Tools, tips and tricks
Scale Model Animation 5 – Building Building Animation
Model animation—bringing models to life—adds enormously to the interest and enjoyment of any layout or individual model! We notice things when they move, and we often notice things only when they change. But change can also be sensed in light intensity, patterns, color, and sound. Let’s see what can bring an otherwise static building to life.
Cleaning paint off loco windows
My masking did not work 100 percent. I'm looking for suggestions for cleaning the paint of the windows. These are American Model Builders (AMB) laser cut windows for a SW-1.
All ideas welcome!
Anyone use ink in colors other than black?
Wondering if anyone has done much with multi-colored inks when building structures or doing weathering. A friend of mine who is into calligraphy alerted me to one of his favorite websites and I was intrigued by the number of types/brands/colors of ink that are available. You may want to take a few minutes to browse...
Collars & Sense
Making collars for gear repairs is easy.
Hobby shops usually carry brass, aluminum and plastic tubing in various sizes. You may even have in your collection of "I'll keep that. I might need it someday" items, old chrome plated, telescopic radio antennas. (I do - of various sizes)
I use an electronic caliper to measure the ledge on the plastic gear and the inside of the tubing to be sure of a snug fit.
Loco window glazing help
I'm in the process of refinishing and detailing a half-dozen old Athearn and Front Range Jeep shells. Since nothing's available RTR for what I want, I'm going old school and trying to do it myself.
I would appreciate any helpful suggestions on what to use for cab window glazing (not to mention headlight lenses). I have found some old Front Range parts on eBay, but nothing available for Athearn.
Dave Winther
trying to teach an old dog new tricks
Having troubles getting paint thru air brush !!!
This must be something silly stupid that I am overlooking.
Have a Badger Model 350 Bottom Feed Single Action External Mix Air Brush, and Badger Model 180-12 compressor.
Been using it sporadically over the past year. No matter the paint (Tru Color , PollyScale, Model Master, Floquil - - latex or lacquer), I have a hell of a time getting the paint to come thru the end of the nozzle and out for painting. I start out with perfectly clean fluid cap, fluid needle, air tip, and tube into the paint itself.
Small Battery Powered Drill Motor
A while back someone had shown and talked about a small battery powered drill motor. Can anyone out there remember what brand is was and where a person might be able get one?
Richard
Switch-Works Rail & Frog
This video shows how to lay stock rails, frog rails, closure rails and the frog for the Switch-Works "Ultimate" turnout. Switch-Works is a set of jigs for assembling "Museum Standard" track featuring wooden ties, metal tie plates, etched frogs and machined points.
Switch-Works Throw Bars
This video shows how to build the throw bars for the Switch-Works "Ultimate" turnout. Switch-Works is a set of jigs for assembling "Museum Standard" track featuring wooden ties, metal tie plates, etched frogs and machined points.
Commercial track tips
I've posted another track tip on by blog. These are just simple points and ideas that have come up as I've built my new layout over the last nine months. Check it out at this address: http://designbuildop.hansmanns.org/
Eric Hansmann
El Paso, TX
>> Posts index
Navigation
Journals/Blogs
Recent Blog posts: