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Comments
Not only am I now not going to bother to bring anything to the show, I'm now resigned to just sit at home and watch the show "reports" on the forums...
Dont get too comfy in your seat at the awards dinner my friend as you may need to get up a few times...
Karl.A
Thanks for the nice words. I'm very appreciative of all the encouragement and advice along the way. I've been watching your projects on different threads as well and I can hardly wait for October!
Karl- don't even joke about not going! There's at least a few Corona's at the bar for you, my friend!
I cant wait to see what you start on next.
Elliott-I know what you mean about never being done. I've got a list of things that are still unfinished, but each time I start working on one of them I'll spot something and think "man...I could really do that better" or "I should probably touch that up." I think I have to make a FINAL final list and stick with it. Whoever thought we'd need directions for how to stop working on a project?
Wes-I love working on those little scenery details. I made some notes of things I wanted to try and had success with a lot of them. A few took several attempts to get right (water!) but most went as planned. I've got a few SW kits in the on-deck circle and also the FOS radio station. But once this is 100% done, I have to get back to benchwork and track for the layout. I've been promising my son that he'll get to run trains "soon."
I'll take some outdoor pics of the finished dio with natural sun light and post 'em here. "Soon."
I tried clamping them down with a piece of scrap wood but that left crease marks from the edges. After drying over night, most held the curve while others didn't. Eh...a little variety! Then it was a simple matter of gluing the load together. One other thing I didn't mention before...I created the gaps in the load by gluing a really short piece here and there on several of the rows. That helps make the stacks of lumber look a little less perfect. For the couplers, I used link and pin hardware from both Alexander Scale Models and Wiseman Model Services. Here's how they turned out:
And here's how they look on the model:
Ooops. I can see some spots where I forgot to add the couplers. 2 smokestacks and guy wires are left to attach and then add the fascia. Then, I'm calling it done!
Brett, can you put in a couple roosters in my order that I'm waiting on? (Of course I'll pay for them. )
Again, Bill, your pictures are an inspiration!
I built this kit a few years ago and you have done a superb job with it, Great Job Well Done.
Carl Laskey
Karl.A
In one of the first posts of this beautiful model you mentioned a staining technique of inks, water and alcohol. I have never tried this method before and before I try it you might clarify something for me. In other postings it is mentioned that non waterproof black India ink makes a difference in using a stain. My impression is that waterproof does not work. At the same time the Bombay inks are waterproof and are added to water (I do not understand why) before adding that brown mix to a India ink alcohol mix. Does waterproof or non waterproof really matter using this process?
Did you wire brush the boards before or after the staining?
Best regards,
Mitch
The exact process I used escapes me since I started this project almost 5 years ago. I will sometimes add texture to the raw wood and then stain them. My thinking is that the crevices will darken more or that the wood will accept the stain better. If you use a 24 hour soaking method, that is probably not the case but experiment and see what result you get. For me, it depends on my mood! Adding texture can be a boring chore, so it'll seem appealing to get that out of the way first: Rough up the wood, soak 'em for 24 hours, pull 'em out of the bag, let 'em dry and BUILD.
The difference I've seen using waterproof ink is that it doesn't go into solution as well nor does it stay in solution very long.
As far as the Bombay inks…I'm not sure what the explanation is. I know that I must have been satisfied with the results or I would have written otherwise. One difference is that I used it for swiping the strip wood--not soaking. (So I was using a rag and wiping it on the wood.)
I found an old batch of alcohol mixed with 2 tsps of of Ph Martins' Bombay ink (the "waterproof" stuff). If I shake the jug of alcohol really well, it looks thoroughly mixed. But when I pour it into an aluminum pan you can tell that it isn't. It looks like the ink had sort of curdled--like milk--into really tiny balls. Take a look:
All those clumps aren't sediment from wood scraps or some other debris...that's gunked up ink reacting to the alcohol! Soak your wood in this mess and you'll probably end up with ugly, nasty blobs. (OR, as I think about it...it may possibly yield a really COOL effect hat none of us has seen or tried. Hmmmm. But seriously, don't try it with a new kit. I'm just thinking out loud as I type. )
If I were to start a project today, I probably wouldn't bother with the colored inks any more. I'll always have jugs of the standard medium and heavy dilutions of A&I (non-waterproof) on my bench to touch up ends, add water stains, and other quick applications. I'd still use non-waterproof black India ink in combination with the acrylic paints if I was going to make a soaking recipe. But honestly, using chalks and alcohol gives you a quicker, more consistent result.
Hope that helps!
Bill
Thank you for response. I appreciate it. You went back and really investigated your answer. I suppose, after seeing your work, what else would one expect.
If you ever build trees for your layout I would love to see them.
Since I already have the ink I am going to experiment with them. I have reached out to the ink manufacturer for their advice. If anything turns out to be worth posting I will in a separate topic.
If anyone else has experience with inks, good or bad, I would like to hear from you.
Best regards,
Mitch
http://www.sierrawestscalemodels.com/vanforum/discussion/159/wood-coloring-experiments/p1