This structure is made form ITLA industrial Wall Modules. This will go where the cardboard mock up was on the layout if you've followed my Layout Build. There are several different wall modules. Different widths, brick vs concrete, window types and one with fire escapes and another with a large loading door for train entry.
Jeff
I needed to cut the walls down one story as the four story was too high for the space. From a strength stand point, cutting the top 5/8 in concrete off, then a story, and replacing the top would be the best. But it was much easier to cut thru one of the middle stories with a razor saw.
Jeff
The parts are the wall piece, brick pieces, and "lazerboard" pilasters, windows and the large roll up door.
Jeff
Sawing, some minor sanding and the wall is together. I used a straight edge to make sure the top was straight, glued the upper wall pieces together, then using the straight edge to make sure the bottom was straight, glued them together, then top piece to bottom piece. The two lower left openings won't have the large door, they have smaller pieces for a loading dock and outside stair. The right side piece is for a fire escape with doors.
Jeff
Next up were adding the pilasters, there is a wide one and a narrow one, I started by cutting the pieces one story up from the bottom, which seemed to fit well.
Jeff
ITLA was featured in last weeks Miniprints live broadcast and I was unfamiliar with their kits. Many of their kits can be assembled to fit several footprints and I am eager to see how you do this one and make it fit your needs.
After putting the 3 center ones on, I did the side wall and had a DOH! moment. I could just put the strip on whole, and cut off the bottom, the lines on the pilasters still lined up! ::)
Jeff
Hi Rollin, thanks for looking in. I have one built one of their kits already and it went together well, and this kit seemed quite "customizable" so I'm giving it a go.
I added the side pilasters and this wall is finished.
Jeff
Next, I fitted all the pieces so I can make sure I paint enough parts. I'm just going to use rattle cans for this, basically tan for the concrete areas and black for the windows and red for the bricks. The windows have spots where the window has been "replaced" and these can be easily removed and moved around as needed. There are only two walls, as the back and side won't be seen and I'll use gatorfoam for these sides. I may brace these two walls before painting.
Jeff
The two open areas on the long wall have pieces that will need some masking and the concrete areas under the small windows on the fire escape wall will need to be hand painted, but I'll mask it so I don't have to paint over the red brick color. This is where I'm at tonight, and since it will be nice tomorrow, I'm going to mow and do some other outside work, so I probably won't work with this for a couple of days.
Jeff
Looks like a fun project and you have the perfect location for it. I don't have any ITLA kits but was sorely tempted by them when I saw them at one of the EXPO's. I meant to go back and buy one but never got around to it.
Thanks for sharing!
Looks like a very interesting system Jeff, I'll be looking in. :)
Bob, thanks for watching. I really miss the EXPOs.
Jeff
Greg, it is an interesting system. Hoping that the separate pieces can be easily painted and put together fairly quickly.
Jeff
Jeff,
I'll be following along on this adventure. I have two of their kits and wasn't as sorely temped as Reading Bob was. We were at the same EXPO.
Removing the fourth floor was a nice kit bash.
Tom
Jeff,
Thanks in advance for the thread.
ITLA kits have fascinated me for quite some time, so broke down and bought one at Springfield this winter. Now all I need is the courage to try and build it. (Know that's backward.)
Thanks for you documentation.
Jeff,
Building one of the ITLA structures can be a mind blowing adventure. There are sooo many options of how to build them and they all will look great.
I have built one and have another on the shelf to fill a space. I can't wait to see how it turns out.
Hi, Tom. I haven't done much kitbashing, so this is new territory for me.
Jeff
Hope I can help move you to building one of these kits, BandOGuy.
Jeff
Thanks for looking in, Marty. I have built one of their kits and have two more in the stash.
Jeff
I forgot to post a picture of the two "add ons" that go into the areas where the large open areas on the front wall go. One is a doorway and the other, an open loading dock with some crates.
Jeff
Again, the main painting of this is with spray cans. The instructions suggest first painting everything black, and then the brick portions. The windows were to be black, so they and the brick portions were attached to a baking sheet and sprayed in the airbrush booth.
The windows had many spots "blanked out". I thought there were too many, so some where removed (and saved) before painting. I can add these in other colors if I want. the window parts were removed and the bricks sprayed with red oxide primer.
Jeff
The concrete areas were sprayed with camo tan. I couldn't resist putting them together to see how it looked on the layout. I think this will do.
Jeff
It's hard to see, but in the corner, one edge of the front wall didn't get painted. ::) This will require some touch up. I also forgot to put on the "cap" to the wall. For this you use the left edge of the pieces the pilasters were removed from. Pretty good fit. Clever of the ITLA folks to think of this. That's why I save all the "leftovers" until I'm finished with a kit, many of the pieces come in handy.
Jeff
I love the look in the mock-up. Like you, I can't resist tacking wall parts together to see the result on the layout....
dave
Thanks, Dave. It does look better than the cardboard box.
Jeff
So things started to go a little wonky. The corner pieces on the mock up didn't line up. One set is absolutely even with the edge and the other isn't.
Jeff
I managed to get most of this pulled back, but the wood started to tear, so I reglued it and it's more reasonably closer. The brick pieces dried nicely.
Jeff
I have a Vallejo color that's a near match for the spray camo tan, but I decided to mask off all the brick areas, respray the tan and it turned out well.
Jeff
I added the top pieces and they didn't meet at the corner the way I thought they would. So I cut the end off one and removed the other. I don't think I'll do the top pieces until the kit is together, and I want to do all the windows/brick areas etc while they are separate.
Jeff
The other two sides will be gatorfoam. With some trial and error, I managed to cut these to fit. I admire how you kitbashers and scratch builders get this stuff to work. The gatorfoam is just slightly wider than the supplied pieces for the top of the wall. I don't think it will be noticable, but I may just cut some styrene slightly wider than the pieces supplied and fit them when the kit is together. This will require removing the one piece that's on now, but that's not a big deal. I'll think this over.
Jeff
I did remove the top piece, so I'll make some wall toppers from styrene. Next was making sure the pieces fit back in the walls. These were cut to be "friction fit", but with the paint coating, they didn't quite fit back in. If you force the brick pieces in it may affect the piece between them, so some gentle sanding with the Ultimation sander to all the pieces got them to fit back correctly. Need to do some touch ups on the brick pieces, then glue them in. I'll take the windows back out, then everything will get a spray of Dullcoat or equivalent before oil washes.
Jeff
You can put the brick pieces flush with the front, like the top section, or push them back in a bit to have a bit of a reveal, as on the bottom one. I chose the latter.
Jeff
I used some of the leftover frame pieces so the brick pieces would all be set in the same amount. Two of these pieces are on the top here. Basically just put glue around the piece to put them in place. They are such a close fit, I thought putting glue on the sides and pushing them in might force glue out the front.
Jeff
I thought I'd be creative so all the windows didn't look the same. I found some of these fans from Paw of a Bear and thought i'd put a couple in the windows. you can make several different styles of fans from the kit.
Jeff
Since the fan is smaller than the window area, I tried making a blank from the thin hardboard material which worked, but I didn't like the look of just sticking the fan on the piece, and the material is difficult to cut with an Xacto knife. I tried making one from cardboard, but it was too flimsy. I ended up cutting the window material to fit the fan and masking it off and spray painting it the same black. I also had dipped the window framing in light Grey Hunterline weathering mix so the black wouldn't be so stark. They looked good, but then I resprayed them with Dullcoat and it pretty much disappeard. I'll dip them again before putting the "glass" back in.
Jeff
At 0300 one morning I realized I didn't have any signage for the structure. I could make a billboard for the top, but I didn't really want the building looking any taller, so I made a sign to place on one of the brick areas. But what to name it? After thinking about it a day, I thought about he who has brought the forum back for us.
I've used some black oil paint and thinner for the weathering. I'll let it dry for while and see if I need to remove some or add some more.
Jeff
Next up was building the stairway for the doorway. This was very difficult for me. You're supposed to put the side pieces into the piece with the doorway (not glued), place the first step in, which has tiny tabs on each side to fit into slots, glue it in, gently separate the pieces to put the next one in and so on. every time I tried to put the next step in, the first one came out on one side. plus the sides moved in their slots. I ended up taping one side to the desk and then placing all five in and then lining up the left piece, moving each step into place and using CA with accelerant. Got three of the five in place with two moving out of place. I removed them, trimmed off the tabs on one side, and managed to get them in straight and glued. Was very frustrating. Yes, it's covered with shiny glue, I'll hit it with Dullcoat. I now need to do another for the bottom of the fire escape panel. :P
Jeff
The fire escapes were much easier to do. Leave the base and ladder on the sheet and glue the side panels on. Then put on the bottom supports. I'll spray these with black paint later.
Jeff
Shiny glue spots aside, I do like the finish you got on that fidgety little stairway. The whole thing is coming together nicely. I like the addition of the box fans in the windows. Keep up the great work!
Thanks, Bob. I merely painted the already dark wood with a Prismacolor marker. Unfortunately, the second set of steps went even worse than the first. I decided to put these on the interior door area (with the fan) and used the better set "outside" with the fire escapes. As I was going to paint the outside ones black, I ended up spray painting all of them black. You can see the difference in colors in the pics.
Jeff
I mixed white and black oil paint to make a light grey to use as mortar on the walls. I think this wall turned out OK and now will do the larger wall.
Jeff
That's a good choice for the mortar color.
dave
Well, a five week gap, but it's been busy here. I did get the window glass in (though I put the first one on the front of the frame instead of the back, DOH!). I thought it would be easier to add the fire escapes while the wall was flat on the workbench. I forgot that I'll need one to go to the top of the structure. Looks like I'll be painting another one...
Jeff
But before that, I needed to put the braces in for the roof. I used one of the strips from the kit to measure the distance.
Need to build the two "interior" pieces to make sure they fit before putting the walls together.
Jeff
Jeff,
Your build is looking great. Great choice on the colors and added details too.
Tommy
Nice job on those windows.
Jerry
Jeff,
Excellent build, I love the entire look of the structure. You've done a fantastic job on the kit. Weathering is spot on as far as I'm concerned.
Tom
Thanks, Tommy.
Jeff
Hi, Jerry. I tried to vary a few of the "black out" panes. Some are silver, one is plain wood. I've seen some of these kits where the windows are painted different colors, green is a favorite, but I thought they looked too cartoonish.
Jeff
Thanks for the kind words, Tom.
Jeff
I built the two "insets" that go into the walls. one is a loading area with some crates. The background crates came with the kit, the one in the front i already had. I'll have someone sitting on it when I can find an appropriate figure. It looks like it's lit do to my overhead lighting. I'm not going to install lighting like some of you (I'm looking at you, Bob), as I don't want to use the time. The stair inset is dark, which is good as the stairs are crooked), I'm using front lighting to show it off. I added a fan to one of the blanked out areas and a curved duct I had on hand for another . Presently I've glued the front and side wall together and they are curing. will add the back two walls later.
Jeff
That's awesome! Love the inserts, the colors, heck, everything about it!
What a great finish...well done...looks just like an Albert Kahn building
Terry
Looking good Jeff..... 8)
Well done for sure. Love that fire escape!!
Jerry
Thanks, Bob. The finishes were mostly spray cans. Easy Peasy. (Where have I heard that term before?) :D
Jeff
I had to look up who Albert Kahn was, Jerry. Thanks for following.
Jeff
Thanks, Greg. It finally looks like a building.
Jeff
Hi, Jerry. It wasn't too difficult to build, except the darn steps. I think if I needed to do the stairway again, I'd use a small clamp to hold the sides and slide the steps in like the instructions say. I forgot I have a set of clamps just for this type of situation. Doh!
Jeff
Put the back wall on and used a small piece of stripwood for a bit of additional bracing. I didn't want it visible thru the door, so I cut it short.
Jeff
This led to an issue, the wall is a bit too short. I think I misjudged something somewhere. I thought I had added the width of the gatorfoam to this. The side wall isn't yet attached.
Jeff
I then cut a roof out of 0.080 styrene. This probably won't need bracing (I might add some anyway). I made this before attaching the side wall as it would make sure the structure (hopefully) is square and make it easier to line up the side wall.
Added the side wall and then a piece of stripwood which was pretty close to the required size on the corner. I also added filler on the left side where the gaps for the interlocking wall piece would go so the gatorfoam would have more gluing area.
Jeff
Of course, I then had to place it back on the layout in it's appropriate place to see how it fit. The hole is still a bit visible, but you really have to get close to the layout to see it. The back nor side walls are not visible at all. I'd call that a success. You'll note the inset pieces aren't yet glued in, either. I need to brace the other 3 corners and make a view block so you can't see thru the building, as you'd notice there are no back side windows. I may leave the door off, or just use a piece of it on the top of the opening, as long as it doesn't interfere with a boxcar fitting inside. No Hi Cubes here, it's 1950.
Jeff
The building looks good, and not too compressed.
You could add something to fill that triangle space behind the building where the track goes through. A smokestack? Maybe even a water tank?
dave
Dave, I'll probably add a small hill with some brush and a tree to cover it.
Jeff
Before you do that, put something like a smokestack in that corner to try that out. A 1" dowel would work. There's a neat article in this month's MRH about a guy who took a round turned chair leg and turned it into a smokestack.
dave
Looking good, Jeff.
I'd be investigating putting a pedestrian bridge across the track against the wall, and a bit of a woodland track/ path back to the rest of town. Also, a smoke stack as Dave suggests.
Cheers, Mark.
Jeff,
Great looking structure, well done.
Tom
Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on April 29, 2024, 05:10:10 PMNext up was building the stairway for the doorway. This was very difficult for me. You're supposed to put the side pieces into the piece with the doorway (not glued), place the first step in, which has tiny tabs on each side to fit into slots, glue it in, gently separate the pieces to put the next one in and so on. every time I tried to put the next step in, the first one came out on one side. plus the sides moved in their slots. I ended up taping one side to the desk and then placing all five in and then lining up the left piece, moving each step into place and using CA with accelerant. Got three of the five in place with two moving out of place. I removed them, trimmed off the tabs on one side, and managed to get them in straight and glued. Was very frustrating. Yes, it's covered with shiny glue, I'll hit it with Dullcoat. I now need to do another for the bottom of the fire escape panel. :P
Jeff
I had the same problem with the WKRP radio station kit. The steps are impossible to do. I didn't have the patience to coop with it so I used a plastic Bachmann staircase instead...those steps are a complete nightmare
Thanks for looking in, John. Yes, those stairs were a pain. I did like the open grid like look of them, though.
Jeff