First thank you to Jim Donovan and Dave K. for their help with downsizing photos.
I just received a Preston Printers kit in HO, so as I make the journey of discovery I will share my progress. The kit recommended off-white for the walls and dark green for the trim. Based on this I will use Tamiya Flat White, Tamiya Flat Field Grey (Greyish Green) and Tamiya Flat Buff (bare wood). The bottom part of the walls are stucco.
After reading the directions several times I still had several questions so I sent a email requesting clarification to Doug at FOS scale models.
Today I removed all the wall and roof wood parts, then I sanded all the edges and put A&I, Field Grey, and splotches of Buff on the wood trim.
I'll be looking in Curt..... :)
A new kit and you're building it right away , that's new for this forum ;) , following along.
But you just got it, shouldn't you let it cool off for a couple of days ? Everyone else would have just added it to their "stash"
I will still be following this build.
Jim
Curt,
I'll follow along as well.
Did you get a response from Doug?
Tom ;D
Happily following your build.👍🏻
I will also be following along. I'm impressed that your building a kit you just received.
Thank you Greg, Jan, Jim, Dave K., Tom, and John.
Tom- Doug has not so far.
Today since I'm waiting on the email from Doug about the walls so I cut out all the windows and doors, primed them with grey colored rattle can. After that I did a layer of Field Grey and finally sponged on some Buff. To secure them during painting I use a thick wooden yard stick with painters tape on it.
I also painted the 5 pieces of concrete. For that I blended Model Master Concrete and Aged Concrete. To my eye the aged has just a touch too much yellow in it.
I'll also be following along, Curt.
George
Hi Curt,
Looking at the pictures of the kit on the FOS website I'd have to say I'd refrain from adding stucco to the lower walls until after I've connected the four walls of the main structure together. If you stucco the walls before you do that you'll have to go back and touch up the corners after the walls have been joined together. It can be done that way, I did it that way on my FSM Bailey's build. I had to go back, sand the joints at the corner, apply the stucco then paint and weather the repaired corners to match the rest of the wall. On the Bailey's build that was the best way because there was an inside corner that would have been hard to apply stucco to had the walls been joined together first. I don't think you have that challenge.
If you hold off on applying the stucco you'll have to add the doors and windows to the lower walls afterwards. That shouldn't be too much of a challenge. Use painters tape to mask off the top wall before you apply stucco to the bottom wall.
Looks like a neat kit. I wonder if I have this one. I'll have to check. If not, it's going on the X-Mas list. ::)
I too will be tagging along. Learning is almost as much fun as doing, almost. Glad the e-mail picture sizing trick helped :D
Jim D
Thank you to George, Reading Bob, and Jim for following.
Reading Bob- A special thanks for your PM and comments in the Baggage Car. It helped a lot.
Today I did the internal bracing on the 4 main walls. I didn't have the energy to brace all the window boxes (cupolas?) that go on the roof. I believe there are 6 of them. I also did a paint test on a waste piece of the bottom wall (ground floor) (fibrous material). The second floor is wood.
Sorry no pictures today.
Today I finished the last of the bracing and trim. It took a lot longer than I was expecting. Tomorrow I will probably start the interior painting with Tamiya Flat Black. In the picture the walls are not glued together.
Since my last posting I have painted the interior Tamiya flat black and did a white wash on the outside walls with Tamiya White mixed with blue washer fluid. I'm not sure if I need to do another wash and will probably decide tomorrow. If you have a opinion please feel free to share.
I destroyed a small window wall (mounted on roof) that I had cracked earlier so I fabricated another.
Here are 2 suggestions for future builds:
1. On the end walls brace the 2 parts of the wall together instead of just the upper part of the wall.
2. I applied the wall trim on the upper walls before bracing to ensure the upper and lower walls aligned properly. I also applied all the other trim at the same time. I wish I would of applied it for all the other wood pieces after the wall painting like I normally do to prevent the over painting.
The windows are not glued in.
Curt,
It's still coming along nicely.
Is it possible to just paint the walls a stucco color as it looks like there is some sort of pattern on the exterior wall.
I'm also assuming Doug never got back with you.
Tom ;D
Tom,
Thanks for responding. I still need to add the "stucco" on the bottom part of the wall then paint it. The bottom does have a fiberboard texture but I don't want to just paint it (it would be easier) because I did a sample test and with the paint only it looks like fiberboard.
You are also correct that he has not responded to me. I was looking to get 2 more of his kits for the siding I'm working on but now I'm thinking seriously of going with another company.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on October 15, 2018, 06:35:24 PM
Tom,
Thanks for responding. I still need to add the "stucco" on the bottom part of the wall then paint it. The bottom does have a fiberboard texture but I don't want to just paint it (it would be easier) because I did a sample test and with the paint only it looks like fiberboard.
You are also correct that he has not responded to me. I was looking to get 2 more of his kits for the siding I'm working on but now I'm thinking seriously of going with another company.
Doug is very bad at responding to inquiries. I would go to his web site and get the most current phone number and call.
I posted a thread about him not responding. He saw it and took care of business.
I think I had an old phone number when I called. Still, he failed to respond to three of my emails over a three week period.
Tom 8)
Today I attached the windows in all the wood walls. The doors and windows that are on the bottom part of walls will be installed after stucco is applied. I did find that a personnel door that goes next to the loading door was missing so I used a spare window that I had. The one I had is slightly bigger (6 pane instead of 4) so I had to sloppily :o widen the cut out. Luckily I can cover my sloppiness with plaster.
The glass is in also glued in and tomorrow I will attach blinds.
Note: I did not put a thin bead of glue along the long edges where the fiberboard meets the wood. Looking at it now I should have. Tomorrow I will do some additional bracing on the inside to compensate for this.
My workbench light always seems to wash out colors in photos.
Curt,
This is looking really good! I'm definitely following this build.
Jerry thank you for following.
Bob C.-Thank you for keeping me from a rookie mistake on the door frame. That had slipped my mind.
Today I added more bracing to the 4 main walls (much more sturdy) and after the glue dried painted it black. I fixed the door frame, put in the freight doors, put in window shades and the Preston banner. Tomorrow the 4 walls should go together.
The directions are confusing to me about when to apply the stucco. I read them telling me to put it on in 2 different steps. It would be easier to apply before the walls are connected other than having to go back and fair in the corners and try to get then to match.
When ReadingBob messaged me about it he convinced me to do it after the walls are together. Of course I will have to mask off on the edges of the wood.
oh yeah Curt, that framing looks much better!
I agree, do the stucco after all the walls are put together, that is what I did with my scratchbuild of Bailey's . I don't know what the instructions call for, but I used Liquitex Stucco that I got at Michaels. Pretty easy to put on- I used a brush and dabbed it on.
Great progress Curt.....looking good..... 8)
Thank you Bob C. and Greg.
Today I assembled the 4 main walls and added some additional internal bracing prior to putting on stucco and the required handling to do so.
I reread the follow on directions and I missed the part where the directions said to put together the bottom part of the walls, stucco them, then add the wooden upper part of the walls. I can see several potential issues doing that, and I would probably do it my way again if I needed to.
Curt, that stucco is looking very good.
George what you are seeing is the fiberboard base. You're right that it doesn't look bad on it's own, but I did a paint test on a scrap piece and it looks like painted fiberboard not stucco. Based on this I will do the stucco application. Thank you for your comments and following along.
Whoops--Yes! I zoomed in on your pictures and can see the fibers now. Well that probably means I'll be really blown away when you do add the stucco! :o
I've had decent results with this stuff. Mask-off the upper wall and spray the lower section. Caution...shake this stuff like a madman and shake after every pass.
Dave thank you for the suggestion. I would of never thought of that. I still will do the stucco mainly because I want to try it out and see how well it looks. I know the saying though- Careful for what you wish for.
Thanks also to Greg yesterday who spent some time on the phone going over different roofing options for the build since I don't want to use the tar paper roofing that came with it.
You're welcome, enjoyed the chat.....the corrugated and standing seam we discussed are Walthers numbers 521-55051 and 521-55055 and are 4 bucks per pack. :)
Today I applied the stucco to the build. Initially it was a little clumpy so I went over with it with a damp paint brush to smooth it out and it looks a lot better. I'm leaving it to dry overnight. I also painted the internal bracing black, and painted all the detail parts. Sorry no pictures today.
What, no pictures.......I am devastated. :o :o :o :o
Jim
Jim I am really sorry you were devastated, I do have pictures today :)
Today was a productive day. I painted the stucco with Tamiya white (thinned) and felt it was to shiny so I put a layer of 2.5% A&I on that which gave it a grubby look in keeping with the rest of the building. I also added the rest of the doors and windows on the lower level. I also put together the roof base and painted/weathered the outside edges.
After reading the next several steps in the instructions I decided to do what it says in reverse. There are 3 outside rooms that stick out in front and left side on the first level and 2 platforms that each butt up with the next piece. The directions have you starting on the left side room, but I'm thinking there are no marks where to line it up with. If I build both platforms first and then work from the right side there won't be possible spacing issues.
After thinking about it I will use corrugated roofing on the small rooms (3) that stick out off the first floor. I have used Wild West Models roofing on several builds and I have enough in my stash for this job. On the main roof I plan on using 3 tab shingles (lower end roofing) in keeping with the run down building. I plan on using the Branchline (Laser Art) product that I have used before and like it's thickness. Two large sheets come in a package.
One of the cupolas on the roof won't be put on because it looks out of place to my eye (more of a small shack on the slope of the roof). Also possibly one other but I'm not sure about it yet.
Comin' along nicely, Curt. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you Dave.
Today I built the two platforms for the build. After that I put a light coat of A&I and then Hunterline Med Brown on them. After that was dry I took some fine sandpaper to give it some wear and tear. The second photo shows the approximate (very close) locations for them.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on October 22, 2018, 03:30:55 PM
Thank you Dave.
Today I built the two platforms for the build. After that I put a light coat of A&I and then Hunterline Med Brown on them. After that was dry I took some fine sandpaper to give it some wear and tear. The second photo shows the approximate (very close) locations for them.
Looks great. Have you heard from Doug yet? He responded to me in two hours on sunday. I used his text number on his website. Have you had any success using it?
Thank you Dockman. No, I never received a message from Doug. The address I used was in the kit (I believe). I did receive help and suggestions from several forum members that pretty much answered all my questions. One of the reasons I love this forum is the help members will give you.
This is a great kit. I didn't stucco the back panel yet as I'm not sure how everything will fit on my layout. Been lurking for years and finally decided to join. The forum offers so many great suggestions. I've found it to be a great place to learn.
Good luck on the rest of the kit.
Quote from: Dockman on October 22, 2018, 07:22:30 PM
This is a great kit. I didn't stucco the back panel yet as I'm not sure how everything will fit on my layout. Been lurking for years and finally decided to join. The forum offers so many great suggestions. I've found it to be a great place to learn.
Good luck on the rest of the kit.
Dockman,
Welcome to the forum. glad to hear you are picking up ideas and suggestions for building kits, etc.
Tom ;D
I didn't get much accomplished today except putting in 2 exterior lights. Of course that tends to be a challenge for me.
Not much to report today. I built 2 of the three rooms that stick off the main building first floor. I decided to add internal bracing to give them strength and rigidity since the only bracing was the normal wall bracing. The larger one will have another small room on top of it's roof on the side of the main building.
Today I attached 3 exterior rooms and their roof cards. Tomorrow I plan on putting the corrugated roofing on the roof cards. It's stating to have a personality 8).
Curt,
It's really coming together very nicely. It will be a great addition to the Pennsy.
Building FOS kits is fun!
Tom ;D
Thanks for the comment and following along Tom.
nice work Curt- its coming along nicely. The loading docks look great, Keep the photos coming!
Bob
Curt, it is looking very cool. I didn't quite get the angled loading dock until you placed the additions and of course now I get it. I Like all the "bump out" additions.
--George
Hi Curt:
looks just great. Nice colors too. Keep the pic coming.
Karl
Thank you for following and the kind comments Bob, George, and Karl.
Today I put the corrugated roofing on the lower roofs. It's initially sprayed with rattle can Warm Caramel. I dry sponged craft paint colors light grey and brick red. I also dry sponged with MM aluminum. When everything is finished being built I'll use weathering powders. The dark spot on the large roof is a hole that a exhaust stack sits in.
Nice work Curt!
Mike :)
Good looking build Curt. Should look great when it is finally planted on your layout.
Jim
Thank you for the kind words Mike and Jim.
Nice job on the kit and roofing Curt..... 8)
Greg, thank you buddy.
I was finally able to get back to the build today after a week of real life interference :'(.
Today I put 2 thin coats of A&I on the corrugated roofing to dull it and give it a grimy look. I also mounted a couple of detail parts on the exterior wall. The main thing I did was shingle the main roof cards. I used Branchline Laser Art 3 tab shingles for a low end roofing on a run down building. I sprayed them first with a light grey then cut them out of the sheet. I picked these up on eBay since Walthers was OOS as was the LHS.
Your build is coming together nicely , metal roof color looks good.
Thank you Lynnb.
Today I finished up with the shingles except for the trim pieces of shingles. The roof isn't glued down to the building, but is to the flat roof card. Obviously there is still a lot of weathering left to do also.
I pulled a bonehead move today. I placed shingles on the flat card in the wrong direction requiring me to cut a new roof card and redoing the shingles. It's a good thing I have plenty of extra shingles ::).
Today I finished placing the corner shingles on the roof which I think came out with mixed results, but it was the first time I applied individual shingles on the edges. I figure I will weather the roof before gluing it to the building.
I also doubled checked the exterior lighting (photo). I already have lighting in place in the building that will be removed so I don't need to install interior lighting while on the workbench.
Is that a plate of veggies or pastels off on the right? Looks good either way :)
Thanks Vince. What you are seeing are the painted detail parts for the build.
Hey Curt:
She's looking real nice. Great job.
Karl
Thank you Karl.
Looks good Curt.....can you bring it to Toms' on Saturday for a show & tell? 8)
Curt,
It really looks great, well done. see what we got you into?
I'll second Greg's request.
Tom ;D
Greg and Tom thank you. I'll bring it Saturday if you guys want to see it.
I finished the build today. I glued the roof on and weathered it. I tried a new technique today where shingles come off the roof usually due to wind. I'm not sure I like the effect or not, but I can't change it now ::). The detail parts on the docks are not glued down, but on the walls are.
Nice work, really nice color on the metal roofing.
Thank you Lynn.
We got to see the build up close today and the pictures don't do it justice. Good build with great details, good looking roofing and neat stucco texture..... well done Curt. 8)
Thank you Greg for the kind words.
Quote from: GPdemayo on November 10, 2018, 02:42:50 PM
We got to see the build up close today and the pictures don't do it justice. Good build with great details, good looking roofing and neat stucco texture..... well done Curt. 8)
Curt,
I agree with Greg. Great kit and great build. It does look better than the photos. Very well done indeed.
Tom ;D
Thank you Tom for your kind words.
Curt, I enjoyed following along on this build and picked up quite a few great tips--thanks for sharing. And yes, that stucco looks tops!
--George
George thank you for your kind words. Like you I've learned very much from this site and continue to do so.
Curt,
It looks great in the pictures. Sorry I missed the "reveal"
Jim
Thank you very much Jim.