Here's my second build for the challenge. It's a FOS Freebie #31. Santos Tattoo and Cigar. These kits are a challenge in themselves, as there are no instructions. ??? Makes it like a puzzle to put together. Here's the bag.
Jeff
The requisite shot of the stuff in the bag. Some clapboard siding. A carsiding (I think that's what it's called) wall. Two blank walls that are basically just covered in signs. Door/window stuff to be built up. Roofs. paper for tarpaper roofing. A metal roof pipe. Some stripwood. A sidewalk/base. And the best part--the signs!
Jeff
Interesting combo Jeff - tattoos & cigars, plus all those posters.....this will be an interesting one to watch. :)
I have this kit so I'll be following along closely.
Thanks for following, Greg. The kit fits in well with the "wrong side of the tracks" town I'm building. Though I'm not sure that's where it will be used.
Jeff
So, Curt, Doug inticed you to spend $50 to get a free kit as well? ;D
Jeff
Time for bracing. There's only two bracing pieces of stripwood, I'm saving those for the corners. Unfortunately, I'm not sure where the corners will be as there's no instructions. I think there will be corner posts on all but the corner facing in the picture. I've used some other bracing I get when I go to the Narrow Gauge convention. A bundle of sticks (I think they're factory seconds), but perfect for bracing. Another reason to plan on going to the Narrow Gauge convention this year.
Jeff
I stained the siding pieces with Vetero Aged Barn Wood stain. I just got these a month or so ago and wanted to try them out. It's very simiilar to the Hunterline Weathering Mixes. In fact this color is pretty darn close to the Light Gray Hunterline. I didn't stain the "paper walls" that the decals cover, though I did paint the backs of them (and the siding pieces) with black acrylic paint to further help prevent warping. I did stain the door/window sheet, though the stains don't take well, they at least tone down the tan color and shine.
Jeff
Jeff, yes he did. MOH said get the REA kit while it's on sale and you get a free kit.
I really like that shade of stain.
Thanks for the info on the Vetero Aged Barn Wood Stain. I thought about picking some up but my stash of Hunterline is still pretty stout so there was no rush.
This is a fun, and interesting, little freebie. My build currently resides in Tahope on the Atlantic & Southern. ;)
Jeff,
I'm following along as well. This is a great little kit and well worth the build. As bob said, his is planted on the South end of Tahope.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150621161903.jpeg)
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/24-150621161743.jpeg)
Tom ;D
Thanks for looking in, Bob. I have Hunterline stains as well. I was really interested in the Vetero Rust color stains for bridges, and picked up this grey and "Shadow Gray", which is really dark (almost like the usual A&I stain).
Jeff
Thanks for the pics, Tom! It will help me on my build.
Jeff
Jeff,
Have no choice but to watch your build as my free FOS kit ( cigar store ) just showed up...
Tommy
Hi, Tommy. Seems few of us can resist the freebies.
Jeff
Painted the walls with Depot Buff and trim with Zinc Chromate Primer. Two of the few Pollyscale paints I still have. I then used a small amount of medium gray on a technique I call "dry sponge painting". Using a grout sponge, I get some paint on a torn off small piece. I then get it fairly dry by blotting on a card. Then blotting and dragging across the trim/siding. Not quite a peeling paint effect, more a diffuse wearing off of the paint.
Jeff
Hey Jeff
Looking good so far.
Karl
Thanks, Karl. I managed to cut out all the signs last evening. First I rough up the signs a little with 1000 grit sandpaper. I then used a very dilute A&I solution on them to take out the starkness of the white. Then taped to my cutting mat. Using a new #11 blade and a straight edge I cut them out. I will then dry brush some unbleached titanium paint if I want it to look really weather beaten. I didn't do that here but may change my mind when it's all together.
Jeff
The roof sign needs backing, so I glued it to a piece of thin cardboard and cut it out later.
Jeff
Today I lined up the signs on the blank walls. The one fit very well, the other not so much. It's a square sign, but the roof is not parallel to the ground, it's a little sloped. These are glued on with full stength elmer's white glue. I was about 1 mm off on the one that's already sloped, but I figured it would tear if removed. Though I did a back up of the signs, the top slope remains, and I didn't think it would make a great deal of difference to do it again.
Jeff
No instructions means you can do whatever you want and you won't be wrong ;D
Fos makes the most expensive free kits out there ;D
I wonder do they sterilize those tattoo needles by running them over the cigar ashes....
Jaime
Thanks for stopping by, Jaime. Today was engineering day on the structure. The front piece would only attach with the thin top and sides. Also the front top piece needed bracing as it was warped. I I added a piece of posterior bracing, but there was still a gap, a scrap piece of stripwood fit perfectly. A similar treatment was used for the bottom.
Jeff
The next issue was the angled door on the corner of the structure. the thin sides wouldn't have enough gluing area. So some 45 degree bracing wood was used. When I tried fitting the next wall it didn't fit, as the top of the wall pictured was warped, so the top piece of bracing was added. Everything then fit. ::)
Jeff
Cripes a mighty, how does one small kit make such a mess?
Jeff
The roofing material was sprayed black, and the pieces cut up. The rest of the pieces were braced and the corner trims added so that tomorrow I can put the thing together. This is the most productive modeling day I've had since the last challenge. 8)
Jeff
You're making great progress Jeff.
Hey Jeff:
Nice workbench. The model is coming along nicely.
Karl
Oooh! It's a structure. Notice the nailholes and raised clapboards? Neither do I. I did that before staining and painting the walls. And of coarse they swelled and filled in the holes. ::) That's what happens when you wait a year in between structure builds.
Jeff
Putting the walls together took awhile. I added bracing, took bracing off that was in the way of walls/bracing. I made some 45 degree pieces to hold the angled door in place.
Jeff
Another problem I seem to have with buildings with common walls, is they don't always turn out square. :P The larger building is square, the smaller, just slightly off. Also the ends of the structure don't line up. The sign wall is a little bit taller than the other in the back. I just pulled the front piece apart and re glued it so it now lines up.
Jeff
Before:
After:
Next up are the roofs. I prep them by painting any visible edges/undersides. Sometimes black, this time with the trim color. I then mark lines on the upper side so I can line up the tar paper or shingles. Then add transfer tape.
Jeff
Looks good Jeff. I'm having some of the same relearning issues.
Glad I'm not alone with the "relearning" issue. The roof of the larger building still didn't quite line up, so I used a piece of stripwood to even it up.
Jeff
The strip wood piece won't show as there are fascia boards on the top of the walls. These had to be precisely cut and glued on one by one, and took some time. Ends of wood needed touch up. I painted the trim on their sheet before cutting out, so the edges aren't painted. :P Another boo boo. I touched up the front window/angled door wall edges and then added A&I later. there wasn't to be a fascia board over the Call Again Cigar sign, but I added it as the sign was just less than a mm short. There wasnt' another piece of strip wood left for the top board over the sign, though I have a square piece slightly smaller than the corner post strip wood. ??? I found a piece of 2 x 12 to cap the wall. I think it looks better than the 2 x 6 would have. Of course this meant getting out the stain, paint, sponge paint, A&I AGAIN. This seems to happen on all my builds. Probably why they take so long. Roofs are on. Next up weathering them, adding the base, and the roof sign.
Jeff
Looks great Jeff. I love the signage. I believe you're right about the 2x12.
Jeff....
Great structure..................
Thanx
Bob
Jeff,
There's a reason they call these builds " craftsman kits "
Your free kit of the cigar shop came out great and will make a nice addition to you RR.
Tommy
Thanks Curt.
Jeff
Thank you, Bob. Glad to see you following the build.
Jeff
Thanks again, Tommy, for sending me the pics on the finished structure.
Jeff
Done. It's not attached to the base. I'm having issues coloring sidewalks. I did a bunch for the layout town, but they all came out too dark. This one started with Woodland Scenics concrete, which I think is too tan. Used some pastels and pan pastels to grey it up. Looks OK, but not great. Only the tall stack came with the kit, the others are from the "stash". Thanks for following, guys. On to the next build...
Jeff
Cripes. Two seconds after I posted I noticed I forgot the roof sign! DOH! Gimme a minute. I glued the legs on upside down. :o
Jeff
That's better.
Jeff
Very nice Jeff...great coloring!
John
Great build Jeff.
Nice looking build Jeff.....well done. 8)
Very nice. I need to break out my Luck's Gas freebie and get 'er done.
Looks great, Jeff.
Cheers, Mark.
Thanks. gentlemen for the positive feedback.
Jeff
Great job Dr. Jeff! Haven't had a good cigar in ages. Probably won't get one in this joint. Never got a tattoo and won't start here. ;)
Alright. This is a day late and a dollar short as the saying goes but maybe it'll help others. FOS Facebook Info (https://m.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157739536533729&id=113363023728&set=a.10157739535233729&source=49&refid=13&_ft_=top_level_post_id.10157739537963729%3Atl_objid.10157739537963729%3Apage_id.113363023728%3Aphoto_attachments_list.%5B10157739536358729%2C10157739536238729%2C10157739535483729%2C10157739537448729%5D%3Aphoto_id.10157739536358729%3Astory_location.4%3Astory_attachment_style.new_album%3Apage_insights.%7B%22113363023728%22%3A%7B%22page_id%22%3A113363023728%2C%22actor_id%22%3A113363023728%2C%22dm%22%3A%7B%22isShare%22%3A0%2C%22originalPostOwnerID%22%3A0%7D%2C%22psn%22%3A%22EntPhotoNodeBasedEdgeStory%22%2C%22post_context%22%3A%7B%22object_fbtype%22%3A22%2C%22publish_time%22%3A1567774781%2C%22story_name%22%3A%22EntPhotoNodeBasedEdgeStory%22%2C%22story_fbid%22%3A%5B10157739536358729%2C10157739535233729%5D%7D%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22sl%22%3A4%2C%22targets%22%3A%5B%7B%22actor_id%22%3A113363023728%2C%22page_id%22%3A113363023728%2C%22post_id%22%3A10157739536358729%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22share_id%22%3A0%7D%2C%7B%22actor_id%22%3A113363023728%2C%22page_id%22%3A113363023728%2C%22post_id%22%3A10157739535233729%2C%22role%22%3A1%2C%22share_id%22%3A0%7D%5D%7D%7D&__tn__=%2B%3E)
Hey Jeff:
Beautiful job on this kit. I love all the signs on the building. they really make it. Colors and weathering are also great.
Karl
Nice job on this one, Jeff. I have built a few of the FOS freebies, and this is my hands down favorite for the sheer character. You brought that out quite well.
--Opa George
Bob, "A day late and a dollar short" was one of my Dad's favorite sayings. Thanks for the feedback and the memory.
Jeff
Thank you, Karl.
Jeff
Thanks, George. I like the freebies as they are free and USUALLY a quick build.
Jeff
I just read through this build. Jeff, great job, great detail and quality workmanship. The store looks like it's ready for business.
Jim D
Hey Jeff:
You are quite welcome.
Karl