Workshop Wednesday

Discussion in 'General' started by yardmaster, Nov 15, 2017.

  1. w3hodoug (Doug Hughes RIP 03/24/2021)

    w3hodoug (Doug Hughes RIP 03/24/2021) 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    I took five of my old HO open auto rack cars to the NMRA SER regional convention in W. NC last weekend. Four were stryene racks on the Athearn flat car. The fifth was the 49-year-old Robert Weaver Quality Craft kit built with basswood parts and a lot of sanding sealer. It fooled a judge who didn't bother reading the paperwork submitted. He thought it was yet another styrene rack on Athearn and made some disparaging judging comments. The judge you get is the judge you get. I'll probably never enter a contest again.

    However, I was awarded two firsts, a second, and a third. Have the rest of you noted the scarcity of models entered in NMRA contests? I've entered very few, and gotten only one merit award in 40 years, but always get awards.

    An Atlanta-area MMR told me that a judged score of 87.5 points, for a merit award, represents a C- model. All my "good-enough" models must be Ds and Fs. I'm superintendent of our local division, which has 3-4 modelers working on AP, so I'll continue following the program. I just won't participate without a change of view and about a decade back on my life.
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  2. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member


    I know exactly what and experienced what your saying. Gorgeous models I say, some great work. I hereby upgrade you to a A+ grade.
     
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  3. Joe Lovett

    Joe Lovett Member

    Doug, Congratulations on winning two first place awards and for the second and third place finish.

    Joe
     
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  4. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    Hi Doug:

    I can relate. Been there, done that on the contest thing. Way back before Atlas ever dreamed of coming out with an Alco RS of any type, I heavily modified an old AHM RS-2, even built a new mechanism for it, scratch built stuff for it, hand shaped brass wire handrails/etc, the works. Painted it in one of the liveries of my proto-lanced theme at time. End up entering it in a regional contest. Didn't even place. Curious as to why, I did ask a judge what I could do better. He indicated it was a very good paint/decal/weathering job, but seeing as it was only a painted brass engine there wasn't any model working involved.

    That's when I pointed out the "brag sheet" indicating that it started life as a train set toy engine. "Oh... we didn't catch that."

    Like you say: You get the judges you get!

    That too, was my last contest. "Judging" contests are way too subjective, thus it's not like a head-to-head type of competition.

    Your auto racks: Those look great to my eyes. I concur with Tom!

    Small world, I built several of those Quality Craft auto racks way back in the mid-late sixties... I think I was 14 or 15? They were a booger, but I persevered! Looked "good 'enuf" to my eyes then... bet I'd shudder at their sight now! I am absolutely, positively, convinced that your QC auto rack looks FANTASTIC compared to my efforts back then!

    All fer this 'un.

    Andre
     
  5. Ozarktraveler

    Ozarktraveler Member

    Oh man! What a shame. Sorry to hear it.

    They look great to me.
     
  6. w3hodoug (Doug Hughes RIP 03/24/2021)

    w3hodoug (Doug Hughes RIP 03/24/2021) 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    Andre, the "construction" judge didn't even read my paperwork. It took me three months to build that QC kit. The judge's comment was a blow-off "it didn't take much work to build this". I sealed & sanded every one of the 100+ pieces of basswood. One of these "virgin" kits has been donated to the Knoxville club stash. Anyone interested in building it, let me know!

    If one has to document/list/photograph every piece of styrene cut and glued, I'm not interested. At age 77, there's not enough life left.

    Yet, there are 600+ NMRA MMRs, so someone must think it's worth all the trouble.

    Doug
     
  7. magistrate

    magistrate Member

    I'm of the opinion that the ones that get picked to be judges usually are ones that only buy ready to roll pieces. Wouldn't know craftsmanship if it bit them on the butt.

    Robert
     
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  8. I don't know if it helps or not but other non railroad model contest are the same. I have not done a whole lot of railroad contest, but I have been going to model car contest since the late 70s as a kid. I also have gone to a lot of IPMS contests where any type of plastic model is allowed. From figures to armor, planes, cars whatever.
    I have left more than one show pretty mad and also won at shows that I knew had better models there that I am sure the judges just did not know enough about.
    After one contest that I was pretty mad at I was talked to another modeler about losing to a vehicle that had a lot of issues with it. The other guy said "you need to remember this is a model contest not an accuracy contest" HA Put it back in perspective a little. To me a person that volunteers to judge at least needs to make informed or qualified decisions.
    In the model car world there are a lot of non competitive shows these days or just a top 20 voted on only by people that also enter models. At least that way the only voters are model builders.
    Doug I thought your cars looked great in the picture. I have never even heard of those kits. I would love to know of those 600+ MMRs how many were awarded in the 60s and what the current rate is of new entries.
    Andre I am sure you are not alone, I would bet many people have gone to one contest and never gone back.
     
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  9. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Doug, good grief. Those are as good of models as I've ever seen of Frisco prototypes. I dare say you are much more gracious than I would be under like circumstances.

    My daughter's concerns were very similar after State Music Festival. She participated in a flute trio and a mixed quintet; some of the adjudication seem interesting, to say the least.
     
  10. [​IMG]

    Keith might not believe this but all his F units are finally making it from paint to decals! They might make it to KC before the snow flies yet!
     
  11. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Nice! How did you mask them? I'm stuck at the yellow...

    I pulled out my smoked decoder, and ran my Little 6 on DC. I wired it up to see if I could use the light functions, but the decoder doesn't respond...:(
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    I took the Lenz budget decoder out of the Vanderbilt tender, and replaced it with one of the LaisDCC decoders, and my Bowser 4-6-0 runs very nicely:
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    I installed the budget decoder in the Little 6. Runs, but may be worth a better decoder:
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    I found some small buildings and this Old Time Loco at a sale:

    IMG_1590.JPG

    Looks like the loco from "Petticoat Junction." Some Googling leads me to be believe it's the Tyco 1890 Rogers locomotive, and more likely OO scale, but it has me looking for Old Time passenger cars...
     
  12. Thanks Gary.
    I used 1/16,1/8 1/4” masking tape. Just looked as some pictures as I laid it out. The B units are easy! Ha
     
  13. gna

    gna Member Frisco.org Supporter

    I'm think I'm just going to have to do it...too much analysis paralysis.
     
  14. Just go for it Gary.
     
  15. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Probably 15-18 years ago when I painted my one and only F-unit, I sketched out the shape of the cigar band on paper...razored it out on a glass sheet, and then used that to cut a wide-enough piece of masking tape. It worked well enough, and even managed to get the little "point" on the top of the band.
     
  16. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    This past Wednesday, I finished my paint booth project. It is 35" in overall length, 24" deep and 20 1/4"high, with a painting area of 25" wide x 24" deep. I glued 3/4" square banding on all the plywood edges to make a more finished look and feel. The painting area is lit with cool white and/or warm white LED strips and has a coat of clear polyurethane to make model paint easier to clean off. Master rocker switches control the blower, compressor and lighting with two separate toggles controlling cool white/warm white. To the left of the painting area are three vertical drawers on full extension drawer glides; two for bottled paint and one for rattle cans. On top is a housing for the compressor to reduce sound. A computer fan circulates air around the blower motor and compressor for cooling. The filter slides in through a slot in the top.
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    Last edited: Jun 11, 2018
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  17. geep07

    geep07 Member

    Keith,
    Great job on the paint booth. Now to get that nice white finish with some paint sprayed on it!
    Have fun!

    John
     
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  18. Coonskin

    Coonskin Member

    WOW Keith! Excellent work and soooo well thought out! Makes my "store bought" paint booth look quite bare and stupid!

    Andre
     
  19. Jim James

    Jim James Staff Member Staff Member

    That’s a super professional looking paint booth. You go first class on all your projects. Very nice.
     
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  20. gmankc

    gmankc Member

    Keith, that booth looks great. I've been looking at a bigger booth, but Paasche prices for their explosion-proof 36" are crazy high. What motor did you use for the exhaust?

    ...gregg
     

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