The Daily Moose

[ginzokid]

Here is a link to Bar Mills Models on-line newspaper and information station. Art has 4 new on-line videos that you might find interesting. The first two are about Bar Mills Models itself. The next two are instructive videos. One on different types of glues and their use and the other on the new Bar Mills weathering powders. There are also pictures of some of the kits available. Enjoy. http://barmillsmodels.com/dailymoose_05A_05.html

[dl85vette]

Very nice.   Steam locos look so much more animated with their steam in the cold air.

[dl85vette]

In past few weeks my condition has worsened. Not sure if due to ongoing stomach issues or if condition is legitimately going downhill. Could very well wind up on the liver destroying drugs yet.  Got my function test and follow up appts moved up 2 weeks. I go in on Mar 4 for the gastro scope.

being -24 today didn't help. Felt crappy all morning so left work at 130.  Been a rather demoralizing winter.

[taz-of-boyds]

Dave,

Do you have any options to visit different doctors?  Maybe you need someone else to look at your condition.  I sure know what you mean about being demoralizing with health issues.  I am hypothyroid, and before our doctor finally figured I might be hypothyroid, I was, as I describe it, mostly dead.  I did not have the issues with innards you have, but just to say I had no energy is really an understatement, I like the "mostly dead" as a description.  After I started taking synthroid, my regular doctor sent me to a specialist, and my synthroid dose got raised to a large dose, it took years to regain some health.  God is merciful I never got fired.  I have still been slowly improving  (in time for old age to start kicking in...).

Your innards problems sure sound nasty, I hope things improve.

Praying for you-all,

Charles

[dl85vette]

My lung specialist is well known in N America and even through part of the world.  So there is no doubt that he knows his stuff.

I waited 4 months for referral to gastro specialist, so there is no way I'm waiting another 4 to see someone else and start form scratch again. Getting a gastro scope done tues so wheels are turning.

[dl85vette]

Ultimate in hobby toys. No more molds and resin casting. Staples sells a 3D printer.......for $1600.

Wonder how long before an explosion of cottage industries start up again making aftermarket parts for car models and railroad hobby?

Seems like the past decade killed off a lot of small basement businesses.

[ginzokid]

The printer is one thing, but you have to have a good cad program to design the parts etc. $1600 isn't the only investment you would need to make. Just sayin'

[dl85vette]

I know. You'd need whatever CAD software to desing the 'blueprint'

Gotta admit though, it is amazing technology that one would only dream of 10 years ago. Kinda like the replicator in star trek Next Gen.

probably seen it on the news about the  3d printed handguns made form plastic.

[taz-of-boyds]

Hi ya-all,

I looked at that printer a bit today, it will take .stl files from a 3D program.  SketchUp will do that if you a install the right extension.  That is the same way you get 3D prints from Shapeways, uploading an .stl file.

It is cool stuff in general.  On this and related printers the surface finish looks kind-of rough, and probably not a lot of N Scale stuff that would be acceptable except from a distance.  I am sure things will keep improving.  It would be fun to do some experiments with it.

All the best,

Charles

[ginzokid]

Plastic hand guns from a 3D printer have been made and they do work. So it can get through security checks at airports etc. Now can a plastic bullet be made? I have seen ice bullets and frozen meat bullets. This kind of technology is getting scary.

[dl85vette]

Yes and ObXma's hXmeland security goons will be the first to be equipped so they can clean up trouble makers with no trace. Shhhh. They're onto us.   😉

[ginzokid]

Aren't you glad we don't have HS here? CSIS is bad enough. I still have a lot of destruction to do and it is so cold out there in the dungeon. My little space heater can't warm it up enough except for about a 10 square foot area, so I have to keep moving it to keep it right under my butt. Have you ever tried to work on small objects in a parka with mittens on?

[taz-of-boyds]

Just in case you need more entertainment on Ob-hs and the dems:  do a search on 1.6 Billion Rounds

It could get really, really interesting (boy I hope not) ....

Charles

[dl85vette]

WRT google maps. That's how I scope out areas for railfanning when going to the states. I've scoured over the powder river basin in wyoming. Zoom in and you can see the big dump trucks and drag line shovels. 

44.284392, -105.447642   c0-ords for a park we picnic'd at in Gillette,Wy back in '08.  Think that was a BN U-33 (or a U36)sitting there.

beside it is a core drilling machine (either for cores or for explosives) there were couple big display engines, for powering generators in oilfields I guess,  nodding horse oil pump,  i'm sure you can figure out the dump trucks. 

42.092111, -102.797925   guessing coal hopper repair/storage facility.  There's a lot fo hoppers there anyways, whatever it is.

scroll west along hwy 2 until you get to alliance and SW of town there is a yard with LOTS of coal hoppers (empties and full).

And that is just some of BNSF's fleet. Add in other railroads , and do the math on the amount of coal they are digging out per day and it is mind boggling..

[taz-of-boyds]

Amazing satellite photos, I guess the locomotive belongs to a short-line, with track about 1.5 times longer than the locomotive...  The irrigation circles of the hopper spot seem to be a half mile in diameter, that is a long watering boom (or whatever it is called).

All the best,

Charles

[dl85vette]

So I went to model club meeting the other night and it was (informal) contest night. So I took my bike that didn't win anything from the big show. these informal contest nights are judged and you get a copy of their notes so you know what was good what wasn't. I ended up with a silver. go figure. some will take their prize model to the meeting contest night, and if it does well, then they will put it in the big show. Then you're messed up of getting an award and going into the show thinking it will do well only to not get anything.