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Modelers' Forum & Symposium

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Posted by OzarkBelt on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 8:13 AM

Here's another favorite:

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot Visit my blog! http://becomingawarriorpoet.blogspot.com

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Posted by Blue Flamer on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 9:05 AM
 loathar wrote:

 PASMITH wrote:





Peter Smith, Memphis

I wouldn't have the nerve to begin to critique THAT!!Thumbs Up [tup]Thumbs Up [tup]

loathar.

What could you critique? I am not in the same league as 98% of you learned Gentlemen. When it comes to art like that, I am not even on the same planet. In my humble opinion, the Renaisance Art Masters would be in awe over detail like that.

Bow [bow]Bow [bow]Bow [bow]

Blue Flamer. 

"There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"." Dave Barry, Syndicated Columnist. "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." Doctor Who.
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Posted by jktrains on Thursday, March 20, 2008 8:39 PM
 OzarkBelt wrote:

Here's another favorite:

OzarkBelt, a few comments.

There is more to weathering than taking some brown paint and a paint brush and slopping some on here and there.  Go online and find some prototype pictures of the piece of equipment you're working on and use them to guide what you do.  The pic doesn't have to be the exact loco or car your working on, but the closer it is the better.

You're missing the headlight lens on the loco.  The model should have come with one, if its lost use a MV lens as a replacement.

Scenery wise, fall foliage is probably one of the toughest things to pull off correctly.  IMO snow is the other.  Again, there's more to doing fall foliage than taking some red, or yellow or orange, WS clump foliage and gluing it onto a tree armature.  While it is now Spring, think back to Fall.  Most trees don't turn single color throughout the whole tree.  Instead they're a mix of colors - part green, part yellow, part red etc.  Consider mixing the colors or even try airbrushing some of the color on so that you avoid that monotone look.  Another excellent product to try are the Noch leaves.  They come in many different shades and look excellent.

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Posted by OzarkBelt on Friday, March 21, 2008 7:04 AM
 jktrains wrote:
 OzarkBelt wrote:

Here's another favorite:

OzarkBelt, a few comments.

There is more to weathering than taking some brown paint and a paint brush and slopping some on here and there.  Go online and find some prototype pictures of the piece of equipment you're working on and use them to guide what you do.  The pic doesn't have to be the exact loco or car your working on, but the closer it is the better.

You're missing the headlight lens on the loco.  The model should have come with one, if its lost use a MV lens as a replacement.

Scenery wise, fall foliage is probably one of the toughest things to pull off correctly.  IMO snow is the other.  Again, there's more to doing fall foliage than taking some red, or yellow or orange, WS clump foliage and gluing it onto a tree armature.  While it is now Spring, think back to Fall.  Most trees don't turn single color throughout the whole tree.  Instead they're a mix of colors - part green, part yellow, part red etc.  Consider mixing the colors or even try airbrushing some of the color on so that you avoid that monotone look.  Another excellent product to try are the Noch leaves.  They come in many different shades and look excellent.

Man, got more work to do! Tongue [:P] The loco did NOT come w/ a lense (I did buy it new), I'll see if i got one in the scrap box!

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot Visit my blog! http://becomingawarriorpoet.blogspot.com

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Posted by Driline on Friday, March 21, 2008 11:11 PM
 OzarkBelt wrote:
 jktrains wrote:
 OzarkBelt wrote:

Here's another favorite:

OzarkBelt, a few comments.

There is more to weathering than taking some brown paint and a paint brush and slopping some on here and there.  Go online and find some prototype pictures of the piece of equipment you're working on and use them to guide what you do.  The pic doesn't have to be the exact loco or car your working on, but the closer it is the better.

You're missing the headlight lens on the loco.  The model should have come with one, if its lost use a MV lens as a replacement.

Scenery wise, fall foliage is probably one of the toughest things to pull off correctly.  IMO snow is the other.  Again, there's more to doing fall foliage than taking some red, or yellow or orange, WS clump foliage and gluing it onto a tree armature.  While it is now Spring, think back to Fall.  Most trees don't turn single color throughout the whole tree.  Instead they're a mix of colors - part green, part yellow, part red etc.  Consider mixing the colors or even try airbrushing some of the color on so that you avoid that monotone look.  Another excellent product to try are the Noch leaves.  They come in many different shades and look excellent.

Man, got more work to do! Tongue [:P] The loco did NOT come w/ a lense (I did buy it new), I'll see if i got one in the scrap box!

ON a positive note, I'd say you got the "mudd" color just right! It looks to me like a bunch of teenagers grabbed some mud balls and whipped them pretty good at your passing train. Not that I'd ever done anything like that Cool [8D]

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, March 22, 2008 2:31 AM

My original photos were deleted because of a couple of curse words in the graffiti.   So I had to edit them a little bit in order to repost them so the precious kids of the world today do not see it.  Anyway you can beat these pictures if youd like.  I weathered these this week and also hand painted my graffiti on the cars yesterday.  They look pretty good to me but I may be wrong?  The graffiti on the boxcars on the bottom look a little bit better in the pics because they were dullcoted at that time.  After the pictures were taken I did the top cars too and that took the shine away

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Posted by Driline on Saturday, March 22, 2008 9:04 AM
 Coleman wrote:

My original photos were deleted because of a couple of curse words in the graffiti.   So I had to edit them a little bit in order to repost them so the precious kids of the world today do not see it.  Anyway you can beat these pictures if youd like.  I weathered these this week and also hand painted my graffiti on the cars yesterday.  They look pretty good to me but I may be wrong?  The graffiti on the boxcars on the bottom look a little bit better in the pics because they were dullcoted at that time.  After the pictures were taken I did the top cars too and that took the shine away

Coleman, did you know that Walthers sells graffiti decal sets? They look very cool like the real thing. I don't know if any of the pro's around here have used them like aggro or neutrino, but I thought you might like to know.

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by dehusman on Saturday, March 22, 2008 10:21 AM
 OzarkBelt wrote:

Here's another favorite:

The classic weather pattern for a carbody unit is the "bow wave".  Starting at the lead truck cutout in the skirt, there is a spray pattern that comes up 3 or 4 feet in a arc and then fades out down the side of the unit. 

Mask the windows when you weather.  They get cleaned even if the rest of the unit doesn't.  If you absolutely MUST muddy the windows mask a windshield wiper arc on the front windows.

After you finish weathering give a black wash to the grills

Try buying some weathering powders.  Unless you are modeling a unit that was  involved in a bridge collapse and the unit rolled down an embankment and into a muddy river and has just been pulled out, your washes are waaaaaaaay too heavy.  Maybe thinning them to half strength and mixing in alcohol will give you more control.  Vary the color too.  the color dirt you have used is typical of Oklahoma.  I like to use UP Harbor Mist grey . It is dark enought to show up on light units, light enough to show up on dark units and has a warm cast to it.  Another color is plain old black thinned way down.  A little goes a long way.  Vary the colors, don't use just one color all over the unit.  Mud/dust colors on the lower half blending to oil/soot colors on the top half.  Subtlety, subtlety.  If you think you need just one more wash, STOP, you probably have enough or a little past enough.

Dave H.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

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Posted by Driline on Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:36 PM

Ok, I've finished my first scratchbuilt "styrene" structure. It is by no means museum quality. It is only meant to depict the original and bring an aura of believability Wink [;)]

Here is the original picture of the Bettendorf Driline yard taken in 1995 by me.

Here is what I started with. About $25 in materials purchased from Walthers through my LHS. The walls are pikestuff, and the windows are tichy. The windows you see there are not the final ones I used. I scratchbuilt the addition and its windows as well.

And heres the final product.... The layout is NOT scenicked at all. I just threw some figures and barrels there to make it look presentable.

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by Guilford Guy on Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:40 PM

 

Alex

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Posted by Driline on Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:42 PM

 Guilford Guy wrote:

I like the graffitti. Is that a decal? I thought I saw in someother thread you said you purchased these?

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by Guilford Guy on Saturday, March 29, 2008 6:48 PM
 Driline wrote:

 Guilford Guy wrote:

I like the graffitti. Is that a decal? I thought I saw in someother thread you said you purchased these?

They are bar mills decals. Very nice, but break easily. Microscale makes some as well.

Alex

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Posted by SleeperN06 on Saturday, March 29, 2008 8:34 PM

Hi everyone, I've been looking for a thread like this and I posted a lot of stuff in all the wrong places. Now that I know the name is Forum & Symposium, I'll start posting here.

I'm am a little confused though, why wouldn't this be in the ‘Layouts and layout building' forum and does anybody read the ‘Layouts and layout building'?  I never see many people there. And finally, what is the difference between the ‘weekend photo fun' and this?

JohnnyB

Thanks, JohnnyB
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Posted by Driline on Saturday, March 29, 2008 8:57 PM
 SleeperN06 wrote:

Hi everyone, I've been looking for a thread like this and I posted a lot of stuff in all the wrong places. Now that I know the name is Forum & Symposium, I'll start posting here.

I'm am a little confused though, why wouldn't this be in the ‘Layouts and layout building' forum and does anybody read the ‘Layouts and layout building'?  I never see many people there. And finally, what is the difference between the ‘weekend photo fun' and this?

JohnnyB

This isn't in the layouts and layout building because it covers ALL aspects of train building, including engines, weathering, and model building.

This is different from weekend photo fun in that we allow others to critique our work to become better. We strive for quality, not quantity Wink [;)]. The other thread went down in flames too many times with hurt feelings and unsolicited critiques. We are  more a thick skinned bunch who can take a punch now and then and laugh at ourselves. So fire away......

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by SleeperN06 on Saturday, March 29, 2008 9:25 PM
 Driline wrote:
 SleeperN06 wrote:

Hi everyone, I've been looking for a thread like this and I posted a lot of stuff in all the wrong places. Now that I know the name is Forum & Symposium, I'll start posting here.

I'm am a little confused though, why wouldn't this be in the ‘Layouts and layout building' forum and does anybody read the ‘Layouts and layout building'?  I never see many people there. And finally, what is the difference between the ‘weekend photo fun' and this?

JohnnyB

This isn't in the layouts and layout building because it covers ALL aspects of train building, including engines, weathering, and model building.

This is different from weekend photo fun in that we allow others to critique our work to become better. We strive for quality, not quantity Wink [;)]. The other thread went down in flames too many times with hurt feelings and unsolicited critiques. We are  more a thick skinned bunch who can take a punch now and then and laugh at ourselves. So fire away......

Thanks, then I do believe this what I'm looking for. 

Thanks, JohnnyB
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Posted by jktrains on Sunday, March 30, 2008 5:19 AM

To add to the graffiti decal discussion.  Here's a car I've recently started working on.

It still needs to be weathered etc., but the graffiti is a homemade decal of graffiti taken from an actual car.

Here's a link to the actual car.

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=4409

Also, someone a little while ago posted a link to a website that allows you to create your own graffiti.  I've been playing around with it and plan on making some of my own graffiti decals using it.

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Posted by Driline on Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:07 AM
 jktrains wrote:

To add to the graffiti decal discussion.  Here's a car I've recently started working on.

It still needs to be weathered etc., but the graffiti is a homemade decal of graffiti taken from an actual car.

Here's a link to the actual car.

http://www.railcarphotos.com/PhotoDetails.php?PhotoID=4409

Also, someone a little while ago posted a link to a website that allows you to create your own graffiti.  I've been playing around with it and plan on making some of my own graffiti decals using it.

That is awesome!

I think just one car with graffiti on your layout really sparks conversation with visitors. Someday I'll have one too.

I see you changed your background to "black". Is that part of the "lights out for earth day" protest? Cool [8D]

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:19 AM
 Driline wrote:

This is different from weekend photo fun in that we allow others to critique our work to become better. 

Actually, I got bashed on WPF because of too many photos....Whistling [:-^]

Those graffitti decals look great guys! JK; that car's going to turn out awesome once you weather it!Thumbs Up [tup]

I don't know if I want to get bashed, but here goes....

I'm not sure if this is a photo bashing  place, or a work bashing place, so I guess this could be either.

Bash away! 

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Posted by jktrains on Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:39 AM
 TrainManTy wrote:
 Driline wrote:

This is different from weekend photo fun in that we allow others to critique our work to become better. 

Actually, I got bashed on WPF because of too many photos....Whistling [:-^]

Those graffitti decals look great guys! JK; that car's going to turn out awesome once you weather it!Thumbs Up [tup]

I don't know if I want to get bashed, but here goes....

I'm not sure if this is a photo bashing  place, or a work bashing place, so I guess this could be either.

[img]http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee261/TrainManTy/P1020646.jpg?t=1206893914

Bash away! 

Ty - Kinda takes the fun out of WPF huh.

Don't think of it as bashing, think of it as truth telling.  It stuff is good - people will tell you so; it its bad - people should be able to, and will, tell you so.  As think of it this way, if no one tells you when you do something wrong or poorly, you'll continue do it that same way (poorly), never improve, never try to improve.  I compare it to American Idol.  You see so many people in the auditions who sing so badly, but say how everybody has always told them how beautiful their voice.  When they finally hear the truth they're completely devastated because no one in the past has had the guts to be honest with them because they (family, friends, etc.) did want to hurt their feelings.  This thread is meant to help people improve their modeling, photography etc. by being a place where people can get some honest feedback and suggestions for help, not just a place where people can bash one another.

jktrains

P.S. - I'll bash the picture later! Wink [;)]

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2008 11:48 AM

Well, it was like 26 photos in a row or something...Whistling [:-^] It was a photo essay on chasing a train over the railroad, so that sort of explains it. 

I don't mind people telling the truth about my photos, I know that my work isn't perfect (or comparable to a lot of people on these forums...Sign - Dots [#dots]) but I think it would be useful about how to improve my work. 

Maybe I should put something in my sig saying something like "My work isn't perfect, and I'm on a limited budget. It's the best I can do." or something like that. Not that I've gotten bashed for my work, but it might help people understand better.My 2 cents [2c]

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Posted by Robby P. on Sunday, March 30, 2008 1:48 PM
I will say one thing about weathering, you can see a improvement over time.  The first few cars will look kinda bad but they will improve.  Plus when you get people giving tips it helps.  Its a more trial and error.  What works, stay with it, but then still try something new.  Might work out.  I think your gon looks good.  There are several I have seen that are over done.  Remeber, less is more.

 "Rust, whats not to love?"      

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Posted by Driline on Sunday, March 30, 2008 1:53 PM
 TrainManTy wrote:

Well, it was like 26 photos in a row or something...Whistling [:-^] It was a photo essay on chasing a train over the railroad, so that sort of explains it. 

I don't mind people telling the truth about my photos, I know that my work isn't perfect (or comparable to a lot of people on these forums...Sign - Dots [#dots]) but I think it would be useful about how to improve my work. 

Maybe I should put something in my sig saying something like "My work isn't perfect, and I'm on a limited budget. It's the best I can do." or something like that. Not that I've gotten bashed for my work, but it might help people understand better.My 2 cents [2c]

Arn't you the one who posts his own train videos on u tube? I've seen them and I think you've done a great job on the video's. You are way ahead of me when I was your age, so we have to take that into account when we are trying to help you get better. The only thing that bothers me is that your chessie loco looks somewhat "toylike". I can't put my finger on it though. What is the brand? Maybe thats it.

I don't think you'll have problems now posting 20 photos on WPF. I've seen others do it just recently. We don't like that many photo's over here because we can get what you're trying to portray with only a few. I think 6 or 8 photo's seems standard.

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by WCfan on Sunday, March 30, 2008 2:32 PM

Well I'll post somthing here.

This is a scene I did a while ago. WC 6505 Idles in the snow with 2500 and 6588 trailing.

6505 is a Proto 2000 SD45, 2500 is an Atlas Master series SD35, and 6588 is another Proto 45. I did the scene by getting a board and nailing down some paint sticks to it. Then attaching a piece of code 83 flex track. Then I took some flower and siffied it through a flower sifter.

Besides the fact that the models aren't weathered, there's a big container in the background, the fact that there IS no real background, and that I kinda messed up on the bay window on 6505. What do you guys think?

I know weathering would help but I don't know how to start.

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2008 4:28 PM

Laugh [(-D] The Chessie is an Atlas. I have noticed that most locos from that railroad (unless they're perfect or clost to that) look toylike. I hope to get it repainted by my friend, but I'm hesitant because I've had another loco that he's been working on since August....Whistling [:-^] Not bad though, since he's doing it for free as long as he gets to operate on my railroad.

I wish I could take the credit for the weathering on that gon, it was actually a gift from a user here, MondoTrains. 

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Posted by Guilford Guy on Sunday, March 30, 2008 4:30 PM
I'm busy with school, and low on funds... Once I get some new paint, and someone to print me decals, you should have it back.

Alex

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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2008 4:31 PM
I know, I'm low on $$$ too...
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Posted by Anonymous on Sunday, March 30, 2008 4:40 PM
 TrainManTy wrote:
 Driline wrote:

This is different from weekend photo fun in that we allow others to critique our work to become better. 

Actually, I got bashed on WPF because of too many photos....Whistling [:-^]

Those graffitti decals look great guys! JK; that car's going to turn out awesome once you weather it!Thumbs Up [tup]

I don't know if I want to get bashed, but here goes....

I'm not sure if this is a photo bashing  place, or a work bashing place, so I guess this could be either.

Bash away! 

 

To me, the reason why that chessie loco looks so toylike is because every since I was a little kid (35yo now) I remember that a lot of "trainsets" for sale at any store had a Chessie engine in it and/or a UP GP7 or something like that.  So when I see any Chessie locomotive they all look toylike to me.  That is just me of course

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Posted by Driline on Sunday, March 30, 2008 6:50 PM
 Mass Man wrote:
 TrainManTy wrote:
 Driline wrote:

This is different from weekend photo fun in that we allow others to critique our work to become better. 

Actually, I got bashed on WPF because of too many photos....Whistling [:-^]

Those graffitti decals look great guys! JK; that car's going to turn out awesome once you weather it!Thumbs Up [tup]

I don't know if I want to get bashed, but here goes....

I'm not sure if this is a photo bashing  place, or a work bashing place, so I guess this could be either.

Bash away! 

 

To me, the reason why that chessie loco looks so toylike is because every since I was a little kid (35yo now) I remember that a lot of "trainsets" for sale at any store had a Chessie engine in it and/or a UP GP7 or something like that.  So when I see any Chessie locomotive they all look toylike to me.  That is just me of course

You know, that could be it. I never thought of it that way. I think you're right.

Modeling the Davenport Rock Island & Northwestern 1995 in HO
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Posted by Driline on Tuesday, April 1, 2008 1:10 PM

Ok I need some help on my first ever try at "rusting". Here's an HO trailer in progress. I can already tell you that I smeared too much rust on the back door. My question is:

  • shall I coat the body with a diluted wash of india ink to give it the grimy look
  • What color chalk should I use to "lighten" up the rust mistake on the door.
  • Is it normal to use a very very light coating of black chalk here and there or should I go with a light grey.
  • Do you guys usually light brush the edges with a dry white paint to give it that highlighted look?

And lastly you tell me what I used for the rust color and you get a free membership to the genius model railroad weathering club.

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Posted by Blue Flamer on Friday, June 13, 2008 2:54 PM
 Driline wrote:

Ok I need some help on my first ever try at "rusting". Here's an HO trailer in progress. I can already tell you that I smeared too much rust on the back door. My question is:

  • shall I coat the body with a diluted wash of india ink to give it the grimy look
  • What color chalk should I use to "lighten" up the rust mistake on the door.
  • Is it normal to use a very very light coating of black chalk here and there or should I go with a light grey.
  • Do you guys usually light brush the edges with a dry white paint to give it that highlighted look?

And lastly you tell me what I used for the rust color and you get a free membership to the genius model railroad weathering club.

I just re-found this thread and thought that it deserved a BIG BUMP. So here it is.

Driline. The rusting looks OK on the sides, but the back door appears to have horizontal rust streaks. I would think that the streaks would be more vertical from all the water streaming off the roof when the truck & trailer are travelling down the highway. There would possibly be a few downward angled streaks from front to back on the sides for the same reason. I spent many (41) years observing our own Company vehicles and the vehicles at the premises of the Commercial buildings that I frequented to service their natural gas equipment. After you give it a few VERY LIGHT washes of India Ink wash, I think that you will have a very commendable model. Well done.

Thumbs Up [tup]Thumbs Up [tup]

Blue Flamer. 

"There is a very fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness"." Dave Barry, Syndicated Columnist. "There's no point in being grown up if you can't be childish sometimes." Doctor Who.

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