In fairness to Solidesign Custom Decals, I should clarify that the $22.00 Priority Mail charge was absorbed by the company. Scott only charged me for First Class Mail ($8.00). When I posted earlier about the mailing costs I didn't realize that he had footed the extra $.
I also got an apology from him today for the decals taking so long.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks for the Testors information Wayne.
Both Testors Glosscote and Dullcote are available in bottles. I have two sizes, a square bottle containing 1¾oz.and a round bottle containing 29.5ml. For airbrushing, thin with ordinary lacquer thinner. Either will give you better mileage than a spray can, and, by mixing the two in varying proportions, you can create various semi-gloss mixtures, too.
Wayne
Brent, Chuck and Mike
Thanks
Dave,
That's a stunningly beautiful piece of equipment. Good show!
My thoughts are with your family, too, at this difficult time.
Mike Lehman
Urbana, IL
Nice job, Dave!
Chuck - Modeling in HO scale and anything narrow gauge
Way to go Dave, looks great. I have followed this project more closely than most and I have really enjoyed tagging along. What do we get to do next??????
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Thanks Guy!
I can't count the number of projects that are either unstarted or unfinished that I have in stock. I do have to say that I have pretty much stopped myself from buying more stuff on eBay because I do have so many projects on hand. I got a little upset with myself for acquiring so many projects without actually working on them. I think I had fallen into a rut where I justified my purchases by thinking I was actually doing some modeling by buying them. Now I have finally decided to get my rear end in gear, both with the modelling projects and with building the layout.
Hi George:
Thanks for the idea on airbrushing Testors Glosscote.
I have thought about using a Galloping Goose sound file for the McKeen car but I just don't think it would be appropriate. The McKeen engine was huge! It had to be 5 or 6 feet tall. I doubt that the Galloping Goose automobile based engines would sound anything like the McKeen. Unfortunately none of the original McKeen motors survived. Apparently they were so unreliable that they were all scrapped. There are several references to them having to be towed back to the shop regularly.
https://ca.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?p=McKeen+Motor+Car+engine+pictures&hspart=rogers&hsimp=yhs-rogers_001&type=rogers_pc_homerun_portal
I'm sure there must have been a lot of mechanical clatter just like the Galloping Goose engines, but judging by the sheer size of the McKeen engines they must have sounded pretty throaty too which the Galloping Goose engines do not.
There I go being fussy again!
It turned out great!! Nice to see you finish the project. I have a ton of unfinished projects in the train room, nice to see some one carry it through to the end.
Guy
see stuff at: the Willoughby Line Site
For Glosscote, I collect it in a bottle by spraying from the can into a large dia soda straw (donated by McDonalds). Then I can spray with my air brush.
If you want to do cans, take a look at Krylon Gloss Acrylic
Great work on the car! One of the decoder used to have a Galloping Goose sound decoder. That would be a gasoline engine.
George In Midcoast Maine, 'bout halfway up the Rockland branch
Thanks Bear!
Yes, I tend to be very critical of my own work but that's what motivates me to do better the next time. One of the things that I'm not happy with on the model is the slight orange peel effect left by the Testors Glosscote. Like other Testors spray paints the spray is way too heavy. If you spray too close you will have runs, and if you back off and do quick passes it sets before it flows out smooth.
I'm going to explore other gloss finishes. Any suggestions anyone?
hon30critterIts a bit rough in places
"One difference between pessimists and optimists is that while pessimists are more often right, optimists have far more fun."
Thanks Wayne!
Its a bit rough in places but I'm happy with the results.
Great looking results, Dave. Very nicely-done.
OK, the car is finally finished!!! The only future change might be to install sound if a suitable sound file ever becomes available.
Here are some pictures:
The decals worked out better than I expected when I first saw them. They aren't quite as opaque as I would have liked but I'm splitting hairs.
I have deviated from the prototype in one respect in that the original had the roof painted in a salmon colour. It really didn't appeal to me so I didn't model it.
As I said earlier I decided to not install glass in the round windows, but I did put it in the cab windows. That was fussy work!
Photos don't lie! I can see a couple of spots where I will have to do some touch up inside the doors.
Sincere thanks to everyone who helped along the way!!
Thanks everyone for the kind thoughts. Very much appreciated.
Brent, sorry to hear that you are in the same boat.
That´s not good news!
Our thoughts are with you and your family!
Sorry to hear of your Father in-law Dave. We also have a senior member of our family that I am very fond of decide to move on as well after a return of cancer. My thoughts are with you, your wife and family at this time.
Take care.
I finally received the decals from Solidesign today! Its only taken six months.
My initial impression is that they won't work very well because they don't have a white base. They are simply printed in yellow. I'm going to make up a test sheet painted the same as the Motor Car and then apply one of the decals to see if they show up properly on the CP Maroon paint.
Please be patient. My father-in-law has just been diagnosed with terminal liver cancer. He has opted to not undergo any further procedures so the next two or three weeks are going to be a bit tough.
Regards.
That sounds just a wee bit excessive on the postage there. Whenever I've ordered decals online, they've xome in a regular first class envelope sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard so they don't get mangled in the sorter. That usually works out to just above the standard First Class stamp so you end up throwing 2 stamps on it. Just for grins I calculated potage to London, Ontario. I used a large envelop (the 8x10 kind) and said 8 ounces, which is WAY more than a couple sheets of decals and two pieces of cardboard would weigh. If I don't check the "does not bend easily" option, it's $3.02 for First Class. If I do check the box, it's $9.50. Priority and Express options are $25 and up. But there are other options as well.
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
Bear:
I am an optimist too. I'm optimistic that if the first decal order isn't up to snuff then the second will be. I will ignore the cost if I have to buy the second set. The combined costs will be ridiculous!
"Say no more....say no more".
hon30critter I'm not holding my breath.
I really hope the quality of his work is superior to his business practices but I won't be suprised if it is not. I'm not holding my breath.
In fairness, he has had a hard time of it recently but I'm a little ticked when he made a delivery promise in January and didn't follow through until I asked to cancel the order.
A long overdue update:
Well, after waiting patiently for the custom decals to be shipped, I decided to cancel the order. I had been promised that the decals would be in the mail in mid January.
It is amazing what action a threatened loss of revenue can produce! I sent the cancellation e-mail on Sunday and lo and behold I received a response on Monday that the decals had been mailed Monday morning!!!! However, I was informed that the shipping cost was now $22.00 USD!?! That much for an 8 1/2" x 11" envelope from the US to Canada??? That's $30.00 Cdn!!!
Hopefully they will be of decent quality and I can have the motor car finished in short order, but I have a bad taste in my mouth. If they are not of decent quality I will ask for my money back.
(Rant...rant...rant...!)
Regards. Thanks for listening.
I just got an e-mail from Scott Wright who is doing the custom decals. He had surgery a month ago and should have been up and about by now. Unfortunately his surgeon messed up and he is going to be in the hospital for at least another two months trying to recover from the screwup.
Bottom line is that the McKeen Motor Car project will be relegated to the back burner until further notice. I am not going to cancel the order.
Hi Dave,
Darn! It's unfortunate the glass slips did not do the trick.
Joel
Modeling the C&O New River Subdivision circa 1949 for the fun of it!