I first used a hot gun to strip paint off, but found this technique really slow. Then I switched to chemicals which has worked much faster. But the wood has been turned in a lathe to give it character, I don't know how to say what has been done to them, but it makes for stripping a very slow process. Today for example, I spent about an hour on the last leg, and got one quarter done. Then I have to fill it with wood putty, where it was connected before, sand, etc. Then when all the sanding etc. is done, I can paint them.
Rick, Why don't you just drop these legs off at a professional stripping place? From your reports, it seems like you're working with hazardous materials for about $.025/hour. Pete
Greetings all okay a much delayed week 2/3/3.5 update I don't even know if this counts, but anyway.. Having been told, just as I was about to start getting the benchwork done that the company is going to move, which means a relocation for me sometime in the next 12 months. Soooooooo I decided, thanks to others on this board that I would do a mini-layout based on the Woodland Scenics Scenic Ridge layout. This way I can run trains and it will be moveable, and I will modify the track plan so it can form one end of my empire, when I am moved and settled.. whenever that may be. Anyway, after all this messing around, I still managed to do some modelling and started a kit I had waiting in a cupboard. This is the result... Hey.. at least it is FOR a model railway Anyway, I am quite pleased with the result... PS in the background you can catch a glimpse on the workbench of my Gunderson Maxi III set awaiting transfers this weekend. P.S. The Woodland Scenics kit is ordered, so we will see what happens.. looks like I may get to start my layout soon in some form Regards
No progress for me this week, still looking at half finished benchwork. At least i tracked down a source of extruded polystyrene for the benchtop, not easy to find in this country. Will buy some tomorrow. Also will buy some CDROM drives from a PC wrecker. Why? the micro motors they reputedly have inside. I'm motorising a crane car. My excuse for no progress? We have been out of town communing with the real thing
Perhaps this is a silly question, but why strip them? If you're painting the legs anyway, why not just give them a good sanding and then paint over the old paint?
Hoss, They were from an Arts Club who was getting rid of them, they were used in theatre productions. They had so many layers of paint poorly applied and so many holes in different parts of the wood that needed repairing (wood putty) that stripping them seemed to be the route to go. In theatre productions, because set director knows that the audiance sits far enough away that they can't see the quality of the paint job, the speed of the paint job is more important than the quality. So what if the paint runs and there are rough spots. And many items are often painted over something like 15 times before recycling.
Graham, I know where you're coming from. My company did that when I was well into a garden railway. My 'benchwork' was 20 tons of fill plus a ton of stone I had imported and made into a mountain with two long tunnels through it . My new HO is very much modular and freestanding - I may even exhibit it if I ever get near 'finishing' it I do like the water in your harbor . I really thought it was part of your layout at first - it's a good color for 'industrial' water.
Hi Guys: A few pic's of what I did this week. This weekend I will be out of town so no work for me. Not sure what I want to do with this upper level area. Any ideas????????
UP Mike, I take it that these are pics from the second half of your benchwork? In trying to help you answer the question of what should go in the upper level area. What kind of frieght are you going to model on the layout ? I would think about some type of switching activity there. and yes I agree 90 MACs would like a little out of place on a 10" turn. I hope to get some work done on my own plan this weekend, so I will be able to jion you in posting.
Hi DWaneet: I will be running intermodal/box's/acf hoppers. My last change of track plan has No track on the upper level. I was thinking just to make a small town????
Hi Mike With hills either side as you have, looks like a lovely area to dig out, and lay in a wooded river valley with a wonderful bridge across it But thats me Regards
With hills either side as you have, looks like a lovely area to dig out, and lay in a wooded river valley with a wonderful bridge across it But thats me Regards </font>[/QUOTE]Here is three old pic's of that area
UP Mike, A small town would work fine however if you a a branch line to the area it would give you more operational diversity Small towns need rail service too
Although I have not been officially participating in the party, I have been inspired to get some work done. It is difficult not knowing how long it take to get from A to B, so I don't have any idea how much I can get done in a certain amount of time, let alone how much I will get done (leason learned from the six week challenge). I just wanted to say "Thanx Rick" for building a fire under my butt and getting me back to work. You have the gift of being both inspirational and motivational.
Glad I was helpful in some way. I have a confession to make. I have never finished my projects for the layout party by the end of the party. Usually I get about 1/2 way or 2/3's of the way through when it is done. But once that much is finished, it is easy to continue motivated until it is finished. Some of things I have done, I've never done before so its easy to say I'll do this and that, only to discover I was wildly optimistic about how short of time I would need. The real purpose of the party is fellowship and motivation.
Rick, I have developed a fairly reliable method for calculating 'project' time. 1/ Work out all the tasks you need to do. 2/ Carefully estimate how long each one will take. 3/ Add the times together. 4/ Multiply by 3. I used to multiply by 2, but experience showed it wasn't enough. 3 seems to work for me - I rebuilt the bathroom last year and I was within 10% timewise
UpMike, I have a question concerning the bridge that you have pictured. I just installed one of these this week. I noticed you have a white underlayment and it looks like you laid flex track over the bridge. Didn't it come with track on the base of the bridge? If so, why did you decide to overlay it with flex?
I might be able to answer that for you. You probably have the Atlas bridge, which includes track. I believe what Mike has there is the Micro Engineering bridge, which comes with nothing except for the side girders (which would explain the white underlayment AND the flex).
Weekly report: Last week I said: "Wife is back Monday night, so I hope to get more done next week. Targets for next week:- Build the fiddle yard (just a shelf and two tracks), Get most of the rest of the coke complex built and decorated." Wife came back with badly twisted ankle - all swollen and bruised, but x-ray showed no breaks - and had to rest up all week. So I had to look after cat, daughter and wife . Plus another busy week at work, with mucho overtime. The money's nice but it does do-do for my modelling - I'm thinking of trading some of my kits for rtr . Anyway's wife is getting better and today (Saturday) I did a lot of the fiddle yard construction. I have actually increased the complexity of this a bit so I expect it to take 2 days instead of one. Hope to finish it tomorrow if the roof is still on the house - very windy here tonight. Next week is definitely the coke plant - maybe
