So Rick, When are you going to get us all started on the armchair to benchwork sequel?? I sure hope you do it before i run out of steam.Ive been going pretty steady now for a month,but am ready when you are as are a lot of others i would bet. So, whadya say
I learnt the hard way not to start it until around mid-October. People don't seem to settle down from summer until then, the weather starts to deteriorate and the modelling increases. I have done three layout "parties", two in the spring and one in the fall. The one in the fall was the least active, though activity wasn't bad. So I decided last year to hold a bit and start it latter. I find if I do them every 6 months, novelty is maintained and people can be excited about them. I've just finished an intensive month of laying track in part one of a three part layout. My son Dane was away at an Army Cadet Camp in Banff Alberta and I wanted track up when he came back. So I worked like crazy to install around 120 feet of track. It doesn't sound like much track but it was a lot. I literally was working on the track until the moment I got in the car to pick him up at the air port. So the next layout party is roughly 2 months away. With so many away in the summer - particularly in August, and others more concerned about the barbecue than the layout, I know participation would be down now. [ 19. August 2003, 23:43: Message edited by: rsn48 ]
Well, i'll certainly be ready for it.Should have my DCC system by then.Guess i'll just have to keep going without that lil extra motivation.I'm kind of on hold at the moment,Corey has a few changes he wants me to see for my center section.He knows my hidden staging is already installed and i think he actually liked the idea.Maybe i'll hear from him this weekend.Until then, ive got the rest of my hardboard to get up,Painting to do and more and more feeders to solder and such.No more track laying for a little while though.And 120 feet is a lot of track.It takes time to get track in especially if your talking alot of turnouts assemblies etc.I think i have about that in now and its taken me months and its still not done [ 20. August 2003, 00:47: Message edited by: Tileguy ]
After the one hundred and twenty feet of track laying, I was thoroughly burnt out on anything track related. But it felt good when Dane came home and he saw it for the first time; it made it all worth while. I asked him to critique it and he saw two glaring issues, so I'll be re-laying one area and have solved the other issue. I need to extend one track and create a run around area to make life easier. Overall, I'm happy with what I have done, and most importantly, so is my son.
We must keep the boys happy.My son surprised me with a new UBoat and a cordless dremel last month.Dang he's a good kid
Hmmmmmmmmm.... a cordless Dremel would be nice. I used the Xuron cutting tool for the track, man can those track ends fly. I put my hand out to block one from hitting the backdrop, actually gave my hand genuine pain.
The cordless is really nice for track laying.It lacks the power for really big jobs but does well for cutting track,buffing ,polishing etc.I would never want to be without my corded flexshaft unit though .In fact i wish i had 3 or 4 of them sometimes just for conveniance
Lay a finger or two from your free hand on the rail that will be cut off. Then, when cut, the loose part of the rail will stay put. It won't become a projectile!
