Time to restart and get myself in gear

[cteno4]

Both looks like good solutions.

 

Jeff

[Drunkenclam]

My dremel chuck has seized up. So I should really buy another one. Maybe time to go cordless

[Drunkenclam]

As previously mentioned. I'm putting in a small cross section of river through the baseboard to use up some bridges I had spare. Also to act as a scenic break.

 

I've removed the baseboard so I can work on it in tbe garden. The wood work side is done and the greenmax scenic parts arrived from Hobby Search arrived yesterday.

 

 

[Eurostar25]

Very nice wood working skill there

Edited July 28, 2016 by Eurostar25

[Drunkenclam]

After been reading how to guides online. One of the points mentioned is look on something like google earth at a river and compare the colours with a paint palette. so you can get an idea of what colours to paint the river bed. This seemed like a great idea. Until you think about what a river looks like in a Japanese city.

 

The best phrase I can think of is.... uniform :D

 

 

I should point out now that my colour vision is completely whacked. (don't ask me how I wire up automatic doors :D)

 

So after looking at what is to me a solid grey rectangle. I called my wife for some help. Using a split window on the desktop. One of the river and another of a Tamiya paint chart. She helped me select a couple of paints. A grey for round the sides as the concrete walls continue under the water, and a matt khaki colour for the river bed its self. I must admit. The eart view did take me by surprise at the lack of shades. 

 

 

 

 

[cteno4]

Ahh the problem of water color! One big issue with bodies of water is the color can change dramatically with your visual angle to the surface. Usual issue is we usually see bodies of water from low angles in real life or from above from a plane (or google photo), but then many layout views are at a in intermediate angle. Unfortunately the layout water will look the same from all angles.

 

Really boils down to what feels right to your mind's eye viewing the layout/module. Luckily also there is a wide spectrum of colors out there in water so you can usually find a prototype!

 

Cheers,

 

Jeff

[Pauljag900]

Hi mate,

I ve had a few goes at water,not the easiest thing to get to look right and to be honest I was never completely satisfied with any of my efforts.

The best result I had was to buy a piece of clear Water effect plastic sheet,about £5-6 on Outland models on eBay,it's like a rippled effect,I bought a cheap set of acrylic artist paints also from eBay for about. £5 and I used diferent shades of blue,green,black and white and kinda dabbed it on and mixed together by running the colours together and shading them,if that makes any sense,then just added in a bit of black here and there and white,more so around the edges to create an effect,it was the best I managed In three attempts! Ha ha

Hope this helps,

Paul

[Drunkenclam]

I'm certainley not looking for a prototype exact look. Just something that makes you know its water. I do like the river in VJM model. But thats not quite what I'm looking for. I guess I'll have to jump in. Mix a little darker green and just follow the rules of darker in the middle :D

[Pauljag900]

Hi mate,

To be honest there s so many ways of doing it and I think it s really just have a go and see what you think it looks like,worse case scenario is just scrape it off and have another go! Lol If it looks right to you then it s right,no argument.

Vjm s layout is top notch is nt it? Everything on it is perfect.

Paul

[Eurostar25]

Hi clam, I went for a similar dark gray/green on my river module, take your time with the colour, I tried many variations before I was happy. Unlike scenery, a river colour is hard to change if your pour a water type product over the top!

[Drunkenclam]

as previously mentioned. My colour vision is shot. If I trusted my eyes. I'd end up with a purple and brown mix

[marknewton]

The creek on my photo plank is simply two colours of acrylic paint, olive green and sap green:

 

 

Cheers,

 

Mark

[Drunkenclam]

Looking good Mark. Thanks

[Drunkenclam]

So a little more done on this.

Sealed the timber and stuck on the greenmax wall, Put a coat of paint under where the girder bridge sits and the first bit of green on the river bed and the first row of block work on the wall.

I'm umming and errring about painting the wall blocks. But to be honest. I prefer them in the non painted colour out of the packet. Want to get the footpath in next and a grass area too.

 

 

[cteno4]

Clam,

 

It's coming along! I think once you weather the concrete it will look more like you are thinking. Spritz of dull coat (matte lacquer) can also help remove that just painted look.

 

Other ideas; Might also use a very light India ink wash (maybe sepia) along the bottom of the wall in a straight band going up a few feet from the water to be the stains from higher water times. Also some small weeds in the wall seams and in some inevitable little pockets of junk. Even some small clods of dirt and twigs stuck down low in the higher water areas.

 

Also darken or lighten a panel just a tad as with pours of stuff like this you sometimes see one have a slightly different concrete tint.

 

I've seen ropes left dangling down the walls now and then (some with knots every couple of feet) which I assumed was used to tie a small boat up to and then help pull yourself up the steep incline.

 

Gloss clear acrylic works well to make a surface sheen and you can even make a few stirs in the water surface at the edges and maybe a small stick sticking up out of the water.

 

Keep going its happening!

 

Jeff

[Drunkenclam]

Due to forth coming arrival. My current spare time has been taken prepping the bedroom. Still have the cot to repaint and butterfly border to stick on the wall. But trying to get bits done here and there. Done some minor track rerouting. And still wondering if a second loop down from the viaduct station would be a good idea.

 

 

[Pauljag900]

You can never have too many loops or trains running! If it ll fit I d put it in.

[cteno4]

Is this the small, pink squirming kind of arrival?

 

Jeff

[Drunkenclam]

Yes. Followed by decades of financial burden :D

Lets hope we can induct her in the pleasures of traindom

[cteno4]

Hey CONGRATULATIONS! yes will effect the train budget, but i already see train propaganda in that picture! That 6 week old kid will of course need a new DCC shinkansen! dad will just get it worked in for her until she can play with it!

 

Have fun!

 

jeff

[Eurostar25]

Congrats! Clam, did you manage to find the extra piece of the overhead transit station that covered the roadway? I've got that piece which won't be used because my walkway will need to be custom made as it goes over 4 tracks... It's yours if you still want it.

[Drunkenclam]

No I haven't found yet. I would gladly assist you in finding a home for yours. I'll send you a PM later as already late for work :D

[Drunkenclam]

Right. I had Mrs Clam moaning at me to repaint the bedroom door and frame. Then I get moaned at because I took the bedroom door to the shed for painting :D

 

Anyhow, between coats of paint and started extending the wiring. For now just for the top loop.

I purchased a bulk lot of small cable ties from Maplins in various colours.

 

 

Using 1 colour per track circuit. with the same colour for points as track feeds. Still using the current colour configuation of Kato.

 

 

Alas. Now I got to eat lunch and head out to work. I have 2 more track feeds to extend to complete the loop.

[Drunkenclam]

Apologies for the lack of updates. But that thing called life got in the way. The Sister in Law has been here since november so I've been playing tour guide most weekends. But shes gone back to the Philippines now.

 

I've made some minor changes to the overhead station. removing the need for a shared platform from the viaduct lines and the loop down to the ground track. Also can now see why I wanted an angled building of 5 floors or more. Need to make final plans for the platforms and get them in. Then concertrate on the ground tracks One line at a time.

 

[Drunkenclam]

Another few hours today of cutting, joining, soldering and heat shrinking. Getting a bit dull and time consuming. I can see why people use terminal blocks and crimp connectors. Although I have resisted that path so far. I was hoping to install a pull out shelf for the controllers today. But no time. So I hope tomorrows job. I'm sure I had some spare runners somewhere.