Tuesday Update

Tuesday Update

Just a picture of the new bridge and more tweaking water.


Forks Creek Bridge in-place.





Side look of bridge. Added some detail and toned down the rust.
 

Looking upgrade, adding tint to resin to darken color. Having to also add more rapids to act as dams for resin. Will add Matte once color is right.

Moving ahead slowly.

Thanks Cameron

Monday Update

Monday Update


Here is the freshly Matte covered creek with some experimenting with Ultra Matte gel.


Bridge 613 deck in place. Retaining wall in. Will begin working on ground cover and rocks in stream.

Will keep tweaking color and texture of the water. Spending time on bridges. Super-detailing Forks Creek now.

Thanks Cameron

Sunday Update - Creek revisited.

Sunday Update - Creek revisited.

Staring at the creek, I was not happy with the color and impression of depth. So tried a few things I thought I'd share.

First at trip to Michael's with a 50% off coupon. Both Flexible Modeling Paste and Matte Gel had been recommended.


Modeling Paste


Matte Ultra Gel

Both are not transparent or translucent. I was hoping for more translucent. So now will be a little harder to use.


Top is the Paste, Bottom is the gel.

Holds shape good so maybe they can be used for rapids. Will experiment with silicon some more for the translucent parts (flowing water between rapids).

Next turned to water color and depth. I decided I needed more green. Tim at BHI sent me some great pictures of Colorado streams flowing from snow melt which is what I was looking for. Tried tint, did not work so went back and tried some acrylic mixing 2 shades of green.

Pictures of selected areas with new water color:











All in all happier with the new color. Will add Matte Medium to cut reflection and post a few pictures.

As Deck 2 is in the detail phase started running trains and found issues with turn-out power. Got a RRamp meter for DCC and it really is great. Basically on at least 3 turn-outs the divergent leg is not getting power. Straight is ok. Looks to be the SPT on the turn-out control.

Also started concentrating on Deck 1 and beginning to work toward Black Hawk on Deck 2. Deck 1 has all rock work in, till fixing places where molds overlapped or I had to fill. Color starting to get pretty close. Also began cutting in Bridge 613.


Bridge abutments for Bridge 613 looking upgrade. Around curve is Beaver Brook.


Downgrade from Bridge 613 towards Huntsman.


Curve almost done, rocks in creek, adding dirt. Will begin to add rapids and the silicon dams needed for the envirotex.


Looking downgrade at Chimney Gulch towards Tough Cuss Pass.


Tough Cuss Pass looking downgrade. If train clears I will be happy with this scene.


Tough Cuss Pass looking upgrade.


Last shot, here is Deck 2 with the new water near Beaver Brook.

Just got my vultures in and Cactus at BOSCO made a Rabbi figure for me. It is cool looking. Will get some pictures for tomorrow.

Thanks Cameron

Friday Update

Not a lot to update, got a cold from my wife, so been slow going.


Matt medium on Creek. Cutting glare nicely.


Spent a good bit of time on the bridges, want to get the trains running. This is the deck to Elks Creek.


Also did something a little nifty. Used an old mp3 player (paid like 7 bucks for it) and a pillow speaker (< 2 bucks) to make sound effects for my waterfall. Recorded sound off a free website. Temporarily mounted in cardboard webbing holding scenery up above falls. Put on repeat and it can be heard 2-3 ft away. Will wire in to make run off wall power to eliminate batteries. Sounds pretty good to me. By the way the cone is a cup cut in half. Really helps sound.

Working on Bridge past Huntsman on deck 1 now, waiting for NBW and turn-buckles to come in so I can complete Bridges.

Order Matt Gel to see if it holds form better for more rapid and wave effects.

Thanks Cameron

Need Advice on Water

Need Advice!

Below are 3 pictures, one using Mod-Podge matt over resin, other 2 just resin.

Trying to solicit input as to which represents moving stream better. One other option is to use glossy gel like Mod-Podge but with reflections.

Option 1

Resin with Matt Mod-Podge. Cuts led reflection and tones down sharpness. Gives a little motion to the water surface.

Option 2 - 2 views

No light reflecting shows clear.


Light reflecting.

Let me know what you think.

Monday Update

Monday Update

Besides adding more "cotton wood" tress and experimenting with Mod-podge matt to cover water I spent most of my time on Deck 1 middle peninsula.


More cotton woods around water fall. Needs something as trees look too bare, maybe more undergrowth.


Little people fishing.


Deck 1 final rock work. This is looking upgrade to turn going to Beaver Brook. I really like the foreground rocks as it gives the feel of these narrow canyons and allows the train to weave in and out of view.


Deck 1 final cut just before turn up to Beaver Brook.

Learned a lot from Deck 2 so this is going smoother without as much rework. Once stained, will uncover track and begin doing more testing.

Need to build the bridge then will concentrate on scenery. Since limited height, the view can be quite limited.

Thanks Cameron

Sunday Update

Sunday Update

Ok if you thought the rust was overdone on the bridge, I agree, now to tone it down.

Spent a good bit of time working on yet more details:


Trees were mentioned a while back. Consulted my photo's and my mentor is local to Golden so added some "cottonwood" trees which grow close to water. Since anything big was usually cut I left then small. Construction was based on Joe Fugate's method. Uses SuperTrees from Scenic Express. Soak in matt medium to make stronger. Spray painted brown. Used hairspray to attach foliage. Easy and I like the branch structure. Joe spray paints his foliage, I did not as I used a light green material.


2-8-0 entering the treed area


More cottonwoods by culverts.


Some super detail, 4 fish in resin around log. Will add 1-2 boys fishing there.

Added some other detail, snake sunning, snake after frog. Will continue to add little details for people to see to be drawn into the scene.

Completed 2 foreground rock castings on deck 1.  Thats about it, had to run to the hobby shop (TrainMasters) which is a about 25 miles away to swap some defective paint sticks and pickup a piece of HO test track for trolley. While there picked up a Bachmann trolley for Golden and some scenery flock.

Thanks Cameron