Hints & Tips No. 2514 Pt 2  
Making “Rusty” Pipes - Preparing the plastic 
By William GIllard
To hold the coffee stirrer straws for painting I slid the tip of a round toothpick into one end after adding a wrap of masking tape to the end of the toothpick to create a nice friction fit, just snug enough to hold it. For the 'normal' size straws I wrapped a few layers of masking tape around the blunt end of the skewer.
I also worried about how well the paint would adhere to the slick, shiny plastic straws. I thought about giving them a gentle sanding, but decided to just wipe them off with some 90% isopropyl alcohol (what was on hand) and see how that worked.
The "pipes" are only about a week old, so not sure of the paint's long term adherence. So far it seems very good. I've handled them a lot. I did not apply any clear, flat coat over the acrylic craft paints because I like the finish as it is.  

Hints & Tips No. 2515
Cleaning  Rails after Painting Pt 1
By Dave Nelson
Before painting track/rail, I dip a Q-tip or similar swab in a light oil and run it lightly on the top surface of the rail.  After painting I wrap a cloth soaked in isopropyl alcohol (but not dripping wet with it) around a small piece of wood that has a flat surface and wipe along the top of the rail.   try to do this ASAP after the painting.  Very little paint, with luck none at all, adheres to the slightly oily top surface of the rail and the alcohol rub removes remaining paint and any oil so traction is not decreased. 

Hints & Tips No. 2516  
Cleaning  Rails after Painting Pt 2
By Wayne Toth
I brush-paint my tracks' rails (and sometimes the ties, too) using Pollyscale paint and a 1/2" brush.  I find it to be a very relaxing pastime, and, along with track ballasting, one of the best "bangs for your buck" that you'll find in model railroading.  Very little clean-up is needed, and no masking is required.
 
I find that a dry rag over my fingertips is all that's needed for removing excess paint from the top of the rails.  If I don't clean the rail tops before the paint cures, I use a mildly-abrasive block, meant for polishing electrical contact points, to remove hardened paint.
While my layout is an around-the-room type, I also paint the normally unseen sides of the rails, too, as taking camera-on-the-layout photos with the camera pointing towards the aisles, would yield some unfinished-looking views.

Hints & Tips No. 2517  
Cleaning  Rails after Painting Pt 3
By Mark Pruitt
I apply Chap Stick to the top of the rails before spray painting. Scrape off the dried paint with a used credit card because it is stiff enough to do the job but will not gouge the rails.

Hints & Tips No. 2518 
Another method Spreading Ballast 
By Rob Holmes
I have a ballast spreader but find that there are a few areas where it is ineffective such as over solder joints and turnout areas. I  use a cheap squeeze bottle, which I load up with ballast, cut the nozzle to suit the ballast size and apply the ballast in those harder to get  to places. I do not have to use a brush too much to manicure the grains  and I can control the flow.

Hints & Tips No. 2519  
Working underneath a module
By Chris Hewett
I have a modular layout that is assembled on trestles.  If I need to wire or work underneath a module, I clamp two longer pieces of timber of the outer sides of the module so the structure is like a sedan chair.  I can then, with assistance for the maximum of safety move the trestles outward so that my 4ft modules are supported by two 8 ft lengths of timber which in turn are supported by the trestles 6 feet apart.  This means the details or buildings on the module top are not damaged as they are suspended upside down while the repair or work is carried out.

Hints & Tips No. 2520  
When using Turnouts in an Ess Curve
By Bill Stix
I build modules with all sorts of track configurations for my club. A couple of these used turnouts (points) forming an ess curve but members were unsure of how the curve would perform.  A friend suggested that it is always a good idea to do a 'real world' test. So I set up the turnouts in the s-curve, added track - even temporarily using some sectional track is fine - and run cars and engines through it and see if it works. Once you decide what to use, I would test it again on the layout before gluing down track or adding ballast just to be sure.

Hints & Tips No. 2521  
How to cut PVC pipe Pt 1
By Mark Vlands
If you want to cut pipe for a model silo e.g., wrap a sheet of printer paper tightly around the pipe and tape it in place. Use a Razor saw and  that will give you a guide to follow when making the cut. If the cut does not turn out to be perfect the paper can serve as a guide to file or sand it straight.

Hints & Tips No. 2522  
How to cut PVC pipe Pt 2
By Theodore Fielding
I  ake some wider insulating tape or masking  and wrap it around the pipe.  If it doesn't meet up just right, I simply back the tape up and re-adjust until it does.  Tempting as it might be I do NOT use a drop saw and the plastic can shatter under the load of cutting or if there is even slight movement in the bearings.

Hints & Tips No. 2523  
Tips for increasing Realism in your scenes Pt 1
By Richard Huntington

Setting up my old N scale layout, I realized it needed some heavy attention to touch up all around. I found using some very dull and blah paint colors and scattering some trash, empty barrels, crates, and discarded ties around the track and along the right of way, really brought some realism back to the scenes.

Hints & Tips No. 2524  
Tips for increasing Realism in your scenes Pt 2
By Several Modellers
I use weathering for realism. It is a personal choice and I try not to get too carried away with it, preferring to generally stay in the "used but maintained" look which trains often look from a normal viewing distance. (Jim Rafferty)
Weathering starts with the trains themselves.  I would start with wheels and axles.  Most are rusty or mud splattered.  Older solid bearing trucks are black and oily at the journals.  Next would be couplers where, old, dark rust would prevail.
Car bodies of locos and cars.  Airborne dirt settles on everything and rain returns it to the surface of the earth, subduing the colors of everything.  The sun also plays a very important role in the absence of rain, in fading these colors, so this should be reflected as well. (Thomas Bibby)

Hints & Tips No. 2525  
Tips for increasing Realism in your scenes Pt 3
By Nathan Holder
A couple of things on a small scale relp with realism
Signage, not just that on buildings.  Just think of all the signs you see along our roads and highways.  Street names, speed limits, directional signs, buried cable markers, etc. And they are not consistently of an even colour.
Street details such as house numbers, mailboxes, trash receptacles, vacant lots full of weeds and brush?   Your roads could have storm drains, utility access covers, potholes and other imperfections.

Hints & Tips No. 2526  
Merging Trees into your background scene
By Martin Hale
I overcame the “tree too close to the backscene” shadow effect by blending the tree into the backscene.
A light spray of hairspray onto the backscene behind the tree and then gently blow the appropriate foliage scatter onto the sprayed area. More spray and scatter as required.

Hints & Tips No. 2527  
Painting Window frames in kits Pt 1
By Joe Williams
I was in a store a couple of years ago, and I found an assortment of Sharpie (very) thin line markers. They work great for doing fine painting, signs, or anything that requires a small line. They came in a container with about 30 or so different colors. Well worth it, and very useful for a variety of uses.


 

Hints & Tips No. 2528  
Painting Window frames in kits Pt 2
By Rich Alton
I have painted a few dozen plastic kit buildings. I hand brush the buildings with acrylic paints, taking care not to get paint into the recessed window frames. Then, with a fine brush point I hand paint the recessed window frames.
The fact that the window frames are recessed makes it a whole lot easier to paint those window frames. I recommend using an Optivisor for such a project.

Hints & Tips No. 2529  
Painting Window frames in kits Pt 3
By Several Modellers
If I am brush painting a building, I usually try to use an acrylic paint. That way, if you make a mistake, you can wipe it off using a Q-tip dampened with a spray cleaner. Or once the paint starts to thicken and dry, you can often rub off any smears using a wet toothpick. (Jim Sachse)
I usually spray everything the window/trim color and then paint everything except the trim and windows and doors with a brush. This works particularly well when the window/trim color is a light color similar to brick mortar color. It's much easier to paint everything except the windows with a brush than to try and mask or hand paint windows/trim last.
I have also on rare occasions cut the windows out entirely and replaced them with separately molded and painted plastic windows. (Neil Hockley)

Hints & Tips No. 2530  
Lighting a Railway Room,
By  Mark Pruitt
In a train room, your eyes will automatically adjust to the color of the light, so pretty much any setting for LED lights will look fine.
Photography is a different story. Most cameras will auto white balance, but not all, and sometimes not very well. So if you want to take a lot of prototypical-looking photos, the higher temperature lights might work best (though I'll certainly defer on the opinion of more knowledgeable photographers on that).
Personally, I use 5000k LED panels in my layout room. Looks good to me both through my eyes and to my cameras.

Hints & Tips No. 2531  
Making “Scale Sand”,
By  Several Modellers
Because sand does not scale down well, there is always going to be a disparity to make it look right.
I have an old coffee grinder I use to "pulverize" sand into a finer particle size for model use. I like to place spilled sand in spots spaced to the same outlets on locomotives in service areas. There was always lots of sand on the ground where the hostler or engine crews tested the sanders. (Ed Pullman)
Scale sand does not look like sand. I used real sand on my sand house sandpile. It was finer than most sand but still has enough texture to be seen: (Dave Howard)
I use tinted/dyed plaster or spackle.  Any grains of sand, in any scale less than about 1/6, would be impossible to resolve with the human eye, so those grains would not be discernible.  Best just to use smoothed and dyed plaster. (Crandall Overton)

Hints & Tips No. 2532  
Aligning Curves on Modules,
By  Thomas Barr
Straight track is easier…  but with a little forethought, curved can be simple….   try inserting a piece of high quality aircraft plywood… for example, 1/4 inch, from the hobby shop… into the top of the joining area, across the modules…   add roadbed, glued securely, then track over it. Secure the track well with nails or adhesive, but do NOT glue under the joints. when the glue is dry, mark the track locations on either side of where the joints will be, glue lightly with superglue,  cut the track gently with a Dremel, and remove the "patch" with the track attached…   Ballast the short length of track separately, clean up the edges, and replace. The plywood will hold the curve. Add some scenery bits you can use to lift the plywood out when you need to…  trees, electrical boxes, whatever.  

Hints & Tips No. 2533  
Using Isopropyl Alcohol when Ballasting Pt 1,
By  Ed Pullman
I "eyeball" my wet water and in the end I would say I have a 50-60% alcohol content to 40-50% distilled water. I still add a very small amount of dish soap to this just for good measure.
With finer ballast, you have to find the very finest mister you can get. Some of the small bottles meant for plant misting work well. Mist from well above the R-of-W so the water settles down into the ballast without disturbing it. Don't be afraid to really soak the area. I use the finest setting for spraying that I can