2010 Archives
December 2010
Styrene Cement
The question often arises as to the best type of solvent to use for styrene cement. Instead of using dedicated cement in a bottle (right in photo) plain lacquer thinner (left in photo) works just as well. Lacquer thinner is readily available at any hardware store and is much, much less expensive. For gluing large areas I pour the lacquer thinner into an old metal jar lid and apply it with a large brush. For smaller model parts I just apply it with a small old paint brush.
November 2010
Dock Bumpers
One of the more commonly found details on modern structures are dock bumpers located on platforms in front of freight doors. The real ones are constructed of old tires, cut into squares and bolted together into pads two or three feet long. Unfortunately, this detail is not presently available as a commercial part. The good news is that they are fairly easy to make. Start by picking up some .100" x .156" styrene strip (Plastruct part number 90777). Take one strip out of the pack and make a few quick sandpaper passes along the corners to slightly round them. Next, take a razor saw and, using your thumb as a guide, run a series of closely spaced serrations along the top, front, and bottom of the strip. Once you get the hang of it, this grooving process goes pretty quickly. With the grooves complete, cut the strip into 1/4" long pieces. Lay the pieces flat and spray them with Rustoleum dark gray primer. That's all there is to it, glue them in place and you are good to go.
October 2010
Parts Organization
In years past my system for organizing parts and tools was 'informal' to say the least. For the most part it consisted of keeping the items in drawers and assorted boxes. Further adding to the disorganization was my habit of removing parts from their factor packaging and then discarding that packaging. I eventually came to my senses. Rather than re-creating the wheel, I just copied the system most retailers use on their display racks. I purchased some peg board and hooks and mounted the board on the wall. Rather than discarding the factory packaging I now leave all of my unused parts in the package and mount the packages on the peg board. I also picked up some parts drawers from the hardware store to keep track of those items that are loose and out of the package.
September 2010
Assembling Modular Structures
When assembling structures from modular panels it's important to keep them in alignment as you work. This is sometimes easier said than done. I've found it easier if you use the following technique: Lay a sheet of wax paper on your work surface. Occasionally your plastic cement or will ooze out, un-noticed, underneath the panels you are gluing. The paper keeps the panels from sticking to your work surface. Clamp a large metal carpenter's angle on top of the work area. For styrene, I use lacquer paint thinner for adhesive. Using an old brush wipe the thinner on the edges of the panels and firmly push them together. Place the first panels in the elbow of the angle and firmly push it to the end. Just do two panels at a time. Add panels working towards the end of the wall until you're done.
August 2010
Cable Tackers
Here's a handy tool that makes quick work of cleaning up your wire runs. It's called a 'Cable Tacker' and is available at most hardware stores including The Home Depot. Essentially a cable tacker is a modified staple gun. The specialty staples have cups in a variety of sizes so as not to crimp or crush the wire. Just put the tacker over your wire run, pull the trigger and it is neatly tacked up under the layout.
July 2010
Cleaning an Airbrush
In order to get optimal performance from an airbrush it's important that you keep it clean. The internal passageways of the brush are very small and prone to clogging if not kept clean. I clean the brush after every use. After completing your painting project, pour any paint remaining in the airbrush paint cup back into the paint bottle. Continue to run the brush until no paint comes out. Take a Q-tip or paper towel and wipe the walls of the paint cup clean. Next, you want to spray your brush cleaner through the system. For acrylic paints I use Windex, for solvent paints I use lacquer paint thinner. Pour your cleaner into the paint cup, turn on your compressor and spray until the cleaner coming out the end is completely clear. At this point, the internal passageways are still not completely clean. Turn off the compressor, remove the needle and brush tip from the brush (this takes just a few seconds), pour some additional cleaner in your now clean paint cup and drop the needle and tip into the paint cup holding the cleaner. Squish it around a bit. Finally, take a mascara brush and gently run it through the large end of the needle, the spout of the paint cup, and the wide end of the tip. Granted this cleaning process is a bit of a pain but it goes quickly once you get the hang of it. You'll be rewarded with longer parts life and a finer mist performance from the air brush.
June 2010
Track Color
Our track will be front and center in our line of sight as we watch our trains traverse the layout. That being the case, getting the color right is worth the effort. Track falls into two general categories, highly detailed products such as Micro Engineering, and less detailed products such as Atlas and Walthers. If you are going with the less detailed products, as many of us do, you'll notice that the details (the spike heads in particular) are somewhat over size. To downplay the problem of out of scale details, lean towards the darker side of the color pallet. To get this look, spray the rail first with Floquil Roof Brown. Follow up with a dusting of Floquil Grimy Black. The order is important, brown first, grimy black second. Make sure to wipe your rail heads clean before the paint dries!
May 2010
Matte Medium
One of the more useful adhesives available to the scenery modeler is matte medium. In dilute form it is useful for securing track ballast and soils. Spraying it over your trees and grass does wonders for holding the vegetation together and making it last longer. Matte medium is surprisingly strong and has the advantage of drying without a sheen. This lack of a glossy surface is one reason I prefer it over dilute white glue when securing track ballast. Application can be done either with a dropper or spray mister depending on your needs. In the past I used to try to save a few dollars by mixing my own batch. I've now come to the conclusion that the pre-mixed variety from Scenic Express is preferable (part number EX 0020). The Scenic Express product is free of globs and lays down better on surfaces. Here's the link.
April 2010
Simple Masks
Masking tape is the old standby for shielding areas we don't want painted, covered with scenery, etc. For large areas though it can be time consuming to apply. Some applications don't require the precision that masking tape edges provide. If you are just applying some scenery and want to shield the surrounding area, want to tough up a large surface with rattle can spray paint, etc. simply use shop rags as a shield. These rages can be purchased very cheaply in bulk from many hardware stores. Just drape the rag over the area in question to protect it. Lightly moistening the rag will make it easier to push down the rag edges if necessary.
March 2010
Black Artists Pencils
A quick and handy technique for adding cracks to sidewalks and pavement is by using black artists pencils. Sharpened to a fine point, they can create thinner hairline cracks than most pens and also offer a fair degree of control. You can also get creative with the pencils and use them to create subtle shadows to cracks and crevices on freight cars, structures, etc.
February 2010
Adhesive For Cork Roadbed
I'm frequently asked what the best adhesive is for gluing down cork roadbed. Upon the recommendation of a friend I tried something new, Dap Adhesive Caulk. I love it. Adhesive caulk is very forgiving to work with and has enough working time to allow adjustments in the alignment of the cork. Simply lay a bead of caulk where you will be placing the cork, put on a latex glove and smear it around a bit, and then firmly press the cork in place. That's it.