Weekend Update 8/12/18

[cbroughton67]

@Philip H It's final weight is around 0.5-0.6oz. Considering that it's a 30' N-scale flat car (2" long), it has a decent amount of heft for its size.


Finding tungsten powder was harder to find than I thought. Golf shops and pet stores around town didn't have it, but I found some on eBay. Make sure it's pure tungsten powder, otherwise you'll end up with less weight and more volume. Reviews/comments were helpful.


Chris

@cbroughton67 how heavy is that thing with the tungsten mixed in? That does seem like an easy way for resin cast folks to add weight and still get fine details.

[Santa Fe Guy]

Great work on those locos Bill and nice video as well.
Rod.

[Dave V]

[garethashenden]

Well done, not an easy job all these crisp lines between black and white. Just one thing thou if I may, see the blue part of the shell inside the cab,  paint that part black as well.

Jane

Yeah I noticed that after the cab was on. I'll try to get the cab off and fix it, but I have a record of snapping these cabs in half 

[Angus Shops]

OK, I've just got to ask: in the search for tungsten powder, why would a pet store be a likely source?
Geoff

[peteski]

OK, I've just got to ask: in the search for tungsten powder, why would a pet store be a likely source?
Geoff

Feed it to goldfish to ballast them so they don't float on the water's surface? 
But seriously, good question.

[C855B]

OK, I've just got to ask: in the search for tungsten powder, why would a pet store be a likely source?

It's for certain show breeds where the AKC "conformation" for showing requires consistent drooped ear tips. Sometimes it doesn't happen or occurs unevenly, so the tungsten is used with tape to encourage the droop.

You had to ask, didn't you.

[Angus Shops]

It's for certain show breeds where the AKC "conformation" for showing requires consistent drooped ear tips. Sometimes it doesn't happen or occurs unevenly, so the tungsten is used with tape to encourage the droop.

You had to ask, didn't you.

Oh.

[robert3985]

Bob,

While I don't mind the constructive criticism, you sure have a strange way of expressing it.

Bill Denton

Bill,

Haha...yeah, I was in a strange mood and the zen quality was much appreciated.  However, I wasn't criticizing since I don't paint most of my MT Delrin wheelsets either.  The highlights off the unpainted wheel surfaces in your video were something I hadn't seen before, and it alerted me that to prevent it in my own photos and videos, I'd better paint 'em! 

As to checking the gauge on motive power...it's something I do on every engine, but sometimes they spontaneously get out of gauge. No criticism...just being helpful.

But, my post was mostly a big compliment, and your work really is inspirational to me and I'm sure to a lot of others. 

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[robert3985]

Russ ( @tehachapifan ),

WOW! Those SP-fied SW1500's are fabulous!  My second favorite railroad...

Cheerio!
Bob Gilmore

[cbroughton67]

You beat me to it. Yeah, the things you didn't know that you didn't know. Also used for adding weight to fishing lures and gold clubs.

Some pet store owner is probably wondering what on earth a model railroader would use it for. 

It's for certain show breeds where the AKC "conformation" for showing requires consistent drooped ear tips. Sometimes it doesn't happen or occurs unevenly, so the tungsten is used with tape to encourage the droop.

You had to ask, didn't you.

[mcjaco]

Bill,

Haha...yeah, I was in a strange mood and the zen quality was much appreciated.  However, I wasn't criticizing since I don't paint most of my MT Delrin wheelsets either.  The highlights off the unpainted wheel surfaces in your video were something I hadn't seen before, and it alerted me that to prevent it in my own photos and videos, I'd better paint 'em! 

Bill, have Delrin wheelsets?  I think not.   

I'd put a good chunk of moolah down, that those are all FVM wheelsets.

[skytop35]

Bill, have Delrin wheelsets?  I think not.   

I'd put a good chunk of moolah down, that those are all FVM wheelsets.

Pretty sure he was referring to his wheelets. Mine are FVM as you know. Just haven't got around to painting all of them yet. Note some cars in the video don't have the glare because they are painted already. Only so much modeling time in the day.

As far as the engine goes, the wheels ARE in gauge. It may have hit a loose piece of ballast or something else as other runs through the same spot didn't cause the engine to jump. I noticed it in the video but was too lazy to reshoot the scene at the time.

Having to explain the why's and wherefore's on photos and videos is a deterrent to posting. Moving on to next project !

[Maletrain]

Question about adding tungsten powder to resin castings: does that cause problems with later machining of the resin, for drilling grab iron holes or maybe making other modifications requiring a Dremel?  Tungsten is very hard and notoriously difficult to machine, so it seems that trying to drill tiny holes in resin filled with the stuff would be hard on tiny drill bits, and even harder on Dremel cutting tools.

[JMaurer1]

Back to back pictures from Mike and Wolf...what more could I ask for! Great shots!