The Structure Craftsman

Working on the track…

Tommy — Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:52:03 +0000

Using “Blue Foam” as a scenery base

Tommy — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 22:10:42 +0000

Nothing gets built when Life steps in…

Tommy — Tue, 05 Jul 2011 14:03:13 +0000

I just checked my blog for the first time in months. When I started this project I believed that I would be able to ad some new information, at least, once a week. How wrong I was. Life has a way of kicking you in the butt once in awhile just to let you know who’s boss. Between kids graduations, dental and doctor visits, certain things must be put aside. But there is light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Vacation time is coming up and I will be able to work more on Mackenzie. I have, actually, done quite a bit of work on the model. Something that I would like to share in and upcoming post is my experience working with Blue Foam Insulation. So, until then…

Happy Modeling!

A word about adhesives…

Tommy — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 16:04:33 +0000

Everyone is looking for a better and faster way to do things. Glues and Adhesives are no exception. The latest trend has been Canopy Glue. This is a fine product and works quite well. It is solvent resistant which is Really a nice feature. However, don’t let it get cold or it turns into a giant glob of jello. I use it a lot on the inside of walls where they meet. This gives the structure a little more rigidity. When you get a new bottle it is fairly thin and flows well. I have been using Flamingo glue lately. I love the small dispenser which looks a lot like a Visine bottle. On the end is a 7mm mechanical pen point. This allows you to direct a very small bead of glue into very tight places. The only problem that I have found is the clogging of the tip. So, I keep a pin handy. Once I have done running a bead of glue, I (don’t get grossed out) put the pin in my mouth to get it a little wet. Then I insert the pin into the pen point until I am ready to use it again. I purchased a bottle of this glue over a year ago and I have yet to run out! Since I work mainly in wood, I don’t use a lot of Super Glue products. They smell, stick your fingers together and have a short shelf life. I have heard that if you keep this type of glue in the refrigerator it will last longer. On occasion I may use it with some Zip Kicker for certain things. For Plastic I use MEK. I get a whole can of it at (insert building supply store name of your choice here). I use an old brush to depense it. Last but not least, Yellow Wood glue. If I use this I dilute it with a few drops of water. If it is too thick it will goosh out. (goosh= a technical term) The first thing that a judge notices, if you enter contests, is shiny glue marks. If you have glue marks make sure to go back and paint them over with a matching color to the background. A little dab of Dullcoat wouldn’t hurt either. Until next time. Happy Modeling Folks!

Concrete walls and things…

Tommy — Wed, 16 Feb 2011 17:03:23 +0000

Well, I had to add one more coat of Concrete to get the coverage that I was looking for. Finally, after three coats of paint I can no longer see the grain lines in the wood. While gluing the concrete walls together for the mill, I remembered an old technique that I learned, I think, from an old Wayne Weslowski video on building wooden structures. The technique is simply this; put a small film of glue (I prefer yellow wood glue) on the two surfaces that are to be connected together. Let this dry until it is tacky. About ten minutes if you don’t gob on the glue. Then add a small bead of glue to one surface and attach the pieces together. The film of glue seals the wood especially on end grain. Now, I know many people that see no point in this extra step. From my own experience, I have seen models come unglued, usually at the worst possible moment like, say, in the contest room at a convention. I have models that I have built twenty years ago that have not budged using this technique. I also have a few that I have had to go back and re-glue. I did not use this technique on those models. Try it and see for yourself. I am also very particular when it comes to getting things square. I recently prejudged a model that had such a large gap between two walls that I suggested that he cover the gap with a down pipe or vines. The gap was literally an eighth of an inch wide. The extra time that you spend fixing something that you may find to be inconsequential at the time can mean the difference between a contest quality model and just another building on your layout or display shelf. Until next time. Happy Modeling Folks!

Mackenzie Milling

Tommy — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 20:48:29 +0000

Has anyone else experienced a learning curve since the demise of the “Old” Floquil Paint Formula. I was so set in my ways, techniques, and formulas that I have had a heck of a time working with new materials. For those of you who are just visiting. Floquil Paint was a mainstay in structure building over the past umteen years. Umteen? Is that a word? One of the things that I have noticed about the “New” Floquil Paints is the lack of odor. A plus to say the least. I read somewhere that a guy developed brain damage from the old formula. That explains a lot. Now, where was I? Oh yeah… One of the other things that I have noticed is the lack of pigment in the new paint. The same Aged Cement does not cover half as well as the old formula. Last night I was working on the concrete walls for Mackenzie Milling, my current project. When I use concrete on wood I like to stain the wood first so it’s a little dirty. Has anyone ever seen old concrete or is it just me? Concrete, especially aged concrete is not one flat color. Come look at my new driveway and you can see areas of orange! I use Brown Shoe Dye mixed with alcohol. I dilute it way down until I get a sort of orangy brown. I use this for many things. And so, after staining and letting it dry, I brush on the Floquil Aged Cement. The finish came out, as professional painters call it, Pickled. This morning I added another coat to one piece and I will see how it looks later today. This is called a teaser. Happy Modeling Folks!

Current Project

Tommy — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:05:11 +0000

The current project that I am working on is an old kit manufactured by Fine Scale Miniatures. Fine Scale has been around for a long time. Established and still run by George Selios, this company has produced many fine kits. Many people collect FSM kits and never build them. Personally, I prefer to build them otherwise what have you got? A box full of sticks, paper, and cardboard. Many of the FSM kits draw a very high price tag. Some of the larger and more popular kits can be purchased at auction for upwards of six and seven hundred dollars! I remember purchasing several of the first kits. I bought the Signal Tower (never finished) and the Two Stall Engine House (never finished). I was very young at the time and my expertise, at that time, was mainly with plastic kits. Both of these kits, at the time, sold for well under twenty dollars. Anyway, back to the project. The kit that I am building is Mackenzie Milling Company. This kit originally sold for about sixty dollars. I paid $275 for mine on Ebay. I have not seen very many photos of this kit in a finished state. The feedback that I have received from several modelers is that the kit is too hard and it is an abandoned business so it has a limited appeal on and operating model railroad. I have finished a major portion of the building itself. I abandoned the Campbell Shingles that came with the kit. I used Paper Creek Shingles. This company, unfortunately, is no longer in business. It is too bad. I really like their products. Today I have started work on the concrete walls. Pictures to follow. Happy Modeling!

Day One…

Tommy — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 02:00:55 +0000

Hi folks. I got this idea after watching a movie in which the main character blogged for a year. I thought it might be fun to blog about my hobby and the work that I am doing. Also, it is a good way for me to improve my writing skills and work my brain a little more than I do now.

So! What is this about? Well, I build structures for model railroads. There are many of us out there. Some of us do this for fun, some do it as a business. We even meet, now and again, at conventions and shows to display our work and get ideas. I believe in the sharing and receiving ideas. It is a good way to improve our work and learn from those who have developed better, and sometimes, easier construction techniques.

Hopefully, I will be able to share some of my ideas and enable you to learn something new. Here we go! Welcome to my first blog.