Bits, Pieces, & Clutter

[Krusty]

a good closeup image can be seen at the bottom of VC's page here: http://www.vectorcut.com/accessories.htm

Weird. Your link brings up a not found error, but Google brings up exactly the same URL which works fine....

Thanks for pointing these out. The extra thickness of the lazerboard should minimise the 2D look that etchings suffer from. Paypal duly instructed.

[finescalerr]

I just took a close look at the VectorCut site and discovered a veritable treasure trove of swell goodies I hadn't realized were there. Then I looked at the HO street scene again and remembered DaKra never answered my question about how he created the brick walls for his structures. Laser? Enquiring minds want to know .... -- Russ

[Scratchman]

Here are three hand trucks for some clutter.



Gordon Birrell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77318580@N00/

[marc_reusser]

Gordon,

Those are great...I have been collecting catalog cuts of this stuff, so i can build one.....and your "real" photo is a great help. Thanks!  I especially like the center one.

I have a number of odd carts, dollies, buggies and such that I plan to build as part of this.



MR

[Gordon Ferguson]

OK , deep breath here .......... have never posted anything of my work here but as my latest creation was inspired by the crane pictures that Marc posted it was only right that you should at least see the results 

My nervousness is based on a number of facts, this is not a scale replica - although I have always attempted to build to scale and is an amalgamation of some of the cranes Marc posted plus a little bit of my own imagination. The work itself is not anywhere near the level that I normally see posted here but it is better than my previous work , it was fun and I learnt a few things which hopefully will help to improve my modelling .

 



It is built for a GN15 layout, for any of you new to that description that is 1/24 scale on track representing 15" gauge .......... which accounts for the narrowness of the model.


Will leave with it with you and thanks Marc for posting the pictures which gave me the inspiration   

[Mr Potato Head]

Let me be the first, but I am sure I won't be the last to say, it is fantastic! It looks great, scale or not, I believe there is no scale when it comes to these types of things. Either it is a very small crane with a 1 ton capacity, or it's a medium with a two ton  plus capacity. It is very realistic and very clean. Great Job!
Gil

[marc_reusser]

Hey Gordon,...so glad you are posting this here.

I think that crane is really great. I really like this. Nicely built and imagineered/interpreted.  I like all the scale and quality of the detailing, and even your drilling out of the outrigger tubes. Did you use stretched sprue for the cable details?......and I am amazed at how fast you built this.

The only detail...and this is maybe really nitpicky...but would look cool in your scale, which is why I bring it up, would be to do the cotter pins with their chains on the drilled outrigger supports....these could be bent from wire, or you could probably use a set of HO diesel handrail stanchion parts....then some small chain.

I am definitely going to save these pics in my files. Your project has now inspired me ever more so to build one.


Please show us your progress on the painting as well.


MR

[Scratchman]

Here are two images of a old mixer





Gordon Birrell

http://www.flickr.com/photos/77318580@N00/

[NORCALLOGGER]

Gordon,
Now that is sweet.  Great job on the details.
Rick Marty

[RoughboyModelworks]

Very nice looking crane Gordon. The proportions and level of detail seem just right, everything is very crisp and clean. The hand-cranked turning mechanism is particularly interesting. I am curious about how it's moved around though. I noticed it has wheels and axles underneath, but is it meant to be pushed around by man-power or is there going to be some form of extended coupler arrangement so it can be pulled along by Lister or something similar? Looking forward to seeing how you finish and weather it...

Paul

[Gordon Ferguson]

Thanks for the kind words and for the encouragement.

Marc,

good idea about the cotter pins & chain.......... I'm not happy with these supports anyway, wall of plastic tube is too thick so going to redo them in brass, probable with the 3 legged arrangement you see in car axle stands and will incorporate pins and chain.

The cables are plastic micro rod .... bit of a hang-up with me as cord/string never seem to have the right weight to hang right, can be hairy, etc - their not perfect, probable the main cable is still too large in diameter , but next time ?

Paul,

yes it will have a small critter to move it around, along with a flat wagon for tools etc, and maybe a little wagon, similar to some of the ones Marc has already posted, for the workers to brew their tea in ........... it will need a an extended "bar coupling"  sorry not really a rail-person but seem to remember you  call them a "rooster bar"?.
I will probable need to cut access holes in top plate so that the is bar can be fitted with into coupling pocket with pin?

Its going on the shelf for a couple of weeks so I can come back to it fresh and sort out some bits I'm not happy with and then of to the paint shop - if it comes out? will post an update.

Apologises Marc for jumping into your thread, was not up to posting a new topic with first model here   

[marc_reusser]

Gordon,

FWIW, I like the solid steel plate bottoms on the legs...very prototypical, they seem more sturdy and stronger than the 3 point car type. The user might even do so far as to place wood blocks/timbers  under them on soft or overy uneven ground.

I also liked that you used styrene instead if string....a wholly agree about string never looking right....I was just asking/wondering (too late at this point..but maybe for next time)...and not as a criticism....if it would be possible/worthwhile to diaginally roll the piece between a hard plate surface and some kind if file, to give it a bit of diagonal texture/detail, that would then help "imply" cable when painted, insofar as some highlights, and places for dirt/rust/grime to collect.

No such thing as hijacking "my thread"....and regardless, this is a thread about "bit's and pieces" by anyone.


MR

[Ray Dunakin]

GF -- Very nice work on that crane!

GB -- I like pics of the cement mixer.

[marc_reusser]

I decided to get started on the cement mixer idea....


I was too lazy to deal with making the drum entirely from scratch, and I wanted to make sure that it would be quite ridgid/durable, so I went on ebay and bought some toy cement trucks, from which i could possibly use the drums...since I had no idea which size the truck drums were in relation to what I needed, I bought several (all 4 trucks cost me about $10 total).

The truck on the left is from Matchbox, the other three are from a company called Yatming.




I ended up using the drum from the Matchbox truck (the other drums will be saved for future projects...with some slight modification they would work for bouys in some scales).

The drum was shortened by about 1/2"; 1/8": from the open end, and 3/8 out of the middle; the reason for taking some out of the middle was in order to get the desired 32" scale diameter. A new straight section (a 1/16" thick ring  to match the red plastic thickness) was then turned from 1" dia. acrylic rod. The 3 parts were than assembled using liquid cement. (The strange spots and what appear like defects are light reflections in the acrylic.)



...it's not much progress...but I figured I better post some form of modeling again, and also why I pulled out the lathe for the first time.


MR

[marc_reusser]

Off the loco...back to the mixer....


I took my influence from mixers that had the gear/ratchet cast into the rear of the lower shell of the mixer. The gear pattern was first drawn in CAD, then printed onto paper, which was cut-out and spray mounted onto the intended location. Using an Xacto, each line was scored through the paper into the plastic. The gear teeth were then made made using .010 styrene rod, which once dry was brushed with Mr. Surfacer, to fill the undercut, and to slightly fillet at the base of each tooth. Once dry, the Mr. surfacer was cleaned-up using a Micro-Mark fiberglass brush.

A .010" styrene band was wrapped around the center, (to simulate detailing found on the prototype) and detailed with weld seams. The lower/gear half was then given a light "cast" texture using Mr. Surfacer diluted in liquid cement, and stippled with a brush.






The front edge and interior of the drum was textured by stippling on Mr. Surfacer 500. This texture will help represent dried on cement on the final model. 






MR