The Sierra West Sawmill Project

[Robert G]

5thwheel, when you assemble the edger, you can choose the widths but you have to glue the saws in place.
Ray, thanks and the wood on these machines is real wood which one has to provide and , of course cut and weather.
Hi Hauk, I remember your name from a few posts on the GEMME forum.  ( that is a French forum for metric and narrow gauge  )

For the painting of the metal, first, there is no paint on it ! The white metal castings (CHB) are chemically blackened, buffed, treated with dark steel pigment from AK, which was fixed with a diluted super matte varnish from AK , and then worn down with some cotton , little bit of rust powders (AK), engine grime, engine oil on the bearings. All very subtle applied. The leather belts are made from two layers of masking tape glued together with the sticky sides and painted leather color ( humbrol)

Peter, for the wood of the machinery , which I meant to look like well aged, rock hard, oil stained and used oak timbers, I used yellow poplar ( Liriodendrum tulipifera) which I have in my workshop. ( I restore antiques and works of art) But maple or something like that would give the same result. As long as it has a dense grain, meaning no grain at all. Basswood would work also, but this is much softer and takes the stain differently. Absorbs it more. I prefer to use this for outside walls of buildings. ( I 'll post some other edifices with different weathering and wood treatment I've build later on. Here's one example. One of the SW Dueling Shacks)



So, first the wood is given structure, with a stiff steel brush and a tool I made and called 'The Scratcher' . ( no, no, not a NWSL thing, but a genuine Robert G artefact !!)
To make dieper groves in the stripwood and especially in the harder species of wood, where a wire brush won't do the job, this little convenient utensil made out of oak and inserted sharpened small nails embedded in epoxy performs excellent.





After the graining, I stain the wood with a brownish stain I made from 'Bitume de Judée. This is an crude oil derivative I use in my workshop, but a stain made with artistic oil paint and mineral spirits does the job aswel. The color is to be chosen in function of the purpose of the wood. Outside sun bleached barn wood will need a different one than this machinery wood. Makes sense, ....
When dry I highlight these beams by scratching the surface with a sharp knife, X-acto type. Now this is why a harder ( then basswood) wood has the benefit with doing this operation . No fuzzies !! The darker grain grooves stay and the surface gets lighter.  Then further weathering comes with the application of the different oil/grime like stuff near the bearings, on places where this would seem logical.

So, I hope this is of some help, but I doubt I've written anything nobody already knew. There is much artistic quality modeling on this forum. And most, this is my way of doing things, not THE way.

Soon more 

[Hydrostat]

This is going to be a very interesting thread. I'm looking forward to your further posts. Yellow poplar ... never heard of that before. I had to look it up and it seems to be a quite typical species in northern America, but it is available in Europe, too. Thanks for posting!

Cheers,
Volker

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks for the explanation. Your weathering of the wood is excellent.

[Robert G]

Here are the Double Cylinder Mill Engine and the Boiler















And the boiler on it's concrete base.



soon more 

Robert

[TRAINS1941]

Very well done on the boiler and steam engine!

Jerry

[Lawton Maner]

In America Yellow Poplar is a wood used as a secondary wood in furniture making and as a primary wood in painted furniture and cabinetry because of its featureless grain.  Having run a cabinet shop for over 35 years I have used the off falls for many uses including reducing it into splines for subroadbed on a trio of model railroads.  I recently used poplar for custom mouldings for a remodel of a bedroom at my house.  I have used poplar for cores of O Scale boxcars in the past mostly because there is lots of it in the shorts pile in the shop. 

I do like the rake you made for distressing the wooden pieces.  And, until I looked closely at the first picture of the shed I thought it was real.

[finescalerr]

Excellent finish on the metal parts. -- Russ

[Gordon Ferguson]

Almost makes you want to do some modelling for yourself !

   Which , by the way,I am doing .

You had better be , considering how hard I am grafting on your behalf 😂😂😂😂

[Design-HSB]

Unique parts that have been superbly built, with great colour finish.

[darrylhuffman]

The texture and finish on the boiler is superb.

Having been in this hobby forever, I continue to be impressed by modelers such as you.

I sure wish you lived nearby so I could watch you weather metal.

Why not pick one small piece and film how you weather it and put it on Youtube.

I would love to see it.

Darryl Huffman

[shropshire lad]

Almost makes you want to do some modelling for yourself !

   Which , by the way,I am doing .

You had better be , considering how hard I am grafting on your behalf 😂😂😂😂

And don't think it is not appreciated .

[Les Tindall]

That "scratcher" looks a useful tool, I've found that a wire brush does not always, as you say, make deep enough grooves so I'm off to get some short sharp nails or tacks.  Superb weathering both on the building and the boiler. 
Les Tindall

[Robert G]

Been working on the subfloor. These items , amongst others, come in and on it. The steel cable drum, the skids with brackets..











soon more 

[Ray Dunakin]

More excellent work! I especially like the texture and color on the boiler.

I'm also amazed by the quality of the castings!

[Robert G]

This is the log loading dock. No roof on the final assembly, so sun bleached wood !
More weathering when everything has been put together.



















That's all Folks......

For now