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  1. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    I decided to take a break from 2D trees, and make a few 3D ones. These are all right, but I should have looked again at my reference photos. I thought these were perhaps not regular enough, but compared to the examples in the photos, they were really almost too full and too regular. It will...
  2. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    Finally, I started painting the backdrop scenery. I started in November, averaging between an hour and two hours a day, and will likely not finish for at least two or three more months. Below are photos of two of the more successful areas. As you can see, the specter of gradation reared its...
  3. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    I tried many, MANY techniques and tricks to try to produce a smooth gradation in the sky color, but was never able to obtain consistent results with a reasonable amount of dynamic range, so most of the gradation in the sky is due to attenuation of the lighting (see the earlier posts on...
  4. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    It would, except that the log pond is somewhere along the line between the interchange and the town with the sawmill, and the town is at the end of the line, some miles away. ;-) Jeff
  5. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    The valance was made from two layers of black denim (one layer wasn’t opaque enough), partially backed by two layers of bleached muslin, as mentioned earlier. The denim was an issue because it had a strong chemical smell to it, which laundering did not remove. Since there was such a lot of it...
  6. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    I liked the proportions of the 4-6-0 at the Laws Museum, and, as it happens, a pewter and brass Sn3 kit of it is available from Railmaster. I assembled just enough of it to make it operational: Then I strapped enough weight on it to approximate its final weight. I had a couple of PBL’s...
  7. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    Lighting, Part 2: Another reason for the baffles is to reduce double shadows where two sunlights overlap. I used the simple device shown here to test for double shadows; in this example, the baffles have not yet been optimized for this location. To conserve light, the lower portion of the...
  8. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    Lighting, Part 1: Hanging this curved rail from the ceiling was the first step; it parallels where the fascia will be. I ended up doubling the number of stabilizing spokes to the backdrop frame. The strip of hardboard on the front edge is for mounting the valance. valance frame03.jpg...
  9. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    Not much to say about this group of photos. The first shows the backdrop framing; the next two are with the hardboard installed. In all three, the mockup in the foreground is correctly oriented with the room itself. Jeff
  10. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    Hello, Chet. I remember you as well, though I must confess I recall your name more than your work! While the track plan was being finalized, I decided to do a test to see how interested I was in building scenery. The result is the partially-constructed diorama you see here. I did just enough...
  11. astroboy

    Sn3: Construction of the Currie and El Dorado

    Last year, on the Whistle Post forums, I started a thread on the Sn3 layout I’m building. That forum has since disappeared. It seems enough time has passed that it’s reasonable to assume that it’s not coming back, so I’m going to more or less reconstruct here, and carry on posting my progress...
  12. astroboy

    Can't get Tix solder to work

    Thanks, all, for the input. I tried again today, and got a good joint between two pieces of thin brass wire, and the same brass wire and pewter. Still looked messy, though. Iron Horseman: It sure seemed like it was flowing yesterday. Richard and Iron Horseman: I touched the iron to the...
  13. astroboy

    Can't get Tix solder to work

    This isn't strictly a wiring issue, but: Up front, I am the World's Worst Solderer, bar none. Still, I usually manage to get things to stick together and conduct electricity. Today, I tried some Tix, a low temperature (275°) solder that I'd like to use for a metal locomotive kit. Well, it...




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