Superior & Seattle Railroad Build

[S&S RR]

The last couple days I have spent most of my time getting ready to build the trestle that goes in front of Mt. Aiden - I have been cutting my own strip wood so I'm really starting from scratch on this project.





So far I'm real happy with the new table saw with digital readout. I'm checking the readout with a micrometer and so far it's within a 0.001.

[S&S RR]

The next step for the strip wood is the A&I bath. I'm using a formula of 4 tablespoons black and 2 tablespoons brown Ink to a pint of alcohol.  It looks dark when it's wet , but I like the color when it drys. I love the way Reading Bob's bath tube invention works - another great forum tip.

[S&S RR]

Caution:  On the alcohol bath tube - if you add a valve to yours make sure it is closed when you pour the alcohol & Ink in. Or don't and you will have a weathered shoe to wear in your train room.

[S&S RR]

The other part of this project that accomplished today was the mold for the concrete bent footings. I started with a small casting that was just the right dimensions from one of my FSM kits and made a wood model of it about 18 inches long.  I cut the wood model into four sections so I can make four foundations in one pour. Here are a few pictures that show the process.










I used the new express rubber from Micro Mart without issue.  I let my molds cure overnight and I didn't have any issues with it setting up before I got it in the mold box.




Notice the screw I added to the wood model to help pull it from the mold without tearing it.

[S&S RR]

Tomorrow's project is going to be to add the foam land forms to the back side of Mt. Aiden. I'm starting with a foam base and will use the same process that I used on the front.  Monday is tree planting day.


Here is the picture of everything put within reach so I don't have to crawl in and out of there too many times. It is like plumbing and running back and forth to the hardware store, you always forget something.


I'm also doing some track work in this area while I'm there.

[S&S RR]

I'm using my iPhone to take the pictures today - they automatically download to my Mac and in Aperture all I have to do is select the picture and press shift, command E and the picture goes shooting into a folder all ready sized to fit on the forum.  No plugging in a camera, going to photo shop to crop and make changes, then sizing it in Picasa.  It just works! I trained myself on the new software in 3 days. I highly recommend it, if you are considering a new computer system.

[deemery]

I'm using my iPhone to take the pictures today - they automatically download to my Mac and in Aperture all I have to do is select the picture and press shift, command E and the picture goes shooting into a folder all ready sized to fit on the forum.  No plugging in a camera, going to photo shop to crop and make changes, then sizing it in Picasa.  It just works! I trained myself on the new software in 3 days. I highly recommend it, if you are considering a new computer system.

For those of you who are "computationally challenged     and work with photographs on Windows, Adobe Lightroom is a very similar product.  Apple has announced a replacement for Aperture, and there's a lot of concern that the new product won't have all the features for organizing and manipulating photos that Aperture provides.  Also, I can recommend this site and its books for how to use Lightroom and how to think about organizing large groups of photos.  http://www.thedambook.com 


dave

[S&S RR]

I'm using my iPhone to take the pictures today - they automatically download to my Mac and in Aperture all I have to do is select the picture and press shift, command E and the picture goes shooting into a folder all ready sized to fit on the forum.  No plugging in a camera, going to photo shop to crop and make changes, then sizing it in Picasa.  It just works! I trained myself on the new software in 3 days. I highly recommend it, if you are considering a new computer system.

For those of you who are "computationally challenged     and work with photographs on Windows, Adobe Lightroom is a very similar product.  Apple has announced a replacement for Aperture, and there's a lot of concern that the new product won't have all the features for organizing and manipulating photos that Aperture provides.  Also, I can recommend this site and its books for how to use Lightroom and how to think about organizing large groups of photos.  http://www.thedambook.com 


dave

Dave


Thanks for pointing folks to the Lightroom help.

[S&S RR]

I made some progress with the foam land forms on the back side of the mountain today.  Looks kinda flat right now - this is just the base layer with a small start on the contouring. I'm using up some old scenery supplies I bought when one of our LHS went out of business, as filler material.  This area will be all trees when I'm done.  The temporary trestle has been removed so I can work in the area and will be replaced with the trestle when this area is complete. I also installed some temporary bench work so I can crawl on top of the track work without damaging it.

[S&S RR]

I continued to add more layers to this area today.  The dead wood was added along with accent colors and 40 more trees. It is getting there.  I will add more trees tomorrow.

[cuse]

I nominate the S&S for "World's Heaviest Layout" 


Lotsa rocks...really beautiful work.


John

[Mark Dalrymple]

Really coming on a treat, John!

Oh - and how long are you keeping your stripwood in the tube bath?

Cheers, Mark.

[S&S RR]

I nominate the S&S for "World's Heaviest Layout" 


Lotsa rocks...really beautiful work.


John

John

Thanks for the nomination - it may just win that award.

[S&S RR]

Really coming on a treat, John!

Oh - and how long are you keeping your stripwood in the tube bath?

Cheers, Mark.

Mark

I have a very highly controlled process - about 2 minutes or the time it takes to fish them out with the tweezers and put them on the paper. Then it's on to the next size.  I actually like it when the color changes a little - makes it more realistic because every piece of wood on a prototype trestle took the treatment a little different and the sun and weather affected it a little different.

[S&S RR]

Really coming on a treat, John!

Oh - and how long are you keeping your stripwood in the tube bath?

Cheers, Mark.

Mark

I have a very highly controlled process - about 2 minutes or the time it takes to fish them out with the tweezers and put them on the paper. Then it's on to the next size.  I actually like it when the color changes a little - makes it more realistic because every piece of wood on a prototype trestle took the treatment a little different and the sun and weather affected it a little different.

I should also point out that there are 6 tables spoons of ink (4 black, and 2 brown) to the pint in this bath so it is much darker than the normal George Sellios weather everything formula of 2 tablespoons to the pint.