New ideas

[chris58]

Hi all
a few photos showing an idea using rail and ply sleepers donated by Keith Gowen of 3mm and 7mm fame. I think i can make something of this . VGA vans look good on this.
Regards
Chris

[Tim V]

Does it fit safely in the box?

[chris58]

Hello Tim
Not sure what the next step is,but safe transport of the cassette track and board are important. The stock and portacabin fit ok. Last night I was playing around a couple of VGA and Vbb vans and got a lot of fun shunting them around the sidings. I now have a plan and will update things as it moves along.
Regards
Chris

[chris58]

Hi All
i now have a name for this scheme. Haven Traders ( Boston ) Ltd. will be a freight yard in the area of Boston docks. Speedlink trains will provide the service for this small privately owned yard. Backscenes and building placement have yet to be decided but i have a rough idea. The commodities handled will be varied in mainly vans but hopefully some visible loads will be placed on the hardstanding.
Cheers for now
Chris

[mikeknowles]

Accessible via Boston Frodsham then!

[chris58]

Hi Mike
an inspiring chat with you and your son. Please keep me updated and i will hope to do the same. The key to operating this is the limited length of cassette which leads to lots of shunting . i will post some photos when i can.
Kind regards
Chris

[chris58]

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Hi All
just a visual update for Haven Traders and also my Bachmann 08 project. I am hoping to add a covered unloading area and when i can see what it looks like i will think of a suitable backscene. long vans and short sidings make operations fun . of course it,s not to everyones taste.
Kind Regards
Chris

[David Thorpe]

That trackside grass is very effective and a lot better than some of my recent efforts. How did you do it?

DT

[chris58]

Afternoon Dave
just a thin layer of Woodland Scenics flock and static grass of various lengths and tints. Some tidying up is required after letting it dry for twenty four hours. i am always generous with the grass because you can always recover the loose stuff later. Revisiting a site is most often necessary as getting it right first time is more luck than judgement. So Dave no magic bullet just practice and patience . I have found that if it looks wrong to you then redo it and don,t settle for something your not happy with.
Kind Regards
Chris Dales

[David Thorpe]

Thanks Chris. I think I'm going to have to bite the bullet and get a static grass applicator and, as you say, a variety of grasses.

DT

[chris58]

Evening Dave
the static grass applicator i use is one built by a club member. So what about asking around before spending hard earned cash.
Kind Regards
Chris

[dal-t]

I'll be following with interest - one of my 'To do' items for the New Year is conversion of a cheap electric fly swat into a static applicator, hopefully in a way that will be reversible if it turns out to be unsuccessful, since there's plenty of annoying insects in this part of the Hexagon (one of them in the shape of a Spanish Water Dog right at the moment ...).

[chris58]

Morning All
I do believe the basis for the one I use was a tea strainer and electronic fly killer. Although it's powered by two batteries I don,t advise activating it while holding the metal bit as believe me it,s quiet a shock.
Yours
Chris

[David Thorpe]

There are plenty of YouTube videos showing how to make a DIY Static Grass Applicator. I might try this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8gYmeRaaaL8

DT

[nigelcliffe]

Its really easy to make one from the inner parts of an ioniser. The voltage ioniser bit can be bought on ebay for a few pounds. Hook up to a DC battery and it will produce a high voltage on the outputs. Connect those to a metal plate and an earth wire, and "bingo" one static grass generator. Way more powerful than fly-swatter designs.
I've done one with a friend. No further details than above because if you can follow it, you'll know what you're doing, and if you can't, well you won't make mistakes.


We've used it to make grass tufts as follows, the technique would work for other machines:
Use the backing paper from stick-on paper labels (we tried a lot of materials, this was best). Attach to a small piece of ply (perhaps 80x80mm) using a rubber band. Blob it with glue. Attach earth wire to the paper.
Place metal plate on bench, scatter grass fibres over the plate. Hold ply more than a foot above the plate, glue blobs downwards, and turn on power. Move ply down towards plate, changing angles, the grass will leap up and stick to the glue. Move ply away and turn off power, tap ply to dislodge loose fibres. Consider a second pass over the machine. Turn ply right way up and leave to dry. Clumps will then slide off paper.

The results are very good tufts.

- Nigel

[Will L]

Its really easy to make one from the inner parts of an ioniser. ...

Where's that LIKE button

[RobM]

Some years ago I looked into making my own applicator after seeing the price of the Noch applicator but then found :-http://http://www.finescalemodelworld.co.uk/static-grass-applicator-1-p.asp. A glorified tea stainer but £100 less than a Noch and it works. There is now a larger model available :- http://www.finescalemodelworld.co.uk/maxi-static-grass-applicator-54-p.asp
R

[grovenor-2685]

Is this the sort of thing you mean Nigel?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-12V-High-Output-Air-Ionizer-Ioniser-Airborne-Negative-ion-Anion-Generator-QE-/291639255734?hash=item43e70de2b6:g:MB4AAOSwVFlT~G4U
Regards

[nigelcliffe]

Is this the sort of thing you mean Nigel?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/DC-12V-High-Output-Air-Ionizer-Ioniser-Airborne-Negative-ion-Anion-Generator-QE-/291639255734?hash=item43e70de2b6:g:MB4AAOSwVFlT~G4U
Regards

Yes that sort of thing, though I've not read the specification of the specific example.
I've only done battery powered. Don't mess if you don't feel confident about electrics, there are very high voltages (though low currents) involved.


If I remember, I'll take some pictures of the static plate and results next week.

- Nigel

[nigelcliffe]

In terms of commercially available static grass devices, I think the Green Scene device is amongst the best. "Best" as in good price for the performance and good support.

- Nigel

[Hardwicke]

Don't the electronic fly swatters work just as well?

[dal-t]

Don't the electronic fly swatters work just as well?

I think that's the whole point: £80 for a Flock-it, or <€5 for the main component, plus a few bits of wire, some cut-up Tupperware (other home catering parties are available), and a moment or two with a warmed-up soldering iron. Hmm, let me put my brain on for that one (it is, after all, Day One of 2016 and for some reason there were some pretty heavy-duty celebrations going on last night) ...

[chris58]

Morning All
We'll static grass aside I have been working on the buildings and I hope to post some photos of the progress I have made. The final placing and detailing are still to be done but the main structures are in place .
Kind Regards
Chris Dales

[chris58]

Hi All
Last night a friend from St Neots Mrc and myself put together a basic operating programme for Haven Traders,the outcome was a very entertaing two hours. A combination of rolling stock including my newly converted 08 was all we used . Detailing of buildings and wagons is all that is required. I hope to post a few more photos soon. I am very pleased with the whole thing and when the small cost is taken into account the result is even more pleasing.
Happy times
Chris Dales

[chris58]

Hi All
just a few updates

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photo updates

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Enjoying Myself
Chris