Large Scale Central

re-BUILD LOG- IRON ISLAND RAILROAD

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#41

Well they do look Great! :wink:
Feel better?

#42

So, after all the excitement I had painting the AML ties I thought to myself, “Self, now the AML ties look great (or GRATE!), why not torture yourself some more and paint the Aristo ties as well? After all, you’ve obviously got way too much time on your hands.”

Seriously, some of my Aristo track was used when I got it and the ties were looking like maybe mean old Mr. U.V. Rays was starting to do his evil deed. However, Aristo ties are not removed as easily as the AML’s. The AML ties were only held on with a friction fit. Aristo ties are screwed to the rails with many little screws (too many little screws). I wanted to paint the ties without removing the rails. Hey- I might have too much time on my hands, but not enough to take all those little screws out. So I came up with the Kevin method of track painting.

Here’s what you’ll need:

!. some 5/16 OD, 3/16 ID vinyl tubing (I got mine at Home Depot $3 for 20’)

  1. a utility knife

  2. band aids

  3. tin snips

  4. paint (of course!)

Here’s what cha do:

  1. After cutting a length of tubing to the size of your track (mine was 5 feet), use the utility knife to make a slit in the tubing from end to end:

  1. Using the band aids, try to stop the blood from squirting out of your finger when the utility knife slipped. Make sure there are no young railroaders around before you start cursing me and my “stupid Kevin method” for saving time painting ties without disassembling the track. Are you done crying, yet? Okay, let’s continue…

  2. Use your tin snips and cut out a length-wise strip from the tubing. You’re basically following the original cut that you made with the deadly utility knife:

You now have a " C " shaped piece of tubing, like this:

NOTE: the hand in this photo is for demonstration purposes only. Yours will be covered in band aids and blood at this point.

  1. Take an old piece of UV worn track:

  1. Slide the vinyl tubing over the rails like this and then paint:

  1. TA-DA!!! Painted ties without removing rails:

-Kevin.

BTW- if you haven’t had a tetanus shot recently, now might be a good time.

#43

(https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQheEoWUOHIFItavpCUxjSdyOskZi3HvUwCcLcixbBSIDvX87M0)

Great ( Grate) wright up there Kevin!
Hurts to much to give you a thumbs up!

#44

There is a tool for slicing house wire that would be much safer than the utility knife and band aids would not be needed. Plus no extra red stain on the tube.

#45

Dan Pierce said:

There is a tool for slicing house wire that would be much safer than the utility knife and band aids would not be needed. Plus no extra red stain on the tube.

(https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRsGgRF5qyXSL2da4gcg6ZBVdpRvaWzd7RVJhvjsPeKK9UtlaFagQ)

#46

Dan- What an excellent idea! Of course you realize that you’ve taken the challenge right out of this.

-Kevin.

#47

See we are learning from other peoples mistakes! Yours!!:wink:

#48

Did you really paint the ties silver? Or did you camera only have black and white film? :slight_smile:

#49

Greg Elmassian said:

Did you really paint the ties silver? Or did you camera only have black and white film? :slight_smile:

That’s funny!

Must have been a little too much glare from the sun (we actually do get sun in Buffalo- here’s proof!). That and the fact that the paint was still wet when I took the picture. The ties should look black.

-Kevin.

#50

Just a lot of reflection I guess, since I could not see any other color it looked strange.

congrats on beating “old man sun”…

Greg

#51

I’ve heard to put armorall on the ties.

#52

Right Tom, From what I’ve heard, it works great and keeps the plastic pliable. Problem is, you have to do it yearly. The paint is more of a set and forget, until it fades or chips off, of course.

Note: No personal experience here, I just read too many forums without doing anything of my own!

#53

Gee, that’s cool. I just paint my track, rails ties and all, and then wipe the paint off the rails with some goo gone, before the paint completely sets up. I have an aversion to blood letting, especially when its my blood.

#54

Los Pondos, el Gonos!

Which, of course means-

I failed Spanish. Oh, and I removed the pond today…

BEFORE:

AFTER:

Now I’ve got a head start on that strip mine I was wanting to do.

Pretty, ain’t it?

-Kevin.

3R#20

#55

Nice work as always Kevin!

#56

REMOVED THE POND!!!

But why?

#57

Interesting.

#58

David Maynard said:

REMOVED THE POND!!!

But why?

Algae, fish feeding, frogs, evil fish munching blue herons, filter cleaning, winterizing, etc (see page 1)…

This time around I’m gonna go with a pondless water feature. I like the look and sound of running water, but pond maintenance… not so much.

I’m just dying to procure some more fill dirt from my favorite free source before old man winter fills the hole with snow!

The beatings will continue…

-Kevin.

3R#20

#59

dieseldude . said:
I’m just dying to procure some more fill dirt from my favorite free source…

Funny one Kevin. I remember where you said your “fill” dirt comes from! :slight_smile:

#60

dieseldude . said:

David Maynard said:

REMOVED THE POND!!!

But why?

Algae, fish feeding, frogs, evil fish munching blue herons, filter cleaning, winterizing, etc (see page 1)…

This time around I’m gonna go with a pondless water feature. I like the look and sound of running water, but pond maintenance… not so much.

I’m just dying to procure some more fill dirt from my favorite free source before old man winter fills the hole with snow!

The beatings will continue…

-Kevin.

3R#20

Oh, ah, um, ok.

But I will keep my pond.