More Foam at Home - Part 2

A thousand pardons for not posting some clever or insightful comment about 9/11.  To me it is a painful memory that I just don't want to re-hash right now.

Time to put the benchwork back together!

 With a slight pop of a hammer the legs go into place.  In order for my daughter to be able to help, I'll need to leave off the leg extensions.  This puts it at banquet table height, which is good for me as well because I can sit in a chair while I lay track.  Yes, I'm hand laying the track.

 Taylor opened up the C-clamps that I bought for attaching the modules.

 The first two are a bit tricky as I don't have a short leg to hold the first module up.  The wife had to come help.

 The four are test fit...a little short but ok.

 We were missing a few of the clamping pads so I glued them in position and then mounted the clamps.

 While it looks like a peaceful evening the photos don't show that we had very loud rock-n-roll music going on.  The wife caught us dancing.

 Here are some of the orange painted clamping pads that Taylor made about a year ago.

There!  Just right for Taylor and ready for some work.  We'll need to put in the rough elevations with foam sheets (the six sections we cut out) and start shaping it up for some track work.

More Foam at Home - Part 1

Taylor and I have big fun working on the railroad and after the Wasatch Division meeting today I felt I needed to have some fun playing with the layout.

 Taylor used the Module #4 as a template to draw out six foam sections on 1/2" foam stock sheets which are 4' x 8'.

 As Taylor draws them, Scott cuts them out with a hot knife.

 One by one we get them done.

 Daddy shows the daughter how to move slow and steady.  Taylor cut several of the semi-circles on her own while being carefully supervised.  She is quite good at it but tires easily.

 Here are some of the semi circles.  After we cut out several we realized that this foam, unlike the other foam I'd used, has a sheet of plastic film on both sides.  We had to stop and pull the plastic off each section.

Scott uses one of the foam sections as a pattern, which is easier to handle than the module section.

 Cutting foam with a hot knife is slow work.  One of the things I'm learning about building a layout with a lot of curves is that it takes significantly longer to do than a square layout.  Everything also has to be much more precise and if you miss a cut, you throw the piece away.

 Taylor thought it was funny that my feet were sticking out while I was cutting.

The basement is nice and cool tonight and we have the fan going.  We produce six sections.

Working on the Dixie Central Again!

Finally!  My daughter Taylor and I attacked the layout with a vengeance today!  While this is for my MMR Certificates, I don't think the judges will mind if I get a little help from a six year old.  Frankly, they should give me more points!

 I swore I'd never buy a mini-van.  Never swear or you will get punished.  Now I own a mini-van.  There is one good thing about it though.  You can put a 4x8 foot sheet of foam in it!

 The 2" foam just barely fit, but I did bring it home with my knees crammed under the dashboard.

 I've got one sheet of extruded 2" and three sheets of the 3/4" purple foam.

 My daughter helped me prep the room by putting all the C-clamps away.  I use them to hold the sections together.

 Here are the four sections laying in the basement floor.

 

 We laid the 2" foam on the floor, placed a section of the layout on top and Taylor took a Sharpee marker and drew the profile on the foam.

 She is being very careful and precise, unlike her father.

 We drew the profiles of two of the modules for their base 2" of foam.

 I first cut the inner circle with a serrated edge knife.  That hurt my wrist (which has been broken several times) so I switched to an Avalon hot knife.

 Taylor and I both cut on the foam to remove the extra.  Notice the broken edge on the bottom.  It didn't quite break as I thought it would.

 To glue the foam to the sectional benchwork I used Loctite's PL 300 adhesive for foam.  Last time I used Liquid Nails for Projects and the stuff is too firm and doesn't adhere well.
 

 This is before I broke off the outer cut.

 To bring my work up to my level I use a small card table.  

 Taylor has the camera now and is doing an amazing job for six years old.  She shot the rest of the pix.  Here I'm preparing to glue the foam to the section #2.

First, we test fit the foam just to make sure it fits.  I cut these upside down, so I wanted to make sure the were a match when turned over.

 I used a caulk gun to spread a bead of adhesive on each rib making sure I got close to the front and back radiuses.  Radii?  Radius's?  Curves.

 The caulk gun makes quick work of the adhesive and the PL300 applies MUCH better than the Liquid Nails.

 I carefully place the foam and push down all around.

 Ok, somebody used up all the camera memory taking silly pictures.

 The piece I broke off will be glued in place and held tight with toothpicks for 48 hours.

 I turned the section upside down on the floor and placed a heavier section on top of it to compress the glue joints.  We'll leave it for 48 hours. 

 The next section is now on the operating table...

 More glue...still on the first cartridge.

 Careful placement and compression...

 Removing the card table.

And the other section is turned upside down and weighted. 

What fun!  Taylor and I have a great time together building the layout.  I had no idea she could take good pictures without any real training.  We'll have to get her a better camera and take some classes.  I love it when I don't have to take the pix.

Sardine Can

My workshop now feels like a sardine can.  I can barely move...and it is a mess again.  But for the sake of getting my MMR and having some model train fun, I press on.

 The main computer system is now working, but not connect to the network.  Marie (IT Wiz) is working with me to move the routers and the cable modem into the workshop so that they aren't in the way of the layout.  In the mean time I'm putting things away in the desk.

 Well, there is no where else to put the shelf unit, so we keep it in the very cramped workshop.  I put it in an "L" shape to the steel shelf.  It takes up some floor space, but no one is ever in here but Taylor and me, so it will do for now.  Taylor helped move all the tubs back into the shelf unit.  I have too much Q#$!#$.

 There!  Computer is done.  We took the scanner though and moved it upstairs because our printer needs to be attached directly to the router.  I put up my Georgia Northeastern lighted sign and the rest of the crap and now have a nice desk.

 My shop (again!) is a disaster.  I have DVD's and tools laying everywhere.  Will have to clean up soon.

 The router found a new home as did the color laser printer.  So much for desk space.

 Even my models under construction lost space to the cable modem, now high up on the shelf.  I also lost TV connection temporarily because the modem has to connect directly to the cable line, so we'll fix that later.

 Marie has moved all her computer stuff to the tables so I'll start taking this desk apart as well.  We'll move it to the back corner of the playroom upstairs where Marie can work and be closer to the children.

 I hate !@#$!@#$ pressboard!  But you can't beat the price.  Just never move it.

 There!  All the desks are gone.  I'll keep the file cabinet for a while so that Marie can empty it later.

 Lots of open space now, but still some things to move.  The cabinets need to be cleaned as well.

We'll steam clean the carpet and clean up the cabinets and shelves, then we'll call the electrician to come put in the special work lighting so that I can see.

Making progress!