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Scale Modeling Tips & Tools Monthly, Issue #032-- "Getting Organized Again" August 15, 2009 |
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August 15, 2009At Long Last—Getting OrganizedMy wife said it and she’s right. Your room is a mess, referring to my model RR room/office which occupies a third of our apartment—“I can help you clean up and manage it, but in three days you’ll be right back in the same mess. The myriad of N Scale Detail parts, stripwood, sheet wood, plastic, glues, paints, clamps and scenic materials accumulated while building a layout and scratch building can actually blow your mind. And then there is losing critical parts or buying 2-3 unneeded duplicates of detail parts, paints and adhesives just because you can’t find what you’ve already got. It makes working on any facet of your layout more expensive, more time consuming and even more frustrating than any other hobby one might choose for relaxation. Yet there are few guides, tutorials or clinics on how to better organize storage for your layout and deal with the mounting clutter on the workbench that always seems to spill over onto the office desk. It’s the problem we all sweep into the corner when looking for online help and it is the giraffe under the blanket we carry with us from train show to train show and tactfully fail to bring up in any clinics we might attend.
But when your 2’X4’ workbench turns into and available work space of four inches by five inches—that’s a pretty cramped space even if you are only building an N Scale outhouse. Enough Already, Let’s Fix It My wife suggested the starting point “categorize what you’ve got”. I ran with it. Starting with a brand new database I built in MS Works, the program everyone has but seldom uses. I actually prefer this program for database development because it is simple, can be used quickly and has a minimal learning curve. It also is available on most PCs as it is included in the standard setup software library.I am surprised it doesn't get more use. You can grab a copy of the template for this database in the Download Center at www.scale-modelers-handbook.com/download-center.html Remember, the password is BEAGLE all caps. In case you want to develop your own, the fields I chose are:
1. Category
This is my KISS database for categorizing everything in my hobby room. This was a rather simple process, but it led to an idea for re-organizing this room, making it a lot easier to work in and help me get more enjoyment out of my hobby activities whether on the layout table or at the workbench. In a Nutshell Pegboard! My workbench happens to be located in a corner alongside my desk and the wall space is hardly used at all. I have a paint rack on one side and the space in front is for dedicated tool space such as knives, glue, clamps and scratch building materials. This represents less than a third of what the resources I need and use which results in piles of “stuff” on my work area. But if I placed two sheets of pegboard from tabletop to ceiling to the left and in front of the bench, I double my available storage space, increase its functionality and in short, make it a lot more practical. There is a wide variety of Pegboard accessories that increase the storage options for this board material. The baskets are ideal for storing bags of scenic materials; face-out hooks will store varying lengths of stripwood. In addition to supporting shelves of varying lengths and widths, the peg hooks tools, squares and clamps. These peg hooks will be augmented by glue-backed magnetic strips to hold utility knives, Xacto tools and hobbyists’ files. The shelving is ideal for cans and bottles (adhesives and paints) along with weathering materials and boxes of detail parts. I should have my workbench area updated by next month and I’ll show you the results. Bodywork at 1/10th ScaleSo the knife slipped on your brand new $250 1/10th scale Lexan racing body which covers that pulsing 2-speed Nitro RC Road Racer and left a gouge the full length of the hood..Is that what’s bugging you Charlie? Admittedly, depth of the cut is a major consideration, but such a problem can be successfully resolved with patience and perseverance. Materials you will need:
-Various grits of Wet/Dry Sandpaper like 220*220, *320, 400, 600, ^800, ^1000, ^1500, *^2000 (*optional and based on project needs; ^recommended for minor scrapes)
1. Begin by giving your car or other styrene article a good cleaning with dish soap and a piece of tee shirt cloth. If they are fine scratches, you may be done. 2. Consider these words to the wise before you start sanding: o Sand face of entire surface, not just the scratched area...this creates a smoother finish that is free from depressions. 3. With Medium to deep scratches start with 400 grit paper, wet sandpaper and surface and begin sanding in whatever way feels comfortable. After only 15 seconds or so look at the scratch(es). If they are starting to soften or are even completely gone...keep sanding until they are gone. If no progress was made at all go to step 3a. 3a. Major scratches or plastics/resins that are exceptionally hard will require more time/effort and so starting at a lower grit sandpaper will reduce that time/effort. Jump down to 220, scratch for a few seconds, check, scratch some more, check. When the scratches are gone...IMMEDIATELY clean the surface and move up to 320 grit...different direction until the 220 scratches are gone. Then move back to 400 wet and use until 320 scratches are gone. 4. Work your way up slowly...from 400 to 600 to 800 to 1000 to 1500 and then to 2000 if you choose. Make sure to complete sanding the scratches left at a specific grit before going to a higher number!!!! otherwise you'll have to go back down and re-sand all over.
5. Now that you have a smooth finish that has a very light matte look...you are almost done :)...make sure to wash THOROUGHLY before the next step and wipe dry with a very soft cloth and give it a couple of minutes to let it air dry.
6. Take out the rubbing/polishing cloth and Rubbing Compound. Squirt a bit on the surface and a bit on the cloth. Begin to vigorously rub the compound on the surface as if you are sanding...rub until product completely disappears or dries out...apply some more and rub some more until there is a PERFECTLY clear surface or Mirror shine, flawless finish on a colored plastic.
7. Lightly dampen the other end of the polishing cloth and wipe off excess rubbing compound from surface...again dry with soft towel and let dry for several minutes.
8. (Optional) Apply a layer of Meguiars NXT wax to really shine things up...let haze...and polish off, then let wax coat harden by letting the surface dry for a couple of hours.
What a difference a sign makesI have always found it easy to use my computer to generate banner-type signs for my N Scale Structures and it clearly lends more life to the scene I am trying to emulate on my layout.
It is a simple process to generate your own signs in any scale. I use a program called "Net Studio", a banner making program used in another life, but it is still handy. Its primary purpose is producing web banners for use on the Internet. Its primary purpose is producing web banners for use on the Internet. These banner making programs easily produce signs you can use to identify your business building(s) you built from scratch or kitbashed. Once I have created the “banner” in Net Studio, I use a program called SnagIt to do an image capture of my proposed sign and save it in my “My Signs” folder without altering the size. The more pixels in your image, the clearer the sign will be. I then open a graphics program line Paint Shop, Paint.net or any of the counterparts. I open my sign image in the graphics program. Now, in inches, measure the actual space on your building the sign will occupy. In your graphics program, go to the resize option (usually displayed in both pixels and inches. Match the inches of the image to the number you measured on your building. I like to use PaintShop Pro as it allows me to produce a Print Layout sheet so I include 2 or 3 copies of my sign in various sizes for end walls or back loading docks on the same building. I then print the sheet on the thickest stock which will go through my printer and then cut and glue the appropriate signs.
Get Your Act Together
Every now and then, I find an irresistible idea in "Model Railroader" magazine that actually works out to be a major improvement over my current techniques. |
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