Greetings and welcome to the new roaring 20's. Let's get it started with a new build challenge. I will be building the Polar Lights House on The Hill.
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This is an HO plastic kit made by Polar Lights. It is loosely based on the Pyscho mansion from the famous motion picture. I will not be building the Psycho mansion. However, I will be building the house in a state of disrepair. I will be using Jason Jensen's famous YouTube tutorials as guidance.
The price on the box says $23.99. I paid $23. You can get them for less on eBay.
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Note the skill level on the box, 2. Must be 10 years of age to build this. Otherwise, pestilence and havoc will rain down on your workbench.
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The kit comes in four or so sprues inside a plastic bag.
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The kit literature says the kit comes molded in 4 different colors. That is technically true. However, two of the colors are a close shade of grey/brown.
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The instructions are simple and rely on exploded diagrams to guide the modeler on how to assemble the kit.
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One is to follow along with the numbered steps on the exploded diagrams as the kit is glued together.
The cast parts are fairly crisp and have nice detail definition for the price.
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It should be noted the windows and doors are already cast on the walls. This speeds up construction but makes it challenging to paint them a separate color than the building.
This is going to be a fun build and hopefully a quick one. I imagine a dedicated modeler could knock out this build in a weekend. I am not that dedicated so it'll take me a month of Sundays ;D
More as it develops.
Jaime
Jaime,
I'll be following this build. Nice Victorian Second Empire style house--always fun to add some detailed architectural style to the layout, and the price is right. Darryl just finished up a good short tutorial on making plastic kits look as good as wood kits. Eager to see what you do with it.
--Opa George
hey Jaime, nice choice! I built this a few years ago- used a scratch tool on the siding surfaces really enhanced the clapboard.
Quote from: rpdylan on January 01, 2020, 08:44:01 AM
hey Jaime, nice choice! I built this a few years ago- used a scratch tool on the siding surfaces really enhanced the clapboard.
I am trying that scratching technique. Thanks for the tip.
Jaime
Quote from: Opa George on January 01, 2020, 08:20:37 AM
Jaime,
I'll be following this build. Nice Victorian Second Empire style house--always fun to add some detailed architectural style to the layout, and the price is right. Darryl just finished up a good short tutorial on making plastic kits look as good as wood kits. Eager to see what you do with it.
--Opa George
That is a nice tutorial from Darryl. Darryl has some cool videos as well on YouTube.
Jaime
Cool choice, Jamie. I'm watching, as well.
My gas station is planned to be on the corner of a more residential neighborhood, was thinking 3 or 4 Victorian townhouses, but this house may replace 1 or 2 of them.
Jim
This will be a fascinating build.
This will be fun, I'm a big fan of styrene kits done well. I've been tempted by those kits several times.
dave
I'll be looking in Jamie..... :)
Looking forward to your build, Jaime. A friend in the modular group I'm in built this as in the Psycho movie. I look forward to your rendition.
Jaime,
I'll be following along as well.
Tom ;D
I'll be following along, Jaime.
I'll have a look for that tutorial from Darryl, too.
Cheers, Mark.
A nice addition to the challenge, old school plastic kit. Can't wait to see it done.
Looking forward to seeing what you do with this one. It should be a lot of fun! :D
I'll be following.
Thanks for all the feedback.
I found a cool tutorial from Jason Jensen on YouTube about making plastic look like wood. This is it:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voI7WcnkxAE (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voI7WcnkxAE)
I saw that a few months back. I wanted to try those techniques. And I fortuitously came across this kit while at the initial Craftsman Courtyard in Timonium.
The trick is to give the plastic walls the texture of wood using some tools to scratch the plastic. I used a razor saw and some 150 grit sandpaper as in the video. I also went and found the same paints that Jason used on the video (for the most part).
I'll le the video linked above do the talking. For now here is a sample of what I am ending up with:
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There is no rhyme or reason to how I did this. I just took a mixture of all the paints and slathered them on randomly on the walls -- in the direction of the wood grain simulated on the walls --, heed that.
By the way, I have chosen to use Apple Barrel Sandstone as my trim color (that was not on the video).
Give it a try.
More as it develops.
Jaime
That technique is quite effective, Jaime. It reminds me a bit of Troels Kirk's technique.
Steady hand on the trim!
Cheers, Mark.
Are you applying the folk art paint with the small pointed tip brush , one clapboard at a time.
Try a stiffer 1/2" wide brush and go side to side ONCE ONLY , per paint load in brush.
mike lynch............... HAIRBALL
Quote from: mark dalrymple on January 02, 2020, 08:03:35 PM
That technique is quite effective, Jaime. It reminds me a bit of Troels Kirk's technique.
Steady hand on the trim!
Cheers, Mark.
I try my best at the tiny details but I need more practice.
Jaime
Quote from: hairball on January 02, 2020, 08:36:41 PM
Are you applying the folk art paint with the small pointed tip brush , one clapboard at a time.
Try a stiffer 1/2" wide brush and go side to side ONCE ONLY , per paint load in brush.
mike lynch............... HAIRBALL
The technique calls to highlight random boards individually with a small brush. Otherwise, a regular brush is used to cover the walls. I find the less defined one does this it helps with the randomness. I'm just futzing around figuring out what works for me. Your suggestion of brushing sideways once only with each color is a good one.
Jaime
Great start Jaime!
How would you rate the quality of the detail and finish of the kit? I have been thinking about buying one of these. Sometimes the mobius tooling / molds are a little weak when it comes to trim work etc.
Quote from: Rail and Tie on January 04, 2020, 12:43:14 PM
Great start Jaime!
How would you rate the quality of the detail and finish of the kit? I have been thinking about buying one of these. Sometimes the mobius tooling / molds are a little weak when it comes to trim work etc.
The detail is very crisp and there is almost no flash to clean. There are a bunch of separate ornamental architectural details to be applied. The cornices on the walls are very nice. The shingling on the roofs is very detailed and highly defined. The kit includes a really nice brick foundation for the house. For the price it is a great kit.
Perhaps the only drawback is you will have to deal with the cast-on windows and doors. And, even though my kit claims to come with glazing for the windows, it does not.
Charlie Getz did a review of this very kit in the latest Gazette. He seemed to have a similar experience as I am having.
Jaime
So far the only mistake I have found in the kit is the brick wrap on the house's foundation. The instructions depicts the parts upside down. However, the parts only fit the correct way. So, the instruction's mistake is not a deal breaker.
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Note how the brick wrap (right) and the trellis (left) don't quite match. In the photo above the brick is correct. The trellis is not. Alas, my trellis was already glued in place real good before I discovered the mistake. Oh well, no biggie, there will likely be overgrow bushes around all that once finished.
More as it develops.
Jaime
Clearly, you need a shrubbery! Bring Me a Shrubbery - Monty Python - Longer Version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSMPjMVnAU)
dave
Quote from: deemery on January 04, 2020, 04:10:45 PM
Clearly, you need a shrubbery! Bring Me a Shrubbery - Monty Python - Longer Version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSMPjMVnAU)
dave
May I please have back my 4.5 minutes lol
Jaime
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 04, 2020, 04:19:33 PM
Quote from: deemery on January 04, 2020, 04:10:45 PM
Clearly, you need a shrubbery! Bring Me a Shrubbery - Monty Python - Longer Version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSMPjMVnAU)
dave
May I please have back my 4.5 minutes lol
Jaime
Knights that say "Ni"!!
Thanks for the review of the kit Jaime. I will be foraging for one...
Quote from: Rail and Tie on January 04, 2020, 10:06:13 PM
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 04, 2020, 04:19:33 PM
Quote from: deemery on January 04, 2020, 04:10:45 PM
Clearly, you need a shrubbery! Bring Me a Shrubbery - Monty Python - Longer Version (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYSMPjMVnAU)
dave
May I please have back my 4.5 minutes lol
Jaime
Knights that say "Ni"!!
Thanks for the review of the kit Jaime. I will be foraging for one...
Note the suggested next kit: Roger the Shrubber
A nursery in HO would make for a nice kit.
Moving right along....
The kit gives the modeler the option to build the house on a hill (thus the kit's name) or not. I decided to take the the option.
While paint on the walls dries, I knocked out the stairway leading up the hill to the house.
The parts required to build the stairway.
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The instructions on how to assemble the stairway.
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I cleaned off what little flash there was on the parts and laid them all out so I could dry fit the whole thing before gluing it together.
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This kit is built with a version of "tab and slot". Thus, it all goes together easiely and you cannot assemble it wrong. Plus, it gives the modeler a lot more surface area when it comes time to glue stuff.
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I made sure to assemble the parts on top of a level surface.
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And here is the stairway when glued together.
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And this is how it fits into the base that comes with the kit.
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I will need to build me a small hill once I get the scenery portion of the build. For now I will not glue the stairway to the base.
By the way, the kit is made in China.
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Polar Lights has this one Vicrtorian house based on Psycho and another based on the Adams Family.
More as it develops.
Jaime
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 05, 2020, 03:55:28 PM
A nursery in HO would make for a nice kit.
https://severnmodels.com/epages/eshop1179816.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop1179816/Products/D.7
Here ya go. Would be a bit large, being OO scale, but not terribly so, I don't think :)
Build is looking really good, Jaime.
Jim
Quote from: JimF on January 05, 2020, 06:22:01 PM
Quote from: NEMMRRC on January 05, 2020, 03:55:28 PM
A nursery in HO would make for a nice kit.
https://severnmodels.com/epages/eshop1179816.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop1179816/Products/D.7 (https://severnmodels.com/epages/eshop1179816.sf/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/eshop1179816/Products/D.7)
Here ya go. Would be a bit large, being OO scale, but not terribly so, I don't think :)
Build is looking really good, Jaime.
Jim
That's a nice model right there.
Time to paint the architectural details. There is a number of wrought iron looking like details. I painted then with Apple Barrel Sandstone to match the trim on the house.
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The model includes a tar paper roof with tar paper already molded on the roof. There is plenty of texture to it. I wanted to make my roof to look moldy and slimy.
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I used Americana Avocado and Folk Art Raw Umber.
Time to watch some more paint drying....
More as it develops.
Jaime
Coming on nicely, Jaime.
I'm pretty impressed with the kit so far. Those steps are great.
Cheers, Mark.
Alright. Moving right along.
As the paint on the walls was dry enough I began to dry fit the walls on the house's base. I wanted to make sure the walls would blend in together once glued together.
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This whole making plastic look like wood was a huge experiment for me. I wanted to make the walls look like they were rotting and molding under a faint white wash of what once was the original paint on the building. The effect was achieved by layering on the paints on the walls.
Here is the rotting molding layer.
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Contrast that to the plain white plastic layer underneath. I have painted the trim already. I should have waited to do that last.
Once the rotting molding layer was done I washed the walls with black acrylic paint. Lots of water and little paint.
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I then finished the walls with a faint white paint layer. I did that by dry brushing some white acrylic paint.
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It's OK to give your kit the finger from time to time... you know, rub the paint on with your finger.
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And this is how the walls ended up.
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That is enough for now.
More as it develops.
Jaime
Very nice paint color and application.
Looking good Jaime. I like your color combinations.
Jaime
Looks great. You are mastering the art of making plastic look like wood.
Hey Jaime:
looking real nice so far. I agree with John S on it looking like A wood model.
Karl
Howdy, gang.
Thank you for all the positive feedback.
Time to start gluing some stuff together.
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The kit's base makes it real easy to align it all up. There are tabs and slots to keep things all lined up nice and neat.
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Over the years I've used FALLER Super EXPERT plastic cement. It is really nice and comes with a fantastic applicator. Ambroid ProWeld is great for fast drying joint work. Use in a well ventilated area.
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See how it all fits in nice and neat on the building's foundation.
There is no "one way" to put it all together. What I did was to add one wall at a time and glue the top of the walls together. Once all the walls were together I removed the walls from the foundation and glued the bottoms of the walls together and all of the inner wall seams. This way I have a strong bond all around and I can remove the building off the base to work on it some more (I still have to add the window glazing and other details).
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This also gave me a chance to make sure the roofline on the building was going to be flat once the roof was added.
The front porch is a separate subassembly and it gets a real delicate and detailed railing and posts. I built it all upside down to help me get it all squared off.
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The foundation has nice brick details and trellis detail. I used the spackle method to put in some mortar lines. I painted the trellis flat black and then came back and dry brushed the trellis with white.
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Time to start tying it all together.
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The main roof and the tower roof get some neat ornamental ironwork.
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Time to add in some small details like steps and cellar doors, etc.
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Now I wait for glue to dry to proceed further.
More as it develops.
Jaime
That is looking really nice.
Outstanding! :D :D :D
Great job Jaime , turning a plastic kit into a craftsmen kit.
Looks great, Jaime!
Some really nice detail in that kit.
Cheers, Mark.
Looking good Jamie! When I did mine, that little oval window is 1 piece,,,, I opened up the spaces around the center mullions and put some Gallery Glass for a window. Something to think about,,,
Very nice, Jaime. I see you lifted a few clapboards. How difficult, or tricky, was that operation on plastic as opposed to wood?
--Opa George
Quote from: rpdylan on January 09, 2020, 02:11:39 AM
Looking good Jamie! When I did mine, that little oval window is 1 piece,,,, I opened up the spaces around the center mullions and put some Gallery Glass for a window. Something to think about,,,
I had not considered that. I may think about it. That window in this kit is also one piece. Thanks for the suggestion.
Jaime
Quote from: Opa George on January 09, 2020, 05:28:19 AM
Very nice, Jaime. I see you lifted a few clapboards. How difficult, or tricky, was that operation on plastic as opposed to wood?
--Opa George
It was not hard. The plastic used on the kt is pretty sturdy. I had better luck with a number 11 blade than I did with a chisel blade. I had to do it slowly though. Once the plastic starts to bend on the wall as you lift the clapboard it wants to snap off. I ended up snapping off a couple of bits in the process.
Jaime
Another great build, and doing 2 at same time.
I am so tempted to order both house kits, but am holding off, as I am getting a itch to do a couple of O scale structures.
Jim
Jaime,
Wow, what an outstanding build. Great job.
Tom ;D
Thank you all for the encouraging words. A big thank you to Raymo for getting all of us off our seat and starting off the year by building stuff.
Time to figure out how to configure the diorama for the structure.
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You can see how the structure fits neatly on its foundation and the foundation inside the hill's crest or terrain if you would. I like to use Gatorfoam (https://www.gatorfoam.net) for my diorama bases. Gatorfoam is light, very sturdy, waterproof, cuts easily, and it can be ordered in a "natural" color to hide any bare spots in your scenery. Give it a try.
Let's see what we can dream up for the diorama.
The blank slate.
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I wanted to build a hill on the diorama base so I used some white styrofoam I had handy.
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When you move into a new house your spouse will likely buy new furniture. With new furniture you get a lifetime supply of cardboard and white styrofoam.
I grabbed a small rigid straight piece.
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I used some small sharp knives to cut up the stuff, carefully. The white styrofoam makes a mess so try to limit its use.
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I wanted to build the hill to match the height of the stone stairway that comes with the kit.
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And here is evidence of how little of a mess you can make if you are really careful cutting up the white styrofoam.
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The end results... sort of.
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I misjudged the whole effort and the stairway is dangling in the air. No biggie.
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A lifetime supply of cardboard and white styrofoam....
And here is an overview of the whole affair.
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And now I wait some more for the white glue holding all the white styrofoam together to dry.
I need to figure out how to slope the hill with Scultpamold so stay tuned.
More as it develops.
Jaime
Looks great.
Alright!
I found a spare piece of blue foam from a past project. I used it to finish off the base for the hill before I slather on some Sculptamold.
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I used the same set of knives to cut up the blue foam.
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That should do the trick.
I love using Sculptamold. It is very easy to work into the area and shape you need and has about a 20-30 minute working time. More on that later.
When I finished the base for the hill I wanted to find some inspiration for what to do. So I Googled "psycho house" to find some photos online. Boy was that creepy.
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Those are the three photos I decided to use as a guide for how to scenic the hill AFTER I had glued up all the foam on my diorama base. By the way, I don't know who that couple is in the third photo.
When I set off to do this build I did not intend to do the Psycho house. I mainly wanted to do a run-down house that needed some repair. It's a tad creepy my house ended up looking a lot like the Psycho house. Oh well.
After the glued foam dries up I'll start slathering on some Sculptamold.
More as it develops.
Jaime
Hey jaime:
Beautiful job so far. Love the prototype photos also. I just noticed that I have that kit in my stash. Got it quite A while ago.
Keep up the great work.
Karl
Amazing resemblance Jaime..... :o
Those that have this kit need to build it. It's fun.
You know what's even more fun? Sculptamold.
Time to build some terrain using Sculptamold.
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All you need is some water, a mixing bowl, something to mix it all up with, and a brush to work the Sculptamold before it starts to set.
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I used a sponge brush to work the Sculptamold into the shapes I needed but you can use any old bristle brush. You have to wet the brush to work the Sculptamold.
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This stuff is easy to work. You take 2 parts Sculptamold and add one part water. You mix it up real nice into the consistency of tuna fish like in a sandwich.
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Just slather the Sculptamold on your diorama and use the wet brush to push it around and tease it into the shape you need. You have anywhere between 20 to 30 minted to work this stuff before it begins to set. It's easier to make small batches so you aren't in a rush to get all the work done at once. The trick is to keep your brush wet and keep the Scultpamold wet while you work it.
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It is really easy to blend in the Sculptamold with the rest of your scenery. Above you can see how I blended in the Sculptamold with the kit's plastic terrain base.
And this is where I ended up.
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Even though the stuff begins to set after about 30 minutes, it takes it around 2 days to fully dry. Wait until it is fully dry to come back and sand it down to your liking and then paint it.
So now I wait some more.....
By the way, the kit includes one figure, this one.
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I probably won't be using it here.
More as it develops.
Jaime
The Sculptamold finally dried.
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I need some scenery supplies and I'll get moving.
I tested some shades of brown to see if what I have in mind will work.
I find that cleaning my workbench helps me get it all sorted out without distraction. However, I end up losing tools afterwards ...
Move as it develops.
Jaime
Jaime:
the model is looking just beautiful. Can't wait to see the finished model with all its scenery. Maybe you should scratch the bates Motel to go with it.
Karl
Quote from: postalkarl on January 16, 2020, 08:23:11 AM
Jaime:
the model is looking just beautiful. Can't wait to see the finished model with all its scenery. Maybe you should scratch the bates Motel to go with it.
Karl
I think I'll save that for a later challenge.
Jaime
Scenery supplies arrived today. So, I headed down to the basement and began getting the diorama dirty. I don't dare do scenery work in the breakfast room where my workbench is found. Plus it gave me a chance to move to an area with more space and I got to clean up my workbench.
First I sanded off the pointy bits sticking out of the Sculptamold terrain. I used 100 grit and a sanding block with 150 grit.
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I then mixed one half white glue with one half light brown acrylic paint I had from when I built the Expo module for the Lancaster Expo. I got the 1 to 1 formula from a video from www.TracksideScenery.com (http://www.tracksidescenery.com) .
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I used a cheap 1" bristle brush to apply the natural color "scenery glue".
And this is how it all ended up. I probably should have taped off some sections that I didn't want scenery on. Oh well...
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I then sprinkled on some Woodland Scenics ground turf. I don't have real dirt made up so...
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And now I wait for stuff to dry.
More as it develops.
Jaime
Alright, if I don't keep moving I'll let this stuff linger. This is why I don't like scenery (other than because I suck at it), it takes too long with all the drying time.
Next I decided to start adding some foliage. I had some little trees that I have no clue where I got from. But, there they were so I am going to use them.
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Next it is time to add gravel to the diorama base. Or at least something other than turf. I found a cool video from Joey Ricard at www.tracksidescenery.com (http://www.tracksidescenery.com) on YouTube and he shows how to use Quikrete cement mix to mimic gravel on your layout. So I did that.
First you have to sift the Quikrete mix to get rid of the pebbles and stones.
Next you paint the area with the natural colored scenery glue.
Then you dust on the sifted gravel (Quikrete).
After that you let it dry.........................
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Once it is dry, you saturate the graveled area (I did the whole diorama just to be sure) with cheap hair spray to fix everything in place.
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Just get the cheapest hair spray you can find. I bought mine at the local Dollar Tree.
Go out of doors and saturate the gravel with the hair spray. Don't hold back. Let it rip. Go crazy with it.
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And then you wait some more for it to dry............................................................................................
Have I already mentioned that this hobby requires the patience of a saint ?
More as it develops.
Jaime
Looks fantastic, Jamie.
I'm not sure I will use them, but after watching your build, went ahead and bought both kits, just in case. One never knows :)
Jim
Progress Report
Thank you all for following along.
This is where I am at the moment.
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I still need to add glazing to the windows, weather the roof, add some shrubs around the house and maybe a couple more trees.
I have no idea what I will do with the diorama one it is "finished". I may take it to the office and use it as a "conversation starter".
More as it develops.
Jaime
I think Jaime is one of those media "influencers"
Was in a small hobby shop last week, not far from here, there was 1 of these kits and 2 of the other in stock, and decent prices. The guy working there saw me looking, said they had had 5 of each, on the shelf for a while, then sold 7 within the last several weeks.
Wonderful job on the kit, Jamie.
Jim