HINTS AND TIPS - THE FOLLOW ON
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Safety with Track Spikes
By Graham Nottle
I have been laying a lot of track on my layout and in laying needed a lot of track pins. So after losing them,spilling them, jabbing my fingers repeatedly and being at the other end of the layout and forgetting that they were at the other I came up with an idea. Take an old unused jam jar from a pickle jar or something similar and stick a block of blue tac in the upturned lid, enough to cover the lid the take your long nose pliers and stick the pins head upwards filling the lid obviously and there you go a mobile pin cushion just where you want and it cuts out the sore fingers and reduces swearing.
Last edit: by xdford
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Making Your own fences
By Andy Vines
I scratchbuild my own Post and wire fencing using post made from matchsticks (I buy the modelling kind with no heads as I find them more consistent than normal matches) I drill these and then thread through fishing line, the problem is getting the fishing line taut.
Once threaded through and secured both ends, if you take you heated soldering iron and pass the iron very close to the fishing line it will cause the line to shrink, pulling it tight through your posts, just be careful not to actually touch the line.
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Gluing Hints
By Andy Vines
If you need a PVA joint to dry quicker if you coat one surface with PVA and the other with Liquid CA (Superglue) it causes the joint to set up very quickly.
Tippex can be used as a gap filler on plastic models, and will sand back nicely.
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Making Asphalt Roadways cheaply
By Pete Coghlan
An easy way to make “asphalt roadways†is to use the self-stick type of ‘non-skid’ strips used for stairs, diving boards etc. (has the roughness of about 80 grit sand paper and comes in black). One such piece was sized at 14 inches long, 8 inches wide. You can cut it with scissors or a razor blade. Using whatever colour paint you wish, draw a dotted line (or double yellow etc.) down the centre. I have modelled bike paths on the side also with white paint. Then peel and stick your new roadway wherever it is called for.
Last edit: by xdford
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Whitening Brick Mortar
By Dave Nelson
One old piece of advice I use is to use white shoe polish (the kind you would use to make tennis shoes white again) and again gently wipe it off after a few minutes drying so that it stays only in the mortar lines not on the brick face, or only gently lightens the brick face.
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Removing Printed on Lettering
By Geoff Carr
I have used a "gray" ink eraser to rub off the lettering. Have had near 100% success in removing pad printed lettering. The less than 100% was on my first try and resulted in some touch up painting. No big problem.
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Removing Masking Tape Residue
By Several Modellers
When left with masking tape residue on a model body (freight car, locomotive etc), try WD40 on a cotton bud or a soft pencil eraser. WD40 is not a solvent as such so paint should be safe but as with all hints, try it out on a discreet area first.
I am often required to remove tape adhesive residue at work. I find eucalyptus oil works really well. (Max Wright)
Last edit: by xdford
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Recycling Vitamin bottles
by Ken Pearce
Vitamin bottles come in terrific shades of green, orange, and blue. Cut into scale two by four foot rectangles, they make great skylights in buildings with a natural curve. I also put them parallel to entry doors in homes for a 50's look entry.
Last edit: by xdford
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Recycling Foam End Caps
Kenneth Davis
So many devices these days have Styrofoam packaging as end caps, and protective spacers. Take a serious look at those pieces as sources of buildings for your layout. One Styrofoam end cap, painted with water-based colors reminiscent of the 1950's, made a great art deco museum. The coarse texture of the Styrofoam made an interesting stucco effect after painting. The key is fitting the appropriately scaled doors, windows, and other features to the complex. Creating a convincing roof with air handlers, vents, and skylights completes the effect."
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Using Wood Waste
by Ken Pearce
I do a lot of wood working. This means I generate bags and bags of sawdust, from my saws, my sanders, and my drill press. The first, most important tip is that you can color sawdust with food coloring. The food coloring soaks into the wood for a permanent, non-fading color. You can also use old stains. Local hardware stores often put old stains on a bargain table and you can pick them up cheap. Water-based stains seem to work best and can be easily diluted for more even coating. Put the sawdust in a plastic bag, add food coloring or stains diluted with either alcohol or water and shake vigorously.
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Cheap Dyeing
by Bob Hewson
A great, inexpensive stain for ties is OUTER Black Walnut shells soaked in water. Like coffee, the longer the wood sits in the soup the darker it gets. As a warning, make sure you use gloves, tongs or other devices - it stains hands every bit as effectively (and nearly as permanently) as it does the wood! Other types of nut shells also make good stains (Pecans for instance), but the color will be lighter. If you need more ideas, look for what back-to-nature people who dye yarn and fabric use there are lots of sites on the web and lots of colors besides browns.
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Keeping Track Clean
by Jonathon Robbins
I use "skirting" which is flipped over the layout when not running trains. Inexpensive black fabric is "seamed" with stitch witchery (no sewing) then secured to the benchwork with 3/4-inch trim. Cheap and effective.
My layout is in a garage so I know the dirt issue
Last edit: by xdford
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A finer Paint Brush – for the cost of a cats whisker!
by Wayne Chester
Cat’s whiskers make good paint brushes for that extra fine work where the ordinary brush has been reduced to a single bristle is too soft. Take ONE whisker, cut it to about 20mm (3/4â€), tape it to a pencil with about 10mm beyond the end. You now have a reasonably stiff brush (that holds paint) and is ideal for the likes of painting people, etc. Depending on the size of the cat is how long the whiskers will be (At time of writing, I have a 9kg Ginger Tom - a good source). Cats generally break them off when washing their face.
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Realistic Dirty Windows by Jim Six
For a "weathered window" appearance, try spraying Floquil Flat finish thinned to 50% lacquer thinner on the INSIDE SURFACE of windows instead of the outside. That way the window still looks like glass but appears dirty.
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Simple Effective MOW train Load
by Steve Gladigau
To make a suitable flatcar load for your MOW (maintainence of way) train, buy the cheapest, rustiest (rusty is good) straight track you can find at the hobby shop or swap meet. Rip the rails off the ties, and glue them onto the deck of the car. Don't forget about tie downs or blockings.
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Using Recycled Blasting Sand
by Several Modellers
For coal, I use blasting sand. Go to a sand blasting company and ask them for black blasting sand, it looks just like coal and you can fill your cars up - George Poole
Used sand blasting sand makes good road bed for dirt roads to when glued with 50/50 Elmer's (PVA) and water. - Brad Wells
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Tyre Tracks in Fields
by Chris Taylor
You can make it look like a car has driven through the dirt or grass. After you have put down the grass, take an eraser and rub off some grass to look like tire tracks
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Snow
by Tulley Turner
I have a winter layout and model a lot of snow. Here is a tip for modeling wind-blown snow that has fallen over a plowed right-of- way. Pour a thin sheet of plaster into a bucket. When it hardens, chip it out and break it into suitable sizes. Scatter the chips along the right of way and pour over them a very thin wash of plaster and water. Let the material flow naturally through and around the chips. When that thin wash finally hardens, it will have thin "striations" throughout the mix that looks for all the world like wind-blown snow snaking in and out about the frozen hunks of previously plowed snow.
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Supporting Rock Moulds
by Steve Bond
When adding Rock moulds to your basic scenery, the moulded rocks may need support. While your Hydrocal is setting up in the mould, cut a toothpick in half and place it in the hydrocal. Once set up you can place & remove your rocks on the scenery before you do the final glue. The toothpicks hold them there while the glue sets up plus you can move the rocks around until you are satisfied on where they are going to work best.
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Colouring Tree trunks
by Steve Bond
When colouring tree trunks, avoid painting them brown, instead use a blend of gray & brown, don't mix the two colours, instead allow them to "streak" into each other for far more realistic results..a coat of "Dullcoat" will also enhance realism
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