Sierra West Scale Models - Logging and Tractor Repair Shed

[donatode]

Now those are some great shots.

I'll second that .... just feel like walking right up to the entrance, enter, pick up a tool and get to work.  Just Wonderful!!!

[cuse]

That is SPECTACULAR! Fantastic modeling, Fantastic photography!


John

[nextceo]

Thanks Dustin, Donato and John. Yeah, got lucky with the neat looking sunset...really makes the pictures.

Alan

[nextceo]

Here is a good question that was asked on another forum: Whose figure did you use for the welder? Did it include a power supply for the welder?

The welder figure came from www.Scalefigures.com
I also got the blacksmith from the same place.
See Pics


The Welder Simulator came from www.engineering.com. You have to buy the simulator, the Blue and White LEDs, the power distribution board and the 12V power supply. Total its going to cost about $50. If you need help, you can always reach out to me but otherwise, Tim the owner is awesome. I knew ZERO about electrical until 2 years ago when Tim taught me everything I needed. I also had the simulator custom programmed thru Tim for another $10 in which it runs for 30 seconds and then shuts off for 90 secs...and then repeats. It makes the diorama look more realistic since a guy wouldn't be welding non-stop.

Hope that helps!
Alan

[nextceo]

Hey,

   Just need to vent here...

I was attempting to build a Mack Tow truck from Wiseman Models to add to this diorama and it wasn't the most fun experience.

1 - I couldn't get the parts to hold the paint or glue. I did wash the parts in soap and water but that didn't seem to help.

2 - The instructions were quite difficult to follow. A lot of these older kits have exploding instructions but they typically have numbers next to each part with a few sentences explaining the order the parts get assembled. These instructions lacked those explanations which makes things a little frustrating at time of assembly.

I did email Keith over at Wiseman Models about my experience and he emailed me right back. To address my first issue, he mentioned that before painting and assembling the kit, I needed to wash the parts in alcohol. In terms of the instructions, he agreed they can be a little difficult to follow but that some of his other kits that he sells come with more detailed instructions.

Ok, done venting...

That is all...
Alan

[bparrish]

Alan.............

Go retrieve it and start over............

The instructions are not the best and occasionally I don't put the fenders on some models.

The thing they don't tell you is that you need to rough up the castings where the glue is to go as there is a mold release along with oxidation that resists super glue bonding to it.  Even then they are rather fragile.

Otherwise pack it up and send it and I can stick it together for you and mail it back. 

I have not built any of these since Wiseman took it over so the molds may be a bit tired but the metal shapes easily with a model knife and 400 sand paper.

see ya
Bob

[nextceo]

Thanks for comments Bob. Glad to hear I wasn't missing something with the glue not sticking. I did clean the parts and that didn't help. Yeah, I wouldn't be that mean and send that kit to you. I just went on eBay and ordered a Jordan Mack Truck.. I did retrieve the bed and the tow crane out of the garbage from the Wiseman kit which I'll kit bash with the Jordan Mack truck.

Thanks again...
Alan

[bparrish]

Alan........

I'm serious............

hit me on the side for an address and I'll stuff it together.

This is the sort of stuff that I find a challenge.

Besides.......... what are friends for if you can't use them up ? ? ? ?

see ya
Bob

[nextceo]

Finished up a couple of Rio Grande Model Kits. I must say Eric (owner of Rio Grande Models) has excellent kits. The parts have fantastic detail to them, they fit nicely together and the instructions take you thru the build step by step. Nothing but good things to say about his kits.

The first kit I built was the Rio Grande Models BEST Tractor. Its similar to the one that comes with the Sierrawest Repair Shed kit but with a lot more detail. I decided to use some of the ideas from Brett's O Scale build of the Repair Shed and have this tractor under repair with its front radiator off.

I also built the Rio Grande Models Holt Wagon. The only thing I did differently is I hand built the wood bin (kit comes with premade wood sides) and I added a few pieces of wood to the front of the wagon...the kit comes with a precast part that is made of metal but is suppose to look like wood.

That's all for now. Next step is to finish up the Mack Tow Truck...then on to the trees and bushes.

Alan

[S&S RR]

Alan


I just read through your thread- great work!  I'm looking forward to watching your future work.

[Zephyrus52246]

Wow.  Great job on the tractor and wagon.

Jeff

[nextceo]

Thanks John and Jeff. Yeah, the Rio Grande Models are designed very well. I dont like it when the parts dont fit correctly and you have to try and decipher the instructions.

Alan

[LongHornCaddy]

Very nice Alan!

[donatode]

Alan that is some superb work .... you can almost smell the grease from that tractor! 

[nextceo]

Thanks John and Donato. Here is a picture of a tree I built tonite. I got the materials from:

http://www.thescenicfactory.com/Default.asp

The process is the same as making other trees. The trunk is made of a softer wood that comes to a point at the end. In the past I've just bought strips of balsa wood and used an exacto knife to carve them. Once the piece of wood is to the shape I needed, I would run a razor tooth saw blade down the piece of wood to give it bark like texture. This website sells those trunks already preshaped. The added benefit they also give you is a coating of some type of material that has bark type texture. It arrives in a black color...I just added a few washed coats of various browns. My definition of a washed coat is to put a little paint on a sheet of wax paper and then put a few drops of Rubbing Alcohol on that same sheet of wax paper. I then mix the alcohol with the paint to thin it out and wash it across the bark texture. If you do this and the bark becomes too brown, mix up a little black with alcohol to darken it back up.

The next step is to take a pin vise and drill holes and various spots around the trunk and insert the branches. In the past for the branches, I used Caspia from Hobby Lobby and spray painted them green. I then would dip the end of the Caspia in white glue and insert it into the holes created from my pin vise. This website sells highly detailed green fern type branches that look much more realistic than the Caspia. White glue is still used with these fern looking branches to attach them to the trunk. The tree took about an hour to build as I was constantly tweaking the branches after they were installed. On the website they also sell a pack of dead branches/twigs which I inserted in to the trunk and scattered around the base of the tree. To keep the tree in place, I drilled a hole in the bottom of the tree with my pin vise and then snapped off the end of a tooth pick and glue it into the hole. This gave me something I could use to allow me to insert he tree into my foam base - giving it the ability it to stand on its own.



That's all for now...
Alan