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Saturday, November 19, 2022

A bit philosophical!

Nearly two and a half years ago I had a detached retina in one of my eyes. To cut a long story short it happened out of the blue but I did something that most men, including me, usually don't do until it is too late which was to actually seek medical help. I think I realised something serious was wrong and the fright of possibly loosing sight in one eye made me seek that medical attention. Despite the pandemic at the time, I was diagnosed on a Tuesday afternoon and undergoing surgery on the Friday morning. The surgeon was highly skilled and the rest of the team brilliant and my sight was saved. Since then I have had to go for regular checkups at the hospital. Today I went back for another checkup and was finally signed off by the surgeon who was happy that all is well. That is great and I am really pleased. 

The whole saga has brought into my focus (no pun intended) the fact that most of us take sight for granted. Having gone through the possibility of loosing sight in one eye I now have a keen interest in news and organisations related to sight loss and the work that they do. I probably have a greater empathy then I ever did before with those who have lost their sight and have to live a life in darkness. I think with some of the other things I have gone through during the past few years I have learnt to live life positively and make the most of each day. You never know what tomorrow may bring. 

That's the philosophical bit over with so how are things going on my valley landscaping? Well slowly and almost a repeat of yesterday and probably some other days last week. More plaster work to cover the polystyrene formers to the landscape but I have probably finished that now.

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

It may be boring work at the moment but I am being philosophical about it and at least I can see to do it! More of the standard Woody mayhem will return tomorrow!

Friday, November 18, 2022

Woody goes to a gig!

I got a phone call at 4.30pm yesterday from an old friend, Dangerous Dave. Now that 'Dangerous' doesn't mean that he is an unsavory character just that he does some dangerous things! Best illustrated by the fact that when he wired a new light fitting into his and Mrs. Dave's bedroom he managed to wire it so that when switched on it also switched the light on in the next bedroom. No one could work out how he managed it - not even the qualified electrician called in to sort it out! Anyway Dave had an offer that apparently I could not refuse! I thought what does he need sorting out after his latest 'gone wrong' project? However he had a spare ticket to see a Thin Lizzy tribute band and would pick me up at 6.30pm. I had nothing else on and Mrs. Woody had a whole series of some murder crime mystery to catch up on so I said yes please! I am glad I did. The band was Limehouse Lizzy and they were incredible musicians as well as recreating very faithfully the music of Thin Lizzy which was part of my misspent youth! Both Dave and myself have played in bands during our times but neither of us are any where near the professionalism of these guys. The singer was a great front man and had the audience fully behind the band within seconds of coming on. 

Limehouse Lizzy

Limehouse Lizzy

I walked out slightly hard of hearing but I would certainly go and see them again. If you like Thin Lizzy this is the band to see.

Back at WMD HQ I decided it was time to clean my car both inside and out - it needed it! Whilst the bucket and sponge were out I also thought it might be an idea to clean my bike. Normally I prefer to spend my time riding the bike rather than cleaning it. Some cyclists I know spend hours polishing and cleaning their bikes only to see it smothered in dirt on their next ride! However I am sure me being slower these days is down to the weight of all that dirt! At least that is what I tell myself!  The photo doesn't do the build up of muck and dirt justice but it was bad.

Cycling

Some water and sponge work together with an old toothbrush (and Mrs. Woody thought that those old tooth brushes were thrown out!) to get into the nooks and crannies and it was looking better and weighing less! 

Cycling

 Back in the Man Cave a bit more work on the dropped baseboard section of my 00 gauge layout. Today the road and canal sections were put in which means that I can get on with finishing the landscaping. I must admit that this part of the project is dragging on for me but I do need to see it through!

The road and canal sections were cut from a sheet of foam card and hot glued into place.

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

I was wise enough to test that the road and canal actually would be capable of taking 4mm scale road vehicles and narrow boats without them crashing into the viaduct. The bus, car and narrow boat were borrowed from my 009 narrow gauge layout just to test things although they do look rather good in this new location. I was also wise enough to ensure that the road level is above the canal level! Working smarter not harder as I get older!

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

Well I am still a little hard of hearing so I have a good excuse for not hearing Mrs. W if she has any jobs that need doing! 

Thursday, November 17, 2022

The bread knife comes out again!

The bread knife found itself being secretly transported back to my Man Cave for another session of polystyrene carving. I am sure that knife must be confused about where it lives and what it should be doing but luckily it can't talk to Mrs. Woody. 

Following my time for reflection a couple of days ago which resulted in the decision to move the viaducts closer to the baseboard edge, the previously formed landscape found itself subject to forces that nature would have taken millennia to achieve - who says I can't be fast when I want to be!

My Last Great Project

It looks a mess and it was a mess! Good job I can hide that all away in my Man Cave. Following some precision cutting, well more like hacking, parts were removed from one side and glue back on the other side. To my amazement I even managed to glue the parts on the right side! Result! Before anyone could look in too much detail I covered most of it in another coat of plaster.

My Last Great Project

Hopefully this dries fairly quickly and even more hopefully the bread knife goes back to its rightful home where it can resume its role in life of slicing bread rolls! 

Wednesday, November 16, 2022

Be prepared!

I was a Scout in my early years so that motto of Be Prepared does actually bring back memories mainly of not being prepared! However you live and learn as the saying goes which is what I try to do to stay one step ahead of Mrs. Woody! Doesn't work very well though as she still manages to be two steps ahead of me most of the time. 

Being prepared today I had my phone ready to take this photo of a stunning rainbow which formed whilst I was out on my bike ride this morning. 

Rainbow

Not much time for model making today but in my Be Prepared mode I have ordered some materials which arrived today for my Last Great Project so that I have them in stock ready for when the time comes. 

I have some ballast, point motor wiring, a CPU (Capacitor Discharge Unit) and some toggle switches to switch the points once I build a control panel. Of course with my speed of progress there is more chance of finding the end of the rainbow then getting these items used by Christmas I have to be prepared that these items are likely to have gained a good coating of dust before being used but as I am always prepared I do have a duster in my Man Cave! Just don't tell Mrs. W!

My Last Great Project,


Tuesday, November 15, 2022

Time to reflect.

Ever since last night when I had finished the plastering of the valley sides I had a thought in the back of my mind that I had missed something. As Mrs. Woody was off today as well we had a day out where I had time to reflect on that thought. 

It was a wet and misty day so much so that the top of this TV transmitter mast was invisible in the low lying cloud. A bit like my mind at that time!


Waltham TV mast

We eventually ended up at another garden center attached to a gift shop! Almost Ground Hog day after yesterday. My eye was however caught by a couple of things. This old child's Raleigh tricycle was just parked in the garden center. It probably dates from the 50's/60's and had a magical patina about it displaying that it had provided hours of fun to its previous owners. 

Raliegh child's tricycle

Raliegh child's tricycle

In the car park was this modern VW van or Dub as I believe such things are known in the VW world hence the number plates relevance.

VW Woody dub

However getting closer I knew why it had attracted me - Woody!  Maybe a sign my mind was clearing?

VW Woody dub

Mrs. Woody and me had a purchesless (that amazed me) perusal of the rest of the garden center which was great for my wallet before returning to WMD HQ.  

Having had time to reflect on what I had missed on the valley sides I realised i needed to move both viaducts closer to the outside edge of the baseboard. Why? Well I need to put two platforms for the station on the rear most board. Having concentrated on the opposite board I had totally forgotten to check that all was OK on the back board. At present there is room for two 4cm wide platforms or in real size 10 feet/3m. That is not very wide and given the platforms will be about 6 foot/2m long they would look strange.

THe platforms will go between the second and third tracks from the right of the picture and the fourth and fifth tracks.

My Last Great Project

Distance between tracks 2 and 3.

My Last Great Project

Distance between tracks 4 and 5.

My Last Great Project

On the opposite board I have about 7.5cm between the track and the edge of the baseboard so I can gain about 4 cm if I revise the landscape and move the viaducts over.

My Last Great Project

That will give me an extra 2cm for each platform bringing their width in real life to a more realistic 15 foot/4.8m. Whilst this will mean there is some undoing of some of my work done so far it is much better to discover at this stage then in a few weeks time when the destruction element would be much greater. Reflection and time for it, even if it means going to a garden center, can indeed be a good thing!

Monday, November 14, 2022

Racing Santas!

Mrs. Woody was at home today so we had a look round a local garden center which as is the case these days is more akin to a gift shop with a garden center attached. They had a lot of Christmas stock in and much as I could ignore the fancy Christmas trees with all the trimmings, the motorised reindeer and singing snowmen this did catch my eye.

Racing Santas

The Santas are lifted up the elevator to then roll down the roller coaster track. Hypnotically simple but pleases my mind which probably explains a lot!

Back at WMD HQ I started to plaster the valley sides on my 00 gauge Last Great Project layout. A mix of plaster and brown paint was made up (the brown paint colours the plaster so if it ever cracks or chips it shows brown rather than white) and strips of paper towel cut.

My Last Great Project,

The plaster was then painted onto the polystyrene and then the paper towel strips added.

My Last Great Project,

More plaster was painted on top of the paper towel and so it went on...

My Last Great Project,

...until it was all covered.

My Last Great Project,

Just have to wait for it to dry out now. I'm just wondering now whether I could incorporate one of those Racing Santa set ups into this scene??????

Sunday, November 13, 2022

Mixed up World.

I had to remind myself that today is the 13th November as I did some work in the garden today. Normally at this time of year the flowering bedding plants are dead and the other plants have gone into their Winter hibernation. I have more colour in the way of flowers now then I had in the Summer drought. These flower beds should be barren by now.

Gardening

Gardening

Yes, it is a mixed up World at the moment! However I can isolate myself, unless Mrs. Woody decides other wise, to the World of my Man Cave where although things are mixed up it is me doing the mixing!

Following on from yesterday when I had completed the landscape profiles for the valley sides around the viaducts I spent today dismantling most of it so that I could fully glue it all together. 

My Last Great Project

However it all comes together with the middle part now having a flat base for a road/lane and canal/river.

My Last Great Project

The viaducts slot into the gaps which at the moment makes the next stage of covering the polystyrene with paper towel soaked in plaster a lot easier. That will come in the next few days - hopefully!

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

Despite my previous success at keeping the mess of working with polystyrene to a minimum today in my mixed up World, there was a lot of mess!

My Last Great Project

 Oh well, it will clean up! Just a good job it is in my Man Cave and not the house!

Saturday, November 12, 2022

Infilling.

It is slow progress but the polystyrene formers for the valley sides are just about done on my 00 gauge layout. All that was left to do was infill the arches of the two viaducts. Using the templets that I had made from the Cornflake box (other cereals for your breakfast delight are available) to cut the main valley sides I was able to get more or less the right profile. Luckily I found the bread knife!

My Last Great Project,

The two middle arches need a little more work on the profiles but I have ideas in my mind (never a good sign as Mrs. Woody would say) for a canal/river and road/lane so that will probably develop over the next few days.

My Last Great Project,

That train in the background is a Hornby model of Northern Rail's Royal Air Force 100th Anniversary Class 156 DMU. A fantastic model of the real thing and with a real relevance to me as my Dad spent most of his working life in the RAF.

Hornby Northern Rail RAF Class 156

I bought this back in 2020 during the pandemic and recall thinking whether Hornby and other manufactures would ever produce more models. At the time I don't think any of us really knew what the future would hold.

Hornby Northern Rail RAF Class 156

It looks good in its box and but its even better on the layout which is where models really belong.

Hornby Northern Rail RAF Class 156

Better get that bread knife back to where it belongs or Mrs. W will be infilling me!

Friday, November 11, 2022

Hot Stuff!

Not that Mrs. woody thinks I am hot stuff but my hot glue gun is indeed hot stuff even if I am not. These glue guns are brilliant as long as you don't get the hot glue on you! Yes, I have found that out the painful way! Used properly and in my case probably best under the supervision of a responsible adult, they provide almost instantaneous and strong adhesion of the parts being glued. This was just what I needed to glue the polystyrene parts together making up the valley sides on my dropped baseboard section.

My Last Great Project

A bread knife makes a great cutting tool for polystyrene. Luckily I got this back into the kitchen before Mrs. Woody had missed it so as long as she does not read this I have got away with it! Only thing is I can't find it now!

Using the glue gun I soon had parts glued together. No need to be too neat just as long as the top is the rightish shape and it is all solid.

My Last Great Project

I just need to add the parts under the arches but the overall landscape is showing its shape.

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

My Last Great Project

Better get some dinner ready - now where is that bread knife???? If I don't find it I could well be in hot water and really become hot stuff!

Thursday, November 10, 2022

Cornflake time!

My Last Great Project,

What have Cornflakes to do with model making you may well be asking. Well the Cornflakes themselves are a delicious breakfast cereal or indeed any other time of the day snack but for me the box has uses other than containing the aforementioned cereal. A source of cardboard which in my more impoverished days of model making served as a raw material for making buildings. Today I tend to use mounting card which a £2 a sheet - well it was the last time I bought some last year but has probably gone up since then - provides a good quality card. However where the card is sacrificial in a project I still turn to the likes of a Cornflakes box - a nice 1kg one is nice and large. Good job I like these cereals!

In my case I have moved on with My Last Great Project layout to start to build the valley sides on the dropped section of baseboard. Polystyrene is my choice of infill material and I have a couple of sheets of it as outlined yesterday. This will be covered with a mix of wall filler and paper towel but first I need to get it to near enough the right shape. Having thought about this and in line with my  'Working smarter not harder' philosophy I decided that it would be useful to make a templet of the valley sides which would enable me to cut the sheets to the right shape. Given the mess that cutting polystyrene can make with all those spheres through the wonders of static electricity, attaching themselves to anything nearby namely me (must be my electric personality or as Mrs. Woody would say more likely to my static personality!) minimising cutting means less mess. 

Templets were made and the first polystyrene profiles cut.

My Last Great Project,

Although I am only about a third of the way through the cutting process the mess was reasonably minimal.

My Last Great Project,

Although only part way through things are beginning to take shape. I will need to infill the arches with smaller profiles.

My Last Great Project,

With continually lifing the track it has come out of alignment but once all the landscaping is done I will put it back as it should be ready for ballasting - that is some time off yet though!


My Last Great Project,

Time to make Mrs. W's dinner. Wonder if she would appreciate a bowl of Cornflakes?????