What’s on your Workbench?

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[healey36]

Actually, the stuff made to go through a printer or copier to make overheads back before Powerpoint. Thermally resistive so has never shown a tendency to yellow or curl. Cut with a decal scissor to get complex shapes and I have at least two boxes of the stuff left over from when I had to say something to large audiences as a condition of my employment. I'll never run out and I paint a lot of stuff. Grin!

I wish I had only 2 boxes of that stuff, Cartons of it sat in the back of the supplies file cabinet for years until I cleared my office into the dumpsters......but since my position permits supplies, I still have plenty.

I've been using that stuff as well. The school teacher feeds me a few sheets from her stash every once in awhile.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[ScaleCraft]

Pre-war Lionel tank car. THREE layers of paint, sorta nice black on bottom, sorta nice gray in middle, horrible crusty paint applied with a brush on top. All cleaned off the tank, one end, top hatch and handrails.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

THREE layers of paint, sorta nice black on bottom, sorta nice gray in middle, horrible crusty paint applied with a brush on top. All cleaned off the tank, one end, top hatch and handrails.

That almost describes a few folks here.........

[sarge]

Today was weathering the S-4, followed by disassembly, glazing, decorating the footplate with some decent figures, installing the bulbs for the lighting. Glazing was typically fussy as one would expect, especially from a switcher with a greenhouse for a cab.

Had to back up one step, though, as I tried it out in the yard before I took it back apart only to discover the Canon motor had a very weak magnet. The drive wasn't drawing an amp but wouldn't slip the wheels pushing a heavy cut nor would it move with any alacrity.

Luckily I had a like-sized Sagami (NWSL) to hand, so made up a drop-in replacement, wire it in and bob's yer uncle. They're not as polished as the Pittmans or that particular double-end Canon, but it'll do the job.

Tomorrow looks like just a wiring job and bolt it shut, with any luck. Then we'll have another typical New York Central "beetle" for the yard operation.

[ScaleCraft]

I'd a stuck an open frame permag in it. Prolly an A-N as I have a box full. At hand. Haven't heard Bob's yer Uncle in a LONG time.

[sarge]

That'll be this one resurrected, then.

[up148]

Nice looking loco Sarge. Is this a NJ/CB as well, it's nicely proportioned and good detail. Excellent paint.

Although I haven't tried it yet, I'm got some 1/16" and 3/32" wide, 3M double sided clear tape I want to use for glazing installation. Gary Schrader turned me on to this type installation and looks fairly straight forward. I also purchased slide glass and a glass scribing tool decades ago that I haven't used and looking forward to trying it out....might be harder than I think.

[sarge]

Butch, it was an OMI body, deck, and trucks. My frame and a kluge o' bits to make a drive.

Thanks for the kind words.

Glass is usually OK on steam and rolling stock like cabooses, but diesels and passenger equipment become problematic. The former can have hideous shapes to try and create with a scriber, like F-unit windscreens, and the latter the panes can be so big the glass is really fragile.

I gave up on the "nothing resembles glass like real glass" schtick decades ago. Its not worth dealing with being a very unforgiving material, and I don't believe the mantra is true.

I do find either watch crystal cement or "canopy glue" my favourite adhesives for this exercise. I learned of the latter from the plastic aircraft modellers. Before that I used the old custom-painters standard, PVA (think Elmers White) on a small brush. Since learning my way around modern canopy glue, I really like it a lot. It makes a dreary job far less dreary, wicks under the material like PVA does, and the holding power is much better.

[up148]

Certainly agree there are certain areas (curved diesel W/S for example ) that nothing is easy and glass out of the question. At your suggestion, I bought/used some "canopy glue" to affix new number boards on my 3rd Rail F units and it work like a charm.....simple and successful.

I guess where the double sided clear tape comes into play is on flat surfaces and would work with both glass and plastic glazing. I've got a 2-10-2 that needs new glazing and will try glass slides and double sided tape. Sometimes we have to experience the pain to truly understand.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

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[up148]

You're right, cover slips, not slides. Bought a diamond tipped scribe from the same supplier as the cover slips, but I hid it away so well I can't find find it. IMCO mfg. shows #2 on the box and Premiere shows the #1 slips.

[Chris Webster]

Lurking behind? A couple mechanical refrigerators spotted at the cold-plant...

If those reefers are Weavers, do you happen to know how to detach their roofs from the rest of the body? I have a couple I need to work on, but I haven't figured out how to get their roofs to release.