Started the trestle this morning, a lot of sawing.
The stencel worked “pretty good”. The masking tape worked really well to stop the bleed under that is typical with stencels but when I lifted the tape from the cutting mat to transfere it to the tank it wanted to stretch all the small connections so the letters came out a little crooked.
Think I will tackle the tank bands next, I just know that’s going to be fun.
As always an excellent job.
I like it, Rick.
fwiw: this may be one of those things where only the builder can see the “crooked” part. besides, it just adds character!
nice work! love the intricate woodworking on the tank trestle…
Pic from Durango Herald via FACEBOOK Group
Rick Marty said:
Hmmm, well if Dave can cheat I guess that opens the door for the rest of us(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif).
So I did a little proof of concept project also. In above posts tank bands have been mentioned, they are always a booger to get tight and keep them that way. I developed a method a few years ago that works really well for me but lacks a little in prototype finish, well OK a lot.
The tank on the right I did a year ago and you can see the band arrangement, works very well but lacks finish. I have a couple packages of Hartford tank banding details so I took some of the parts and re-worked them and came up with the product on the left mounted on an old coffee can. It still isn’t an accurate tank band connection detail but I think it is going to work and look far better than the bare lap.
This is what it looks like on the inside, just twist the wire to tighten, straightening the band as you go. You can get them super tight and they stay that way.
I mentioned earlier that this water tank build is for my new sawmill expansion and I need a ton of structures besides this tank. The weather has been so cold and wet lately that I have been working more on some of those smaller projects. A refurbished bridge from the POC and a new 2 foot bridge to cross the log pond, the trestle structure to extend the 2 foot bridge, an oil tank and pump house, and starting on a turntable bridge.
Having fun and staying warm and dry(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
Thanks for the picture Don.
I have those rod brackets in one of my junk boxes and the trouble with using them is you have to thread the ends of the wire/rod in order to make them work and try getting them tight. In past expierence in tank and bridge building I have trouble with the small/fine threads easily stripping before enough pressure can be applied to firmly tighten the bands or struts.
With that said, here is how I did it today, came out looking pretty good, at least the bands are tight and straight.
Now ladders and decking and piping and pump shed, and and and
Very realistic, Rick. I can’t tell how tight they are, but they are straight (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I think those look dang good. A suitable compromise between form and function
Well we got the platform, ladders, and hatch built today. The platform still needs stain and the blue tape is for laying out the railing postS.
Looking really good!!
Man you work fast. Thats a right fine water tank
Very nice!
Amazing!
Very well done, Rick. Its amazing what details will do to a model. The ladders, to me, just take it to another level.
Really nice Rick. A properly scaled tank is on my someday list. I have a Pola tank, but it is really too small for a mainline tank in Fn3. Al Pomeroy gave me a spout years ago that I thought of putting on the Pola tank to up-scale it, but I think your detail ideas, especially the banding method, look great and may just inspire me to build one from scratch.
Dan Hilyer said:
Very well done, Rick. Its amazing what details will do to a model. The ladders, to me, just take it to another level.
Well, that’s what ladders do isn’t it?(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-foot-in-mouth.gif)(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)
The hand rails and piping are complete, still a few details to add but this pretty much finishes this part. Next will be the pump house which will just be an open sided shed.
You did an excellent job on the banding. I like that they are closer at the bottom and spread out as they go up. Very prototypical. Pressure increases with depth (height) the pressure at the bottom is greater than at the top. I am just assuming this was the reasoning for it. But I have seen ma y a picture of wood tanks builtike it.
