Hints & Tips No.1382
  

  Fitting Grab Irons Pt 3
  

  By Ray Turner
  

  I hate installing grabirons but I love how they look. I would say that the method of using a soldering iron to heat a grabiron and pushing it in has a several drawbacks: 

1. It is possible to damage a nice car with a misplaced red hot grab iron 
2. Some grabiron material won't like being heated (soft brass etc) and is not strong enough to press fit in this manner 
3. It will take me longer than to drill the car with a pin vise 
4. You must use wire grabs (some much for P2K, Intermountain, Red Caboose etc.) 
5. Won't work on wood cars 

Not too long ago, I made similar suggestions to the old time train guys I know. They laughed and said "Nobody likes drilling grabs, get used to it" I have learned to take the time to drill. It took a while to accept that it will take time to do it, but I find it to be worth it. As you get better at it, it goes quicker.

 Hints & Tips No.1383
  

  Green tinted Carriage Windows – a basically good idea with a down side and a correction
  

  By Mark Nethery
  

  The latest copy of the NRMA (The Auto Club in NSW, not the National Model Railroaders Assn ) “Open Road” came in the post and the protective plastic envelope has a nice green tinge to it.

I thought it may be just the thing to use behind the glazing in a/con cars to give the green tinge - where it is wanted and I thought I could be using this plastic in one of my NSW Railways passenger car sets!
  

  From Alan McKenna
  

  There is a strong risk that the magazine wrapper will disintegrate after a matter of weeks or months, depending on light exposure. The mail handling companies tend to use environmental self-degrading plastics.
  
Browse through the stationery departments and look for something in rigid plastic (e.g. polystyrene) with the sort of colour you need.
  From Ben Noakes
  

  You could also use the plastic that is used in document wallets for different tonings of windows which would be a lot more workable being stiffer.

 Hints & Tips No.1384
  

  Covering Return Loops
  

  By Several Modellers
  

  Most people like to hide their reverse loops. Actually they are a good place for an industry or two with a couple of spurs inside. A raised urban scene which covers part of the loop works very nicely.
  

  If you hide it in a tunnel you can put an industry, town, mine, etc. on top of the elevation.
  

  A freight yard and turntable are big space users but give you staging and a focal point
  

  Use the space as an Access hole.

 Hints & Tips No.1385
  

  Cutting PVC Pipe
  

  By Several Modellers
  

  Check out a PVC pipe cutter at your local hardware store. They are about 10 16 bucks and is quick, accurate and no mess – John Warren
  

  I use the pipe cutter to mark and start a square cut. Then I use my razor saw to finish the cutting. It leaves a good smooth end that rarely needs and dressing up with a file or paper. As posted in a thread above, using the tubing cutter by itself distorts the tubing. A fresh blade in the cutter will help, but it is still not as true as using the razor saw - Greg Cornish

 Hints & Tips No.1386
  

  Closng Freight car and Wagon doors
  

  By Several Modellers
  

  Some brands of freight cars have a tendency for the doors to open mid transit over any length of time. A very tiny dab of white glue or varnish in the door track should stop the movement. Alternatively a small strip wedging the door track will stop the movement.

 Hints & Tips No.1387
 

 Masking a Model for Painting Pt 1
 

 by Peter Rhodes
 

      
 Masking tape is not always the answer for masking things off… I have personally had to cut poster board or copy paper to the desired design, then tape on to it, use clamps, clothes pins, etc to keep it in place long enough to get the job done without marring the paint under it. 

 Hints & Tips No.1388
  

  Masking a Model for Painting Pt 2…
  

  by Gary Collins
  

  The best general masking tape I have found isn't really masking tape. I use Scotch 230 Drafting Tape. It can still be found in some office supply stores. I get mine from Office Max. It has a lower "tack", and will not lift paint. 

 Hints & Tips No.1389
  

  Using Ground Foam
  

  by Glen Thomas
  

  On my previous layouts, I glued everything down including ground foam. On my current layout, I accidentally tried something new for me at least.

I was sprinkling some ground foam on the layout when I accidentally got it in an area I did not want it. I assumed I could just give it a quick brush with my fingers to clear it away. I soon found that it held on a lot better than I thought and I had to get the vacuum to pick it up. I realized then that I might be able to re-put it where I wanted it and press it down lightly to fix it in place. I tried it and was surprised at how well it worked. It stays in place very well and looks natural. Just do not compress it down too hard or you will tend to flatten it out too much. The best thing is that if you decide you don't like the look or if you want to change it at some time later on, you can vacuum it up. I was concerned at first about not being able to clean up dust, but this really has not been a problem. I cannot say that I would recommend this for areas at the front edge of the layout or too close to track, but for all other areas it works well. You can try a small area for yourself. If you decide the technique is not for you, just grab the vacuum.  

 Hints & Tips No.1390
  

  Substitute Materials for flat car loads
  

  by Dean Olds
  

  Plastic drinking straws make pipe loads for flat cars. Small sticks from real trees can make log loads for pulpwood cars. Small diameter PVC pipe can be used for culvert pipes for loads or scenery. Thin Card can be used for slab steel as can pasta sheets suitability cooked and varnished. Old watch parts can be used as scrap as can shredded foils.

This is a tip well-known to modellers of all things military. Instead of painting your model with gloss varnish before applying decals, simply soak the decals in gloss varnish rather than water and apply as normal. I've found the thinner Humbrol Clear to be ideal and it works a treat.

 Hints & Tips No.1391
  

  Replacing a Damaged Ballasted Point
  

  by Jeff Reitman
  

  Assuming you used a water based glue to set the ballast, lay a paper towel over the point set and SOAK it with water.. Keep it wet and eventually, the ballast will soften enough to lift the point. The paper towel will keep the water localized. Of course, the whole mess may just pop up with a little coaxing as well.

 Hints & Tips No.1392
  

  Weathering Animals
  

  by Mark Pierce
  

  Range stock should not be shiny. At the very least, they should get a thin wash of India ink and perhaps some mud around the hoofs or maybe even to their bellies.  Even these pampered milk cows are not shiny.

 Hints & Tips No.1393
  

  Edging a Station Platform
  

  by Charles Beasley
  

  Yellow chart tape would make a good representation of the platform edge safety strip.
  

 Hints & Tips No.1394
  

  Cleaning Metal Castings
  

  by Andy Reibel
  

  To help paint adherence, soak white metal castings in white vinegar after you scrub them with warm water and detergent, rinse off the vinegar and allow to thoroughly dry. 

 Hints & Tips No.1395
  

  Scenery Colours
  

  by Jim McNicholl
  

 

 Hints & Tips No.1396
  

  Strengthening Plaster-impregnated Scenery
  

  by Jim McNicholl
 

 Hints & Tips No.1397
  

  River or Stream base
  

  by Jim McNicholl
 

 Hints & Tips No.1398
  

  Suede paint to replace earth colours
  

  by George Nixon
  

  I have always had an aversion to organic materals on the layout. Every attempt I made ended up attracting critters of some sort, and that includes my own foray into peat moss. I suspect "plain dirt" alone would not cause problems, but I have never used it as the only organic on the layout, so I cannot be sure.

I have found an alternative I like better anyway: I go to the local HD type store and buy suede-texture paint. This is not some "sponging" or other artistic effect. It is just paint that dries to a suede-like texture. When colored the relevant shade of brown, it is darn-near perfect for 'earth' - just enough texture to it. You can enhance the texture by rolling a deep-nap roller across it after it gets tacky. I do that for more 'churned up" areas, and just paint it on 'as is' for more developed areas (e.g. pastures in the first case, a yard or industrial area in the second). 

 Hints & Tips No.1399
  

  Making Concrete Abutments Pt 1
  

  by Rob Spangler
  

  I build concrete tunnel portals, abutments and piers from .040" styrene sheet. Modeling such items with styrene is fast, and the finished products are light in weight and dimensionally stable. Just because the prototypes are solid does not mean the models have to be.

 Hints & Tips No.1400
  

  Making Concrete Abutments Pt 2
  

  by Mike Bonellier
  

  I have had good results using both balsa and bass wood. I build the abutment, wall, sidewalk, whatever, out of wood,seal it then when it's dry I use a light coat of thin-set spackling compound. When it dries you can weather or age it with paint, chalks, india ink stain or anything else. You can crack it and remove pieces like old stucco.