Monday, June 23, 2025

Exhausting Paper Mill

 I'll have to check with some of my Pulp and Paper Technology Classmates to find out for sure, but I'm assuming the "exhaust stacks" on the Panama City mill might be from the steam heated paper drier cans.  Doesn't matter too much, they are on every photo from this side:




So, I used a length of small PVC tubing cut to approximate length, heated, and bent to make a selectively compressed section similar to photos.  I'm supposing these vents are between the Fourdrinier paper machine, itself, and the cutting and re-rolling sections of the paper mill -- that is, put them "in between" like this, with attempted right angle and uniform positioning!


Turning upside down while gluing ensured all stacks were the same height.  Looks OK on the layout.

Ignore the windup steam loco, of course.

Oh, and the orange peel grapple might look good when the woodyard is completed.  May need to "selectively compress" the debarking drum (it's out of the picture frame!?!).





Tuesday, June 17, 2025

Orange Peel Pulpwood Grapple

I recall from youth seeing something that might be called an excavator with orange peel grapple moving pulpwood from the woodpile to the conveyor.  When I passed by a display of construction equipment at Tractor Supply, I thought I saw something similar AND it was 1/87 scale!  The similar items at HO scale supply shops seemed to be a lot more expensive, so I picked up the Tractor Supply excavator.


OK, so maybe a little too "new" but it says "Cat" and most of the others I saw were some other make.

A friend had pointed out to me that Model Tech Studios had what looked like a grapple, so I went online and ordered one.  A bit of Dremel tool work to cut off the bucket and grind down the arm, a few logs glued in the grapple, and the grapple was installed!




Model Tech had an N/HO grapple and an HO/S grapple.  I might should have gone with the HO/S, but at least it's "representative"!!

Besides, by the time I had paid for the Tractor Supply excavator, the Model Tech grapple, and shipping for the latter, I had gone well over the price of a ready made grapple crane.  BUT, I would have missed the fun of adapting the excavator AND it would not have had the CAT nameplate.

I'm satisfied.