Good Morning;

Thought I would stop by and see what is happening. Thanks for the breakfast, it is way more than I normally have! Central Florida is overcast this morning but you can feel just a tich of the coming fall in the air. I need to work with the advantage Heath Care company today, they are making changes so need to find out what is up. I have been working each day a little on the bench model, this one a pickle factory. I hope to get it done for the Sunshine Region NMRA convention. It would be the last needed for the AP Structures category I decided years ago to work towards. Well off for another coffee. Sounds like lots happening. 

Jim

Good Evening Folks;

Besides modeling I do a fair amount of stock research and investing. I took some time tonight to pull up Kader's numbers. Keep in mind this is a Hong Kong based business running under China law and frankly their financial reporting is shall we say 'loose'. The company's profit margins are in line for a business of this type but their operating expenses completely overwhelm the gross profits. Their detail breakdown of what these expenses are leave a lot to be desired but they took a jump a couple of years ago, no reason I can see why. The firm has been losing money for past four years but was at one time very profitable. The stock itself is a penny stock trading under .20 HK dollar at this point. So what is going on? Very hard to say. They had enough cash on hand to operate for about 6 months in their December report but they are still going so new funding must have been found or they have cut costs dramatically. Bachmann is a division and I saw no report on them in my quick review.

Jim

Thanks Mike and Rick;

So today I was able to complete the electric lighting. I designed the posts hollow so that the wall lighting would run inside the posts. I draped the wiring on the ceiling lights as it would look. in 1912. The outer parts of the buildings are done except for detailing and signage. So here is how the structures look put together and with the interior in front and buildings behind. I still need to complete the interior for the packing room (middle) and a little more for the office building. Interior signage also needed for all three. Looks like only one building has a light leak easy to fix. Next up all the plumbing and platforms needed for when the train arrives!

Jim

Hi Mike;

Using real glass does produce amazing results, it reflects like only glass can. Using pastels or chalks sparingly can produce the dirty look you want. There are threads here on the foram that show how to cut the microscope slip covers. Working in. O gauge you may need to get the bigger size 22 x 50 mm, they are available on Amazon. Cutting the glass requires a Standard Tool #88 with carbon tip. If you don't want to go though the learning curve on cutting glass clear thin styrene cut to shape works fine, same thing getting it dirty use chalks and if you want the matt finish look use AK matt varnish. It works well at keeping the caulk colors and locks them in place. I use an air brush to brush it on. If you don't want anyone to see through the glass and make it cloudy dirty spray the inside of the 'glass' with dullcote, it works great at cloudying clear plastic or glass. Below is a night photo of basement windows in glass I sprayed with dullcote. The one in the middle was not sprayed so you see the difference.



Good Luck

Jim

Well better late than never I guess;

Checking in to say hi. Not as hot as it has been and sunny does not look like rain today. I did my chores, made progress on a model, even made some money in the stock market!. 

Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim

Morning Dan and everyone that follows:

Great pictures. Today day starting out around 75 heading to 90 I guess, some storms likely but overall a nice day. I actually have a photo to share today. This is the delivery truck that delivered when I was growing up in Scottsville New York outside of Rochester. The idea of niome delivery of food has been around for some time. Oh, that is Shorty himself as you can see. The place is now a pizza house I include it here as well.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim

A nice late summer day in Florida. Sun is out but popcorn clouds starting to build. I got the morning chores done, did some half hearted work on the bench now just sitting. Just not sure what I want to get into so sitting. Anyhow hope everyone has a great day,

Jim

PS Great Photo Dan

Tom;

We have all been thinking of you, glad you are making progress,hang in there.

Jim

Good Afternoon Folks;

I have been away from the Forum for about a week so just catching up. I see Tom is back, great seeing you Tom! I had a friend from Michigan stay with us for a week and this past week I have just been catching up on stuff, no excuse for not checking in but oh well. I watched my AAA farm club team the USF Bulls win yesterday. In the 'old' days we called it college football, now that they are paid to play and jump from team to team every six months I guess they are a farm club at large for the NFL. We had a 7th year 'senior' playing on the offensive line. I wonder if they still have to go to class or does that get in the way of practice?

I have been still working on my pickle factory project. Hope to have the outsides of buildings done this week. Tried to make Gooseneck lights and finally figured out the magnet wire on LEDs were too thick, oh brother. 

Anyhow, hope everyone has a great Sunday.

Jim

Good Morning;

Same in Florida today as yesterday, muggy warm and afternoon thunder. I have done a little work on my pickle factory each day but need to pick up the pace. Still it is fun just to see progress. Hope everyone enjoys a great day.

Jim

Good Morning Jamie and all who follow;

Love the picture!  We had our normal thunderstorm yesterday and Axica says more of same today. I had a friend since childhood visit for a week so most of our time was spent seeing the area attractions. This week it will be back to the normal flow. I intend to make some good progress on the project on the bench and perhaps even get some time working on the layout itself. More important to the wife is it is now Football season! She loves her Detroit Lions and roots for the Bucs as well since that ios my home team. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend and as well as the day ahead.

Jim

Good Morning;

Great photos! I have been off line for a few days as we have company this week. Expect to get back into the flow tomorrow afternoon. Weather here is Florida in the summer. It has been an interesting week but ready to get back to normal. Have a great day.

Jim

Finally we come to the office building. It is made completely using 3D printing and was designed using Tinkercad. It will be three floors with staircases ,wall lighting and all the normal office 'stuff'. The 3D printed interior framing can be seen easily in the photo. The left side is the interior framing. Next to it is the 'basement base' It will have lighted windows. The wall shell is 2 mm thick which will also be how thick the windows and doors are so everything is flush. Far right is the roof.


Jim

The middle packaging building has the 3D shell and using 1 x 4 wood I made the battens to complete the wall look. The floor and interior ceiling will also be wood, the rest 3D printed parts.

Adding to the 3D printing of shells I have a photo below showing the main buildings that will make up the pickle factory. The storage building is the one I have already shown and is essentially done. Like the other two buildings it is made so the building can be lifted revealing the entire interior in some detail. 3D printing allows the basic interior walls with supports to be made in one piece, and even allows the supports to be hollow so you can run the wiring for lights though it.