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teejay
Fireman
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 Posted - 05/27/2004 : 12:00:19 AM
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I thought I would show this little project for a change of pace .I know most of you don't like working in styrene but it is very useful in my industrial projects . I like interesting shapes in structures so I thought this Lime Kiln , necessary in the production of steel ( lime is an additive to the steel making process ) would be of some interest .
Industrial structures are sometimes an interesting combination of I-beams , pipes , stairs and railings , all wrapped around the main structure . I bought a Vollmer Lime Kiln as there wasn't much to choose from and I didn't have time to scratch build .
I was going to build the kit as is , to save time but didn't like the colour scheme or the 'cement footings ', so i cast my own from PoP .
The bottom picture is , of course , the cast PoP footings with the beginnings of the I beam supports .
Moving right along , we start to put the basics together . I have repainted everything in the kit . The I-beams are red oxide , the walkways black with white railings , copper coloured twin towers and a grey shed housing .
I'll stop here for now .The kit could be done in 2 days work , but I'll take my time and show the various pipes , walkways , and railings to be added in a future segment .
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Country: Canada
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TomPM
Fireman
Premium Member
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teejay
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 12:13:36 AM
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Tom , I'm almost embarrassed to tell you ,it is so simplistic .I cut strips of pink foam insulation to make the borders of the mold .I simply measure the item to be cast by drawing a pencil mark around it , glue the pink foam to the lines ....and pour the PoP .  Crazy , but it works ....the trick is to get the pink foam glued sufficiently so there is no leakage that will cause PoP ' flash '. Once the castings are dry , you can sand them smooth if you wish , but I like to leave most of the small imperfections in as if the ' concrete casting' has been banged around some .Paint the white castings a concrete colour and you're done . Cost ? About 5 cents .
TERRY
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MikeC
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 12:19:19 AM
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Terry, this is going to be another excellent project! How do you juggle so many at one time, though? Your work on the Fitz and the roundhouse has been excellent, and now you're beginning another one. 
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Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man. I have a railroad to run.
Visit the Central Missouri & Southern
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Country: USA
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ANo10
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 08:42:46 AM
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Terry,
This project is looking good. Thanks for the tip on the PoP.
Jim
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George D
Moderator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 09:04:28 AM
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Terry,
The project looks great and I'm glad you have the common sense to realize it will take more than two days. Don't badmouth styrene - I love the stuff. I'm anxious to follow your progress.
George
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Rusty Stumps
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 09:04:50 AM
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Terry, It's looking real good. I've always felt with the right painting and finishing styrene can look as good as any other building materials.
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Walt
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Jeff Compton
Engine Wiper
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 11:33:19 AM
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Terry, Great looking model, can't wait for more pictures! I built a couple of styrene kits and I agree, with the right painting and weathering, you can amke styrene look like just about any material. I will let my novice ignorance show again, what the heck is PoP?
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teejay
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 12:00:54 PM
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Jeff , PoP is Plaster of Paris , a very inexpensive way to cast items . It requires careful handling after the casting has dried ( about 30 minutes ...depending on the water , right Richard ? ) because the finished casting is very fragile . I usually cast an extra or two incase of breakage .The cost is about $10 for a 20 pound bag...we have kilograms in Canada but that's what it works out to be , so is very inexpensive as the PoP will go a LONG way .
Buy a small quantity , Jeff , and give it a try .It takes acrylic paints well too and can be easily worked and textured .
TERRY
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Country: Canada
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TomPM
Fireman
Premium Member
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MikeC
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 12:53:56 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by teejay
Tom , I'm almost embarrassed to tell you ,it is so simplistic .I cut strips of pink foam insulation to make the borders of the mold TERRY
Don't be embarrassed, Terry. I use the same thing. Here's a link to some info and photos posted in the Archives:
http://www.railroad-line.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=4316
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Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man. I have a railroad to run.
Visit the Central Missouri & Southern
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Country: USA
| Posts: 21584 |
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teejay
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 1:15:01 PM
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Tom , they are only partly reusable . The base is made from either a piece of glass or styrene .I do this for flat items like walls ( roundhouse ) or footings ( kiln ) . When I did the round building I used a mailing tube ( suggested by MikeC. ) but couldn't save it even though I lined it with tin foil . The pink foam gets destroyed in the same fashion but is very cheap by the 4x8 sheet .
So for circular items , save any old mailing tubes you might recieve . We see a lot of those here at the dealership , so I get them free.
BTW if your cast wall is to have windows or doors , simply cut the appropriate size square or rectangle from the pink foam and glue it where necessary . It's easier than cutting windows and doors from a fragile solid wall .I use special foam cement , available in caulking-style tubes from Home Depot . The glue is a little pricey but I haven't experimented with anything else .
TERRY
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Country: Canada
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MikeC
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 2:25:17 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by teejay
I use special foam cement , available in caulking-style tubes from Home Depot . The glue is a little pricey but I haven't experimented with anything else .
TERRY
Terry, I use Elmers Squeezable Caulk to hold the foam strips and forms in place. It comes in a small squeeze bottle and is inexpensive. It also helps seal seams to prevent wet plaster from leaking out. I apply it like glue to the foam, set the pieces in place, let the caulk set for a few minutes, and then I'm ready to pour plaster. A bottle of the stuff goes a long way, so that makes it even cheaper for modeling projects.
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Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man. I have a railroad to run.
Visit the Central Missouri & Southern
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Country: USA
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MP Rich
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 2:49:19 PM
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Don't get embarrassed by using foam for forms. When you are getting really down cheap is when you use the white beadboard that comes as packing. There really aren't many good uses for the stuff so I decided to try it for forms. That is one use I do find it good for in modeling. The small round beads leave a sort of stucko finish on the end product but it comes off real easy with a few sandpaper strokes. If you need to cut it and use the cut side next to the formed item, it cuts pretty smooth with a power sawe. Cheaper the better for me when it is to be thrown away after one use. I've also found that Elmer's carpenter glue works to hold the foam but it does take much longer to dry than the other adhesives mentioned. When you are mixing and pouring it is easy to get some extra plaster mixed, so I keep a few small plastic items to pour the excess in to make extra shapes of plaster. Then when I need a porch or steps, etc. I can just cut the piece down to size and go without waiting or mixing plaster.I find the bubbles of plastic that things are sold in are a good item for this. Richard
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Country: USA
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teejay
Fireman
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 3:08:09 PM
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Mike , thanks for the tip on Elmers caulking , I look for it next time I'm in H.D. Besides being fairly expensive ( 3 or 4 bucks a tube ) the foam cement keeps running from the caulking applicator even though the pressure is released , messy and it wastes the glue .I really like contact cement for many , many applications but you CANNOT USE CONTACT CEMENT on foam as it melts the foam ...quickly !
Richard you make a very good point for beadboard .I bought some by mistake and have found some uses for it, to use it up ...especially the basics for mountain scenery on the part you aren't going to carve or cut .And you are right about Carpenters Glue ...very slow to dry with foam , not a good choice .
TERRY
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MikeC
Administrator
Premium Member
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Posted - 05/27/2004 : 3:26:05 PM
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Terry, I buy the Elmer's caulk at Walmart in the paint dept. It comes in a small, white squeeze bottle.
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Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm a busy man. I have a railroad to run.
Visit the Central Missouri & Southern
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Country: USA
| Posts: 21584 |
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