Wiley's Bench Time - Model Railroading Podcast

Bench Time #79: Scaling Structures for Your Scale, Our favorites from kit brands, and branching out!

This is the last episode of the Bench Time Podcast of the Spring of 2019, because next week will be the first day of SUMMER!

We dive into a very wide range of topics on this week's show and cover a few of our Patron questions as well.

One of the questions was so good and we knew was FULL of content to talk about that we picked it as the main topic for this week's episode!

Quick housekeeping points:

• If you enjoy our content and want access to be able to get your questions/topics on the show, you can support the show here. 
• If you want to support our show in other ways, you can always share our episodes on your Facebook page/groups, or on your other social networks!

Okay, boring stuff out of the way! Back to the real content!

We discuss scaling UP or scaling DOWN kits to work with your hobbies scale if the kit manufacturer doesn't make a structure in your scale, and we're positive you might also be able to contact SOME of these craftsman kit manufacturers to potentially laser cut one for you in a specific scale. They might be up for it if there is a demand and there's no way they'll know if there is a demand if we don't ask them to cut their kits in larger or smaller scale! So if you want kits that are typically not made in your scale, say something! You just might start a trend in craftsman kits in other scales... Where there's a demand created, someone will fulfill it!

Next up we talked about the PROS only in a ton of craftsman kit manufacturers. Now we know that we can't cover them all in one episode, so we talked only about the ones that we've worked with and build. It's only fair that we talk about the Pros of the kits that we have experience with. So if there are others out there that we failed to mention, it wasn't out of ill intent, it was either out of lack of experience with the brand OR we simply forgot... We're human!

Here are the kit manufacturers we talked about:

• Bar Mills
• Seaport Model Works
• FOS Scale Models
• Railroad Kits
• KC's Workshop
• Carolina Craftsman Kits
• Mine Mount Models
• Atlantic Scale Modelers
• ITLA Scale Models
• Rail Scale Models
• Crow River 
• Rusty Rail
• Microlumina
• Trackside Scenery
• Hunterline
• Train Troll
• Rusty Stumps
• BEST Trains
• Scenic Express

But we're open to talking about them once we hear about some more, so if there's one you want us to experiment with let us know! If it fits our modeling style, we might just take a crack at a new challenging kit!

Lastly we introduce our new mid-week podcast episodes, the Model Building Toolbox Talks! This week was our first installment of them and you can listen to that here: Model Building Toolbox Talk #1 – Building a Revel Ford Ranger Model

This new part of our show and content is to provide you, the listener, with a little mini episode to get you through the week until we publish our normal, full length episodes on Fridays! These new mid-week shows will be 5 to 10 minutes in length and will feature a quick topic, tip, thought, or story that either Brett or Todd want to share! So we hope you enjoy this new feature. 

This week's contest winner: Pat McCarthy

This Week's Contest: Show us what you decorate your shops with to make it "your workshop". Maybe it's a sign, photo, poster, bar sign, wall clock, whatever it is share it with us by emailing it to podcast@hoscalecustoms.com OR posting the photo to the pinned post on our Facebook page! All submissions will be counted IF they're submitted to us by 11:59:59PM EST on 6/20/2019 (Thursday night).

Model Building Toolbox Talk #1 - Building a Revel Ford Ranger Model

This is our first mid-week Model Building Toolbox Talk where one of us will just record some short thoughts, tips, or stories of our model building experiences. These can range from new ideas, errors you can all avoid, tips, new things, really whatever we want! 

And they'll all be in digestible 5-10 minute bites.

This week Brett introduces the new part of the show and talks about his new endeavor into the vehicle modeling world! Sorry the recording is bad, I did it in the car on the voice recorder. BUT don't worry, it was all hands-free and was no different than talking through my bluetooth. Safety first!

Let us know what you think or topics for new types of builds!

Here's the model truck that Brett is building: Revel Ford Ranger Pickup Model

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Bench Time #78: Feat. Jason Jensen - The Explosion of Social Sharing in the Hobby

For week 78 of the Bench Time Model Railroading Podcast we have a guest favorite on! Jason Jensen jumps on this week’s show for an awesome discussion on how we’re starting to see everyone SHARING MORE online with each other.

We have more and more model railroaders sharing more of their work and progress online. There are more and more model railroaders creating pages and groups to document the progress of their layouts and builds. To be honest, we find this explosion of sharing to be completely amazing and we encourage everyone to SHARE MORE of their work and how we’re all developing more techniques and skills as we all learn from each other.

Let’s do something fun, if you have a facebook page, or personal model railroading blog like some of our other listeners, share it with us on our Facebook page, email a link to us at podcast@hoscalecustoms.com, or reach out to us on Twitter or Instagram.

Some important links from this week’s show:

• Jason Jensen’s new video: Let's start with a plastic kit for our model railroad structure.
• HO Scale Resin Cast Cars that Brett found: TheRailroadConnection.com
• Laser cut windows from Rail-Scale-Models.com
• The Ship My Pants commercial for everyone’s personal entertainment: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2xwUuSM06xQ

LAST WEEK’S CONTEST WINNER: George Nagle!

THIS WEEK’S CONTEST: Let’s see photos of your tool and supplies organization on your workbenches! You can submit your contest entry on the pinned post on our Facebook page or email it to podcast@hoscalecustoms.com for a chance to win a free kit from RailroadKits.com and some other goodies from HO Scale Customs!

Also be sure to check out RailroadKits.com for a ton of awesome white metal castings, wood craftsman kits, resin castings and MORE!

 

Bench Time #77: The Patrons Episode & Some Fun with Bungs

It's almost summer! So on this nice Friday evening how about you settle in at your workbench and get ready for another installment of the Bench Time Model Railroading Podcast!

This week we didn't have a guest (we will have guests upcoming on the next few episodes, and they're going to be awesome!!), so we spent some time this week giving out Patrons the show and letting them ask us whatever they wanted.

We covered topics from the current hockey playoffs, to vacation modeling to a plethora of other questions that actually made for a great show and brought up some good talking points! 

If you want to be able to get your topics into a show in the future, you can head over to our Patreon page! Or if that's not your thing, you can just check out our Support Us page, or a simple sharing of this podcast is a great gesture too!

Anyways, we also get into the official name for the barrel plugs that I painted the other night on our newest YouTube video, which is called a bung... Yep. That plug in the side of a barrel is a bung and it goes into the bunghole of the barrel. Who knew?!?!

My dad also talks in-depth about the window technique he used for his current ITLA model, which is turning out to look really sweet and is something I haven't seen much or really at all in a model railroad building. Very cool look.

This Week's Contest Winner: Dan Pugatch

This Week's Contest: Share a photo comment on our pinned post on our Facebook Page or email to podcast@hoscalecustoms.com a photo of your favorite scenery work on your layout. It can be rocks, grass, trees, roads, ANY scenery you have. Submit it before Thursday 1/6/19 at 11:59:59 EST for a chance to win a kit from RailRoadKits.com

Bench Time #76: Tom Barbalet of Model Rail Radio

What a pleasure it was to get Tom Barbalet of Model Rail Radio on our show to get a little bit of the history of his show and the story behind how he was able to grow Model Rail Radio into the show it is today! 

Tom went into his background a bit and he also gave us a great bit of info on how his show has grown into a worldwide hit for modelers and model railroaders all over!

You can check out the show here: Model Rail Radio

And Join the Model Rail Radio Facebook Group here

Thank you for having us on your show and we wanted to extend a huge thanks for joining us on The Bench Time Podcast!

Bench Time #75: Jake Johnson & Dave Meek of Crescent Creek Models

It’s memorial day weekend, so let’s first take a moment to remember all of the fallen service men and women who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the US Military. Thank you.

This week on the Bench Time Podcast we’ve got a pair of guests, Jake Johnson and Dave Meek who together have formed Crescent Creek Models which specializes in innovative laser-cut structure kits for the discerning model railroader and collector. Founded by former Disney Imagineer and professional model maker, Jake Johnson, and Thunder Mesa Mining Company creator and commercial artist, Dave Meek, Crescent Creek Models brings the charm and nostalgic appeal of 19th and early 20th Century architecture to life in miniature! (Description from Crescent Creek Models Site)

Since Jake was on the show and we’ve covered his background before on Episode 51 of The Bench Time Podcast, we go over Dave’s model building background and how him and Jake were able to link up to create some awesome things together.

We also go over the background of Dave’s Thunder Mesa RR and you can find more about his Thunder Mesa Studios here: Thunder Mesa Mining Co. Model Railroad.

FREE STUFF from Thunder Mesa Mining Co. here!!

Follow these Facebook Pages & Groups as well to stay up-to-date on their work:

• Thunder Mesa Mining Company
• Thunder Mesa Studio
• Disney Inspired Models and Protoypes
• Society of Old West & 19th Century Modelers

We LOVED talking with Dave & Jake about modeling the mid-west and west and we would really like to do more with this type of modeling in the future! Can’t wait to see what they do coming up and to talk to these two again.

CONTEST WINNER: George Files!

THIS WEEK’S CONTEST: Send us / Post a pic of your favorite model or model scene that his humorous or off the wall odd! It can be from a famous layout IF you give credit to the layout in the comments.

Winner’s of the weekly photo contest will receive a free craftsman kit from RailroadKits.com and an HO Scale Customs Koozie! Good Luck!

LOVE OUR CONTENT? Consider supporting us at https://hoscalecustoms.com/support

Bench Time #74: Some Candy Talk, Current Builds, Chopping Up Plastic Kits

It's getting warmer out, and we LOVE this late-spring weather! So welcome to another episode of the Bench Time Podcast with Brett & Todd Wiley.

To start this week we talk about Brett's current candy that he's been munching on and go on a bit of a food rant.

After that's out of the way, we go over Todd's ITLA build, Brett's Wicked Wanda's wrap-up (post 100 miler run), and a little bit on how Brett chops up a Magnuson and DPM model for his current scratch build.

We also open up a piece of listener mail and are VERY surprised with what was sent to us, we're very grateful and we're thinking about turning it into an ice cream parlor & soda jerk.

Last week's contest winner: Jim Walsh 

Jim will be sent a kit from RailroadKits.com along with an HO Scale Koozie!

This week's contest is to post a photo to the pinned post on our Facebook page or email it to podcast@hoscalecustoms.com of a tool that you use that wasn't originally made to be a tool. For example, our hockey pucks we use as weights, or toothpicks. Let's see what everyone has come up with!

Love our show? Consider supporting us at https://hoscalecustoms.com/support

Bench Time #73: Wow, Too Much to Write About - Rusting, Thames Street, Brushes, LOTS

Well, this week’s episode of the Bench Time Podcast was ALL over the place.

We talked a little bit about everything and there is a lot to cover in this week’s show.

We started out with an off-topic discussion on the little known players in the NHL who actually wear the number 73, except for one player. But he’s on the Bruins so we don’t care.

Next, Brett started talking about his weathering and rusting techniques from his recent car rust heaps that he made from plastic cheapy Life-Like vehicles. For more on these, you can check out his video tutorial on that over here: https://youtu.be/UiQ2FrAGR_8

You can also pick up the AK Interactive weathering and diorama materials that Brett used in these tutorials here (not affiliate links):

• AK Interactive Crusted Rust Deposits Set
• AK Interactive Corrosion Texture

Then we ripped open some surprise 3D printed detail parts we received from a listener and fan of the show who has Dave’s Model Railway Stuff. These new 3D printed detail parts and kits are really coming a long way and we’re very excited to get to work with these and more like these in the future. Thank you, Dave, for the 3D parts, we’ll put them to good use and Brett really loves the porta-john!

Todd also discussed a little bit about his recently finished Thames Street Shoppes which turned out absolutely magnificent and nobody is kidding when they say that he really knocked it out of the park (good job Dad)!

You can grab Thames Street Shoppes Here!

Next, we get into the differences between weathering and aging a structure. There is a big difference and we sometimes get into the habits of making our structures all look like they’re ready to crumble, but we need to be aware that in all decades of modeling that there were new buildings, actively maintained buildings, and even decrepit buildings.

This aging vs. weathering conversation also turned into the same basic topic, but for our roads as well.

We need to keep in mind that not every corner of our cities would be falling apart… Well depending on where you live! JOKING

Lastly, we go over our favorite tools. Brett talked about the brush cleaner that he has now been using more of, which is actually making a big difference in the health of his brushes! Wow, imagine that!

You can get your own brush cleaner here:

The Masters Brush Cleaner & Preserver

We don’t advise sniffing the brush cleaner though… Brett’s just weird.

Todd also had a little rant about the non-use of rain gutters and spouting in our hobby! Let’s get on that people!

Contest Information:

Last week’s contest winner was: James Donovan!

This week’s contest: Post a photo of your favorite rolling stock to the PINNED POST on our Facebook Page. If you don’t have any rolling stock, you can hand draw one and pop that masterpiece up there too. OR if you’d rather draw one for comedic value, please entertain us all!

The contest prizes are from RailroadKits.com, there are some VERY nice kits, castings from FSM original molds, resin castings, and a little bit of everything over there so make sure you visit Railroad Kits and check out their awesome and affordable range of fine-scale modeling supplies.

If you enjoy our content consider supporting us here: https://hoscalecustoms.com/support

This content may contain affiliate links that we’ve provided to trusted sites.

Bench Time #72: Dave Kruiswyk talks shop with the HSC Boys!

It’s the first Friday of May and it’s finally getting warm out! LOVE this time of year!

This week on the bench time podcast with Todd & Brett Wiley we have fellow modeler, kit instruction writer and fan of the show Dave Kruiswyk on to talk some shop about what he’s working on currently.

We are all over the place on this episode and we cover our current builds, some of the kits and projects that Dave has been working on as well as some talk about a few new kits that are coming out with the instructions he worked on.

Dave also talks about his Schwarz build which was in dedication of the late Tom Schwarz and part of a build “contest” (all for fun) as part of the Modelers Forum.

Dave also has his own model railroading and model building facebook page that you need to “like” and check out! Dave’s Workbench on Facebook is where he shares progress of some of his work as well as many other posts re-shared from a large collective of great facebook model builders!

Contest Info:

Last week’s winner of the Podcast Contest was Brian Tucker! Thanks for posting that photo of your son’s new DCC locomotive, I hope you both enjoy the new kit coming your way!

This week’s contest: Post a photo in the comments section on our HO Scale Customs facebook page of your favorite trackside scene! This can be a small scene, large scene, building, rr crossing, literally any trackside scene that you just love on your layout! Post the pics before midnight Thursday for a chance to win a small craftsman ho scale kit!

Love our show? Support us here!

If you love our weekly show and live videos, consider supporting our efforts here: https://hoscalecustoms.com/support 

Sculpey Shirts are BACK!

They were MIA for a little while as we switched shirt vendors, but the "Hello my name is Sculpey" shirts are BACK! Grab yours here: Hello My Name is Sculpey T-Shirts

Bench Time #71: The Tools Episode - We talk about all of our favorite essential modeling tools!

Hey, we all love Friday's! And I think as model railroaders and modelers, we all love to collect tools!

We were inspired by everybody's photo comments of their favorite tools from last week's contest so we decided to dedicate an entire episode to tools and our favorite ones. 

Well they're all our favorites. Kind of our own little toy collection... I mean tool collection. 

This week Todd and Brett talk about all of their favorite tools. From pounce wheels to cutters, knives, model building specific tools, to out of the ordinary tools that we just ended up using anyway. 

There are a TON of different things out there for every possible thing you could imagine so we know we didn't hit every tool possible. 

Here are a couple of the tools we've talked about or written about in the past too:

• RB Productions Rivet-R Mini Riveting Tool for Model Railroading
• Supplies, Paints and Tools for the “Live Build Along”
• Paint Palette Palooza! Get the most out of yours
• Helping Hands Tool with Magnifying Glass
• File Card – Essential Modeling Tool
• Micro Applicators – Must Have Modeling Tool

CONTEST INFO:

This week's contest winner is.... Joe Collins!

Joe Posted his Dollar store caddy, saying " it's Great to hold brushes, pallets and water/thinner".

THIS WEEK'S CONTEST:

This week for the photo comment contest we're asking everyone who wants to participate that they post a photo comment on our facebook page to the pinned post for this week's episode a photo of your favorite locomotive they have in their collection! Brett will post the pics of the locos that we have too for everyone to check out... We only have 2. 

So get to posting those pics of your favorite locomotive on the post about this week's episode and win a small craftsman model rr kit!