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davidone
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 Posted - 11/03/2009 : 16:17:04
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I'm building a tunnel and i'm using plaster cloth to use over the screen and wood support i used to make the tunnel bones. How do you keep the water off the track on the inside of the tunnel? I can cover the entrance and exit but how about the rest of the track? I need some ideas guys. Thanks for your help,
Dave
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Country: USA
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SkipFranandFun
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 16:31:19
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Straight or curved tunnel...how long?
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SKIP and FRAN of the SF&F Railroad |
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harrym
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 16:40:32
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Is it removable? I would never make a tunnel that couldn't be removed. As for you original question, cover the track with a strip of Saran Wrap and remove it when the tunnel is dry.
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davidone
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 19:48:38
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It's about 8 ft long that goes into a curve, I'm thinking about doing it in foam and having it removable as harry suggested.
Dave
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Country: USA
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mopacfan2007
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 20:43:14
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1: I would agree...never make a tunnel that long unless you have access. That being said, I would still build the scenery in place so that it looks "right" when not removed.
So here is what I would do: following the advice of N scaler Lynn St. Lawren I start by dipping PLAIN OLD NO PLASTER IN THEM paper towels into water and ringing them out until damp. Place these PLAIN paper towels over your web like you might with scenery cloth.
Wait for a day or so to let the towels dry - they will hold their shape unless you do something to deliberately mess then up. Now I would add a web of plaster cloth scenery material.
This method will not keep 100% of the water from dripping onto the tracks, but the water will not have any plaster init, so should evaporate on it's own and leave you with no "muss or fuss" to worry about.
One advantage to this system is that a bit of the plaster from the guaze will seep into the paper towels and thus add strength to the form when it all dries.
By the way: this method works well for any scenery where you want to avoid getting plaster mixed up. Just lay the damp paper towels straight over the track or whatever, follow the methods above but be sure to not put the plaster cloth over the tracks and then wait an additional 24 hours or so and you can cut away the paper towels at the roadbed's edge and have perfect scenery.
Hope this helps,
~Donovan
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Country: USA
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johned53
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Posted - 11/03/2009 : 21:23:30
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IMO, all tunnels need access. Cleaning is my main concern.
Access panels, removable whatever, needs to be designed in. It's even handier in case of derailments (which never happen on a nice gentle curved, long tunnel)
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davidone
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Posted - 11/04/2009 : 00:25:10
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Thanks for all the advice, i'll be using most of the tips i got here. This why i like these forums so much, somebody has the answers to even the things i really should know.
Dave
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Country: USA
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nkalanaga
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Posted - 11/04/2009 : 01:27:10
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If the plaster shell is made right, it will hold its shape. I'd cover the entire frame with plastic wrap, then apply the plaster gauze over that. Two reasons:
The framework won't add much strength to the plaster itself, because it won't be embedded in the plaster, even if it's left uncovered. It will supply support, but can do that whether the plaster touches it or not.
If you ever need to get into the tunnel through the plaster, it will be a lot easier to break the shell if it doesn't have wire and wood embedded in it. I had to go through a hill that was built to last forever: wire mesh, plaster soaked bed sheets, the works. It took two days to break through enough of the plaster to cut the wire with sidecutters. The wire kept the plaster from breaking, and the plaster kept me from cutting the wires, while the sheets kept me from simply pulling the plaster off.
Be safe. Keep the plaster and the screen separate!
To top it off, my tunnel is only four feet long, and open on the bottom. I could get to the track to clear derailments, but it shifted when the trailer was releveled, and I couldn't get in to replace it.
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N. Kalanaga
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Country: USA
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flagler
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Posted - 11/04/2009 : 11:42:20
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What is the Benchwork made of? Can you reach the roadbed from under the table? If so no brainer cover the track and plaster away
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Country: USA
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