056 The Augusta Railway - More Work on the Station Platform

Now let's work on the station's platform!

Fist, let's tidy up the shop.  I need to put the wood back where it goes.  My wood is in a large, flat storage bin in the closet.

I really need a better way to store this stuff if I'm going to build more models, so we'll work on that.

There are several HO models on my test track, so we'll put them back in their boxes.

Keeping your work space clean is very important but SELDOM done.  In my files is a large collection of pictures of other people's shops and you wouldn't believe how cluttered and small their space to work is. Yet, they turn out more models than I do.  Maybe I'm on to something!

I've got two chairs, which is handy when my daughter come down to visit.  Tonight we'll have the TV on and listen to some steam train DVD stories on DVD.

YOU NEED ONE OF THESE!  This is one of the greatest tools I've ever bought.  The

MicroLux Mini Tilt Arbor Table Saw for Benchtop Hobby Use is fantastic.  Oh I know...it costs $380 for this little gadget.  You can buy a nice, full size one for that!  But I saved more money using this thing than you can image.  Except for plywood flats, I cut all my own wood!  Not only am I saving money but I have the ability to have whatever size boards I want, when I want them, without mail order or a trip to the hobby shop.  Just the mail and gas costs pay for this thing in a year or less.  And they work great!  Go in with a friend or two and share it.

Using the saw I carefully cut out the base plate and the roof sections.

This is a tilt arbor saw, so I set the angle and cut the roof to fit at the perfect angle.  You can't hardly do this with a hobby knife, hand saw or sander.  If you build models, you need one of these saws.  I don't work for Micro Mark, nor do I take advertising dollars.  My critique is as is!

I taped together all the walls and the roof for a test fit on the new plate.  I like this, especially with the bigger roof.

Looking at photos from the west, I don't see any depots much like this as wood was not a material of choice, but there are some and it would not be totally out of place.

Now we need a platform.  I've got plenty of wood in the box so I'll just use what is here instead of cutting it.  For the stringers underneath the platform, I'll use 1' x 1' square timbers.  Using my Harbor Freight mini chop saw, I cut three 36' timbers and three 3' timbers.

There!  Hmm...better add some character to them...they look kinda new.

There is an old Atlas snap saw that I keep in the drawer.  Its teeth are old and dull, and it is perfect for adding grooves and weathering to the boards.

I just run the saw blade at a 90 degree angle down each side of the board.  After that I lightly sand them with a fine sanding block to get rid of any fuzzy.  Fuzz doesn't show up while you are building, but darn will it show up in a photo!

There are several bags of O scale 2x4 stock, so we'll use that for the planks on the walk.  There will be a lot of planks, so better get out a tool for mass production.

This is a Shay Wood Mitre, very similar to the later Calibre Cutter.  Mine is ancient and very worn, but still works.  I like it much better than a Micro Mark Chopper II or III...

Here's the label on this out of production chopper.

Unlike the MM Choppers this one slices through the part, not chopping it.  When you pull down the handle the blade makes a slicing motion like a kitchen knife and gives you MUCH less breaking of the wood.  You can cut much larger pieces as well.  Wish someone (Dr. Ben) would make some new ones!

I cut up one stick of the wood stock and it makes about 3.5' of walkway.  I'll need about 15 sticks of the 2x4 stock.

TV is great when you are doing this kind of work, as it can get monotonous, but if you keep at it steady, you will be done quickly.  Stop and measure a board once in a while just to make sure you haven't bumped a setting.

There!  We have cut all the wood and made ourselves a little walkway kit!