1/2"-Scale Lumber Stacker

[jacq01]

  Marty,    what clutches ?? 

  this is coming along very nicely.  Pity it is so large.  To make a matching scene takes up a lot of space.
  Detailing is fantastic.

  Jacq

[chester]

A lot of repetitious tasks from the lumber stacks to the brackets Ken. You make the mundane seem intricate. Beautiful work.

[marc_reusser]

All, I can say is...WOW!

I really like the way it looks with the tower in place...really emphasizes the rickety and spindly appearance.

MR

[Ken Hamilton]

Being snowed in yesterday allowed for some building time.  I got the top
carrier done and the chain drive in place - at least on the upper portion.
The gears are photo-etched.  They looked too thin so I glued them to a
piece of styrene and cut out the teeth.  The chain is photo-etched brass, too.
Photo-etched parts lack a realistic 3-D appearance, but the chain should look
okay for this model.............

[Scratchman]

Ken,the chain and sprockets are just beautiful . looking forward to the diorama.

Gordon Birrell

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

[Chuck Doan]

Ken, are the same people doing the chains as did your fire escape etc?

[Ken Hamilton]

Ken, are the same people doing the chains as did your fire escape etc?

Hi, Chuck:
Yeah....I had some free space on one of the sheets and filled it with these chains. 
They were originally going to be used on a chain-drive Mack but didn't look very good
in that application.  I'm not thrilled with them but, for lack of anything better, they
look okay on this project.
 

[Chuck Doan]

I think its quite acceptable. Chain is a major pain for modellers.

[chester]

Nice Ken, I think the chains will be entirely acceptable for this model too. I like the p.e. idea for the chains and maybe with just a little more refinement could be excellent.

[jacq01]

  Ken,

  the driven chain with the same interlocking links looks very good.  Why didnt you use the same for the stacker platforms ? The chain with the alternating small and large links is not looking so convincing and technically less likely as the other one.

Jacq

[Ken Hamilton]

Thanks for the comments.
Jacq, I like the "interlocking" chain better, too, but it's wider than the "square" chain and
doesn't quite fit into the channels that run up either side of the tower, which is a big factor. 
I'm hoping that with paint, grease and the brackets that will be attached to it, the shortcomings
of the square chain won't be as obvious.
The interlocking chain, hanging in air all by itself, will hopefully look okay as-is.

[marc_reusser]

Really great.  Despite the drawbacks you mention from the PE re the 3D effect, I think these will look just fine in the end, as the eye/mind will read it and associate it with what we know in real life......and it it SO much better than those horrible Grandt type chains.



MR

[TRAINS1941]

Ken

Nice job I think the chains look great.

Jerry

[RoughboyModelworks]

Ken:

I side with Jacq on this one, believe the interlocking chain looks best, not quite as flat as the others. But, I also suspect that when coloured, weathered and finished, the chains will look quite believable. As Marc says, our eyes will see them for what they are supposed to represent. Perhaps with some irregular or slightly distorted links as well, they will be all the more convincing.

Paul

[Belg]

Ken, I'm wondering if you have seen this before?
http://www.grandtline.com/model_railroad/transmission/transmission_sprocket_chain.htm
I saw it used on a hullet project and thought of your project. Pat