Best Of Weekend Update 7/31/11

[bbussey]

That Arctic Ice building is an unexpected blast from the past.  I remember having that decades ago.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Dave:
Awsome work on the layout. I just wish I could do work like that!

Bryan:
I will probably get that White Tower kit when it comes out. I always liked the art deco diners (is there anything that dosen't look good in art deco?). I probably need to start work on a small layout just for transition are stuff. Have you throught about making art deco signage? I could use a Woolworth sign:
http://library.uncg.edu/dp/crg/biggie/other/1.4.1158-01.jpg

[Ian MacMillan]

Got some legs under the bench work for modules 1 and 2. I've got some time off tomorrow night so I will start sketching stuff on those two.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

So for this week:
I kitbashed a few new cement mixers using Japenese models with Herpa Kenworth cabs on scratchbuilt frames.

Finishing up decals on one of the MDC tank cars I detailed last year.

Got a call from the bank. I will be receiving enough inheritance to either a) pay a massive amount or the house or b) set up a retirment plan with controbutions for the next 10 years, finish the basement AND have a lot left over.

Right now I'm favoring plan B

[wm3798]

Hey, Dan, did I ever tell you how much I like your work?  What d'ya say, cuz?

 

[DKS]

Daniel, your PM box is full...

[diezmon]

haven't done any actual modeling.. just playing around with a new photoshop trick to make things look like models

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Fixed

[MichaelWinicki]

Probably a  bit off topic for the WE Update, but since we're talking about subterrain, why aren't you guys just sanding and surfoaming the foam to final shape instead of relying on a hardshell type application on top?  I'll use a little lightweight spackle to fill in small gaps, but it's much better to shape the foam to 98% than to glob on a thick application of brittle hard shell that is going to chip away as the layout ages.

On top of the foam goes a layer of latex paint and the first application of WS fine foam. 

And it's much easier to plant trees and install telephone poles etc.

I started out without any intention of covering my extruded styrofoam with anything other than paint– and then follow up with the turf, static grass, blah, blah.

The first thing I noticed is that extruded styrofoam didn't take paint well.  Actually it looked kinda pathetic.  Yeah, you won't see that after all the turf had been applied, but I knew it would be a while before the surface of my layout was going to see turf.

I found that while yeah, the extruded styrofoam does allow me to install trees very easily... it was almost too easy.  There didn't seem to be a lot of friction holding the tree in place. 

The final reason I went with a covering of Sculptamold was that it gave me the ability to easily texture the top of the extruded styrofoam.   As we all know styrofoam is flat, flat, flat.  And yeah you can carve it and cut it, but that takes a lot of time and it makes a lot of mess.  Sculptamold kicks butt when it comes to easily making a textured surface.

And Sculptamold takes paint very nicely!

Adding trees to a Sculptamold covered surface is a little harder but I like the rigidity the Sculptamold gives the tree structure.

[diezmon]

Fixed

what was broken?

[tom mann]

Now Dan will have a happy signature! ;D

[dwyaneward]

Looks very nice - I have one to make soon; do tell; how did you do your track ?

Thanks

If you talking about the bridge track. I used some Atlas code 55 rail I put out of some flex and followed the CV instructions. The trick will be mating the Atlas code 55 on the bridge to the Peco code 55.

[daniel_leavitt2000]

Sorry I meant to quote David's post about my PM box, not your photos.

Anyway... Shot with my cell phone...





CC/Bandai cement truck kitbash. I still need to smooth out the tank's primer, add the air cleaners horns and mirrors but it is taking shape!







This started out as a Maruka Japanese cement truck. I totally misjudged the length of the thing till final assembly. I will need to go back and add a third axle to make the length look correct. Why didn't I test everything BEFORE painting? BTW if the scheme looks familiar, that's the Athearn Edmire scheme. I liked it so much I decided to add some variety.

[wm3798]

I don't like using the "all foam" technique either.  It takes too much foam!  Using sculptamold as finish allows you to stuff newspapers, foam peanuts, old sandwiches or whatever else is handy into voids then smooth them over. 
Lee

[SkipGear]

I don't like using the "all foam" technique either.  It takes too much foam!  Using sculptamold as finish allows you to stuff newspapers, foam peanuts, old sandwiches or whatever else is handy into voids then smooth them over. 
Lee

Lee,
 You just need to be creative with the foam and not wedding cake everything...

Here are a couple of shots of the guts of the mountain I showed earlier. This layout happened to be designed to come apart in the middle so it provided a good opportunity to show shots like these.





The solid piece in the middle is the layer that the track is laid on. I wanted to keep as much of it there as posible to maintain stiffness and keep the grade consistant.

Edit - more info

The entire 4x8 was layout done with 2 1/2 sheets of 1" foam and 2 of them were used for the base.