Thursday, August 17, 2017

Electrical things in BRM plus cakes!

The September issue of BRM has gone all DCC - which as all fules kno is the work of the devil.



Nevertheless, I have had a bit of a look at accesory decoder modules, which I have to grudgingly admit could massivly reduce the amount of wire under a baseboard. The savings in wire could go a long way to helping pay for the chippy things too. Using them is pretty simple nowadays, you don't even have to do any soldering.


Above the baseboard, we are offering an airbrush to new subscribers so I'm going through some of the basics and explaining why you might want to own one with quick projects on locos, rolling stock, track and even buildings. A really versatile tool which many modellers seemed scared of. OK, we aren't all proferssional painters, but it's still useful in the hands of and idiot like me.


Of course, when you saw the title of this blog post, you were only interested in the cake. Well, I mention it because I've writen a piece explaining why I like smaller shows. You'll be unsurprised to know that this includes my enthusiasm for different cakes. For sensible content, Jerry Clifford also explains the work that goes into a show from the exhibition managers point of view. 

Over on the DVD, there is a Phil double bill. 


First, I take viewers through a few wiring basics - tining wires attaching them to point motors and track and even unsoldering. When we were talking about a DCC lead issue, it occurred to me that these very basic techniques would be useful to all. Soldering irons are another tool people are scared of, so that's another demystified I hope.




I'm also making cable drums using a resin kit, a last-minute addition to the line-up but hopefully there is something useful and entertaining in it. I do explain why you shouldn't let them lie down on a layout...




5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Phil
Do you now have to go to work wit 3 seperatly branded Polo Shirts
Richard

Phil Parker said...

I'm hoping for a shirt with a mahooosive badge!

Huw Griffiths said...

Well, it's either that or BRM "house branding" also appearing on the front covers of all magazines from the same stable.

Otherwise, you'd be left with sweatshirts, with different magazine logos on each sleeve - which might not be the best look.


Anyway, turning to "issue 666", is there any mention of what sizes of wire to use for different purposes? (Presumably, inside locos and railcars, you'd be talking thinner wire than you might use for track and controller connections ... .)

Andrew Howard said...

I just wanted to say thanks for the video. I know making these is your day job, but your tutorial makes it so simple even a "Bally Blobber" like me was able to follow it.

Phil Parker said...

Thanks. I'll admit I was pleased with this film and am really happy that it's helping. It might be part of my job, but I care about doing it as well as I can.