Here’s the lastest, in from the ‘collective’. Please do keep them coming!
“I do appreciate the time you take and the information that you pass along.
So, I thought I would let you and the other readers know of something I have been doing.
Most home health stores and/or pharmacies receive in the shipping cartons for their lift chairs
two blocks of polyfoam, guessing it is polystyrene, that which I have gotten, measures 3″x4″x29″.
I have used it in pretty basic landscaping and it works well. My biggest pleasure is that I can
have all I want and free, because otherwise the rest is trashed.
Bill”
“I use free styrofoam. You know the stuff they use for packing. It comes in verious shapes, sizes and thickness. Carve it to shape then paint. I use spray paint to make it look like rock or granite. Vakspar Stone looks like grannit and Krylon has different colors in theiir “Make it Stone!” Both paints are Premium Enamel and they do not harm the styrofoam in any way.
Wayne”
“When building mountains and hills I use Oatmeal (as in Quaker) to create texture. It’s inexpensive and easy to do and it dries hard as rock.
Marc”
“Al,
I attach the anode of a red LED to the cathode of a green LED and then attach the other ends together.
I put a 800 ohm resister on one end (series)and attach them to a track.
When the train travels one direction, the green LED lights. When traveling in the other direction, the red LED lights.
It’s an automatic switching signal powered by the track voltage and polarity.
–Ben”
“Here’s an old way to produce hills. Get several sheets of news print, but of the blank page kind. Soak them in water into which a small quantity of flour has been added. While wet, drape the sheets over a rough frame built from scrap wood stock and screen wire. Let dry.
Then color, using a water based dye, or water paints.
I learned how to do this from reading an old issue of Model Railroader, circa 1937.
Deranged Dragon 99”
“Hi Al,
Modelling Clay is ideal for making model railway scenery especially mountains, and if the clay is brown or terracotta it does not matter if it gets chipped after it has been painted.
To plant trees on the clay mountains and hills after the clay has set, drill a small hole and put a drop of super glue on the bottom of the tree and install.
Paul”
” I use real tree branches to make trees for my o scale layout. Bunch them like a real tree, and wire them together. Put some crayola air-dry clay on it for the trunk. Paint it brown. Trim any wire that is exposed-try to put it where it will not show. Then use a glue gun/glue to apply elk fern on the branches to make it look like a real tree. These can be made any size, or any way you like them to be. You should make a base as well, or use some other way to keep them upright. I always get a lot of compliments on them! Trim the branches to lengh with a pruner or wire cutter.
Cudds”
“Bark from trees such as oak or ash will make good rock faces.
Stewart”
“Not modelling directly, but this may help someone:
A lot of modellers use an electric soldering iron and get frustrated when the copper bit gets dirty and/or corroded with use, needing frequent “re-tinning”.
A way to eliminate this is to remove the bit from the iron and give it a protective coating of silver solder, a.k.a. silver-brazing alloy. Use an SBA with a minimum of 35% silver content.
SBAs come in 35, 45 and 50% silver – any of these will do. You won’t need much, as you’re only coating the operating end.
If you don’t know about silver-soldering – you have to clean off the bit down to shiny copper, coat with SBA flux (a paste of wetted borax powder also works), heat to a dull red with an LPG torch (until the flux melts and looks like clear water) then apply the SBA rod until it flows onto the bit. Allow to cool naturally.
Replace the bit in the iron, re-heat, “tin” with soft solder and use as normal. The bit will come clean with a wipe on a wet pad but not corrode any further.
Note: Be sure to clean the copper bit down to shiny copper before coating with SBA flux as soft solder will take on top of the SBA, but the SBA will not coat the bit if any soft solder or scale remains on the surface.
Dave.”
“put automatic transmission fluid on the tracks to increase electrical contact and reduce the need to clean the tracks just apply.
James”
“Hi Al,
Tip: If you ever find the need to clean the leaves out of your eaves trough, look on the bottom of the gutter.
If you have an asphalt roof you will find little stones that have come off the shingles.
Black stones make great coal loads, brown and grey can be used for ballast.
Best of all, it’s free.
Have a great modeling day!
“Never make any print out scenery flat. Always recess it – it’s amazing the difference it makes – as this picture here proves.
Er….me. Al.”
Joking aside, if you look at the pictures of the green house made from the print out scenery, and compare it to the pictures of the blue and yellow houses, they are worlds apart. My boy is making up some new ones to show the difference.
Don’t forget to have a look at his latest edits on the ebay cheat sheet. You’ll save a fortune.
Best
Al
