Are you ready for Fall? We are!

   All that said, one reason for the extra effort is that, yes, this is a real prototype structure that is still standing and in use as a museum today! Once we get thing sorted out with the final kit, we'll be hoping to interest the museum in offering the kit as a revenue source to support the museum. Fingers crossed!

  The down side of the addition of the laser cut material now being included is that the cost to produce the kit is increasing. Yes, this means that the price will be increasing, but for those who have already Reserved their kit, no increase for you. And did you know that this structure and it's two loading docks rest of 24 brick and 9 concrete piers? That's a lot of footers!

  As you can see in the image at above right is the prototype rafter tails and Laser Cut Rafter Tails & Fascia that I have already stained Doctor Ben's Pacific Redwood #1088. I'm going to do the Pilot Model horizontal siding a very, very light Doctor Ben's Black Mahogany #1086 and some Doctor Ben's Antique White #1094 trim and Doctor Ben's Realistic  Oak #1081 shingles on the front wall. The corrugated metal for the roof will be Faded Boxcar Red #1069.

 Scale Model Masterpieces-Boxes & Blocks & Bricks--Oh My!
    A few years ago we purchase the California Freight & Details Co HO product line. And even with all the noise about bringing on board the Cal Freight N Scale Detailsbelieve it or not, we still have a number of the HO Scale Detail parts that we have yet to release.

  So, Here are four (4) newly released palleted sets: SMM5000-Palleted Boxes-Large w/Risers (2pcs); SMM5004-Palleted Boxes-Medium w/Risers (2pcs); SMM5010-Palleted Boxes-Small w/Risers (2pcs); & SMM5075-Palleted Cement Blocks-w/Risers (2pcs). Save 12% over purchasing all four individually! Item #SMM5003.

Doctor Ben's How-To #4: "Hot Glue Casting" Booklet Available!   
  A number of years ago I was browsing through my old Gazette magazines and I picked up the January/February 1982 issue where I found an interesting article. In this long-out-of print magazine, I found an article about casting detail parts. In that article Terry Metcalfe described how he cast parts by melting beads of a thermoplastic called “Makit and Bakit” beads in RTV molds using an ordinary kitchen oven. I decided that this process was definitely NOT going to work for me.
  As a former Mold Maker/Tool & Die maker, I am quite familiar with the plastic injection process which if you were not aware is how many of our daily plastic products are made. I tried Terry's technique several times in my plethora of RTV rubber molds and I just could not get them to come out as well as his article discussed. One day I happened to be using a hot glue gun in my hobby room and I had an epiphany. And the rest is history....

  It has been nearly 30 years since my "Hot Glue Casting" technique was published in the "Narrow Gauge & Short Line Gazette" magazine. Although this innovative process hasn't changed much over time, the availability and cost of Room Temperature Vulcanizing Silicone (RTV) as well as weathering and finishes has had some significant innovations. Now is as good a time as any to refresh this article with additional information and lots more color photos than was in the original publication.             (16pgs color & B/W) Read More ..