Tools, tips and tricks

WANDRR's picture

Paint Brand/Color Cross Reference?

I know I read somewhere (probably here) that one of the long time paint brands for model railroaders is not going to be manufactured any longer.  I'm just getting into railroad modeling so I don't have all of the typical railroad colors in my paint collection.  For years I've used, almost exclusively, Testors Model Master Acrylics.  Has anybody taken the time to cross reference the 'typical' railroad colors to colors provided by other brands as an alternative?

WANDRR's picture

Best Method For Stripping Lettering?

I have a new Bachmann Bethlehem Steel 100 Ton 3-Bay Hopper in D&RGW paint, and I want to convert it to NW paint and try my hand at weathering.  So far, I've tried using 91% Alcohol on a cotton swab and though tedious, it seems to be working.  

But I wonder if there's another, quicker method for removing the white lettering from the black base paint?  I'm open to tips, tricks, or suggestions.

MikeM's picture

Alternative to lead weights in locos; regaining what's lost when fitting DCC decoders/speakers

Has anyone had to remove weight from a loco to allow fitting of a DCC sound decoder, speaker and/or KA capacitance device?  I'm wondering if anyone has tried using tungsten as a weighting material in place of lead; tungsten is less dangerous environmentally (or so I've read) and can be up to about 1.8 times the density (weighing up to 1.8 times as much as an equivalent amount of lead).  The Pinewood Derby guys sometimes use this stuff to weight their cars and it seems like something good for loco weights.

WANDRR's picture

Which Weathering Powders?

Which brands and which colors do you prefer for your needs?

I've never purchased any before and have found a few three paks of colors from Tamiya at the LHS, but I'm not sure it's the colors I'd want for weathering model trains.  Looking for feedback.

Bob Langer's picture

Making up a train - prototype

Thanks to Chuck Davis who sent me this link: It explains and depicts the operational moves of building a freight train. Very cool.

Adhesives

While looking through a back issue of MR (July 1988, I think), I came across an article about different types of adhesives, and it included a great chart of the different types of adhesives and their usage vis-a-vis different types of surfaces, slow vs fast setting, smooth vs porous surfaces, holding ability and some of the brand names.  Has anyone seen an updated version of this chart, or one which is similar?

I also found a reference to a similar article in the April 96 MR, but I don't have that issue.

3-D printing timing

In 1983 I was able to convince the Board of the not-for-profit agency that I ran that it would be cost-effective to buy a hard drive to replace the 8" IBM floppy disks we we using for storage. We purchased a Corvus 5 Kb (that's 5,000 BYTES OF INFO) unit housed in a 12" cube for $5,000! Just tickled. Today, of course, terabyte capacity is purchased in Costco for a couple of hundred dollars. Driven by demand, ultra fine, multicolor 3-D printing is now years, not decades away. All honor to those in every field who are buying and experimenting and pushing things along for the rest of us.

BNstringfellow's picture

modeling telephone poles

I really want to add a string of telephone poles on my layout. I really want to scratch build them with mainly wood, but I need some help. Advise, tips, and ideas would really be helpful. I have no inspiration and I know when I jump into something without foresight it ends up a mess. Pictures would be awesome too if possible. 

 

THANKS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

Bob Langer's picture

BLMA a/c units

I have had a package of the BLMA window mounted a/c units. They are etched metal and assemble exactly as advertised. A nice little detail for my HO buildings.

The directions say once the assembly is done to glue where the tabs connect to the base. I am unclear about what type of glue to use.

And I am not sure what the do with the metal that sticks beyond the base. This would keep the detail from laying flat to the window or building siding.

What did you do?


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