Build a HO scale power plant to hide a concrete pillar

[Jacob Z]

Apologies if I missed this earlier, how did you do the brick arches over the windows?

 

[TLOC]

Apologies if I missed this earlier, how did you do the brick arches over the windows?

I’d like to say it’s skill but the arches are part of the modular wall system I cannablized for those 3 sections of wall. Thanks for viewing and the question

 

[TLOC]

I've used CA more times than I remember for closing cracks that would develop on my dried out fingertips before I retired. No problems this year though.

The surgeon also used it on my chest 16 years ago after my bypass surgery. Works great and no train tracks on my chest. In fact the scar is hardly even noticeable after all this time.

From my recollection the use of CA for medical use occurred near the end of the VietNam conflict where it mainly was an experiment for closing chest wounds via an air spray.

I know regular CA and Medical Ca formulas are different. Even though I’ve used regular CA on minor cuts it’s not recommended.

 

[RhB Michael]

The difference is probably the medical is sterile out of the bottle.

 

[TLOC]

Just my 2 cents on toning down the brightness. I used Tamiya green translucent paint inside on the clear windows. A lot of old buildings used green to block out some of the sunlight. Just a thought

Thanks for visiting and the comment Jerome. I will experiment with the green from Tamiya. I’ve done the lightly sand with 1000 grit sand paper before but it looked like a scratched surface to me. I have a buddy that is backlighting his interiors with led panels. But it’s $15 per panel. I have had decent success with an LED in the ceiling and black styrene sheet cut small enough that the light just bleeds out from around the edges.

 

[DeaconKC]

Hmm, I'm gonna have to try some thinned Reaper Green Liner to see how that works for tinted windows.

 

[wheeler1963]

I tried to backlight it with a flashlight. The upper windows are tinted green

 

[DeaconKC]

Those windows look "just right".

 

[TLOC]

I tried to backlight it with a flashlight. The upper windows are tinted green

I will definitely try this, thanks for an example

 

[TLOC]

I normally do not let model railroady things bother me. This aisle facing curtain wall in the power plant is kicking me all over the place

Not sure why as the poster board mock up looked good, was the same dimensions and was assembled in the same build sequence I was doing the real thing

Nothing wants to fit together on the framing to the brick wing walls. The verticals and horizontal framing members needed too much trimming to squarely bond them together. Finally when I did it was a poor bond. You name it, it’s going wrong now.

So walk away or at least over to the paint booth. Too many projects there but no commission work so I’m safe. I’ll go up and have dinner and tackle the curtain wall after I eat, maybe…

 

[wheeler1963]

I feel your pain. Sometimes you just have to walk away and come back at it fresh the next day.

 

[TLOC]

I feel your pain. Sometimes you just have to walk away and come back at it fresh the next day.

I stayed out of the train room after dinner. I’m hoping tomorrow is better. If not I will start the curtain wall over.

 

[wheeler1963]

I stayed out of the train room after dinner. I’m hoping tomorrow is better. If not I will start the curtain wall over.

It's not for lack of planning. It took me an hour to read that thread from the begining. You planned it well.

 

[TLOC]

It's not for lack of planning. It took me an hour to read that thread from the begining. You planned it well.

Thanks Jerome, I appreciate the comment.

If anything with custom structures I’m an over planner. This one has just not been working out. It does happen…

I did look briefly at the bench around 6:30 this morning. I had to pick up my garbage bag as it’s the day garbage gets picked up. I was tempted to include the curtain wall. But I recycle everything styrene and if the worst comes the window walls will become part of a scrap gondola load

Model railroading is fun! Except when it isn’t

 

[Jacob Z]

I wish my successes looked as good as your "failures".

 

[TLOC]

I wish my successes looked as good as your "failures".

Thank you

You gotta learn to take the good with the bad in scratch building or kit bashing. I’ve had plenty of bad and I feel I have learned from most of them.

I think my planning is flawed on the curtain wall. The 12 windows framed together even framed in 3 sections just has no structural integrity. I have not compensated enough to correct that. Problem is, I’m stuck for a solution

I have plans for the day out of the train room. I will talk to a buddy soon about 3d printing the wall in 1 piece but that’s a guess if it will work. This buddy though charges me for experimenting but while not my last hope it’s close.

This curtain wall will get done though. To think when I said yes I can put some styrene on the pillar I figured a few days. This thing has a life of its own.

 

[DeaconKC]

Could you run some brass tubing inside of the window section for the rigidity you need?

 

[Jacob Z]

You gotta learn to take the good with the bad in scratch building or kit bashing. I’ve had plenty of bad and I feel I have learned from most of them.

I think it's true of a lot of worthwhile things that in order to become good, you have to be willing to be bad a lot.

[Looks over shoulder at his own track laying]

Yep, that tracks.

 

[TLOC]

Could you run some brass tubing inside of the window section for the rigidity you need?

Good idea and that had briefly entered my mind. I’m fairly good with styrene and Sintra but have few metal working skills. I moved to a different project at the paint booth but I will get back to this wall.

 

[TLOC]

I think it's true of a lot of worthwhile things that in order to become good, you have to be willing to be bad a lot.

[Looks over shoulder at his own track laying]

Yep, that tracks.

Track laying was fun. The last 2 layouts were Micro Engineering code 70 rail on Central Valley Model Works tie strips glued down with a MEK and Barge Cement mixture. Learned to lay rail on my first layout code 100 rail on Tru Scale roadbed and a Kadee Spiker. Oh what a time that was

Thanks for checking in