Good Morning;

Looks like I am first at the club, I will get the coffee warmed up. The Boss is off with her girl friends this morning to golf and have lunch. That frees me up to get some air brushing of parts completed and watch some football this afternoon.

I woke up to cooler weather (for Florida) so can air the house out later as well. Hope everone enjoys the day.

Jim

Good Morning Wveryone;

Well Happy day before Thanksgiving in the US. Tomorrow we will be gathering with Deb's sisters, and neighbours. Deb's sister is truly a great cook so I am looking forward to the day.

As for today some yard work and bench-time. I might work on a HO truck that has been waiting to be finished. Other the that I hope it's a good day for everyone.

Jim

Since last I was able to post much has changed. I've learned a 3D CAD program called Tinkercad, have bought a large 3D resin printer, a 10 watt diode laser, foam cutter and had already acquired a paper draw and cut Cricut type machine.

With these new tools I have built a couple of prototype structures for the local museum, one was an Orange Packaging Company called Boyers and the other was the terminal for the Atlantic Coast Line in Leesburg, FL.





The Spanish tile roof of the building was 3D printed.





The windows, water tower and orange crates were 3D printed. The building was designed in Tinkercad and walls cut using 10 watt diode laser computer controlled.


With the rapid advances happening in both equipment available and electronics that can be used I thought I'd provide a thread on my next project highlighting the advantages these items provide in improving my modeling efforts. I will begin posting progress and equipment information tomorrow.

Folks welcome back! First, a big thank you to Craig Rusty for bringing the forum back to life. The forum is back running on its original forum programming. While Craig has been able to recover the vast majority of information some unfortunately is lost. However going forward we hope to have improved backups. I can not overstate how much work Craig put into this project.

Please read the welcome back post from Craig Rusty and look around the site. Consider this post the beginning of our daily coffee checkin. So let everyone know the site is up and running and lets get back to our great hobby and sharing ideas.

Thanks
Jim Donovan

I guess I will open today. You know being retired is sometimes like Groundhog Day (the movie). 

Not really much news for me to share. I did finished making a smoke generator using the heating coil of an e-cigarette. It functions well but looks like a homemade contraption. Now that I know what I'm doing I plan on designing a better container for the mechanism and have the 3D printer make it.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim D

Good Morning,

Well my Bucs lost so football season is over for Tampa. It was a great ending and fun to watch.

Too cold to work outside today so plan on train time. Coffee first. Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim D

Start of another week. I had plans to go to Massachusetts for the show this week but COVID, airline unpredictability, and bad weather make a lousy combination. Things sure look screwed up this year. That said life is still good and back to the modeling bench.

Hope everyone has a great week.

Jim D

Ahh, puppies, I forgot how they are like babies. Well they have been outside, both did their duty and were rewarded. Now eating so I have time to start the forum day.

Good Morning folks. Had family over yesterday for Turkey, football and cards. The puppies were the stars of course. Great day.

Today I hope to squeeze in some bench time. Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim D

9 am and I am opening? 

Good Morning from the Caribbean on this last day of December and last day of 2021. To say the year has been interesting is an understatement and 2022 looks, if anything, more challenging. 

So turning my back on world events I will show some of what I have worked on while bobbing around on a boat in the Caribbean. These are screenshots taken of Tinkercad showing the development of the roof parts that will make up the chemical factory roof (I am replacing current one):


Designing walls for windows for upper Cherestory


Showing view from inside Cherestory, looking for issues (like windows not seated correctly)


Finished Design. The windows are all the same so I did not drop all in place.

Well off to breakfast. Hope everyone has a great New Years Eve and here is praying that 2022
gets better and the world's leaders start acting like leaders..

Jim D

Good Morning Folks;

Another work week begins for those who it still matters. For me I had to check the calendar to confirm it was a Monday. Yesterday watched the Bucs win one that was about to get away, Buffalo has an extremely good time this year

Well time for coffee and figuring out what next. Hope everyone is healthy or on the mend.

Jim D

I guess I get to open. Today, rest, it hurts to move or cough. Hoping things are good for Tom and hoping everyone else has a great day.

Jim D

Well Guess I will open. I have been a little spotty on posts lately. Saturday I met up with Scott Hurley (Mercrr22) and Carl Smeigh to visit the Suncoast Fine Scale Modeling Center and have lunch together. We even had time to visit Carl's layout and get a peek at what he has been up to. Great company, great Modeling Center, incredible layout (in the making) and a Great Time. Hope to do it again sometime. Here are some photos at the Center.



S Scale Town





Have a great day folks.

Jim D

8:30 and I am the first? Well hi everyone. Plan to work on making windows with 3D printer today. Other then that 1:1 chores. Have a great day.

Jim D

Good Morning;

Looks like a late sleep in crowd today. Hope I did not offend anyone by saying Happy Halloween. I only mentioned it as a generic, non offensive, politically neutral.... Oh whatever, Happy Halloween.

We are enjoying nice outdoor weather so not much going on modeling related.  So here is today's ad from 1942.

Have a great day.

Jim D

It is 9 am so I guess someone needs to jump in and start the chat. Good Morning from Central Florida. Warm and sunny. I am continuing education on CAD and Arduino. Slowly beginning to understand and look forward to using the knowledge on the layout.  Hope everyone has a great Sunday.

Jim D

Good Morning;

Guess I have the honor of opening today. I'm first this morning at eye doctor to get left eye zapped. I was told I have 'narrow angles' which leads to a form of glaucoma. Right eye done last week, left eye's turn. Nice to know some issues can be fixed before they are an issue.

Hope everyone has a great day.

Jim D   

A friend asked me to create a sawmill scene as part of the local museum's operating layout located in Lady Lake Florida. The layout depicts the various high points of the local area as connected to the Atlantic Coast Line R.R.. The sawmill was called Hesters, was located one mile south of town, had a siding and operated until 1931.





The FSM #140 kit looks like a smaller version of the Hester Mill operation and due to size restrictions I decided to use it as the centerpiece of the scene.





At this point I have completed the mill and next need to set it on the layout and add the details to complete the scene.

Start on trip up north, hope everyone has a great day.

Jim D

Thought I would surprise everyone and open the day.  Not a lot to share. Wife visits the doctor for 'normal' stuff, a maintenance guy is coming to update our attic ladder with an electric version and I will be working on lighting up current project. All in all a great day. Hope the same is for you. Now for coffee and checking up on everyone else's postings. Here is a scene from a friend's layout to start the day:



Jim D

Wow, I get to open two days in a row. I guess this group is starting to enjoy their weekends!

Today the Boss and I will be joining the local Methodist church.  I've have been slowly working on Skeeters when time permits, days just fly by.

Hope all have a great weekend but thinking of those (John, Curt and all others ) dealing with someone's end of life.

Jim D