By Way of Introduction

EricMG

I've realized some of you might have been at the same contest in Augusta, Maine in summer 2016. Were you?

KKarns

Welcome to the forum Eric. Great modeling and layout, first class material there...Ken

EricMG

Thanks, Ken! I've been enjoying your work hugely as well. Nice to be in a model forum with alike goals.

KKarns

Well stated Eric, that's what it be all about!...knocking elbows, modeling like crazy, and having fun...

EricMG

It's not easy to explain our obsession, but I'm glad to be out of the closet. One thing I know is I've had it since the age of two. Neither of my parents had it, or really understood it, although my dad was an amazing airplane modeler. He created a working RC transmitter and receiver in 1946-7 with Jack Luck in Canada. I still have the wicked cool prototype.

EricMG

Ken, this is outrageously fine modeling to my eye. A few reasons why: sometimes with individual board modeling, the modeler gets carried away with SHOWING us that it is individual board. I made this mistake long ago scratch-building the Fisher covered rr bridge in Vermont. Since I had built ALL the truss work inside, I though gapping the boards of the exterior would show this. Terrible! I still won an NMRA blue, but I never liked it. Also, the carpenter on your project might have been drunk, BUT his workmanship is plumb, true, and even. This I HUGELY appreciate as this was more likely the truth back then. Tradesmen took great pride in their skills and work. Cheers! And you have NOT overdone the roofs either. This restraint is paramount to master modeling. A.k.a Lee Detroitster T.

EricMG

Two suggestions: Make the stove pipes plumb vertical. Unless the appliance was moved in the rooms, they would stay that way. Second, rust rarely leaches down from a stove pipe onto roofing. Every modeler seems to do this, but in reality it is rare. Just like white letters streaking downwards from rain. Show me that in reality. It did happen on certain boxcar letting for only a few years because of bad paint.

EricMG

How was the foundry lettering done? Amazing!

EricMG

A roof I like that is completely illogical.

EricMG

Ken? Ken? Your pictures all vanished? Yikes!

KKarns

Posted in the wrong thread...sorry about that.

EricMG

Where did it go? Man, I miss that gem. And now it appears I am insanely ranting to myself.

KKarns

I'll be posting under the Official Foundry build thread. The rust streaking from rusted stacks could go either way. I think old structures with dark roofs it looks good if not overdone.

The roof vents on the three structures are plumb vertical it's just the iPhone iamges that make them appear off plumb. Here is a picture with my digital camera of one of the stacks....

EricMG

Perfect! Sorry about that. I considered it might the the fish-eye of the camera. You are too good of a modeler not to have them plumb.

KKarns

No worries Eric...I noticed that when I posted the pictures and also made a comment about it but had to delete it right away as I posted under your thread by mistake.

vietnamseabee

I think an argument could be made for out of plumb roof vents/stacks on a very old building for a variety of reasons ...just sayin’....sorry for the late night post but it’s only 3:45 in the afternoon in Maui....no modeling this week
Terry

Karl.A

No reason to appologise Terry, Maui... at 3:45pm sounds wonderful.... ,
those in different areas of the world on the forum will see it when they wake up..... We have Australia, Africa, UK, America, Canada, New Zealand France, Belgium and so many more members across the globe...

EricMG

Terry, I am basically in agreement with you, but I have found that crooked anything should be well considered simply because it attracts the eye. If you want that, okay. Now roof vents, of course. But stove pipes running from a heavy wood or coal stove if still attached, unlikely. Still possible from snow load etc., but then signs of that bend should be visible. Just sayin'!

Karl.A

Eric, if you move your mouse pointer over your post then a cog/gear will appear in the top right of your post.
If you click on this cog it will give you the option to edit or delete your post.

Karl.A

EricMG

Karl A., I'm on a MacBook Pro sans mouse. No rodents of any kind actually.

Karl.A

you don't have a pointer that moves around the screen..?

EricMG

Yup. But no matter where I move it, the edit dies after 1 hour. It even gives you a count down of minutes left to edit.

Changed my building lettering today to better reflect coastal Maine. Added stove pipe to office. Did my best to get it crooked.

Karl.A

Hmmm, I'll check that out. But, for now I went in and edited them both for you.

Dave_S

Eric,

Nice fence and gates. Good eye for detail. Do I detect vertical stretch rods used to pull the chain link material tight at the ends of the chain link sections? What do you like to use for the chain link material?

That collection of wagons you featured on an earlier post (a few seen here in front of the Universal Supply Building) are way cool. Scratch built or kits? http://www.craftsmankituniversity.com/vanforum/uploads/imageupload/643/X474TVT2S14P.jpg

Do those guys at Universal Supply sell hot water baseboard heating units? Still can recall the clinking sound when the hot water flowed through the copper pipes and heated up all the little aluminum fins. My choice for heating my home back in the day during our long Chicago area Winters.

Later, Dave S Living the good life in the Sonoran Desert near Tucson

EricMG

Both are based on kits. And the guys at Universal would be selling radiators like these in my colored pencil drawing. The sign read AIR CONDITIONING. In Maine In 1956? No way. Now in 2018? "Way" as the Valley Girls say.

EricMG

Dave, do you think I should drop the G in RECONDITIONING. Mainers would say it that way.

EricMG

Ed, I don't think I would ever be called "Happy Brother." I'm more of an misanthropic, depressive, agoraphobic, melancholic recluse hermit type with a lot of inner rage.

Robert.G

EricMG said:

Ed, I don't think I would ever be called "Happy Brother." I'm more of an misanthropic, depressive, agoraphobic, melancholic recluse hermit type with a lot of inner rage.

Eric, even without knowing you, from looking at your "crossed arm photo" and the way you comment I could tell !!! ( absolutely no reproach !
Go and hit a boxing bag ( so you don't hurt anyone) from time to time to get rid of all this inner rage.
I am more of the optimistic kind. I model SW kits amongst other creative things, listen to music ( prog) and try to be happy.

Robert.

EricMG

Robert, funny you say that. I have a heavy bag in my loft, and bag gloves, of course. Never hit a heavy bag without the correct gloves, and do not forget to lock your wrist! I thought I might start hitting it again. I trained a lot years ago. I'm not the type to EVER hurt someone who does not come after me first.

The cross-armed photo was actually meant humorously for a biker friend of mine. I usually don't look that bad! I have had a life that was perhaps more trying than many. Here is another photo, a film still of my wife and me. See? Not so grumpy, right?

EricMG

Robert, here is the photo. [Once you post, I do not believe you can go back in and add a photo. The little photo icon vanishes.] But look, my wife is laughing. Of course, it is in a movie. Ha, ha, ha.