Returning to work

I've been quite busy over the past month with defending my MS thesis. I've reached the land of 10,000 corrections...having passed the defense. Therefore, I haven't gotten around to posting. I've done a few things here and there:

-patterns for the sides of an Oahu Railway coach
-experimenting with painting techniques for simulating unpainted wood (using $0.50 acrylics)
-researching South Park passenger cars
-researching the Oahu Railway freight roster

My big project the today was finishing up the mold for, and casting my first, resin roof. I've not bothered to start any of the other roofs, for if there are any lessons I need to incorporate into them...it is best to learn them before starting.

The next two roofs are for the OR&L clerestory roofed cars and the 40'6" Barney & Smith roof for coaches #3 & #5, as well as the cars that served on the Carson & Colorado, SPng, Nevada County Narrow Gauge, as well as another road in Pennsylvania. It is important to note that while coaches #3 & #5 both made it onto the C&S roster, they were extensively rebuilt and so the 1920's version of the C&S cars would require a special roof.

In my experience, the first casting reveals any problems that I have with either a) the mold or b) my technique. Accordingly, I didn't wait long enough for it to harden since I wanted to see if it worked (this caused it to be warped). I adjusted my technique and another has been hardening for an hour.



Comparison shots with the master:





That roof will probably be used as part of a wreck or abandoned car scene.