Since, A Long Time Ago, this started with the old Model Masterpieces plaster kit, I figured to continue the build in this forum, rather than Scratchbuilding.
The first part of the build is over on Kitforums.com: http://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1007
dave
For a long time, the kit sat on the layout. The walls were assembled, the track and inspection kits were assembled, and I got stuck on the floor. I finally got the floor to look right.
The next step is the roof. I cut a very thin plywood roof, but this has a bit of a warp to it. I want the roof to be removable, but I want maximum access to the locomotive bays (both to finish the interior, and in case a locomotive gets stuck. After pondering this for a while (I do -a lot- of "pondering" these days :-) ), I decided that the roof framing and posts would be fixed in place, and the plywood subroof would be removable. Some beams (running from front to back) would be glued to the plywood subroof, the rest of the roof would be permanently affixed to the structure. I have some small strong magnets I got for projects like this. I'll glue the magnets into the corners of the roof, and will glue little patches of 'magnetic calendar' cards on the subroof. The magnetic attraction should be strong enough to keep the roof in place, but allow me to remove it when necessary.
Anyway, I laid out the roof pieces on the subroof. I epoxied the outer pieces to the (plaster) walls (epoxy to be strong enough to resist any tear-out from the magnets.) Then I test fit, cut and adjusted (and recut too many times :-) ) the roof pieces. Here is the first 'ring' of interior roof pieces test fit in place.
Also, I cut and painted the posts and the supports that go under the roof framing. A postcard from Russ Panecki showed posts that were painted brown up to about 4', and then white up to the roof, which was unpainted. That's an interesting detail I'll use.
dave
Good to see you back at this. In China in 1995, the roundhouses I got into had white paint up to about 2m off the floor, then dark color (soot, or paint indistinguishable from it) above. I've seen similar in late steam era US roundhouse photos, I think it was a safety measure.
Hi Dave:
Went over the rest of the build on other forum. Looks great there. The Floor Looks Excellently done.
Karl
Yes that floor looks right, good work Dave
Quote from: Janbouli on October 19, 2015, 03:45:32 PM
Yes that floor looks right, good work Dave
Dave,
I agree with the others on the floor, dirty and nasty, just like it should be. I can't get on the other forum and no longer even try.
Tom ;D
The first row of posts are installed. Second row will go in tomorrow early.
dave
Looking sharp Dave!!!
All the posts are in. Now I'm working on the magnets for the removable roof.
dave
The idea for the removable roof is little magnets (http://www.kjmagnetics.com ) Here's a pair (you have to watch the polarity!!!) on the wall and roof. Once the epoxy is thoroughly dry, I'll put the roof on, and then try to pry it back off.
dave
Dave, I'm very happy to see you continuing this build. The floor looks good. I like the magnet idea.
Bob Harris
The magnets so far haven't worked as expected. I think they're too far apart. I'll add a spacer to move them closer together. I really don't want them touching, as the magnetic grip is too strong and I'm afraid I'll pull the magnets away from the roof/structure. Looks like 1/32 spacing should work, I had something like 3/16 between them.
But today I've been doing other things, so no updates.
dave
You should not need the magnets as a ply roof shoud be heavy enough to stay in place if correct keys are done. Personally I have moved to styrene for such projects as keys are easy to adjust as glue is drying and bracing is easy too being made of the same material.
The roof is very thin 1/64 plywood, and that's driven by the fact it's replacing thin cardboard sheets from the original kit (and there's a dado that the roof sits in, too thick and the roof would look funny.) I've had similar problems with warping in thin styrene. Of course, I don't want to glue the roof in place, because a loco might get stuck/derail inside the engine house. Once the kit is fully assembled, removing the roof should be a rare occurrence.
dave
Could one add a thin plastic "spacer" on top of one of the magnets to keep them from actually touching, but provide the grip you desire?
Quote from: Oldguy on October 22, 2015, 10:30:09 AM
Could one add a thin plastic "spacer" on top of one of the magnets to keep them from actually touching, but provide the grip you desire?
That's more-or-less what I'm going to do. I'll glue some 1/32" pieces on the roof, and then (re)glue the magnets onto those spacers. That should give me a 1/32" air gap between the roof magnet and the wall magnet.
dave
Finally, I got the magnets positioned correctly. You can sort of see how shallow the 'notch' is for the roof. Next step is to do the smokestacks, which will require the Roadmaster to decide if the locos are stored nose in or nose out. I'm thinking nose out, because they'll look better. Nose in was a bit more prototypical, that's why many RRs put big numbers on their tenders.
dave
Looking good dave ..... large numerals on the ass end of the tenders was it because all the crews wore glasses? 8)
Quote from: Donato on October 24, 2015, 04:45:42 PM
Looking good dave ..... large numerals on the ass end of the tenders was it because all the crews wore glasses? 8)
I was thinking to see them through the grime and steam, but your explanation certainly applies to me!
dave
Where nose-in was chosen, it was generally because that left more room to work on the rods, cylinders, valves etc. But it wasn't universal.
Dave good to see you back at this.
Coming along very nicely.
Jerry
Well, just when I thought things would get easy, I realized that the smokestacks (that need to be centered over the tracks) aren't parallel/perpendicular to any line on the roundhouse roof. So after much fiddling and measuring, and a bit of cursing, I marked the locations for the smokestacks on a cardboard roof mockup I had. I punched a hole and then ran a styrene dowel down to double check the location of each smokestack was actually centered on the track underneath.
dave
Dave
The build is looking great - I'm following along. Roundhouses are one of my favorite structures.
After some consulting with Slim Sartore (http://www.microlumina.com (http://www.microlumina.com)) , I did a mock-up of lighting for the roundhouse. This is 3 3mm flood LEDs mounted between stalls 5 and 6. He originally suggested 2x3 surface mounts, but said "those would probably be too bright." I have a fair amount more engineering to do on how I'll install them. I'll probably install them on the roof, and then I'll have to solve the problem of how to keep the roof removable wth the power feeds. (The cans of hair spray in the 2nd shot are only used to keep that temporary cardboard roof held down onto the structure.)
dave
I've found it possible to dim 3mm white LEDs somewhat by adjusting the dropping resistance, but the range is limited.
Quote from: jbvb on November 02, 2015, 08:28:01 AM
I've found it possible to dim 3mm white LEDs somewhat by adjusting the dropping resistance, but the range is limited.
I'm using current limiters instead of resistors, which make wiring a lot simpler... :-)
dave
I've got four current limiters on my layout, but there's no possibility of adjusting LED brightness with them.
Hi Dave:
Looking good. Like I said I really like your stonework. The colors are great.
karl
I decided to tackle the doors. The problem with the kit was the doors were too small for some larger late 19th/early 20th century locos. The prototype had this problem, and solved it by recutting (ugly!) square doors for two stalls. Instead, I "jacked up" the entire roundhouse by adding 1/4" stone foundation strips (From NE Brownstone.) But that meant the kit's doors (great Grandt Line castings) were too short. Fortunately, Walt Gillespie, Rusty Stumps Scale Models, has laser-cut doors of the correct width and arch shape. Walt redesigned these to add that 1/4".
The trim color on the SL&N is "German Uniform Gray/Feldgrau" (paint leftover from military modeling days.) I spraypainted the doors. Then the problem is how to hang them. Even if the doors aren not movable (i.e. if I glued them in place open), I still have to figure out how to attach them. The CM kit, probably following the prototype, has L shaped hinge pins that come from the stone, and the door hinges are set on those pins. I spent a frustrating weekend cutting a bunch of 1/16" pieces from .025 hollow stainless steel tubing. Those fit over .015 rod. You can make out the stainless hinge 'barrels' on the right side of the right door, top and bottom hinges.
dave
The other thing I've been working on is detail castings for the interior. Here's a top-down shot showing placement, and then a close-up showing one corner. The shelves are way too high above the table, but this is just trying to get a feel for how to arrange things.
The third project, roof and lighting, is awaiting some parts. So work continues, and for me, this is going at a fast pace.
dave
Dave
Love the details!
Dave,
The details look very natural in the roundhouse. I'm looking forward to the door installs.
Tom ;D
Hi Dave:
I agree with John and Tom. Looks just fantastic. I Especially like the inside shot wityh all the details.
Karl
Ditto to John, Tom and Karl.....!!!
I'll start this back up next week.... Thanks to everyone for the kind remarks and encouragement.
dave
I have assembled the other 6 doors, and started work on the hinges. The stainless tiny tube hinge barrels are all glued on, and I'm attaching the laserboard hinges. I'll drill through them for NBW castings.
dave
Hi Dave:
Doors are looking good. I like the green color.
karl
Quote from: postalkarl on December 07, 2015, 08:45:10 PM
Hi Dave:
Doors are looking good. I like the green color.
karl
Dave,
I agree, the doors look good green and I'm looking forward to seeing them in place.
Tom ;D
Hi Tom:
Ditto on that.
Karl
Doors are mostly weathered. I started with A&I to bring out the diagonal siding. Then I did Pan Pastel medium gray "ashes" along the top of the door and Pan Pastel burnt umber along the bottom for mud splashes. I did a raw umber (artist acrylic) wash to work the mud splashes in, and then did another coat of A&I to sharpen the lines and blend it all together. I'll add some highlights tomorrow, after the A&I is fully dry, and touch up the metal hinges.
dave
Hi Dave:
Very nice subtle job on the doors. Can't to see em installed.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on December 15, 2015, 01:56:17 PM
Hi Dave:
Very nice subtle job on the doors. Can't to see em installed.
Karl
Thanks Karl, I was hoping you'd provide some feedback/blessing :-) I'm a bit too close this to have good judgement.
dave
Hi Dave:
You are quite welcome. You're doing a lot better with this than I probably would.
Karl
I'm trying to install one, it's Not Easy. The fact that my damn superglue isn't gluing very well is not helping!!! Time to break out another bottle, I think. Too many independent variables (the L shaped hinge pin has to go vertically from the bottom in to the hinge barrel, and horizontally into the wall, x at least 2 hinges to make it work.) Frankly, I don't care if the doors move, but I do want them to look like they're hung from the hinges, rather than glued to the walls.
edit 1 down, 13 to go!
dave
Those doors look fantastic Dave , keep the progress coming.
Would it work in this case to tack with a little contact cement (or Goo), then secure permanently with ACC?
Quote from: jbvb on December 17, 2015, 02:18:13 PM
Would it work in this case to tack with a little contact cement (or Goo), then secure permanently with ACC?
That's exactly what I did (or tried to do!) Seems my CA has gone bad. So last night I cracked open a new container of CA, and in the process some squirted out and hit me in the face. Fortunately, I had glasses on, but I could sense some burn in one eye from a drop that got on my cheek. At that point, I decided it was A Good Thing to step away from the workbench.
I have a priority project (Rich Brungard's new HOn30 boxcars, I'm writing instructions for the kit), so this goes back on the back burner for a couple of days.
dave
Dave,
We're all glad you were wearing glasses. Just the fumes from the CA will in fact burn your eyes. We used it in the processing of fingerprints off items that couldn't be dusted with the latent powders. We found out the next day when we entered the evidence locker that the fumes from the CA were still toxic even after overnight. Of course, our room was secure and we didn't think to turn on the ventilation system. ??? ??? ???
Tom ;D
For some reason, 'evidence locker' reminds me of something I always wanted to do:
1. Go to a law enforcement supply store and buy evidence bags.
2. Go to a shooting range and dig out a bunch of slugs.
3. Put a slug in a bag, and when someone says something stupid, hand the bag to him, saying, "Here, have a clue!"
dave
A couple more doors installed, before the frustration level exceeded my tolerance. (Lost hinge pins, broken drill bits, hinge barrels coming unglued, dirty Optivisor, light that isn't quite where it needs to be, etc, etc, etc.)
Still, this is progress!
dave
The trick, now, is to leave it undisturbed until the stars (and your energy) are aligned right for more progress.
Quote from: deemery on December 17, 2015, 06:41:25 PM
For some reason, 'evidence locker' reminds me of something I always wanted to do:
1. Go to a law enforcement supply store and buy evidence bags.
2. Go to a shooting range and dig out a bunch of slugs.
3. Put a slug in a bag, and when someone says something stupid, hand the bag to him, saying, "Here, have a clue!"
dave
Dave,
Now, that's really funny. I like it!
Actually evidence bags are just plain brown paper bags and sealed with LE evidence tape. The recovered slugs are placed in small glass bottles.
We had a few slugs on the department but they eventually got fired/terminated.
Tom ;D
Quote from: ACL1504 on December 29, 2015, 09:05:22 AM
Quote from: deemery on December 17, 2015, 06:41:25 PM
For some reason, 'evidence locker' reminds me of something I always wanted to do:
1. Go to a law enforcement supply store and buy evidence bags.
2. Go to a shooting range and dig out a bunch of slugs.
3. Put a slug in a bag, and when someone says something stupid, hand the bag to him, saying, "Here, have a clue!"
dave
Dave,
Now, that's really funny. I like it!
Actually evidence bags are just plain brown paper bags and sealed with LE evidence tape. The recovered slugs are placed in small glass bottles.
We had a few slugs on the department but they eventually got fired/terminated.
Tom ;D
Or exterminated ....
(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fthebugskiller.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2014%2F06%2Fexterminator.jpg&hash=0995d0a3a643ba19ec5a776a5568b106eb6f439b)
The roundhouse doors are hung! This was very stressful, so I'm glad it's finished. Now I need to touch up the stonework and interior/floor, glaze and install the windows, and then start on the roof lighting project.
dave
I feel for you about the door hanging. I have trouble hanging a real door, so getting it perfect in HO scale is 87 times harder.
Quote from: martin.ojaste on January 03, 2016, 11:26:04 PM
I feel for you about the door hanging. I have trouble hanging a real door, so getting it perfect in HO scale is 87 times harder.
Hanging the door on both pins is kinda like threading two needles at the same time :-)
dave
Hi Dave:
It looks great. Doors look fine to me. Although I can imagine it was quite the job.
Karl