Garden Railway Forum

-steves- wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 9:11 am
That also uses a flickering LED as I suggested.

True, just an alternative way of getting the same thing that might be easier to find at a local shop. I got my tealights at the local Ace for 50¢ each and they're also at places like Hobby Lobby and Family Dollar (especially around Halloween). Besides that, they come with batteries, switch, and any necessary circuitry, so you can just stick one in a coach or brake van for an instant lamp!

drewzero1 wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 12:59 pm

-steves- wrote: Mon Jan 29, 2024 9:11 am
That also uses a flickering LED as I suggested.

True, just an alternative way of getting the same thing that might be easier to find at a local shop. I got my tealights at the local Ace for 50¢ each and they're also at places like Hobby Lobby and Family Dollar (especially around Halloween). Besides that, they come with batteries, switch, and any necessary circuitry, so you can just stick one in a coach or brake van for an instant lamp!

Very true, ideal for a coach etc. My suggestion was based only on the LED direct in fireboxes, wired to the on/off switch with an appropriate resistor, thereby negating the need for an extra switch and power supply or battery replacement. Horses for courses as always

Because it's a multiple color LED you can have fun with it...Blue fire anyone? And of course magenta, cyan and white...

The blue flame looks like you're burning natural gas, and the green might be copper sulfate... If you connect all the anodes together you're burning magnesium!

It's been a long time, but I finally came back to this. This was my first time weathering anything. I just used acrylic paint. The inside of the chimney and firebox are painted black. I used the painty water to age the wood. If you have any ideas to make it look better I'd like to hear them. Obviously, the copper wire can't stay all shiny, so I'll need a way to weather that.

Now, I just need to build...... everything else.

Speaking as one can't do weathering for toffee, I'd say that is pretty good for a first attempt, well done, Miles.
As for the copper, it will eventually naturally darken to a brownish colour, but be very careful not to get it wet and end up with greenish blue verdigris, which you do not want.

philipy wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 6:38 pm As for the copper, it will eventually naturally darken to a brownish colour, but be very careful not to get it wet and end up with greenish blue verdigris, which you do not want.

Maybe so, but I sorta doubt that whether it's been sitting in a drawer forever has much of an effect on that eventuality, and I'd like to wait less than forever.

dudeface wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 9:48 pm

philipy wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 6:38 pm As for the copper, it will eventually naturally darken to a brownish colour, but be very careful not to get it wet and end up with greenish blue verdigris, which you do not want.

Maybe so, but I sorta doubt that whether it's been sitting in a drawer forever has much of an effect on that eventuality, and I'd like to wait less than forever.

Sit it outside on a verandah or porch allow it to be exposed to the elements (air, humidity, temperature but not rain) and it will age fairly quickly.
Putting it in a draw protects if from the air and humidity which does the work.

GAP wrote: Thu Sep 26, 2024 9:58 pm
Sit it outside on a verandah or porch allow it to be exposed to the elements (air, humidity, temperature but not rain) and it will age fairly quickly.
Putting it in a draw protects if from the air and humidity which does the work.

Thanks, I'd leave it in the loco shed but there isn't one...

Messing around with some parts. The wheelsets came from a Lionel bogie. The boiler sat outside in the screen porch for about a month and then experienced steam from several hot showers in the bathroom, and the bands are still shinier than heck, you'll have to take my word for it because the old 2013 Microsoft Surface doesn't take the greatest pictures, especially in a dark room...

You could dull your the shiny bands by leaving them out in the rain/snow for a few months. I'm sure there are other ways using household ingredients too..

You could try this, just use a small bit of the egg and have the rest on toast for a snack.
https://www.wikihow.com/Darken-Copper