Monthly archives: May, 2015

Floating Shelf Fascia

May 30, 2015 Lmind1
ConstructionLos Angeles Junction Railway

For the fascia I needed something that was both stiff and hard but also relatively light. Styrene is too dimensionally unstable, traditional molding or MDF was too heavy.   A trip through The Home Depots molding aisle turned up what I needed, 2 1/2 inch by 1/4 inch thick “lattice”.  After carefully cutting it to…

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Floating Bench Work

May 23, 2015 Lmind1
ConstructionLos Angeles Junction Railway

  Occam’s Law can be summed up with the adage K.I.S.S.  In other words, the best solution is typically the simplest.  Simple doesn’t mean easy to design.  Often the opposite is the case.  It takes a fair amount of thought to come up with the cleanest approach.  Whenever I find myself using the proverbial duct…

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Powdered Glue

May 21, 2015 Lmind1
Construction

The initial test on a six inch piece of test track of powdered glue as ballast adhesive showed promise.  I’ve since moved to using it full force on a large N scale project in my shop.  Again, success.  I find it is not only easier to use than traditional liquid adhesive but it’s also easier to get…

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Powdered Ballast Glue

May 16, 2015 Lmind1
Construction

Effectively applying ballast glue is a challenge at best.  The more powdery soils and small gauge products even more so.  The problem comes with application of the adhesive, specifically the surface tension of the liquid.  Agents such as alcohol and dish soap help slightly but there is always an ongoing battle to minimize craters and…

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Eight Foot “Rulers”

May 7, 2015 Lmind1
Construction

One of the more useful tools I’ve picked up along the way is a 98 inch aluminum cutting guide.  I originally picked it up for it’s intended purpose, as a guide for a circular saw to ensure you get a straight edge on longer cuts.  It’s also extremely handy, however, for laying out longer track…

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