I thought I'd try something different other than the usual wood kits.
The Town of Tahope will need a new Court House and Municipal Building so I decided to build the Magnuson version. This kit is 95% resin with a few metal casting.
The kit is over 40 years old. Here is the start of something different.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165824.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165835.jpeg)
More in a few.
I paid $39.95 for this one and is still available for around $75.00.
SS Ltd. has it on sale for $59.99
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165849.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165849.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165901.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165913.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165924.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-120818165935.jpeg)
Well ya' fooled me.
That facade is almost the same as South Station in Boston, MA. I saw the last photo first and just KNEW this was a magnificent passenger station kitbash coming. But alas, it's to be full of bureaucrats and such. Courthouse? Who am I to judge?
I will follow for sure... the casting look like fabulous.
Eric
Those are really nice looking castings.
I agree! I think Tellynott could do with one of those! Lovely detail.
Cheers, Mark.
Count me in too. Looks like an interesting structure for sure. Load's of detail in those castings.
Good looking building Tom.....I'll be looking in.
Don't forget, if you're thinking of putting a statue out front, we're in the New South and no right thinking pol would dream of putting a politically incorrect statue out front that would offend our brethren, of delicate sensibilities, further north. ;D ;D ;)
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 13, 2018, 08:52:37 AM
Good looking building Tom.....I'll be looking in.
Don't forget, if you're thinking of putting a statue out front, we're in the New South and no right thinking pol would dream of putting a politically incorrect statue out front that would offend our brethren, of delicate sensibilities, further north. ;D ;D ;)
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
Good looking building Tom, and I do think that Tahope DOES need a statue out in front. Maybe one of Bugs Bunny to not offend anyone.
Jim
Quote from: BandOGuy on August 12, 2018, 05:20:52 PM
Well ya' fooled me.
That facade is almost the same as South Station in Boston, MA. I saw the last photo first and just KNEW this was a magnificent passenger station kitbash coming. But alas, it's to be full of bureaucrats and such. Courthouse? Who am I to judge?
Chip,
Sorry about that. I think this would be a fantastic front for a station. Yes, this will be full of southern crackers and kin. 8)
Tom ;D ;D
Quote from: EricQuebec on August 12, 2018, 05:27:40 PM
I will follow for sure... the casting look like fabulous.
Eric
Eric,
Thanks for getting on board. Yes, the details in the castings are excellent.
Tom ;D
Quote from: mark dalrymple on August 13, 2018, 02:08:49 AM
I agree! I think Tellynott could do with one of those! Lovely detail.
Cheers, Mark.
Mark,
I agree, one of these kit bashed to fit Tellynott would really be nice. The details are very nice on the front and side walls.
Tom ;D
Quote from: ReadingBob on August 13, 2018, 07:39:42 AM
Count me in too. Looks like an interesting structure for sure. Load's of detail in those castings.
Bob,
Thanks for following along. This will be another focal point in the Town of Tahope.
Tom ;D
Quote from: PRR Modeler on August 12, 2018, 05:41:11 PM
Those are really nice looking castings.
Curt,
The casting details are very nice and I've been wanting to build this one for years.
Tom ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 13, 2018, 08:52:37 AM
Good looking building Tom.....I'll be looking in.
Don't forget, if you're thinking of putting a statue out front, we're in the New South and no right thinking pol would dream of putting a politically incorrect statue out front that would offend our brethren, of delicate sensibilities, further north. ;D ;D ;)
Greg,
You are definitely an instigator and a rebellious one as well.
You know perfectly well that across from the Courthouse I WILL have a Confederate flag and a Johnny Reb or General Nathan B. Forest in the square.
No, I'm not a racist or white supremacist. Tahope is a town in the South during the early 50's and certainly prior to all this, "It's a sign of oppression and my feeling are hurt bull crap"!
Tom ;D
Quote from: BandOGuy on August 13, 2018, 10:22:27 AM
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 13, 2018, 08:52:37 AM
Good looking building Tom.....I'll be looking in.
Don't forget, if you're thinking of putting a statue out front, we're in the New South and no right thinking pol would dream of putting a politically incorrect statue out front that would offend our brethren, of delicate sensibilities, further north. ;D ;D ;)
:) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :)
EXACTLY RIGHT!
Quote from: jimmillho on August 13, 2018, 11:24:51 AM
Good looking building Tom, and I do think that Tahope DOES need a statue out in front. Maybe one of Bugs Bunny to not offend anyone.
Jim
Jim,
I'm sure there is someone out there that will be offended by Bugsy being in the square.
Just in case, I think a Confederate General would be appropriate.
Tom ;D
Quote from: ACL1504 on August 13, 2018, 05:07:52 PM
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 13, 2018, 08:52:37 AM
Good looking building Tom.....I'll be looking in.
Don't forget, if you're thinking of putting a statue out front, we're in the New South and no right thinking pol would dream of putting a politically incorrect statue out front that would offend our brethren, of delicate sensibilities, further north. ;D ;D ;)
Greg,
You are definitely an instigator and a rebellious one as well.
You know perfectly well that across from the Courthouse I WILL have a Confederate flag and a Johnny Reb or General Nathan B. Forest in the square.
No, I'm not a racist or white supremacist. Tahope is a town in the South during the early 50's and certainly prior to all this, "It's a sign of oppression and my feeling are hurt bull crap"!
Tom ;D
Who.....me? ::)
Okay, now all the political stuff is out of the way we can proceed to the build.
I spent several hours today removing flash and cleaning the casting. I used an Emory board and small metal file to clean the heavy flash from the window, door and wall sides.
This is an old Magnuson kit so the resins used back 40 years ago were very brittle and sticky. More on the sticky stuff later.
On two of the walls, there was an excess of resin build up. I have it marked in green in the next two photos.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164151.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164151.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164202.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164202.jpeg)
This build up of resin will prevent the walls from fitting together correctly.
More in a few.
I used a new #11 blade, Emory board and flat metal file to removed this build up.
I used the edge of the #11 blade and scraped the resin and then followed with the file and Emory board to a smooth side.
You can see the green on the side is now gone. The green still visible is on the back side of the wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164224.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164224.jpeg)
More in a few.
Another issue is two of the walls that fit together, DON'T!
I'm showing the difference on the bottom as it is more defined. When the walls are assembled, I'll glue them in this manner so the the top will match. I can better make an adjustment on the bottom more so than the top.
Scenery will definitely cover these bad fitting walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164139.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164139.jpeg)
More in a few.
As with all old Magnuson kit walls, these are warped. Not as bad as some I've seen but still bad.
I've dealt with warped Magnuson walls in the past so these won't be a problem to fix.
I'll show how I plan to straighten the walls later in the next thread posting.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164235.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164235.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164247.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164247.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164304.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164304.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164315.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-130818164315.jpeg)
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 13, 2018, 05:12:52 PM
Quote from: ACL1504 on August 13, 2018, 05:07:52 PM
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 13, 2018, 08:52:37 AM
Good looking building Tom.....I'll be looking in.
Don't forget, if you're thinking of putting a statue out front, we're in the New South and no right thinking pol would dream of putting a politically incorrect statue out front that would offend our brethren, of delicate sensibilities, further north. ;D ;D ;)
Greg,
You are definitely an instigator and a rebellious one as well.
You know perfectly well that across from the Courthouse I WILL have a Confederate flag and a Johnny Reb or General Nathan B. Forest in the square.
No, I'm not a racist or white supremacist. Tahope is a town in the South during the early 50's and certainly prior to all this, "It's a sign of oppression and my feeling are hurt bull crap"!
Tom ;D
Who.....me? ::)
Yes, doesn't this have your name on it?
Talk about a sticky situation. The early Magnuson resin pieces had some sort of sticky residue on them. I'm not sure this is the mold release or the resin itself. No matter, it needs to come off.
For the walls in this kit, I used a soft bristle brush and warm soapy water. Actually, I used a soft toothbrush and Dawn dish soap. I did this twice and got most of the sticky stuff off. I let the walls dry over night and they were better but still had some of the sticky still on portions of the walls.
I then placed all the pieces in the sink, sprayed them with Goo Gone and let sit for an hour.
I used the soft bristle toothbrush and removed the Goo Gone using warm water to wash as I cleaned.
I let these dry over night and the next day the sticky residue was removed.
I used 1/4" square brass tubes to help straighten the warped walls. IN the photo below you and see how warped one wall was.
I used the ZAP-A-GAP Medium, the light green bottle of CA+(super glue) to glue the brass and walls together. I applied the glue and clamped the brass tubing to the wall.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164328.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164328.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164340.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164340.jpeg)
More in a few.
Let me back up here for a moment.
There have been several opinions, all differing, on how to fix the warped walls in a Magnuson kit.
Some say soak in warm water and lay them flat. Others say use the microwave and zap them and then bend them flat. I guess these are the most popular methods but I have one big problem with these solutions.
After the walls have been in the box for 40 years the warp is somewhat permanent or at the least developed a memory.
I have first hand experience with both the microwave and hot water bath and neither work on a permanent basis. Remember the memory thing I just mentioned?
Gluing the brass tubing to the walls has been my "go to" for at least 25 years with these old kits.
Not saying the solutions mentioned aren't good or work, they just don't work for me
I built a Magnuson kit after fixing the walls via the hot water method. Three weeks after the structure was painted and on the layout, the wall started to revert back to the warp position.
You are now warned.
After the rear wall was braced with the brass tubing, I glued the side wall in place.
This wall wasn't to warped and actually somewhat straight so I didn't brace it first. The bracing was done after the walls were glued and square.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164353.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164353.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164405.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164405.jpeg)
Diet Pepsi time, back after grabbing a cold one.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164421.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164421.jpeg)
So, I did this with all the walls just to be on the safe side.
The five walls were a bit "tricksie" but did fit together fairly well as planned.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164436.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164436.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164447.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164447.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164503.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164503.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164514.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164514.jpeg)
More in a few.
The front angled wall was really "tricksie" to install. After a little adjustments I got it to fit as good as possible. To be safe I then braced the front walls with the brass tubing as shown.
The front walls are at an angle and not the 90 degrees as the other walls. My math tells me the walls fit together at a 22.5 degree angle. So I cut the brass tubing at the 22.5 degree angle and glued them in place.
Think me crazy, but having remembered the last Magnuson kit I built many many moons ago, I soldered the brass together.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164527.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-140818164527.jpeg)
I ran out of brass stock and will cut, install and solder them at the bottom as well.
Really nice how to. Are the gaps on the front bottom for a sidewalk?
The Building is going to be stronger then some real ones I've worked in. A question: you mentioned and showed two walls did not match up. All look lined up when together, how did you fix the mismatch in height?
Very interesting seeing this kit go together. Thanks for the great direction. Enjoying watching it come together.
Wow...great tutorial. I've never seen anything like this. You could probably stand on that building to change lightbulbs... ;D
I hope to be in the area sometime soon.
John
Great solution to the warping problem.
Jeff
Looking good Tom..... 8)
Is the 1/4" brass stronger than, say 1/4 x 3/8 styrene?
dave
Wow ! ! ! !
I've seem some bracing before but............... That gets it.
It really is necessary for some of those old resin kits.
thanx
Bob
Quote from: PRR Modeler on August 14, 2018, 08:16:22 PM
Really nice how to. Are the gaps on the front bottom for a sidewalk?
Curt,
Thank you and yes, sidewalks fit under the front and side.
The problem with Magnuson sidewalks are they aren't to scale. They are HO scale 14" high.
I'll set this building down in the pink foam and scratch build sidewalks to match those of FOS.
Tom ;D
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150818180644.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150818180644.jpeg)
Quote from: Jim Donovan on August 14, 2018, 09:43:55 PM
The Building is going to be stronger then some real ones I've worked in. A question: you mentioned and showed two walls did not match up. All look lined up when together, how did you fix the mismatch in height?
Very interesting seeing this kit go together. Thanks for the great direction. Enjoying watching it come together.
Jim,
Much appreciate the compliment, thank you.
The building looks like it sits flush on the bottom but it doesn't. I did shave a little off the bottom with sandpaper.
I made the walls all even at the top as this will show. I'll use scenery to cover the mismatch on the bottom rear.
Quote from: Cuse on August 15, 2018, 06:45:16 AM
Wow...great tutorial. I've never seen anything like this. You could probably stand on that building to change lightbulbs... ;D
I hope to be in the area sometime soon.
John
John,
Thank you for the compliment, much appreciated. I did use the brass tubing as I've had experience with these old Magnuson kits in the past. The building is sturdy for sure.
I look forward to your visit, always a pleasure.
Tom ;D
Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on August 15, 2018, 07:58:23 AM
Great solution to the warping problem.
Jeff
Jeff,
Thank you kind sir. I really had no choice if I wanted the building to look right.
Tom ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on August 15, 2018, 08:28:57 AM
Looking good Tom..... 8)
Greg,
Thank you my friend.
Tom
Quote from: deemery on August 15, 2018, 11:16:43 AM
Is the 1/4" brass stronger than, say 1/4 x 3/8 styrene?
dave
Dave,
Yes, it is. The 1/4" styrene, be it a solid of tube, is still bendable. Not sure it would be stiff enough to hold the warp in check.
Tom ;D
Quote from: bparrish on August 15, 2018, 05:22:16 PM
Wow ! ! ! !
I've seem some bracing before but............... That gets it.
It really is necessary for some of those old resin kits.
thanx
Bob
Bob,
It is a case of mild over kill but I needed to keep the walls in check as this building measures 10.5" long and 5" wide.
And, as you said, it is necessary for some of these very old resin kits.
Remember the Franz Falk Brewery I did from Master Creations? I had to use square brass tubing for that one as well.
https://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6475 (https://www.kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=6475)
Tom ;D
Tom,
I'm late to the dance but now following the build. A magnificent kit--I didn't realize the level of detail in this line. Very nice technique, and instructive as well.
Tom, if you need some I have some.......Brass Tubing that is. 8) 8) 8) 8)
Jim
Tom.....
The bracing fits my rule for a lot of things.
There's no substitute for brute force.
See ya
Bon
Quote from: Opa George on August 15, 2018, 08:04:44 PM
Tom,
I'm late to the dance but now following the build. A magnificent kit--I didn't realize the level of detail in this line. Very nice technique, and instructive as well.
Opa George,
Thank you, appreciate you following along. Magnuson kits have really great details but this one is probably the most detailed of the kits.
Tom ;D
Quote from: jimmillho on August 15, 2018, 09:19:00 PM
Tom, if you need some I have some.......Brass Tubing that is. 8) 8) 8) 8)
Jim
Jim,
Much appreciated, but I found more under the layout.
Tom ;D
Quote from: bparrish on August 16, 2018, 12:14:58 AM
Tom.....
The bracing fits my rule for a lot of things.
There's no substitute for brute force.
See ya
Bon
Bob,
I agree, come big of stay at home!
Tom ;D
I was going to paint the base coat on the Municipal Building today and realized I still needed to fill a few spots with spackle.
So, painting has been delayed.
Cool building - will certainly be following along.
Back in an old issue of MR someone did a kitbash of this building into a "stand in" of Boston South Station that I always thought was pretty neat.
Marty
Hi Tom:
Looks great so far. can't wait to see some paint.
Karl
Quote from: CVSNE on August 21, 2018, 12:39:37 PM
Cool building - will certainly be following along.
Back in an old issue of MR someone did a kitbash of this building into a "stand in" of Boston South Station that I always thought was pretty neat.
Marty
Marty,
Thanks for checking in on the build. I do remember a little about the article and think is was pretty impressive what they did with the kit bash.
Tom ;D
Quote from: postalkarl on August 21, 2018, 01:23:39 PM
Hi Tom:
Looks great so far. can't wait to see some paint.
Karl
Karl,
Thank you, much appreciated. I do have the first coat of pint on and will post the photos within the hour.
Tom ;D
Work on the Municipal Building has been slow but steady.
I finally got the minor gaps filled with spackle. When the spackle dried, I used some very fine sandpaper and an Emory board to smooth the joints.
As the spackle was drying, I used the back of a #11 blade to reclaim the grout lines.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-240818153611.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-240818153611.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-240818153623.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-240818153623.jpeg)
Continued in a few.
I used rattle can Tamiya Light Ghost Grey, #AS-26, for the initial coat of paint.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270818165148.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270818165148.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270818165136.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270818165136.jpeg)
It turned out darker than I thought it would/should be but will leave it for now. I think it has a very slight tint of blue in the color.
I may end up repainting it with Floquil CN Gray or Grime.
I don't plan on any interior lighting or details for the kit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270818165201.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-270818165201.jpeg)
The color looks really good to me in the photos. You note it seems a little dark. I suppose if you are eventually adding weathering and washes that they could darken it even more, so perhaps that is a concern. Looks good so far, though.
You're right about the color Tom, a wee bit off, but easily corrected.....good looking city hall. 8)
Nice looking Build Uncle Tommie,
I'm going to have to write down your ideas on cleaning the sticky goo off magnuson structures and that trick about using brass tubing to brace the thing. Brilliant!
;D ;D ;D
Howdy Tom,
Nice build for a tricky kit. Can't wait to see the finished structure.
Have fun,
Mike C
Quote from: Opa George on September 02, 2018, 08:24:12 AM
The color looks really good to me in the photos. You note it seems a little dark. I suppose if you are eventually adding weathering and washes that they could darken it even more, so perhaps that is a concern. Looks good so far, though.
George,
The photos have been lightened and it makes the building lighter. I will be adding weathering but I'll need to repaint it to a lighter grey.
I appreciate you following along.
Tom ;D
Quote from: GPdemayo on September 02, 2018, 09:13:53 AM
You're right about the color Tom, a wee bit off, but easily corrected.....good looking city hall. 8)
Greg,
Yes, as you saw a few Saturdays ago, it does look bluish. I got it repainted this morning and an update will follow later this afternoon.
Tom ;D
Quote from: Bruce Oberleitner on September 02, 2018, 12:43:38 PM
Nice looking Build Uncle Tommie,
I'm going to have to write down your ideas on cleaning the sticky goo off magnuson structures and that trick about using brass tubing to brace the thing. Brilliant!
;D ;D ;D
Cousin Brucie,
Thank you, much appreciate the comment.
Goo removes a lot of stuff including decals. The square brass tubing is the best solution I've used in getting the walls straight.
Tom ;D
Quote from: friscomike on September 02, 2018, 02:54:10 PM
Howdy Tom,
Nice build for a tricky kit. Can't wait to see the finished structure.
Have fun,
Mike C
Mike,
Thank you, very much appreciate the feedback.
And, good to see you, it has been quite some time. I'll be working on the kit in the next week and hope to get it finished.
Tom ;D
In previous posts, I've mentioned how the building has a blue tint or hue to the sides. Also, as mentioned I used Tamiya Light Ghost Gray for the first color.
This morning I resprayed it the building with RUST-OLEUM Auto Primer. After about an hour it was dry tot he touch.
The next two photos show you how it looks in the layout lighting. The photos weren't lightened as before. This is the Tamiya color.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141343.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141343.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141400.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141400.jpeg)
More in a few.
I think in the next two photos you can see the Rust-Oleum on the front right and the Tamiya on the left. There is definitely as noticeable difference.
Grey on the right and bluish grey on the left.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141423.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141423.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141441.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141441.jpeg)
More in a few.
The next two photos show the Rust-O paint in Grey Primer.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141454.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141454.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141510.jpeg) (http://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-060918141510.jpeg)
Now I'm ready to paint the window and door trim.
Much better..... :)
Quote from: GPdemayo on September 06, 2018, 03:16:10 PM
Much better..... :)
I am forced to agree with Greg.......although, I think it looks great anyway.
Jim