto #11 are running 25.77 for a 100pc bulk pack (26 cents a blade), but in reality there's knock-offs #11 (about as good) for a third or more less. And when either blade dulls about the same, the price trumps all...Everyone has their price. Once I cut my finger pretty bad, it's been 20 years and there's still a portion of it without any feeling - it's permanently numb. For what I'd pay to undo that injury, I could buy a lot of 50 cent blades. We all make choices, and live with the outcomes.-Phil
I agree with using #16's - I have used them for years without a problem. When I started out I used an 11 because it was in the handle of the Xacto set I bought. Fortunately, I didn't cut myself but I came close and switched to 16's. I find them much safer to use.
When carefully breaking the glass off of a 150 Watt light bulb in order to see the filament burn when turned on, DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES EVER RECONNECT THE FILLIMENT WITHOUT FIRST TURNING OFF THE LIGHT!!! :D
TA462 wrote:Never put a 3/4 full bottle of beer on a empty flat car in the middle of a train just to see if it will go around the layout before first checking if it will clear the width of all your girder bridges.
I can totally see that happening
Thought of this a few minutes ago after putting a coat of paint in our bathroom.
NEVER place your brushes, paint roller AND roller pan in the dish washer thinking it will be quicker/easier to clean after painting the train room.
Beleive me, I actually considered it...........MAN DO I HATE PAINTING!!!!!
I bet you were using Latex paint... right?I would also bet that you would disagree with the claims that Latex paint makes painting easier... right?Does painting makes you agitated and feel grumpy?Do you notice that people don't like to be around you while you are painting?
I used to hate to paint, and my dear sweet wife tried her best to help me paint the house once and invited some folk from church to help also. One came but they both stayed on the other side of the house from me the whole time. I couldn't figure out how come they seemed to like painting and why they stayed away from me.
Years later I learned I am allergic to Latex. I have since tried oil based paint and found that painting is not all that bad, and, more importantly, I am a nicer person to be around when painting!
Try "oil based" paint next time. See if it is "better" for "you".
Semper Vaporo
Pkgs.
YEP, its latex.
I just plain hate painting if it involves being neat. Give me a paint booth/room where it doesn't matter if paint hits the floor/walls and I'm happy.....happier......not as sad about painting......yep that sounds good.
DON'T try on a freshly knitted scarf that your fiance' made for you at the workbench & swing it around your neck & knocking your coil car project on the floor. Put a crack in one of the stirrups-could've been worse!
Don't forget the boxcar from that derailment from six months ago. Found it between two bridges. One time I found an entire train(however short) in a tunnel.
Never run a 50-car chem train backwards on a slope and a curve...on a fill...and in winter.
The result?(this was in MSTS) BNSF is disputed and me saying how did it.......?!?!
Red Horse wrote:A Jack Russell Terrorist can swallow an N scale bench but can't swallow an HO...."Never leave N scale park benches out around the dog".
wife- "Honey, what in the world are you doing???'
you- "Just waiting the dog to give my park bench back....."
Mans best friend is not always the layouts best friend. Large drooling dogs are bad. X-large drooling dogs are worse (english mastiff, x 2)
Test the helix module you just made by setting a couple boxcars up top and "letting them rip" without having track connected at the bottom
see if the soldering pen is hot by holding it "near " your lip. It is, and your depth perception will be off, just a little
try to unspool more solder with the same lips in the middle of soldering
think it's ok that the steam loco has smoke coming out, even tho you never put fluid in it,ever.
use chlorinated parts cleaner on the rivirossi motor in the tender (or anywhere else)
when you DO catch the soldering pen, you still lose
Use too much CA when trying to assemble a DPM kit too fast. You will bond fingers from both hands to opposite corners
CA is strong. When you rip your fingers off a freight bldg, resist the urge to immediately put your fingers together
framing hammers are not for track nails
When you are dealing with little parts that don't fit together well and are really getting you worked up, keep on trying harder and use bigger tools
NEVER EVER let your mother know you are remotely interested in model RR. She will quickly go shopping at Odd Lots and get every .99 item she can get. She will then make you drive 250 miles round trip to get items and want pictures of it on the layout, even the G.I. Joe
tinman1 wrote:NEVER EVER let your mother know you are remotely interested in model RR. She will quickly go shopping at Odd Lots and get every .99 item she can get. She will then make you drive 250 miles round trip to get items and want pictures of it on the layout, even the G.I. Joe