HINTS AND TIPS - THE FOLLOW ON
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Painting Grab Irons and other thin wire models
By Doug DIckson
Painting grab handles, down pipes, spear fencing etc often achieves a thickened element. I first consider using a good quality permanent black marker pen in two/three passes. If you do not want black, well …
(A Note from Trevor, You can get quite good effects with permanent markers of differing colours such as a teak or rustic effect with brown permanent markers or a mixture of blacks and browns … have fun experimenting!)
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Cleaning CA Glue
By Colin Wilshire
When I had running issues with my Dean Goods loco, I decided to pull off the brake rodding which had been firmly glued in place. There was a fair bit of dried CA on both the rod holes and the mounting points which took some removing, clearing the holes required my Dental files.
However I then found that a #40 drill bit was a perfect fit for this.
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Using Lego Blocks in Modelling… as Operating Waybills?
By Paul Denison
Lego bricks have many uses in model railroading, stand in buildings, something to hold that up for a minute (or 5 years), something to hold that square, a form for a mould, etc.
I used the larger Duplo square bricks as waybills for one layout I had. They had tape with the car number and could be drawn at random and stuck together in the proper order for switching, sort of like an electric staff used in railway safeworking. As each car was switched off the train, that block was taken off and placed back in the box.
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Using Uno Cards in Modelling… as Operating Waybills?
By Norman McIntosh
I use uno cards (three packs mixed together) in a similar fashion to Paul Denisons’ waybill method . Each color represents a direction: North, South, East, West. The wild cards are “shop cars†or special moves; the skip, draw two and reverse cards in general, are Hazmat. Before a session, I will usually have an index card with rules governing what the card values represent or which local industry, if any, gets worked. Then just shuffle and deal a card to each inbound train car from staging. There are a few other tweaks, but in general it works pretty well.
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Controlling Oil and Lubrication on your trains
By Crandell Overton
I have taken a good sized sewing needle and clipped the top half of the eye off with side-cutters. That leaves two tines with a small gap between them. I also nip off the point so I don't jab myself when I hold the needle remnant by that end. The pointed end then goes into a piece of dowelling or other handle type
I dip the forked end into Dextron III Mercon or equivalent auto transmission fluid. The clipped eye will take a load of ATF, whereupon I insert that end into the bearing boxes on the locomotive and against the pins that keep the valve gear and rods in place on my steamers. I also lube the truck pivot bearings and the pin holding the drawbar. I also do all my tender trucks and rolling stocks' trucks that way.
I have never had a paint mar, no melted plastic, no melted ties…nothing that might give me pause about using the ATF as a lube. ATF is a highly superior lubricant, does not migrate much, and seems to last for years in place.
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Controlling Glue Application on your trains
By Bill Davies
I use much the same tool as Crandall (Hint 2336) for glue application. It was being recommended for use in applying cyanoacrylate (super glue, ACC). It has helped me. The only difference is that I have inserted the pin in the end of a length of dowel to keep my fingers distant from the glue as a handle manily so that my fingers do not block viewing the intended joint. If you do make such tools for say PVA, ACC glue or the Auto Fluid lube as Crandall has , it would be a good idea to label and/or colour code your tools so you do not create a chemical cocktail that might affect you.
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Lighting Buildings Realistically
By Gene Beckley
Most of us lighting buildings on our layouts tend to put 1 light in the centre of the building and the whole building is lit. Not all rooms are lit, especially in twilight and darkness when offices are shut and everyone has gone home. To counter this I made small boxes from black card that fit over random windows of the building inside which either block the light entirely or subdue it to the point where it looks like a bedside light in the “room†or a passageway light is on adjacent to the “roomâ€.
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Using Washes in your Scenery
By Steve Kleszyk
If you are doing a true wash, then somewhere in the neighborhood of 90% thinning solution to about 10% paint is a ROUGH guide I use. It depends on what paint you are using and what thinning medium. Colors can play a factor too. The best thing to do is have a test piece to practice on and play with the mixtures to see what works for you best.
When done check it under your lights to see how it looks there. Remember it is easier to add another light coat than trying to tone down a single heavy coat
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Different Wash Ratios for different weathering
By Craig Townsend
I keep a variety of wash ratios on hand. For example with Grimy Black, I have the following ratios
1:1
1:3
1:9
1:20
1:100
1:200
It is kind of random but I make at least 10ml of a wash color at a time. I have been buying dropper bottles to store my washes in and a small amount of paint goes a long way.
A Note from Trevor - I have found for scenicking and weathering that a black or grey/gray mix of poster paints from a Reject/Pound/Dynamic Deals/$2 shop has worked well for cliff faces and of course incredibly cheap! The black/grey mix works well as a grimy black and as it is a wash, it will appear differently in various lighting arrangements.
Last edit: by xdford
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Attaching Paper Cladding to Styrene
By Russ Bellinis
I have found problems with gluing decorative paper to the bulk styrene sheet I have bought for building sides when I have made custom buildings.
If you paint the styrene first with literally any “scrap paint†or grey automotive primer and then glue paper to it, you are not gluing paper to styrene; you are gluing paper to paint. The bond is only as good as the bond between the paint and Styrene but the paint will provide a better surface than directly on the styrene.
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Creating Craggy Rock in Foam
By David Rollinson
This one came by accident. To create craggy rock surface on polystyrene, spray lightly with spray paint. It will dissolve the polystyrene in a irregular shape which creates a realistic rock surface.
(A Note from Trevor - I did do this accidentally about 15 years ago trying to spray a road thinking I had an Acrylic paint rather than an enamel - the result was a very pot holed road!. As David points out Spray Lightly! For mountains, I suggest you get your basic shape first before applying paint.)
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If You Do Not Like The Look Of Rail Joiners…
By Rick Sutton
I don’t think it is possible to eliminate rail joiners totally due to alignment and expansion issues. However I have had reasonable success using N Scale rail joiners on HO track, notably the smaller codes of track which reduces the heavier appearance of the joiner in the track.
(A Note from Trevor - I have done this in parts of my layout where I started to run short of joiners and it does help the appearance! Thanks Rick)
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Straightening Resin Castings
By Andy Malette
If you have resin castings that warp, put them in hot water until the resin starts to soften a bit. With a bit of care and patience, you can straighten them out, even one piece bodies. The hot water treatment might have to be repeated a few times depending on how bad the warp is. You might have to brace them or clamp the parts while they are cooling. At least that is my experience.
This is a good reason to build a resin kit as close to its release date as possible.
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Sticking Ground Foam to Painted Surfaces Pt 1
By Kevin McManus
I would expect fine turf to stick to a freshly painted surface, but I am wary of ground foam being able to do the same because the contact between the surface and “facets†of the foam to be minimal .
I usually wait for paint to dry, give it a light scuff with sandpaper, then attach scenic materials with thinned white glue. This is basically the same technique I use for ballasting track.
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Sticking Ground Foam to Painted Surfaces Pt 2
By Richard Alton
Ground cover does not stick all that well to paint which begins to dry almost immediately upon application.
What I do is to paint the layout surface a shade of green as a starter. Then, I sprinkle ground cover on top of the painted surface and glue it down. The glue can consist of a 4:1 mixture between water (4 parts) and white glue (1 part), To encourage the glue mix absorption, first "pre-wet" the area to be glued by spraying 70% isopropyl alcohol.
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Sticking Ground Foam to Painted Surfaces Pt 3
By Neil Edmonds
Wet water= tap water,and some isopropyl alcohol as a 50/50 mix or a small drop of detergent, with a spray bottle. Mine was a recycled window cleaner bottle.
My Glue mix=50/50 by guess, water and white glue.I use a small plastic bottle with a long neck.(I believe it came from the wife's hair color set but deny all knowledge… please)
Paint the surface,let dry. Apply you ground cover any way you like.Sand or gravel roads/paths, green stuff etc.
When you got what you want; spray with the wet water. Mist at first so as not blow the stuff away. Then get it soaked, just before you see water running.
Then dribble on the glue mix. You should see the mix disappear into the stuff.
Then do not touch, at least a day. When dry all should be stuck. You can then, add more, the same way, or rewet scrape it up and start over
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Cutting Model Tube Easily Pt 1
By Several Modellers
Go to your Local Hardware Store and get a small pipe cutter from the plumbing department. (Kevin Beasley)
An X-Acto knife is useful for cutting brass, aluminum and styrene tubing, using the roll back-and-forth method, but also works well for cutting brass and phosphor-bronze wire, up to at least .040" diameter, and will also cut stainless steel wire up to about .020", and piano wire under .010". (Wayne Toth)
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Cutting Model Tube Easily Pt 2
By Several Modellers
Put something in the tube - a piece of wood close to the inside diameter would keep the tube from crushing and still cut along with the tube, or even a scrap sprue. Or something harder, like a drill bit, the shank end, but then you have to be careful since it will dull the knife blade.
(Randy Rinker)
I use old #11 blades that have worked their way down the useability-scale, from cutting out decals, trimming small parts, cutting wood or styrene, and cutting sheet brass and aluminum.
While I normally do my modelling work on a sheet of glass, it helps the cutting-while-rolling method if you put down an appropriate length of masking tape on which to roll the tube as it prevents it from skidding under the blade. (Wayne Toth)
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Ballasting, pet dogs and doorknockers
By Doug DIckson
I apply ballast to my track with an old teaspoon and every 12" or so rat-ta-tat-tat-tat on the railhead with the spoon to make the ballast settle down and make the excess grains to bounce off the top surface of the sleepers.
This is nearly always interpreted by my little dog as 'someone knocking on the front door….', which in accordance with the "Dog Duties [Protection of Lord and Master] Act " may not go unnoticed or unannounced.
This canine kerfuffle apparently interrupts important matters on the Idiots' Lantern and is contrary to all sorts of other regulations.
Solution - With a countersink bit or blunt drill bit in a battery combo drill set on 'Slow & Hammer', place the spoon across the rails, and press down briefly in the bowl of the spoon with the bit. The grains will bounce around in a very agitated manner and even out nicely.
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Sitting People in Coaches
By Several Modellers
You can create the sense of “children†travelling with parents in coaches by using sitting adult figures in the next scale down. If you were in O scale, inside the coaches you could use S scale for early teenagers or 00 scale figures for younger children. In OO or HO, you could use TT or N scale figurines to emulate children inside and they would be discernible only on really close examination.
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