Hello,

we all grew older and our senses now may be not as they were in our youth. To compensate this we have take measures in respect of this. Me too, my eyes became less effective in relation to as they were in previous years. This is a sneaking process and you have to accept it. In short; there a two main things:
1) The ability to focus the eye onto objects near by became more difficulty.
2) The need fo more light.

Here i will show and dicuss the measures i have taken. And i invite you to participate and show us what you have done to keep the hobby enjoyable. Not the medical aspect is here in the focus, but the technical devices like lamps and magnifying glasses you. Tell us about of your devices and about your experiences with them and if they suit or are not so good.



At first i started with the classic handheld magnifier glass. Yes it does what it is intended for. But you are then one-handed because you have to use one hand to keep the glass. My experience; this is benefical when you want to check or examine something. But working on the object is not really possible becaus one-handed. You need something which holds the magnifier.
This was the next step for me to purchase this, so called, soldering aid. A magnifier onto a flexible shaft which can be bend to bring a work piece into focus. Additional there a two crocodile style claws for fixing work pieces. And additional there are also two bright LEDs in the frame of the magnifier glass, powered by 3 AAA batteries in the pedestal.
My conclusions about it is, that the magnifier glass is too small in diameter to enable sterocopic vision of a workpiece. And in my opinion is stereoskopic vision a basic requirement to work on tiny pieces.
But i found other application for this devive:
- As mobile independent lamp were you need light instandly.
- For reading tiny printed numbers on model railroad cars; some modern flat cars have such tiny print. The LEDs light will help a lot in dark corners.
- Quick disposabiltiy, e.g. when you want to remove a scale of wood with a tweezers.
- This became a faithful travel companion when i went as exhibitor to shows and conventions.


Lutz

This Kiski Junction RR boxcar arrived from the Wilderson Division in Ohio.  A thank you to Charlie for his generous gift.  

Bruce

   

   

would anyone have an extra one of thease its from a 1970 PA , if you do PM me a price.

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Recently I have had time to make some of my own decals and the results have reached both ends of the spectrum. For the past 3 or 4 days I have been designing the decals I need for some custom lettered cars and I have had good results in the end. 

The first step is measuring the model so the decals are the right size. Often these are really small. I have found that 300 DPI returns the best results. Smaller gets pixels and larger causes ink runs. I use photoshop Elements 20 and the sizes are easy to match. 

I have found that the white decal paper is better for the colors but then you have to match the background. By doing a test print I realized the background colors need to be darkened to get a better match on the cars you are decaling. 

I hve had some ink run no matter what I do and it doesn't show until the paper is coated with clear coat. I apply the clear with an air brush and thin it with lacquer thinner 50/50, applying the first coat dry and allowing it to set for a few minutes, then 2 more coats just slightly heaver with drying time between coats. Let this dry at least 24 hours.  

When I did the final print of today's project I went a step farther and borrowed my wife's hair dryer and warmed up the printer and the paper and set it on low and kept the low heat on while the print ws coming out. I am hoping the ink will nor run at all with the warmer paper and printer. This is what I hope to have when everything is dry.     

I will continue when the ink is dry. 
Charlie

This is the start of another wooden puzzles. It's larger than the rest that I've done, but it's playable after it's finished, if assembled right that is. There's close to 500 pieces and the instruction manual is 58 pages, with the last 6 on how to play the game. I will not post every step, but I'll take a photo or two as I go along. Right now, this is what I'm attempting to build, and this is what was in the package, a stack of laser-cut plywood parts, a bunch of plastic parts, 26 bags of small mechanical and electric parts, an electronic control unit and some tools and tape. What's missing, a 5V-2A power supply, but I just happen to have one so that's not an issue.

I found several of these on the Internet that folks have painted and just looking at the parts, I figure 20-30 hours of assembly, add about another 100 hours if I were going to paint this sucker properly. I think I'll pass on paint for now since I'd have to paint it as I went and not after it was assembled.


   
   

WPMA-40 along Division Street.

Bruce

   

Not space for trains space is in outer space. I'm visiting my step-mom in central Fla. She lives within a few miles of the cape. We can stand out in her yard and watch the rockets take off. Just watched Musk's latest venture take flight. Always amazes me to see those boosters come back down and land back on the launch pad.

This will be the fourth wooden puzzle that I've put together. It is a 1980's style sleeper cab at 1:40 scale. There were 287 pieces, about the same as the 1910's era car, and physically just a bit smaller when finished.

Rather than post progress photos as I went along, I'll just post a few that I took from start to finish, since it is completed at this point. The only mods I made to this model was to add clear plastic to the glass openings. One of these days I might go back and detail the interior a bit, I think a wooden pillow and mattress might be a bit much to sleep on, as are those wooden seats uncomfortable for a long haul.

This is the intent on what it's supposed to look like when finished:
   

Steps 1 & 2 completed the chassis
   

Steps 3 & 4 added the cab
   
   

Step 5 added the sleeper
   
   

Step 6 the engine compartment and exhaust pipes added
   

I had to dump my 4x8 7 years ago when the kids were born.  I incorporated part of it as a shelf layout in my workshop, but that didn't work well.  Eventually I built a 3x4 foot HOn3 micro layout and have been working on detailing it.  Here are two photos from the layout, plus an HOn3 2-8-2 I have been building off-an-on from mostly junk box parts the past 7 or so years, and a 3-d printed shell gas station that I designed.

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My son sent me some photos of my old layout that him and his brother are remodeling. It is in a basement room that is 17x28 feet. We sold the house to him when we retired and found our place out of town. 
       
Charlie