Running Bear's October 2026 Coffee Shop

[RhB Michael]

The shop owner said yes, easily.

A nice G36 or G36K would really interest me if it was 7,62x51.

 

[santafewillie]

Good Morning All. Mostly cloudy and 77°. Should be a little cooler today at 90°; it was 95° yesterday, one degree short of the record of 96° set in 2024. Still expecting a cold front with showers overnight Thursday, with north winds nearing 35 mph on Friday. There's a 30% chance of rain tonight from the system that hit Patrick overnight and the chances tomorrow night peak at 60% near midnight Thurs/Fri. Had to use the A/C yesterday and overnight, a bit unusual for mid-October.

Yesterday was an average day for me, dishwasher early, helped fold and put up the clothes from the trip; I'm not usually allowed to fold clothes! I did finally finish unpacking from the trip. Later I trimmed and stacked some firewood intended for winter '27-'28. Still have some more to do for this winter, but it's all been cut for at least 12 months so it's dry enough to burn well. Just need to gather it up from some less than accessible spots. Homemade Salmon patties for supper.
Not too sure of today's plan yet. I want to get more firewood gathered before the ground gets wet again, if that happens! I don't have any household tasks pending unless my wife breaks something which she does occasionally.

Never heard of Bubba's 33 until Troy posted about it last week. Hmmmh! Closest one to me is about 40 miles in either of three directions, so I doubt that I will be seeing the inside of one any time soon. The one in Sherman TX that John posted about yesterday is probably the closest.

Another day of running trains out in the train shed yesterday. Just haven't gotten back in the modeling mode yet. Running trains for me is not in any way boring. Yesterday I spent all of my time switching on my lower level.

Michael - Good medical reports from you. Keep it up. Was that a red Kong or a black Kong for Lisl?
Troy - How's the recovery from the fall?
Terry - Congratulations on out-running Murphy with the U25B.
Kusojiji - I also have chosen to stick with the "dumb" house. Most all of my appliances are equipped with "smart apps", but I don't use that feature. My wife does however, use it on the Shark vacuum cleaner. But that's the excuse that I use for never using it!

Probably more familiar across the pond than here, but vocalist Cliff Richard is 86 today. Colin Hodgkinson, bassist for Whitesnake, Spencer Davis (25 years) and most recently for reformed Ten Years After, is 81 today. Justin Hayward, vocalist, guitarist/composer for Moody Blues is 80 today. He wrote and sang most of their bigger hits like Nights in White Satin, Tuesday Afternoon, Never Comes the Day, Question, The Voice and others too numerous to list. And lastly, Al Atkins, original vocalist for Judas Priest ('69-'73) is 79 today.

Everybody have a great Wednesday.

 

[Bruette]

I'd like to have a Buick Roadmaster 1991-96

 

[Bruette]

In baseball news, sorry, my news is old. I'm way behind, I just finished the Padres Brewers series. With MLB.TV I never miss a game, sometimes I'm late getting to it, but the replay is always waiting for me.

Manny Machodo has done it again! The man can be his own worst enemy. What has he done, he made the Third out at Third Base, I've lost count how many times I have seen him do it. I for one don't miss seeing him do it in Baltimore. It is a fundamental mental mistake that should never happen, okay maybe once. This time it did more than kill a two-out rally, it took a run off the board, Manny was tagged out before the run scored. The run doesn't count because he scored after Manny was tagged out, inning over.

To have this happen in the opener of the playoff series the Padres end up losing by one run. The Padres lost the close series, three games to two, to the Brewers, because the Brewers seldom if ever beat themselves.

I suspect it will be a long cold winter for Manny. I hope he gets something for Christmas that takes his mind off of losing in the playoffs, again.

 

[TLOC]

Good overcast morning from Wisconsin. 54f now 64 later. No rain today and mostly cloudy is the guess.

Yesterday was good.

Went north to the friend’s layout to clean track and wheel sets on diesels for the . Late start but a late request asking to come up from him. He has an out of town crew of 10 operating Thursday morning. While trying to clean diesels in one of the yards the NCE panels were dead. Found a bunch more and then checked everyone! 1/2 were dead. I found a panel working and cleaned diesels there as the “sailor type”:words started flying. I’m hopeless when it comes to tracing down layout wiring issues. Finally I had to leave. We talked before I left and he was heading today to be the dispatcher on another layout the visitors. I told him a couple guys offered to help Wednesday but he said no. By time I got home my 2/traveling buddies said they were contacted to come up today (Wednesday) as Bob cancelled his dispatcher job. No radio signals and 1/2 dead NCE plug in panels is not good, especially with a crew from Tulsa coming. But the mainlines are cleaned as are the throats to both staging yards

Terry asked last night to see some of the smaller house floor plans I was sketching out before we settled on being here. She admitted last night she is worrying about everything now. Her lung biopsy is Friday she’s starting to outwardly be nervous. This place is to big, what if the elevator stops. She wants to fly out to LA to tell my sister in person. It got crazy last night.

Be well all

 

[The Railroading Phoenix]

I made a small modification to my L gauge model of my Pennsylvania, Atlantic and Eastern (my fictional railroad) B-2-class 0-6-0 tank engine, specifically I lowered the boiler, cab, and tanks by 1 plate and notched the tanks to fit around the slide valves, and I think it looks a lot better for it. The B-2s were built during WW1 as a response to the increased traffic requiring larger switchers than the A-3 0-4-0 camelbacks then in service, while still being able to fit in the Oaklyn and Sunbury yards, which dated to the 1840s and 1850s respectively, and were not designed with the much larger then-modern locomotives in mind. As such, they were restricted in both loading gauge and wheelbase. As the PAE was an anthracite road, and very short 45-inch drivers would be used, it made sense to shoehorn a large Wooten firebox into the design. A complete stat sheet can be found here, some stats are best guesses, but as many as reasonably possible were calculated properly. (https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...fLqLpcf1uw/edit?gid=1962849666#gid=1962849666) the first 2 pictures are before modification, the last 2 pictures are after

 

[migalyto]

. The rock structure on the wall behind the diesel should look super after you paint or stain it

That was my last N scale layout before switching to Ho, unfortunately its long gone.

I sure do miss that layout!

 

[troyphoto]

Always fun to experiment. I asked ChatGPT this morning for it’s recommendations for water and wave effects

Direct Alternatives for Water, Waves, & Cascades

Since GAC 500 was beloved for its combination of self-leveling flow, hard dry film, and high clarity, the standard options for replacing it on layouts include:

A. Golden Clear Leveling Gel (Best for Waves & Water Movement)
If you used GAC 500 to build up surface texture, ripple effects, or flowing water, Golden Clear Leveling Gel (formerly named Self-Leveling Clear Gel) is the standard substitute.
Behavior: It dries completely clear, retains a wet-look gloss, and provides a smooth, self-leveling finish without crazing or trapping cloudiness in moderate layers.
For Cascades: When stippled with a dry brush as it begins to tack up, it holds sharp peak formations for foam and white-water churn exceptionally well.

B. Golden GAC 200 (Best for Rigid/Solid Riverbeds)
If you mixed GAC 500 with acrylic tints or poured it directly onto painted insulation foam/plaster bases for shallow water:
Behavior: GAC 200 is Golden’s hardest-drying polymer. Because model railroad layout bases (styrene, wood, foam) are rigid, GAC 200 cures to a very tough, glossy finish with minimal surface tack.
Note: Apply in thin layers to avoid minor surface cracking during shrinkage as it cures.

C. Vallejo Still Water / Liquitex Gloss Medium

Liquitex Gloss Medium & Varnish: A direct industry alternative to GAC 500 for fluid self-leveling water pours in thin lifts.

Vallejo Still Water (26.230): Specifically formulated for scale modeling, this self-leveling polyurethane liquid cures crystal clear over painted riverbeds.

WHY NO RECOMMENDATION FOR GAC800

Golden GAC 800 is specifically formulated for acrylic pouring (to prevent crazing or cracking when poured in thick, puddle-like layers), but two key physical properties make it a risky choice for model layout water effects:

1. It Dries "Hazy" / Cloudy
Unlike GAC 500 or Clear Leveling Gel, GAC 800 dries with a distinct milky, hazy cast rather than crystal-clear transparency.
Why it matters for layouts: Unless you mix GAC 800 with 5%–10% opaque paint, the haziness remains visible. For clear waterfalls, churning waves, or translucent riverbeds, GAC 800 will leave your water looking foggy or muddy instead of deep and clear

2. It Lacks Body for 3D Water Shapes
GAC 800 is a very thin, liquid fluid designed to level out flat on canvas.

Why it matters for layout scenery: To build high wave crests, vertical waterfall drops, or sculpted foam, you need a medium with enough body or tack to hold shape against gravity while drying. GAC 800 will simply run off vertical structures or sag completely flat before curing.

When Can You Use GAC 800 on a Layout?

The only scenario where GAC 800 excels on a model layout is shallow, flat, tinted water pours (like mud puddles, stagnant canal beds, or deep murky swamp water):

Its anti-crazing formula allows you to pour a thicker 1/8-inch layer over non-porous plaster or wood bases without shrinking or cracking as it dries.
If you mix a few drops of dark olive, brown, or blue-green acrylic color into GAC 800, the paint pigments absorb the natural haziness of the medium.


I often use Gemini or ChatGPT after the fact to get a response on why something turned out the way it does. I got tired of the “atta boy” attitude from both. Nothing is wrong but here’s how we can improve it. I now use the phase “brutal honesty” when asking for suggestions after it reviews an image I’ve created. I use it just as another tool to help improve a project. OFTEN I ignore its suggestions

Just have fun with it

I left a comment on Boomer's vid about GAC being out of production, he suggested:
"Liquitex Gloss Medium. It works awesome as well."

 

[migalyto]

"Liquitex Gloss Medium. It works awesome as well."

I tried liquitex as one of my trials. It showed great potential, but I found as I added more layers I started getting tiny surface bubbles.

Maybe my technique was wrong. I wonder if same technique for removing surface bubbles in Enviro-tex would of worked.

You take a drinking straw and gently blow across the surface, The carbon dioxide in your breath takes away all the tiny bubbles and leaves a
smooth surface.

 

[troyphoto]

Well, howdy there internet peeps and those struggling with laundry.

It's Troy again.

Just back from the PT pretzel session.

WILLIE: the fall recovery is good. Nothing broken. Slight ache on the ankle and knee. Iced the knee this morning. But haven't needed it since.

After the PT session, Josh the PT did the force gauge measurement where I do the dorsiflexion of the foot, and the press out with the lower leg. the foot raise was +30 of my weakened baseline. The leg kick was +50% of the weakened baseline. Progress but it's slow.

It's laundry day here. I too stopped folding my wife's clothes other than socks and undies. She won't let me put them on the hangers either. I live her "shoulder bumps" when I do that.

Hopefully I'll be standing and working on benchwork again today. Was going to do so yesterday, but...

 

[troyphoto]

I tried liquitex as one of my trials. It showed great potential, but I found as I added more layers I started getting tiny surface bubbles.

Maybe my technique was wrong. I wonder if same technique for removing surface bubbles in Enviro-tex would of worked.

You take a drinking straw and gently blow across the surface, The carbon dioxide in your breath takes away all the tiny bubbles and leaves a
smooth surface.

Boomer doesn't fill many ponds or puddles. His method that I'll be copying is one layer brushed thick, then sponge-dabbed over the paint to create the rippled texture of the waves. then he comes back with "pouring" waves and using a brush on the "waves" to make the effect.

His vid is worth watching for an alternative.

 

[RhB Michael]

Michael - Good medical reports from you. Keep it up. Was that a red Kong or a black Kong for Lisl?

I gave her a red one when she was a pup. When she got to be around a year old, I had to switch to black, medium size.

I still have her last Kong sitting on top of her ash container.

 

[migalyto]

I gave her a red one when she was a pup. When she got to be around a year old, I had to switch to black, medium size.

I still have her last Kong sitting on top of her ash container.

This is the one we used as a puppy, and switched to the medium size one. She never took to the new one and this is still her go-to.

Its comical to see her running around with a binky in her mouth, The ring on the end is also good for tug-o-war!

 

[migalyto]

Boomer doesn't fill many ponds or puddles. His method that I'll be copying is one layer brushed thick, then sponge-dabbed over the paint to create the rippled texture of the waves. then he comes back with "pouring" waves and using a brush on the "waves" to make the effect.

His vid is worth watching for an alternative.

I will defiantly check it out.

Doing a thicker layer might be the trick, I brushed several thin layers for increased visual depth. Maybe the brushing on was the problem.

 

[chadbag]

My daughter has decided to take part this year in the Rotary exchange program. She wanted to last year as a freshman but decided she wasn't ready. She is hoping to go to Greece on the summer short term program. She would be paired with another student from that country and they would spend a month with us, and she would travel and spend a month with the student and their family in their country. We started filling out the mound of application forms last night.

When I was in high school I did something similar. It wasn’t through the Rotary club or anything. It was organized by our German teacher and she organized it through some organization but they came to our school and we had a kid in our home for about 3-3.5 week and we went there for 4 weeks. It was during the school year, in late spring, so we went to their school classes for some of the days. We also traveled with them on school trips and did our own. The kid who stayed with us came back on his own 2 years later after I had graduated and and stayed the summer. I also visited his family a day, a couple times, when I went to visit Germany. And when I was working in Germany a few years later, I went and visited him at his apartment for a couple days right before returning. I have very intermittent email contact with some of his family but it’s been several years.

It’s a great opportunity! I hope she gets to do it.

 

[Texas Hobo]

Good morning, all! Nothing new or exciting here at the hobo camp. Fall is supposed to show up Friday.

Louis, your Roadmaster is OK, but I gottaq go with Patrick.

58 Roadmaster -

STAY SAFE
LATER

 

[chadbag]

These are full auto kits. You're looking at $30k for a post dealer sample. Buy a kit, buy a receiver, and you have one for around $3500.

https://www.gunbroker.com/item/1207100534

The L1A1 I had were factory semi but the metric FAL was full auto with cut receiver. If you “found” the correct receiver you could reassemble it full auto.

I’m not saying it’s not worth it. I’m just saying it’s a lot. But all nice rifles are a lot today. I remember walking into a gun store / pawn shop and seeing Galil, H&K, etc rifles hanging from the ceiling or in the case and thinking $700-$900 is sure a lot for a rifle. (Obviously pre 94 ban). Within a few months the prices had doubled or tripled and are now out of sight.

Speaking of pre-sample. In 1998 I had a chance to buy a pre sample MG-34 belt fed for $3500. Not being an FFL/SOT I’d have had to have my dealer friend do it in his name and have him keep it (at least until I had made the efforts to become an FFL/SOT). I decided against it. That I didn’t want to spend the money. I knew it was a “terrible” decision. But fiscally it was better at the time. Long term I should have done it. I could have resold it a decade or two later for a lot more.

I don’t remember if it was all original or a kit gun someone put together and added to the registry as a dealer sample before the 86 ban.

 

[chadbag]

I should say have:had on the L1A1 and have on the metric FAL. I had a “new, unissued” Australian blond wood L1A1 kit. I didn’t build it. I eventually sold it again as it had been expensive, being “unissued”. The wood did look nice. I replaced the kit with a well used Australian L1A1 kit with good barrel. I never finished assembling it. I have it around here somewhere. I needed help with the ejector block installation. My brother and I and a friend at church also bought metric FAL kits. Austrian Stg58. He and the other guys did assemble and shoot theirs. I never got around to it as I moved. I still have it and all the tools I had bought. I have aftermarket barrrel, furniture, etc to make a shooter. Not a repro Austrian. Some day.

 

[RhB Michael]

Around 2000/01 I bought an Austrian StG.58 kit from AIM or Sarco, can't remember which now, but this was also unissued. Came with everything original including the cut receiver. This one had an outstanding Mannlicher barrel. It was very accurate. I built mine on a correct Imbel receiver. First time I had ever built a rifle. I was very careful to get the correct size locking pin for the correct headspace.

The finish you see on the rifle is the original unissued finish. Of course I had to finish the receiver and used Brownell's Baking Lacquer. It's an extremely close match. I never had a malfunction with this rifle using Port 147gr surplus ammo.

I sold this in '16 to buy my PTR91 and accessories.

 

[chadbag]

I got my Stg58 kit around the same time. But it wasn’t unissued. There was some finish wear, scratches, etc. I’m pretty sure the receiver I bought for it was an Imbel as well. To make the then required tally of US made parts I bought a U.S. made barrel, the plastic US made furniture etc.

One of these days I’ll get around to finishing it.

I have a real H&K 91 as well that I got from a friend. I may have mentioned it before. He had several and so sold a few other ones he had to trusted friends for $10. The caveat was he could come back and buy it back if he wanted or needed it for the same $10. It was mine to do with otherwise, except sell it. If I wanted to sell it I had to offer him the first right of refusal. Mine was missing a part or two in the fire control system. It had be n stripped for cleaning and a part had gone missing. HKParts.net is local here to me and I need to bring it to him so he came help me get it going. I talked with the dude a long time ago at the SAR gun show in Arizona about it but haven’t yet taken care of it. I should do it.

At one time I had a Vollmer H&K sear and an SP89 that had been converted to a MP-5k. Remarked annd everything. Only difference was the trigger pack was still clip-on like the SP89 but cosmetically updated to look like a push pin. I had a standard SEF trigger pack. That was a fun gun. I eventually sold it after 20 years as we prepared to start our house build. Paid off a bunch of debt. I had the trigger pack in the HK91’that would have worked with the sear, supposedly, and been able to run it as a G3. Never got that far.

I’m no longer in the MG owner category. Also had an M11/9 and a registered receiver AR conversion (M-16) that never got built as I lost my job and had to sell it. The M11/9 had a Tommy Gun stock and H&K style MP5 foregrip and barrel extension upgrade but I also sold it soon after losing my job as well. Both the registered AR receiver and the m11/9 in had a few years and sold for rent. The MP-5 I kept for 20 years.

It was fun while it lasted.