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Forum Contest Builds => Contest Thread # 1 => Topic started by: ReadingBob on February 25, 2014, 07:01:44 PM

Title: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on February 25, 2014, 07:01:44 PM
No action shots (yet) but the kit did arrive in the mail today (Thanks JimmyD!  :D ) so I thought I'd share some pictures of the treasures hidden inside the box.

Attachment 1: Everything laid out on the carpet.

Attachment 2: The detail parts including a Sailfish Plaque, Lobster Traps, a little open shed with cans plus the usual assortment of doors, windows, etc.   8)

Attachment 3: Some of the walls and signs including some nifty looking walls with a terrific shingle texture on them.

Attachment 4:  Some more walls and some plaster cast stone walls.  Not the ones I poured last night.   ;D

Attachment 5: Some other odds and ends including the pieces that make up the dock the structure will sit on.  Nicely done to give a board by board appearance.

This one looks like it's going to be a hoot.  I just hope a) I can get 'er done by the end of the contest deadline and b) I can do 'er justice!

Tonight's project, me thinks, will be to watch a DVD on waterfront scenery.  I think I have one that Doug did (I hope) and I know I have the Kings DVD on making realistic water.  Maybe even a little research to get a feel for the colors that I want to use.  The real construction will begin this weekend.   :D 
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 01, 2014, 07:13:09 PM
Here's the Saturday update (sorry Al, I haven't gotten around to taking pictures and measurements of the walls but I will before the weekend is over).

Attachment 1: It's time to clean up the detail parts prior to priming them.  I examined the windows and doors for any flash that might be present on the mullions.  The little bit I found I scraped (not cut) off with the tip of an X-Acto knife.  Gently drag the blade along the mullion a few times to scrape off the flash.

Attachment 2:  I prefer to remove the doors and windows from the sprues prior to priming them.  Others paint them first and then remove them.  It's a personal preference.  I use a sprue cutter to cut the parts from the sprue.  It makes a clean cut close to the part that requires only a little, if any, touch up after the fact.

Attachment 3: Next I touch up the plastic parts with an emery board.  Just a few quick swipes is all it takes to smooth out where the cuts were made.

Attachment 4: If any of the metal castings have a large nob where the part was cut from the sprue I trim it flush with an old pair of flush cut rail nippers.  This is not the pair I use for cutting rail.  It's an old pair that has been relegated to the work bench for just his purpose.  It saves some filing in the next step.

Attachment 5: The metal casting may require a little clean up with a file to remove an part lines and to make sure they sit level.  A set of small files comes in handy for this set.

Attachment 6:  The lobster traps included in this kit are etched brass.  The sheets are a little thicker than some I've worked with in the past.  Normally I cut etched brass parts from the carrier sheets using a pair of micro scissors from Friskar but I felt this was a little bit too thick for them so I opted to first remove as much of the carrier sheet as I could with some plan old heavy duty wire cutters.  I'm not cutting close to the actual parts.  I'm just removing material around the parts so I can get at the them with my flush cut rail nippers.

More tomorrow when I hope to finish up a lobster traps and prime all the parts.   ;D 
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 02, 2014, 06:47:58 PM
Attachment 1: Once parts of the carrier sheet were cut away and could get at the lobster traps themselves I used my rail nippers to cut them from the sheets.  I cut as close as possible to the traps and then touched them up with a small file.  Be careful when filing them.  The teeth of the file can catch on the brass sheet and bend them.  They can be bent back into shape if that happens.

Attachment 2: I tried to get nice square bend where needed using everything I had on my workbench.  This wasn't the easiest thing to do and, for the most part, I ended up using a pair of needle nose pliers.  It took a fair amount of time to get the traps the way I wanted them and to fix all the little accidental bends I put in them.   ;D

Attachment 3: The instructions say the traps can be assembled with CA but since they're brass I opted for soldering them.  For the most part I used tweezers to hold them as the heat builds up in them quickly and, if you're holding them like I am in the picture, you won't be for long.

Attachment 4: Time to add some texture to the wood (optional).  I used my favorite wire brush to do this job and, for the short dowels included in the kit a piece of scrape wood that I routed a small groove in to hold them.  Try not add texture to your fingers while doing this.

Attachment 5: Here's my favorite texture tool.  It's something I picked up at Home Depot in the welding section.  It's used to clean out the inside of 3/4" OD copper pipe prior to soldering it (I think).  Whatever, it's great for adding texture to strip wood and dowels and it's cheap.

Attachment 6:  I taped a couple of lengths of blue painters tape to my cutting mat and cut out a template to use for cutting the corrugated siding material into scale 3 foot pieces.

More in the next post...



Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 02, 2014, 06:55:27 PM
Attachment 1:  Using a X-Acto with a sharp blade in it and a steel ruler I made several light passes over the corrugated siding material to cut it length.

Attachment 2:   Repeat the cutting process until you run out of corrugated siding material.   :o  I prefer to cut this prior to painting but some prefer to paint the sheets first and then cut it into sections after the fact.

Attachment 3, 4 and 5:  Here are the walls laid out, with rulers, to give Al an idea of their dimensions.  The first are the walls that make up the right hand structure which will be covered with corrugated siding.  The second is the walls that make up the elevated middle section and the final are the walls that make up the left and structure.  I hope the rulers are readable.  If not, let me know and I'll post the measurements.

Later!   ;D
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 09, 2014, 10:54:27 AM
Okay, back at it.  I got a few things done since my last post.

Attachment 1: First of all (giving credit where credit is due) I just had to build myself a little soak tank like the one like Jack (jerseymerchantile) showed us in myFOS Engine House at Caldwell Junction - Build (http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=193.0) thread.  I didn't use quite as big a diameter PVC pipe as Jack did but it's still plenty big.  I cut it the pipe long enough to have room, between the end caps, to cut an opening that would accommodate a standard piece of strip wood from packages I have in my stash.  I poured my Hunterline Light Gray stain in the tank.

Attachment 2:  Now that I'm all prepped staining the strip wood was really easy.  I wanted a light gray color so I keep the soak time minimal and dropped the strip wood into the soak tank and pulled it out with a pair of tweezers.

Attachment 3:  I dropped the freshly stained strip wood into an old kit box to dry.  After I was finished I poured the stain out of the soak tank (via a hole I had drilled in one of the end caps back into the original bottle with minimal spillage/mess.   :D

Attachment 4:  Time to brace the walls.  I started with the small walls that make up the raised, middle structure.  I like to brace the end walls at both ends but in this case I had to leave room to accommodate the side walls.  So, using the side walls as a guide I glued the 1/8" square strip wood to the walls.

Attachment 5: After the glue set I trimmed the strip wood to length using a sharp (very sharp) single edge razor blade to make cuts that match the edge of the wall.

Attachment 6:  Here's how I braced the for walls for the middle structure.

More in a moment...
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 09, 2014, 11:05:43 AM
Attachment 1: For the clapboard structure the bracing can be glued right up against the edge of the end walls (there will be a corner post added later on.  I used a metal square to make sure I got the bracing glued right up against the edge.

Attachment 2: This picture shows the bracing I applied to the walls that make up the right hand, corrugated sided, structure.  Like the middle structure I had to leave room on the end walls for side walls to be glued in place so, once again, I had used the walls as a guide when gluing the bracing in place.  Note that 'white' side of these walls is the inside and the 'black' side is the exterior.

Attachment 3: This picture shows the bracing I applied to the walls that make up the left hand, clapboard sided, structure.

Attachment 4: Let's work on the deck.  I started by turning the base of the deck upside down and gluing 1/8" square strip wood around the edge.  Do it upside down like this so the top of the base lines up even with the strip wood.  Go around the entire base and line it with strip wood, trimming to fit, as you go.

Attachment 5: Next I cut out the planking for the deck using a very sharp X-Acto knife and many light passes.  I did it free hand as the cuts have already been made by the laser and I'm just finishing off a little bit that was left so the cuts guided the blade.

Attachment 6: Peel the edges away from the deck carefully.  This is really thin material.

More in a moment...
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 09, 2014, 11:11:04 AM
Final post for this morning...

Attachment 1: Turn the deck over (black side up) and apply the glue of your choice to surface.

Attachment 2: Here's the fun part if you like to get messy...use your finger to smear the glue all over the surface get a nice thin (very thin) coat of glue over the entire surface.  Work fast, the thinner you get it the faster the glue will dry.  If you leave it on too thick it will ooze up through the decking material when you apply it in the next step.

Attachment 3:  After wiping the glue off your fingers position the deck on top of the base being careful to line up the front edge and ends even with the base.  Don't worry about the back edge. That part is where the deck meets the dirt of your base so it will be well hidden.  The front will be very visible.

That's all for now.  Thanks for following along!

Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 16, 2014, 07:48:15 PM
Thanks Tom.  I'm in a hurry today (company visiting) so I didn't take the time to try JimmyD's approach to posting pictures in-line.  Sorry.

Attachment 1: Time to paint the parts.  I had already primed everything so now it's time to paint the stuff that requires my chosen trim color, Reefer White.  I attached all the parts to a baking sheet using strips of blue painters tape that I tape upside down to the baking sheets.  I start by thoroughly mixing up the paint.  I'm using Floquil and I know this bottle is fresh.  I use an electric paint stirrer for this.

Attachment 2: Using an eye dropper I mixed six eye droppers full of Reefer White and two eye droppers full of thinner (3 to 1 ratio) in a stainless steel measuring cup.

Attachment 3: My airbrush has the cup on the top so I pour the thinned paint into the cup.  Yeah, it scared me at first to have a the cup on top like that but I got used to it.   :D

Attachment 4: Here's the compressor I use.  It's not a hobby compressor.  It's the kind you can pick up at a home improvement store or off of Amazon.  It's also useful for pumping up tires.   ;D

Attachment 5: Spray in a well ventilated place.  Since I live in Florida I spray outside in my driveway.   8)  I start by spraying everything from left to right and back again.  I don't necessarily worry about getting complete coverage because.....

Attachment 6: I rotate the baking sheet 1/4 turn and continue spraying from left to right and back again.  I rotate the tray 1/4 again after I'm done.  I'm trying to make sure I hit all the inside edges of all the parts on the tray from all angles.

More in a moment....
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 16, 2014, 08:13:46 PM
Attachment 1: Taking advantage of the warm Florida sun I set the freshly painted parts on top of my van to bake a little bit.  This is really handy if any of the parts need to 'flipped' over so the other side can be painted.  I want to the paint to dry enough so I can flip them and paint the other side while I have the airbrush loaded.

Attachment 2: The most important step when using an airbrush - cleaning it after you're done using it!  I disassemble it and clean all the parts in thinner and then reassemble it.  How difficult this step is depends on your airbrush but don't skip it or you'll need a new airbrush.

Attachment 3: Next up I stained the clapboard sided walls with my Alcohol (90% Isopropyl Rubbing Alcohol) and Ink (A&I) mixture.  I use various mixes of A to I.  I have not real formula for this.  I mix up a dark batch and thin it as I decant it into the smaller bottles on my workbench.  I usually keep two different mixes on my workbench along with a bottle of straight A to thin it even further.

Attachment 4: Next up I painted the walls for the structure on the left and the middle structure with the primary color I selected for these two structures - Country Red from the Americana line of Craft Paints.  I had painted the walls for the middle structure Reefer White with the airbrush because the 'trim' is part of the laser cut wall.  It took several coats of the Country Red to really cover the Reefer White.

Attachment 5:  For the corrugated sided right hand structure I chose a yellow called Mustard Seed.  I painted the corrugated panels and the garage door (not the trim which I painted Reefer White).

Attachment 6: For the next step I use these little sponge wedges I found in the craft store.  I really like these.   :D

More in a moment...       
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 16, 2014, 08:18:24 PM
Attachment 1:  I use the sponge wedges to add speckles of light gray to the panels.  This is supposed to represent spots where the yellow paint has peeled exposing the paint underneath.

Attachment 2:  I did the same for the walls and the doors and the windows.  It's hard to see the light gray on the white but it really does make a difference when all is said and done.   :D

Attachment 3: Finally I used the sponge to apply some Burnt Sienna to the corrugated panels to represent spots of rust.  I want my building to be rather heavily weathered so I went pretty heavy on this all though you can still see the yellow beneath.  Next time I sit down I'll be repeating this process with some Burnt Umber to add some different shades of rust.

That's all for today!  Thanks for following along!
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 23, 2014, 12:27:52 PM
Thanks Greg, Al and Jimmy!  Time for this week's installment of "As the build goes".

Attachment 1: Time to work on the windows and door castings.  I dip them in my Alcohol & Ink (A&!) solution.  Since I painted them Reefer White I use a 'lighter' solution.  It's still very dark on the stark white paint though. 

Attachment 2:  After they stand for a minute or two the A&I will bead up in spots on them.  It'll dry very dark in those spots if you let it.  So, I blot them lightly with paper towel.  Just enough to pick up the beads of A&I.  I don't want to remove all of it.  With darker trim colors this isn't quite as important.  You can also go back with a q-tip cotton swab dipped in clean rubbing alcohol and scrub some of the darker blotches off later on if they really don't look right.

Attachment 3: Nail holes.  Time to add them with my pounce wheel and steel ruler.  I start on the ends and do them lined up with the doors and windows as best I can.  I fill in the larger gaps by spacing the rows out every 2 scale feet (or so).

Attachment 4: If a wall has minimal bracing on it may be hard to run the ponce wheel over it.  In that case I take a few scraps of the bracing material and simply place them under the wall temporarily while I add the nail holes.

Attachment 5: To really beat up the clapboard sided walls I use a chisel blade in an X-Acto knife handle and cut underneath the clapboards.  Some I only lift to add some more texture to the wall and a few I actually splinter and rip the splinters off.  After this step is complete the walls get a coat of A&I to stain the wood where I splintered off pieces and to swell the nail holes and make them a little smaller.   

Attachment 6:  Back to the windows and doors.  I dry bush them using a white craft store acrylic (Folk Art 427 Acrylic White) to highlight the edges.  This is barely visible when trim color is white so it's hard to mess up.  I also did the clapboard sided walls which are red darkened with A&I.  It's really easy to over do this on darker colors.

More in a moment....
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 23, 2014, 12:44:06 PM
Attachment 1: I glazed all the windows using a product from Micoscale Industries, Inc. called Micro Kristal Klear.  There are other similar products that can be used for this, such as Pacer Formula '560' Canopy Glue.  The basic operation is to use a pin, toothpick or piece of scrap wood to apply the glue.  Once you get the inside edge of the opening lightly coated with the glue you apply just enough and draw it across the opening to create a 'film' (kind of like you would if you were going to blow a bubble).  Then set it aside so the glue isn't touching anything and let it dry.  I lean most of them against a piece of strip wood but one or two (like the one sitting on the work bench behind the bottle) may require holding them in a pair of self clamping tweezers while they dry.

Attachment 2: For each structure I glue the front wall to one side wall to form an L and then repeat the process with the rear wall and the other side wall to form another L.  Make sure they're square an let them dry.  When the two L's are dry glue them together to form the basic structure.  This is the middle, raised structure.

Attachment 3: Before gluing the roof card in place on the middle structure I painted the edges and underside my trim color.

Attachment 4: I applied 3M 465 Transfer Tape to the top of the roof.  This is a 'sticky' tape that, when the backing is removed leaves only the 'sticky' part on the roof.  (Note: Later on I discover I didn't really need to do this for the roof on the middle structure but for now I'll document exactly what I did.   :D )

Attachment 5: Trim the transfer tape to fit using a pair of sharp scissors or an X-Acto knife.

Attachment 6: Now glue the roof in place.  Mine just fit, from front to back, with no overhang on either end.  Make sure everything is lined up and hold it or weigh it in place while the glue sets.

More in a moment...
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 23, 2014, 12:56:24 PM
Attachment 1: Peel off the backing of the transfer tape to expose the sticky surface of the roof.

Attachment 2: I had painted the shingles included in the kit when I was airbushing everything else.  First I sprayed them with Floquil Primer and later on I misted Floquil Reefer Gray over them.  I stopped there because I was happy with how they looked at that point.  Sometimes I'll mist on Grimy Black and/or Grime for some additional color variation.  Hold the airbrush pretty far away so the paint is almost dry by the time it hits the surface.  It adds a slightly rough texture that mimics shingles pretty well.  I cut the strips of shingles from the sheet.

Attachment 3: Starting at the bottom edge apply the strip of shingles.  Let them hang over the ends and when adding the next course of shingles make sure to keep them straight.  Offset them so the cuts are centered on the course below (just like a real roof would be).  Space them evenly all the way up to the peak.

Attachment 4: After the shingles have been applied trim the ends using a sharp pair of scissors.

Attachment 5: D'oh! After I did one side of the roof it dawned on my that the shingles included in the kit are the 'peel and stick' type.  So, I went back and gently peeled the shingles off of the roof and started over.  With the 3M Transfer Tape on the roof and the sticky side of the shingles I think it's safe to say they'll stay put.   ;D

Attachment 6: When both sides of the roof were finished I added a ridge cap.  I cut a strip longer than the roof itself from the sheet that shingles came on (one that doesn't include cuts for shingles) and folded it in half over a small steel ruler.  Alternately I could have cut individual shingles and capped the ridge one shingle at a time just like a real roof. 

More in a moment...
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 23, 2014, 01:11:07 PM
Attachment 1: I ran a really tiny bead of glue across the peak of the roof, peeled the backing off of the folder strip of material and pressed the strip in place along the peak.  Afterwards I trimmed it to length with a razor blade.

Attachment 2: Time to start on the right hand structure.  This one will be covered with corrugated siding.  I lined the large door opening with 1/16" square strip wood painted to match my wall color (alternately it could have been painted to match the trim color).  Then I glued the doors and windows in place. In all of the walls.

Attachment 3: This is the first time I've ever used the new corrugated siding material that's not made of metal.  So far I love it!  I had pre-painted all of the panels I had cut.  When I trim them to fit none of the paint flakes off like it would with the ones made out of metal.  Anyway, I decided I didn't want to use the full length panels on this structure so I cut them scale 8' lengths (1 3/16") and applied them across the bottom of the structure first trimming them fit around the doors and windows.   

Attachment 4:  I glued the panels in place using Pink Flamingo Glue.  I think most glues would work as would the 3M Transfer Tape I previously mentioned.  The 3M Transfer Tape would have to be applied to the walls before the doors and windows are glued in place though.  It would be easier to trim it to fit that way.

Attachment 5: And this is pretty much where I'm at at the moment.  I need to finish siding this structure and then put it under roof.

Thanks for following along!   ;D
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 31, 2014, 05:40:18 PM
Thanks Tom and Dave!  Quick update.  I'm pressed for time to get this thing finished.   :o

Attachment 1: The roof on the left hand structure has an interesting bit of construction.  I decided to assemble the raised portion (whatever it's called) and then glue it onto the roof centering it as best I could.  I made sure the pieces were square to one another while they dried and then glued them in place.

Attachment 2: I jumped to the pier next.  I took the dowels, which had already been stained, and dunked just one end in my dark A&I.  This represents the wet end that's in the water.  I lucked out and my bottle of A&I just had a little bit left on the bottom so I used that as my gauge on how far up I'd stain them.

Attachment 3: I glued the dowels in place.  I wish had measured them against the wall height first because I had to go back and trim a little off of each when I built the diorama so the pier would rest on the wall.  Live and learn.   ;D

Attachment 4: On one of the clapboard sided walls I noticed when I test fitted everything that I had a brace right behind where a door was going to go.  It was pretty obvious through the windows in the door so I trimmed the brace back a little bit to create a gap and then painted it flat black (along with the rest of the interior of the walls.  I also added a shade behind the door so now it's not visible at all.

Attachment 5: Shades for the doors and windows were made out of plain white paper painted with Floquil Depot Buff.  I paint an entire 8" x 11" sheet of paper and then keep it handy for just this purpose.  I also keep a light green handy to mix things up a bit.

Attachment 6:  The shades are cut slightly larger than the windows and glued to the walls behind the windows.  Just make sure the bottom edge (visible) is level.  Vary the amount each shade is drawn to keep things from being too uniform.

More in a moment...
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on March 31, 2014, 05:48:08 PM
Attachment 1:  Now I'm rushing.  The contest deadline is looming.  I cut a base out of a piece of Gatorfoam and figured out where the wall was going to go.  The 'water' portion of the base got a quick and dirty mix of black, green and blue acrylic paints dabbed on and not quite mixed together to give some different shades.

Attachment 2: I painted the detail castings next so very little in the way of pictures.  I did stop to show my method of adding mortar to the chimney.  A toothpick and some spackling.  I had previously painted the chimney Boxcar Red and then painted some individual bricks darker (Grimy Black/Boxcar Red) and lighter (Earth/Boxcar Red) followed by a thin wash of Boxcar red to blend in the darker and lighter bricks a little bit.

Attachment 3: I added rafter tails to the corrugated sided structure.  It's small so it didn't take too long.

Attachment 4:  Test fitting the pier to the base after I added the wall and a raised piece behind the wall.  This was when I discovered I had to trim the pilings a little bit for it to fit the way I wanted it to.   :-[

Attachment 5: Nothing is glued down yet but here's where I'm at at the end of Sunday.  Still so much to do!  Hope I can get some done tonight and tomorrow night!
Title: Re: Foscale Fisheries (RailroadKits) build thread!
Post by: ReadingBob on April 02, 2014, 06:07:18 PM
Thanks Dave and John!  I really appreciate the comments.

Okay, I wrapped it up tonight (or as close as I'm going to come given the deadline).  Here's the last few shots I took of some modeling steps and then the final pictures.

Attachment 1: I did one kinda thick coat of Mod Podge over the water surface pushing it with the brush as I applied it to create waves.  I would have liked to have done several thinner coats but with the dry time in between and the deadline looming I settled for one.  While the Mod Podge was still wet I set the pier in place and weighed it down overnight.

Attachment 2:  I usually mix a couple drops of Polly Scale Grimy Black with a couple drops of Elmers White Glue to create tar or pitch for around the chimneys and vents but my bottle of Grimy Black is empty so I decided to try some Vallejo Black/Grey that I picked up at Hobby Lobby.  I mixed it the same way.

Attachment 3:  I applied the pitch around the chimney and vents.  The Vallejo worked just fine for this.   :D

Attachment 4:  First final picture - taken outdoors tonight while it's still light out.

More final pictures in the next post.