Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on March 27, 2016, 05:13:31 PM
I needed a shelf for the switches for the yard to sit on.  I also needed to make sure it was wide enough to hold my favorite beverage containers.

Jeff

Cool!  We often forget to design shelves and cupholders in place for the operations crew or the gandy dancers to use.


dave

I have the same depth perception problem with my OptiVisor.  For modeling, I have 'special cheap glasses.'  I'm very near-sighted.  The modeling glasses are cheapo bifocals in cheapo (Wal Mart) frames.  The top of the bifocals is my reading prescription, the bottom is 'reading + 1.50'.  With the top, I have good vision from about 15"-25", from the bottom I get about 10" - 20".  To see closer up, I take my glasses off and can focus down to about 4".  But with these on, I literally can't see past the end of my arm.  I have glasses case glued to my drafting table light over the work bench, and that's where they live. When I have the modeling glasse on, my regular glasses go into that case, so I always know where they are.  And the modeling glasses are on a 'granny strap' so they can hang on my chest when I put the regular glasses on temporarily (e.g. when I'm looking for something on a shelf in the train room.)


dave

Dr Jeff, do you have 'doctor glasses' like my dentist and some surgeons use for their close-in work?  I visited the dentist earlier this week and was talking to her and the hygenist about their 'loupes' (including the cost, $3k) and how much they liked them.


dave

Tom, if you go with scanning the instructions, think about including 2 rulers on the scan (one vertical, the other horizontal).  That way there's a reference to make sure the scan and the subsequent print-out can be checked for accuracy.


It's important to do this in both dimensions, I had a couple of printers that printed 100% in one dimension, but 96% in the other.  That was back in the previous millennium, but it's better to be safe than find out the hard way your printer has this problem.


dave

For beginners, nothing beats a Campbell kit's instructions.  FSM instructions are really like a course in scratchbuilding and particularly finishing.  I've learned some useful tips from FOS and Bar Mills instructions.  I've never built a South River kit, and only looked at a Sierra kit.  (Anyone have used/surplus South River instructions they'd like to donate to me?)


I've also written (drafted) some kit instructions for a couple of projects.  There's a tension between providing too much information (including some concerns about printing costs and 'will your book of instructions fit in my little box?" ) and just enough information for the modeler to build the kit.  If your instructions are too detailed, the modeler will get bored and ignore them, or maybe even be insulted by the 'Dick & Jane' instructions.  Too little instructions, and the modeler misses something or gets it wrong.  It's often the case when you're developing a kit (or the instructions for same) you build the kit multiple times, and discover 'the best way' to do something that you want to share.


The standard the other way is set by Groovy Jeff's "Zip-Kits" where he warns you there are 'minimal instructions'.    I really struggled with the water wheel zip-kit, it took me 2 tries to get it right. Funaro & Camarlengo resin car kits also contain 'minimal instructions', but they're getting better.


Providing on-line adjuncts to the kit instructions, including high resolution color photos or even videos, seems to be an idea that is growing in popularity.  The problem, of course, is for those who aren't on-line or don't want to have to deal with their computer to build a model. 


dave

Doug was away on vacation until recently (he posted some great Northern Lights photos on Facebook.)  If you don't get any response, ask someone going to the Expo to bug him in person :-)


dave

James, guess you haven't had opportunity to buy college textbooks lately.  The prices they charge are obscene (particularly in this era of cheap print-on-demand.) 


I think the most I paid for a book was a used copy of Cafky's book on the Colorado Midland.  I don't regret it, that's a great book.



dave

Hope everyone has safe travels to/from the show!


dave

Quote from: BandOGuy on March 21, 2016, 12:15:44 PM
I hope this doesn't hijack the thread.
50 years ago +/-, Uncle Sam tried to teach me electricity as part of becoming an Anti-Submarine Warfare Officer (that was before "Naval Intelligence training). I have two dated books in the collection about model railroad electric "stuff", prior to the advent of DCC, and read Bob Parish's excellent online primer about all things electrical, most of which I promptly forgot. Does anyone have suggestions on good electrical education books, websites, etc. that I can dig into? I'll be shocked if there isn't some good knowledge amongst the posters here.

Easy, this book, "The Art of Electronics" by Horowitz & Hill, http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0521809266   This was written by a pair of MIT professors to give 'lab rats' enough electronics knowledge to build stuff.  It's now in its 3rd edition, they have kept it up to date with the changes in technology.  The only problem with this is its "academic press" price.  But you could go for a used earlier edition to save money.


dave

Quote from: S&S RR on March 20, 2016, 08:25:00 PM
I quick note on the picture of Fillmore taken by George's daughter Tara.  The photographs were originally distributed on a CD in high definition. George suggested that I include them here on this thread - so I'm posting them with his approval.  Tara did a great job with these photographs and I will give here proper credit as they show up in the following posts.

I think I have a copy of Tara's CD.   Tell George that I'm very happy he's letting those photos be part of this thread.  This is likely to become the "discussion of record" for the evolution of the F&SM.


dave

Quote from: ACL1504 on March 20, 2016, 03:37:24 PM

Quote from: deemery on March 20, 2016, 03:31:14 PM
If someone feels a need to count those rivets, you could install them after priming but before final painting using rivet decals.


dave

Dave,

If I see a rivet counter or one even mentions the missing rivets, I'll give them a swift rivet in the derriere. And, a hot one at that!!!!

Tom

That would be a riveting experience!


dave

If someone feels a need to count those rivets, you could install them after priming but before final painting using rivet decals.


dave

Nice color on the concrete!  Are you going to weather it further, or keep it looking like it's relatively new?


dave

That "bunch of wires" photo almost looks like the tubes from a blown-up boiler (low water explosion)


dave

Oh, the unforgiving eye of the camera!!!!


dave