Gary S' 2010 Summer Challenge - Bridge

[Gary S]

yet still students were reluctant to agree to move to Houston. It definitely is not what I call "ideal" scenery.

Agreed, the scenery is quite lacking. But there are certainly good points. Cost of living is low, and Texas has the number one economy in the United States. We actually haven't really felt the recession that much. Now, all that is subject to change. The drilling moratorium could bring us to a screeching halt and massive unemployment. So much for creating new jobs and maintaining existing ones.

But, as Galen says "beauty in the eye of the beholder" - and certainly will make a unique and interesting model railroad layout. If you get these bayou areas done right, they will be a very unique "landmark" identifier for your layout.

I'm thinking the same thing Kevin.

[Gary S]

Gus and Galen, I agree, let's model this thing exactly as is. I like the idea of a photo which would be available as a comparison to the real thing... er... assuming that I get it anywhere even close to the real thing!

Now don't go getting a big head over this, but personally, I think you'll have a 'cover shot' location for your layout once you get this thing built and installed. If not a cover, at least a photo section submission.

Thanks Galen. The more you guys like this bridge, the more I like it too!

[Gary S]

And a progress report, I made it to the LHS and got more 5/32" tube. Now I am sitting at the workbench viewing The Gauge when I need to get to work on the bridge!

I also stopped by the prototype and took some measurements and more photos. Here is a shot of the side which will be seen from the aisle:

   

Took the bridge out to the layout room so I could measure the needed length for the bents. Pic doesn't show much, but this is where it is going.

   

[Gary S]

Got a bit accomplished tonight. This is the second bent from the left, just a test fit. I will actually paint and weather the pipes before I glue it together. This isn't all that critical for this particular bent, but the double pipe bents will be rather difficult to paint and weather once they are glued together. Plus there is a new weathering technique to produce the "rusted through the paint" look of the prototype bent columns, and it would be hard to use on a completed bent.

The real number 2 bent:

   

And the unglued mock-up. I'll also need to chew up the bottom of the lower concrete piece to match the real one:

   

[nachoman]

Chew it up? How about pound on the bottom with a meat tenderizer...

[ocalicreek]

Either the meat tenderizer treatment (lol, Kevin) or perhaps applying a slurry of sand and testors glue in a daubing motion with a stiff brush. Could replicate the same result without having to 'chew' on it too much. OR, if you could do both - chew it down to size then daub on some rough texture. It's a small detail you may not want to obsess over (we'll all do that for you, on your behalf, virtually) but could be a nice touch. Good eye for spotting it and really studying the photos.

Galen (likewise, reading the gauge instead of working on his own project)

[P5se Camelback]

Hold the phone!!!

I probably need to roll back the thread to discover what material you are using for those concrete "ex-footers" but as I sat here looking at the pictures ... right ... the pictures
:needpics:

I got really close to the screen and put my glasses on top of my head ... and really looked at the picture ...

... I bet you could get that look if you used a piece of white foam "bead board" and encased it sheet styrene with the beadboard slightly hanging out of the bottom. Make the styrene joints very tight, softening the mating edges up using copius quantities of Plastruct Plastic Weld or toluol (lacquer thinner) and working with one joint at a time, soften and press together. If you've done it correctly, you'll get a little "ooze"squeeze out at the joint. Let it harden, totally. You can do another joint in about ten or fiffteen minutes if you are careful (yeah, yeah ... I mean the one where two pieces of styrene come together to be "welded" together.) When it is fully hardened, scrape or file the "ooze" off and the seam will have disappeared, yielding a nice smooth, seamless corner. When you've gotten the "box" completed, "Chew up" the edges with a square and rat tail jewelers' file and then slide the hunk of white beadboead, with the bottom edge "roughed up" with a fork or something to pick at the beads and make them totally uneven and then paint and weather with water based paints.

Does that sound at all like it might do the job ... or have I stayed up too late again? I used to do some of my most creative problem solving in the middle of the night when I was having trouble focusing my eyes on what I was doing because I was so thoroughly exhausted.

You know what I mean by beadboard, right? That white stuff that seems to be made from compressed little white styrofoam beads. You can most likely get it in a craft store or a building supply.

[P5se Camelback]

EDIT: The following observation was added here since I haven't a clue as to how else to eliminate a post that somehow, more than likely due to exhaustion and a totally sleep-deprived stupor-like trance, managed to be posted twice! .................................................................. Is it possible the mouse button double-bounced?


"Gee Gary ...

... your imaginatively innovative fabrication techniques ...
and monsterously madd modeling skills are phantastically phenominal ...
and an incredibly inspirational example to one and all!"

. : --- :mrgreen:!

Please refer to comments THREE (3) posts down ..... Thanks.

[Gary S]

Galen (likewise, reading the gauge instead of working on his own project)

Woohoo!

OR, if you could do both - chew it down to size then daub on some rough texture. It's a small detail you may not want to obsess over (we'll all do that for you, on your behalf, virtually) but could be a nice touch. Good eye for spotting it and really studying the photos.

I like the idea of using both. DocWayne actually caught that detal earlier. Since it is on the bottom, it could almost be left off, as it will be difficult to see on the layout. But it won't be that hard to do it, so I might as well.

The third bent is done (not glued as explained above for bent 2):

   

[Gary S]

Hold the phone!!!

I probably need to roll back the thread to discover what material you are using for those concrete "ex-footers"

biL, sorry for not posting pics of the actual construction. The proto bent caps on the single bents are 30" x 30". I am using .312 square tube styrene for that. I glued some sheet styrene on each end, then sanded them to knock down the edges and corners a bit. Then I drilled holes for the pipes to go into.

The proto "ex-footers" measured 30" x 36" so I used the same .312 square tube but glued some extra strip on the bottom to get the extra 6" in the vertical dimension. Then used the same sheet styrene on the end. Drilled holes all the way through for these since the pipes extend on through. Oh... a bit of green putty on the intersections of the tube and the strip.

... I bet you could get that look if you used a piece of white foam "bead board"... ...something to pick at the beads and make them totally uneven and then paint and weather with water based paints.

Does that sound at all like it might do the job ... or have I stayed up too late again?

Sounds like a perfectly reasonable method to accomplish the look. So, you don't need to go to bed yet. But I have already made the "ex-footers" by the method described above, so I'll try Galen's method.

I used to do some of my most creative problem solving in the middle of the night when I was having trouble focusing my eyes on what I was doing because I was so thoroughly exhausted.

Me too. Some of the best ideas and philosophical musings and life-changin epiphanies are exhaustion induced! :o

[Gary S]

EDIT: Added the following as I don't know how to eliminate a post that somehow posted twice![/color][/size]

biL, you could go back and edit the second post... delete all the text and replace it with something like "Gee Gary, your innovative techniques and modeling skills are truly phenomenal and an inspiration to all!"

[Gary S]

"Gee Gary ...

... your imaginatively innovative fabrication techniques ...
and monsterously madd modeling skills are phantastically phenominal ...
and an incredibly inspirational example to one and all!"

Well thank you biL! I very much appreciate the acknowledgement that I have some truly mad modeling skills. But I have to tell you tha all the disclaimers kinda ruined the effect I was looking for....


:mrgreen:

[Gary S]

I was at the bridge again today for more photos and measurments. Caught a couple of trains crossing too.

   

   

[P5se Camelback]

[Gary S]

Sorry biL, it really was two trains! I just forgot to change the [IMG] address to get the second photo.