HINTS AND TIPS - THE FOLLOW ON
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Keeping Platform Canopies Straight
by Several Modellers
I believe that it does not matter if the supports are slightly off the vertical providing they are all the same. So I'd set one up as near as possible using a square and use bluetac or similar to hold it while the glue dries. Then set up the next one the same way but also 'eyeball' it from the first one and so on.
Another way might be to set up the first and last posts then use a straight edge to align the intermediate ones. (Jeremy Carr)
Look out for a jenga block set in charity shops, nice square edged pieces of wood, ideal for this sort of purpose used with blue tac to hold them still. Make them into angle blocks that form a right angle so that they have a 90 degree support while glue etc dries. (Roger Rankin)
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An alternative to weathering powders Pt 1
by Richard Bell
One of my favorite types of weathering is watercolor pencils, very little disapears with them. You use the pencils and then blend them with water to get the effect you want, don't like it, wash it off and start over. I use this way all the time for flat car decks but works elsewere as well.
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An alternative to weathering powders Pt 2
by Wayne Toth
Rather than using so-called weathering powders, I'd suggeast that you go to an art-supply store, and pick up some oil-based pastel sticks, in a variety of browns, greys, and some black ones, too.
To use them, I rub them over some coarse sandpaper, then dump the resultant powder into suitable container…blister packs from small items work well and are readily available.
Pick a not-too expensive brush, dip it into the powder, then apply to the item to be weathered. You can brush- or blow-off any excess or even wipe it with a rag or paper towel.
I've found that the oil component helps to fix the powder in-place, and after a few days, it doesn't seem to come off with careful handling, so there's no need to apply a clear overspray.
If you accidently put on too much or a colour you want to change, it should be removable with dish soap and warm water, then rinse and let dry for another attempt.
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An alternative to weathering powders Pt 3
by John Mock
A friend of mine weathers his steam engines with just powdered graphite. He believes that he gets a good weathered look that represents real life by just rubbing in the powered graphite with paint brushes. You do not clear coat the models–that would lessen the effect–and the best thing is that if you really want to remove the powdered graphite, it is possible but takes a little gentle scrubbing with soap and water (I've done this and cleaned the graphite off with cotton swabs using soap and water).
No gloppy thick powders, no mess, no fuss…though you might get a little graphite on your hands from handling models. Maybe he rubs it in better than I do, but the models on his layout look fantastic.
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An alternative to weathering powders Pt 4
by Dave Harrison
My wife buys her make-up in pallettes that have various browns. When they 'get low' she gives them to me. Just by dusting rolling stock the desired effect is done. I find there is no need to spray the stock as the powders remain in place.
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If gaps between modules annoy you
by Crandall Overton
If gaps between modules for ballast etc is annoyingly obvious and detracts from the realistic view you would rather have, I suggest either wax paper of cling wrap, doubled, and held in the gap. The idea is to keep it really thin, but it cannot be so thin that removing the module is a grating, breaking, and risky chore because the gap is tono close.
Put something that can be easily removed and discarded in the gap and groom your ballast modestly tight to both sides of the removable barrier. Glue well, make sure it's clean, shaped, and hard.
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Substituting Wire for plastic to represent sand pipes etc
by Several Modellers
Florists wire lacks elastic memory and stays set where you bend it. It is also available in different gauges so a number of scales or diameters of pipe can be represented (Malcolm Denham )
For 2 inch pipe, I use 0.3mm steel rod, suitably blackened which has less chance of being bent or damaged. (Michael Norton)
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Using Acrylic Paints and Decalling
by Richard Bell
Some of us using acrylic paint may have had trouble with decal solvent crazing the freshly painted surface when applying decals. The problem is that the paint was not cured.
Acrylic pain cures, not dries. It can seem to be dry and handling is fine but depending on how thick the paint is applied it can take weeks to cure. In the 1-1 world many a beginning artist has hung a piece of art with really thick paint that they thought was good to go, only to have some of the paint start to sag using acrylics,
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Gluing Grab Irons Pt 1
by Several Modellers
I slightly shorten one "leg" so I am attempting to get both "legs" in the two holes at exactly the same instant, which is possible to do bu an itncreasing challenge when your hands are not rock steady any more. I usually dip the tips of the legs in ACC before applying and assume that that will spread enough cement into the hole to hold the grab. If I am unsure I apply some to the inside and hope it wicks into position. (Dave Nelson)
Do you have access to the inside of the car body? If so, I would suggest putting the grab irons in place and then applying the CA to the stub on the inside of the car. The CA will wick its way into the hole. Once the CA is set you can trim off the excess wire with an X-acto chisel blade. (David Robertson)
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Gluing Grab Irons Pt 2
by Peter Riley
I use a sharpened toothpick for grab irons with blind holes. Squeeze some glue onto a scrap piece of something and use the toothpick. When done, toss it away. Simple and easy.
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Weather Copper Chain Pt 1
by Will Verbeek
For a lot of kits where there is a chain, e.g. water cranes, there may be a water resistant coating on the chain, to keep it from tarnishing quickly. This may have to removed first, with lacquer thinner or similar then proceed to the tarnishing as normal, with the exception of reducing the tarnishing solution so it does not corrode the chain so much.
Last edit: by xdford
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Weather Copper Chain Pt 2
by Peter Corfield
Micro Engineering Co. Rail Weathering Solution #49-103.
Pour a little of the full strength solution in a small plastic container (pill cup) just to cover the amount of chain you intend to use. Let it sit for as long as you want to get the color/shade you want.
Some people say it does not give them what they want/expect when doing rail. That is ok, you are doing chain soaking in the solution, it works great for chain done this way.
If you look at the chain in the solution and think it looks dark enough and get it out and rinse it, if you are using your fingers, you will get black fingers. If it is not dark to your liking, re-soak it. USE TWEEZERS, NOT YOUR FINGERS. READ ALL WARNINGS ON THE BOTTLE.
After you have the shade you want and run it though the water rinse cycle, do not rub the chain dry, pat it dry with a paper towel. If you rub it, some color will come off.
You may find that your fingers get black as you handle the chain. (
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Peco Point correction
by Trevor Gibbs
A Peco trait with their more recent turnouts in that the curved point rail can go under gauge by virtue (I think) of its elastic memory. I have had an issue with 1 turnout in a yard ladder when pushing cars into a siding and it has often been the second or third car through the turnout.
The cure for me was to very gently bend it with thumbs so that my NMRA gauge goes through it OK. It was only a couple of freight cars presenting a problem so that very slight loosening of the trucks also helped and reduced the derailments in the area markedly.
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Older Tri-ang Chassis Wheel bush fix
by John Craig
I have an older Triang 0-6-0 Chassis which runs quite well but suffered the undergauge wheels and a worn insulating wheel bush. The bush flange doubles as an insulator to the frame but I had found mine quite worn and intermittently shorting. Using a clear piece of plastic from a lid, I drilled a hole in the plastic, cut it in the shape of a washer to a lesser diameter than the wheel itself. I then cut a small slot so that the new washer could be slipped over the axle. Short circuiting fixed and the insulation seems to be holding up well!
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Points/Turnouts in Tunnels
by Simon Roy
A turnout in a tunnel is high risk at any timefor sure. We have one at the club (not my idea!), and it's a PITA when derailments occur. Maintenance can also be highly problematic. Of course, there are ways to make track in tunnels more accessible. Rear-access to the tunnel area is probably the best option.
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Stripping and Painting Models
by Ed Pullman
I often strip HO passenger cars. I "treated" myself to a nice 14" welded (no fold seams to trap old paint/solution) stainless steel drywall mud pan. I only fill the pan to cover half the model then simply flip it a few times through the soaking process. Works just fine.
I use a material called “Superclean†here in the US but do a test on an unseen section of plastic or preferably a scrapped body by the same manufacturer to see if the material is unaffected by the stripping chemical.
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Soldering Brass Kit Models
by John Brossard
The real trick to making a joint, I have found, is to tack solder. If the joint isn't perfect, you can easily break it and try again. When you like the joint, complete the bead.
A good idea is to vigorously clean any errant solder blobs. These can be remelted and rubbed down with a fiberglass pen. Really large blobs can be scraped off with an old curved exacto blade and then rubbed down.
Washing the work with a greaseless detergent (NOT Fairy Liquid) such as that used for bathrooms is also good.
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Jig Support when Soldering
by Robin Barclay
I use offcuts of 2 x 1 or 3 x 1/2 and I find them invaluable for both soldering small items on, and using their planed edges to set things at right angles. They are blackened and full of holes, but still work fine !
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Modelling Cobblestones
By Tony Clarke
Modelling cobbles is not too difficult, one modeller working in OO used dried peas set in plaster to good effect. In N you could do something similar using small spherical beads from the local dressmaking suppliers
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Installing Newly laid rail insulators and new insulating gaps Pt 1
By Wayne Toth
If I'm laying track, I use plastic rail joiners to isolate sections of track, usually the double track through most on-layout towns.
If the track is in place, and I need to isolate part of it, I use a cut-off disc in a motor tool to create a gap in one rail, then slip a small slice of grey plastic (not styrene, but some other type from Plastruct, securing it with a bit of ca.
Once the ca has set, I use a needle file and chisel-type blade in an X-Acto handle, to make the plastic into a shape the same as the profile of the rail.
Because my layout is in the basement, I have never had issues with expanding track lengths and kinking due to excess heat to affect these gaps.
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