Evening folks!

Not much interesting to report. Working on building a new website to get away from the lousy hosting service (Square / Weebly) that I currently have. 

-slim

Afternoon all,

I've been travelling through the web security wormhole filling out False Positive Report forms to the various keepers of website blacklists. Hopefully, fewer people will get blocked from www.railroadkits.com (which incorrectly gets tagged as a phishing site).

Other than that, it's back to the day job and I still gotta unload the truck.

-slim

Morning

No worries coffee drinkers - I got ya covered. But it's black so bring your own condiments, accoutrements and whatever other gear you need to make your caramel mocha latte soy double whatchamacllit. 

-slim

Back from Timonium. Two weekends in a row of super-spreader events. 

I think it's bench time for a while. 

-slim

Happy Groundhog Day!

Not sure if Hallmark has a card for that but I wouldn't bet against it.

As we know, I haven't been in these here parts in a while so I figured I would stop in and open things up for once. We have some fresh baked biscotti that Lisa made. Better get some before Greg checks in.

The truck is loaded up for Timonium. Actually, the truck has remained loaded this past week since we just came from Springfield. If anyone is in the area, I hope you stop by and say hi! We have some free leftover fresh defective Mallo Cups that we picked up in Altoona on the way to Springfield last week. We have some other - model related stuff - for sale at the show but they don't taste as good. Although some may argue that point.

TGIF!

-slim

You know something? 
A LOT of stuff happened within the past five years. Just sayin'

Got some catching up to do...

-slim/Bill/whomever

Doug,


Sorry I didn't see this sooner. I haven't been "foruming" as much because I'm working on those instructions. Seriously. Lisa is after me to finish my Clinic in a Box project and every day she asks if she can do anything for it.


Anyways...It looks like you've got all the fixins. The mag wire for HO in your stash is 38 ga.


I depart from Ngineering's instructions in that I use Tichy reflectors because 1) I like the shape better, 2) they already have a hole in them, 3) they're probably already in the structure kit that you're making and if not... 4) they're cheap. They just need enough paint on them to cut out the translucence.


I use about a 3/4" length of tubing for a gooseneck or use a longer length if you want to make something to fit over a sign or whatever. I cut the tubing by moving a sharp #11 blade back and forth as the tubing rolls underneath it. A little score mark is all you need and you can just snap the tubing at the score mark. If you cut through - no worries. A sharp pushpin can be used to open the end of the tubing if it got squeezed.


Basic steps (using Tichy reflectors):


1) Solder the wires to the LED and test (soldering the LED is whole 'nuther subject that I'll get into)


2) Thread the wires through the tube and put a spot of CA glue at the end of the tube where the LED is. This keeps the tube from slipping along the wires and locks it in place.


3) After shooting the inside of the Tichy reflectors with some white spray paint, thread the LED/tube assembly through the whole in the reflector.


4) Secure the LED/Tube to the reflector with a little drop of epoxy. Epoxy works better (than CA) at holding the tubing to the reflector and forms a nice little protection for the LED. Just be careful that the tube doesn't creep out of the reflector while the glue is drying.


-note - when I make a batch of goosenecks I might make about 18 or so at a time. Tichy reflectors come six on a sprue so I might set myself up to make four or five sets of six in an evening. I keep the reflectors on the sprue when when gluing them. I have all the tubes threaded through the reflectors then mix up a little batch of 15 minute epoxy. I pinch six tubes between my fingers and make all six of them stick out of the reflectors a little bit - enough for me to get a little blob onto the led and the tube. THEN I pull the tubes back so that the epoxy gets up into the neck of the reflector. Set this aside and make sure the tubes don't move while the glue sets. After about a half an hour they should be set up but I don't handle them until the next day so that the epoxy cures nice and hard.


5) Cut the reflectors from the sprue and bend the tube to your heart's content. Use round-nose pliers, a gooseneck bending jig or form the tube over a small screw - the threads on the screw keep the tube in place and prevent it from collapsing. Test the light. If it doesn't work, toss it or keep it as a dummy light. Stuff happens.


6) Put a little drop of CA glue at the end of the tube where the wires come out. This keeps those wires from rubbing against the edge of the tube.


7) Pour yourself a beverage of choice. You deserve it.




Hope that helps.


-slim

When I glue the plastic lamp shades to the metal tubing when making gooseneck lights I use 15 minute epoxy. Since I make a bunch of lights at a time the 15 minute stuff has a decent pot-life. But it takes way more than 15 minutes for a solid, non-sticky cure.


I've also tacked stuff with super glue then reinforced with epoxy - where possible. For really fine stuff like gluing marker lights or handrail stanchions onto a loco I use super glue. Epoxy would be too clunky for that.


-slim 

This was my first kit that I made when I started to get into lighting. I remember having to use rectangular brass tubing epoxied to the inside of the walls to get and keep them straight. I made the clerestory out of Tichy windows because the big lump of clear resin that they used in the kit was getting a bit yellow.


Looking good Bob!




-slim

Well done!

-slim

Quote from: jimmillho on November 20, 2018, 10:27:27 AM
]

At least it won't catch fire

Great job Tom.

Jim

Are you SURRRRE of that Jim?


-slim 

Attaboy! Two thumbs up Tom.


-slim

I think you forgot to do the ketchup bottles and napkin dispensers Tom.


You never can have too many of those! 


-slim

I think the only kit manufacturers that had decent "working" plans were Campbell, S.S. Limited and Builders in Scale.


FSM, SRMW and SWSM had/have excellent instructions but they don't have plans like the above mentioned manufacturers -templates for sub assemblies perhaps but not plans.


-slim

Interior light looks nice and even Tom.


I like the paper towel idea. Hot spots can be challenging.


-slim