Running Bear's September 2026 Coffee Shop
- Thread starter santafewillie
- Start date
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Started out using very small brushes, although not of the professional artist category. Usually only paint a
half dozen figures at a time. So a few minutes with one color, clean the brush, a few minutes with another
color, etc. Got tired of the cleaning ritual and that's when I started using toothpicks.
Just like a brush, how far you dip the toothpick into the paint determines how much paint adheres to the
toothpick. For me, 1/8" is enough for small areas such as hands, hair, and shoes. About 1/4" is enough for
larger aeras such as pants, shirts, and coats. Doesn't take long to develop your technique for how much
paint is needed for the particular area that you are painting. After you're finished with one color, clean
the toothpick by wiping with a rag. Pick another color that is not adjacent to the color just painted and
do that one. Given that you took your time painting the previous color (and you're using water based paint),
the first painted figure has dried. Using this routine I can usually paint 6 figures all in one sitting. I use
Tamiya acrylic paints for flesh and more detailed areas as ties, handheld items, and safety vests. Otherwise I use
the big box store arts and craft paints.
Have only gotten to the level of sporadic success for painting eyes-need more practice.
Can typically get over 20 uses with one end of a toothpick and the cost of painting implements is negligible.
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KriegslokBR52
Well-Known Member
Thank you.
Bill Tidler Jr.
Retired N&W/NS Signalman
Good Monday morning, Coffee Shop!
Its 53°F (12°C) and clear in Tipton.
Have a great day!
Its 53°F (12°C) and clear in Tipton.
Have a great day!
migalyto
Well-Known Member
migalyto
Well-Known Member
Good morning all!
Monday, Monday.......
A crispy morning at 49F. High for today is 74F under mostly sunny skies. Seasons are starting to change in the north. Looks like for most of
the rest of the week will be in the low to mid 70s. Still a few hot days ahead but fall is just around the corner.
Usual laundry, dishwasher type chores around the house today. Not a lot since we got a lot of it done yesterday.
Not much else going on at the moment.
Have a safe day everyone!
Monday, Monday.......
A crispy morning at 49F. High for today is 74F under mostly sunny skies. Seasons are starting to change in the north. Looks like for most of
the rest of the week will be in the low to mid 70s. Still a few hot days ahead but fall is just around the corner.
Usual laundry, dishwasher type chores around the house today. Not a lot since we got a lot of it done yesterday.
Not much else going on at the moment.
Have a safe day everyone!
shortwrench
Well-Known Member
I have been using toothpicks for my HO figures.
Started out using very small brushes, although not of the professional artist category. Usually only paint a
half dozen figures at a time. So a few minutes with one color, clean the brush, a few minutes with another
color, etc. Got tired of the cleaning ritual and that's when I started using toothpicks.
Just like a brush, how far you dip the toothpick into the paint determines how much paint adheres to the
toothpick. For me, 1/8" is enough for small areas such as hands, hair, and shoes. About 1/4" is enough for
larger aeras such as pants, shirts, and coats. Doesn't take long to develop your technique for how much
paint is needed for the particular area that you are painting. After you're finished with one color, clean
the toothpick by wiping with a rag. Pick another color that is not adjacent to the color just painted and
do that one. Given that you took your time painting the previous color (and you're using water based paint),
the first painted figure has dried. Using this routine I can usually paint 6 figures all in one sitting. I use
Tamiya acrylic paints for flesh and more detailed areas as ties, handheld items, and safety vests. Otherwise I use
the big box store arts and craft paints.
Have only gotten to the level of sporadic success for painting eyes-need more practice.
Can typically get over 20 uses with one end of a toothpick and the cost of painting implements is negligible.
TLOC
Well-Known Member
Good morning from Wisconsin where it is 42f degrees heading to 70.
Rhb Michael, best to you just follow the Doctors orders when you get home
7pm meeting with the layout owner and the tree building Crew in my shop. I believe we (trees) are ahead of schedule but the scenery guy is a couple weeks behind on creating the ground. One of the regular Friday work session crew mentioned yesterday he is burnt out on this layout. He’s the 3rd of the 5 to mention it in the last 2 weeks. We agreed to help get the layout built to to full operations but not full scenery and that’s the direction we seem to be moving in. I know for this Friday only 1 of our five are available the rest of us are out ofbtown
I hired a herd of goats to clean out 40 acres more or less. It’s an heavily wooded area just above the swamp land sorry protected wetlands that is getting ugly looking. The Wi. DNR recommended goats as heavy cutting machinery will get stuck and the lighter mowers can’t cut what’s there down. The herder quoted 60 goats for 2 weeks. He’ll fence them off in 3-5 acre parcels moving them daily. He said if it goes well 40 goats are plenty if not he bring in another trailer full! We pay by day and by goat. They will stay out there fenced along with 2 dogs and 2 overseerers who stay in camper trailers. I hired this group in June and this is when they were available.
We were wondering how this place will react in cooler weather. We leave the A/C set to 76 in Summer and before bed last night it showed 76 on the Nest. It says the outside temperature reached 41f at 5:30am. When I looked this morning it was 75, so that’s good. When I turn the furnace on hopefully no sooner than October it will be set at 72. The walls are 8” insulated panels and it seems to work pretty well in addition to being very quiet.
Enjoy the day
Rhb Michael, best to you just follow the Doctors orders when you get home
7pm meeting with the layout owner and the tree building Crew in my shop. I believe we (trees) are ahead of schedule but the scenery guy is a couple weeks behind on creating the ground. One of the regular Friday work session crew mentioned yesterday he is burnt out on this layout. He’s the 3rd of the 5 to mention it in the last 2 weeks. We agreed to help get the layout built to to full operations but not full scenery and that’s the direction we seem to be moving in. I know for this Friday only 1 of our five are available the rest of us are out ofbtown
I hired a herd of goats to clean out 40 acres more or less. It’s an heavily wooded area just above the swamp land sorry protected wetlands that is getting ugly looking. The Wi. DNR recommended goats as heavy cutting machinery will get stuck and the lighter mowers can’t cut what’s there down. The herder quoted 60 goats for 2 weeks. He’ll fence them off in 3-5 acre parcels moving them daily. He said if it goes well 40 goats are plenty if not he bring in another trailer full! We pay by day and by goat. They will stay out there fenced along with 2 dogs and 2 overseerers who stay in camper trailers. I hired this group in June and this is when they were available.
We were wondering how this place will react in cooler weather. We leave the A/C set to 76 in Summer and before bed last night it showed 76 on the Nest. It says the outside temperature reached 41f at 5:30am. When I looked this morning it was 75, so that’s good. When I turn the furnace on hopefully no sooner than October it will be set at 72. The walls are 8” insulated panels and it seems to work pretty well in addition to being very quiet.
Enjoy the day
Kusojiji
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM MEMBER
Thank you very much! I have only Tamiya acrylic paints so these tips should apply. I used to paint the fine details of model ships back in GS and HS, but that's been a while.
santafewillie
Same Ol' Buzzard
Good Morning All. Clear and 78° this morning. Only reached 99° yesterday, although we're still expecting 100°+ for a few more days. Current forecast calls for a 40% chance of rain on 9/22, yes, 9/22! Also calling for a high of 83° that day as well.
Too warm after church yesterday to do much of anything outside, although I did get some exercise stacking some firewood for a bit. I'll probably do some more of that today. I have to make a trip to town today to pay the water bill that my wife forgot to do Friday! Said that traffic through the construction area got her bamboozled and she just forgot to stop. I'm trying to think of other tasks that I can do while out so the trip isn't completely wasted.
As Sundays usually go, I didn't spend a lot of time out in the train shed yesterday. I did install the windows in the DPM backdrop structure that I had previously applied the mortar wash to. Did some other stuff that I don't remember.
Tom O - Texas teams were on a roll this weekend. Daughter #2 and husband who were in Austin to visit grandson #1, managed to get a pair of tickets to the UT/Ohio State football game (squeaker) while they were there.
Michael - Good to read that the surgery went well. Take care of yourself when you get home.
Kusojiji - I use an occasional toothpick for painting finer details on figures.
Mac - Enjoy your stay in Poland.
Late guitarist Ed King of Strawberry Alarm Clock (Incense & Peppermints), and later for Lynyrd Skynyrd was born on this day in 1949. And also from Lynyrd Skynyrd, the late vocalist Steve Gaines was also born on this day in 1949; he died in the infamous plane crash in 1977.
Everyone have a great Monday.
Too warm after church yesterday to do much of anything outside, although I did get some exercise stacking some firewood for a bit. I'll probably do some more of that today. I have to make a trip to town today to pay the water bill that my wife forgot to do Friday! Said that traffic through the construction area got her bamboozled and she just forgot to stop. I'm trying to think of other tasks that I can do while out so the trip isn't completely wasted.
As Sundays usually go, I didn't spend a lot of time out in the train shed yesterday. I did install the windows in the DPM backdrop structure that I had previously applied the mortar wash to. Did some other stuff that I don't remember.
Tom O - Texas teams were on a roll this weekend. Daughter #2 and husband who were in Austin to visit grandson #1, managed to get a pair of tickets to the UT/Ohio State football game (squeaker) while they were there.
Michael - Good to read that the surgery went well. Take care of yourself when you get home.
Kusojiji - I use an occasional toothpick for painting finer details on figures.
Mac - Enjoy your stay in Poland.
Late guitarist Ed King of Strawberry Alarm Clock (Incense & Peppermints), and later for Lynyrd Skynyrd was born on this day in 1949. And also from Lynyrd Skynyrd, the late vocalist Steve Gaines was also born on this day in 1949; he died in the infamous plane crash in 1977.
Everyone have a great Monday.
kgstakes
Well-Known Member
Good morning everyone!! It's 79f this morning suppose to be a high of 98f and I wanted to update everyone on my diorama I've been building.
Here are some pictures thus far. I'm going to "plant" some trees as a background and also some more weeds and such but it's coming along.
Here are some pictures thus far. I'm going to "plant" some trees as a background and also some more weeds and such but it's coming along.
Morning All! Woke up to a brisk 45 in the Brew City this morning! Going to a pleasant 71 today. I had to get the senior cat to the groomer today for his lion cut. She takes him in first thing to keep him away from the dogs. He is now shorn and a little PO'd, but some cat treats and a few pets plus a late breakfast evened things out for him. I'll need to mow again today. It's not terribly high, but with all the rain in the forecast for the area (next 10 days) I figure it's better to start the wet stretch with short grass. Seems like all I do is mow! Some bench time later. I have to finish an unplanned window replacement in one of my diners. Have a great day!
Nice Work!
ctclibby
Well-Known Member
Good Morning All!
50F @ 87% mo rain again. Down to the upper 40's at night, 60 to 70F daytime all this week according to the guessers.
Did I see a site message something to the effect of 'Site is down for a database update' about 1700 Mountain yesterday? I was googling something and in the results one of my posts came up from 2022, clicked because I was surprised and got the message. Don't even remember what I was searching for, but not railroad related.
Got the 2nd 12ga romax pushed through to the Chick/Goat house. Pulled the whole shebang and added the new. The last 3 or 4 feet, both of us had to push on the cable pack. We were lucky.
A friend that just got divorced was out driving and a cop got behind him with lights and sirens on. He sped up to 60, 70 then 80 and finally pulled over. Cop asked why he was going so fast? "I just got divorced as she ran off with a cop so I thought you were bringing her back!"
L8r
50F @ 87% mo rain again. Down to the upper 40's at night, 60 to 70F daytime all this week according to the guessers.
Did I see a site message something to the effect of 'Site is down for a database update' about 1700 Mountain yesterday? I was googling something and in the results one of my posts came up from 2022, clicked because I was surprised and got the message. Don't even remember what I was searching for, but not railroad related.
Got the 2nd 12ga romax pushed through to the Chick/Goat house. Pulled the whole shebang and added the new. The last 3 or 4 feet, both of us had to push on the cable pack. We were lucky.
A friend that just got divorced was out driving and a cop got behind him with lights and sirens on. He sped up to 60, 70 then 80 and finally pulled over. Cop asked why he was going so fast? "I just got divorced as she ran off with a cop so I thought you were bringing her back!"
L8r
troyphoto
Snarky Old Fart (in training)
Well howdy there internet peeps and those in dark mode... I had to switch to the black screen for the forum
I was just here:
6 week follow up visit from my Partial Vitreous Detatchment in my right eye.
Everything healing well. No signs of retinal tears or separations. But my peepers are dilated.
Wife took today and tomorrow off work, to recuperate from the family gathering. So we went out for Lunch today.
To Giordano's Pizza.
Please scroll back through my pics. There are plenty of giordano's pizza pictures to whet your appetite for some.
Family gathering went well. My wife is the youngest of three siblings. Older sis is the retired nurse. She has an overwhelming need to take care of things, and doesn't know how to delegate. Middle sis is basically clueless with the standard middle child issues, and (I suspect) she's high functioning "on-the-sprectrum". Very ME focussed. She can look around at people putting folding chairs away, or wiping down tables, and say "I didn't know what needed to be done to help clean up..."
So my wife and the older sister were a bit miffed, despite knowing she is that way.
But, middle sis figure she'd take mom back to her senior appartment just down the road. Normally, that's a good thing. But middle sis rode in with her daughter and son-in-law. In a full size truck, on a lift kit, with the steps to get up into it.
Yeah, the 91-year-old lady with fused ankles, who uses a cane is going to jump right up into the truck. No problem <---- (sarcasm)
Older sis rescued Mom from the scary big truck, but was pissy about her clueless middle sis.
Fortunately, older sis is realizing her granddaughters are actually good cooks and helpers (all adults now). My wife was able to sit and visit with people instead of heading the setup - "put this dish here, no that goes over there..." or the cleanup crews. We did stay with older sis and one other person to do the final wipe down and vacuum/mop of the clubhouse.
I ran the vacuum, and that made my sciatica catch fire. After driving the crock pots and supplies back to our condo, I lay down for about 15 minutes with my feet up to make the nerve start behaving again.
One more year and we do it all again.
In other news the researcher I hired is off to the Mennonite Archives in Waterloo Ontario trying to get the old-timey documents we need to fill the hole on one of my ancestors. If successful, I can tell the attorney to review the documents and tell me what I need to order official copies of to keep the IRCC in Canada happy.
Wife is upstairs making her cinnamon bread. That will be YUM for breakfast tomorrow.
I was just here:
6 week follow up visit from my Partial Vitreous Detatchment in my right eye.
Everything healing well. No signs of retinal tears or separations. But my peepers are dilated.
Wife took today and tomorrow off work, to recuperate from the family gathering. So we went out for Lunch today.
To Giordano's Pizza.
Please scroll back through my pics. There are plenty of giordano's pizza pictures to whet your appetite for some.
Family gathering went well. My wife is the youngest of three siblings. Older sis is the retired nurse. She has an overwhelming need to take care of things, and doesn't know how to delegate. Middle sis is basically clueless with the standard middle child issues, and (I suspect) she's high functioning "on-the-sprectrum". Very ME focussed. She can look around at people putting folding chairs away, or wiping down tables, and say "I didn't know what needed to be done to help clean up..."
So my wife and the older sister were a bit miffed, despite knowing she is that way.
But, middle sis figure she'd take mom back to her senior appartment just down the road. Normally, that's a good thing. But middle sis rode in with her daughter and son-in-law. In a full size truck, on a lift kit, with the steps to get up into it.
Yeah, the 91-year-old lady with fused ankles, who uses a cane is going to jump right up into the truck. No problem <---- (sarcasm)
Older sis rescued Mom from the scary big truck, but was pissy about her clueless middle sis.
Fortunately, older sis is realizing her granddaughters are actually good cooks and helpers (all adults now). My wife was able to sit and visit with people instead of heading the setup - "put this dish here, no that goes over there..." or the cleanup crews. We did stay with older sis and one other person to do the final wipe down and vacuum/mop of the clubhouse.
I ran the vacuum, and that made my sciatica catch fire. After driving the crock pots and supplies back to our condo, I lay down for about 15 minutes with my feet up to make the nerve start behaving again.
One more year and we do it all again.
In other news the researcher I hired is off to the Mennonite Archives in Waterloo Ontario trying to get the old-timey documents we need to fill the hole on one of my ancestors. If successful, I can tell the attorney to review the documents and tell me what I need to order official copies of to keep the IRCC in Canada happy.
Wife is upstairs making her cinnamon bread. That will be YUM for breakfast tomorrow.
chessie_system3
Well-Known Member
Evening fellers. I hope everyone has been doing well. I'm not as active as I once was but it's always good to read up on the posts from familiar faces. I'm about to start a long overdue project. Just waiting on drill bits. Nothing new to report on. Started a new job and I've been grinding it out there. Otherwise it's just another day in the books with nothing to report on. I'll stop by again when I get a chance.
Kusojiji
RANK AMATEURS OF THE MODEL RAILROAD FORM MEMBER
Good mornin' all. Well, the guessors got it right for once. I checked my backyard cam and it didn't pick up any rain. The cam that watches the road caught it all, which started at ~0420 and ended at 0600. Gauge caught 11 mm. Had two moments when it came down hard with gusts.
There is a weather system heading our way that may turn into a typhoon. We'll see.
There is a weather system heading our way that may turn into a typhoon. We'll see.
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