I'm putting some lumber loads together for flat car models and am about to start cutting strip wood. Of course I'll make the piles hollow, and insert real weight inside the cavity. But I am wondering two things about the strip wood.

a) I am using stock that is too heavy to cut nicely with a razor blade. I have trouble believing a razor saw will not chew up the ends too much to look like a mill cut. Maybe with a very slow, very delicate touch. But thought I'd ask if there are other approaches to getting that nice square end one sees in prototype photos.

b) strip wood does not come in a colour that looks like the cedar and fir cut in my area. So if I am attempting to colour the load, what approach? I am thinking drawing each strip through a rag wetted with the colour. Should it be oil based to minimize warping? Any preferred colours? and what about the raising of the grain that can happen? I was thinking maybe the way to go is to first do a clear coat, sand it down with 400 grit to dull the finish, and then stain that? But maybe I'm worrying too much. What's worked for others?

Rob Kirkham