John Passaro said:
Randy Lehrian Jr. said:
… I really like your rock storage rack too. I’ve never seen someone treat rocks with such respect. …
I noticed that too. All the parts work.
It’s all your fault! Thank you for encouraging me to travel down this path…
Like a Minimalist painting, the limited details must convey enough for the mind to see the whole. Well that’s my thought of the moment…
John
Sean McGillicuddy said:
Andrew Moore said:
I have to say, that is the finest collection of Clothes Pins I have ever been lucky enough to witness! Bravo, I say! Bravo!
This is the first time I have seen rusty wood clothes pins!
Ha ha ha!!! Wait 'til those clothespins show up in his 2017 Challenge Build!
Stain-less, John??? Heck it looks to me like it’s stain-a-lot. Seriously though, that may be some of the best weathered track that I have seen. You did an excellent job.
John,
Do you use track power or battery powered motive power? Just curious.
Joe Zullo said:
John,
Do you use track power or battery powered motive power? Just curious.
Hi Joe,
I’m full batty , er battery power, it’s 200’ to the nearest outlet…, but track power would be ok after the staining. 99% of the wool rusted away and a super strong magnet picked up the rest.
Edit to add; I’m going to make a 400 grit belt for my sander. I have lapidary belts of wet n dry cloth backed sandpaper. So far I’ve only hand sanded the rail tops in switches. All rail will have shiny tops and inner flange ways, we are supposed to look solvent for the investors …(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-money-mouth.gif)
John
That is a very neat way to rust and weather your rails. Looks more natural than just painting them in my opinion.
Chris
That looks great.
Gee, I had some Aristo Stainless that looked a lot like that new in the box (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)Tea Stains they said. Rust, not tea! They did replace all 4 boxes and I got a tour when I stopped in to make the swap so I left a happy camper.
John, Your technique looks great. I’m a little concerned about sanding the tops; even with 400 grit. Do you run metal wheels? If so, a few hundred laps and they will probably shine them up (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Always wondered why bits of steel left on the rails from the manufacturing process is called tea staining.
Greg
Greg Elmassian said:
Always wondered why bits of steel left on the rails from the manufacturing process is called tea staining.
Greg
Better than calling it rust, don’cha think?
I’m using an Acrylic clear cover spray because it sprays in very small droplets and on my first pass, if I can remember to hold back, it fogs and settles. I’m able to save 70-80% of the rust dust. Just like using chalks, sealing mutes the colors a tad by nature, so saving as much dust became a necessity.
Krylon ColorMaster, Acrylic Crystal Clear Flat Clear Non-yellowing blah blah blah with Cover Max. If’n ya care.
I’d rather clean the rails than all my wheels after it transfers… The Acrylic is rather hard, so running a modified belt sander once around the layout, works for this lazy old man.
Now if others want to run their trains and clean it for me, I’ll put my feet up and hold off on the sander, (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)c’mon over!
John
Gee, when I paint my rails, I run a rag with some Goo Gone™ on it over the rails. That will take the paint off if it hasn’t cured all the way. If I wait too long to clean the rails, then I use acetone on the rag instead. 400 grit sounds like it would really scratch up the rail-heads.
The Rail Kleen track cleaner uses 400 grit emory cloth and does a good job and doesn’t seem to scratch the rails.
Gee. Ok. I use stainless track, and most time I just use a damp cloth, with a bit of dish soap, to clean the grit and guano off the rails. So I don’t know how abrasive one would have to get in order to put scratches in the rail-heads.
400 grit will put scratches in anything… relatively fine ones, and as stated the cloth wears out pretty fast (the edges that do the work), but still way more abrasive than I need… I’m SS too though.
On brass rail I’d have to evaluate, I’d rather use scotchbrite in that unit, which they say works (have not seen it yet though, and no reports on how it lasts used that way)
Greg
Back when track cleanliness was a thing for me, I used a drywall sander on a stick. The fiberglass grid worked well. The stick kept me off my knees.
Did you use that sandpaper that was basically fiberglas “screen” with the silicon carbide grit? I noticed the grit went away fast, and the fiberglas mesh did the cleaning and it did a good job. I have fiberglas “pens” that work well to remove rust and corrosion for other things.
Greg
Too funny, I wonder how I managed to stumble through this far? And boy do I love the siding you went into…
Here is the explanation that keeps eluding all y’all. Oh yes a new 400 will cut and in fact I am depending on it. The Acrylic shell I sprayed on is tough and will quickly clog the belt. Could be a shocking experience trying to make the little Black 'n Decker a wet sander… so several belts will be needed or I may be forced to use wood papers and then polish the scratches with 400… a worn 400 will burnish the hard stainless to a pleasing ‘worked’ shine. Trust me.
Ok peanut gallery, take it away!
To pay for my chatter, I offer;
Happy Rails to you.
John
Steve Featherkile said:
Back when track cleanliness was a thing for me, I used a drywall sander on a stick. The fiberglass grid worked well. The stick kept me off my knees.
Steve, I use the pole sander too. Usually with a damp rag with a drop of dish-soap. But every week or so, I put the sanding screen on to get the tough crud off the rails. Stuff like tree sap, and whatever else that soapy water won’t remove.
