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When i left school back then i was lucky enough to enroll on an engineering apprenticeship. I think this lead me in good stead. I was always one of those children that pulled things apart but actually put them back together again. My first engine given to me at the age of Seven, a Triang Princess Elizabeth. The rest as they say is History. Later in life i got back in to Model Railways and started building Pine Road. This could lead anywhere so i hope you enjoy my Blog.

Tuesday 4 April 2017

Coal sacks

Any self respecting layout needs coal sacks,
Here's some i made earlier.
Coal sacks
This is my way of making them.
I can hear you asking, why don't you just buy some? come on, you should know me buy now. 
If i can make it, i will.

Take a piece of kitchen roll, you need that super absorbent stuff not the one that falls apart when wet. One with an embossed pattern but not coloured
Don't ask for much you know.
Soak a sheet in your usual 50/50 mix of water and PVA. Don't ring it out to much.
Flatten out and hang up on the wife's favourite dryer.
Warning: it may drip
Leave to dry overnight.

Time for a cup of tea!

Now your sheet is dry and nice and rigid,
cut into 10mm wide strips with a sharp knife (your hands and a ruler).

Cut the strips 24mm long. I have this handy guillotine thing ideal for this. 

Paint a thin sliver of glue on each side.
 I use Delux Materials "Super Phatic" glue for this. 
DON'T
use PVA for this it will soak back into the paper and glue the two halves solid. 
I haven't painted them at this stage either as this "Super Phatic" stuff has a tendency to turn everything Blue

And fold in half.
Its actually taking longer to explain how to make these than it did to actually make them.

When dry, open out the end with a cocktail stick

 and paint the inner top half

Fill with coal and add a drop of your 50/50 PVA mix
it wont all come unstuck as "Super Phatic" is not affected by PVA.

Tea time again.
And paint.
 I used a mixture of Humbrol matt black 33 and matt brown 160.
Looking at coal sacks, they are not totally black.
"Lookin goooood"  

Stacked up i think they look dam good the embossed effect on the kitchen towel shows up well, looks just like an old sack
 Same method could be used for corn sacks, potato sacks and any other type of sack you can think of .
As they say
!

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