The Home Machinist!

Try coating the surface to be finished with black Sharpie pen. Make sure the surface is free of all oil to begin with using something like Acetone. Once the black Sharpie ink dries, use a wide piece of Aluminum flat stock to press some 320 grit wet dry automotive sand paper against the rotating part...

From the estate of my brother, an almost new copy of the second printing 1995 Master Railroad builder. Complete with original dust jacket that saw more shelf time than reading time. Asking $225.00 including shipping. Please send email to peasleecreek@comcast.net or send private message Thank you, Ro...

Jack, Fantastic safety chains and in 3/4 inch scale no less. For many years the safety chain theory was almost universal for most locomotive tenders and often right up to the end of steam service. The SP studied a few disastrous wrecks at higher speeds and discovered the safety chains were not what ...

Jack,

Incredible work as always. Never tire of your presentations.

You mention the use of a flux pen in your recent postings. Interesting bit of soldering tooling that some of us might want to know more about. Can you share a photo of the flux pen and a source for same?

Robert

Jack, At one time I had a chance to borrow a few of the SP color drift panels from the paint shop in Sacramento. I wanted the correct color for the interior of the SP caboose in progress. Same color was also used for some steam locomotive cabs. The SP Seafoam Green was best matched by Rustoleum Pain...

Parts have been sold.

Sale Pending

Offered for sale are three Superscale parts: Extended floor coupler pocket in stainless steel. Short shank pilot coupler in stainless steel. The coupler has been assembled and the coupler pocket fitted to the coupler with a steel clevis pin and working as a unit. The coupler pocket has not bee drill...

I have used clear acrylic nail polish on small brass parts with good results. Dick Thomas of GGLS had a small Pacific with some custom cast builder plates. I asked him one time as to how he kept the raised lettering of the plates so nice and rich in color. His answer was surprising, He had the plate...

Matt,

Thanks for sharing, I never did get to see it run. It was always just on display when I saw it at the track and had no clue it was capable of steam operation.

Where is the cab forward at this point in time?

Robert

Someone in the Sacramento CA area constructed a 1 inch scale cab forward out of mostly wood perhaps back in the 1950-1960 era. It was brought out to the SVLS track a few times for display in the middle to late 1970's time frame. Even up close it was hard to tell that it was made from wood, the build...

The photo taken at Sacramento Valley Live Steamers track must have been in the middle to late 1970 era. The trees are all small at that time. Today the trees are more of a forest.