You are an excellent presumer, Cliff. Ozark it is.
Started to add some of the fiddly little metal details: braces, metal base where the crane turns, some bolt details.
IT LIVES!!! looks great
As Bill stated, the metal details are beginning to bring the loader to life. Following along with great interest as I plan to build one someday. Thanks for sharing your process with us.
Really nice, Jim! I always enjoy the construction with metal detailing, and yours is looking beautiful!
How are you painting your brass & white metal?
Mr. Cliff, and all, thanks! As to painting the metal bits, I’m not very sophisticated. For just individual bolt castings, I just slather them with flat black. For the braces, I first drill and attach the bolt castings, then prime that whole thing (Rustoleum primer rattle can) and then also paint with flat black (for these I brushed, but sometimes I airbrush. I brush when I have few things and/or I’m lazy).
After the metal bits are attached, I use weathered iron oxide paint, grime, and dust and dry brush until I’m happy.
That’s the paint palette that I’ve used on all my projects so far. Seems important to be consistent to me so the whole railroad has a sense of cohesiveness. I do the same thing for materials: all the same rock, the same wood mostly (redwood and a bit of cedar).
We’ll see how it ends up when all’s said and done.
[edited to fix a typo]
Jim Rowson said:
Mr. Cliff, and all, thanks! As to painting the metal bits, I’m not very sophisticated. For just individual bolt castings, I just slather them with flat black. For the braces, I first drill and attach the bolt castings, then prime that whole thing (Rustoleum primer rattle can) and then also paint with flat black (for these I brushed, but sometimes I airbrush. I brush when I have few things and/or I’m lazy).
After the metal bits are attached, I use weathered iron oxide paint, grime, and dust and dry brush until I’m happy.
That’s the paint palette that I’ve used on all my projects so far. Seems important to be consistent to me so the whole railroad has a sense of cohesiveness. I do the same thing for materials: all the same rock, the same wood mostly (redwood and a bit of cedar).
Jim have you tried any “Jax” pewter black, I got some off amazon and it works great on brass, haven’t tried it on any other metals yet, Bill
We’ll see how it ends up when all’s said and done.
[edited to fix a typo]
I have not tried that, Bill. Will check it out.
More straps on the loader:
Jim, adding the straps and such just adds that much more to it…
Nice work… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
thanks andy, hollywood. lots more to come. it gets kind of complex at the top of this puppy.
Andy Clarke said:
Jim, adding the straps and such just adds that much more to it…
Nice work… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Jim,
Dad is well versed in straps and how to use them !
The loader gets more realistic with each update, Jim.
Jim
Another rust method is paint the rust color, I use the red primer color. then paint black, then let briefly dry, then dip small brush into a mild paint or laquer thinner and brush on the thinner and the black is removed exposing the rust.
Your method works very well, and looks great.
Just the way I do it. I use 10" locking tweezers from Harbor freight, holds the piece to spray paint both colors, then brush the thinner on, easy and quick.
Dennis
Nice technique, Dennis. Thanks!
Spent a bit of time today working on the side-to-side tension details. There are a couple of take-up wheels low down on the crane, and then pulleys partway up the tower. Cables unreel from the take-up wheels an then go over the opposite pulley and off to tie downs on the side… Not painted and installed, and maybe there is a better way to do these more easily and more consistent (probably should 3D print):
Jim Rowson said:
maybe there is a better way to do these more easily and more consistent (probably should 3D print):
Not in my opinion unless you really want a working unit? Press on… then paint and weather like you have done in the past. Recycle ,reuse is the way to go IMO …remember how the eye travels and trickery of the eye…
Only my thoughts Jim and I’m no expert on anything…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
FYI, rooster, those pulleys are made using PVC. Thanks for that!
Jim Rowson said:
FYI, rooster, those pulleys are made using PVC. Thanks for that!
It’s all good, stay focused and keep building with what you have as it’s very easy to get lost in the sea of “what you SHOULD have” . More satisfaction comes from what you have made from RAW materials by hand …3d printing was NOT an option in the era of RRing you enjoy. They used the materials they had and what floated between their eyeballs.
However this is only my thoughts.
I do love my history though!
Worked some on the boom, starting with the base “hinge” that allows it to swing from side to side. It is a fairly complicated mechanism to build (though simple in concept).
The top support is only half done, not painted, and just sitting in place. So still a fair bit to do…