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I LOVE constructive criticism!!!!! I really appreciate the time and effort that
it takes!
This is my first time using stickers rather than water slide decals and I kind
of don't like them! So you obviously picked up on that vibe. I have some
techniques to adhere them straight but to get it absolutely right it's nearly
impossible. In fact all those brick lines really exacerbate the issue. To make
matters worse the invisible background is very visible, especially with certain
light glare. It seems that even if the text is straight relative to the train
lines but the sticker is not cut straight relative to the text then it looks
crooked even though the text is straight; sort of a no win situation. Maybe I'll
go back to water slide decals where you can micro adjust them during application
and the background is nearly transparent, they do tend to scratch far too easily
though.
I hate the coupling issue too. I'd say that was a post design issue that I
discovered only after building a couple and actually putting them together on
the track (duh... perhaps I should have thought about it a bit sooner, live and
learn). The step design on the trucks makes it hard to burry the magnets, I
tried a couple things but nothing seemed to work. I guess I could have started
from scratch (one more time) and moved the doors etc... I did try removing the
magnets and using a 3 stud long Technic lift arm
(http://guide.lugnet.com/partsref/search.cgi?q=6632) and pins
(http://guide.lugnet.com/partsref/search.cgi?q=3749). This test was only a
visual one, and it worked great from that perspective. But I didn't try to run
them in that configuration, it looks promising. I'll try running it that way
tonight.
As for the James Mathis comment... I am sure that he is not one bit concern with
that comment. James and I are great friends and talk off line all the time! To
even be in his company as a fellow train builder is a great honor! I like the
choice of words that you used, "beat". Friendly competition is always healthy
(and my ego loves it!!!) but also because it allows me to comment further. We
are all fellow artists/hobbyists searching for beauty, in multiple dimensions,
through our work. There are infinite possibilities which means we can all
achieve our ultimate goals while fully supporting each other with no concern for
vying for ONE Big Prize.
FYI Pat Metheny is on NPR (in 30 mins) 12:00noon PST talking about the album
(The Way Up) I have been listing to for the last 6 weeks or so (a great
inspiration for this train build). I saw the concert in Portland and Seattle a
couple weeks ago (it was amazing). I think Todd caught them in Boston and
Christina in DC (just last night!). It might be downloadable later today.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4565323
SteveB
PS Thanks everyone for the discussion! I really appreciate everyone being out
there to share this with. As I have said in the past thanks everyone in the
.trains group for keeping this a safe heaven (sp?) for us to share our proud
works, to have insightful discussions, and a place to ask questions without
having to worry about being "flamed". If we were all in the same room I'd call
for a group hug.... cause that's the kind of guy I am! ;D
> <(hopefully) constructive criticism>
> Some of the stickers are a bit wonky, could you straighten them? Mind you, I
> have used the same method and found it very difficult to get them straight, even
> with the lines of the joins to guide you.
> They seem too far apart. Its a perennial problem with Lego couplings and curves
> (corners!) but it does spoil the look of the rake a little in my opinion.
> <\(hopefully) constructive criticism>
> I think this rake beats James Mathis's Santa Fe train (no offense meant James)
> as a cohesive model of a famous US train (well it will when you a have a loco!),
> maybe its mainly because the colour scheme is more attractive. I feel that both
> models share much in the way of design ethos.
>
> Thanks for sharing this, models like this make me get up off my backside and
> produce stuff.
>
> Tim
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In lugnet.trains, Steven Barile wrote:
> I LOVE constructive criticism!!!!! I really appreciate the time and effort that
> it takes!
>
> This is my first time using stickers rather than water slide decals and I kind
> of don't like them! So you obviously picked up on that vibe. I have some
> techniques to adhere them straight but to get it absolutely right it's nearly
> impossible. In fact all those brick lines really exacerbate the issue. To make
> matters worse the invisible background is very visible, especially with certain
> light glare. It seems that even if the text is straight relative to the train
> lines but the sticker is not cut straight relative to the text then it looks
> crooked even though the text is straight; sort of a no win situation. Maybe I'll
> go back to water slide decals where you can micro adjust them during application
> and the background is nearly transparent, they do tend to scratch far too easily
> though.
One thing I did to get them straight was to make the sticker the height of a
whole brick (I was sticking them on whole bricks), I printed cut lines on the
sticker sheets to make sure that the lettering was straight on the sticker.
I know what you mean about the shine of the clear bits, again I found that
having the sticker going to edge of the brick helped reduce the visual affect of
it.
Tim
tim
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In lugnet.trains, Steven Barile wrote:
> I LOVE constructive criticism!!!!! I really appreciate the time and effort that
> it takes!
Me too.
> This is my first time using stickers rather than water slide decals and I kind
> of don't like them! So you obviously picked up on that vibe. I have some
> techniques to adhere them straight but to get it absolutely right it's nearly
> impossible.
I have the same issue there... How do you apply them? I have found a technique
that helps, somewhat... (maybe you use it already, I dunno).
Take your clean and oil free Xacto brand model knife and put the corner of the
sticker on the tip of the blade, one mm**2 is enough area... the sticker will
usually stand out straight from the knife.
Maneuver the sticker's other end to where you want it. since it's on the knife
this is easier to get right as you have better control... when that side is
where you want (aligned with the brick horizontally and vertically) tack it down
gently. Not TOO hard because you want it to be able to wiggle.
Now lower the other side of the sticker (that's still on the knife blade) down,
slowly, keeping it aligned. Use this time to possibly pull a little to
straighten/twist the other end in case you tacked it down not quite parallel to
the direction you wanted the sticker to run.
When it's down and aligned right, pull the blade out (that's why 1 mm**2 is the
right amount of surface area to use) and press it down hard.
If, on the other hand, it didn't go down well, don't press it at all. Instead
use the blade which is still attached) to peel the sticker back up and try
again. If you are gentle you can get another try with NO damage at all to the
sticker.
> In fact all those brick lines really exacerbate the issue. To make
> matters worse the invisible background is very visible, especially with certain
> light glare. It seems that even if the text is straight relative to the train
> lines but the sticker is not cut straight relative to the text then it looks
> crooked even though the text is straight; sort of a no win situation. Maybe I'll
> go back to water slide decals where you can micro adjust them during application
> and the background is nearly transparent, they do tend to scratch far too easily
> though.
That's the downside. You can spray solvaset on and etc but that's messy and non
LEGO.
> I hate the coupling issue too. I'd say that was a post design issue that I
> discovered only after building a couple and actually putting them together on
> the track (duh... perhaps I should have thought about it a bit sooner, live and
> learn).
WHAT? You didn't test that all out before you had more than a frame and trucks?
If we were all in the same room I'd call
> for a group hug.... cause that's the kind of guy I am! ;D
Er, SHUT UP!
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