[poliss]

No chatting on this thread please or the tips will get lost.  

For Oil Drums in OO/HO scale use the end of a pencil, the part that hold the rubber.

When spraying glue on ballast, cut a straw down the middle and put it over the rail tops.

Use old electric razor foils for mesh.

For pasting the backscene use flour and water glue.

Activated charcoal from your pet shop might be useful as coal loads.

[ba4472]

Apply some methylated spirits to a cloth, and rub over your track surface for a quick good clean!

[upnick]

A  wipe with  Isopropyl  alchohol  works  well  on  track  cleaning.

[dave`s dangerous]

Thats a good tip putting a straw on the line when spraying ballast, would save a lot of hard rubbing

[upnick]

Dont  shake accrylic paints before you  use  them  creates airbubbles .  stir with  cocktail  stick.

Add   around 5  metal  BB  balls  to   humbrol  tinlets  to agitate the  paint  when  shaking them before  use  similar to the  spray can  principle.

If cutting thin  plastic  in width   mark  with  pencil  and  cover the  mark  with  selotape  use a  steel  rule  to  cut  against  remove  the  tape and  the   thin strip  wont curl  up.

Fine wet and  dry  can make a  nice asphalt  roof  texture overspray  with matt  varnish for  final  finish.

When  cleaning  paintbrushes  have a jar  with  cheap  brush  cleaner  .....   clean  in  that  then   in normal   humbrol  thinners  if enamel  ........  enamel  thinners  lasts longer and cleaner.

Strip  wood planking for  boats in  your model  shop is  good  for roofs  and structures on  the layout.

Use  copydex to   stick  down track  doesnt need  pins  and  the  layer of  glue  being latex   is a good soundproofer,  if  you  need to reposition  track  comes off  clean  and  easily.

Flux & Tin all wires  when soldering  them to motors track etc.

Use isopropyl alchohol for thinning tamiya  paint same stuff they sell  in  little bottles  but lot cheaper in  large bottles  from chemist.

Decal  solvents give a  lot better  painted  on look  to  your models  decals.

If  you  have to  oil  locos a pin drop  will  last  for a  long time.

If usng a  dry  graphite lubricant make sure it  does not  get  on  the  track  graphite is  a superb  conductor.

With DCC  use Kapton tape for insulating.

Use  a long  BBQ   skewer for   creating  holes in  scenery especially  if you use foam for scenery  in depth.

Heatshrink tube can save a lot  of grief  with  electrics its cheap  and you  can  never use enough  of  it.

Assemble all  but  small  detail  parts when  constructing  plastic buildings  before paint.

A fibreglass pencil  has many  uses around the workbench.

Cheap  car  spray  primer is a  good undercoat  before main painting on plastics ....  NOT   cellulose though  it melts  the plastic.

Crushed real  coal  looks   well  and cant  be substituted.



Sorry  Poliss  these are  bit longer than  one liners  but kept descriptions to  a minimum    

[upnick]

When  using superglue   play a  small  PC  fan  over your work  while the glue dries  it  prevents the white  kicker  fumes/marks   building up on  your work.

[dave`s dangerous]

[upnick]

If  you  are using  sharp  sand on the layout don't forget to run a magnet over it before use... sharp sand can contain magnetic metals that love to jump around loco magnets and are hell on mechanisms.

[upnick]

Old radio  control  servos  can  be adapted   for low  voltage motor  drives for  the layout  .......... waterwheels  windmills  etc.
Remove   any  pips on the gears to  allow them  to  move freely  

[upnick]

That old fibre optic  lamp  in  the cuboard can   provide  lght in  small  areas   with  the fibres bunched together   to  an  LED   light  source  under  the boards.

[ba4472]

for good one liner tips ask Nick...

[upnick]

    Got loads  more when  i can  remember them Bruce  

[Joe]

Urm, Make sure track is alligned side by side properly with a roll of sellotape? well thats me out.

[Noakesy123]

Never build a big layout, it soaks money quicker than you can earn it.

[upnick]

Instead  of using insulating  joiners  piece  of  plasticard  fills  the  gap created insulating in  HO   i  use 30  thou plasticard  to  space  the  track while laying.  

Superglue  the plastic  in shape  to the profile of  the rail  but dont  sand  it    (creates  scratches on the rail  collecting dirt).

[ba4472]

never use wet and dry or sand paper on track, EVER!!

this causes dirt to collect in the rails as nick said, and cause unreliable current flow

[Teleman]

Don't eat yellow snow   ( My Dad told me that )

[upnick]

        good  tip  Pete  ..........

[upnick]

Tunnel  access in  end of board     ......   last post on this page ......
http://thecentralstation.myfreeforum.org/ftopic1084-60.php

[upnick]

If you have flash/mould lines on plastic  parts  a brush  with  plasticweld will  smooth  it out saves a lot of  sanding.
Day after  give it a sand off smooth  

[Teleman]

Use normal spray polish with bees wax in for cleaning your locos rolling stock . Works a treet   This tip came from Triangman before he died  

[upnick]

Use fish  tank  plant  weights for lighter stock   for better traction   .......  thin  and  small   they are ideal  for  G/F 100  ton tankers / coaches.

[Teleman]

I use lead shot , glued with epoxy resin . £35 for 7 kg of shot from the local shooting supply shop

[upnick]

[upnick]

With  clear plastic  parts use  toothpaste on  a  cotton  bud  to  polish  it  up.

[Even older tom]

If using Nitro-Mors or any other paint stripper on a model, apart from the usual safety gear, have a bucket of cold water in the workshop. Then if your gloves get punctured, you can immerse your hands in water and remove the gloves very quickly (before your skin peels off!) .

[upnick]

Use a sliding  bevel  for marking out   unusual  angles   ..  they  can be bought   in small  sizes made for  modelmakers mine is  like the one here  last  for years   and is  4 1/2 ins long when  folded  not  expensive  was about £4.00.  

http://lib.store.yahoo.net/lib/wo...ding-bevel-gauge-kit-5002b100.jpg

[poliss]

When using PVA to paste the backscene, paste the board and not the paper! (Just found that out).

[dave`s dangerous]

[upnick]

Use  lighter fluid for sticky marks   on some kitchen  towel,  if it doesnt  work  first  time reapply and  let it   work on  the  mark   with   some more on  the  towel   remove  it  clean off  

[upnick]

For  lifting  track   already   glued  down   use  a   hacksaw blade   slipped  under  the sleeepers  carefully  .....  using   the blunt   side  so  not  to  dig  in.

[upnick]

After  using your soldering  iron  wipe it clean  so its  shiny  and bright   .........then  apply some  solder to the tip  and  turn it  off   let it  cool  and  the  solder will  keep  the iron  tip  clean  for next time  

[upnick]

Washes  of  thinned  paintb can bring out  lots of detail  that is not apperent   and add  another dimension to a subject.  

The same with  Dry  brushing  

[dave`s dangerous]

What do they mean by dry brushing, is it as simple as running a dry brush over the painted area?

[Noakesy123]

Dry brushing is where you put paint on the brush, but then wipe most of it off, so when you run it over a surface only the raised areas get lightly covered, perfect for weathering.

[dave`s dangerous]

Thanks for that, so then what is air brushing as you can tell I am a novice at all this, I have seen the small sprayers at shows, is that what it is?

[upnick]

Hi  Dave,
Drybrushing doesnt involve an  airbrush  i'll  try  and find some information and add it on another thread.

[dave`s dangerous]

Cheers

[upnick]

Posted  up  in  how do i  do that  section  try  and find something on washes  later  .....  have to  go  to  town   >>>>>>>>  

[upnick]

Use  tin foil  to line roofs in buildings  when  fitting  lights  in them  to  reflect the light.  

The other side of  the coin  is  to use plastic milk  container  plastic  (the opaque type)  to   tone down  a light  over  the led.  

Dont  use  bulbs  in  when  lighting  LED's  run cool  and  last  a  lot  longer ..  just dont forget  to add a resistor  to  them  when  wiring up.

[ba4472]

when mking your own station lights and want a traditional 'yellow glow' use grain of wheat lamps with a stem of your choice...

also wire these lights in series to save on resistors and to help dim down the glow

[Teleman]

One i have not tryed but sounds good  
Use Tipex as a light filler

[upnick]

Bare  metal  foil  is  great for  parts that need plating    ( i know there arent  a  lot  in railways but  it  comes  in  different finishes)

http://www.bare-metal.com/bare-metal-foil.html

[dave`s dangerous]

Good tip of Nick`s was using methalated spirit mixed for glueing ballast down, sets a lot better 30% water 30% m/spirit/30%pva still 10% left for washing up liquid!
Put some down last night and its set solid this morning

[upnick]

[upnick]

Hi All,    

For  perfect   clear  windows  in  models   try Micro  Krystal Kleer  ro  replace  kit  ones   ..  especially  coaches   ......  

http://tinyurl.com/388sjk

[poliss]

Thread coupling springs onto a jewellers screwdriver. This helps to stop the little blighters vanishing into the ether.

[upnick]

[ba4472]

remember when the springs fly into the abyss, to always have a handy stock of expletive words......

[dave`s dangerous]

When useing the dynamis wirless controler don`t drop it on the floor!!!!!    

[Teleman]

[upnick]

Warming double sided tape with a hairdrier before laying it agitates the adhesive in it making it more sticky