The Modelers Thread

[RBH29]

Healey, those came out great. You have formidable modeling skills! Your technique for dealing with the corners works well.

[healey36]

Thanks for the comments. Sarge introduced me to O-scale card models. He used them for scenery on his Euro layout, and has included them extensively in the lower tier of his backdrop on his newer layout. Seeing that and a bit of reading got me going. They are fun to build, and one can generally make it as complicated as one chooses. I would never associate their complexity of construction with that of the stick-built scale models I see here. That, along with the work I see others have done in brass and styrene, is truly great modeling.

I think the next signal tower will be posted in the Weekend Photos thread. It's going to be pretty far from a scale model.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Hopper 1 - before:
and after:

[healey36]

Very nice, Rufus. What did you bathe it in to remove the flaking paint/decals? Or a wire-wheel on the Dremel?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Very nice, Rufus. What did you bathe it in to remove the flaking paint/decals? Or a wire-wheel on the Dremel?

Some "green" lacquer thinner and a small stiff steel wire brush and then again with a brass wire brush and then again with a toothbrush. After using a torch to remove all the rubbish bits, then the Dremel with end mills remove as much as possible excess solder. Another dip and date with a toothbrush. Then solder everything back together and add all the "stuff", and then another dip and date with a toothbrush before painting.

[healey36]

A bit more of a process than I had originally contemplated!

I still haven't found a paint-removal process I'm happy with. The last chemical stripper I tried left a mess, which then required quite a bit of wire-brushing to clean up the last of it. Then again, I'm not dealing with anything as detailed as this hopper of yours.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I still haven't found a paint-removal process I'm happy with.

What I liked is no longer available - current chemical stripper is total crap.

......with anything as detailed as this hopper of yours.

Which is why I went straight to lacquer thinner....crap stripper was looking like a waste of time and effort both along with money. Too bad I retired; would have just taken it into work one day and been done with it.

[gregj410]

geo plotter

Nice model! I always feel like I could appreciate it more on a 2 rail track with ballast and all the fixings for a final photo shoot.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

2nd hopper

Before:


After:

[healey36]

Now that's lovely

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Now that's lovely

Thanks! Thought the WM lettering might appeal to a few,

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Rail Craft gon before:

and after:

[webenda]

The hoppers and gondola are beautifully restored Rufus.
Are the hoppers carrying black rocks or coal?
I am not going to say anything about the position of the trucks on the gondola.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

The hoppers and gondola are beautifully restored Rufus.

Thank you.

Are the hoppers carrying black rocks or coal?

2 are real coal; 1 is real limestone from a quarry in Franklin Co.

I am not going to say anything about the position of the trucks on the gondola.

I set them askew to keep them set in front of the camera; otherwise the shy ones roll off....

[webenda]

You are welcome.

Real loads!