Triple O Salvage Project - Pu'uoma'o Yard Office and Observation Tower

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

I conscripted to Kid-zilla to prime the core and the main support beams over the course of the weekend. After masking the windows, he set-to with some left over oil-based primer and disposable brushes.

This proved to be an outrageous mess over two days, and he found that brush painting was neither as fun nor as “easy” as spray painting! I did step in here and there to help him, and it was sort of funny that what took me moments took him frustratingly long (to him) minutes.

The net result was a nicely primed core that will give it a bit of extra protection when it returns to Pu’uoma’o! Next, we’ll attach the platform supports using wood screws. These supports proved weak points over the years, succumbing to falling palm fronds, Acts of Dog, and rot. So, after much hemming and hawing, I decided on screws to make them easier to replace. Hopefully.

Oh, and if you might be wondering, while all this action was occurring, I was clearing the picnic table of at least a half dozen other projects. One is mine, a rocket from a friend’s surplus stock looked like an easy project between projects…in the box…

This rocket has been a real space and time eater this summer, and I admit it has impacted progress on the tower!

Updates as progress merits!

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

I hate using saws, so I’ve been blowing this project off. In addition, there are multiple rockets and a locomotive under construction on the lanai table, so there was no room to work. Then the 1:24 gang from the Triple O shops reminded me I could work on the floor…

I had previously marked where I’d drill tap holes for the tower supports. The 1:24 gang wisely checked my measurements.

Again, I elected to screw these in place rather than glue them for both durability and replaceability. The originals snapped multiple times over the years.

Despite my far-from-vertical tap holes (I need to get one of those Dremel stands!), the crew got the beams in place.

One did split…

…but it was nothing some TiteBond III and clamps couldn’t fix.

In short order, all four were in place.

At that point, the afternoon sun, which had driven us ever deeper into the lanai, found us, and it was time to knock off work.

Next, I will have to convert that plywood into a roof. Sabre Saw is already giving me an evil grin…

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

The 1:24 “digger men” and I had the lanai to ourselves. It was time to address the roof.

There were, of course, careful measurements…

…followed by a check to make sure the chosen timber was square-ish.

Afterwards, I elected to challenge Jig Saw to battle, so the 1:24 lads clamped the board to the table and prepped Jig Saw

We did position the building on the board before cutting, and, after adjusting the cut lines a bit, set to. BEHOLD! A not awful cut!

I offset this nominal success by absolutely tubing some measurement or another.

Enlarging the notches to clear the beams left some pretty big gaps.

So at that point, I cut the crew loose to have a think. First, I remembered my design elements:

1. Sturdy enough to hold the electrical switches.
2. Removable so I could fix and replace wiring.
   Thinking produced no answers, so I went to replacing broken couplers (broke parts sorted and stashed for future projects, just not a functioning couplers! The Triple O wastes nothing!). This let me end the session on a high note.

A trip to the hardware store later that day may have provided a solution. I found this in the moulding section.

There is a solid plastic lip I could secure to the roof with screws. The lattice would hide the rough edges of the plywood and be sort of decorative. Some crafstick decking could at least minimize and regularize the gap near the beams, while leaving enough space to wiggle the roof off if need be.

Hmmmm…Open to suggestions, but I think this may be my way forward. It should work, and it will land this project back where it started, functional yet whimsical.

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

That plastic molding thing worked pretty well! It cut easily, and it hides mistakes from 7 years ago and mistakes from 7 days ago equally well.

Next up is some craft stick decking, a few more external “braces,” and the wiring! I am in my happy place again in terms of tools, materials, and techniques! Yay!

Opal, of course, was not impressed…

Updates as progress merits!

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

In between a myriad of other activities last weekend, the 1:24 gang and I began to turn the plywood into a roof. I am in my “happy place” of craftsticks, TiteBond III, and various cutters. The crew and I quickly measured and cut the “timber.”

Then we made it fast with TiteBond III. I have tried to eyeball this sort of thing before, only to have alternative perpendicular angles, so this time I drew a bunch of guidelines before commencing Operation CUT’N STICK.

I have what I need to plank the roof over the week when and as I get time. The goal is to stain his weekend so it can dry it while I dig out the electrical stuff that I bought. I am going more slowly than usual to make sure that I don’t do something that will preclude access to the wiring later if repairs are necessary. The plan is to fix this a Hardiebacker base to facilitate moving it on and off the railroad, so that roof doe have to slide open.

This has to be done before Thanksgiving, as there is a moratorium on projects during the Thanksgiving-Advent-Christmas seasons. Too many family dinners coupled with the Christmas tree make projects an unsafe bet! I think that I am on track to have this up and functional if not fully painted and fitted out. We’ll see…I have one last rocket to get out of spacedock and a few Kid-zilla projects to monitor, too.

Updates as Progress Merits.

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

The roof is planked and stained. It is enough to give it a finished look from afar, and it is enough to be consistent with the core’s chunky character. I am not spending too much time on this as its main point of the roof is to hold the switches that will send power to the tracks. The emphasis on functionality, accessibility, and portability are driving my thoughts on how to move forward.

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

The 1:24 lads and I had a go at this today. Frist, we mounted this doo-hicky to the underside of the roof to
accommodate the wires.

For now, I used Shoo Goo to hold in place. I found appropriate wood screws later, which will go in tomorrow.

Next, we had to figure out how to mount the power switches. You’ll note from the photo below they are just too short to allow me to bore a hole in the roof.

I thought about carving out a puka for each switch, but I am sure I could neither make them square, flat, nor of even depth.

The final solution had to be repairable yet durable, so we rejected just gluing switches to the deck. Instead, we embarked upon an effort to build “tubs” for each switch so that they could bear the forward and aft stress of use yet be easily removed for replacement.

We carefully measure the timbers…

…and used carefully executed guard to ensure even cuts…

Only to find that my natural talent for woodwork left the gang with some trim work to do!

Oh, well. I’ve learned to err on the side of “leave a little extra and sand to size.” All is well, the glue is drying, and tomorrow I should be able to set the switches with double sided tape, tap holes in the roof, and wire them to the doo-hicky. If I can get that far, I am not far from being able to wire this back to the railroad, brining the mill’s loading dock and our coaling tower back into operation. As the new version of this will be removeable, it will allow me to work on this between operating sessions (operating = trains chasing their “cabeese”).

Getting there!

Eric

[Rooster]

I’m not throwing the switch you throw the switch. I’m not throwing the switch you throw the switch. I’m not throwing the switch you throw the switch. I’m not throwing the switch you throw the switch.

Ummm the switch isn’t even hooked up guys? It’s a trick I tell ya’ so if it’s not hooked up then you throw the switch!

I’m not throwing the switch you throw the switch. I’m not throwing the switch you throw the switch.

[Korm (Korm Kormsen)]

@Rooster

I’m not throwing the switch you throw…

just for your information: it is 20 letters minimum, not 20 repetitions.

[Rooster]

Horse puckey… it has nothing to do with 20 letters or repetitions. It is purely a discussion between the characters!

Now quit jacking up the kids thread!

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

This project lurched forward over the last two weeks. The events below happened simultaneously but, to make it easier to describe, are broken into two key lines of effort: 1.) wiring, and 2.) the observation deck.

Key to Line of Effort #1 this was getting the cables in and wired to the wire-connector-thingy.

There is just enough room to get in there and do the connecting, but the wires are too close to the building core to close the roof!

At Kid-zilla’s suggestion, I cut up some “lumber,…”

…glued it to the core. The roof sits “level-ish,”
but the 1:24 guys figured a bit of shimming on the bottom when we affix this to its base should do the trick.

As long as it passes the all-important can-a-PLAYMOBIL-dude-stay-standing-upright test, it’ll work. Oh, the black paint is preparatory to the upcoming “rock” foundation, the original one made from expanding foam having long rotted away

The observation deck began simply enough with some cutting, sanding, gluing, and clamping.

At some point, I remembered to get the wiring installed before preceding. I was, however, glad for this one cross-piece, as it allowed me to “prove” I could get at and fix any loose wires without deconstructing the tower. Yay!

The lads and Kid-zilla joined me in slowly building the frame.

Sunday, the lanai went quiet with all cross-pieces in place.

Two observations:

1. It is exactly two crafsticks long! Yay!
2. It is in no way a parallelogram. Booo…

We will forge on.

Bracing, decking, paint, safety rails, canopy, and ladders to go! Should get some wires from the hardware store this weekend so that we can at least plug this in and restore some passing sidings to service as those other things go from imagination to creation.

Updates as Progress Merits,

Eric

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

Last week was spent trimming, gluing, and clamping the decking in place. By Saturday, I had time to mount the building to some Hardiebacker after leveling it with foam scraps while waiting for glue to dry on the deck. It came out level.

Moving on…

I though that the construction cement alone might not endure over time, so I did put some deck screws into the core through the base.

This still meets my criteria of removable, though I would have to chip through the glue. I decided that since the finished product will come inside between runs, durability might obviate the need for disassembly requiring repairs.

By the end of Sunday, it looked like this:

Tonight, I began glueing foam scraps around the base to replace the long-rotted “stone foundation.”

The plan, once the “stone” encompasses the base is to rough it up with a wire brush, then paint and drybrush as we’ve done before. Normally, we would cut fitted strips of foam and carve individual “stones” into the face, but I wanted to try and make use of all the irregular scraps we’ve collected.

I plan to get the wires laid this weekend, running them under the tracks and zip-tying them to the ties. This will, as mentioned, restore two passing sidings to service and enable us to run STAINZ and larger cars on our inner “plantation” loop. Currently, all locomotives and rolling stock must pass through the mill. The wires are also the last part of the project that needs a dedicated work session. Most of the rest I can probably do in 20-30 minute intervals as (if?) they present themselves over the course of the week.

Updates as Progress Merits!

Eric

[Hines (Bill)]

This project is moving along nicely. The playmobile guys seem to be putting in a bit of overtime. Eric, how much time do you recon you and Kidzilla manage to spend on the railroad each week? I’m assuming the rest if the week is school, work and maybe sleep?

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

First, Bill ( @Hines ), thank you for your encouragement! Yes, the 1:24 crew earned their pay! Funny, I actually use them to slow me down. Posing them, in addition to helping me maintain our nominal scale, forces me to slow down and think about the project. Those little dudes have stopped me from making countless errors! Second, as far as time on projects, Kid-zilla and I probably spend six hours together puttering over the course of the week. He likes to build in parallel, but he is slowly starting to move onto the lanai on his own (if someone gives him a tablet or cell phone, I shall be most vociferously displeased…). Normally, I have to help him, but he does help me paint, glue, find tools, etc. We both help each other find dropped parts, and he has learned gravity works sideways in the modeling world! I do our blogging, almost exclusively here, to get help, show off, have fun, build community, remember how to do stuff, etc. Trains run most weekends, usually late afternoon through sundown, and we use setup time to address MOW and electrical issues. We both take great pleasure in flawless operations during dinner or during a garden party! As for inconveniences, yes, he has school, and I have a job. Bummer…We also have other hobbies, as diverse interests, in my opinion, keeps any one from becoming boring or stale. If Kid-zilla has an advantage over me, he has neither wife nor children of his own. These other folks in my life also demand and DESERVE my attention, and my puttering with Kid-zilla at the exclusion of others has gotten a few stern “Ha-RUMPH-s!” from CINCHOUSE!

This project has lumbered forward, all the same, with the Thanksgiving weekend offering a chance to work in fits and starts. One spasm of activity resulted in a pair of ladders. The 1:24 crew and a PLAYMOBIL ladder helped with the spacing:

The material is a kebab skewer, glued in place with TiteBond III, then lashed with a bit of twine. I lathered the lashing in more TiteBond III to reinforce the lot. The picture below shows the lashings without the glue.

The goal is to maintain some of the original structure’s “jungle theme” while avoiding poor choices of material. The next picture is the original roof lattice, built in the same manner, that survived 7 years outside and at least one falling coconut frond:

The other big effort was to finish the “stone” work. I ripped, jammed, and glued irregular bits of foam from our scrap bag around the base. Kid-zilla and I tried to texture it using flat matte, but found it harder to control, no quicker, and less visually appealing. The first picture shows the flat matte spray, and the second shows the same wall undergoing our traditional wire brush shaping.

![2

That behind us, we gave the base a heavy wash with black acrylics. We have found the easiest way to make this “stone” is to texture it, paint it a dark base color, then highlight it via drybrushing. This will need one more basecoat as some pink foam remains visible, but it is almost there. Here are a couple shots:

Oh, and, yes, it still fits in the Pu’uom’a’o yards!’

Various touch up, painting, wiring and some sort of roof - probably “canvas” - over the observation deck are still left! Getting there!

Eric

[Dave_Meashey (David Meashey)]

Eric;

At least your small workers look friendly; my guys look ready for a rumble.

Best, David Meashey

[Eric_Mueller]

Update:

Somewhere over the last two weeks I found time to drybrush the “rocks:”

This looked a lot better, so, in the spirit of two steps forward and one step back, I dripped white primer on it this weekend between Christmas activities and squalls. I also discovered the glue bonds on my bracing were less than satisfactory. Sigh…I have a pin nailer, but I worry using that will just shatter the wood and create new problems. TiteBond III it will be.

As for wiring, I found some black lampchord in my bit bucket that intended to use to wire this thing in, but, alas, torrential rains and Christmas activities prevented that from happening. At least the parts are on hand!

I think that I mentioned earlier that this was supposed to have been an easy rebuild. Each correction and repair, however, has added its own challenges and exposed new areas for skill improvement. Sooner or later, this will get done.

Eric

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

@Eric_Mueller

Each correction and repair, however, has added its own challenges

I call that Everything is a Project or No good deed goes unpunished!

[PeterT]

@JRad

No good dead goes unpunished

Did you mean ‘dead’ ? Or ‘deed’ ?

[JRad (Jon Radder)]

Either might wok, but the saying is deed. Fixed it.

[Eric_Mueller]

Yeah, pretty much either works…dead or deed…especially where projects are concenred!

Eric