The Hjemstad Line
#46
faraway Wrote:I am using brass screws. They are easy to adjust in height and they are easy to solder. A recommended practice.

My modules (N + Z scale) is also available with brass screws. Thumbsup
greeting from the blade city Solingen / gruß aus der Klingenstadt Solingen

Harry

Scale Z and N
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#47
Reinhard and Harry; Thanks for the tip! The stores are open again today, maybe see if I can find some brass screws to use instead.

Gary; It sticks pretty well. I was getting a little worried based on what you guys are telling me now, so I just tried to pry off one of the track ends with a screwdriver. It wouldn't budge, in fact the screw itself came loose from the frame. I think I'll just leave them as they are for now, and replace them with brass screws if they ever come loose later.

Svein
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#48
Svein Wrote:Reinhard and Harry; Thanks for the tip! The stores are open again today, maybe see if I can find some brass screws to use instead.

Gary; It sticks pretty well. I was getting a little worried based on what you guys are telling me now, so I just tried to pry off one of the track ends with a screwdriver. It wouldn't budge, in fact the screw itself came loose from the frame. I think I'll just leave them as they are for now, and replace them with brass screws if they ever come loose later.

Svein
I see no reason to replace the screws with brass screws. It is just easier to solder with brass screws.
Ones when I had no brass screws at hand I did use "silver looking" screws and it worked too. I did sand the top to make it very clean, used some soft solder flux and heated the screw very intensive (the wood started to smell Big Grin ). I works but it is simply easier if you have brass screws at hand.
Reinhard
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#49
I did some thinking this morning, and came to the same conclusion. I use liquid flux, and spent quite some time heating the screw heads before the solder began to flow like it should. Not so much that the wood started to smell, but the foam roadbed around the screws melted and released some questionable odour...

Svein
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#50
Svein Wrote:... released some questionable odour...
That is the famous post xmas odor Wink
Reinhard
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#51
Eek Gas mask Eek
 My other car is a locomotive, ARHS restoration crew  
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#52
Svein Wrote:Gary; It sticks pretty well. I was getting a little worried based on what you guys are telling me now, so I just tried to pry off one of the track ends with a screwdriver. It wouldn't budge,

That's good to hear. I know it is pretty difficult to solder some types of metals, didn't know about the zinc plated screws. Glad that it worked!
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#53
The Jordan model is finished, here are some pics:

[Image: 1307_w1200.jpg]

[Image: 1309_w1200.jpg]

[Image: 1310_w1200.jpg]

She's not satisfied with the finish. She used several different tecniques trying to remove the brush strokes, and ended up with 7 or 8 coats of paint, which shows in the enlarged pics. But this first car was a test run, she says, and as her first Jordan Model ever, I think it looks great!

My only contribution is the license plates. I found pics of letters and numbers appropriate for the era (couldn't find the right font in MS Word), assembled in PSE, scaled down and printed on semi-gloss photo paper. The license number is her idea, it gives the car a "personal touch", as we first met on November 28th two years ago Wink

She's already started on the next car. Same model, but this one will be olive green with black roof, yellow rims and whitewall tires.

Svein
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#54
I like it! Very nice!

Might I suggest Floquil paints... the brush strokes are virtually invisible.
-Dave
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#55
Thanks, Dave.

After working on this first car, she now has a "to do and not to do" list for her next project. She'll thin the paint even more, take closeup pics after each coat, and maybe do some light sanding if needed. She also wants to use small pieces of sponge instead of the brushes, as she felt it easier to create an even coat with the sponge.

We'll probably invest in a compressor and air brush later on, but for now we just have to make do.

Svein
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#56
The wheels and interior are done:

[Image: 1312_w1200.jpg]

[Image: 1319_w1200.jpg]

And the body panels have been given two (very) light coats of primer:

[Image: 1314_w1200.jpg]

Almost done with the tracklaying:

[Image: 1316_w1200.jpg]

I started with the short track pieces at the ends, aligning and gluing them into place with the sections bolted together. After the glue dried, I soldered the track ends to the screws. I then cut and fit the long piece in the middle, soldered feeders, slid joiners onto the ends and glued the piece down. After the glue dries I will slide the joiners into place and solder the joints.

Only 8 hours and 38 minutes left of this year now, but with a little effort I hope to be running my first train while it's still 2010..! Big Grin

Svein
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#57
I think the Jordan is looking pretty good. When I started using the Vallejo paints I had the same problems with brush strokes. The formula that worked for me is thinning the paint 50:50 with their paint thinner (not water) and applying several layers of paint. Using a soft artists brush also helps.
Meanwhile I bought a cheap airbrush...
Jens
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#58
Thanks for the tip, Jens. She's working on the body panels now, with paint thinned about 50:50, and so far it's looking very promising. She has done two coats now, and is using 1200 grit sandpaper between coats (just a light touch of sanding to remove any irregularities). We'll also take lots of close-up pics, which help reveal flaws invisible to the eye.

Svein
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#59
Did my first test run this evening, finally! My biggest brass engine shorts on one particular spot in the sharpest curve, other than that it went beautifully across all section joints and through every turnout, including the double slip and the single slip switches. I've been working on this layout for allmost a year now, what a wonderful feeling to finally be able to crank up the throttle!! Big Grin

Svein
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#60
I'm pretty sure that when the car is set on the layout, it is going to look great just as it is. Very nice. Thumbsup

Those closeiup photos that enlarge the model six or seven times are quite unforgiving! But on the layout from normal viewing distances, the brush strokes won't even show.
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