What's New on the PRR Panhandle Division?

[rogruth]

I can hardly wait. Maybe I'll get it when it is up.

[healey36]

Nice, George...should be great! That last shot gives a sense of the immensity of the project.

What is the material being used for the backdrop? Masonite?

Healey

[G3750]

Nice, George...should be great! That last shot gives a sense of the immensity of the project.

What is the material being used for the backdrop? Masonite?

Healey

The material is 1/8" masonite, white.

George

[G3750]

Nice, George...should be great! That last shot gives a sense of the immensity of the project.

What is the material being used for the backdrop? Masonite?

Healey

The material is 1/8" masonite, white.

George

Just FYI, I'm using a slightly thicker Masonite (3/16"? have to check) for roads and module flooring. This is the brown stuff. I find it useful for creating sloped areas, and for supporting entire modules that will hold buildings. Early on in the design of the Panhandle, I decided on cookie-cutter sub-roadbed. That has its advantages (theoretically ) and its disadvantages (all too apparent ). Several modules have been designed to have a floor of Masonite that sits on the open frame bench-work and provide some slope or height changes. The modules are designed to mate up with the sub-roadbed and be removable; buildings that go on the modules are also supposed to be removable. Each building will have a lighting harness that uses quick-connect fittings. The city modules are Weirton and Steubenville. The Standard Slag module is also removable, but is flat and has no buildings on it.

George

[G3750]

Updated 3/17/2016:

Other than planning, there's no real progress to report. The week has been consumed with work, domestic duties, and "normal" life (whatever that is ). I hope to get things ready tonight for the artist's visit tomorrow. Tasks include:

• Cutting 2' off the left side of Backdrop #2.
• Preparing 2 or 3 Styrofoam block supports (3" x 3" x 5") for Backdrop #2.
• Mating Backdrop #3 & #3.5 so the artist can match sky colors.
• Cutting Backdrop #4 to proper size (4' 8").

Still plenty to do.

George

[G3750]

Updated 3/19/2016:

Today, the artist visited and we got some work done.

Backdrop 2 was trimmed to the correct size (6' wide) and touched up.

W_Rebuild_73_.JPG (26.02 KiB) Viewed 3414 times

Backdrop 4 was cut to the proper size (4' 8") and the first coat was laid down.

W_Rebuild_74_.JPG (33.94 KiB) Viewed 3414 times

George

[G3750]

Updated 3/26/2016:

Started cutting 2" foam blocks with my new MicroMark hot foam knife. I'm working in an open garage, but it still produces a pretty bad smell and seems to take a long time (maybe I'm just impatient). I'm thinking about trying a saw, but it will make a huge mess.

Still, we are moving forward.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

I'm thinking about trying a saw........

Hack saw blade taped between 2 bits of wood to make a handle.

[G3750]

I'm thinking about trying a saw........

Hack saw blade taped between 2 bits of wood to make a handle.

Thank you! A hack saw would probably make much less dust, but I couldn't find mine. So I used one of those pruning type saws (can't recall the exact name). It made some mess, but it was much, much faster. I hope to cut the rest of the stuff tonight and maybe get some pieces glued together.

George

[robert.]

use an electric turkey carving knife.

[G3750]

use an electric turkey carving knife.

That's something I hadn't considered. That sounds like a pretty good idea. I'll bet I could find one used at a garage sale.

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

use an electric turkey carving knife.

That's something I hadn't considered. That sounds like a pretty good idea. I'll bet I could find one used at a garage sale.

George

When all else fails:

[rogruth]

Thread drift.

I work part time for a well established music store in Savannah that out grew the original store and built a new one.
They had a big tenth anniversary party and the owner cut the four tier cake with a chain saw. Nothing else to say.

[MurphOnMillerAve]

Thread drift.

I work part time for a well established music store in Savannah that out grew the original store and built a new one.
They had a big tenth anniversary party and the owner cut the four tier cake with a chain saw. Nothing else to say.

Where does anybody find such a saw that clean and oil/grease-free, free enough to pass through food? Did more end up in the air than on plates? (I'm trying to picture the scene.)

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Thread drift.

I work part time for a well established music store in Savannah that out grew the original store and built a new one.
They had a big tenth anniversary party and the owner cut the four tier cake with a chain saw. Nothing else to say.

Where does anybody find such a saw that clean and oil/grease-free, free enough to pass through food? Did more end up in the air than on plates? (I'm trying to picture the scene.)

I'm thinking that was something akin to a Jackson Pollack art installation in action,