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Hobby no-nos

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 5, 2008 2:44 PM

Don't scratch your head while holding a hot glue gun in your hand... Whistling [:-^]

Mike Tennent

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Posted by concretelackey on Saturday, January 5, 2008 2:32 PM
Never try to model the rocket launching flatcars............indoors
Ken aka "CL" "TIS QUITE EASY TO SCREW CONCRETE UP BUT TIS DARN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO UNSCREW IT"
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Posted by Mr. SP on Saturday, January 5, 2008 1:57 PM
Never operate equipment that is substandard in weight or hasn't had the wheels checked for gauge. Derailments galore!!!
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 5, 2008 1:36 PM
 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.

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Posted by Blind Bruce on Saturday, January 5, 2008 12:09 PM
Don't use a hand or power saw on foam without a vacuum nearby.

73

Bruce in the Peg

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Posted by jesrr on Saturday, January 5, 2008 12:04 PM
 Never try to biuld a craftsman kit when your only experience is with built ups.  Banged Head [banghead]
john
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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Saturday, January 5, 2008 12:01 PM
That's what I get for skimming over the thread, Conrail!  Now, I'm stuck.

GARRY

HEARTLAND DIVISION, CB&Q RR

EVERYWHERE LOST; WE HUSTLE OUR CABOOSE FOR YOU

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Posted by Conrail5 on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:59 AM

 GARRY
HEARTLAND 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 

 

Empire under construction !

The early bird catches the worm.

But, the second mouse gets the cheese!

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Posted by stebbycentral on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:56 AM
 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....

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!

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Posted by verheyen on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:49 AM

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.

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Posted by spidge on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:46 AM
 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.

John

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Posted by spidge on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:42 AM
 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!!!Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

If you are looking for help on the layout, count me out.Shock [:O]

Until proven we will assume you operate like that too, so no ops with us.Captain [4:-)]

John

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Posted by Heartland Division CB&Q on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:38 AM

Interesting posts in this thread. Plenty of humor too. Smile [:)]

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

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 5, 2008 11:26 AM

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.

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Posted by concretelackey on Saturday, January 5, 2008 10:59 AM
 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...Big Smile [:D]

Ken aka "CL" "TIS QUITE EASY TO SCREW CONCRETE UP BUT TIS DARN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO UNSCREW IT"
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Posted by stebbycentral on Saturday, January 5, 2008 10:21 AM

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!

Dunce [D)]

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!

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    May 2005
  • From: The mystic shores of Lake Eerie
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Posted by Autobus Prime on Saturday, January 5, 2008 10:06 AM

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!

 Currently president of: a slowly upgrading trainset fleet o'doom.
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Posted by secondhandmodeler on Saturday, January 5, 2008 10:01 AM
 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

Why, the toilet of course.Whistling [:-^]
Corey
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    February 2005
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Posted by selector on Saturday, January 5, 2008 10:00 AM

Heeeeyyyy!!!  Angry [:(!]  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!

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Posted by loathar on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:52 AM
 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.Tongue [:P]

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Posted by selector on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:46 AM

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.

  • Member since
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  • From: Mont. County PA
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Posted by Conrail5 on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:41 AM

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!

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Lewiston ID
  • 1,710 posts
Posted by reklein on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:39 AM
Speaking of Murphy,why does the phone always ring just after you've mixed a batch of 5 min.epoxy? Or just wetted a brush with some quick drying paint.
In Lewiston Idaho,where they filmed Breakheart pass.
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    February 2003
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Posted by rayw46 on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:33 AM
 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

Shoot for the stars; so you miss, you are only lost in space.
  • Member since
    November 2007
  • From: south central PA
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Posted by concretelackey on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:27 AM
 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!!!Smile,Wink, & Grin [swg]

Ken aka "CL" "TIS QUITE EASY TO SCREW CONCRETE UP BUT TIS DARN NEAR IMPOSSIBLE TO UNSCREW IT"
  • Member since
    October 2007
  • From: Vancouver
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Posted by mearrin69 on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:15 AM

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

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    February 2005
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Posted by pcarrell on Saturday, January 5, 2008 9:11 AM
NEVER let that Murphy guy, the one who makes the laws, anywhere near your layout!
Philip
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    October 2001
  • From: OH
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Posted by BRAKIE on Saturday, January 5, 2008 8:44 AM

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.Shock [:O]Dead [xx(]Whistling [:-^]

Never work at your work bench in bare feet.Sign - Oops [#oops]

Never assume the law of gravity applies to small parts and screws.Confused [%-)]

Never assume that the lid on a jar of paint is tight before shaking it.Sign - Oops [#oops]

Never assume a mouse hasn't taken up residency in your longest tunnel while you was away on vacation...Banged Head [banghead]

Larry

Conductor.

Summerset Ry.


"Stay Alert, Don't get hurt  Safety First!"

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Posted by luvadj on Saturday, January 5, 2008 8:23 AM
 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 Sigh [sigh]

Bob Berger, C.O.O. N-ovation & Northwestern R.R.        My patio layout....SEE IT HERE

There's no place like ~/ ;)

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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, January 5, 2008 8:08 AM

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.

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