Before I get into the technical parts of the review, let’s talk about value. Really, when we get down to it, the hobby is about entertainment. I always like to figure out what my entertainment value is from something I buy. Otherwise, we’d probably never buy a $300 locomotive with sound. One of the big reasons that I like Darryl Huffman’s products is that I get a lot of entertainment for my dollar. Seven hours and four DVD’s for $30 is a LOT of bang for the buck, especially when it’s full of great information. That equates to $4.29 per entertainment hour. A movie with a soda and popcorn at the theater is now $12.50 per hour. Huffman gives us our monies worth.
This video set is amazing. Darryl makes it look so easy that you want to turn it off and go do it! I like that kind of inspiration. Since I had a vasectomy earlier in the day and can’t do much I did watch it cover to cover. That I don’t recommend. It’s like trying to eat a whole pan of homemade lasagna in one sitting. It’s just to rich to digest that much that fast. You probably want to watch 30 minutes a day over a two week span. Keep a notebook handy and take notes. Actually, it is amazing how he gives that much information to the viewer.
A big key to the success of this video is that he doesn’t just use one technique. Constantly he changes the technique showing you different ways to achieve the same results. Yet, he does it so subtly that you don’t really know that he’s doing it. This way you learn several techniques at once and can tailor your style to the skill you like best or that achieves the results you want.
Darryl builds an O-scale mini-saloon right before your eyes using simple instructions. You can build this structure in any scale, so don’t let the O-scale nature of the product stop you from watching. He just does it in O because it is easy to see. You can use this structure on almost any layout just by changing the name of the business.
I’ve been building models for 30 years and still I learned many new things in the hours that I watched. No two modelers build anything the same way and it is rare that you can sit and watch a top modeler build an entire model. If you pick up a Model Railroader Magazine all you’ll see are a couple of paragraphs of instructions and a few photos. Darryl builds the building right before our eyes! Does he edit out his mistakes? NO. He shows you that he makes them all the time and how to work around them, just like you and I need to do.
As with other Huffman videos I have the same few complaints. The lighting and video work could use a little help. Darryl also needs to hire some Vanna White stunt hands to do the work. Other than those few comments, the video is fantastic.
I’ve got to recommend this video set to anyone that wants to scratchbuild!
Packrat Paul, Coalfinger Ken and myself got up early Saturday morning and drove down to the Narrow Gauge Day Event at Callaway Gardens in Pine Mountain, GA. It was held at the Mountain Creek Inn where Ray Montgomery works. He's the host.
Here's Ray chatting with Larry about the upcoming scenery clinic. The room was spacious. Very spacious since most of the modular layout guys that said they were coming didn't show up. Turnout was poor, mostly due to the weather and the economy.
There were still a bunch of models on display.
Steve Austin from Jasper, GA brought a ton of very high quality models. His work is just off the chart. I love seeing his stuff!
Steve's loco and derrick combination is very unique!
Here are some more of Steve's On30 cars.
And still more of Steve's rolling stock. The saw filer's car is excellent!
Steve's log loader is spectacular. No photo can capture the detail.
Here's some Austin steam!
Tom English gave me a sidebar on how he built these great looking trucks out of a shiny plastic toy. Just amazing. Said it was his first attempt as he's an N-scaler. Welcome to On30, Tom!
The before and after version of Tom's car...
We were treated to several great clinics. One was on the Maine Two Footers which I enjoyed immensly. Another was on Scenery by Larry Smith, MMR. I played Vanna White.
The Bald One took some spirited pokes at Mayor Rick Perry, formally known as my cousin Rick. The good thing is that you can write anything you want about The Bald One...and he will never know it because he takes great pride in telling you he doesn't use computers.
Ray makes a great host. I loved the facility, although you have to bring your own coffee.
This is Master Model Railroader (and good friend) Larry Smith from Birmingham, AL. I took a great deal of time with him drooling over his fine HO sawmill. He is a top modeler and fun guy to hang around with.
Messrs. Rankin and Stinnette enjoyed a fine lunch at the nearby Pig pallace. The food is so good I grabbed a card.
After lunch we sat down at the weathering table with the notable Thomas A. Yorke, who is an expert model builder. For several hours we learned advanced techniques for weathering cars and painting structures. I'd love to publish his hand outs but they were copywrited. I learned a lot from him.
We also learned about the upcoming National Narrow Gauge Convention coming in 2011 to Hickory, NC. Nobody will miss that one!
This handy list was given to me today by Master Model Railroader Larry Smith of Alabama. This is great! Its a list of color mixes to get specific soil colors.
Soil Colors
Brown:
Raw umber, burnt umber and Vandyke brown
Rich Brown:
Burnt umber mixed with burnt sienna
Reddish Brown:
Burnt sienna and raw sienna
Reds:
Indian red, scarlet. Various shades can be obtained by mixing in orange and a bit of burnt sienna
Tan:
Heavy raw umber stain
Gray:
Thin raw umber stain. Also thin wash of lampblack
Rock & Stone Strata Colors
Gray Limestone:
Stain with very, very thin wash of lampblack first. Then tint with extra thin washes of ultramarine and burnt sienna.
Red Sandstone:
Indian red with burnt sienna. Sometimes burnt sienna alone will do the job.
Brown Sandstone:
Vandyke brown wash with small amount of orange added.
Yellow Sandstone:
Light chrome yellow with Vandyke brown.
Gray Granite:
Thin wash of lampblack first, followed with a tint of pale ultramarine blue.
Red Granite:
Claret red/maroon applied very strong
Shale:
Burnt sienna blended with Vandyke brown.
Basalt:
Dark gray stain made with Payne's gray streaked with heavy blue-black
When I was fifteen years old I worked for Piedmont Division’s Dave Muller in his hobby shop and spent most of my time painting locomotives and cars. His airbrush booth was small and lacked both ventilation and proper filtering. Being young and broke I had to build my dream airbrush booth out of materials I had around the house. What I build is still being used today and has seen over 1,000 trains pass through. Here’s how to build a cheap and indestructible airbrush cabinet.
The cabinet rests on a home-made 2 x 4 stand. You can also sit it on a table, or on saw horses. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to have a good cabinet. Click on photo to enlarge.
The benefits of this airbrush cabinet are many. First, it is very strong and can take a beating. Most of the galvanized metal cabinets will dent and bend, and the plastic cabinets warp and disintegrate. Secondly, this cabinet has both incandescent and fluorescent lighting fixtures so that you can paint your model to appear color-correct under the proper lighting. The third feature is the dual exhaust fans that allow you the proper blend of air current and filtration. Solvent based paints require more air current and fume removal, where as water-based paint pigments will move around in the heavy air currents. A forth reason to build your own is cost. You can build one for a fraction of the cost of a hobby shop model using parts that you can find around the house. The fifth and most important benefit is that you can build it to the size you need. Most over-the-counter spray booths are tiny and don’t give you enough room to work, especially with large models.
The opening in the front of the cabinet can be as tall and as wide as you want to make it. Think about what would be the largest object you would ever paint, and then add six inches to either side.
Construction of the cabinet consists of 2” x 2” and 1” x 4” board stock, some old barn siding plywood, and some ¼ inch hardwood and Masonite. Use what you have laying around. There is no need to make it pretty, just make it work! Using the diagram, correct the dimensions to your desired size. I cut my 2 x 2 stock to 29 inches and using the plywood outside, made a simple box. Using the hardboard, I made the internal box for the bottom and left and right sides. After ripping some 2 x 2’s to 1 x 2’s I made a simple frame to hold a 16” x 20” furnace filter. Try to use the same filters that you use in your house if you can so you don’t have to buy anything. Fix the frame so that the filter drops in from the top.
The glass sits on top of the wood and is sealed with caulk. All other openings are sealed with sheet foam to give the fans the best draw.
The filter drops in from the top, then is sealed with some old foam packing that I found. This keeps the air flow moving into the fans and keeps dangerous flammable fumes out of the lighting system. Using some 1x4’s I made a frame for the top that holds the sheet of ½ plywood to which is attached the lighting. Using the wiring diagram, mount the fixtures and run the wiring in between the outer wall and the inner painting chamber. Be sure to leave enough room between the lights and the paint chamber for the glass.
You can now cut out the front opening of the painting chamber, and even cut a space for a drawer and a removable electrical switch panel.
I chose to make my wiring panel removable from the front in case I wanted to modify it or if I spilled paint on the switches and they had to be replaced. The drawer was something I found in an old cabinet and the hole was cut to fit. Since it is very small it did not need runners or guides. It is just enough to hold my Aztec case and the extra bottles.
Here you can see the twin fan exhaust ports
Slip on the dryer vent hoses and you are ready to paint.
The twin fans are wired separately in order to control air flow. You can turn on either or both as you wish. IMPORTANT: make sure the fans are brushless AC fans. You don’t want an explosion while using flammable paints. Mine are 4 inch fans from an old computer case. I cut two circles out of the back of the box and mounted them there. Over the fan I put two galvanized metal heat duct reducers that I bought for a buck each at a hardware store. Using duct tape I sealed the connection. I found some used clothes dryer vent hose that I attach to the hoses on both ports when needed and drop them out a nearby window for external ventilation. They are not used for water-based paints, only solvents or when something is drying and I need air current to the outside. Don’t use too much hose as you don’t want the fumes to gather in the hose causing a hazard. Use just enough to get the vapors outside.
The last step is to mount a sheet of cut glass over the top of the paint chamber, just under the lights. I sealed the glass with caulk so that fumes would not creep into the electrical circuitry. After this you can use the caulk to seal all crevices in the paint chamber and around the filter housing. Your last step is to paint the inside paint chamber white so that it better reflects the light. The glass above can be cleaned with a cloth and solvent if necessary.
Feel free to customize your design as you wish. Just keep in mind that if you are using solvent paints that you don’t want any fumes in the electrical portion of the paint booth and you want to draw them away from your face as quickly as possible. My estimate is that you can build this unit for about $75 or less depending on what resources you already have. An old lamp is a good source for incandescent lights. Fluorescent fixtures are $9 each at discount stores. The switches that I used were from an old computer system and the wire was a broken extension cord. Replace the filter once a year and keep the glass in the paint chamber clean. Be safe and enjoy your new airbrush cabinet, as I have enjoyed mine for 23 years.
Ed Note: I wrote this back in 2000. I just happened to see this airbrush cabinet again a few months ago. I gave it to a friend when I built my new shop (and a bigger cabinet) and its still in use!
