Hi guys, I "restarted" this thread because I felt that the last thread got off topic toward the end. Any way, here are some more shots of my detailing.... Grab iron shot on two Atlas B23-7's. Note that the UP loco has straight out grab irons and the SP unit has a drop in the grabs (experimenting.....the drop is correct though). Here is a shot of my new CNW C44 (thanks Kevin). It has a TON of details, including grab irons on the front of the nose WITH the drop!!!!!! !!!!! Another shot, showing the grabs on the nose. And another........ Here is a shot showing some fan detail on a UP SD40-2....you can see the blades, cool eh? More coming soon........ [ 01 March 2001: Message edited by: Craig Martyn ]
when I get some of my Traded N scale stock (I traded Bob Prestridge some HO stuff for his N scale stuff) You should get a pretty good order headed your way for detailing parts , when they are done I'll display them in nthe Freelanced board (my road name is Free-lanced)
OK, here are some more. Here is a nice shot of the UP B23-7 from the side. This is a custom made IC GP28. There was a LOT of work involved in this unit. It is not done in the picture. Sometimes, more detail isn't always better. Here are two UP GP20's sprused up with some parts (including BLMA Excursion Flags ). Last but not least, here is a picture of me (see, I am 15! LOL). I took it by looking through the view finder on the digital camera while pointing it a mirror, thats why I am holding the camera. [ 01 March 2001: Message edited by: Craig Martyn ]
Nice engines Craig, after I get done with some of my projects I will post the results here. I got a BN GP35/39M in the works, 2 SP SD45/40-2M's, a SP B23-7, 2 BN B30-7A's, and some minor locomotive detailing. Kevin
Craig, you are too much All those details, and only 15 I hope to reach that standard by the time I am 60!
Are you sure that is N scale? Those pics are terrific, I can almost hear the engines spooling up! Keep up the great work! P.S. Do you have any detailed F-units? I'd love to see pics of that! Russ/NYC The Hoffman Valley RR NARA member#28
Thanks guys! Russ, I haven't detailed any F7's yet, onnly done some custom painting work on a few. If I do detail one, one day, I will post the pic here. That would be a FUN job. Thanks again!
Craig, wow, great job. Like the UPs with the flags (even with less detail) and the CNW the most. Im so jealous ! Did you use Brian's tip for the fans? They look great, but add a bit darker wash underneath to show the fans off a bit more. But awesome job! Mike A [ 02 March 2001: Message edited by: atirns ]
OK guys, ready for some more?? Sure you are! Here is a camparison shot of my UP and SP B23-7. You may remember that in the last thread I showerd the finished SP unit against the not finished UP unit, well, now they are both done. Both have the correct details on them for the RR's. Here is a shot showing my new and partailly detailed SF C44-9W. It is also weathered. Here is a shot of the front of the C44. And that's it for now (I think).
Hi Craig, You are a very enterprising young man! I model HO & N. One thing I like about HO is that some detail mfgrs make 'detail kits' for specific engines. The one that comes to mind is specifically for the GE C44-9W's. You should consider this for N Scale, nobody else is doing it, so it might as well be you! Keep up the good work! 2slim
I have to agree Craig, detail kits is a excelent Idea, you could even do genaric kits, say for EMD or GE loco's Kevin
Thanks for the suggestions guys! Actually, I have thought about making detail part "kits". The one thing holding me back is qauntity. I am going to try and explain this as best I can. Let's say a store orders 10 of one part and there are three of the same part in one back, that means 30 different castings all together. It wouldn't take me that long to assemble the 10 bags with three things in them each. Here is the problem, it WOULD take me a TON of time to make up just one bag of a generic loco detail kit. Say it had: 2 cut levers 2 styles of ditch lights (4 all together) Sinclair Antenna Sunshades (2) Grab irons (at least 15)......etc. This adds up quikly. SO the issue is time. Right now it is more cost effective and less time consuming to do smaller bags. Sorry, but who knows what the future holds.
Craig, all that detail, and it goes to show you: 15, 23 *me* or 73, anyone can detail a diesel! SWEET job! If you did start making detail kits, let everyone know, cuz ppl like me are too cheep to buy 18 bags of details to detail one loco, and have leftovers that I don't know how to use. I have 2 Dash 9s, *one more coming, Thanks, Brent!!* and altho Kato did a swell job, they all can use some sprucing up. Even Overland's brass.. *as detailed as they are* Great job, and keep up the good work!!!
Craig, I've always wondered, how do you keep the grabs so uniform? I can't manage that in HO let alone N ! Do you use a jig? I guess you are a 'one man operation' then eh? I can see how that would be a bit difficult. I have a jig for the small grabs that I use in HO that a friend made for me. It's plastic and has a hole set in from the edge and a notch in the egde, then it has 2 holes to do the drop. You make a 90 in the wire slip it in the hole then use the notch for the other bend. Then you put the grab in the 2 holes, (not all the way down) then bend over the bent side, that forms the drop. Almost idiot proof!, (almost ) 2slim
Thanks Hemi! I do appreciate the feed back! 2Slim, Having uniform grab irons was not something I learned how to do over night. Here is how I do them: 1. Cut the .010 brass wire into the right lengths. 2. Bend them into the U or C shape (what ever you want to call it) and then bend in the drop.....I have a jig for doing all of this. 3. Take apart shell. 4. Remove cast on grabs with an exacto knife. 5. With a #80 or #79 drill bit, drill on either side of the grab (you can see where the old one was....so thats the jig I guess). 6. Next with toothless pliars or tweezers incert the grab. You can glue from the inside out if you would like. After they are all in, I push them as far in as they will go. Then I make them all level with my toothless pliars. Next I come back with my Exacto and push them out to the proper distance from the shell. And there you have it, uniform grabs. Take care!
Here are some close up detail shots to show you guys. First off, this is a photo of the last three locomotives I got done detailing/painting. The C44 in the middle is not done yet. This next pic shows all the wire detail on one side of the -9 truck. Here are two GP28 pics. I bashed this unit from a GP35. More work was involved than one might think.... brass fans and scratch built fan area. Enjoy guys.
Well, from 71 to 15, it isn't just a matter of age that makes a craftsman, part is skill, determination to succeed, attention to detail, and knowledge. I know you are doing well in school. Keep at it. For what your future holds in store, do not give up on education. You will do fine by keeping a handle on both your business and your continuing education. I'm proud of you, you do make the Best Looking Models Around! Don't forget the little strip of plastic to slip under all the grab irons, push all grabs tight against it, glue inside, then gently slip the plastic out, and all grabs have to be identically spaced fron the shell. Use paste wax on both sides of the plastic strip, polish, and it wont mark the paint when pulled out. Remember?
Nice tip, Watash! .010" brass wire? Is that as small as it gets? Not to nitpick too much, *your locos look soooooo much better than my stockers* but after painting them, they seem a bit out of proportion: the paint almost makes them too large in diameter. Is there something smaller on the market? Do you brush paint them after the glue cures? Do you use an airbrush?
Round wire is available down to .0040" diameter, but you need .006" for uncoupling lift bars. After air brushing, they will be about .008" which I think comes out to about 1.25" diameter in "N" scale. That wire is stainless, (hard to bend sharp cornered) and in "bright basic" steel, medium temper, rather easy to bend and can get a sharp bend. Rule of thumb is bend radius inside is not less than the diameter of the wire, and 2x diameter is prefered. In the shops, real grabs are sometimes forged, and handrails are heated and machine bent. The biggest problem I have with painting fine wire, is I never seem to have the time to thin my paint enough, so I get color without thickness. Craig probably has some trade secrets he uses, but that is his business and I doubt if you could choke it out of him, after all, that is one reason he makes the Best Looking Models Around! I like that slogan!
