On your layout, do you or do you not glue down small details. By small details, I am talking... say... barrels, handcarts, crates, PEOPLE, automobiles, just miscellaneous small schtuff on the layout. I am getting to the point where I have tons of that stuff for my layout. I sometimes set it out to set a scene. However, when I go to vaccuum and clean the layout, usually remove the small stuff. I clean my layout with a shop vac' outfitted w/ reduction hoses for small scale cleaning. It really works great for modeling and will dang near pull the white off of rice... as it were. But I am getting tired of removing all the small details and then resetting it after cleaning. I am not concerned about "sucking it into" the shop vac' since I am using reduction hoses and fittings. But I guess the reason I haven't "fixed" any small details is because I don't want to "commit" to where some of that stuff is going. I'd appreciate any thoughts on this. BTW: I model in HO.
Kitbash; I'm new to model railroads and just finished my ho 12x24 benchwork. I use a shop vac with panty hose rubberbanded over the nozzle to catch small stuff from being sucked in the vac. Eric
Since my 2 ft. by 4 ft. layout is portable and indeed travels to train shows, everything but the trains is glued down, down to the smallest details, such as locomotive and car parts beside the enginehouse and barrels and crates on loading platforms. Even gluing things down did not prevent a model van from leaving the layout at a show in Atlanta 30 years ago. Folks are surprised that my wife and I will often carry the layout turned on its side when taking it to and from shows. :cat:
All of my details,barrels,people & vehicles are tacked down with a tiny dab of white glue or CA. I vacum and clean my layout the same way as you discribed with a reduced tube hooked to the 2" hose.
I use white glue and or CA to glue detail parts to the JJJ&E. Most of the time I use white Craftbond glue or Aileene's glue. Stay cool and run steam.....
Having built and scenicked many...glue, glue, glue! Disassembling too many locos to remove various bits of ballast, grass, foam, and other "stuff", a tad of glue is worth every penny and aggravating minute.
I use regular white glue for most detail stuff, but I NEVER glue people or automobiles. It's nice to change them around once in a while. Instead of glue, use mortician's wax. The tiniest little dab on the feet will stand an N-scale figure up, well, permanently. When you want to remove or reposition it, just pick it up and set it down again. I use Mini-Hold from What's Next?, Inc. A 1 oz tin costs about three bucks, and will last the average modeler until the sun burns out and turns into a shriveled little rock. A little goes a long, long way. You can get it at the auction site by searching "mini hold wax," or from any reputable dollhouse modeling dealer. Ray p.s. here's a pic of the tin. The N-scale dude stuck to the side was affixed by just rubbing his feet across the top of the wax cake very lightly.
Thank you for the replies. While I have been running trains over the summer and fall, I have neglected improvements due to yard work, "honey do's", college football, etc. Now that winter is upon us, I am turning my attention back to "improving" and advancing my layout. This winter I intend on spending much time on advancing my scenery already started as well as moving along w/ a long awaited coal branch. Thank you again for the replies to this thread.
I would wait a month, then if I like where it is it gets glue in place. Otherwise I move it and start again. As for commiting to a place. Use elmers white glue and just a tiny bit of it. If you use regular, or carpenters glue it has resins in it and will be permenant. But elmers glue is made from milk [one reason it is edible and non toxic to kids] and will soften when wetted. So you can glue it down with elmers white glue and if you change your mind wet it and remove it. To wet small objects [or any object] rather then make a puddle on your layout, what you do is wet a tissue [toilet paper, kleenex etc] and wrap it around where it is glued [ussually the base] making sure it touches the glued area. Leave for a couple of hours and then twist off the piece. Hope that helps
I glue them down. There's no way to maintain a large layout without gluing them down. I use all the tricks like pantyhose over the nozzles, but still lost too much stuff.
I fasten details in place with a product I have called "dollhouse wax". I got it from a place that sells supplys for dollhouse and minatures. A small plastic container-about 1 ounce-cost me just $2 and it's just what it says: wax. I think the place is minatures.com or something.
