Time for a new build. It's past due actually. This was going to be my challenge build but, things got off track for a bit between the flu, life, etc. so it'll simply be a build thread.
This was an X-Mas present from my better half. It's the Interaction Hobbies Moonshiner's Shed (https://www.interactionhobbies.com/HO-Scale-Kit-Moonshiner's-Shed-_p_195.html) in HO Scale. It's also available in O Scale.
Let's start with the standard picture of the unopened kit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114207-573771089.jpeg)
And here are the contents of the package. Lots of 3D printed stuff in this one.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114207-573781723.jpeg)
The instructions recommend painting the 3D printed details while they're still attached to the base they're printed on. Maybe that would work for the O Scale version of the kit but, as you can see here, it would be difficult to paint these things in the HO Scale version given how close they are to one another.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114207-573792258.jpeg)
I started by separating the figures from one another using a razor saw. I planned on keeping this on their base while painting them and only removing those sprues (or whatever they're called) that rise up assist with the printing process. However, when I started trimming those off the ones beneath the shoes ended up giving way, so I ended up removing everything and cleaning them up in preparation for painting.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114208-573801836.jpeg)
I primed everything, except the figures and glass bottles, with Floquil Foundation using an airbrush. The figures I primed using Floquil Weathered Black (I think it was Dave Emery who recommended using black as a starting point for figures, so I figured (pun intended ;D ) I'd give that a try. The glass bottles are clear so they didn't get primed.
The top row in this picture is all the stuff from this kit. The bottom row are some Mini-print figures I had sitting on the workbench waiting to be painted and aren't related to the kit.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114208-573812443.jpeg)
Painting moonshine jugs in a two tone paint scheme turned out to be not as bad as I had feared. For the bottom I used Vallejo Iraqi Sand and for the top I used PollyScale Roof Brown. A 10X Optivisor is a must for most of the painting.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114317-573821212.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;D
Okay, I ran into a bit of frustration with the glass bottles. First, there are some cases that hold the bottles. Getting them into the cases was a touchy process. By the way, there are 93 bottles included. I lost a few when slipped out of the tweezers as I tried to insert them in the cases.
A second issue is that they're printed so close to one another that some are actually stuck together, side by side. When I nipped one off the carrier sheet its attached mate broke in half. But there are plenty of bottles to make up for those I lost or broke. I painted some with a transparent yellow paint just so they wouldn't all be clear (though it would hurt if they were).
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114317-57383971.jpeg)
Finally, after weeks of painting the details I'm ready for something different. The walls of the shed need to be roughed up a bit. I scratched some grain in the walls using an X-Acto knife.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114317-573841747.jpeg)
Next, a little extra roughing up using a welder's brush (from Home Depot).
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114318-573851307.jpeg)
Then I applied Light Gray Hunterline Weathering Mix to the walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114318-573862295.jpeg)
They're thin, so I weighed them down to minimize warping.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114436-573872475.jpeg)
I added some weathering to the bottom of the walls using Black Panel Line Accent color. Just a touch near the bottom a letting it bleed upward. It's pretty obvious which is the bottom on the end walls but not so obvious which on the rear walls. The rear walls have some tiny notches at the top for the roof.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114436-5738870.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
Then I repeated the process with some Vallejo Dark Green Slime.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114437-573892357.jpeg)
I felt like the Dark Green Slim was too dark, so I went back and did this again with a Light Green Slim from Vallejo.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114437-57390506.jpeg)
I then drybrushed the walls with a Light Gray (Dove Gray) acrylic to blend things together.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114437-57391709.jpeg)
And finally (this is where I'm at this very moment), I cut out the parts that make up the benches, shelves and framework for the shelves. These are laser cut in a thin sheet of dark brown (reminds me of Masonite) material. I need to paint, and weather, these so they'll look like old wood. That's my next chore. They could have been painted and weather while still attached to the sheet, but I prefer to separate them first.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-120426114523-573922286.jpeg)
That's all for now. Thanks for following along!
Great start Bob. I have a bottle of the black line accent color and never thought about using it this way. I'm ordering the two Vallejo shades.
Wonderful work as usual Bob! Sorry about the billions of tiny detail parts, but I did get carried away. Thanks for the feedback on the bottles sticking together. I will look into QA on that and see if it is an issue. Also, don't want to hijack your thread, but just a note for other modelers that there is a tutorial for this kit here for some tips and hints:
https://youtu.be/f30kZXKZsBc?si=Kjvm8fCKLmRipg9S
...now back to your regular scheduled Bob Build!
Bob your off to a great start as usual. Nice tutorial so far.
Jerry
I always enjoy your build threads. Need to get some of that panel liner.
Jeff
Quote from: PRR Modeler on April 12, 2026, 12:50:44 PMGreat start Bob. I have a bottle of the black line accent color and never thought about using it this way. I'm ordering the two Vallejo shades.
Thanks, Curt! The Panel Line Accent Color works fine for this. It's a trick shown in the video Darryl has on building this kit. I happened to have some sitting on the workbench, so I thought I'd give it a try. :D
Quote from: Rail and Tie on April 12, 2026, 02:55:32 PMWonderful work as usual Bob! Sorry about the billions of tiny detail parts, but I did get carried away. Thanks for the feedback on the bottles sticking together. I will look into QA on that and see if it is an issue. Also, don't want to hijack your thread, but just a note for other modelers that there is a tutorial for this kit here for some tips and hints:
https://youtu.be/f30kZXKZsBc?si=Kjvm8fCKLmRipg9S
...now back to your regular scheduled Bob Build!
Hi Darryl! No need to apologize for providing billions of tiny detail parts.
Thanks for posting the link to your YouTube video on building this kit. I should have thought of that. I watched it a couple of times before starting the build.
Quote from: Jerry on April 12, 2026, 04:54:58 PMBob your off to a great start as usual. Nice tutorial so far.
Jerry
Thank you, Jerry! This is just another interesting and fun build from Inter-Action Hobbies. I'm not sure where I'll be able to use it but it will probably find a home somewhere. :D
Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on April 12, 2026, 05:05:58 PMI always enjoy your build threads. Need to get some of that panel liner.
Jeff
Thanks, Jeff! Yeah, it comes in different colors although I'm not sure how many there are. I only have the black. I haven't tried it on anything else yet (like panel lines). ::)
Howdy Bob,
Thanks for sharing your build of this fun kit. Interactive kits are my favorite to build. I've had my eye on the O scale version, but I need to find a place on the layout first.
The chronicle of the build is both informative and interesting. Nice work.
Have fun,
mike
Bob, very nice of your wife to get you a kit for xmas.
I like how you're weathering the walls.
And the details look good too.
Great start Bob. You might induce me to purchase this kit, like I need anymore kits. Those details they provide look really nice. Mark
Quote from: friscomike on April 12, 2026, 05:53:11 PMHowdy Bob,
Thanks for sharing your build of this fun kit. Interactive kits are my favorite to build. I've had my eye on the O scale version, but I need to find a place on the layout first.
The chronicle of the build is both informative and interesting. Nice work.
Have fun,
mike
Thanks, Mike! I hope you do get to build the O Scale version. I'd love to see that. :)
Quote from: Rick on April 12, 2026, 06:48:17 PMBob, very nice of your wife to get you a kit for xmas.
I like how you're weathering the walls.
And the details look good too.
Hi Rick! Yeah, we're at the point where neither of us really need anything but it's always nice to have something under the tree so I give her a list of a few smaller kits that would make nice presents. Honestly, she could go to my stash, pull out a kit, wrap it, and give it to me. I might not even know the difference. ;D
Quote from: craftsmankits on April 12, 2026, 08:52:26 PMGreat start Bob. You might induce me to purchase this kit, like I need anymore kits. Those details they provide look really nice. Mark
Thanks, Mark! The details are awesome, and plentiful. The hardest part about this kit, for me, was painting all the details. I'm not sure what I'm going to build after this one, but it may be something that doesn't have quite as many details. ;)
Back to our regularly scheduled build. ;D
I wanted all of the stuff that was laser cut out of that Masonite like material to look like old, weathered wood. Basically, to look like the walls. I started by painting the parts using a sponge and some Khaki colored acrylic paint. After the paint dried, I hit the parts with Hunterline Light Gray Weathering mix. I followed that up with dry brushing the same light gray I had used earlier on the walls. The end result was a close enough match to the walls.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190246-574361883.jpeg)
The supports for the shelves got glued on next. The parts for the two end walls are easy to identify and orient correctly. I just applied a little Canopy Glue to one side.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190246-5743818.jpeg)
Then applied the part to the wall. Even at the bottom and centered on the wall so there's an equal amount of space and each end (these aren't as wide as the walls). The gaps are for bracing. Eyeballing the position was good enough.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190247-574391803.jpeg)
Then I weighed the wall down for a few minutes until the glue took hold.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190247-57440267.jpeg)
Still working on the end walls. I added the shelves next. I used a small square to make sure they were level. For the end walls the lower two shelves are identical and the upper one is a bit shorter.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190247-574411092.jpeg)
The rear wall is made up of two short wall sections while the supports for the shelve is one long section. Remember, there is a 'top' to each wall. They have notches at the top, Half of notch on each wall at one end. That half a notch indicates the center of the wall. When the two walls are side by side there's a full notch at that point.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190349-574421535.jpeg)
More in a moment... :)
I glued one half of the rear wall to the supports for the shelves keeping in mind which side was center of the wall. Again, even with the bottom of the wall. Getting it centered on the mid support will give you the right amount of spacing on the other end.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190350-57443560.jpeg)
Then I glued the other half of the rear all to the shelve supports.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190350-57444142.jpeg)
After adding the shelves to the rear wall, it was time to start cluttering them up with junk. It's easier to do this now, before the shed is assembled.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190350-574461979.jpeg)
I jumped ahead, a little bit, to assemble the two benches. Each bench is comprised of four pieces. Two long ones that make up the top (getting glued together here) and two end pieces that are the legs.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190501-574472191.jpeg)
Attaching the legs to one end. Right about this point I had one of the legs pop out of the tweezers as I was messing with the camera. I didn't see where it went. After searching the area around my workbench and the clutter on top of my workbench I finally located it. :P
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190501-574482228.jpeg)
After adding the end posts, beam across the top and braces to the rear wall it was time glue the end walls to the rear wall. I tried to make sure they were at a 90-degree angle.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190501-574491505.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;)
Okay, the other end wall being glued in place.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190502-574501183.jpeg)
This kit really needs to be built, in place, on the layout or on a diorama given there's no floor. I'm not where, if ever, I'll use this one, so I don't want a huge diorama. I cut out small block of GatorFoam like material and sprayed one side with a Khaki color rattle can. This is just big enough to hold the shed, details and have room for a pickup truck (a Sylvan model I tried my hand at a few years ago).
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190502-574512150.jpeg)
My really basic scenery starts by applying some Elmers White Glue to the surface.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190559-574522409.jpeg)
Then getting my finger dirty smearing the glue evenly over the surface.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190559-574531143.jpeg)
I sprinkled a thin layer of dirt. I got it from a mound of dirt sitting outside a baseball field. Baked it on a charcoal grill for a few hours to dry it out and kill anything that might living in it. Sifted it with an old kitchen strainer. I didn't bother here but I might even sift it through an old nylon stocking to get just the really fine stuff.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190559-574541090.jpeg)
Then I soaked it with 'wet' water. Water with a drop or two of dishwashing detergent in it.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190600-574551842.jpeg)
More in a moment... ;D
While wet, I piped on some diluted Elmers White Glue. Roughly 50/50 but accuracy is no big deal here.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190600-57456270.jpeg)
I set the shed in place, temporarily, so I could apply Woodland Scenic Weeds to the area around the shed without getting it inside the shed. I remove the shed because I didn't want it soaking up the moisture the ground was holding at this point.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190630-574572427.jpeg)
Finally, at least for today, I start positioning some of the details that go inside the shed, like the still, and got them settled down into the dirt. They'll be glued in place when everything dries.
(https://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-230426190630-574582005.jpeg)
That's all for today. Thanks for following along! 8)
Looking good, Bob.
Some really cool details, and, like you say, a good amount of them.
Cheers, Mark.
Looking great Bob...
Along with leaning from your builds I also enjoy trying to determine the wording/design on the various shirts you wear ;-))
terry
Very steady hands with those tiny flimsy parts and you did an excellent job. I look forward to seeing the final results.
Bob your usual wonderful tutorial. And outstanding work with those tiny details!!
Jerry
Bob, that's a good trick putting the details on the shelves while the walls are laying flat.
Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on April 23, 2026, 08:39:52 PMLooking good, Bob.
Some really cool details, and, like you say, a good amount of them.
Cheers, Mark.
Thanks, Mark! Darryl did a really nice job with this one. It's a fun one to build once you recover from painting everything. ;D
Quote from: Vietnam Seabee on April 24, 2026, 07:16:14 AMLooking great Bob...
Along with leaning from your builds I also enjoy trying to determine the wording/design on the various shirts you wear ;-))
terry
Thanks, Terry! My favorite t-shirt store, in Mt. Dora, closed. I need to find a new source for t-shirts with funny phrases on them. ;)
Quote from: PRR Modeler on April 24, 2026, 07:52:35 AMVery steady hands with those tiny flimsy parts and you did an excellent job. I look forward to seeing the final results.
Thanks, Curt! I look forward to finishing it off and taking it down to Tom's for a show and tell one of these days. I still have the roof to assemble and some other odds and ends to take care of but it's close to being finished. :)
Quote from: Jerry on April 24, 2026, 09:52:58 AMBob your usual wonderful tutorial. And outstanding work with those tiny details!!
Jerry
Thank you, Jerry! I'm glad to have you following along. The YouTube video that's out there on building this one is very useful. ;)
Quote from: Rick on April 24, 2026, 05:34:59 PMBob, that's a good trick putting the details on the shelves while the walls are laying flat.
Thanks, Rick! That trick was described in the instructions and in the YouTube video Darryl put out there so I can't take credit for it. It would have been difficult to do it any other way though. :o
Bob you're doing a great job on this build. I have to hand it to you doing this type of detailed build in HO scale. Working in O scale myself, some of my details require tweezers and yes I have launched a few myself never to be found again. Have fun.
Quote from: Larry C on April 25, 2026, 08:21:57 AMBob you're doing a great job on this build. I have to hand it to you doing this type of detailed build in HO scale. Working in O scale myself, some of my details require tweezers and yes I have launched a few myself never to be found again. Have fun.
Thank you, Larry! It's a fun little kit. I do wonder what building the O Scale version would be like. I've done a few N Scale builds but never an O Scale build. :D