I need your help

Greetings all you intrepid paper lovers.  We have mentioned recently that we want to do some Chama buildings and also some mine tipples.  We have been working on them, but things do take time.  I need your help with my current task.  One of the things that we have to be able to do for either of these projects is to be able to produce timber trestle bents and cribbing in various sizes.  (The buildings themselves are the easy part.  It’s the support pieces that really mess up a schedule.)  I would really appreciate it is you all would look at the three pictures and let me know your opinions.  Does this look enough like wood or do I have to make some revisions.  One interesting thing about this bent is that the material to make it costs about 75¢, but the NBW cstings (Grandt) are like $5.00.  And they are only on one side.  (NO!, I can’t make paper NBW’s)  So please let me know what you think.  Everything is straight so don’t pick on that.  I was just so close the image started to distort.

Thanks for your help.

Update on Saturday, November 19, 2011 at 9:55PM by Dave

Thanks everyone, so far for your comments.  Yes!, of course the NBW need rusting.  I am only concerned with the wood.  Yes, there will be a couple a three different colors, probably.  (Who knows, maybe more.)  This particular pattern is supposed to be fairly new looking.  And I do have examples of new, fairly light colored timbers.

Dave (Even though it says Thom Above. Sometimes, software just has a mind of its own and won’t do what you tell it to.)

Comments

[Gael]

Dave, Yes, they look like wood! I like 'em. But, the NBW's need to be rusted!!!! That's a rule, you gotta' rust NBW's, especially on mine buildings. If you want to build a brand spanking new building, then don't rust the NBW's, but that's hard to imagine. I personally don't have a problem using the plastic NBW's on a "paper" model. I like the Grandt plastic NBW's, they add that extra little fine detail. There are a few things we have to compromise on when building paper models, as paper can't be easily modeled into some things. So we have to cheat a little. Nice, I like 'em. Gael

[Bill]

I like the overall look. It looks like a bent. I agree with Gael, the NBW's need to be rusty and I agree with him that I don't have a problem usings mediums other than paper in building a paper based structure. It is the overall result that counts. I do think the color is too light. It looks like newly cut wood timbers. Most timber supports were creosoted and would show as a very dark brown. The longer they were in service, the darker they became as smoke and oil leached into them. Eventually, some streaks of gray would appear as the creosote began to dry. Drive around and look at telephone and power poles. The new ones will be a rich even brown. As they age and weather they become darker and eventually get the gray streaks.

[John Humes]

Both Gael and Bill have some really good thoughts. As for me I pretty much like what you have. If I want the bents darker, well, some thined Inia ink will do the job.

I once tried to make bents from card stock. Never again. Too much trouble.

John

[mel perry]

looks damn good, like the real thing,, instead of trying to make seperate nbw's, why don't you try and include them in the pattern?

[Dave Miecznikowski]

Hi everyone. Mel's comment got me thinking that it's about time I give you more insight into where we may be going with some of the kits that will be coming out soon. (I hope.) The way I am making the timbers is a departure from typical construction. I am planning to do a video showing how I do it. Rather than having specific timbers that go only in one place, I'm pretty well convinced that showing you a way to make timbers of any cross-section and length is the way to go. I'm not going to get into it just yet, but soon.

It's kind of the same thing with Tipples. There are so many possibilities, rather than just making a kit for the configuration that I like, we will be providing the methods and materials for the modeler to do any configuration that they want. We will be doing some typical buildings and conveyors, etc., but I think it is also important that YOU be able to create YOUR perfect dream.

Now something like the Chama Coaling Tower, is cut and dried. There is only one correct layout so specific timbers will work there, but there are many more instances when you may want to have the tools to be creative.

Like we've said from the very beginning. I don't necessarily want you to build the kits we make MY way. I want them to be YOURS.

[Jim Gore]

I think those bents look terrific. Rusting the NBW's is easy. I look forward to the Chama tower. Of course, those bents should be a much darker creosote-type color, but I agree that a selection of colors would be great.

Jim

[marc witten]

Hi Dave,i think everyone has commented on much about all you need,ie rusted NBW's staining the wood to make it darker to look like creosoted timber,but i think they look really great,Mel's comments about putting the position on the paper is great,but you can go one stage futher,include the washers as a separate part too bolt can be represented by a pin,or plastic rod,then painted,but apart from that they are really great,I presume you are doing differant shapes or will that be upto the builder,personally i like them,and it opens up a lot of posibilities,and i can't wait,all the best Marc.

[Dave Miecznikowski]

Hi Marc. I don't want to let the cat too far out of the bag, so just let me say that there are a variety of projects in progress that will require some form of timber structure. Chama and coal tipples have already been mentioned. I'll give you one more. Don't recall if you have the Steel DVD or not, but on it is a nice riveted deck girder bridge. It looks even better with round timber bents under it. On an expansion of our O scale display layout there will be a 3 section version of that bridge and it might just end up supported on wood.

[marc witten]

Hi Dave,hey thats sounds great cant wait,and the steel DVD no i havent got it yet,next purchase apart from new one your doing,thanks for the heads up,Marc,got to say i think your works great by the way.

[reklein]

While the shape and grain are fine, I too would like to see a more grayish look to these. However,different woods weather to different colors. Pine and spruce usually to gray,Cedar to a shaded umber and sienna. Fir I believe also to gray. Adding creosote changes the whole game with the new timbers dark brown fading to gray as they age. I like this work and am trying to decide which DVD to buy. I need some industrial baackdrop buildings on my layout. BILL in Idaho

[Dave]

Bill, We are going to offer a range of colors. Dave specifically wanted to do a new wood look. we will offer a heavy creosote, a pressure treated, a silver gray etc.