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Post by Admin on Nov 30, 2014 12:12:09 GMT -5
Good bit of troubleshooting there. Things like this can be a little maddening but as you've shown, methodical testing of components usually helps you get to the bottom of problems!
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Post by Admin on Oct 29, 2014 2:01:27 GMT -5
Mark, The Rokuhan turntables haven't been released yet, though some dealers are doing pre-orders. They do look good but we'll all have to wait until they are actually in hand. John Raildig
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Post by Admin on Oct 10, 2014 2:25:07 GMT -5
I tend to use the Paasche H airbrush quite a bit, it's a basic workhorse but can yield very good results. When I began airbrushing I figured my process would be to lay down basic coats of paint, then weather or add accent colors, etc. Very rudimentary stuff. In essence I suppose, I liked the idea of aerosol cans that I could control more than I could control aerosol cans The Paasche H is a single action, well built and reasonably priced brush. Cleanup is fast and the brush is pretty forgiving. Double action brushes of course allow for greater control. Here are a few kits I've painted with the Paasche H. These were all painted using $1 acrylic craft paints, thinned with windshield wiper fluid to a milky-consistency and strained through a stocking to ensure no craft paint lumps to clog the brush needle: www.raildig.com/z-scale-basics/waterfront-project-building-wrap-up/Lots of good airbrush choices out there, this setup works pretty well for me. John Raildig.com
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Post by Admin on Sept 23, 2014 14:48:56 GMT -5
Mark, I've used dry, and liquid, Teflon in the past and though it may work for the larger scales, I'm definitely not a proponent of it in Z scale. In my experience once dry Teflon meets oil of any kind, it becomes an unpleasant sludge mixture that will cause far more problems than it solves. At least until your AC12 is well broken in, and this could be months, seriously, I wouldn't apply oil at all to the side rods. Just run it and run it at moderate speeds for the time being. Down the road a bit I'd suggest a needle-tip of Labelle 108 oil. Not the needle applicator that comes on the Labelle bottle but literally a sewing needle tip, dipped in the 108 and lightly touched on the moving parts of the side rods. I know it sounds like a cliche, but when it comes to oil, less is generally the right amount! John Raildig
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Post by Admin on Aug 27, 2014 1:50:22 GMT -5
Nice, I just looked at a couple of videos on the Krome (yeah, too much Google for me) and it looks like a great airbrush. Look forward to your progress!
John Raildig
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Post by Admin on Aug 27, 2014 0:06:11 GMT -5
What airbrush and paints are you using? I always like to hear (and see) what others are using in Z.
John Raildig.com
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Post by Admin on Aug 25, 2014 20:16:47 GMT -5
You could also contact Andy over at Z-Panzer directly and offer suggestions for products. I've no idea his schedule but his work is so good... it's worth a shot. Here's a short piece I did on Z-Panzer awhile back: www.raildig.com/blog/z-panzer-k5-railgun/John Raildig.com
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Post by Admin on Aug 12, 2014 14:28:59 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Aug 3, 2014 15:00:11 GMT -5
Uh-oh, careful guys as this sort of behavior can lead to all sorts of hyper-critical observations I went through (ok, still going through it) a period where all my scenery got examined under macro lenses. Once you begin, it's a tough habit to break. I've made myself nuts over airbrush dot size, static grass height and transitions from soil to ballast. As a diagnostic tool though, these shots are invaluable. Not to nit pick (they always say that, then...), but I think the 5th rivet in from the right on the lower panel is slightly misshapen. Maybe we could look in to resolving this John Raildig.com
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Post by Admin on Jul 20, 2014 12:32:12 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jul 19, 2014 12:16:05 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jul 18, 2014 13:00:26 GMT -5
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Post by Admin on Jul 15, 2014 14:00:34 GMT -5
Thank you John. But FT recommands a small 35W iron for Z, and even with this, soldering is a quick process for me. Oddly what is rather long for me is cutting the PCB ties at a fair lenght and filing a notch into them in order to create an electrical gap...
Dom
Dom,
Have you tried their PCB cutting jig?
I find it's nice to have all the ties pre-cut using this as it does save some time.
John
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Post by Admin on Jul 14, 2014 23:32:41 GMT -5
Dom,
Although an expense, I've found that a 100W resistance soldering unit with the tweezer handpiece both speeds up the process and results in cleaner rail-to-tie joints.
John
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Post by Admin on Jul 9, 2014 13:53:17 GMT -5
The best combination I've found is the same already mentioned, Fast Tracks and MTL flex. Also as mentioned Fast Tracks turnouts require a bit of effort compared to RTR, but the results are amazing. I remember the first time I pushed a light boxcar through the first Fast Tracks turnout I built... actually laughed out loud as it was so smooth you'd be hard pressed to tell it had just gone through a turnout at all.
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