The Silver Bot

The drivers on any steam locomotive are an integral part of the engines operating system. The care is essential in maintaining a well cared for HO steam engine.

Periodically the hobbyist should disassemble his or her steam engine for good maintenance. The procedure is best described by removing the body of the engine from the frame. It is not necessary to remove the motor. You must however, uncouple the driveline between the motor and the gearbox.

Once this is done, remove the plate at the bottom of the frame that holds the drive wheels in place. Carefully remove the drive wheel set from the frame and slide the pistons out of the cylinders. Make note of the position of the wheels during removal. This will make it easier to reinstall the wheel set.

Once the wheel set has been removed, carefully remove the springs from each slot on the frame. Make sure you put them in a safe place. Now take denatured alcohol and a swab and gently clean all of the slots and areas where the wheels may make contact. I do not use solvents because they leave a residue. You have to be careful with solvents for some of them may have corrosive agents that may damage your locomotive.

Turning to the wheel set, carefully examine the drive rods and journals for wear. Clean the wheels with denatured alcohol including the tires. On the shafts of each wheel there should be a set of bushings or bearings. Gently clean the drive wheel shafts and bushings/bearings with the denatured alcohol.

Now remove the gearbox from the main drive wheel. Clean the main drive gear thoroughly with alcohol. It is a good idea to take the gearbox apart and clean out the old grease again using alcohol.

Using synthetic Teflon grease, grease the gearbox with a minimum amount of grease. Too much grease will bog the gearbox down. We have found that the synthetic grease is superior to natural greases. Also, add a little grease to the main drive gear.

Examine the wheel springs for damage. It is generally a good idea to replace them as they do wear out and they are very inexpensive.

Reinstall the wheel set making sure the bushing/bearings are aligned correctly and the little plastic disks are located properly. Once installed take a fine oil and place one drop on each of the bushing/bearings. This will help with the operation of the wheel set. Make sure the piston rods are inserted into the pistons.

Place the bottom cover to the frame and fasten it down. With the gearbox yet to be assembled on the main gear place the frame on a test track. Gently run the frame and wheels up and down the track checking for any binding. If so, readjust the wheel set until they move freely and recheck on the test track.

Once you feel the system is aligned properly reinstall the gearbox. Fasten the gearbox shaft to the can motor shaft by the original means unless you have changed the drive mechanism to your liking.

Once this is accomplished, place the frame/wheel set on a live test track and operate it. If all goes well reinstall the body and test it again. You should have many hours of enjoyment with your locomotive.

Joy Ball has been involved in the restoration and maintenance of a variety of Brass Model Locomotives. Through her years of expertise, Mrs. Ball has perfected the art of train restoration often spending countless hours preserving vintage Brass Locomotive to the running condition of even the newest Brass Model Replicas. It should be noted that the above article was written by Joy’s husband Michael Ball. Receive her free newsletter at http://www.brasslocomotiveworks.com.

That’s the reason why now you need to go out and come across if you can have a credit loan at a fine percent interest rate. It makes no difference if you live in Buena Park California or in Athens Georgia a effective online check up will allay you often a lot of pain. A moneylender in Lima Ohio or so may have a total different actual loan rate for a 5000 dollar credit loan then a merchant bank in Asheville North Carolina and that makes a big clear gap in your monthly pay backs. Be lustrous today to inspect if you have a nice offer or if you don’t with the bank that offers you a loan. Investigate to see if the bank who is tending to give you a bank loan is beneficial. Nowadays you can check out interest rates quickly online and witness if there are other possible traps you should know about.

Translated it means: Woon je in Zevenaar of Gouda en heeft u BKR. Lenen met en BKR codering is nog nooit zo eenvoudig geweest. Koop een andere caravan met met bkr notering geld lenen, 304984 euro is geen probleem om te financieren. Van Zeewolde tot Doesburg, geld lenen met zonder BKR registratie is hier geen enkel probleem.

14.2 percent rate may come out so just but will that be incessant after you’re going to pay for your loan. A lot of the merchant banks wil show you a rate of interest that is looking honorable but feels severely or so after a while.

Are you aware of the Child Trust Fund and its benefits? Not many UK parents seem to have heard of the fact that all newly born babies get a free £250 voucher from the government to invest in a Child Trust Fund. This voucher can be invested in any one of three kinds of CTF account, Stakeholder - a shares-based account thatswaps into cash, a savings account or a shares account. It is a great opportunity to prepare for the future requirements of a youngster

Scottish Friendly is an authorised provider of the Child Trust Fund The State is keen for the public at large to have access to Stakeholder accounts and this is the kind of account that we are supplying. This means that:

Investments are saved into Scottish Friendly’s Managed Growth Fund, which aims to provide strong growth potential

An investment is made in part in shares to get the benefit of potentially higher returns over 18 years,compared to a cash deposit account (although the value of shares can
fall as well as rise whereas capital would be protected in a deposit account)

It is available with a low ‘Stakeholder’ funds charge of only 1.5 percent every year

At age 18 the young person will get a lump sum, wholly free of Capital Gains and Income Tax under current legislation

It’s affordable - additional payments can be put in the account from as little as £10

A major attraction of the Child Trust Fund is that anyone - parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends - can contribute to the Fund to a top limit of £1,200 per year to help augment the child’s Fund (once added, this money is not allowed to be withdrawn).

Put succinctly our Stakeholder account provides a good balance between possible high returns and a reduced level of risk. There is also the additional assurance that our account meets with the Government’s stakeholder criteria. However this doesn’t mean that returns are guaranteed or that Stakeholder accounts are appropriate for everyone. Remember that the value of shares in the Managed Growth Fund (where your Child Trust Fund money is invested) can fall as well as go up and would not be guaranteed.

Only children whose birthday is on or after 1st September 2002 are permitted to open a Child Trust Fund. If you have children born before the 1st of September 2002 who are not entitled you could contemplate saving for them with a Child Bond - it’s a tax-free savings plan intended for long-term growth.

It is evident that investing for your son is a sound means of preparing for the world to come.

Chinese paper lanterns, dating back to 230 BC, symbolize long life and good luck.

During the Lantern Festival which originated around this time, the Chinese people would gather and raise their lanterns in an attempt to find their deceased loved ones thought to be passing over on their journey to heaven.

Today the event has grown to include the creations of expert lantern-makers who utilize unusual materials to show off their artistry.

Over the years, the Chinese paper lantern has been used to mark significant life events such as births, deaths, and weddings. It has also been used for military communications, and as a show of wealth: the bigger the lantern displayed outside the home, the richer the occupant.

In modern times, we know the Chinese lantern as a quaint and beautiful decoration that brightens our special events and celebrations.

Materials:

8 1/2 X 11 inch construction paper
Scissors
Stapler
Tape
Ruler
Pencil

Glitter, glue, decorations
Instructions:

Instructions:

1. Using your ruler, measure and cut 1 inch from short end of your construction paper sheet. This will be the lantern’s handle.

2. Fold your paper in half lengthwise.

3. Draw another line 1 inch from the long edge of the paper opposite the folded edge. This will indicate where you are to stop cutting.

4. Measure a series of lines 1 inch apart starting at the folded edge and ending at the “stop cutting” line.

5. Cut on these marked lines up to the “stop cutting” line.

6. Open up the paper and match the short sides together to form the lantern. Tape securely.

7. Staple the handle on top.

8. Decorate with glitter, glue, or whatever you have on hand.

9. Hang as many lanterns as you wish from a length of yarn or string.

Patricia B. Jensen is a mother of three and kids party enthusiast. She is the webmaster and owner of Kids-Party-Paradise.com - a complete resource for kids party ideas including invitations, cakes, decorations, games, costumes, favors, and food.

For all the latest party news, read her Kids Party Blog.

Subscribe to the Kids Party Paradise Newsletter and get timely updates on popular new party ideas and themes, and so much more…

Did you ever find a shirt or a pair of pants that had the seam ripped out of it? Did you ever sit and think of some of the different types of items that you can and are made with sewing machines? So what would you do, most of us would go to the closet and drag out the sowing machine and fix the seam.

Yet there are many of other things that can be done with it besides fixing your shirt or pants. You could sew some material together to make strips that later would be made into carpets or even make a complete outfit for you or your children. You could even make curtains with it or put embroidery on a coat or hat with them.

The things that you can do with sewing machines are endless all it takes is a little imagination and creativity plus that material and then nothing is impossible.

This machine has come along way from when it first became available to people. It became more compact and has more features to it. Before they made them more compact for the average person, when you ever needed a name or picture sewn on you jacket, hat, or carpet you would half to go see a specialist to have it done, and pay for the work and materials.

But now you can purchase the sewing machines in the stores that will let you do embroideries and do that project and many more out of your own home. That makes the sewing machine a lot more convenient for the average person now a day to get the work done.

There are a lot of people out there that think that a sewing machine is out dated but really they are not because you can do more with one machine than some can do with three or four different machines.

If the average person would think of the money that would be saved if they would fix that pair of pants, shirt, or skirt they would see that a sewing machine is not that bad of an idea after all.

For more information about sewing machines, please check out: http://www.1-sewing-machines.info

Whether you’ve only just moved into a new place and require a whole range of appliances and fixtures; or you simply need a new kettle - John Lewis will help out. It is often acknowledged that the kitchen is the centre of every house, so it’s important to have the best appliances after all, since the incorrect juicer can make a significant difference.

Unmistakably some purchases are very much more fundamental than others; thus you may give extra time considering which cooker or washing machine you want rather than pondering over your next bread maker. Nevertheless, even the smallest of products can perk up the look & feel of any brand of kitchen. In addition, getting various products from 1 store provides you the ability to give your kitchen a more modern look by synchronising the style of your purchases. Looking through the John Lewis site you might also get other ideas for kitchen merchandise you may possibly not have contemplated before - coffee machines for instance.

But it is not merely the ‘look’ of the kitchen appliances that you must mull over but also the requirement; for example what size of toaster are you needing? How many facilities should there be on your freezer? Do you fancy a gas or an electric hob? For additional info and recommendations on buying the finest kitchen appliances take a look at John Lewis’s buyers’ guide, which can be found on their online shop.

Purchasing from the John Lewis online store could not be simpler or more handy. Not only will you have free standard delivery on all orders; you can very easily upgrade to next day delivery if you ever want that bread maker in haste; as well as free returns if you were discontented with your product. John Lewis also at this instant provides two day express delivery service on a collection of home appliances for instance washing machines, dishwashers & cookers. Therefore, you can order from John Lewis’s internet store with utter faith. Find a great range of quality bread makers online at John Lewis.

This is a time of year when many people take stock of all that they are grateful for — or at least when we should do so. But this should also be a time when we take stock of all those people who contributed to those gifts — especially the intangible ones. Those gifts such as our self-esteem or confidence, our love of sports or music, and our spine. What person or group do you owe the greatest debt? Was there a special person or group that really helped you become the person you are today?

Was there someone who helped you believe in yourself and your ability? Was there someone who taught you to appreciate life in a new way? Was there just someone who was there so you could count on them no matter what?

Most of us have been fortunate to have not just one person but a whole team of teachers, coaches, and mentors who helped us grow and reach our potential. We should remember to thank those people again and again as we live the lives they helped us shape. Even more important we need to repay that debt — not to those individuals but to society. How is your debt? Have you paid it yet or are you still pretending it doesn’t exist?

We often hear the expression as it relates to criminals. It is sometimes used as a euphemism for incarceration. The truth is though that we all owe a debt to society. Not because we have done some harm to the community but instead because we have benefited from someone else doing good.

I am a Presbyterian and our expression of the Lord’s Prayer includes the phrase “And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors”. Obviously no matter how good we are and how exemplary our lives we can never repay our debt to God or his son so that part of the meaning is rather clear. I also think this means that we should do good for goodness sake rather than any potential benefit we may reap from the act.

I also think there is another level of meaning and this comes back to the central idea of our debt to society. I think when it comes down to acts of kindness there cannot be a one-to-one relationship. Obviously in many cases when a person is in need of help they may never be in a position to return that help in kind. But it isn’t really what we want or need when we offer help or kindness in any case.

Whenever I do something charitable, helpful, or kind, I tend to view the act as contributing to a vast fund of kindness. Many times in my life I have profited from this fund and very likely I will continue to profit from it.

One of the reasons I like this concept is that I do think of it as a sort of fund or bank. The value grows exponentially rather than incrementally just as money would do if similarly invested. We should all be grateful for this because the truth is that we usually don’t pay our debt to society.

Most of us will write the occasional check, buy a ticket for some raffle, and/or spend a few hours working here and there on some pet project. There are a few who will go much further than this and spend a large portion of their time, energy, and/or money for the greater good but they are far too few.

Often whenever we face pressure on our time or finances then it is our philanthropic activities that are the first to be sacrificed. I have been all too guilty of this myself. I wonder what would happen if we reversed this and instead put helping others first rather than last?

My challenge to you this week is simply to find a way to add to our goodness fund. Borrow from the concept of “Pay It Forward”. When someone offers you a helping hand then be sure to pass the favor along at the first opportunity. Don’t pick and choose. Don’t balance your checkbook first. Don’t take the easy path. Do what is right. You will know it when you see it.

Deanna Mascle is an inspirational freelance writer. You can find more inspiration at Inspiration by Dawggone and her inspirational ezines Words of Inspiration Online and Daily Quote Online.

Water color painting is challenging and tends to frustrate many beginners. This article will highlight some of the essential tools to help you overcome that challenge.

Soft sponge: Keep plenty of small, soft sponges to erase water color painting mistakes. The removal process consists of warm water and a sponge. Gently pat the affected area until the mistake disappears.

Paper: It’s best not to start off with a cheap paper grade. There are perfectly adequate rag-content papers you can use for practice. However, you should switch to a hand-made paper as quickly as you can. It takes paint better.

Along with the type of paper, consider the grade. You can achieve consistent effects under ideal conditons when you use the same grade of paper again and again.

Next, consider the weight. As a beginner, you’ll use a lighter weight, possibly 72 pounds. However, as you gain experience and become more competent, you’ll discover the lighter paper won’t hold up when you apply a heavy wash.

Finally, the paper texture must be right depending upon the artist’s technique. Some artists prefer the rough paper because it softens edges and creates textures. The 300-pound rough is a good choice.

Sand paper is used to scratch off paint where you need more white, and masking tape is useful to cover areas that you will either leave white or paint later on. If you want to create softer effects, an ordinary butter knife can scrape paint.

You can use mat knives to nick and scrape paint areas to highlight white accents. Wet down paper with a cosmetic sponge - you can even use it as a paint brush! Paint rags are necessary for wiping brushes and creating cloud effects.

Here’s something you may not have thought of - a hand mirror. Use it to look at your picture in reverse. When you view your water color painting in reverse, many things become immediately clear, such as picture balance.

A low sketching stool will help your water color painting, because working close to the ground is easier on you. Correct your sketches before committing to painting with a kneaded eraser.

Gather these tools and paper to help you create and paint the best water color paintings possible! Good luck, and happy painting.

At last - you can paint water colors perfectly without wasting paper and paint. Discover this long-lost art book with the secrets for water color painting and drawing.

http://www.easywatercolorpainting.com

To become truly immortal, a work of art must escape all human limits:
logic and common sense will only interfere. But once these barriers are broken,
it will enter the realms of childhood visions and dreams, says Giorgio
de Chirico. Art, thus escapes limits, becomes free in every sense and goes in
search of fresh feelings and thoughts that strike a balance between reality
and idealism.

In art, paintings are adorned much because of its non-defined structure, beauty
that explains hidden feelings, shared thoughts and suppressed emotions. It has
a world of its own- a world of color, shine and unheard music that takes a man
to an unknown world he is seldom familiar with. It speaks its own language-
a language taught by its creator and communicates to the rest of the world what
the creator wanted it to dictate.

As painting gives an immortal beauty and creates an atmosphere of creativity
and exquisiteness it has been used in households, offices, and other institutions
and places. Art lovers buy paintings to experience something they are already
familiar with and explore a world beyond simplicity or abstractness.

But paintings get damaged very fast if not maintained and preserved properly.
Taking care of paintings by itself is known to be an art.

Reasons for paintings getting damaged

Major reason behind paintings getting damaged is time. All other reasons are
centered on this unique factor.

• Time

Time or aging plays an important part in getting the painting damaged or spoiled
very soon. As time pass by, paintings are also undergoing so many changes. Most
traditional paintings were made in such a way that it could adapt with time.
Nowadays, paintings get blemished very fast because of fragility.

Results

1. Aging results in appearance of fissures or white shades around the paining.
   It also results in actual color being dimmed and the shining lost.
2. Discoloration of varnish.
3. Structural damages like cracks will appear in the painting.
4. Quality of the painting will be lost.
5. Thick paint films get dried and wrinkles appear in paintings.
6. Painting loses suppleness.
• Physical damage

If the painting is framed in glass, then there can be chances for the frame
to be broken and consequently the painting can get damaged in such a way that
the varnish will get affected adversely and this in turn affects the painting
in the subsequent layers. Thus marks appear on the painting and this later on
will affect the surface.

• Collection of dust, soot or dirt on the surface

There are lots of possibilities for the collection of dust or dirt on the surface
of the painting. This will not show any adverse effect on the painting very
soon. But it will be shown in the days to come.

How to maintain a painting properly?

Environment plays an important role in damaging and also preserving the beauty
of a painting. Thus, various aspects of environmental changes will affect the
painting in many ways.

Check temperature and humidity

Creating an appropriate environment is desirable in the proper maintenance of
painting. Check the temperature and humidity level, as relative humidity is
desirable for the proper preservation of paintings. Humidity less than 40 and
above 60 is not good for the proper maintenance of paintings. It also depends
on the medium in which the painting has been done. If the painting is done on
canvas and not on wood, it will react more adversely to rising humidity levels.

High temperature levels also should be avoided. Maintaining a constant temperature
or humidity is desirable. Rooms with constant temperature level and humidity
level should be chosen to hang paintings. Slight variations in the environment
cannot be avoided and it will not do much harm to paintings, whereas constantly
varying environmental situations can make an unfavorable effect on the painting.

Prevent ultraviolet light

Ultraviolet light is not good for paintings. Dyes and other agents used in the
painting will undergo discoloration as a result of the exposure to ultraviolet
rays. Therefore special care should be taken in avoiding ultraviolet exposure
to paintings and a balance has to be maintained in the intensity of light the
paintings are exposed to. Museums also do not use high intensity lights.

Avoid moisture

Moisture is another aspect, which affects painting. It affects the layers of
the paintings and reaches the surface of the paintings resulting in paint loss.
Therefore it is always better to avoid water or moisture in the paint surface
or ground.

Clean dust or dirt

Dust or dirt unnoticed in the beginning will eventually result in spoiling the
painting. Dust will accumulate in the surfaces of the paintings and it damages
the entire painting very slowly. Therefore proper cleaning of dust or dirt will
help in avoiding further damages in paintings.

Framing paintings

It is always better to frame paintings and preserve it from extraneous particles
like dust or dirt. It also keeps the painting beautiful and neat. There will
be expensive and inexpensive frames available and framing with materials like
good quality wood will help in preserving the painting better.

Displaying paintings

Paintings should be hung in a better place and somewhere you always pay attention
to. It is better you hang or display paintings in your drawing room or visitors
since you will always give extra care to these rooms and its maintenance. So
you will definitely take care of the paintings too.

Paintings are assets. Vincent Van Gogh once said that the only time he feels
alive is when he is painting. This explains the hard toil, dedication and worship
of the painter towards the artwork with which he makes a better expression of
his formless ideas. Preserving and maintaining these art works is also an art
as it shows the respect and admiration towards the creator and the timeless
creation.

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The best way to understand the zodiac signs is to think of them
as twelve separate energy fields in space that consist of either
fire, earth, air, or water. This is easy to understand if you
think of what happens when you pour water on fire. Obviously,
you know that the fire goes out. In a sense, water has
eliminated it. We all know that fire and water are not
compatible.

It is helpful to know that all of us are made up of various
combinations of fire, earth, air, and water energies. Our
particular combination of these elements are revealed in our
astrological birth chart. They reveal who we are as a human
being.

For example, if you have a lot of fire signs (Aries, Leo, and
Sagittarius) in your nature you would not get along with a
person who was born with a lot of water signs (Cancer, Scorpio
and Pisces). You would feel that the water person is too
emotional, sensitive, and incapable of facing reality.

On the other hand, the water person would view you as blunt,
impulsive, arrogant, and insensitive to their feelings. People
encounter these kinds of dramas every day of their lives, but
are not conscious of what is behind the conflicts they have with
other people.

To be more specific, if you have your Moon in Cancer and your
co-worker has his Mars in Aries, he will always be seen by you
as a real jerk because his impulsive reactions irritate you
emotionally. If you knew that these are the signs that are at
the source of your problems, you could find a way to work with
them. You would be able to talk about these differences and work
out a solution. You might even find it humorous!

It is helpful to know that there are three fire signs, three
earth signs, three air signs, and three water signs. When
planets are found in these signs, they activate the energies of
the signs. This is the valuable information that a skilled
astrologer can find for you. He can even tell you what your
relationship would be like with any other person BEFORE you even
get to know them.

If you practice looking at your relationship problems in this
way, you will find answers that you never thought imaginable.
All you need to do is explore these secret realms of
consciousness and you will be well-rewarded with great insights
into human nature.

© 2005 Randall Curtis

Randall Curtis is a professional astrologer with world-wide
clients. If you wish to become a certified, professional
astrologer, check out The
Institute of Professional Astrology. Click on this link for
insights into your relationships, free astrology lessons,
zodiac love match guidance, and a free course on “Avoiding
Dating Disaster.”