The Modeler's Forum

Each and every day I find new inspiration from George Sellio's wonderful layout, F&SM. I think most of us do. A couple weeks ago, however, I decided I'd take a small corner in that would and recreate it - albeit to the beat of my own drum.

One of my favourite little collections of buildings is the Rocky Point Harbor, which consists of the following buildings:

#1 FSM Metal Castings
#2 Cap'n Franks Seafood Cafe
#3 Swee'Pea Bar & Grill /w Rooming House
#4 Saulena's Tavern
#5 Izzy Fishing Co
#6 Emporium Seafood Co
#7 Small Office Building

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F02%2FRPH.jpg&hash=17120c503e216425e17fb413cc34fe4b69d62c1d)

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-220616110350.jpeg)

Buildings #1, #4, #6 & #7 are kits. I will be heavily modding some of them (Saulena's Tavern from Bar Mills is only half the building as seen on the F&SM). The rest will be scratch built.

I'm starting with building #2, Cap'n Franks Seafood Cafe. Here's the back:

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-220616103250.jpeg)

One thing that struck me about this building, after staring at it for hours, is that is very closely resembles Bailey's Produce Co. So I pulled my yet-built kit off the shelf and copied the walls, building them out of 1/16" basswood bought from Ace Hardware.

I'm copying the Bailey building to a degree, with the main difference being the omission of the small add-on structure and loading dock. My building will be ground level and feature a store front that I have 3D designed and printed:

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-031120105110-465722339.jpeg)

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-031120104758-46569622.jpeg) (Prototype design print - not final)

I am also designing other details, such as dust collectors, ducting, pipes etc_

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-031120105109-465712438.jpeg)

These were all designed using Tinkercad. An easy, free online tool that works by an adding/subtracting shapes method to creating custom designs. I'm printing using a cheap ($169) 3D printer, the Anycubic Photon.

Back to the build, I followed the instructions for the Bailey's kit, scratchbuilding the pieces along the way, incorporating some features and ignoring others and I arrived here:

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-031120104757-46568161.jpeg)

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-031120104756-465661716.jpeg)

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-031120104759-465702027.jpeg)

This is how is stands right now. Lots to do still. I'm probably about 65% through the build. From here, I will be sure to document the build more intimately for anyone interested.

My plan is to construct all the scratchbuilds first, so the next building will be #3, the Rooming House.

More soon.

RR

Sweet!  I've been too intimidated by the learning curve to tackle a 3D printer but I can see a great benefit to using them.  This is going to be a wonderful build thread to follow along with.  Thanks for sharing!  :D

You know, a few short weeks ago and I was intimidated too. I always thought "3D designs are just going to slow me down, it'll be easier putting something together in the workshop"

But then things changed. Tinkercad being one of them.

It definitely makes things nice and easy - and I'm happy to go through the steps of using a 3D printer, should you be curious!

Thanks for your kind words!

Rusty, How did you convert the measurements to HO Scale and what printer are you using? Dennis

Hey Dennis. Tinkercad deals in mm and I've been using a digital caliper to get whatever sizing I need from the structure itself, like I knew I needed my storefront to be 54mm wide. And I know that most Preisers are around 20-23mm, so doorways need to accommodate that. HO Scale rulers are handy here too.

For things like the Dust Collectors I'm using the same caliper to take a bunch of measurements from George's original castings. I'll post a photo of my dust collector prints soon.

I'm using an Anycubic Photon printer 

Great thread - I'm following along with tremendous interest.

Thank you sir, Do they have there own software and picture's to download? Dennis

Structure looks great so far.  Nice work on the storefront design.

Jeff

Thanks everyone. Excited to be cracking the knuckles on this one and even more excited to start my first build thread here!

Dennis, Tinkercad is a completely free, online tool made by Autodesk. There's some good news for the day :)

Incredible! I will most definitely be following.

Awesome work. Definitely along for the ride on this one! Excellent CAD to Realization work!

Thank you both. Very kind.

Thrilled to be sharing it!

Got some work done last night as I was watching Election coverage.

First I started with the hoist roof. I added some lead flashing to the peak. I'm not sure this is historically accurate (or even code!) but I'm never shooting for that anyway, especially with an FSM tribute!!

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-041120110053-46588517.jpeg)

Next up was the dormer. I used clapboard for this build, and also a round window:

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-041120110054-465892020.jpeg)

Using .070 acetate from Hobby Lobby, I got all the windows put in. I used manilla folders aged with pastel chalks for the blinds. It's photos like this that show I need to take more care with my shingles. I hate that I have gaps in the rows, exposing the strips... oh well, lessons learned.

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-041120110055-465901649.jpeg)

Corrugated metal panels were cut to size and aged. I gave them all a black wash first, then used a combination of brown paints (Raw Sienna, Burnt Sienna, Burnt Umber) to rust each panel. I also used a Rust solution I've had for some years to simulate the fresh rust. Finally, each panel had some pastel chalk to cut the shine:

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-041120110056-465911397.jpeg)

To top the night's build, I designed and printed a store sign. I like this one:

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/1254-041120110057-465921653.jpeg)

More soon.

Very nice start.  And very interesting on the parts your making.


Jerry

Very nicely done there....Dennis

Hey Rusty Robot:

This looking really coll. Can't wait to see more.

Karl

Great stuff, RR!

Probably my favourite square foot of real estate on the F&SM too - although there are many!

It will be fun watching your skills bring this one to life. 

I do hope to see you attempt the same sort of thing from a block of the prototype soon.  There are plenty of amazing prototype structures yet to be modeled.  Its also a lot of fun doing the research and design.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks guys. Really appreciate the kind words and support.

Mark - I totally agree. I think I just needed to do this project first to get it out of my system! I've been collecting numerous references for a while now, so I'm looking forward to creating something new.

RR,
Nice storefront.
Tommy

Rusty nice work on this project.


Jerry

Nearing the end of this little building.

(https://modelersforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=5466.0;attach=62531;image)

Got a lot done over the past couple of days.

Roofing, rafter tails, front sheds, windows & blinds, lead flashing, black pitch, 3D printed parts, signs... you name it!

Attached some photos. Here's a commentary for each:

Photo #1: Particularly happy with the way the dust collector came out - a 3D design. I designed it knowing I'd be using 2.5mm wire for the collector arm's, extending down into the building. It fit together nicely and looked even better after the paint job. Standard Americana paint was used for the rust, along with some pastel chalks.

Photo #2: I 3D designed and printed a store interior. This is a dangerous precedent to set, but it was more a simple experiment than anything else. It was plainly painted as I know it'll likely never be seen. See photo #6 for it installed inside the building.

Photo #3, 4, 5: I'd say the building is about 90% done. I've still got some fine details to add - chimneys etc. I also have to finish the stucco corners. For the signs, they were printed on standard laser paper. Each sanded  (on the back) using 200 grit sandpaper, allowing them to thin out and form the the stucco more realistically. Care was needed here.

Photo #6: Here is the interior all installed. As it's a scale model supply store, you may note the HO scale layout in the store window. It'll forever be 2pm in this store now!

More soon.

Beautiful modeling.

Very, very nice.

Looking really good, RR.

Love the printed shop front.

Cheers, mark.

Thanks everyone! I'll be finishing it over the next couple of days but I'm simultaneously moving into the next build, too.

The Rooming House is up!

Great modeling Rusty.

Got a little done today.

Started the structure for Swee Pea's. Got some new parts printed, including a cornice. These all look wonky right now, but they'll shore up once the bracing is in.

It's bigger than George's 'prototype', but this is intentional. I've added more windows and there will be a small street-level walk up for the rooming house upstairs. As with the previous building, it's a tribute to and not a copy of.

Also attaching another photo, for scale reference to the Scale Supply Store.

That's all she wrote for today.

Craig,

Fantastic modeling. The use of 3D printers has really changed the hobby. Like Bob said, the learning curve on being able to actually use one is very intimidating.

Tom  ;D

They have definitely revolutionized the hobby. For me, I only use it where a white metal casting would typically be in a kit. I feel like that's an appropriate usage without it overtaking what make the hobby what it is in the first place!

The learning curve definitely looks intimidating on the outside, but as with many things, once you've tried it that spell is broken almost instantly.

Thanks Tom!

Few steps forward today.

Got the walls of Swee'Peas all stained, weathered, trimmed and assembled.

I also spent an hour or two re-creating most all of the signs on the Harbor. From Swee'Peas down to Izzy Fish Co. Whilst this whole project has its own character, the signs are one area I'd like to remain largely faithful. Even down to the font and sizing.

Still got a ways to go on this building, but it's one of my favorites for some reason so I'm taking some time on it.

The wood wall weathering is great!


dave

Beautiful modeling.

Excellent modeling in so many ways.  I'm intrigued with the printed parts, your storefronts look awesome.  Clapboard walls are also nicely done and the interior of your first building looks great.  I'll be following as you continue this tribute.

Thank you all for your lovely comments and encouragement. They really do help keep the fire burning.

So, I got a little more done this evening.

I first got on Tinkercad and made a wealth of rooftop details from chimneys to vents to fire barrels and ducting. I've attached a photo of the prints (all of which came out very well). I've started using green resin, but it doesn't photograph well in its raw form. I'll show you again when it's primed and painted.

Moving on, I then made a roof cap. This is to thicken the appearance of the rooftop as well as add some visual charm. This whole little project was a classic case of measure twice and cut once. It came together really nicely as a result.

Lastly, I made a roof access shed from strip wood and cereal packaging. This little shed was a fun build.

Still got lots to do and the details will really pull this building together soon.

Thanks for following

Coming together very nice.....Dennis

Looking good, RR!

I can see a scratch-build block based on a prototype will be no trouble for you!

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 12, 2020, 09:01:58 AM
Coming together very nice.....Dennis

Thank you Dennis. Enjoying this build.

Quote from: mark dalrymple on November 12, 2020, 02:18:10 PM
Looking good, RR!

I can see a scratch-build block based on a prototype will be no trouble for you!

Cheers, Mark.

Appreciate that, Mark. Scratch-building is a lot of fun, although after a few of them I always crave a kit with instructions ;)

Hey Rusty:

looking good. Love the wall color and the signs.

Karl

Been a while since my last update so the time has come to post one!

I got busy painting all my 3D printed parts, including printing some new pieces like a chimney stack, workbench (not used on this structure), a tire and more.

You can just about see the walk-up door to the Rooming House, but the steps and door in this little corridor were all 3D printed too.

The roof was finished with Scenic Express dirt and ballast, then it was lightly washed with alcohol ink mix and chalk powders for that well-weathered look.

At it stands, I'm at around 85% done with the Swee'Peas build. On the to-do list:

1) Window acetate and blinds
2) Alley-side poster billboard
3) Micro-detailing, including: lamp shades, pigeons, old newspapers, old blankets, billowing curtains, awnings, electrical boxes and cabling and gutter pipes.
4) Organic weathering such as lichen and moss.
5) Adding Preisers.

More soon.

Craig, Very well done......Look's like you been doing that for years. (Beautiful)....Dennis

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 19, 2020, 11:29:38 PM
Craig, Very well done......Look's like you been doing that for years. (Beautiful)....Dennis

Thanks so much, Dennis. That really means a lot.

Looking really nice, RR.

I'm not so sure about that huge tire on the roof.  Cant quite fathom why it would be up there.  Are gutter pipes the same thing as down pipes?  Are you going to put scuppers at the top of these?  You could no doubt 3-D print some.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks Mark! The tire looks bigger in these photos, but it is on the large size. Likely to be placed.

Yes, same thing by the way. Will be adding scuppers for sure!

Love the overall look , and especially the weathering of the signs . Sorry to say  I do think you overdid the broken boards a bit , but that's just my opinion .

Outstanding builds.   :D  Really nice job cloning those structures on the FSM.   ;) 

The town needs a paint store.  Excellent work.

I second Mark's musing about the tire on the roof.  Not questioning your choice to do so, but in so many builds, which are taken from photos of real roofs, somehow a tire is among the debris.  Why is a tire, only one, on so many?  America needs to know.

That is some very nice work.


Jerry

Beautiful modeling Craig.

Thanks so much for the kind words everyone. I'm really enjoying paying tribute to George's work.

Quote from: Janbouli on November 20, 2020, 05:21:22 AM
Sorry to say  I do think you overdid the broken boards a bit , but that's just my opinion .

I will be the first to say that my top-down, workbench lighting isn't the best and it's actually making the structure look more overdone than it really is.

Quote from: Blazeman on November 20, 2020, 08:05:50 AMWhy is a tire, only one, on so many?  America needs to know.

Tar roofing and sheet metal roofing always came loose and made noise/leaked in high winds and rain. It's my understanding that a tire was often used to hold down the offending panel until it could be repaired.

Craig


Beautiful models, very well done. Great job on the build thread, too.  We are looking forward to many more.

Quote from: S&S RR on November 20, 2020, 10:17:16 AM
Craig


Beautiful models, very well done. Great job on the build thread, too.  We are looking forward to many more.

Thanks so much, John. Can't wait to build and share more. Next up will be modding Bar Mill's Saulena's so it's in line with the original!

Craig


I thought I would post a link to George's Rock Point Harbor for reference. I'm sending you a PM with some comments.

http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=742.255 (http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=742.255)

Quote from: S&S RR on November 20, 2020, 10:23:18 AM
http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=742.255

Your photos of the F&SM in these From the Air threads have made this whole tribute possible. Couldn't be more grateful for the effort uploading them all.

Hey Rusty:

Very well done.

Karl

Quote from: postalkarl on November 20, 2020, 11:43:49 AM
Hey Rusty:

Very well done.

Karl

Thanks so much, Karl! Coincidentally, I just opened my Yehudah's Heating Co box for the first time and guess who's name is staring back at me moment the lid is off!

QuoteTar roofing and sheet metal roofing always came loose and made noise/leaked in high winds and rain. It's my understanding that a tire was often used to hold down the offending panel until it could be repaired.

Thanks for that, Rusty.

Another mystery potentially solved.

Cheers, Mark.

Very Nice building. Have you make a draw for it ? I will be very interested to build them too
Eric

Quote from: EricQuebec on November 20, 2020, 05:27:11 PM
Very Nice building. Have you make a draw for it ? I will be very interested to build them too
Eric

Eric, thanks so much for the kind words. For the G.S Scale Supplies building, I basically used FSM's Bailey's Produce Co as my guide to scratch build my own. I just omitted certain part of the structure as I went. For this build I used 1/16" plain basswood.

For the Swee'Peas building, some of it is 3D printed (like the cornice and storefronts), but the rest was either 1/16" Clapboard siding from Northeastern Scale Lumber and the following walls from FOS Scale, cut to size:

https://fosscalemodels.com/collections/ho-wall-sections/products/clapboard-wall-section-c103-ho-scale (https://fosscalemodels.com/collections/ho-wall-sections/products/clapboard-wall-section-c103-ho-scale)
https://fosscalemodels.com/collections/ho-wall-sections/products/copy-of-clapboard-wall-section-a-109-ho-scale (https://fosscalemodels.com/collections/ho-wall-sections/products/copy-of-clapboard-wall-section-a-109-ho-scale)

Going forwards, I'll be sure to photograph the walls as they lay flat on my workbench, but I hope this helps.

Hey Rusty:

Was it my name?

Karl

Quote from: postalkarl on November 21, 2020, 07:57:31 AM
Hey Rusty:

Was it my name?

Karl

Indeed it was!

I'm still finishing Swee'Peas' Rooming House, but as that build winds down I've already begun working on the next: Saulenas' Tavern.

Bar Mills makes a kit that's been around for years and I'm using it as a base for my build. I'm only using it in this way because it's not the full, original Tavern as originally built by Paul Saulenas' for the F&SM. Here is a reference photo of the Bar Mills kit:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2Funnamed.jpg&hash=39046ed6428a0d4e415cef251d70dbc7500c61a2)

Here is a top down shot of the original on the F&SM:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4021-2.jpg&hash=04bbaa3ee7a00025daf14b3cd0b59133e4f98fe1)

Essentially, in the Bar Mills kit you are only getting the blue part of the below photo. I'm not sure why it was done this way by Bar Mills, but one thing I do know is I'll need to scratch build the rest of the structure to make it a more accurate tribute.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4021.jpg&hash=ff07a793bf202d4f7d74acf9e886fd9a695f99bc)

I started by laying out some of the main wall sections you get in the Bar Mills kit:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4016.jpg&hash=73e17cd19b6dabdccded79fd5f5364dfd31afd40)

The top piece shown here will be cut twice, providing material for the push-out structure at the top of the stairs. Seen here:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2F18-230616213232.jpeg&hash=de14999c7b79417a0d8206d46716a6ed81d1fb2a)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4017.jpg&hash=7b798aae71ca1ee02e23614c24d4638e39d7ec0f)

The middle piece is not needed and saved for future scratchbuilding. The blank piece will have windows and a doorway cut out in line with the reference photo above.

Also, the left hand side has kit sections stitched together to form a longer wall section. The join will be covered by electrical conduit or downspouts.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2Fimg_4040-1.jpg&hash=709195ee58b46cef7573f1f6a97ccb89d31eda7d)

Next up, building the rear panel of the building.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2F18-230616211547.jpeg&hash=532565274198d72c43cf1890cad6c5c96421d9c0)

As this is longer than the Bar Mills kit, a single panel will need to be cut. I used the following lumber from Northeastern as it's exactly the same height as the rest of the wall sections:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4018.jpg&hash=9bc3b3b3b5629832616b62575ec61153bdd67fa3)

Once cut and shaped, I had this:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4019.jpg&hash=fc5ff4047de81fbcd084ff7296ee8dea5468db43)

From the same pack of lumber, I also cut a new wall section for the right hand side of the Tavern. I was hesitant using expensive lumber for a wall section that will be completely hidden by Izzy Fish Co (see below reference), but I figured I should, just in case I ever want to undo the Tribute diorama and reposition the Tavern elsewhere.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2F18-230616214052.jpeg&hash=4a0b1a38737843d80b430acc720677447f2ee84b)

With everything cut, I braced my walls and 3D printed the stairs (matching the same number steps), finishing the print with board and batten siding

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F11%2FIMG_4040.jpg&hash=0cf1e57d6239a9468486ee575735f69b36a1de7e)

All in all, the majority of the Bar Mills kit is still being used, which is nice, but it just took some modding to get there.

More soon.

Nice Job, I did not know they were one of the same. Learn something everyday..Dennis

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 23, 2020, 11:08:35 PM
Nice Job, I did not know they were one of the same. Learn something everyday..Dennis

Thanks Dennis. I remember thinking seeing the Bar Mills kit for the first time and thinking "something is missing", but it's taken me reproducing it to appreciate that a fair chunk was omitted from the original. I can only but assume this was done for cost reasons - and making the building fit in one of those neat Bar Mills boxes ;)

Craig, You got pic's of all sides?...Dennis

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 23, 2020, 11:25:27 PM
Craig, You got pic's of all sides?...Dennis

Photos of all sides of F&SM's Saulenas? I'm using John's photos in the From the Air albums official forum. Do you have more?

No, I was curious. It's gonna be a great build...Dennis

Thanks for following along Dennis.

I may put up some measurements of the new wall sections and upload the 3D stairs for printing, for anyone who wants to do the same mod :)

Looking good, Rusty.

Interesting to study the changes from the original.  I took a good hard look of all your photos to get my head around it.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: mark dalrymple on November 23, 2020, 11:53:53 PM
Looking good, Rusty.

Interesting to study the changes from the original.  I took a good hard look of all your photos to get my head around it.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks Mark! Yeah, it's a head scratcher — to the point I actually thought it may be easier to scratchbuild completely.

Excellent modeling.

That's nice!   I like kitbashes, particularly when they're so well conceived.


dave

Quote from: PRR Modeler on November 24, 2020, 09:15:07 AM
Excellent modeling.

Thank you, Sir.

Quote from: deemery on November 24, 2020, 09:52:56 AM
That's nice!   I like kitbashes, particularly when they're so well conceived.

dave

Kind words, Dave — thank you. If I can do well by George and Paul's original I'll be happy!

I'm wondering whether to scratchbuild Izzy Fish Co or sub-in/kitbash Gordon Novelty from FOS, as it has similar aesthetics.

RR,
That is a neat area of the FSM to model.
Never knew that the Bar Mills kit of the tavern was a shorter version till you mentioned it in this thread.
Looking forward to your progress photos.
Tommy

Hey everyone.


With Thanksgiving all done and dusted, I managed to get some bench-time over the weekend.


First, I got all the walls painted. I started with a wash of Hunterline Golden Brown and then, once dry, applied a semi-thin 50/50 coat of Yellow Ochre and Camel from Americana/Folk Art. It was a mix I felt most in line with the original.


Then I painted and glued all my trim pieces. The color is Heritage Brick from Americana (I did apply Colorado Red from Hunterline first, but I'm not sure it helped the final base color much.


Before assembling, I printed and glued a couple signs. The "Dutch Laundry" sign was a mix of ads I found online to suit my shape and size I needed. I couldn't locate the original ad used. The coca-cola sign was an easy find and the Rooms 25¢ was a custom print. Again, I took time here to match the original font.


I assembled the walls and then began work on the wall capping. This is $0.30 strip basswood from my LHS. It was painted with Heritage Brick as well and cut and glued into place.


Side note: I've decided to assembled my walls and then weather the clapboard. It's still easy to do it this way and I figure it could help gauge the amount of weathering I do, seeing as the walls are all "in context of one another".


The build is in its rough, first draft stage. I'm about 30% done.


This has left me with the following attached images, with one for reference.


Another step closer to the Saulenas' Tavern as we know it!

Craig, You did a Beautiful job...Dennis

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 29, 2020, 11:57:23 PM
Craig, You did a Beautiful job...Dennis

Thank you, Dennis. Your continued supports means a lot.

Hey Rusty:

looks just great so far. I'll be watching this one.

Karl

Excellent modeling Craig.

Quote from: postalkarl on November 30, 2020, 07:48:27 AM
Hey Rusty:

looks just great so far. I'll be watching this one.

Karl

I respect your work immensely, so this means a lot. Thanks Karl.

Quote from: PRR Modeler on November 30, 2020, 08:40:31 AM
Excellent modeling Craig.

Really appreciate the support :)

Great job on the tavern as well as showing how you reworked the Bar Mills kit to match the original.  Really nice modeling.   :D

Coming on really nicely, Rusty.

Its fun to watch this kit with all the changes to turn it into its inspiration develop.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: ReadingBob on November 30, 2020, 10:42:36 AM
Great job on the tavern as well as showing how you reworked the Bar Mills kit to match the original.  Really nice modeling.   :D

Quote from: mark dalrymple on November 30, 2020, 01:21:47 PM
Coming on really nicely, Rusty.

Its fun to watch this kit with all the changes to turn it into its inspiration develop.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks so much, both.


It took little effort to transform the Bar Mills kit into the full-size version I'm building. A single pack of $5 clapboard siding and some 30¢ basswood strips is all is cost, too. I reccomend it to anyone looking to build Saulenas'

Ok I'll Take your kit measurement's now. lol....Dennis

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 30, 2020, 04:37:21 PM
Ok I'll Take your kit measurement's now. lol....Dennis

Using my initial post as a guide, here are measurements for the lumber you need to supply. One pack (item code 116CLPP) was enough for:

Back wall - 190mm wide
Side right (hidden by Izzy Fish Co) - 135mm wide

Then, using the redundant wall from the Bar Mills kit, you can make:

Front right (the "Rooms 25¢" wall) - 65mm wide
Top of stairs wall - 23mm wide

All lumber used here has the same height, so that's taken care of right out of the gate.

Attaching the 3D file (.stl) for the stairs, too.

Hope this makes sense

Craig




Great work, I'm really enjoying your thread. To my amazement the stair file that I downloaded just popped up on my apple screen.  It works.

Thanks Craig, I'm gonna try a trial run this week.Dennis

Quote from: S&S RR on November 30, 2020, 08:11:23 PM
Craig

Great work, I'm really enjoying your thread. To my amazement the stair file that I downloaded just popped up on my apple screen.  It works.

Thanks John. So pleased to hear it! And yes, Apple computers are smart enough to read .stl files right out of the gate. You can even grab the preview and rotate it!

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on November 30, 2020, 08:18:55 PM
Thanks Craig, I'm gonna try a trial run this week.Dennis

Sounds great, Dennis! Can't wait to hear of your progress!

I might cut new wood instead of using the kit" Just us them as a template...Dennis

Definitely doable - and cheaper! Some fiddly pieces near the left corner overhang, if scratch-building completely.

I'm still following you though lol...Dennis

This evening was all about the roof.

Using a chunk of regular, corrugated cardboard I traced the structure from the inside and carefully cut it out. 10 minutes later, I had my roof. Black construction paper was then lightly misted with flat gray rattle can primer and strips cut. Each were then lightly sanded with 120 grit sandpaper, concentrating on the edge to be exposed. After some light sanding, the black paper shows through, simulating tar. More will be done to weather the roof, but I'm happy with this as a start.

Then I got down to the roof capping. Firstly, I knew I wanted some thickness to it in the form of a staggered double layer so, using a strip of 1/32 x 1/4" basswood, I glued a scale 2x10 down the length, leaving a 1/16" gap to one side and a slightly bigger gap on the other. This meant the 2x10 was slightly off-center - but that's okay, this was the desired effect (see below photo to help explain all this).

The cap strips were then painted and so began an affair with the NWSL CHOPPER. Using the 45 degree angle, all the pieces were cut accordingly. An hour or so later and the work was done. The cap was repainted once glued in place, allowing acrylic paint to fill any small gaps in the mitered joints.

Photos of the Tavern below, one from the top and one from below — highlighting what the two glued strips look like once in place. The great thing about this method is that it does two things 1) achieves the layered effect I was after but 2) it allowed the capping a uniform, guided support when gluing in place.

Additional side note: I've noticed that the stairs to the original Saulenas was sourced from either Westside Auto or Stuffy's Brewery. Both kits feature the same detail casting for the stairs, so if anyone is looking to do this build in the future and doesn't have a 3D printer, check those kits out!

More soon.

Craig, Very nice indeed....Dennis

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on December 02, 2020, 12:03:50 AM
Craig, Very nice indeed....Dennis

Thanks Dennis. I'm enjoying this one.

Actually, I just made a sign for a building on this diorama. You may enjoy it. I'll reveal it in good time ;)

Great job Craig.

Looking good, Rusty.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark and Curt — thanks so much for following along. I'm itching to weather it, knowing how much snaps into place, but there's so much to do beforehand!

It's been a hot minute, and I can only but thank work and a small streak of bad luck for that. Alas, I think it's time for an update.

The next step was adding the corbels. Looking at the original model, I decided to create and 3D print a similar design. Using my translucent green resin (because exposure time is low) I printed around 40 corbels.

After referencing the photos for spacing, each were applied using superglue for the ever-lasting bond.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4167.jpg&hash=8c85feaa2c8d885c662d4bb5665c38157d5ee942)

From here, I added some posters and signs. Just like Swee'Peas', I took time to find the original font used for Saulenas' and printed out some signs. I mounted them on Matboard and added stripwood trim, matching the original signs as closely as possible (see below photos for more)
Then, I began work on the windows. For the new walls, I used Tichy Train Group windows and for any wall that remained unmodified from the Bar Mills kit, I used their laser cut windows.

In the past, I've always loathed constructing laser cut windows, but you know what... I loved using them this time around. In fact, I think this kit has changed my view of them. They are very flexible in their presentation (open, closed, half-half) that I appreciate their design all over. During my last visit to Hobby Lobby, I set out to find some good paper/cardstock for window shades. I find their "Fall Spice" cardstock collection, presenting muted tones that are perfect for most of my particular builds:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4196.jpg&hash=3e80bae5a36b26a83d08eafd297889c87d1700f1)

I added some curtains using the tissue backing found on the acetate in the Bar Mills kit and then, with the windows out of the way, I went back to Tinkercad and designed a new storefront. The left hand wall, on the original prototype, has a storefront with awning

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2F18-220616221003.jpeg&hash=af23e1f1db7151f8aa8342c9e7640ed27506998d)

There are zero photos of this storefront, so I did my own take. I printed and primed it:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4189.jpg&hash=a5ff922b0eb4d399145a3dc8a5cda57d54474fba)

As 3D printing is all about using up as much build plate space as possible (printing time is affected by height, not object quantity) I put together a bunch of designs I've either designed myself or collected from websites such as Thingiverse or Sketchfab. I primed these prints with the storefront:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4190.jpg&hash=0a0c9820efe41600b6ab1107299e22ded9cd6d1d)

Most of these details will be added once the structure is complete and the tribute diorama as a whole begins to come together.

I went over the entire structure lifting clapboards with my x-acto and adding chalk pastels, adding a fair amount of weathering.

Finally, I painted and fit the storefronts from the Bar Mills kit (again, this is beauty of taking a kit and modding it) and that's brought me to the following state:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4203.jpg&hash=c0904d11d5acd5e4208a09637969eedb5f0c17e4)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4201.jpg&hash=72fe0a37967f80721e3b4c0ee0232d540fe3f2f2)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4202.jpg&hash=9de7bf101dea1807ac1c6017de3c512e8e0f6840)

I still have lots to do — and feel like I've only just broken the back of this awesome build.

Looks just fantastic, Rusty!

Lovely colours, nicely weathered.  The corbels came out great.  And the extra attention to detail with the signage really stands out.

Cheers, Mark.

Really beautiful modeling and weathering.

Wow!

Thanks everyone! Your comments and feedback are really appreciated.

I can't wait to finish it. I'd say I was around 80% done here.

Great work with your 3D printer.
Eric

Quote from: EricQuebec on December 12, 2020, 10:50:51 AM
Great work with your 3D printer.
Eric

Thanks Eric. It's really changed my modeling since I bought one back in August.

Only had time for a couple of things on the list tonight.

I got the windows, shades and curtains done — which is always great!

I then constructed and painted two detail prints. One is an old, disused bathtub that's going on the roof. Over time it's collected all sorts of leaves and gack, now brimming with fusty rain water too.

Second is a bench that will be positioned near the foot of the stairs. The wood is scale 2x4's stained and the wrought iron arms were dry-brushed with metallics to make them pop.

Craig,


Saulenas' looks great.  I never realized that Bar Mills had "downsized" their kit version.  Your full size version is awesome.  I love that bath tub, it looks just like a tub full of nasty scummy water!  Looking forward to the final detailing. 

Quote from: jerryrbeach on December 14, 2020, 09:07:16 PM
Craig,
Saulenas' looks great.  I never realized that Bar Mills had "downsized" their kit version.  Your full size version is awesome.  I love that bath tub, it looks just like a tub full of nasty scummy water!  Looking forward to the final detailing.

Thanks Jerry! Yeah, the Bar Mills kit is less than half the prototype! I can only imagine it was a economical decision given its age and scale availability. It took only a little effort to convert it though.

Really appreciate your words! These little details are always fun but there's nothing better than when they are all stitched together.

Looks awesome Craig

Doug

Craig that's some fine modeling.  And making the detail parts great job.


Jerry

Doug, Jerry...

Thanks so much for your kind words.

I can't speak more highly of how 3D printing has changed the hobby for me. Instead of spending money sourcing castings, I'm now able to design them myself. Quite amazing.

More soon!

Craig,
Wonderful modeling and I am enjoying following along here with your tribute to this area on George's F&SM !!


I'm wondering if you might consider doing a more in-depth thread, somewhat of a how to, for us 3D printing novices.  I have read some and am interested in this process but believe it may be a rather steep learning curve.  Perhaps you may be able to de-mystify this new tool for me and others here.


Thanks and I'll be following along with your continued fine modeling here.
--Paul

Paul, firstly thanks so much. Your words are very kind.

Secondly, yes — I've been thinking of doing a more in-depth look into the process as an exclusive on my blog. Whilst it probably wouldn't be a comprehensive tutorial, it certainly would de-mystify the idea of 3D printing being an Alan Turing game.

I'll be sure to post here when it happens.

Thanks for following along!

Rusty,
Nice progress !
Tommy

Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on December 16, 2020, 11:06:41 AM
Rusty,
Nice progress !
Tommy

Thanks for following along Tommy!

Craig,

Finally got the chance to finish reading through this thread. The modeling is amazing and the thread is very informative. Thank you for sharing.

Tom  ;D

Thank you, Tom. Kind words and your continued support means a lot.

Can't wait to share the finished build and move onto the next!

Hey everyone -- I just uploaded the first part of a beginners 3D modeling series, exclusive to my blog. It covers some immediate basics for all those curious about the process. Check it out here:

http://keepitrusty.com/?p=1032 (http://keepitrusty.com/?p=1032)

Very nicely done Craig...Dennis

Quote from: Rusty Robot on December 17, 2020, 03:55:14 PM
Hey everyone -- I just uploaded the first part of a beginners 3D modeling series, exclusive to my blog. It covers some immediate basics for all those curious about the process. Check it out here:

http://rusty-robot.co.uk/?p=1032 (http://rusty-robot.co.uk/?p=1032)

Thank you Craig, and I will definitely check it out over on your blog !!
Much appreciated,
--Paul

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on December 17, 2020, 04:07:09 PM
Very nicely done Craig...Dennis

Hope it helps, Dennis. I know you've been interested in the process for a while!

Quote from: PaulS on December 17, 2020, 04:18:53 PM
Thank you Craig, and I will definitely check it out over on your blog !!
Much appreciated,
--Paul

No problem, Paul. In fact, you were the one to make me finish this post that I started drafting a while ago! Hope it helps!

Over the past week I've been pretty busy with work and life, especially as we're on the runway to/from Christmas. That being said, I've found time where I could to bring my scratch-built Saulenas' Tavern across the finish line. I began this build on November 22, so it's taken me exactly one month to complete (I write this on December 22nd) — a timeline I'm very happy with.

As this post will be fairly long with detail of the build process, I am posting the completed photos first for those that don't wish to go any further than that. Regardless, I hope you enjoy this as much as I have building it.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01184.jpg&hash=76ca463ba521964381a7dec3a73b1e8e9d4817e9)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01185.jpg&hash=1b1186e3fc6ff6757f6379ba10268122460b52d5)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01186.jpg&hash=49fd099cf1a759fad2e5904abdecb224711f5de2)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01176.jpg&hash=ea5cc7f475a2f02e095c6aeb5a5f2075c2d6f59f)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01173.jpg&hash=e4b093ff5c5f2505fee9fd5b7dee20d9d255ce41)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01182.jpg&hash=e4e10931d6ebc09ddd3be43fa24be525f8db35f3)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01169.jpg&hash=cb8cad2d7d376cba4f9861079b1a8715e74d25df)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01174.jpg&hash=9cf65a2b1af2c5485989b7b65d7bdaaa944579c4)

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FDSC01162.jpg&hash=dff5f2d8d522b90674e99651aac3dd8b032f1280)

So, let's pick up where we left off.

MAIN STRUCTURE

I started by finishing the windows, shades & curtains. I continued using the "Fall Spice" cardstock I purchased from Hobby Lobby for the shades and for the curtains, I used the thin backing paper from the acetate of the Bar Mills kit. Using some light stains, I muddied the paper so it added variation, making the curtains appear aged and well used. Nothing is new in my world.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4241.jpg&hash=a831ba4b2c76626af33d2d9ba3609ca52cd87c74)

The finished effect can be seen in the completed build photos above.

Up next, the awnings. It wasn't necessary to make a design as Mr Sellios had already done it for me. I pulled my Fine Scale Miniature's Emporium Seafood Co kit off the shelf and scanned the template inside (the template can also be found in many other FSM kits). On a sheet of green cardstock from my "Fall Spice" pack, I printed a copy of the awnings. I did this because I knew my awnings were going to be green (like the prototype) and having that as a base color is a good start.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4287.jpg&hash=014fdec662598640cf12240bdfdb5902eaf79662)

They were printed at a 1:1 scale, so it was simply a matter of carefully cutting them out and assembling with thin strip wood. (George recommends 3/32 sq strip wood, but I had none to hand so I used scale 2×4 instead)

The awnings were folded, painted (a flat yellow/green), weathered (beige dry brush and pastels) and finally glued in place with CA glue. On one small awning, I used a pair of pinking shears with a scalloped 3mm blade. This can also be seen in the completed photos.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4288.jpg&hash=88acec7b6ce466d8bb6cf80000b27746610a516c)

I then started to finely detail the walls, starting with printed details like the scupper:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4295.jpg&hash=036e28294742f752021d2e67673a8f1a84b9a7ca)

Whilst the scupper was printed, the downspout itself is 1.2mm Evergreen rod. Styrene rod bends nicely and holds it shape, so right at the bottom I was able to curve it out to make a drainage spout. I drilled a small 0.8mm hole in the end to carry the illusion upon close inspection. The tiny brackets were made from lead sheeting. I like using lead sheets because it's extremely versatile, cuts easily and is nice to shape. Some may be concerned using lead like this, but unless you are eating it or licking your fingers clean, it's no issue.

Pigeons (also from Fine Scale Miniatures) were added to the top of the signs and capping, Preiser figures (originally modeled with her hands in the air) was positioned to look as if she is leaning out of the window, dusting a rug. The rug design was printed and folds added for greater effect.

Finally, I added some gooseneck lamps (bent 1mm wire and Tichy Train Group shades), posters, a wall mailbox and a few other details, including two more Preisers on the stairs — then the main structure walls were done. Next up...

ROOFTOP

The roof access shed was made following George Sellios well-used design. A block of angled wood was roofed with construction paper and a Tichy door was framed with scale lumber. Scale signs were added (also from FSM kits) after the whole shed was painted with dark to light brown acrylics and weathered with pastels.

Other details like breeze blocks, a wood pallet, a barrel were printed and added around the shed.

Around the rear of the shed is an old bathtub. This design was sourced from Thingiverse (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:487864 (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:487864))
Just like the bench, it was scaled to size, printed and painted using a mix of metallics around the outside and an off-white for the ceramic. From here, shallow layers of modeling water was slowly added alongside various flock and lichen. The water was also colored and by the time each of the layers was finished, I ended up with a pretty scummy looking tub:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4257.jpg&hash=7ee8bf396b125a2b05d7f0774239c06a2328681c)

All the chimneys and vents were also printed. One of which I had made from an artist on Fiverr — as I wanted a replica of a common FSM casting:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_3968.jpg&hash=c34bc3043e6e1e94cfa93027c83fd0ba472b2c26)

I designed an access hatch using Tinkercad. Once printed I used my razor saw to add wood grain, also nicking and scoring it to aid the appearance of wood panelling:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FScreen-Shot-2020-12-25-at-23.43.20.png&hash=a1813396ff93ee58e47d28b59e4d5a1986c5d886)

This detail can be seen on the above finished photos.
Once all the details were in place, black pitch (white glue and gray paint mix) was placed around the corners of each casting. Then, the whole roof was weathered again with pastels and ground cover fixed into the corners. This helps sell the illusion this building lives in an actual world where wind blows loose leaves into recesses.

The final detail to be added to the roof was the Preiser hanging laundry. The washing line is made up of two Preiser castings, with the base from each removed. I painted each of the clothes with a pastel color palette (not primary colors), so they didn't draw the eye too much. By this point, the roof was pretty much done.

THE STREET

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2Fs-l500.jpg&hash=6cd736fe550d06f5a37d854bfbb9506f9ceec851)

I purchased Bar Mills "Weathered Sidewalk" to make... you guessed it... a sidewalk. This little resin casting pack has got a lot of character and it's not too pricey at $8.95. Luckily for me, it had the PERFECT amount to make the corner of the Tavern's street. I had to do some trimming, seeing as the Tavern's door is at an angle, so to make it work I made a "concrete threshold" by cutting a rectangle of mat board and stippling water putty on it for texture (same technique for stucco). Painted and weathered, it elegantly made up the difference for where the 90-degree casting didn't quite fill. I added leaves (real ones, ground up), some black wash (with gloss) in the recesses around the curb, and some various trash like newspapers. A mix of real dirt and real (fine ground) leaves was added in various creases and corners. This can be fixed in place using a drop of alcohol only — I actually used some Hunterline Driftwood as I wanted to tint it.

Then I turned my attention to the many detail castings (3D prints, mostly). To start, I made a bench. The iron ends were 3D printed from a design I found on Thingiverse (I only used part of the model found here: https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:21157 (https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:21157))
I used lumber to make the supports and then painted/stained and weathered it using just Black, Metallic and Driftwood stain.

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FIMG_4250.jpg&hash=4d8c000615478bff7d08b8e85f5e1be85926ccbd)

Two seated Preisers were added followed by a wash mix of Alcohol and Ink.

The trash can and trash bags were also 3D printed, but I cannot recall where exactly I sourced these models — I only know they were free from somewhere on the internet. If I happen to remember, I will edit this post with the link.

The cardboard box is an FSM kit design and the tiny, tiny, tiny tin cans were made from tiny cuttings of 1.2mm aluminum rod. The lid was punched from manilla folder and carefully (and fiddly) glued to top of each cutting. It was painted with a simple metallic paint.

For the corner post, a 1/8″ dowel was cut to length and end caps were designed to fit and printed:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2FScreen-Shot-2020-12-26-at-00.03.49.png&hash=b7e0b99af316a0f33bb9bc759a3f0e32812cdd19)

I used only two of the castings that came in the Bar Mills kit — one of which being the weight scales on the street. This casting can be seen on the original prototype, also next to a bench:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2020%2F12%2F18-230616213232.jpeg&hash=6014784a99b3048d8dbc08ec6bdf18451955accf)

Moving on... organic detail like lichen and underbrush was added (mostly to the rear wall) but also between gaps in the sidewalk and curb. It was attached using a little Tacky glue. This is typically my last step of any given build, but after this was finally complete I did one more thing:

A streetlight from Tichy Train Group!

And with that... Saulenas' Tavern was done.

That is a gorgeous building with terrific detailing. Well done.

Very well done Craig. Dennis

Dennis, Curt —

Thank you so much for your kind words. I'm looking forward to the next structure now, although I may time that for the Winter Challenge!

Very, very nicely done, Craig.

Thank you for all your explanations and references - they are very helpful.  I might look at getting some of those Bar Mills sidewalks - very nice.  Of course to make the postage to New Zealand worth it, I'll have to find a few other things to buy!

It really does look terrific!

Cheers, Mark.

Wow , detailing is fantastic , what a great building , thanks for sharing.

Mark — thanks for your very kind words! Those little sidewalk castings really do have a lot of character. Cigar Corner came with a whole bundle of them, so if you're looking to make things worth it, I'd recommend getting that!

Jan — really appreciate you stopping by and sharing your kind comments also! The devil is in the details, so I'm always sure to try and find him ;)

Very, very nice!

Thank you Bob! I'm glad you like this build  :D

Wonderful work on the tavern!  The details are fantastic.


Jeff

Thank you Jeff! Really appreciate that.

Craig, What did you use for the clothes? Bar Mills? or?

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on December 27, 2020, 12:37:27 PM
Craig, What did you use for the clothes? Bar Mills? or?

Those are from a set of Preiser figures.

https://www.preiserusa.com/Preiser-10050-Women-hanging-laundry (https://www.preiserusa.com/Preiser-10050-Women-hanging-laundry)

Craig


Fantastic modeling - love all the details.

Thank you, John. Your continued support means a lot.

I've just designed a sign for my next build that I think you may enjoy. More soon!

Craig,
I can't believe I have missed this thread until today. What a bit of catching up I need to do!   Regardless, fantastic work and I really applaud your imaginative approach to paying tribute to this iconic bit of the F&SM. 

Your attention to detail is inspiring. I'll certainly be continuing to check in to keep up from now on.

--Opa George

George, thank you so much for stopping by and your very kind words. Like it has done for many others, the F&SM has inspired me greatly and continues to elevate my standards in the hobby. If I can help pay that forwards in anyway, giving credit back to George in the process, then that is what the hobby is all about.

This community keeps my fuel tanks well filled and for that I couldn't be more thankful.

Excellent modeling.  This whole tribute is coming out amazing.  Looking forward to your next piece of the puzzle.

Frank

Quote from: fbernard65 on December 27, 2020, 05:00:24 PM
Excellent modeling.  This whole tribute is coming out amazing.  Looking forward to your next piece of the puzzle.

Frank

Frank, thank you very much! I'm thrilled you are enjoying it. As much as I itch to stitch them all together, I don't want to cross the finish line and it be over!
Also, I can't help but wonder if you are the same Frank Bernard of Bar Mills?

Thank You.....Dennis

Hey Rusty:

This also one my favorite spots on the F&SM. So far all you have done is very cool. Beautifu job on the Saulenas Tavern. Can't wait for more progress on this model.

Karl

Karl, thanks for your generous comments and I totally agree with you: the Harbor is one of my favorites too! Once I've got the structures done I'll be consider how much of the harbor I'll be modeling. I don't think I'll get the lighthouse in, but that could all change! Thanks for stopping by!

Just read through this thread and really enjoyed it I'd love to recreate some of George's scenes. and you are doing an excellent job
Dck

Thank you for stopping by, Dick. I'm glad you enjoyed the journey so far! I wholly recommend paying tribute to George's scenes as and where you can -- I've learned a lot already.

Quote
Frank, thank you very much! I'm thrilled you are enjoying it. As much as I itch to stitch them all together, I don't want to cross the finish line and it be over!
Also, I can't help but wonder if you are the same Frank Bernard of Bar Mills?

Yes, the same one.  The one that also did the signs for many of the FSM kits.

Frank

I'm honored to have you drop by! Huge fan of Bar Mills and I have the bank statements to prove it.

Hey Craig:

You are quite welcome. Can't wait to see more.

Karl

Excellent work Craig......love the lady hanging laundry on the roof, it looks so up north.  8)

Thanks Greg! I love that Preiser too, the sculpting of the clothes is very well done. I have a few more, so it will probably crop up on another build at some point!

Craig,

Absolutely wonderful Saulenas' build. Fantastic modeling and techniques. Many thanks for sharing it all!

Tom  ;D

Thank you, Tom. Sharing my journey is one of the most exciting parts of the hobby for me.

Excited to see you back at your own bench! Thanks for stopping by!

Since bringing Saulenas' across the finish line, I turned back to Swee'Pea's and did the same. Extra details like scuppers, window shutters, curtains, awnings, lamps, pigeons, organic growth etc... all still had to be added, so I spent the last two nights doing all that to bring the build to 100%.

I have left out the street for now, as that will be added once I have all the builds for Rocky Point done and it comes time to create the large diorama itself.

For those with eagle eyes will notice that the corner of Swee'Pea's is raised near the rear of the structure. This is to accommodate a sidewalk later on.

I enjoyed creating this particularly grubby building!

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Craig,
That Swee' Pea's build is gorgeous in so many ways.  I real treat for finding little details.  Thanks for posting the photos.  Definitely one for my inspiration notebook.
--Opa George

Thank you for your continued support and kind words, George!

RR/Craig,
You are a very talented modeler...thanks for sharing !
Tommy

Gosh, Tom, that's incredibly kind. Thank you for continued support!

Terrific, Craig!

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks Mark! Trying to clear the bench for tomorrow's challenge beginnings!

Craig,


Does your sign in the window mean there are dead girls?

Quote from: jerryrbeach on December 31, 2020, 04:48:00 PM
Craig,
Does your sign in the window mean there are dead girls?

Depends what time it is, according to the owner!

Beautiful modeling Craig.

Thanks Curt! Really appreciate that :)

Craig,

Came out terrific.

Frank

Thanks Frank — that means so much.

Boy, that's nice work, Craig!


Jeff

Great job keeping up the excellent work Craig..... 8)

Jeff, Greg — thank you! Comments like these really keep my fires stoked!

Hey Craig:

All I can say is WOW!!!!!!

Karl

Thank you Karl! Always appreciate you stopping by :)

Craig,

WOW, What a perfectly nasty building. Love it in every way.

Tom  ;D

Thanks Tom! I wanted the building to be just as dirty on the outside as it is on the inside! ;)

This building is unbelievable in it's griminess. Can't wait to see how it all fits together when done.

Not so unbelievable you don't "buy it", I hope  ;D

Thanks Raymo! I'm leaving the Union Dredging building as the penultimate build

Damn!  That is one sweet building!

Craig that is a real fine build.  Weathering is terrific on the building especially the signs!


Jerry

Bob, Jerry — thank you for the compliments and stopping by. I finished the GS Scale Supply building 100% last night (see on page one) and will be uploading photos a little later. Itching to start my winter build now!

It's time to move on to a new structure on the Rocky Point Harbor tribute (Winter Build Challenge) but before I could do that I needed to bring all the recent builds to 100%. With Saulenas' and Swee'Peas in the bag, only my G.S Scale Supplies building remained.

I present the finished build:

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Really nice, Craig!

Loads of neat details on this one.

Cheers, Mark.

Thank you, Mark! 3 down, 3 more structures to go!

What a beauty and exactly in the style of the FSM

Jan — that's a high compliment. Thank you for that :)

Hey Rusty:

Very very very well done. I just can't wait to see more.

Karl

Beautifully done.

Karl, Curt — thank you, as always, for your kind words. I'm so glad you like it.

Keeps getting with each new building.  beautiful work.


Jerry

G.S Scale Supplies is simply stunning!   :D  :D  :D

Love the latest entry also Craig.....great work.  8)

Jerry, Bob, Greg — thank you for stopping by. I couldn't be more grateful for your kind words and encouragement.

You are all a big part of why I love this hobby so much.

Greg

awesome structure in every way You are inspiring me to go deeper into the story
Thanks
Dick

Hey Craig:

OMG all I can say is WOWWIE!!!!!!!

Karl

Dick — thank you! Once all the structures are done there will be a larger story tying everything together. Can't wait to realize it so I can share it with you all.

Karl — you are very kind. Your work continues to inspire me so I'm thrilled you're enjoying it!

Absolutely Top Drawer! 100% full points on all of these buildings.


What color/technique did you use on the roof cyclone.  Very convincing metal finish.

Darryl -- thank you kindly!

For the cyclone, it was painted with a simple metallic paint that was later covered with a black wash (Vallejo or Citadel, typically). If I'm using Acrylics, I tend to avoid using my alcohol & ink mix as it can really disturb the paint, given Acrylics are generally water-based.

For the rust, three craft paints were sponged on, concentrating to the edges of the cyclone and bends in pipes. First, a yellow ochre in very small amounts. Followed by a pumpkin orange, also in small amounts. Finally, a dark brown in larger amounts to ties everything together (simulating a deeper rust).

It's a very simple but very effective technique.

For thread posterity, find both the URL link to my "Izzy Fish Co" build thread:

http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=5589 (http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=5589)

And a repost of the finished build photos:

Please note: the blank windows are to be covered by Saulenas' Tavern and, therefore, intentionally left unfinished.

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Up next will be the "Fine Scale Miniatures" building, which was a modified kit from Crow River/Hobby Gallery called the "Union Dredging Building". In this tribute, it is no longer the FSM building and something new — I already have the sign made up.

More soon.

Great modeling.  Love the look and feel. 

Mark

That is so cool!

Mark and Bob, thanks for stopping by with such kind comments. I'll be posting an update soon for the project :)

Craig what a wonderful job you've done with this one!!


Jerry

Thank you Jerry! Really appreciate that.

WOW...this is just as good as it gets, IMO...a worthy tribute


John

John, that's incredibly kind. I'm so glad you like it so far. I can't wait to move on with it (happening today!) and see it all start to really come together. Thanks for stopping by!

With my little scratch build project all done, I think the time has come to move this tribute build forwards.

I was thinking of leaving this build for last, but I have an FSM itch to scratch

I'll be watching this one. I love that kit.....Dennis

Thanks for stopping in Dennis. I love this kit so much I have two ;)

Craig


Excellent work! I'm looking forward to see what you do with Emporium. 

Hey Craig:

Siekirk's Seafood is one beautiful build. I just love that fishing rod.

Karl

Quote from: S&S RR on February 07, 2021, 03:53:08 PM
Craig


Excellent work! I'm looking forward to see what you do with Emporium.

Thanks John! I'm looking forward to getting back into a kit! Especially an FSM kit!

Quote from: postalkarl on February 07, 2021, 04:17:36 PM
Hey Craig:

Siekirk's Seafood is one beautiful build. I just love that fishing rod.

Karl

Thank you, Karl! I'm pleased with the fishing rod and I'm thrilled you like it! Appreciate you stopping by.

Nice.... :D

This really should be your cup of tea.  You do these builds perfectly!!


Jerry

Quote from: Jerry on February 12, 2021, 12:10:20 PM
This really should be your cup of tea.  You do these builds perfectly!!

Jerry

Thank you Jerry. You continue to be too kind!

Looks great Craig. The coloring and weathering is excellent. Great job overall!

Appreciate your kind words Steve! So glad you like it.

A very interesting kit Craig.....looking forward to seeing your build.  :)

I have enjoyed this thread with all the great builds and I just went back thru to find out what you will be doing with them, but couldn't find anything about that other than at pg. 1 where you indicated you liked this area of George's layout. I am assuming that you plan on putting them together in one big scene, but is this part of a larger layout or only a stand alone diorama?

Thanks Greg! Your ears must've been burning as just last night I was putting together the base of the overall diorama so I could get an idea of the footprint size!

Essentially, I am taking the entire Rocky Point Harbor and recreating it as a standalone diorama, the harbor included. I currently do not have a layout, but when I do this diorama will be stitched in.

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Forgive the ugly floor photo, at 35 x 26 inches she just won't fit on the bench -- and something I have to take into account when I'll be doing all my ground cover!

The base is made up of a few cuts of pink foam and polystyrene, but all will be glued to a large, single sheet of white foam board.

For the diorama, I will have lots of room for the track leading up to Emporium Seafood as well as the track that curves around the back of the other buildings. For the retaining walls I am using the walls from Cartwright's Machine Shop kit and have cut and used foam to match the exact height of them. I will cast more to complete the entire harbor scene.

Once all the structures are complete (Emporium, Union Dredging Building, Small Office to go) I will then move on to all the scenery. A process I am very much looking forward to.

That's one Beautiful job Craig....Dennis

Beautiful buildings.

Dennis, Curt — thank you very much.

More soon!

Hey Craig:

Wowwie that really looks just great. Do you have the same boat that George used in the harbor? I believe it is the PYRO Skipjack.

Karl

Quote from: postalkarl on February 13, 2021, 03:28:41 PM
Hey Craig:

Wowwie that really looks just great. Do you have the same boat that George used in the harbor? I believe it is the PYRO Skipjack.

Karl

Thanks so much Karl! I didn't know of the PYRO model, so I actually bought CCK's Skipjack! I may have to pick up the PYRO model if George used the same one — it is fantastic looking.

Hey Craig:

Looked up CCK's Skipjack. Not exactly the same but it will do just fine. I don't think you will be able to get the PYRO model.

Karl

Karl, is this it?

https://www.ebay.com/itm/284133453496 (https://www.ebay.com/itm/284133453496)

How long did it take you to do the hole and the detail the coloring is fantastic!!  Oh I see that's not part of the diorama!! :)


The real diorama looks great right out of the gate.


Jerry

Haha, Jerry! I've been working on my 1:1 diorama for some years now ;)

Craig,

Nice job. Looks great.

Your use of a foam base as a diorama and then fitting it into the layout, which I've seen other members do, when that gets build has given me the incentive to try that also. I've been in a quandary on how to build a structure scene into the layout. This has given me the answer on how I'm going to install the rock crusher building scene.

Bernd

Thanks, Bernd.

Building on a foam base first makes life a lot easier. Layouts locations can be difficult to get to and often single sided access. Modular fits just need a little TLC on its edges when stitching in.

Hey Craig:

Looks like it to me. Mine is in A different box.

Karl

I got down to it with Emporium Seafood.

First up, I primed all the castings. For me, I find it easiest to separate out the castings by material. For example, wood, metal, brick, windows and doors etc... my first attachment image below highlights this separation method. From here, the castings will be further airbrushed and then hand-painted to finish.

I also started on the walls. I first added nail holes with a pounce wheel, lifted clapboards with a straight edge blade, added interior bracing and then applied the stain. In the instructions, George calls to stain the walls before bracing, but I didn't want to follow suit knowing how much these larger wall sections can warp. That said, I understand why he does it this way — with glue seepages disturbing stains etc...

I wanted to represent a heavily worn/used building, one that gets lashed by salt water day in and day out. I used a combination of Hunterline stains (Driftwood, Light Gray & Blue Gray) along with my A&I mix to achieve the look. There are two wall sections where the stains don't make sense — this is because they will be covered once assembled.

There are also pastel chalks at work... and some AK Interactive enamels (like Moss Deposits at the foot of the wall sections). See the second attachment for more.

From here, I added my 1/16th trim. These trim pieces aren't all finished as they need to have pastel chalk weathering applied. After I finished the trim, I cut and added the main sign in the front wall section.

Once everything is dry, I will add my casting windows and doors and then start assembling the main structure.

For now that's all she wrote.

Nice start, Craig.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks, Mark. Excited to be putting this one together.

Great start.

Oh yeah!!  Were off and running!!


Jerry

Thanks for following along Curt & Jerry. I'll try and make this journey as fun as possible!

Hey Craig:

built that a few months ago for my friends layout. Looking good so far.

Karl

That's great, Karl! Anything to look out for in the build? I expect not, given George's excellent engineering ;)

Hey Craig:

Nah just follow the instructions. It goes together well.

Karl

Update time.

The clapboard was stained with multiple thin layers of Hunterline alcohol stains. Driftwood, Light Gray and Blue Gray were used. I also used the standard A&I mix on certain areas like corners and lifted clapboards. One additional step was a super light layer of Hunterline's Golden Brown stain. I wanted to change the temperature of the walls to a warmer look and this did the job perfectly.

In multiple step passes like this it's always worth doing detailed workup notes as you go — especially true when there are additional walls to be painted further along in the build that need to match up.

At this stage I added AK's Moss Deposits to the bottom of each panel as well as some pastel chalks. As Doug Foscale often says, you want the structure to look like it lives in the Earth, not just placed on top of it.

Moving on, before everything can be assembled all the windows and doors had to be painted and installed and all other signs added as well:

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These castings were painted with a combination of different branded oils. Using oils allows me to practice one of the favorite methods of painting: "the subtraction method" — a technique where you paint to 11 and then use mineral spirits to pull it back to 10. Here's my workup:

• Primed with "Neutral yellow" Stynlrez
• Straight wash of Mr Hobby Weathering Oil Wash (Brown)
• Diluted pin wash of Mr Hobby Weathering Oil Wash (Multi Black) in cracks and crevices.
• Use mineral spirits with brush and/or Q-tip to clean certain areas, presenting a variation to each board.
• AK Interactive's enamel "Track Wash" and "Moss Deposits" to weather appropriate areas.
• Hinges and door handles painted with metallic acrylics.
• Pastel chalks used sparingly to add dusty appearance.

This resulted in some impressionistic yet realistic looking wood — well worn was my aim. Naturally, the more mineral spirits you use, the cleaner (or newer) a piece appears — "the subtraction method", remember.

With everything glued in place, I added my quick window dressing for the closed windows and tissue paper curtains for the open windows:

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I also added the electrical meter. I used EZ line, instead of the included brown thread:

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Then, the instructions called for assembly of the main building, followed by added the cornice (painted using the oil method above):

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More soon.

Looks great Craig! The wood coloring is excellent. I especially like the way the doors came out.

Excellent job on the color and details.

Hey Craig:

Wow Emporiam looks just great. As I said built that one A few months ago. It's A great kit.

Karl

Steve, Curt, Karl — thanks so much for stopping by with your kind words. Your continued support means a lot.

I, too, am particularly pleased with the doors. So much so, I've purchased some more oil colors to experiment with.

That is fantastic!  Simply fantastic.

Quote from: Oldguy on February 19, 2021, 09:50:51 AM
That is fantastic!  Simply fantastic.

Thanks Bob! Really enjoying how this kit is going together. Not quite sure why I sound so surprised that an FSM kit is giving me much enjoyment...

Nice job Craig

Doug

Great colouring, Craig.

Looks really nice.

Cheers, Mark.

Just fantastic , great weathering , go on, go on Craig

Doug, Mark, Jan — really appreciate your kind words. I'm always so encouraged by this little community.

I will definitely go on!  8)

Craig


Beautiful work. I love the detail.

Thanks for the tutorial on the painting.


An excellent job on this one.


Jerry

John, Jerry -- thank you for stopping by with your kind comments.

I hope that little write up may help, Jerry.

Looks wonderful thus far Craig !!
A great kit and you are doing it justice,
Look forward to seeing it come together and your interpretation,
All the best,
--Paul


PS; And interested in what oils you are experimenting with, techniques and your thoughts.

Craig,

What a perfectly nasty old structure. It just looks terrible, in a complimentary way of course.

Tom  ;D

Quote from: PaulS on February 20, 2021, 09:25:32 AM
Looks wonderful thus far Craig !!
A great kit and you are doing it justice,
Look forward to seeing it come together and your interpretation,
All the best,
--Paul

PS; And interested in what oils you are experimenting with, techniques and your thoughts.

Thanks Paul! I've been using Abteilung 502 oils. These are a little more pricey than the hobby store artist oils, but for good reason: they are for modeling. They have a higher pigment and lower linseed oil ratio. Meaning rich color, but quick drying time. I always apply my oils as a wash, varying only its strength (if it's for a greasy machine part, it will go on from the tube).

I then use thinners and q-tips or brushes to pull back any parts that are overdone. For the doors above, I used a product from "Mr Hobby", which was a pre-made oil wash.

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 20, 2021, 03:20:17 PM
Craig,

What a perfectly nasty old structure. It just looks terrible, in a complimentary way of course.

Tom  ;D

Thanks Tom! In the 30 or so years she been stood standing, time and industry have not been kind.

Quote from: Rusty Robot on February 20, 2021, 06:45:13 PM

Quote from: PaulS on February 20, 2021, 09:25:32 AM
Looks wonderful thus far Craig !!
A great kit and you are doing it justice,
Look forward to seeing it come together and your interpretation,
All the best,
--Paul

PS; And interested in what oils you are experimenting with, techniques and your thoughts.

Thanks Paul! I've been using Abteilung 502 oils. These are a little more pricey than the hobby store artist oils, but for good reason: they are for modeling. They have a higher pigment and lower linseed oil ratio. Meaning rich color, but quick drying time. I always apply my oils as a wash, varying only its strength (if it's for a greasy machine part, it will go on from the tube).

I then use thinners and q-tips or brushes to pull back any parts that are overdone. For the doors above, I used a product from "Mr Hobby", which was a pre-made oil wash.

Thank you for the information and insight Craig, I will have to check out the Abteilung oils.
Much appreciated and will continue to follow along here,
All the best,
--Paul

Excellent detail work Craig, especially the siding.  8)

Wonderful job.  Love the finish on the detail castings.  I'll have to check out those the Abteilung oils as well.  I've dabbled with regular artist oil colors for certain things and do like the way they work as washes as well has how you can undo what you've simply by washing it off with mineral spirits while the paints are still wet.  The Abteilung oils. sound interesting and you've achieved some fantastic results with them.

Greg, Bob — thank you for taking the time to read/look through and comment.

With regards to the Abteilung502s, I would by — to start — one of their little 5-tube sets. They come in various forms say, for instance, "Vehicle Weathering" or even "Weathering for Old Wood". Also, the best place to get them is AK Interactive's website. Yes, there is a €10-20 international shipping charge, but if you buy some other goodies whilst you are at it it can beat the $40-50 stateside price tag.

For me, the success with any oil comes down to my management of three things: capillary action, subtraction and layering.

• Capillary action. The oil to thinner mix. Not only does this manage how strong my wash is, is also handles my shadows. For example, a HO-scale doorknob. Never in a million years will I paint around one. However, a highly diluted oil wash will instantly outline this micro detail with the touch of a brush thanks to capillary action. I use this method on everything and works best when the casting is highly detailed — another reason to love FSM kits
• Subtraction. In other words, using a mineral spirit laden brush or q-tip as an eraser. I use this method on parts of the casting that are raised and would see more use. Careful management is needed, especially including the amount of spirits used
• Layering. Probably the most important painting method for the entire hobby. Multiple thin washes is always better than one heavy one. But layering applies before a wash, too. Having a base color makes all the difference to the washes you apply on top. With thin washes we are dealing with transparency, so not only does the base color have suit your design, but it will also influence the final tone of the piece. I start light and work my way to dark if I am washing — and then subtract where it gets too dark! Have to love painting with an undo button!

This applies to any oils, but Abteilung just makes life a little easier for us modelers.

Another tool to add to your toolbox are "colour shapers" https://www.dickblick.com/products/colour-shapers-tools/  These are rubber (silicone) tipped "brushes" that work great for removing paint from corners, etc.  Just slightly wet the tip, and move the shaper around to pull up paint that gets someplace it doesn't belong.  They'd probably work OK to manipulate pigments (I haven't tried that.)


dave

Hey Craig:

I also really like what you did with the doors & windows. Great job. keep them thar pics flowing.

Karl

Dave, Karl -- thanks for your comments! Continuing on, then:

First up, the trusses:

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Using pastel chalks, I aged and weathered the roof. The nuts on the trusses were painted using a rust effect paint by Modelmates (now Dirty Down, a UK-based supplier). I also added the black pitch.

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With the roof installed, I then added broken glass, newspapers, leaves, chimneys, barrels and figures. I also added the roof access shed, using a combination of acrylic paints, pastel chalks and pencils to make it appear like aged tin sheeting. The figures are not yet installed and need a coat of matte varnish.

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Next up was the billboard. It went together nicely, but some of the crossbeams were repositioned as I didn't like the way they bowed out.

As I was painting the billboard, I assembled it first. Then I airbrushed a light green primer/base coat followed by an airbrushing of black to represent deeper wear, as seen at the bottom of the billboard's rear. Several light oil washes were used to further age the wood. I used a pin to add nail holes, adding the same rust effect paint I used on the trusses above.

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I followed George's instructions on scoring and peeling the sign to resemble individual sections. I think it really makes the sign pop. I added some pastel chalks here and there and the sign was fixed to the roof.

Next up was the small peaked roof. I cut it out from the card and then I cut and painted all the corrugated panels (which is the opposite way around that George suggests -- paint then cut):

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I airbrushed a standard brown primer first, then Model Air's "Hull Red". I added some black to the mix, making a black-brown, and then roughly airbrushed the ends of each panel to vary the wear effect.

Then, a combination of cheap craft paints were very, very lightly sponged on. I used Raw Sienna, Burnt Umber, Burnt Sienna and Dark Pumpkin. These were finished with pastel chalks.

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I added some green pastel chalks and also curled some of the panel edges. This got me here:

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That's it for now. Next up will be the water tank and office side structure.

Hey Craig:

The rooves look just great. Fine looking detail. Billboard look great also.

Karl

Craig some really nice work on the billboard & roof.


The roof panel are they metal ones??


Jerry

Karl, Jerry — thank you for your kind comments.

And yes, Jerry, those are the included metal panels :)

Craig,

Just stopped by to see how you're doing on this project.

Very impressive modeling. The weathering is outstanding. Great little details make it look so great.

Bernd

Thanks Bernd! This entire harbor is well worn, so I'm enjoying the weathering process. I do love beating up an otherwise healthy structure ;)

Looks great Craig! Both the roof and the billboard look excellent.

Hey Craig:

Looks like you used A different Billboard then the one that comes with the kit. Here's the one I used. It's one of my favorites.

Karl

Thanks Steve! Really appreciate you stopping by.

Karl, I used the included billboard (well, one of them). In fact, it's the very same one that George used for his original model :)

That's a cool alternative though!

Picking up where I left off — I started with the small office building on tall stilt legs.

As this is pretty similar to the main building in terms of materials and technique, I thought I'd instead highlight what each of my stain steps look like. I use thin/light stains in multiple layers, so any and all effect takes a while to achieve. The process can look messy. The following photos were taken with the stain still wet, but it highlights the staggered, almost striped like fashion they are applied. This is done to achieve variations almost board by board (without losing my mind in the process)

One thing of note, and something I contend with frequently, is the different cuts of wood used for the clapboard in kits. The temperature of the wood can change drastically, making uniformity very hard to achieve. The issues can be seen across the three following panels for the office, especially in the right hand wall here. Notice how much cooler it is in temp?

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Again, from top to bottom: light A&I pass, Driftwood pass, light gray pass, extra light Golden Brown pass & A&I again on lifted clapboards.

Here's the finished office:

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Then I turned my attention to the water tower on the "peaked roof":

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I used the same technique on the lid as I did with the doors on the main building. First, a light beige base/primer coat. Then I used a few thin coats of a brown oil wash. With thinners, I subtracted from the areas I wanted to stay light. When it was dry, I did a thin black oil pass to highlight the detail.

After everything was dry, I painted the metal detail parts with dark silver and then further weathered with pastel chalks to simulate mold and mildew around the hatch.

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Rust, as seen on the supply pipe in the image above and below, was achieved using an awesome product from a company in the UK called "Dirty Down". I use this product a lot for any surface rust. It dries like the real thing. See below for an image of the bottle.

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With the water tower complete, I started on the elevator/bell tower.

I painted the clocks a bronze and decided to add a verdigris effect. I figure these clocks face the elements day-in-day-out, so it's likely the bronze would have this heavy patina. The verdigris was achieved with a combination of paints, all of which were carefully stippled on.

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The bell was colored in a similar way, although the verdigris effect was far lighter, given that the bell is sheltered in the tower (unlike the clock faces!).
The bell supports were painted to represent heavy, worn iron.

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The door was painted alongside all the other doors at the start of the build. This ensured uniformity. All I did was add pastel chalk weathering and I installed the casting into the walls. It's satisfying to not slow down on construction to paint a single casting...

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The railings and posts, colored similarly to the cornice, were carefully added next, followed by the shingled roof. Until the corner strips on the roof were added, it actually looked like a hot mess. It's amazing how these little 1/8″ strips of brown bag paper tidies everything up.

The roof was painted with an aged white and then a dark brown oil wash toned everything down.

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With the office, elevator and water tower all complete, this brings the build to this stage below — which is approximately 55% complete:

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Craig, You really out did yourself. I love the rust effects, And all the explanation of the work.I wont spend $40 for shipping (I'm cheap) lol I hope I can find it here or something close?  Bottle of that dirty down is on my want list. but my God it does a  (Beautiful Job) Thanks....Dennis

Thanks Dennis. And I agree, it does work well.

That said, I only use it on small detail parts. Larger things like my roofing panels are "scratch" painted, as layering is the key to good rust effects (as it is with all painting). Naturally, layering on fine detail castings, pipes etc, is incredibly difficult so a product like this does work wonders there.

I don't think they have a US-based supplier, but I paid $7 for shipping from one of their UK-based suppliers :)

Craig,


First of all, simply beautiful modeling.  Not only is this a excellent illustrated step by step tutorial on how you got the results, but great insight into exactly why you did what you did and used what you used in the order you did.  (Wow, what a sentence!)  Thank you for taking the time to post so many photos and such a wonderful tutorial!  I know I'll be referring to this often.

Looks fantastic, Craig.

Cheers, Mark.

Jerry, Mark — thank you.

I'm glad you are enjoying the write-ups, Jerry. I always try to balance what I want to say against what simply needs to be said. Everyone loves pictures but sometimes I also want to know how things were done :)

I'll join in with the rest of the chorus of how great that building looks and the techniques you use.

Excellent pictures. Had to go through them several times to catch all the little details.

Bernd

Hey Craig:

Glad you liked the billboard.

Karl

Bernd, thank you for positive comments. I'm glad there was enough for you to go over the photos a few times — that's very encouraging!

I got the stairway done today, so onto the guard shed now.

Quote from: Rusty Robot on February 27, 2021, 02:09:02 PM
I always try to balance what I want to say against what simply needs to be said. Everyone loves pictures but sometimes I also want to know how things were done :)

Craig your modeling and presentation are excellent!!  I'm learning some new tips and techniques through your postings and the results are extremely well done.   Thanks for sharing and I will be following along.
Much appreciated,
--Paul

Quote from: PaulS on February 28, 2021, 07:39:59 AM

Quote from: Rusty Robot on February 27, 2021, 02:09:02 PM
I always try to balance what I want to say against what simply needs to be said. Everyone loves pictures but sometimes I also want to know how things were done :)

Craig your modeling and presentation are excellent!!  I'm learning some new tips and techniques through your postings and the results are extremely well done.   Thanks for sharing and I will be following along.
Much appreciated,
--Paul

Really pleased to hear that, Paul. I'm thrilled you've found new ideas in this thread. Thank you very much for stopping by.

Hey Craig:

WOW111 your Emporium is looking just gorgeous.

Karl

Dang it, I wish I could stay off this thread! I have my own empire to build.

Beautiful stuff Craig.

Tom  ;D

Karl, Tom — thank you!

From someone who doesn't have their own layout yet, I assure you I live vicariously through threads like yours Tom ;)

Coming late to the party, after 18 months with no modelling mojo, I have to say ths is exceptional modelling but the colouration is what sets it apart. Outstanding

Barry, thanks for your kind comments! I'm hoping it may help your mojo -- it's too good a hobby to stay away from!

After a week out of State, I got back to the bench.

The next thing up was the stairway. As with any kit, I always stain, paint and weather all the clapboard/wall sections in one go. The worst thing in kit building, I think, is getting further into the construction only to have to stop and figure out how to match colors you did weeks (or even months) ago. It's especially important on structures like Emporium Seafood that have many little sub-structures that come one after the other in the instructions.

With that in mind, the clapboard for the stairway was already stained and weathered with pastel chalks, so the only thing to do was add the sign and assemble. One aspect of note was the roof. Instead of construction paper, I instead used tissue paper (like Steve Custer recently did). This allowed me to create more fine rip and tears along each seam. I added nail holes with the pounce wheel and weathered with pastel chalks. Later I'll add a pigeon or two, and also some scrap wood and leaves.

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Next up was the guard shed. George's engineering is flawless, and I always take the extra effort to install 1/8" bracing as he suggests — even if it is a little overkill in places. It does make this cardboard building incredibly sturdy and, therefore, well worth the additional effort. If carefully following the instructions this little building folds really well.

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For shingles, I use 3M transfer tape. Here was no exception. It makes the application of shingles (especially this rolled kind found in all FSM kits) very easy and mess free. They were painted using earth and concrete tones as the instructions suggested, but I washed them with a dark brown oil wash. Even though I don't move the oil around afterwards with mineral spirits, what the oil does is dry in a certain way that appears dirty and well-used — exactly what I needed for a guard/storage shed!

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All my castings were already painted and ready to go, as were the corrugated metal panels, so the completion of the shed came around pretty quick. Before I applied the panels, I ran my pounce wheel over the bottom for nail holes.

More chalks and enamel washes were used around the bottom of the building so it appears like it's part of the world — as opposed to sat on top of it. I also sifted through my Preiser collection and found an appropriate figure for the sliding "Stop" window. I'll add pigeons later.

Here's the finished structure:

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I also painted the inside of the ajar door, but you'll never see it. To appease that tragedy, here's a snapshot:

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It came time to build the wharf. First, I stained all the wood — and boy, it was a lot of stripwood!

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I followed the instructions very carefully and within an evening I arrived at this point in the construction:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2Fimg_5336.jpg&hash=9c3c0ab8e10da032c47fe33c7764d54aa134e818)

One part I deviated from in the instructions was heightening the entire wharf. I'm using the retaining walls from the Cartwright Machine Shop kit, so in order to match that and leave the 3/32" space the instructions call for, I had to raise the overall height. Fortunately there's enough stripwood in the kit for me to do that.

I then spent some time detailing the pilings. I added the barnacles and seaweed (fine ballast and fine turf) and then used a combination of stains (working from lighter mixes to almost pure India ink in places) to weather. I also used various AK enamel products (like Moss Deposits) and slowly worked my way towards an aged, well-worn wharf.

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For some wet effects at the bottom of each piling, I used a product I've been substituting for gloss for years:

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You can find this is any half-decent grocery store in the US and it makes for a very cheap gloss finish. Many modelers use this stuff on plane canopies, in fact.

With the main assembly to the wharf complete, I downed tools and called it a day.

More soon.

Craig, I cant even keep up anymore. Beautiful job.

Hey Craig:

All I can say what A great job you are doing on this. Keep the pics flowing.

Karl

That guard shack -  a ton of character in such a small space. 

Dennis, Karl, Bob — really appreciate your kind comments! This is one helluva kit and I'm enjoying every second of it. So glad you are liking it too.

I actually have a question for you, Karl. The included wood ties. The instructions don't really state where these go (at least from where I stopped reading). I assume they are ties for the track that runs past the main building and not the wharf? In which case, I also assume George laid his own rail for the diorama instead of using premade track (like the few lengths of flex track I have laying around here)?

Hey Craig:

I'm not exactly sure as I don't remember. Do you have A pic?

Karl

Craig,
The coloring on your build is really making it look special.
Might have to save up a few dollars after tax season and purchase some of the items you mentioned.
Tommy

Karl -- I figured it out with a fresh head the next morning!

Tom -- Thank you very much. I hope they help as they have for me!

Hey Craig:

Glad you figured it out.

Karl

Craig,

Everything looks wonderful and nasty.

Tom  ;D

Craig wonderful work!!


Jerry

Tom & Jerry...

... wait... Tom and Jerry!? That's great!

Tom/Jerry -- thanks for your very kind comments. I've been doing a lot of bigger ground work these past couple of days, so I'm excited to be sharing more soon.

Craig


Beautiful work!

Great progress Craig.......outstanding looking pilings.  8)

Craig,


This, IMO, is as good as it gets!!! Your modeling really holds up in the close up photos. Fantastic!


How do you apply the Pledge product? does it simply dry in place and stay shiny? Do you also apply it to your water surface?


Great stuff!


John

Thank you all. Your support is really appreciated.

John, your words are too kind. For the Pledge, I literally just apply it full strength from the bottle. I use it as a gloss varnish, so in this instance I used it on the bottom of the pilings for a wet effect. With wood being as porous as it is, I sometimes need 2-3 coats before I see the subtle results.

More than anything, I often use this to "lock-in" any paintwork before moving on to other layers as it's a very affordable alternative.

Right at the start of the Emporium Seafood instructions, George tells you to build your base and add the retaining walls. Naturally, I skipped over that part and dove straight into the structure.

A couple days ago, I hit a road block — and it's because I didn't build my base. See, in order to add the rail, you need to install the wharf. In order to install the wharf, you need to add the retaining walls it sits against. In order to install the retaining walls, you need your base. Additionally, many "smaller" parts of the Emporium build like stairs, the large chimney etc... also need the base in order to be able to install.

It was clear I needed to build my base.

Here's the rub: I'm not making a single diorama. I'm making a diorama of an entire section of the F&SM. So in order for me to be able to continue the build of the Emporium, I needed to get to work building the base for the entire scene.

Which mean't some work. So, first things first, I cast and painted my retaining walls. These are the walls from "Cartwright's Machine Shop".

First they were airbrushed with a dark grey, filtering up to a lighter grey to achieve this gradient:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2Fimg_5354.jpg&hash=dc4b6ac80b95c2ce3dcfe8498105e67cf745fbe3)

From here, individual stones were painted with various browns and greys, before I washed the entire wall with a black/brown oil wash. After that, thinned AK Moss Effects was added along with AK Streaking Grime in various places. With everything painted, I added barnacles and seaweed using the same materials laid out in the instructions. That got me here:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2Fimg_5355.jpg&hash=3d28cb7c97ed12de2aab7261adaee6d1a3492510)

Next up, I finished the wharf (adding the deck planks). I grouped together three bundles of the strip wood, coloring one set with driftwood, the other with Hunterline golden brown and the third set with the standard A&I mix. Then, picking randomly from each pile rendered the below result — pictured after the base was finally made and rail added:

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As everything setup and dried, I got to making the large chimney stack. This was, by a country mile, the most difficult part of this kit. It's a 7/16″ wooden dowel that you need to make look metal by scribing horizontal wrapping lines, and straight vertical lines. Performing this task on a rounded piece of wood is no easy feat. And my first effort was a COMPLETE disaster, ruining the included hardwood dowel.

Fortunately, most hardware stores sell dowelling so I easily replaced what was lost — albeit with lesser quality lumber.

Anyway, my first effort was using my mini lathe, so this time I abandoned it and favored a mini pipe cutter. That worked well, so it was on to the vertical lines and more breath holding. To achieve these, I clamped my machinist blocks to the bench and using them as a "back stop", so I could then push the dowel up against them and use my ruler to trap it in place while I scribed my straight lines. I used a panel line tool to achieve these lines. After more finger nails were chewed off, I then got to work punching in all the hundreds of rivets.

Some metallic paints, an oil wash and pastel chalks later, I arrived here:

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With these details done, I turned my attention back to the base and did a dry fit of everything so I could mark off and make the street. After outlining all the buildings, I removed everything and used, per the instructions, joint compound. George warns you this stuff shrinks and he's not wrong. I came down the next morning and my street had huge, ugly lacerations across it. Whilst I didn't want these, the smaller cracks and to-scale and quite charming. Some filling and drying later, I scribed my expansion blocks, painted a concrete color and weathering using charcoal briquettes.

I put everything back in it's place and grabbed a couple of dry-fit photos:

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The whole thing is starting to shape up and it's nice to see it finally configured. It measures approx 35 x 25″, so it's no small potato.

Here is an overview of what I am modeling:

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From here, I will continue building the Emporium and then turn my attention to the stone building that George called the "FSM Casting Building" — although mine will be called differently 🙂

After that, I will then be adding the "Water Tank and Tool Shed" kit, which will be nestled on a small step down I've made at the front of the diorama. See this photo reference:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F18-090616192442.jpeg&hash=c7fbf05e40a351eb97404336741b2cd705944126)

I also have the small office (from Baileys Produce Co) to add in front of Seafood:

(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fkeepitrusty.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F03%2F18-270616194236.jpeg&hash=fdad8025917f1debabc22e82a4410a41b4e9f7b3)

Additionally, I'm planning on building this little structure, too:

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Lots to do, so more soon!

Looking absolutely fantastic Craig !!!
That is going to be one spectacular diorama and tribute !!
I'll be following along and thanks for sharing,
--Paul

Craig, Absolutely Beautiful. I don't know how you do so much in a day or two. Dennis

Paul, Dennis — thank you for your kind words. Really appreciate you following along.

One thing I'm really looking forward to is the ground cover. That also spells a near close to the diorama, so I will just have to take my time getting there ;)

Very nice work. Exceptional painting and weathering skills on the seawall. What is that Barnacle material? It really makes the scene. It looks to pass as mussels if painted blue black and just a bit bigger I love watching your work come together.

Craig just outstanding work!!


Jerry

Hey Craig:

Love all the pics you posted. Keep em coming. I'm really enjoying this build.

Karl

Quote from: Rail and Tie on March 17, 2021, 12:57:25 PM
Very nice work. Exceptional painting and weathering skills on the seawall. What is that Barnacle material? It really makes the scene. It looks to pass as mussels if painted blue black and just a bit bigger I love watching your work come together.

Thanks Darryl! The Barnacles are fine ballast (buff). The secret to these is a light to medium coverage. The seaweed is fine turf. Also, I will be adding a touch of color here or there around them when I do the brown sludge tideline across the walls a little later!

Jerry/Karl -- really appreciate your continued support! So pleased you are enjoying this journey too.

Craig,

You did a fantastic job on dowel smoke stack. It looks like a metal on to me.

Great stuff here sir,

Tom  ;D

Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate that! It put up a fight, but I got there in the end (although, still a shame you can easily spot the wood grain...)

Quote from: Keep it Rusty on March 17, 2021, 07:25:26 PM
Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate that! It put up a fight, but I got there in the end (although, still a shame you can easily spot the wood grain...)

The chimney turned out quite well. Regarding the wood grain, would it make sense to put a few coats of dullcote or flat mod podge to hide the grain? I know this is after the fact, but I have done that on a flat wood roof that I painted to look like metal and could still see the woodgrain. I coated it with flat mod podge and it worked pretty good. You could test it on a scrap piece to see if it works.


Then again, the grain is broken up quite a bit by the horizontal lines around the chimney so I suspect you really don't notice the grain off camera. It is lovely shading job on it as well.

Darryl, I thought the same thing, that the grain is broken by the horizontal lines.

I also thought about using a varnish of some description, but decided I would just leave it alone — given how I'd already messed up one and this one took a while to finish!

Thanks for your suggestion though.

In other news, I knocked the structure today, sending Emporium's water tower to a long death. I basically had to rebuild the damn thing from the pieces I picked up off the floor. This evening was a painful one.

That suck's Craig.  :-[

Hey Craig:

I really like how that dowel rod chimney came out.

Karl S

One heck of a scene Craig..... 8)

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on March 18, 2021, 12:22:01 AM
That suck's Craig.  :-[

It really did. I think the heavy lid casting fell on top of it, which is what made it explode. I got it put back together last night after a couple deep breaths!

Quote from: postalkarl on March 18, 2021, 03:10:37 AM
Hey Craig:

I really like how that dowel rod chimney came out.

Karl S

Thanks Karl! I used a little "Rub N Buff" on the metal parts to give it some extra sheen.

Quote from: GPdemayo on March 18, 2021, 09:19:18 AM
One heck of a scene Craig..... 8)

Thank you, Greg! It's really coming together now.

Little late to the party here, but WOW Craig.

Love the work you're doing. Following to "sea" how it all turns out.

Nice note on the smoke stack procedure. As I read it I was thinking of what you ended up doing.

Bernd

Bernd, thanks for stopping by and your kind words. Glad to have you along!

Using the clamped machinist blocks definitely did the trick in the end.

Looking really great, Craig.

Are you planning on another coat of A&I on the wharf?  I find if I add a coat after applying the nail holes it shows them up better.

With the shed with the tin roof I have a couple of suggestions to try on your next build using corrugated iron.  Firstly, if you apply your nail holes with a fine but blunt tool and then flip them over they give a good impression of lead headed nails.  With a bit of dry brushing these can really be made to pop.  Secondly, although the random lengths look good, remember the purlins run typically at 3' centers along the length of the roof, and this is the nailing for the iron.  In other words the nailing for the random lengths should line up and have consistent spacing from the ridge to the bottom of the roof.  Sometimes there is an extra purlin added near the ridge.

Really enjoying watching your diorama take shape.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks for the advice, Mark! I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

And yes, the wharf boards have not yet been weathered at all -- in fact, in the photo I hadn't even added the extra pilings yet ;)

More soon!

Hey Craig:

Look beautiful. Can't wait for more pics.

Karl S

Been sidetracked last couple days, but I've been working on the Emporium's maintenance shed. Sneak peek below.

Boy oh boy, no one makes castings like George...

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hey Craig:

Great looking piece of machinery.

Karl

Beautiful Job Craig!!!

Great job with the castings Craig..... 8)

Craig great job with the machines.


Jerry

Thanks all!

Really enjoying this build, so I'm slowing myself down to enjoy it that little bit more ;)

It keeps getting better and better!

Repeating what has already been said (because it's worth repeating) great job with those castings!   :D

Bob & Bob — thanks for commenting on this mini-update. It's amazing how I first look at the FSM castings and get overwhelmed by the mountain of them, only to find myself enjoying the painting process so much it almost meditative.

My eyes are pretty darn good but I couldn't paint HO details without these things:

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0742CJJM9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VVCM2BMHCH8DJ12HDK9Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1 (https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B0742CJJM9/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_glt_fabc_VVCM2BMHCH8DJ12HDK9Y?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1)

hey Craig:

That's A pretty neat looking tool.

Karl

It really is. And they come with 5 different magnification lenses. The only thing I've had to do is add foam to the bridge. Metal and rubber don't agree with my nose.

Craig,

The tools/machinery in the shed look wonderful. Most excellent all the way.

Tom  ;D

Thank you, Tom! Having a lot of fun with this little shop. It was photographed above still unfinished ;)

I think my next update will be the finished build of Emporium.

Craig,

I like the "wall Art"... machines don't look too bad either !!

Rich

I got a lot done since the last post as I wanted this one to showcase the finished Emporium.

Here's everything that I did between then and now:

Painted all the castings
Finished the maintenance shop, including the roof and fully detailed interior.
Finished the rear loading dock
Finished the stairways at the front and rear
Installed canopies and awnings
Detailed the wharf
Finished the power line
Added ground cover, including the planked crossing.
Added Preisers, pigeons, cardboard boxes and other various details.

This is, truly, one of my favorite FSM kits. It's an attractive structure, but all the details, variations of roofing materials, nice lines, the wharf and its detail... it all adds up to be an impressive harbor scene in itself.

I still have work to do on this build, including:

Adding the water
Adding the small office building (from Bailey's Produce)
Adding the lower wharf decks
Adding the roadway barriers
Adding vehicles
Adding a fuel tank and piping for the wharf pump
Adding extra detail (like a jib crane)

So if I'm not finished, why upload photos now? Well, I want to show you exactly what the kit gives you! The only things I have added to the kit for the following photos are the Preisers, the code 70 rail, the track bumper and the bicycle. Everything else is 100% kit! It's amazing.

Yes, it's a hard find, and an expensive one when you do find it, but I can't recommend it enough. Love this kit.

One thing of note before I show you the photos — please excuse the basement background in some of these. The diorama base is so large I can't fit it in my normal photo area!

Without further ado, here's my Emporium:

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NOW THAT'S A WORK OF ART!!!!!!!

Hey Craig:

WOW!!!!!! beautiful job on the Emporium. Built that for my friend not to long ago.

Karl

Fantastic work, Craig!

Just beautiful.

Cheers, Mark.

Very impressive detailing.....well done Craig.  8)

Outstanding build Craig, just beautiful from so many angles !!
Very well done and thank you for sharing your progress, tips and techniques with us along the way[size=78%],[/size]
All the best,
--Paul

Nice job Craig. That detailing is beautiful work. Looks like a lot of effort went into building this model.

Bernd

Quote from: Dennis Bourey on April 01, 2021, 12:11:27 AM
NOW THAT'S A WORK OF ART!!!!!!!

Thank you, Dennis. I'm so glad you like it :)

Quote from: postalkarl on April 01, 2021, 12:14:14 AM
Hey Craig:

WOW!!!!!! beautiful job on the Emporium. Built that for my friend not to long ago.

Karl

I caught a couple glimpses of yours. It's such a beautiful kit. Thank you for your continued support, Karl.

Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on April 01, 2021, 12:42:55 AM
Fantastic work, Craig!

Just beautiful.

Cheers, Mark.

Thank you, Mark. I'm kinda sad it's all finished. At least I have the rest of the tribute to still focus on ;)

Quote from: GPdemayo on April 01, 2021, 08:33:45 AM
Very impressive detailing.....well done Craig.  8)

Appreciate it, Gregory! Thank you. It's all in the details.

Quote from: PaulS on April 01, 2021, 08:37:56 AM
Outstanding build Craig, just beautiful from so many angles !!
Very well done and thank you for sharing your progress, tips and techniques with us along the way[size=78%],[/size]
All the best,
--Paul

Thank you, Paul. I'm so glad you've enjoyed the journey. Doing write-ups is important to me because it's write-ups from others that got me into the HO world in the first place. Always happy to give back to this amazing community and hobby.

Quote from: Bernd on April 01, 2021, 08:54:16 AM
Nice job Craig. That detailing is beautiful work. Looks like a lot of effort went into building this model.

Bernd

Thanks, Bernd. I approximate 100 hours of building over a 5-week period for this one. Loved every second! George's detailing and engineering make FSM kits a delight. He recently told me over 20 hours went into sculpting the master for that shop lathe!

Craig,
Thanks for finding this forum to share your special modeling talent.
Your builds are all top notch and there is a wealth of information you used that need to be tried at our end to improve all skill levels.
Look forward to seeing more of your work.
Tommy

Craig,

A masterpiece and it provides tons of inspiration for me and I'm sure everyone here.  Thanks very much for all your detailed posts and pics.

--Opa George

Craig that is a thing of "Beauty"!


Just wonderful work all the way around the building & details perfecto!!


Jerry

Quote from: tom.boyd.125 on April 01, 2021, 10:18:29 AM
Craig,
Thanks for finding this forum to share your special modeling talent.
Your builds are all top notch and there is a wealth of information you used that need to be tried at our end to improve all skill levels.
Look forward to seeing more of your work.
Tommy

Thank you, Tom. That's extremely kind. I am very happy to be a part of this community and give back where I can!

Quote from: Opa George on April 01, 2021, 12:00:35 PM
Craig,

A masterpiece and it provides tons of inspiration for me and I'm sure everyone here.  Thanks very much for all your detailed posts and pics.

--Opa George

Couldn't be more grateful for you and your words, George. Providing inspiration is, truly, the most rewarding part of the hobby. Thank you for tagging along on this one!

Quote from: Jerry on April 01, 2021, 12:03:27 PM
Craig that is a thing of "Beauty"!


Just wonderful work all the way around the building & details perfecto!!


Jerry

Thank you, Jerry. Your continued support helps me burn the midnight oil!

Hello Craig, just incredible work.    Jeff

All I can say is DAMN!

Excellent build.

Frank

Quote from: nycjeff on April 01, 2021, 09:37:15 PM
Hello Craig, just incredible work.    Jeff

Thank you, Jeff. That's very kind! So glad you like it.

Quote from: Oldguy on April 01, 2021, 09:47:35 PM
All I can say is DAMN!

Haha, thanks Bob!

Quote from: fbernard65 on April 01, 2021, 11:36:24 PM
Excellent build.

Frank

Thanks for stopping by again, Frank. I'm itching to get my hands on "Stewart's Rods"! And the O-scale "Bailey's Produce"

Craig


Awesome work.  I love the weathering and the details. Great reference when I get to my waterfront scene.

Quote from: S&S RR on April 02, 2021, 10:04:22 AM
Craig


Awesome work.  I love the weathering and the details. Great reference when I get to my waterfront scene.

Thanks, John. Can't wait to see what you'll do with a waterfront scene.

Micro-update.

Decided to take a quick break from the longer build and produce something within an evening build (2.5 hours).

Inspired by a structure on the F&SM, I made this trackside structure for the tribute:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/img_5819.jpg)

Beautiful job !!!!!!

Thanks, Dennis! These little builds are a lot of fun.

Very neat, Craig.

I love the roofing material.  Really nice colours, too.

Cheers, Mark.

Quote from: Keep it Rusty on April 08, 2021, 08:39:53 PM
Micro-update.

Decided to take a quick break from the longer build and produce something within an evening build (2.5 hours).

Inspired by a structure on the F&SM, I made this trackside structure for the tribute:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/img_5819.jpg)

Very nice building. I especially like the paint detail on the door hinges and doorknob assembly. Very striking (striker plate? Might be a pun in there somewhere)

Mark, Vince — thank you. Really appreciate your comments.

Vince, those little details are always what make a build pop. I will only consider sometime done when I can take an extreme close-up like this and still be happy with it.

Small building's seem to have a lot of character.


Great job on this one.


Jerry

Thanks, Jerry. I totally agree. These little guys can pack a punch!

Craig,

Great trackside structure. I also agree, smaller trackside structures really change how a layout looks. George has many many small trackside ones on his layout and they just seem to make it all the better.

Tom  ;D

Hey Vince:

Looks just great.

Karl

Tom, Karl — thanks for your comments!

I'm planning on making a LOT of these little structures. Today I'll be finishing the little office building out in front of the Emporium (the one from Bailey's Produce). Despite having the kit, I've scratch-built  the office so I can keep that kit intact.

Hey Craig: 

You are quite welcome.

Karl

Time for an update.

In-between bigger builds I like to make some smaller structures. It's a great way to manage output flow and get results quick (a much needed tonic sometimes!) This time, I made FOUR!

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01626.jpg)

Apart from the elevated gate tower, all of these structures are scratchbuilt and are based on designs found on the F&SM — yes, all of these structures are for my tribute! I know, I know... this thing is growing out of control. But I love it. Let's dive in.

JAGODA'S PAINT CO. INC:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01627.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01628.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01630.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01631.jpg)

Poor guy. He only wanted to return some paint, now he's made a mess of his afternoon and the front steps!

This build took two evenings to complete. It's a very simple build, with a low-pitch roof. The concrete foundation is pink foam coated with AK Interactive's "Concrete". I lightly sand it when dry for variation and then wash the whole thing in A&I. The lattice panels are from Tichy, and the details are from a variety of sources, including some 3D printed chimneys, lamp shade and paint pot.

TRACKSIDE SHED:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01632.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01633.jpg)

Couldn't be more of a simple little structure. Four walls and a roof. The door is an FSM casting, the chimney and lamp shade were 3D printed and the roof shingles are Northeastern Scale Lumber's "Fish Scales". Nothing much more to say on this one!

OFFICE BUILDING:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01634.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01635.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01636.jpg)

This is the office from Bailey's Produce Co, but can also be seen outside the Emporium Seafood on the F&SM. Thus, I needed to build one, too! I used some scans of the office building to scratch build this one. The walls got a multi-layered stain of various Hunterline colors and A&I. The doors are FSM castings (well, molds of), the windows from Tichy and the chimney from FOS. The concrete base was done the exact same way I did the base for Jagoda's. All the windows received my quick shade method.

"FLETCHER ROAD" ELEVATED GATE TOWER:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01642.jpg)

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/DSC01645.jpg)

This is an Atlas kit. Cost me $5. This is what the box contents looked like:

(https://keepitrusty.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/IMG_5837.jpg)

The secret to these cheap plastic kits is making them look like wood. That can be achieved with using razor saw teeth to make a wood grain effect in the plastic and a decent paint job thereafter. As you can see from these photos, my grain effect isn't perfect, but I think it helps sell the illusion of wood more-so than swathes of flat plastic.

Following an F&SM design, I discarded the plastic four-faced roof and created a standard pitch roof by just adding two small triangles of clapboard on either side of the tower (can be seen in the photos above as the white clapboards immediately under the roof). I used the rolled type shingles (love these) and added rafter tails. Before I sealed everything, I added a small desk, window shades and a uniformed Preiser (his full-story below). The tower was carefully aged and later the plastic base will be hidden into the ground work.

And here's the fictional backstory I created for my elevated gate tower.

LONGFELLOW TRIBUNE -- May 4 1938
The work to the controversial elevated gate tower on Fletcher and Kellogg was completed today. The unusual decision to add a tower to a spur-line crossing was granted four weeks ago in light of the increasing amount of incidents at the busy intersection.
In recent years, the growing industry at Rocky Point Harbor has driven an equal amount of foot traffic to the area, oft creating a bustling atmosphere that has seen dramatic increases in ambient volume levels. So dramatic, in fact, it has proven fatal on several occasions. One eye-witness told us, "Between the delivery of anchovies, the singing sailors at the Tavern and Bob's excitement over his wife's latest garment, I hadn't even noticed the locomotive that was a mere six feet away. I was a lucky one of a tragic many"

Upon the Tribune's visit to the newly erected tower, we found it manned by watchman Ronald R Ronwell. A proud man who has always desired a career with the railroad, but until now had never found the opportunity. So proud of his new role that Mr Ronwell wears a self-funded uniform, despite the relaxed dressed code for gate watchmen. As he stoked his coal furnace, he told us, "My duty is to protect the citizens, patrons, employees and visitors of the harbor and its infamous, man-eating crossing. My uniform reminds me of that responsibility, even if it does ride up in places I don't want it when I scale the ladder each morning and night"

We here at the tribune are happy to have Mr Ronwell watching over us, even if he does need a new tailor.

Craig, great work on the little structures. Your coloring and weathering is perfect.


John

Love the little structures , great weathering and painting.

Craig some excellent weathering and kit choices for you diorama that is getting out of control!!  ;)


Jerry

Simply amazing.  All of them. 

Hey Craig:

Love all your small buildings.

Karl

John, Jan, Jerry, Bob & Karl — thank you for your lovely comments. So glad you all like them. Couldn't be more grateful for your continued support. I still have 2-3 more structures to build for the tribute and then I'll be moving onto vehicles (including the Skipjack) before starting the main ground cover.

Craig,
Those 4 small structures are outstanding.
Great coloring and weathering too. Thanks for sharing !
Tommy

Thanks, Tom! So glad you like them.

I'm now back to finishing the stone building!

Some really cool little structures there, Craig.

You've done great work on the Kibri structure to blend it in with the others.  Love the little back story, too.  Maybe you should print it up with newspaper font from 1938.  I like your addition of foundations, too.  I didn't get any of those trellis panels in my recent order from Tichy.  I have got a whole heap of other goodies on their way though.

Cheers, Mark.

Thanks, Mark! I enjoyed that Kibri kit so I ordered some other plastic kits from them.
I actually looked into doing just that, but the simple newspaper generators found online often have a word count limit. I may get around to actually putting something together in Photoshop though.
Those Tichy panels are a lot of fun. Next order!
Really appreciate you stopping by!

Very Nice serie of little building.
Very well done.
Eric

Thanks, Eric!

They'll get another life all over again when they are planted with details.

Looks great Craig! Great job turning a cheap plastic kit into something really great. All these little structures look fantastic.

Thanks, Steve. Means a lot coming from you.

To be honest, out of all the builds I probably had most fun transforming that Kibri kit! More to come.

Well done on all the small structures Craig.....they really help bring everything together on a layout.  8)

Thanks, Greg. And I totally agree — these smaller ones make the world that much more "lived in".

Craig,

The smaller structures really look fantastic. I agree smaller structures add much more than an extremely large kits.  Well done sir.

Tom  ;D

Thanks, Tom! Really appreciate it.

Hopefully I can get back to finishing the stone building soon!

(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/18-220616110350.jpeg)

Craig,

As others have said before me, nice work on the small structures.  Sometimes small ones take more thought processes than contemplating construction methods on the larger ones.  ;D

Rich

Craig


You did a great job on the four smaller structures. The smaller highly detailed structures really make a scene pop. It is all about the details and you created some great ones.

Rich, John — thanks so much. Pleasantly surprised by how many folks enjoy these little structures. They are a great way to get a quick fix and plan on many, many more.

Appreciate you stopping by, as always.

Nice small structures.  Especially the way you turned the plastic kit into a gem. 

Jeff

Craig,


I was just going over your Emporium Seafood Build pics (pg 23) and I'm speechless. The level of detail and care is absolutely amazing! The way the wood grain and detail paint and weathering holds up to close-up photography is as good as modeling gets in my opinion. Really well done- Hall of Fame stuff.


John

Jeff — thanks! I'm pleased with that little guy. Got some other plastic kits lined up already, including a couple signal towers!

John — wow. Thank you! That's some high praise indeed. My particular aim with most builds (especially true with these larger signature kits) is for them to hold up nice and true when under the scrutiny of a tight lens. Had so much fun with that kit build. I'll be making some more FSM real soon — in fact, the next one in the "Water Tank and Tool Shed".

Hey Craig:

I believe the stone building is A kit. I have one around here somewhere. I can't remember who makes it.

Karl

Indeed it is. An old Crow River kit!

I'm about 75% through my build/kitbash of it :)