The play ground

[Bill Gill]

Daniel, excellent modeling. Your method of making the terra cotta roof tiles looks very good and the arch bridge repair scene is terrific.

[Daniel]

Thank you Russ but may be it is unusual because such bridges were everywhere in France, from tiny to colossal huge ones, but -at least is my impression- in the US wood had the roll that in France was for stone and so you got those beautifull, colossal trestles.

I will see if i manage to find in my phographic chaos such an image of a many times taller and many more times long stone viaduct under construction with the same principles.

Building mine was not as dificult as it looks once one get clear what must happen. The rest is simply listening to the materials and your tools and let them show you the 'how'. Otherwise one risks to start thinking and thoughts are predators of creativity.
I know only one effective way to do things: fully investing one's joy in it. All other would be just work and if that starts i'm already gone. 


But the important thing for me now is that is nice you like my work.

Daniel

[Daniel]

Daniel, excellent modeling. Your method of making the terra cotta roof tiles looks very good and the arch bridge repair scene is terrific.

Thank you Bill.

Great to know you enjoyed the images.
Don't think i have formed all those tiles in one day.
It took me every time a couple of months, not because it was so much work but because if Mrs. Joy doesn't jump into it i won't even start.
So i made a hundred or less at a time once ir twice every week and instead of getting bored by the repetitive work as the formed tiles where filling the box the proximity of finally making the roof gave me enthousiasm
I love those moments when it gets very late, one is exhausted but it is so fascinating what happens on the workbench that one keeps chasing away the idea of rest as if it were an annoying fly. But that is not 'effort' and neither 'work' that is simply Mrs. Joy dancing with you!

It is almost eleven. I started my day at four in the morning and now Mrs. Joy is starting to pull my eyelids down and i suddenly remember i am not forty any more  but 71... So enjoy the rest of your day and have all a good rest.

Daniel

[Daniel]

I've found the photos!

IMG_0065 (207) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0063 (224) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0064 (213) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0068 (204) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


...and also...


P1190692 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190694 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


P1190697 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190699 by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

At this point i must say i would like to share a lot but the memory function of my lone still working brain cell has become a bit... elastic.
That means would be ideal to start separate threads dedicating one to each diorama but then i couldn't keep track of them and it would become soon a mess both, in the forum nd inmy head. So i preffer to keep my presence in the forum in only one thread and center arround the "Tips, tricks, techniques & tools" theme and be able to share my beloved chaos without issues.
That means my post will be constantly jumping from one diorama to another, to my layout, to the workbench and so on.
If that is not acceptable, please, let me know a.s.a.p..

Daniel

[finescalerr]

Continuing with only one thread absolutely okay, Daniel. Just keep posting. -- Russ

[Daniel]

Great Russ.
Thank you.

Daniel

[Daniel]

The top of the scaffolding got the layer of top wooden braces...

IMG_0084 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

The strokes of iron plate laid on top of the scaffold were done with simple cardstock, spraypaint and touched with dry pastels for the 'irons starting to rust' look...

IMG_0170 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0172 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0173 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0177 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0179 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0181 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

The remains of the old bridge were made from a block of a foam sold here as 'Sciulpture block' and is not one of the foams one can cut with hot wire...

P1200298 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

but very easy to scribe, carve, sand and all that...

P1200297 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1200296 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0093 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0091 (3) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0061 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0179 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

As you may have noticed, the intention is to lay a portable track on top of the bridge. The prototype photo shows something like that with a skip on it. That is no problem but  to make the secene more dramatic and prototypical a small crane was necessary...

IMG_0027 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

I thought laying the track more or less as in the image and setting a portable turnout at the crossing would give a serious look to the scene too.
 There was going to be beside the scene at least one truck loaded with portable track material...

The photos below show an improvissed set-up to learn how could i dress  the scene once ready...

IMG_0004 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0028 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0029 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0032 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

... and everytjing wen nicelly and i even found a crane i had built years ago...

P1190789 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

but for a 20" gauge portable railway the only crane i had was a steam one so a bit too much...

P1190786 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190790 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190791 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190808 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190811 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

P1190816 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

... so i needed a much smaller, lighter one.

Someone suggested the Miniart 3 ton kit.
I bought one. Less than ten euros. I liked it a lot... but my eyes where unable to put something acceptable toguether so i bought another two kits and asked a friend to builkd it them for me.

[Daniel]

I forgot to mention: for the steam crane i bashed a Bachmann 0 scale skidder.


This is the Miniart kit:

IMG_0093 (141) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

The two Miniart crane kits arrived perfectly built and painted  with black primer as i asked so then i started the bashing and this came out:

IMG_0001 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0002 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0002 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0003 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0004 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0005 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0006 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0007 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0011 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0012 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0014 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Yes, the hook is in the wronng position in the photos but is actually not glued so may be repositioned for different settings later...

IMG_0018 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0020 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0022 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Next image shows one of the kits built and painted black as i've got it and beside the other already bashed and painted by Magoo...

IMG_0024 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

The crane operator is a modified german WWII soldier...

IMG_0001 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0007 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0011 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0019 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

... and this was a playing impromptus trying to get an notion of what i was doing...

IMG_0038 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0040 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Much better than the dinosaur size steamer...

IMG_0008 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

More tomorrow.

[Daniel]

Just to honor my dear chaos by giving it a first chance here...

IMG_0070 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

That is a block of plaster made by simply pouring the plaster/water mix into a cardstock box and letting it dry...

IMG_0071 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

... the groves are made with the table saw...

IMG_0073 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0074 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0075 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0077 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

We'll come back later to the above photo for the blah-blah but now the important thing is how is done...

It is very easy to break the small pieces from the big block just as you see in the photos below...

IMG_0078 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0080 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


IMG_0088 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0086 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0081 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0083 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0089 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0090 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0093 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

I must first find out a good way to make the joints wich should be something between 0,3mm and 0,5mm thick double sidded strip or so but i am not really convinced. I will probably end making a metal jig and slightly file the visible edges.
That may sond even worse than making a couple of thousand barrel roof tiles for a building but such jobs are ideal for a rainy day when one just want to sit at the window with music in the background and doing something that requires attention but not thoughts, efforts or decisions.



By then, the idea was to make enough to form a big pannel; make a silicone rubber mold of it and get as many wall pieces as needed. But the material and the texture are só beautiful that i decided to build the wanted walls with individual 'stones'.
After this try in thought i will better brepare several plaster blocks in different tones and colours, mix (after separating from the mother block) all the stone of different colours and let chance to do the rest.

I didn't build anything this way yet, but will one day.

Oh, yes: the long  stones are for lintels and window sills.

Daniel

[Stuart]

Cutting plaster may not be the best thing for a table saw blade but your end result sure is impressive.  I just may be tempted to try the same method myself.

Stuart

[Daniel]

Stuart

Thank you for your comment.

You are right, the machine blades  like more wood but my nose made be buy a small reserve of cheap Chinese replacement blades years ago. They are a bit thicker than the original Proxxon ones which are certainky of much beter quality, but a package with four types of blades was by then less than 3 euros and i would have bought them even if had no machine!
They are also 85mm diameter so 5mm bigger than the Proxxon ones but still fitting without issues thge machine.

My biggest fear was the dust. I bought a couple of paper rompers and used protection glasses and even a old hat and, of course, the usual strong vacuum cleaner. But most of that proved absolutelly unnecessary and next time i used only the vacuum cleaner for work and a reall little bit for cleaning afterwards machine & surroundings in less than two minutes.

The plaster big block provided several layers of 'stones' but i sanded each layer before doing next one cuts because i wanted a flat equal bottom so i could glue the stones to each other on a flat piece of glass and still get a good front face surface.

One essential thing is to ensure to mix colour when casting the mother block. Some acrylic paint mixed with the water for the mix would do.

Also it is important to chose the right tone.
I know very little about but understand such stones were taken from stratified limestone formations mut even if basically a cery light yellowish , they also present grays, ocker and brouwn tones.

A tiny difference in colour and shades adds a lot to the result...

IMG_0073 (209) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0074 (191) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

.. and, of course, a final weathering with soft dry pastels would do wonders too.

If you decide to go for it i would love to follow your version of the process so a good series of images would be really great to learn from your experience.

Daniel

[Daniel]

I love to model trains and was able to do some nice work in N scale but H0 was much more apealing... until my eyes could'nt keep pace of and i went to 0 scale narrow gauge.
At a certain point the eyes issues made also so dificult that inspired by three masters -Woodie Green, Christopher Payne, Kim Marsh and Henk Wust- i started 1/32 and was the very best decision made until some time ago, when, again, was forced to seriously consider jumping to 1/24 or bigger. The most traumatic moment was a frustrated intent to model my 20"gauge 9i8nterpretation of what would have been a ROWAN steam rail car inspit=red by the ones in France but also many other countries.

This was a typical French/Belgian ROWAN in the open version...

IMG_0006 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0001 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

but i wanted more one of the closed variations...

IMG_0005 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

The image above wasn't French but very similar and was good as reference to my own design.

IMG_0004 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

The ROWAN system ik clear explained visualy in the first image.

One of the meter gauge versions were built bashing Decauyville wooden coaches. I am a fanatic of Decauville stuff but this time the design didn't convuince me...

IMG_0057 (3) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Of course it is tremendosuly pretentious to want a Rowan on 20"track, but... Well, who cares?

I made a sketch of what i would like...

P2220459 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

... and decided to give it a try.

I introduced plenty of lies but, well, i like them and that's enough for me.

By then i was still wanting to run trains so it was designed to run under RC battery on board.

I asked a friend to modify an H0 Rivarossi mechanism from a Meyer loco to fit and he also prepared the wiring of the DelTang RC board and the LiPo batteries both to be set under the floor of the passenger area.

P2220463 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


This was the steam boguie...

IMG_0027 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0025 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


.. and here the skirted  version...

IMG_0002 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


IMG_0020 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

I really wanted the side mesh panels just to  make a bit visible the working Rivarossi valvegear...

IMG_0035 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0037 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0046 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

... and this was the whole chassis...
IMG_0002 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr.

It was a prety frustrating proces because my eyes had by then worsened seriously the last couple of years and i couldn't get anything properly done.

Why do i tell all this?

Well, from the many frustrations the worse because was always been reasonably o.k. to do, was to cut a row of window openings properly alihned. I had done lot of that before but time said this time: 'that was it'.
I bought a Miniart Russian tram kit just to get the windows and managed to compromise an at least a bit less scandalous result... but even so i understood i should go for bigger scale or other work methods.

Laser is not strange to me (Some of you may recall FCALV Models) but no more doable for me.
3D printing also not dificult for me offered by then too poor quality and above that, only thinking about terryfied my wallet.
So i put the the whole project aside and started to enjoy landscaping and forgot the Rowan and modelling trains.

I absolutelly don't regret the decision but the Rowan kept running iaround my head.


    



One day, unexpectedly, life threw this idea into my head that now i call the 'helping Magoo method':

If i want something like this...

IMG_0023 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

.. i go this way...

IMG_0027 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0026 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0025 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0035 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0037 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr


So far just an idea and ideas carry always too much wishes and hopes so i decided to check...

I made a sled to fit the small Proxxon saw using 10mm Makerbeams profiles, rests of wood and MDF and some registers that will explain in another post soon) so i could trust i would be cutting  exact replicas of the same piece and first cut a piece in 2mm brass plate so i would be able to keep checking the registers alignment every now and then ...

IMG_0020 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

More in next message.

[Daniel]

Making any number of replicas of the brass pattern was a lot easier than finding the words to tell it...

IMG_0021 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0019 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0022 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0023 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0024 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0025 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0027 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0026 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0028 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0030 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

You will love this if you try it..

IMG_0005 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0007 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0008 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0010 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0011 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0012 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

( The T styrene profile has got one side cut to fit the thicknes of the scribed styrene)

IMG_0014 (3) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0015 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0018 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0021 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0023 (3) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0125 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0126 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0127 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0127 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0128 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0129 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0129 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0130 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0131 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Naturly, a little succes  gives one some courage and is a bit tricky not to overdo expecting/wanting too much, but this i couldn't resist and i gave it a try too:

IMG_0007 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0008 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0010 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0011 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0013 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0014 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0015 (3) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0017 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0016 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0003 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0001 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0016 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Next photo shows the only error i have found...

IMG_0017 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0018 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0019 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Unavoidable...

IMG_0021 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Those will be used for the new ROWAN version so the two long sides where cut in halves and one day will be two short coaches or whatever...

IMG_0051 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

Still, you don't need really a saw  for getting cut a perfect row of windows but that will be another message.

Daniel

[Bernhard]

I'm impressed by your unusual method of building a sidewall. The result speaks for itself.

Bernhard

[Daniel]

Thank you, Bernhard.
Great that you like my nonsense.

Those days, feeling very frustrated, i was looking for a way to overcome my visual issues and had good luck.
I was also trying another method but the one in previous post won. Still, i will give it one day a good chance and see what happens.

It is very simple using commercial styrene profiles but since i didn't complet  the experiment i can't asure it will work.
Here some images:

IMG_0060 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0059 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0058 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

IMG_0057 (2) by Daniel Osvaldo Caso, on Flickr

I haven't seen those 'RABOESCH' styrene profiles (i think they are produced in Europe but am not sure) much used in modelism but they are really good and not too expensive.The bad news i have heard is they won't be produced anymore.

Nevertheless, i will put in next message an easy option whithout using a saw.

Daniel