Recently I have had time to make some of my own decals and the results have reached both ends of the spectrum. For the past 3 or 4 days I have been designing the decals I need for some custom lettered cars and I have had good results in the end. 

The first step is measuring the model so the decals are the right size. Often these are really small. I have found that 300 DPI returns the best results. Smaller gets pixels and larger causes ink runs. I use photoshop Elements 20 and the sizes are easy to match. 

I have found that the white decal paper is better for the colors but then you have to match the background. By doing a test print I realized the background colors need to be darkened to get a better match on the cars you are decaling. 

I hve had some ink run no matter what I do and it doesn't show until the paper is coated with clear coat. I apply the clear with an air brush and thin it with lacquer thinner 50/50, applying the first coat dry and allowing it to set for a few minutes, then 2 more coats just slightly heaver with drying time between coats. Let this dry at least 24 hours.  

When I did the final print of today's project I went a step farther and borrowed my wife's hair dryer and warmed up the printer and the paper and set it on low and kept the low heat on while the print ws coming out. I am hoping the ink will nor run at all with the warmer paper and printer. This is what I hope to have when everything is dry.     

I will continue when the ink is dry. 
Charlie

This is the start of another wooden puzzles. It's larger than the rest that I've done, but it's playable after it's finished, if assembled right that is. There's close to 500 pieces and the instruction manual is 58 pages, with the last 6 on how to play the game. I will not post every step, but I'll take a photo or two as I go along. Right now, this is what I'm attempting to build, and this is what was in the package, a stack of laser-cut plywood parts, a bunch of plastic parts, 26 bags of small mechanical and electric parts, an electronic control unit and some tools and tape. What's missing, a 5V-2A power supply, but I just happen to have one so that's not an issue.

I found several of these on the Internet that folks have painted and just looking at the parts, I figure 20-30 hours of assembly, add about another 100 hours if I were going to paint this sucker properly. I think I'll pass on paint for now since I'd have to paint it as I went and not after it was assembled.


   
   

WPMA-40 along Division Street.

Bruce

   

Not space for trains space is in outer space. I'm visiting my step-mom in central Fla. She lives within a few miles of the cape. We can stand out in her yard and watch the rockets take off. Just watched Musk's latest venture take flight. Always amazes me to see those boosters come back down and land back on the launch pad.

This will be the fourth wooden puzzle that I've put together. It is a 1980's style sleeper cab at 1:40 scale. There were 287 pieces, about the same as the 1910's era car, and physically just a bit smaller when finished.

Rather than post progress photos as I went along, I'll just post a few that I took from start to finish, since it is completed at this point. The only mods I made to this model was to add clear plastic to the glass openings. One of these days I might go back and detail the interior a bit, I think a wooden pillow and mattress might be a bit much to sleep on, as are those wooden seats uncomfortable for a long haul.

This is the intent on what it's supposed to look like when finished:
   

Steps 1 & 2 completed the chassis
   

Steps 3 & 4 added the cab
   
   

Step 5 added the sleeper
   
   

Step 6 the engine compartment and exhaust pipes added
   

I had to dump my 4x8 7 years ago when the kids were born.  I incorporated part of it as a shelf layout in my workshop, but that didn't work well.  Eventually I built a 3x4 foot HOn3 micro layout and have been working on detailing it.  Here are two photos from the layout, plus an HOn3 2-8-2 I have been building off-an-on from mostly junk box parts the past 7 or so years, and a 3-d printed shell gas station that I designed.

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My son sent me some photos of my old layout that him and his brother are remodeling. It is in a basement room that is 17x28 feet. We sold the house to him when we retired and found our place out of town. 
       
Charlie

Now that I'm well on the way to having a turntable on the layout I need an enginehouse to go along with it. A couple years ago I found that Juneco was re-issuing it's enginehouse kit:

   

It's a two stall enginehouse with an optional car-shed and rear office. I remember Juneco's ads for this in Model railroader in the eighties and wanting this kit. At that time I was in my early teens with no money so I never bought it. I also doubt I would have had the skills at the time to attept something like this.

   

Even though it was re-issued, it's still pretty old-school. The walls look like they are cut to size but I will have to cut the window openings myself. The windows and details are all white metal castings as well. Not that I'm complaining, I look forward to the challenge.
Another indication of how old the kit is, the instructions recomend using a solution of shoe dye and alcohol for coloring the walls and floor. I'll be substituting acrylic paints.

   

The kit does come with some very good instructions and schematics so I'm not that concerned that I'm over my head.

Lehigh & New England 0-8-0 Switcher (IHC) shuttles some cars around the station area with the new Ashmore Hotel in the background.

the last wanted was a dud and this one probably will be also, what I'm looking for is a box for a AHM Rico Station, i bought one several years back for a memento of times past as I bought one in the early 70's that got lost in one of our moves but the one i got i stored in garage and the silver fish thought the box was a free lunch . so what i'm trying to find is a box in fair shape to replace the shredded one.
Jim