Time to switch gears from the Builders in Scale Waterfront, which is done and partially sited on my layout. I plan to incorporate into the plan this next build, Bar Mills' first Franklin & South Manchester Tribute kit, as a major industry and anchor to the hardscrabble hamlet of Ragged Edge.
I was not immediately smitten when I first saw this limited edition kit advertised on the Bar Mills website last December, but something kept drawing me back for second and third looks, and I ordered it just at the deadline, and I am glad I did. Below is the box:
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And the contents:
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It consists of three major structures, all dripping with character. Below are the castings, a mixture of resin and white metal:
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Artie also threw in a Woodland Scenics truck and a pack of Woodland Scenics figures, which I really appreciate. Ads for all of the big limited run kits always show a beautifully finished diorama complete with figures and vehicles, but this is the first time I have purchased one that actually included some of those finishing details. A classy touch!
So, getting started, I tidied up the styrene windows for the first building, Sal Minella Egg Wholesaler. Flash was extremely minimal, and a trimmed down emory board easily took off the slight flash on the window muntins. Below, the top sprue of windows has been cleaned up, but the others have not. After tidying up the window castings, all went for a coat of gray rattle-can primer.
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I chose to distress, or "grain," the wall sections, and added other detailing, while still flat and prior to bracing. The kit includes plenty of hefty bracing, and below I have begun the process. I am about half-finished, but ran low on clothespins. More later.
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One final note: Mike Engler began a build thread on this kit and I followed eagerly along, but it seems to be on sabbatical. I am absolutely not attempting to steal Mike's thunder--I have huge respect for his work--and hope he doesn't mind me starting up a parallel thread on this kit.
--George
George I'll be following. I know of several times when the same kit was being built by 2 people at the same time.
I've liked this kit from the first day it came out. Following.
Yep - I expect this will be in the next few kits I will build for the town I'm working on. Following with interest.
Eagerly following...
Very nice kit. Looking forward to the end result. Those Woodland Scenics trucks are a ton of fun to put together. Ask me how I know ;D
Thanks for sharing your work.
Jaime
I'm looking forward to following along with your build. I also bought the kit.
George,
I'll be following. I almost bought this kit...coulda woulda shoulda. Now I get to enjoy your version.
Looks like a very interesting kit.....I'll be watching George. :)
Cracker!
Cheers, Mark.
Lots of people following this build--thanks for the support, Curt, Lynn, Vince, Dave, Jaime, John, Jerry, Gregory and Mark! :)
Jaime, I'll include the truck build, probably as a diversion if I get to a tedious portion of the build.
In comparison to the Builders In Scale kit, this one moves along quickly thanks to all of the laser cut parts. Artie recommended graining the walls while still in the carrier sheets, but half of them had already come out of their sheets. No worries, though, as the graining and distressing process went well. One minor hitch--while lifting boards with my Xacto knife, I accidentally sliced clean through a narrow wall portion. :-[ It fixed easily enough and should not be noticeable.
Below are the walls for building number one--identified in the instructions as Sal Minella Egg Distributors, and shortened on the parts bags as "Salmonellas." I've become very fond of Titebond wood glue, and now use if for joining nearly everything, not just wood to wood. I'll allow it to cure for a day before hitting the walls with their first color: an alcohol & ink wash.
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After a coat of gray primer, the windows received a light coat of Valspar (rattle can) satin "Lighthouse Shadows." This is a very light blueish gray (which may not show well in this picture). The light fixtures remain just primed for color comparison. I'm debating the wall colors for this structure--thinking white or light gray. :-\ Need to give it more thought as I am thinking of utilizing all three buildings as part of the same business, and therefore keep them the same color.
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All for today!
--George
George,
You are off to a fantastic start on the build. Love it and looking forward to following to the finish line.
I really appreciate you sharing the Emory board trick. When I saw it I thought, "Damn, what a great idea. Why didn't I think of that!"
Tom ;D
I'm in for the ride.
Quote from: ACL1504 on November 11, 2018, 04:33:45 PM
George,
You are off to a fantastic start on the build. Love it and looking forward to following to the finish line.
I really appreciate you sharing the Emory board trick. When I saw it I thought, "Damn, what a great idea. Why didn't I think of that!"
Tom ;D
Tom, happy to give back with a tip of my own here and there--although I can't claim to have originated it. Unfortunately I don't remember where I picked up that tip.
--Best,
George
Quote from: Janbouli on November 11, 2018, 04:37:15 PM
I'm in for the ride.
Happy to have you along, Jan.
--George
I'm in as well George! :) Gotta love anything that's a tribute to George and the FSM.
I also will be following along.
I for one are glad to see cast windows!
Mike
Welcome, Bob and Mike. Very glad to have you along for the ride.
Well now we're getting somewhere. The wall bracing for structure one is done and cured. I gave all the walls a wash with three types of inkahol: full strength black, quarter strength black, and full strength brown. I streaked them all randomly, except that I kept it lighter in areas protected by roof overhang and eaves. While still damp, I brushed on varying dilutions of cheap acrylic white to simulate a very ancient and weary whitewash.
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Note that one rectangular wall section with the large freight door that, despite strong words of encouragement from me, insists on warping. Note also the really dark areas on the tall section to the left. I inadvertently got black chalk dust on my brush in laying it down between strokes of whitewash. Drat and Deuteronomy! But wait, it just looks like badly rotted siding--one of those things the great Bob Ross called a "happy little accident."
The window castings (Mike--I like seeing these in kits as well!) received an overspray of white primer because I didn't think the bluish shade "Lighthouse Shadows" would pair well with the wall color. Below are two windows placed into one wall section. The one on the left received a wash of brown inkahol, while the one on the right received a wash of black inkahol. It might be hard to see the difference in the photo, but I am leaning toward the brown wash. I'll look again tomorrow morning after everything dries.
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That's all for this evening. Tomorrow we'll start the building foundation.
--George
Looking very good, George. Really like the subtle weathering.
George,
I like the whitewashed look of the worn siding, and your "happy accident" adds to that effect. (I really like your coffee mug. too.)
Nice work and the shading is great.
Thanks for the supportive comments, Vince, Curt and Jerry. The mug was one of those Human Resources perks that my wife brought home--but yeah, I do like that sentiment.
I added corner trim to the walls today, then checked the windows again. Because the walls dried with a lighter "old wood" finish, the white painted windows looked too bright, even with the inkahol washes. I gave them an overspray of Rustoleum "Ivory Silk," which is between an off white and tan. Once dry I'll give them another dark wash and try them against the walls again.
The building foundation consists of a low, rough cut block wall cast in resin, to be glued to a wooden frame. The frame is assembled from interlocking wooden strips. I trial-fitted them first without glue and found they had a nice, exact fit.
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Once glued together, I began the process of adding the castings. They need to be cut to fit, with 45 degree corners. I found they all had a slight outward bow, so I worked one corner at a time with super glue. The slight distortion was not severe enough that they needed to be bent back to shape before working with them.
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My corner cuts were somewhat inexact! So I used spackling paste to fill in the gaps. I will let it dry overnight, then brush off the excess with a stiff brush and prime the entire assembly before painting.
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George
Nice build so far George. I'll be following along on your construction of this one.
Quote from: MAP on November 14, 2018, 06:33:41 AM
Nice build so far George. I'll be following along on your construction of this one.
Thanks, Mark, for following. I'm eager to hear any feedback, criticism, etc.
--George
I'm finally able to install windows and doors in the walls of the first structure. Coloring the windows was more involved than I had anticipated, but I am happy with how they turned out. The combination I ended up with was a spray overcoat of Rustoleum "Ivory Silk," followed by brushed on black chalk dust, then given a wash of brown inkahol, and finishing with very lightly dry-brushing of cheap acrylic white.
Another complication was in matching color for the various materials. The cast windows are styrene, the walls are milled basswood, the freight doors and some other small details are laser-cut wood somewhat darker than the basswood walls, and the doors are laser cut adhesive card stock. Except for the freight doors, which I treated first with black inkahol and then dry-brushed white acrylic, and of course the walls themselves, everything else received a light overspray of Rustoleum "Stone Gray." To my eyes, that came out very close to the grayish aged siding.
One of the very cool features of the kit are the laser-cut optional details. The instructions essentially tell you to get creative. I admit to following the box illustration to outfit one window, but got a little braver after that turned out well. To install the window vent and fan, I decided to remove the vertical window muntin for a better fit. A sprue cutter took the delicate piece out safely, and a bit of careful filing cleaned it up, (top center window) below.
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The fan and vent were spray-painted with Rustoleum red primer, and installed. I found I needed to file the edges of the laser-cut parts for a tight fit.
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Below are the walls with all door and windows installed. No glazing is yet installed. I'll add that shortly, along with window shades and other details. Artie included a really nice "Sal Minella, Egg Wholesaler" stencil, but I have a different business in mind for this seaside manufactory--I'll reveal that later when I get the sign installed. Lots more weathering to do, and there are a ton of wall vents and exhaust details and etc, which I must decide to install now or wait until the walls are together. Jury is still out on that.
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Last picture for this post: the foundation wall painted and weathered. I found the wall castings had a LOT more detail than I realized, when I dry-brushed with white to bring out highlights. What I thought were smooth stones actually have beautiful texture that is not easily seen in the photograph (afraid I got too close with my camera). So far so good.
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--George
George, that is looking GREAT. My build of this same kit is coming up in the next couple of build (who knows how many decades that will take). This is great info. Thanks.
Looking great so far George.
Thanks for the words of encouragement, Vince and Curt. I got sidetracked from window glazing with putting the cupola together. There is a bit of tricky work to that and I'll go into detail in my next post, along with some pics.
--George
What a great weathering job on the walls George , outstanding.
George,
I find the hardest thing for me is to match plastic windows to heavily worn siding paint. Absolutely superb job getting the windows to color match and look every bit as worn as the siding. The foundation really looks great, too. Kudos!
Thanks, Jan, and also thanks, Jerry. Typically I will paint the windows a different color in whatever paint scheme I am working with, and it is a non issue. But this one presented the challenge of making them all match. I am happy with how it turned out after trial and error.
--George
Quote from: jerryrbeach on November 15, 2018, 07:49:13 PM
I find the hardest thing for me is to match plastic windows to heavily worn siding paint.
Me too, Jerry. Looking good, George.👍🏻
Moving along nicely, the walls look fantastic.
Thank you, Lynn! Here are the walls pretty much "finished" and ready to assemble. I weathered heavily with chalk, added window glazing and shades cut from manila-colored paper. My signs are now on, identifying the business as Seaside Symphonium & Nickelodeon Company. In my world, this company (completely fictitious) manufactured symphonium machines and nickelodeon machines for the nearby waterfront resort, as well as making smaller, consumer-sized music boxes and stereopticons for the tourist trade. Later, during the onset of the depression, they added upright pianos to their products.
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Below, the walls assembled and clamped, sitting (not attached) on top of the stone foundation to check square and fit.
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Next up are roofs. The kit supplies stick-on roll roofing. I primed the sheets with black and am letting them dry completely before painting a roof color. I'm leaning toward dark green or a brick red. Still thinking about that. To keep the strips aligned--I don't trust my ability to just "eyeball" them to keep them straight--I took a tip from Mike's earlier build and drew guides on the cardstock roofing at 1/4 inch intervals. That will give me about 5/64 overlap, enough to simulate the raised seam.
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Time to let everything dry and cure.
--Opa George
Really nice job George.
Yep - the walls are fantastic! Really shaping up beautifully.
Looking great George!
I really like the back story too. I think creating every structures history, along with the LBP who live their, really helps to give a layout its own personality.
Cheers, Mark.
George
Very nice work. The walls look fantastic. And like Mark said having a story to the build really adds character.
Same here...Fantastic! I love the colors and weathering and character. Two thumbs up!
John
George, again the walls look fantastic , what manufacturer of chalks are you useing?
George, the walls look fantastic with your weathering and signs. Very nice.
Thanks to everyone for the kind comments. Lynn, the chalks are an artist set I picked up years ago with a half-price coupon at a big box craft store. Pic below. There are colors I will seldom use, but the set price was right. Since purchasing, I have noticed the same brand selling just earth tones. But at the rate I am using these, it will be many years until I need to buy more. I just use my razor saw to produce as much powder as I need. They also blend nicely.
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Working now on the various roofs. I primed the strips of roll roofing with Rustoleum flat black primer, then oversprayed with Rustoleum satin "Hunter Green" for the final color. Of course I would have preferred flat, but I get my rattle cans at the hardware store and although they have a huge color selection, the finish of the most interesting colors are all satin. No worries, though, as the chalks will remove the sheen.
Artie's instructions recommend overlapping the strips, then burnishing to bring out the slightly raised portion where they overlap. This really works well, and I think the raised highlights are visible in the picture below before any additional dry-brushing to emphasize the highlights. I used the blunt end of a small paintbrush as a burnisher. Plenty of peel-and-stick roofing is supplied. I used only two full sheets, plus one strip, for all of the roofs to this first structure.
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I found that both of the non-peaked roofs did not join neatly to the bottom of the top wall--light was visible. I solved that problem by cutting extra strips from the original wall carrier sheets and gluing to the bottom of the walls, extending them just a bit lower and hiding the gap. Never throw anything away--even the "junk" until done! Below is the structure with the "raw" roofs in place. No weathering or any other treatment yet--I want them to cure overnight. You can see some white where I cut the paper strips--something that will be easily solved with a black ink and alcohol wash.
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And below, the other side. The actual color seems to have washed out slightly in these photographs, but you get the idea on the roofing. Lots of things to do with the roofs yet: trim, painting the exposed underside, and of course rafter tails!
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George
Nice job George.
Looking great, George, and really enjoying your thread. Walls look super. Tell us about your signs...created in Photoshop?
Looking good George. Looking very, very good! :D Two thumbs up! Thanks for taking the time to share the build with us.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on November 19, 2018, 10:20:38 PM
Nice job George.
Thanks much, Curt. I have to give Bar Mills credit for a design that is dripping with character.
--George
Quote from: Dave K. on November 20, 2018, 06:39:23 AM
Looking great, George, and really enjoying your thread. Walls look super. Tell us about your signs...created in Photoshop?
Thank you, Dave! Here are some comments on the signs.
"Seaside Piano" was made from a Woodland Scenics dry transfer lettering set, with a painted on white acrylic drop shadow. I used one of my smallest detail brushes and slightly thinned (water) white acrylic craft paint for the shadow. I learned a very important lesson this time:
don't use chalks on a surface that you may later want to apply rub-on transfers. I was doing ok until the "o" in piano, and it absolutely would not adhere. I suppose I could have hit it with an overspray of matte to fix the chalk in place, but I didn't want to spray the entire structure yet and was afraid it would change the appearance of the wall. Long story short, I finally got enough of an "o" in place and filled in with a good quality Mars Black acrylic medium.
The small baseball poster (Kansas City Monarchs vs Memphis Red Sox) is from a classic Negro Leagues baseball poster collection posted online. The Keystone Moviegraph and Radiopticon ad is also from some classic online ads. Both were saved as jpg's and printed on glossy cardstock at Staples. I could print at home, but the big box print shops have equipment that can reproduce truer color in fine detail. More on that later--I could do an entire thread on that topic alone.
Finally, the main business sign: Seaside Symphonium and Nickelodeon Co. That was produced in MS Word and printed on a color laser printer on a beige "presentation" paper--probably about 30 lb weight. Below is the actual image I used:
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The image above is large. I did print this size, but I also printed smaller versions. Once you have a jpg image like the one above, you can easily resize it. The one on the building is about one-quarter of the image above.
As mentioned, I made the picture in MS Word by manipulating the font in a text box. I like text boxes for creating signs because you can move them around freely in relation to other images in the sign--in this case the image of the symphonium machine at the left. If you right click on the text, you can play with all the options to get just the right spacing. Similarly, I used a fancy font and played with the artistic effects to get the colors I wanted. When I was happy, I took a screen shot (Print Screen), pasted in "Paint," and cropped the resulting image to just the sign, and finally, saved the cropped portion as a jpg, which you see above.
--George
Great info...thanks, George!👍🏻
Some great ideas for signs.
George,
That is a wonderful explanation of the process you used to do your signs. The "symphonium" sign is pure dynamite!
Hey George:
WOW is all I can say. Looks just beautiful. I have a special interest in this as I just love this kit.
Karl
Wow! That's awesome! And, I love the sign and business you've chosen! Just really awesome!
R/,
Norm
Thanks for the kind words, Norm, Karl and Jerry. I added rafter tails today, vents and some other details, and dry-brushed the roof to highlight the texture. Here is the progress so far, one view:
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And the other side:
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Photos show a few things to fix: some of the roof exhausts are shiny, and the roof cap has lifted up in one spot. But otherwise so far so good. I have some finishing details on this structure: light fixtures and some other tiny details, but we're about ready to move on to the next structure in this kit. Looking forward to that one as it features an engineered pronounced roof sag. Should be interesting.
Speaking of roofs--I like the effect that Artie suggested in burnishing the rolled roofing, then highlight it. I dry-brushed with white to bring out the texture and added inkahol and dusted with gray, burnt umber, burnt sienna and black pastel chalks. A close-up below.
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All for now.
George
George -- this is fantastic. I am loving watching this come together.
Beautiful job George.
Love the walls George! Great job. You are working fast on this!
WOW, looks fantastic George
George,
I really like how the colors and weathering tie everything together so well. It is a compliment to the manufacturer and modeler when a structure screams, "I could have been real", and this does without a doubt.
Quote from: vinceg on November 21, 2018, 07:30:27 PM
George -- this is fantastic. I am loving watching this come together.
Thanks, Vince. I am very pleased with it so far and really enjoying the build.
George
Quote from: rpdylan on November 22, 2018, 02:45:17 AM
Love the walls George! Great job. You are working fast on this!
Thanks much, Bob! I agree, and funny you mention that because last night I thought, "Wow, this first of the three kit structures is almost finished--that was quick." The instruction manual is 57 8x11 pages, but for all the information, Artie really gives you free reign to do things your own way--all the while advising you to watch the videos on the Bar Mills website (I did, repeatedly). So I got to the last page dealing with just this structure and did a double-take--as in "that's all?" and re-read every page. Nope, didn't miss anything. Cool.
It threw me for a moment, having just completed the classic Waterfront kit from Builders In Scale, in which the instruction book holds your hand through every part of the build. I guess I have graduated to the big kids table.
--George
Quote from: Janbouli on November 22, 2018, 05:08:39 AM
WOW, looks fantastic George
Thanks much, Jan. I really appreciate the supportive comments.
--George
Quote from: jerryrbeach on November 22, 2018, 07:06:55 AM
George,
I really like how the colors and weathering tie everything together so well. It is a compliment to the manufacturer and modeler when a structure screams, "I could have been real", and this does without a doubt.
Thanks, Jerry. Agreed--this one is well designed and invites you, in fact encourages you, to make it your own, all the while retaining its flavor. There are plenty of photos in the instruction manual for reference and inspiration.
George
Looks great George , the nail holes on the rolled roofing really makes it. Dry brushing is not one of my strong points, your drybrushing is spot on and does exactly what you were after.
Quote from: Lynnb on November 22, 2018, 10:04:50 AM
Looks great George , the nail holes on the rolled roofing really makes it. Dry brushing is not one of my strong points, your drybrushing is spot on and does exactly what you were after.
Thank you much, Lynn. I've been practicing and using dry-brushing on models of all types for a long time and am always debating on whether I have too much or too little. One truism I have learned over the years: less is more. Our eyes have an amazing capacity to pick up subtle detail, such as barely detectible shading from dry-brushing, and the brain fills in the overall picture as rich detail.
--George
George,
Fantastic job on the build. The weathering, colors and over all appearance blend as if it was done over a period of years. Very well done my friend.
Tom ;D
Very impressive George! I hope my version of the kit can come out half as nice as what your doing.
;D ;D :o
Tom and Bruce, thank you very much for the kind comments.
I spent the last few days going over it for final details: rain gutters and downspouts, small roofs over the side doors and a few other small things. Added some nice junk castings from Rusty Rail, and weeds and vines. I do think the vines look better in person, but I might have to do some trimming so it doesn't look TOO wild. Here are some "final" pics of this first structure of three in the kit:
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The other side:
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Fuller view of the "front" as depicted on the kit box:
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And the back:
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Now on to structure two in the kit.
--George
Very nice, George. Fantastic. You added a lot of great character to the kit.
The project looks real awesome George. The weathering, signs and other details look fantastic.
Beautiful structure .
That came out great!!
John
Great build George..... 8)
A great looking structure George.
Great looking build George
Doug
Top notch, George.
Cheers, Mark.
Thank you, everyone, for the kind comments on the Symphonium office and warehouse. Next up is the fabrication shop, identified in the kit as Link and Chain. Instead of three separate industries, I will construct them as separate buildings all part of the same concern: Seaside Symphonium & Nickelodeon Company.
Below are the major wall parts laid out. Just out of the picture is the die-cut cardboard roof and detail pieces. This is a "before" picture. I then began adding texture and wood/siding detail with various implements. I'll bypass an "after" picture because those details won't photograph well, plus, I am not done. I am thinking this building will be even more beat up than the first, and am ruminating on additional stressing of the walls.
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More later!
--George
Beautiful job on the first structure, George. You're gonna have a great complex, here.👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Thank you, Dave!
Today not a lot of new work, but important work. All walls are fully braced, and I assembled the foundation frame. Like the first structure, this foundation frame will have an overlay, but this time of brick instead of a stone wall. By way of a tip, I would caution anyone to very carefully identify the foundation frame pieces before assembly. There is a front (the piece is marked "F") and a rear ("R") piece, and if you get them reversed, the offset will not line up with the side wall.
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I dry-fit the walls together and did a trial fit over the foundation. Everything looked good except for one corner which required me to trim back one piece of bracing. Trimming accomplished and it all fit together nicely. I recommend checking all clearances before getting the glue involved.
--Opa George
I know what you mean with bracing getting off a bit, putting the brace with glue is too easy and too much glue tends to make the brace slide, happens to me anyway.
My grandsons came for the weekend while my daughter and son-in-law celebrated a wedding anniversary. So not a lot of progress on the kit (but we sure rocked the Legos, I can tell you!).
Anyway--I did get the walls painted to match the first building. I want all three structures to look like they were built about the same time, and more importantly have suffered a neglect of paint for a similar time. Below are the painted walls, with a few of the die-cut wooden freight doors assembled but not yet installed. The wooden doors will undergo some light weathering and an alcohol and ink wash, then dry-brushed white to match the walls.
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To the upper left is the brick foundation. I'm not entirely satisfied with the color yet. It is etched taskboard, and this is one of my first experiences working with the material. It doesn't take color in the same way as wood, and my usual brick color: a Rustoleum rattle can of "Paprika" looks too orange. On wood and metal it looks like old, sun-bleached brick. On taskboard it just looks orange, even after a wash of off-white for mortor. I will experiment with dry-brushing a darker shade of red over the face of the bricks.
I continue to dry-fit pieces together, and can report that everything fits nicely. A well-designed kit so far.
--Opa George
Enjoyong your build thread George, really nice work. Are you priming the task board? I have also found that materials such as task board take paint differently so I hit them with my gray primer first
Thanks, Bob. Yes, in fact I did prime first with Rustoleum flat white primer. My idea was that the white primer would serve as the mortar lines and I could lightly brush the face of the bricks with my desired brick color(s). But the spray paint stayed more on the face of the bricks and did not penetrate to the deeper mortar lines, causing me to apply a second, heavier coat, which probably had the effect on my finish coat mentioned above.
To be fair, Artie did warn about this in the instructions, cautioning that the taskboard soaks up paint like a sponge. He recommended sparing coats of paint.
After posting above, I went back and dry-brushed with acrylic brick red, and now have an acceptable brick wall. I will probably go back and lighten it with some chalks when I do my final work on the structure.
I also note you can teach this old dog a new trick or two. There is another taskboard brick piece that surrounds a huge chimney or furnace pipe that comes out of the side wall. That is designed as a highlight of this particular structure and I certainly did not want to mess it up, so I approached it differently. I first sprayed with Rustoleum colonial red (combination primer/paint), and it looks great. I will add mortar lines after the paint cures today. Pics later today after work!
Cheers all!--Opa George
George,
Looking good. I'm still following along with this build.
Yes, George -- loving this. I expect to be building this kit before too long so I really appreciate the trail blazing you're doing.
Jerry--thanks for the support along the way. Vince--I'm happy to share this build and am having a great time with it.
Below are the fabrication shop ("Link & Chain" in the kit) walls with paint and some of the freight doors, vents, and etc installed. I'm finally happy with the color of the brickwork. You can see the brick wall that embeds in the wooden wall as a firesafe surrounding the boiler pipe exhaust. No windows installed yet. I sprayed the back sides of the walls with black primer and am waiting for it to fully dry.
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I took a picture of the recolored taskboard brick foundation, but it was a little blurry. You can see the edge of it in the upper left. It too, came out ok. Next up will be adding windows, glazing, and some other wall details while still flat.
--George
I tried spray shellac on a Bar Mills kit, it worked pretty well to seal everything before painting.
dave
Quote from: deemery on December 04, 2018, 08:20:22 PM
I tried spray shellac on a Bar Mills kit, it worked pretty well to seal everything before painting.
dave
Thanks, Dave. I may try that with the next kit, particularly if there is a lot of cardboard / taskboard components. --George
So here are the walls of the fabrication building with windows installed and glazed. No shades yet, or other detailing on the walls. The furnace wall shows the plate from which the furnace pipe exits, in place. The large furnace pipe is lying on the wall ready for installation. Not pictured (paint still drying) is a two-part bracket.
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Here is a shot of the brick foundation that gave me color trouble. I am satisfied with the base color now. Still need to dirty it up. You can see the original orange color on the internal bracing and alignment tabs, with which I was so unhappy.
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The furnace wall is described in the instructions as the "coolest part of the kit," and I agree, at least so far. Jack Ellis designed it and it is full of character, even in this early stage. Lots of weathering and fine detailing to add yet, but you get the idea. Two shots below:
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On this angle I increased the fill light to show more detail, and that threw off the color. The first angle shows a truer color.
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Taking a tip from multiple other users, I did not rely on the peel-and-stick feature of these components, but used wood glue and cyanoacrylate.
--George
George,
Great job, in fact excellent job on the walls, windows and doors. Peel and stick works well for your after "I voted" sticker but not in kit building. 8) 8)
The look of the bricks is wonderful.
Tom ;D
Maybe it's different in N-scale but I find peel and stick a joy to work with. But don't use P&S and glue together , it won't make a stronger bond then the weakest of these products.
Really nice brick color and I love the color of the exhaust stack.
Quote from: Janbouli on December 06, 2018, 06:12:23 PM
Maybe it's different in N-scale but I find peel and stick a joy to work with. But don't use P&S and glue together , it won't make a stronger bond then the weakest of these products.
Thanks, Tom and Jan for input. I should qualify my comments on peel-and-stick. I do like it a lot for putting together window and door assemblies and such, and have not had problems with those. The freight doors on this and the first structure were all peel-and-stick. I just didn't trust it to hold the pipe bracket in place.
Best regards,
George
Quote from: PRR Modeler on December 06, 2018, 08:10:56 PM
Really nice brick color and I love the color of the exhaust stack.
Thank you, Curt. I used Rustoleum red primer on the casting. Although "red," it has the brownish appearance of rusty metal. I think the rough surface of the resin also contributes to the effect.
--George
George,
The brick come out nicely, and I like that furnace wall. It really stands out against the siding color. I'll be following to see this come together.
Quote from: Opa George on December 07, 2018, 05:43:53 AM
I should qualify my comments on peel-and-stick. I do like it a lot for putting together window and door assemblies and such, and have not had problems with those.
George
Yes , that's exactly what I like in N-scale , windows and doors in the tiny scales are almost impossible without P&S
Moving along nicely , I agree with the brick work looking great. One thing I find with the BM kits is the walls take color and weathering nicely, looking good.
Thanks, Lynn! The past few days I only got a few minutes work in at a time. This evening I managed to get the walls almost finished with initial detailing. I want to fashion some freight door handles from thin wire yet, which are best installed while laying flat. Other more fragile details, like light fixtures, will wait until the structure is assembled and mostly done.
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Next up are the shingles for coloring. Below are the peel-and-stick shingles with four shades of acrylic gray and one basic brown. I think any shades of gray will work as long as you have a variety from light to dark. For the record, I used Nicole's pale gray, gray, dark gray, slate gray, and brown.
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Random streaks of paint thinned with water give the effect below. It will need to dry completely before I start applying strips. Per the instructions, I will not remove the shingle strips consecutively from the holding sheets, but take them randomly from the three sheets to avoid a stripe effect. But that will be tomorrow evening.
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--George
Nice job with the posters on the wall.
Very nice. Looking forward to how your shingles turn out.
yeah, I'm very anxious to see how the shingles work. Your technique looks much simpler than the slate coloring technique in the SRMW instructions.
It will be interesting to see how the shingles turn out, I tried the same technique on another Barmills kit , I think it was Hunch Landing and I really didn't care for the results I got, probably just me, I ended up going with the Campbells shingles.
Lynn, Vince and Jerry--here we go. Below is the cardstock roof with the "sag" inset removed. Bar Mills offered the option of sag or no sag. I opted for the sagging roof, so cut out the marked portion.
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Artie's instructions suggested shingling the roof before installing, except for the last three or so rows around the removed portion, gluing in place, then finishing the final few rows. I used the random strip technique, and enough is shingled to give a good idea of how it has turned out. Keep in mind, it has no weathering yet to blend it in. My opinion is that this is an effective coloring technique and I like the final result. I will leave everyone else to weigh in on whether it strikes your eyes as effective or not.
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I haven't installed the roof yet--need to have the building shell together first. Below the four walls glued and clamped and just sitting on the foundation. Once dry and I'm satisfied with the seams, I'll glue tight to the brick foundation and finish off the roof.
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All for now.
--George
I'm not sure I like the roof as it is now, but as you stated earlier it still needs weathering and since you went with the sagging roof it will probably be weathered heavily and I think It will look great with the colors subdued. I look forward to seeing what you do George.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on December 11, 2018, 07:54:45 PM
I'm not sure I like the roof as it is now, but as you stated earlier it still needs weathering and since you went with the sagging roof it will probably be weathered heavily and I think It will look great with the colors subdued. I look forward to seeing what you do George.
Right now it looks like it was shingled with all the leftover shingles the roofer had on is truck. 8) 8)
Jim
Quote from: jimmillho on December 11, 2018, 11:48:52 PM
Quote from: PRR Modeler on December 11, 2018, 07:54:45 PM
I'm not sure I like the roof as it is now, but as you stated earlier it still needs weathering and since you went with the sagging roof it will probably be weathered heavily and I think It will look great with the colors subdued. I look forward to seeing what you do George.
Right now it looks like it was shingled with all the leftover shingles the roofer had on is truck. 8) 8)
Jim
Indeed, it looks a little bright! I plan to use Hunterline Blue Gray as an overall wash and then dry-brush with white for the highlights. Before highlighting I may look at adding a mossy effect, too. It may take me a few days to get back to it--we're addressing Christmas cards this evening, and tomorrow evening is our school holiday concert. Hate to hold everyone in suspense...
--Opa George
The walls look great! I'm really curious to see how the shingles turn out as well after the wash and blending.
Forgive me for interjecting a picture in your thread but I took this one this past summer up in Schuylkill Haven (yes, I can spell that right because it was my hometown a long, long time ago). I plan on using it as a reference whenever I do slate shingles.
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Bob, I suspect that roof wouldn't pass an NMRA judge :P
dave
Quote from: deemery on December 12, 2018, 08:40:40 AM
Bob, I suspect that roof wouldn't pass an NMRA judge :P
dave
:) Dave--I am sure you are right.
I wonder if it's a regional thing, to have multiple shingle colors on a roof. When I first looked at my results, I thought "Hey, that looks really good! Looks like a lot of the older roofs I have seen." I know it certainly would work on a shingled wall. Those things often look like crazy quilt blankets.
All the input is much appreciated!
--George
A natural slate roof have seen and repaired many like that.
rich
nice pic of slate roof, I was not liking the roof until you posted that pic and it reminded me of the weird colors of slate, especially the rusty colors sometimes found in it. I almost commented on the first models roof being too stark in color, but you weathered it down it bit and it looks great. I usually hold off on any comments until model is done, no need to jump the gun, most people seem to get it right in the end.
Really like your modeling of the two so far, colors seem to blend well...nice neat construction, thanks for building it and sharing!
here's some pics of mine before final weathering...I know holy cow! florescent green windows!
added some rain gutters I 3D printed...keep trying to Artie to use them...but he's old and slow to catch on (!)
If you want some, send me your address in a PM and I'll send you a couple
I've had good luck using Pan Pastels in relatively bright colors to get those slate colors.
dave
I guess I'm the outlier, but I think the roof's gonna look great once weathered and toned-down. Note to self...same technique but more muted colors if it doesn't tone down enough.
Love all the signs, but I'm a sucker for vintage signs. And that brick firebreak is a very nice feature. Hobby on!
Great build, great kit and I love the roof discussion...If you like lovingly-weathered stuff ;) (like I do), those multi-colored shingles look perfect to me. Jim's pic as well. Nice work!
John
Jim,
Very nice on your build of this structure and thanks for providing the pics. I do like the green--it goes nicely and helps highlight the rust details (vent, pipes and etc). I do think the weathering will tie my roof colors together, and I've been photo-researching heavily mossed roofs and still debating on giving that a go as well.
I appreciate the offer of 3-D printed rain gutters. I actually use 1/16th inch U-channels, and that works pretty well for me. Did you extend your sidewall pipe a bit? Looks higher than mine. I do notice you located the brace above the brick firebreak, rather than on it. Looks very good.
--Opa George
I think I scratchbuilt the pipe on my model. I then drew it in 3D and sent the 3D model to our casting guy. so it might be a little different.
The roof looks good although too brite for my liking, I look at it and think how could I tone it down and yet not loose any of the individual slate colors. I think Jims roof looks great , hard to believe it started being just as brilliant colored as yours.
Thanks for the input, Lynn. It is bright for now but will tone down a little once installed and weathered. I am delayed in that step as I am adding some superficial interior detailing around the partially open freight doors: floors, walls and some details. Once that is done I will get the roof on, finish shingling, and give it an initial weathering.
--Opa George
Prior to installing the roof I added some interior details. This won't be lighted, but you will be able to see a little of the interior through the open freight doors and the side windows. A floor and some vague shapes suggesting machinery are all that is really needed. The "odd shapes" are an empty tape roll beneath a few miscellaneous round styrene shapes painted with red auto primer.
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The roof, still unfinished, is finally installed. I used a single rubber band in the center to add additional tension to the center, accentuating the sway. I thought the sway would be more pronounced, but this is a working building so it should not appear to be about to collapse!
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--George
Looks good George.
Great idea on the interior detail. A little will go a long way there. Nice job.
Awesome Build Mr. Opa!!!
Love the interior details. All Structures should have an interior!!
George,
The model is coming along nicely. I enjoy following your builds.
Tom ;D
Thank you for the kind comments, Curt, Vince, Tom and Darryl!
This second of three major structures is not yet finished, but I'm now at the finishing details stage. I still need to install the outside wall lamp castings, dry-brush for highlights, and add wall and roof vegetation, but the below shots show about what the final structure will look like.
The "street" side. I tried very thin wire instead of thread for the loft hoist/hook--not sure I like the way it hangs. I may remove it and try thread, or I may leave it and live with it. I'll have to balance my need for perfection (not high) with my low capacity for working with really tedious and often frustrating details. ;)
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A look at the alley side and a better view of the furnace wall & pipe. This shot and the first shot also capture the current state of the roof shingle color on this side. Aside from some rust stains from the small roof pipe and a wash of HunterLine colors (Light Gray and Driftwood), no other weathering has yet been applied.
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Here is the last side. In the site arrangements, this side will be the hardest to see clearly as this building sits close to the third (not yet built) structure. However this shot shows the roof with chalk weathering applied to the shingles. I like how it tones down the brighter shades and ties them together without completely washing out the color variety. As noted above, I did not yet use chalk on the other roof side. That is because the other roof will be under a very large old gnarly tree, and the shingles will have a heavy growth of moss (which is contributing to the roof rot and sag). Once the moss texture paint is applied, I will dust the remaining visible shingles on that side.
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So some more holiday preparations today and I hope to have time to completely finish the fabrication shed. Then it will be on to the kit's showpiece structure--the "widget" building. Can't wait to start it!
--George
George, looks great! But I'd consider adding a bit of weathering next to the smokestack on the roof, too. That area looks 'disturbingly clean' when compared to the rest of the model.
dave
Dave, can do! Can't have this hardworking building looking respectably clean! :D
George, the roof weathering really pulled the bright colors together. Looks good.
I agree with you on not liking thread -- seems to change easily over time with humidity changes. If you don't like the wire, maybe you might try some steel wire -- maybe something like .015 might not look too thick (1.3 scale inches) and will be very straight. Styrene rod also comes to mind but I don't know if you could get something that small.
I also wonder if pulling thread through some paraffin wax might stabilize it and keep it straight....
Wow George that is some excellent modeling.
or put some Elmers glue on your finger and pull thread trough it to stiffen it.
I use embroidery thread. Very thin, very strong, very true. Tie at the top, thread it through at the bottom, and attach reversible tweezers at the end. These will pull the thread taught. Add a dab of superglue and remove the reversible tweezers when dry. I have used this technique since about 2010 and all threads are still taught.
Enjoying your progress.
Cheers, Mark.
George,
Not only does this structure look great, I like your idea for weathering the other half of the roof to show the impact of the tree overhanging it. You are doing a wonderful job capturing the look of a well used factory complex. Waiting anxiously for the third building in the group.
Thank you everyone for the thread and wire tips. I will likely return to this structure and redo the hoist cable with your tips.
Below are four shots of the "finished" structure. It is not sited on the layout yet. I won't do that until I complete the third structure and can play around with the arrangement. A tree is posed next to it as an example of what I have in mind (pardon the tree anchored in plumber's putty).
I went with a mossy roof. Did a lot of online picture searches and this, I believe, approximates a heavy and old growth of moss on a shingled roof. I first tried a craft "moss" textured paint, which I have used before and looks really good on rock walls and a tunnel portal, but on the roof lacked the texture I wanted. I put a thin layer of tacky glue and sprinkled on medium green ground foam and got the look I wanted.
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Below is the back side:
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And here is the front, street side.
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And an overall shot. The junk piles are rusty rail castings.
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I think with the full scenery treatment when finished, this kit will really shine.
--George
Well done George..... 8)
Outstanding! Simply outstanding! :D :D :D
Thanks, Gregory and Bob!
On to the last structure in the kit, which is actually made up of three sub-structures. This is TJ Reiley's Widget Works, although in my build it will be the manufacturing complex of Seaside Symphonium, instead of a separate business.
Below are all of the parts that make up the structure. I had to b--ack up to fit it all into the shot.
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Artie's instructions provide plenty of photographs from all angles of the pilot structure, a photo of the structure as it sits on the Franklin & South Manchester, oversize line drawing plans, a CAD drawing of the structure, a three-quarter angle drawing, and three or four pages of to scale line drawings showing every side.
Below are the 22 :P wall sections, free of their carrier stock and ready for bracing and distressing prior to coloring. Looks like I have several hours of prep work--good thing its a rainy day! ;)
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--Opa George
Beautiful modeling George.
Love how your kit is turning out. Keep up the good work.
Thanks, Curt and Bruce! I'm really enjoying this kit.
All walls are now braced and trimmmed per the instructions. A few notes on that. There are 14 pieces of 1/8 inch interior bracing supplied. I used ten to fully brace per the diagram, so plenty of material there. On the trim (1/16th inch for corners and freight doors), plan your cuts to get maximum use of the supplied material. I thought I was going to run very short until I remembered there were two full trim pieces leftover from the link and chain building. Even using that and making stretegic use of it, I had less than an inch of material remaining.
Second point is bad planning on my part. :( Typically I would distress the walls either before bracing or certainly before gluing on the corner trim. I got ahead of myself here--I think the 22 wall sections got me thinking only of bracing and trimming--and I completed those steps before distressing. Now I will not be able to go at the walls with complete abandon with my file card, as usual. That's ok, it will just force me to slow down and take more time so that I don't mess up the trim.
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--George
I would try putting a layer or two of masking tape on the trim to protect it should be OK
Looking good, George.
it really looks like a fab kit. I love the next one too! Is that one in the Christmas stocking?
Cheers, Mark.
Quote from: dick green on December 22, 2018, 07:39:54 PM
I would try putting a layer or two of masking tape on the trim to protect it should be OK
Dick, thanks for that suggestion. Certainly worth a try.
--George
Quote from: mark dalrymple on December 22, 2018, 07:52:01 PM
Looking good, George.
it really looks like a fab kit. I love the next one too! Is that one in the Christmas stocking?
Cheers, Mark.
Hi Mark. Yes, it is, to date, the most enjoyable kit I have yet built. No, Tribute kit #2 is not in the Christmas stocking--although not for lack of interest. It does look like a beauty. But...Doug Foscale's "The Terminal" kit is wrapped up and hidden somewhere in the house. That will be a joy to unwrap on Christmas morning!
--George
Here are all the walls distressed and with a heavy treatment of A + I. I used a card file on walls without the trim pre-attached, and a small razor saw blade on those with trim. Other tools used included a t-pin (random holes, insect damage) a sanding stick (dings and gouges on freight doorways), a pounce wheel for nail holes, and a straight edge razor and #11 blade to cut board joints and to lift and occasionally break random boards. Although every surface received nail holes and A + I, I took the time to identify a few walls or portions of walls that would be hidden, and did not add extra distressing there.
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And below are the walls painted to match the first two buildings--that is, with a dry-brushing of acrylic white. Two of the walls (lower left) received no paint because they will be entirely hidden in the installation.
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I also assembled the cupola, but the picture came out blurry. I'll show it next time.
--Opa George
George,
Once again, I'll be following. Looks like you're making good progress.
Looks good George. Whenever I apply A&I or paint I put the parts in a folded sleeve of aluminum foil and weight applied on top to try to minimize bending of the wood, also the dried paint or A&I does not stick to the aluminum foil. Just what I do.
Thanks for the comments, Jerry, and for the tip, Curt. I got lucky this time and had no warping of the walls after the A+I. The bracing on these walls was pretty complete without me having to add more. But I like your tip and will certainly keep it in mind for future builds.
Artie offered several "routes" for construction. I chose to assemble all of the peel-and-stick windows/doors at once, since there were so many. Below are the various components for one window, with an assembled window at the bottom. Overall I had no problems, and liked the flexibility in being able to position the bottom sashes.
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It took about two hours to complete all the assemblies. They are lined up below. On the freight doors, I found it helpful to number the parts on the reverse side to keep them straight--not just for assembly, but also for installation. I installed two of the windows in the walls to check fit.:
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Below are the walls with all windows and doors installed. At this point the window and door colors need adjustment in order to blend with the wall color. I need to tone down the white windows and dry brush white on the freight doors. I'll let them all dry well before that step.
(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F779-271218144559.jpeg&hash=416d6ec15834e8aa14c8463d247c60014d9636bc)
All for now. -- Opa George
Windows and doors look great George.
The walls looked great, weathering looks just terrific. I have of lately been trying thinner with floquil weathered black rather than an A/I mix for distressing and weathering on more delicate wood, seems to allow more weathering without the potential for warping.
Quote from: PRR Modeler on December 27, 2018, 05:36:03 PM
Windows and doors look great George.
Thanks much, Curt! --George
Quote from: Lynnb on December 28, 2018, 10:07:36 AM
The walls looked great, weathering looks just terrific. I have of lately been trying thinner with floquil weathered black rather than an A/I mix for distressing and weathering on more delicate wood, seems to allow more weathering without the potential for warping.
Thanks, Lynn. Great tip. I believe it was from a craftsman kit I built in the early '80s that I picked up the tip to use "dirty Dio-sol" to simulate aged wood. I have done that, and still do for smaller expanses of old wood. Your tip gives much more control of the final color, of course--George
great tip, but all my Floquil and Polly Scale paints dried up a long time ago! The build looks great, enjoying the thread!
Below are all 20 walls pretty much finished and ready to go together. The cupola is in the top right, assembled (roof on but not covered). I touched up the doors and windows to match the siding as much as possible, added some of the details that are better installed while they are lying flat: signage, door handles, dry-transfer lettering.
(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F779-281218145420.jpeg&hash=a17a8bfd734d237ac541e92cb186d0b6f78bcc55)
--Opa George
George,
Once again, simply an outstanding job (and then some!) in matching the color and finish of the windows and doors with the walls. I love the "Brain Salt" sign, too. Looking forward to seeing the building after the walls are assembled.
Great signs George , love the variation.
Great job on the walls. I think color is spot on. Love the Hershey Kisses sign. It totally looks painted on and the minimalist look makes it appear to have been done by a local painter.
Dick
Looks Amazing Opa George!
;D ;D ;D
Beautiful signage and walls George.
George,
Very nice work...
Loren...
George,
Man, all those walls, all those signs and all that nasty weathering. Just perfect, absolutely fantastic.
Nuff said!
Tom ;D
Quote from: jerryrbeach on December 28, 2018, 03:05:50 PM
George,
Once again, simply an outstanding job (and then some!) in matching the color and finish of the windows and doors with the walls. I love the "Brain Salt" sign, too. Looking forward to seeing the building after the walls are assembled.
Thanks, Jerry. Yes, I have bene looking for a good spot to use the Brain Salt advertisement. This is it! Starting to assemble the walls today.
--George
Quote from: dick green on December 29, 2018, 07:47:55 AM
Great job on the walls. I think color is spot on. Love the Hershey Kisses sign. It totally looks painted on and the minimalist look makes it appear to have been done by a local painter.
Dick
Thanks, Dick. I like your interpretation of how the Hershey Kisses sign came out. I think it dates from the early to mid 30s, so installation from a local sign painter would be logical. I'll be dusting it a little more with chalks in the final detailing to lighten it a little, which should enhance that effect.
--George
Thank you, Jan, Bruce, Curt, Loren and Tom for the additional supportive comments.
Starting now to put the walls together. Below are most of the sub assemblies. Even though I spent time carefully comparing, test fitting and checking the plans, I still managed to reverse the two side walls on the tower. :( Fortunately I caught it before the glue set completely. It is correct now, below.
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Another angle of the sub assemblies drying. The interiors have all been painted black. I'll be concentrating details on the outside of this structure, instead of inside. The unassembled shed will attach to the largest sub assembly, once the clamps come off.
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More later...--George
Here are the sub-assemblies with cardboard roofs installed. I made the decision to install the roofs prior to installing the roofing paper. In this case (the roof paper is to be oriented horizontally, for variety), I think it will be easier to apply the peel-and-stick strips with the cardboard roof on the buildings. prior to attaching the roofs, I sprayed the underside of all roofs with Rustoleum gray primer. In addition to providing an appropriate color for the overhang, it gives them an extra bit of stiffness.
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Below are the major sub-assemblies posed together. They are not attached to each other in any way yet. I just wanted to get an idea of what this third structure would look like.
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--Opa George
Great color on the walls, did you find they mated up pretty evenly?
Really nice modeling George.
Looks great, George. I didn't realize that the "third building" is actually multiple individual full buildings with real walls. Sounds like even more flexibility when siting the kit. I'm enjoying following along.
George,
This is coming along nicely. It is going to look great when assembled into the scene with the other two structures.
Quote from: Lynnb on December 30, 2018, 03:30:54 PM
Great color on the walls, did you find they mated up pretty evenly?
Hi Lynn--thanks for the comment. I would say "fairly" evenly--but the variation is my own doing. I used the same A&I mix as on the first two structures, but because I store it in an old cream cheese tub instead of an airtight bottle, it is subject to more evaporation and thus strengthening--and these walls were therefore a little darker before I dry-brushed on the white paint.
Instead of making myself crazy trying to match them perfectly with the first two structures (the variation is subtle), I will allow the difference and attribute it to different age on the structures. I kind of like that story anyway--provides more of a backstory.
As for the A+I--I think I will start storing it in an airtight bottle, pour out what I need and then funnel it back when done. Live and learn.
--Opa George
Quote from: PRR Modeler on December 30, 2018, 04:22:13 PM
Really nice modeling George.
Thanks, Curt. This kit is really fun to work with and lends itself to lots of creativity.
--George
Quote from: vinceg on December 30, 2018, 04:32:59 PM
Looks great, George. I didn't realize that the "third building" is actually multiple individual full buildings with real walls. Sounds like even more flexibility when siting the kit. I'm enjoying following along.
Thanks, Vince. Yes, I also like that, as opposed to carboard or no dividing wall. However there are some necessary modifications to keep in mind if varying from the plans. First, the rooftop water or chemical tank sits on a platform that spans the middle shed and the right-hand structure. Second, pipes from the tank connect to pre-drilled holes in the wall of the left-hand structure. Neither modification would be difficult, though.
--Opa George
Quote from: jerryrbeach on December 31, 2018, 07:32:11 AM
George,
This is coming along nicely. It is going to look great when assembled into the scene with the other two structures.
Thanks, Jerry. Yes, I'm getting anxious to start in on that stage. Lots to do yet on this one--rafter tails, roofing, lights, vents, etc. This one also sports the extra-elaborate rooftop vents that Bar-Mills made special for it.
--George
George
Looking great! I love the signs and the weathering.
Quote from: S&S RR on December 31, 2018, 02:01:18 PM
George
Looking great! I love the signs and the weathering.
Thanks much, John.
Time to start the water/chemical tank for the roof of the middle building (the connecting shed). It will be individual boards glued around a cylindrical tank form. The form is composed of six pieces that fit together exactly. I did not have to file or fool with them, other than being careful to gently fit them. Also, unlike the foundation bracing that could be assembled incorrectly if you are not careful, I don't think you can fit these six pieces wrong.
There are 13 2x8 strips provided for the tank staves, along with a length cutting guide. As this will be a focal point of the building, I distressed the stripwood with a small razor saw blade before staining. I used (left to right): A&I full strength, Hunterline light gray,, Hunterline blue gray, and Hunterline driftwood. The smaller platform assembly is a one-piece laser cut platform over a frame. As the platform was from a darker wood, I used only A&I, followed by a some minor application of the various Hunterline stains to a few random boards.
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Below is the structure with all roofs applied and dry-brushed with white acrylic. I actually got the white a bit too heavy for my taste and went back with a damp cloth and removed some before it cured--an advantage of using the acrylics. After the roof vents and other details are installed, I will follow-up with a combination of A&I, dry- brushed rust, and various chalks.
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Happy New Year to everyone!
--George
Here are some quick pics of last night's progress, before work this morning. I painted the liquid in the tank and applied several layers of Mod Podge before wrapping the form with the stained stripwood. I added a final layer after the stripwood was added, to blend the water surface with the inside wall of the tank. Below, the structure partially assembled. The right-hand structure is not yet attached so that I can work on the piping.
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Below and the next--both sides of the structure with the right-hand structure temporarily moved in place, to see how it looks and test for fit. Lots more to do--more details, pipes, structural bits, ladders, the banding around the tank, etc. Also, none of the applied details have finishing work yet--final paint and weathering, blending, etc. For now, the tank looks a little "stripey," but that will diminish after weathering to simulate leaking water and rot.
(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F779-040119051848.jpeg&hash=80d1aa6249502558a40066fd418501dcd77792ea)
and the other side:
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Now to work. I see lots of build challenge threads started--and will have to catch up with everyone on the weekend.
Best regards--Opa George
Looks excellent, George. I don't see the striping effects in the picture that you mentioned.
Did you paint the fluid in the tank white or is that just uncured Mod Podge?
George,
This looks better each time you post a photo. Still following...
Wow...great build! The colors & weathering are a worthy tribute to the FSM as well. 8)
John
Looks terrific George. Jim
Very nicely done George.
Hi George,
The weathering on the structure is just outstanding and the signage looks very nice also. Overall, great projrct.
Quote from: vinceg on January 04, 2019, 06:42:25 AM
Looks excellent, George. I don't see the striping effects in the picture that you mentioned.
Did you paint the fluid in the tank white or is that just uncured Mod Podge?
Thank you for the comments, Vince. What you are seeing in that photo is uncured Mod Podge. However I did go with a light beige/yellow/greenish swirl, not too far from the color photo in the kit instructions. I truly went back and forth several times with the colors of my tank contents. Now that it has cured, I don't really like it and plan to add another top coat of Mod Podge with some gray-blue mixed in, for a dark tone. I think that will give it some depth and emulate a murky tank load of water...or whatever. ;)
--George
I changed the color of the tank contents to black by adding a little Mars Black artists acrylic into a glob of Mod Podge, then brushing overtop the old color. Another coat of un-tinted Mod Podge added on top, and below is the tank with some white Mod Podge still drying/curing.
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I think the black will look much better once dry and with a few more coats of clear Mod Podge. Between coats I added bracing to the second story platform, built the pipe support and ladder, and (not shown) painted the white string, which is to be the tank bands, a rust color. The string supplied in the kit is very stiff and with a fine weave, and painted should look good once applied. I won't do that until it dries overnight.
--George
Wonderful
Here is structure three in the Bar Mills FSM Tribute kit #1 about 90-95% done. I have more details to add, paint and tar vents, grime on the roof, dry brushing and chalk weathering all over. I always save the light fixtures for last because I invariably knock one off or damage one in my final round of weathering.
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Here is a view showing the piping and bracing for the tank, which was the fussiest part of the assembly. My method was to cut close to fit but intentionally long or oversize, then test, then cut or sand a very small portion off, test again, cut or sand again, until I got a tight, level fit.
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--George
Really nice modeling George.
Thanks, Curt!
I finished the third structure in the kit last evening. There are still lots of scenic elements in the box, including sidewalks, a fence, a truck, telephone poles and figures, not to mention lots more junk castings. But for now I posed all three buildings together as shown on the box cover and the Bar Mills website. I will not use this exact arrangement on my layout, but this gives a good idea how the major components turned out.
(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F779-100119052819.jpeg&hash=f2774e4978daefc7fbef20dcb7ff66f01d7e4a5a)
and
(https://modelersforum.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.modelersforum.com%2Fgallery%2F779-100119052905.jpeg&hash=53368d37b192e83b8d30f5045093643d29526bf5)
Here is just the third structure (the tractor is Walthers):
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And one more from a higher angle to show off the piping a bit more. I warmed the colors a bit to counter my fluorescent lights:
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I must get to school soon, so will add more notes later.
--George
Really nice George - well done!
Mike :)
Gorgeous, George. A real tribute to the tribute.
Well done George.....great work. 8)
Fantastic modeling George- the weathering is spot on. This is the look that I am after for my Rohlen build, so I'm using the photo as reference!
Thanks very much for the comments, Mike, Vince and Gregory!
Bob, thank you!--For the bulk of my weathering I relied on four steps: an A&I wash on the walls and stripwood before painting, dry-brushed white to catch highlights, and after that it was mostly Hunterline washes (I used Light Gray, Blue Gray, and Driftwood), followed by ground pastel chalks as a final layer.
--George
Beautiful, George.
The kit has come up a treat.
Cheers, Mark.
Great job George , looks fantastic.
Very nice work. The structures look fantastic.
Jeff
Thanks very much, Mark, Jan and Jeff.
I'm currently working on reworking a small area of benchwork on my layout in order to install the mostly completed kit. I decided the original location did not allow enough space to truly show it off, so am expanding that real estate so that it extends over a lower track. It is the reworking of that lower area that puts me a little into the weeds, so it may be a while until I post updates with the kit installed on the layout.
Time to clear and clean the workbench and get ready to begin my next up: The Terminal from FOS.
--George
George,
Fantastic job on the build, very well done. And, it looks great.
Looking forward to the Terminal build. I have plans for that one as well but won't get to it this year.
Tom ;D
Looks fantastic, tons of character.