I've been busy at the studio, I just keep forgetting to bring my camera. So, I finally remembered and after some battery charging time I was able to take some pictures of one of my projects.
Train tracks.
I grabbed some O scale tracks at a model train store (also got a ton from my Dad) and started working on making them a little more realistic.
Start by removing the center rail. Use a small regular screwdriver and pry the little tabs open. Remove the middle support section and keep it with the middle track section so you can combine them and make more tracks.
Next, I glued some wooden coffee stirrers (free) together to get the desired thickness of the rail road ties. I painted them a dark brown and glued them to the tracks. I used E-6000 which worked great (though it does get kinda stringy).
I bought some balsa wood planks Michaels and cut them to match the length of the tracks. Then penciled in some marks to help keep them lined up.
I then hand painted the balsa wood brown. You could probably use spray paint here to save some time. Make sure you get both sides to keep it from warping. The next step is adding the "dirt".
Side note:
I stumbled upon this idea while working on another project. I was cutting some masonite/hardboard, or whatever it's called (it's the stuff used to make clipboards), into circles to use as bases and noticed the remaining sawdust looked a LOT like dirt. So I scooped it up into a jar and saved it.
Anyway, thin out some Elmer's glue with water and coat the top of the board. sprinkle some of the masonite "dust" over it and let it dry.
When dry, glue the tracks to the board with the E-6000.
Then use the Elmer's mix to put down the little stones. I gathered the stones from the beach on Lake Michigan (free). Cover most but not all of the surface. You want room for the dirt to show through. Plus you want space to apply some grass and bushes and such.
I found two things at a thrift store that help make these boards look a little better. The first is a weird fake plant that has a bunch of tiny stalks with leaves on it ($1.00). I don't know what it is or where to find another, but I will be sad when it's all used up. The other was a Barbie hair styling head thingy ($1.00). Cut off little clumps and glue to the boards for grass clusters.
Here's a full shot of a straight section of track.
And another shot of it connected to a curved section.
Now that I'm done with a bunch of them, I kind of wish I had removed the metal pieces near the end. They will help make the sections stronger, but I think they would look nicer if they were all wood ties.
Train tracks.
Start by removing the center rail. Use a small regular screwdriver and pry the little tabs open. Remove the middle support section and keep it with the middle track section so you can combine them and make more tracks.
Next, I glued some wooden coffee stirrers (free) together to get the desired thickness of the rail road ties. I painted them a dark brown and glued them to the tracks. I used E-6000 which worked great (though it does get kinda stringy).
Side note:
I stumbled upon this idea while working on another project. I was cutting some masonite/hardboard, or whatever it's called (it's the stuff used to make clipboards), into circles to use as bases and noticed the remaining sawdust looked a LOT like dirt. So I scooped it up into a jar and saved it.
Anyway, thin out some Elmer's glue with water and coat the top of the board. sprinkle some of the masonite "dust" over it and let it dry.
When dry, glue the tracks to the board with the E-6000.
Then use the Elmer's mix to put down the little stones. I gathered the stones from the beach on Lake Michigan (free). Cover most but not all of the surface. You want room for the dirt to show through. Plus you want space to apply some grass and bushes and such.
I found two things at a thrift store that help make these boards look a little better. The first is a weird fake plant that has a bunch of tiny stalks with leaves on it ($1.00). I don't know what it is or where to find another, but I will be sad when it's all used up. The other was a Barbie hair styling head thingy ($1.00). Cut off little clumps and glue to the boards for grass clusters.
Here's a full shot of a straight section of track.
And another shot of it connected to a curved section.
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