Gary S Wrote:biL the riveter! That would be cool, if I needed a strip of rivets, you could make them and slap-em in the mail! I vote "yes"!

Well, that's sorta the plan ...

... but I'm not going to get involved with it until after I come as close as I can to finishing the current Challenge we're all working on! My short track record with Big Blue Challenges is not exactly anything I have been bragging about (especially to family! They're particularly tough on me for being slow and not finishing things! :oops: )

So I'll get back to my little Scale Test Car and see how the Squadron Green Putty/tube model cement concoction sets up to be sanded (I did try it, thanks to recommendations from Gary and S-2-Fiddy) ... it did mix up and go on like the smoothest Philly Cream Cheese ever! I'm giving it plenty of time to dry as I listen to some "The Brecker Brothers - Live!" and sketch out some more concepts for my Photo Diorama.

But the Sensipress and the Riveter (and all the dies that go with) appear to be complete and in good operating condition so I'll begin to investigate its potential soon. I'll give the instructions a good read and then start to play around a little bit.

Gary S Wrote:I assume this is for your layout? Does it need to be operational or fixed in the closed position? What are the dimensions of the space where it will go? Any selective compression required? How about we build it together? It does look to be a fun build.

Gary, unfortunately I don't have any place on the layout for the bridge. I picked up the Walthers swing bridge when they first came out without checking to see where it would fit in , just another one of those impulse buys. Anyway I do envy your modeling ablities .

Bruce

Bruce, guess there's no reason to build the bridge if neither one of us are going to use it on our layouts.

Thanks for the compliments on my modeling. I did get the new bridge built, am currently putting some paint on it, and also starting work on the road and curbs.

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!!!...Somebody hung the bridge..!!! Call the cops..!!
I suspect some jealous modeler is behind this....

You have it all wrong...

Its one of those new Texas Suspension bridges

Keep up the great work Gary I am looking forward to seeing this completed....soon?

mountaingoatgreg Wrote:I am looking forward to seeing this completed....soon?

Well, I took some time off from the bridge this afternoon, went fishin' with the better half. But tonight I am working on the curbs and perhaps will do some painting on the girders. Also have the day off tomorrow, so should make some good progress.

As for the fishing - using shallow running crankbaits, we caught about 15 bass, all of them small. The second picture shows the "trophy" of the day.

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I'm not much into fishin', Gary, but you did a really nice job on that water in the background.

Wayne

There's bigger fish in the tank at the bar across the street.

Damn now you've REALLY raised the bar - those are the most realistic looking figures I've ever seen in ANY scale.

--Randy

Are they very small, smallmouth bass?

I used to love to fish for smallmouth bass up in Pennsylvania. They don't necessarily "hit" hard, but they fight like the dickens!! It's good stuff!

biL, they are largemouths. We were fishing in a 22 acre manmade lake that we have property on. The lake is way overstocked, and you can't help but catch'em.

DocWayne, I can't take credit for the water, it is courtesy of MommaNature.

Kevin, that itty bitty fish was almost comical, hitting a lure that is almost half as long as it is, and the fight was less than awe-inspiring!

Randy, I guess I am fairly realistic, eh?

Now for the bridge:

I made a pattern out of paper to fit between the sidewalks, then cut some thin styrene sheet to fit. I cut some 600 grit sandpaper for the road. Under the bridge is concrete, but asphalt on the slopes going up. The concrete will be done from the roughened up styrene sheet. Here is the styrene sheet and the sandpaper cut to fit. I did scribe the lines in the plastic and on the sandpaper as per the proto.

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Next, glued the sandpaper to the styrene using 3M spray on glue, that stuff sticks like craZy. Now on to the light colored washes on the sandpaper.

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Here is the road now, got the "blackness" pretty well knocked off of the sandpaper. Got two "treatments" on this so far. A treatment consists of an off-white wash, dry with hair dryer, then gray powder brushed on, then a coat of Krylon clear matte, dry with hair dryer. Also used a small brush to put some black wash in the grooves and cracks between road sections.

Will still do another treatment to get the road surface a bit lighter. Then will be the darker lines in the middle of each lane, lighter where the tires roll, more black wash in the cracks, then have to paint and weather the concrete section, then add the traffic stripes.

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Moving along. Dark lines in the middle of the lanes from the oil stains are on. Started on the concrete area under the bridge. It needs to be darkened significantly, will do that with washes and powders. The hair dryer is the impatient modeler's best friend.

You know how these things go, never completely satisfied with how it is turning out.

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Photo of what I am trying to reproduce:

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Concrete area with a black wash, tan powder application, then black powder in the center of each lane. Still have to darken the concrete somewhat to blend it in with the blacktop a bit more. First, will put a coat of the Krylon matte on it to seal the powder on there.

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Sealed and then more powders. Put the road in place just to take a gander. Not too bad...

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