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Working Lift Bridge Diorama


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Thanks @clive_t, @Sgt.Squarehead, and @Corsairfoxfourunclefor your likes.

 

The towers are not actually in place in these photographs. They are just positioned to see how it will look, and how close the span bumpers would get to the towers. The towers have to be installed at the same time as the road surface.

 

JpWn2UJ.jpg

 

FjnKv6w.jpg

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13 hours ago, Gorby said:

I'm every impressed with your attention to detail. I'm half expecting you to say that you've designed a working 1/72 slot car track for the road.

:lol: That would be a lark. It's bad enough having a slot boat track.

 

In all honesty, this project is the most complicated thing I have ever done. There seems to be a lot to consider. One has an idea of what to build, but as it unfolds other aspects emerge that cannot be ignored. Each part in itself is a design problem to nut out. Often it cannot be done without considering other parts not yet designed or built.

 

Some nights I cannot sleep. I am still trying to solve design problems. Then I have to get back to the desk, write some notes and sketches until I feel that I have taken a few steps forward. Then I can go back to sleep. Mind you, I often come up with some good solutions that way, but it is a headache at times. I am saying all this because I just had this happen last night.

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I might not have been paying enough attention early on, I can see your model will have its winding gear underneath the table as it were but where does the real thing have its winding gear? I'm guessing that with the counterweights, it didn't have to be that massive. The towers & lights are looks a bit smart too. :)

Steve.

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23 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

I sir am suitably impressed with the skill and speed you are going at with this. Its impressive to say the least. If i ever get a chance to visit Australia, i plan on making a side trip to see this. 

The speed is an illusion. I came late to this wonderful forum and currently in the last half of the project. I am posting images on a daily basis to catch up to where I am at. 

Hope you do come to Australia, especially at this time of year _ it's warmer.

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18 hours ago, stevehnz said:

I might not have been paying enough attention early on, I can see your model will have its winding gear underneath the table as it were but where does the real thing have its winding gear? I'm guessing that with the counterweights, it didn't have to be that massive. The towers & lights are looks a bit smart too. :)

Steve.

The actual bridge motor is in the middle of the hut (inside). It drives two winch drums located just outside the lateral sides of the hut - in those same size boxes on the opposing balconies. They drive the tower pulley wheels. The cable to these wheels is much lighter because of the counterweights. The cables to both counterweights and span are both thick and there are four in parallel on each side (they bare the weight of both the span and counterweight.

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to continue:

I discovered before installing the towers that once they are in, the span cannot be removed for repairs. There won't be enough room to pass above the pulley wheels. So I cut off the lateral bumper rollers (the hidden side) and replaced them with removable ones.

 

I1vOkoW.jpg

Edited by Getunderit
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23 hours ago, Derek A said:

Wow, this is looking very good indeed!  Keep up the good work!

Thanks Derek.

Now and again I wonder if it will all come together. Some nights I am tired but my head is still swimming against the incoming tide of unresolved issues. Last night was one of those nights, so I am a bit ragged today. The other problem is I am getting older and my memory is not so sharp. So when I spend a few weeks on one part, say the bridge, my memory of what to do next with the console starts to fade away.:think:

 

Thank you @Gorby, @bar side, @Corsairfoxfouruncle, and @GrahamS for your 'likes'.

 

to continue:

Took me a few days to add all the matchstick posts and split bamboo skewer railings.

 

mv3nxR0.jpg

Edited by Getunderit
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That is really looking the business now.  Is the progress really this fast or have you built it already & are feeding us the updates?  Can’t believe how fast it’s coming together

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11 minutes ago, bar side said:

That is really looking the business now.  Is the progress really this fast or have you built it already & are feeding us the updates?  Can’t believe how fast it’s coming together

Hi. Yes.

Currently about 2/3 to completion. I joined this forum late, so I am feeding updates at piecemeal rate so not to dump a lot of pictures in one hit.

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17 minutes ago, Getunderit said:

Hi. Yes.

Currently about 2/3 to completion. I joined this forum late, so I am feeding updates at piecemeal rate so not to dump a lot of pictures in one hit.

Well it makes for a great story so keep the updates coming

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I can almost smell that tidal rise-and-fall fragrance.

 

This is a really impressive project - and I think anyone would find it tricky to keep track of what needs doing next and where whether they were 20 or 120!

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Wow, that's looking fantastic! Do you keep the museum up to date on your progress? I think they are going to be blown-away by the quality of their new exhibit. 

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23 minutes ago, Gorby said:

Wow, that's looking fantastic! Do you keep the museum up to date on your progress? I think they are going to be blown-away by the quality of their new exhibit. 

Yes I do. I send updates, exactly what you are seeing, to both the museum president and manager-curator.

 

Both respond (when they do) very differently. The curator reminds my of how Michelangelo must have felt, because he always says: "When will it be finished?" He is impatient and has a great need to be in control of things, even my progress. He keeps telling me I do too much, but I will not lower my standards to just please him. The president is the opposite, he keeps encouraging me to do what ever I think is needed to be done. He does not care how long it takes as long as it works and looks good. (I sure hope I do not disappoint him). However, I heard from other staff that both curator and president are happy with the quality of work so far.

 

The museum is totally run by volunteers. This project only costs the museum the materials purchased. I am not contracted or paid to do this. It is out of love for creativity and service which keeps me going, and they now this because we are all in the same boat (so to speak). It is a unique experience to work for a non-profit organisation.

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Very impressive ... I truly hope they realize how much work has gone into this. Ive done volunteer work myself for an Aviation museum 20 years ago. Sadly Two of the Founders passed and the warbirds were sold on to other groups. But i did enjoy it and have continuously looked & hoped to find another, so I may volunteer again. 

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Peter,

I continue to be greatly impressed by your project.

I know what you mean about sleepless nights, I (usually) drift

off eventually after having solved a scratchbuild problem.

Regards

Pete

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14 hours ago, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

Very impressive ... I truly hope they realize how much work has gone into this. Ive done volunteer work myself for an Aviation museum 20 years ago. Sadly Two of the Founders passed and the warbirds were sold on to other groups. But i did enjoy it and have continuously looked & hoped to find another, so I may volunteer again. 

I hope you do find another place to give what you enjoy doing.

Doing somethings in life is enough reward in itself.

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Thank you @Corsairfoxfouruncle and @Pete in Lincs for sharing your kind words.

__________________________________________________________________

Then I had the fiddly job of painting the railings. 

 

BPHknxw.jpg

 

I do not plan to paint the bridge to appear weathered, but as if brand new and unpolluted. It is something I learnt to appreciate from doing some architectural rendering in my youth. So, I gave the rest of the bridge a cement grey colour. The road will be painted to appear as concrete (with gravel).

 

ZwY6l12.jpg

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Thanks @Gorby and @Pete in Lincs for :yes:

______________________________________

Throughout this project I continue to do Internet research. A friend emailed me a photo taken of a computer screen by her iPhone. It revealed a few things I was still not clear about. There was the matter of what did the swing-gates look like. The scale of the cars is known, but how did they look in comparison to the whole bridge. Finally, what did the concrete road look like from above.

 

7s7ENmt.jpg

 

Decided to splatter dark grey paint onto the cement colour. It turned out horrendous. Originally I wanted to start again, but a part of me knew it could be turned to my advantages. So then I used the dry brush method to lighten up the dark patches. Afterwards, I kept alternating between dark and light paint with a fine brush until I was happy with the results.

 

4PJPXx8.jpg

 

Painting the span took longer than painting the rest of the road. It was difficult to get into the central areas. The edges of the span and bridge have a metal plate (silver painted area). The hole you see on edge of road is for the fine (0.7 mm) bridge cable which goes through the display table.

 

A2wkhWF.jpg

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