Oh, someone over at MRH forums recognized my roll-top desk as an Interactive kit:  https://www.interactionhobbies.com/HO-Scale-Kit-Roll-Top-Desk-and-Chair_p_39.html

dave

Quote from: friscomike on February 06, 2026, 05:46:54 PMHowdy folks,

It was a long day at the bench because of the battens on the post office.  Whew, I had forgotten how tedious they can be. 

Here's a photo of the battens applied and ready for assembly.


Have fun,
mike

Like shingles, only on walls 

dave

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 06, 2026, 04:28:21 PM

Quote from: deemery on February 06, 2026, 04:24:56 PM

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 06, 2026, 04:11:16 PMI do have a couple of desks but they don't fit. I think it is because the tower interior space is small and the fact I put the levers to much in the center.

Tom

OK...  You could do what the prototype did.  Cut two blocks the correct width, glue on some "drawer fronts" and then put a correct width plank between those two blocks. 

By the way, a question on Florida railroad prototype practices:  How well would rolled roofing work in a hurricane?  Would that be used because it's low cost, and replaced after a hurricane? 

dave

Dave,

That is exactly what I planned to do. It will be just inside the door and up against the wainscoting. I think I'll go with 2X4 legs.

We are on the same page my friend.

Tom

I'm suggesting solid blocks, rather than 2x4 legs.  If you use a piece of wood maybe 1/4x1/4, cut to the right height and width, you can add 'drawer fronts' really easily to get something that looks much more like a "desk" than a "table."

Not the best photo, but there's a blueprint cabinet and a pair of filing cabinets done that way against the back wall in the drafting room. 

The filing cabinet drawers show up pretty well in this photo.  The other tables and desks in that room came from the LM3 kit.

dave

There's still some details to add to the barn, but I opened the house kit.  This is interesting, the walls have 2 pieces, a wood subwall (laser-cut from basswood) and a wood outer wall (laser cut from clapboard siding.)  The first step is to laminate those two pieces of wall together (x 7 sides of wall all told.)  I brushed on diluted yellow carpenter glue, brushed onto both wall pieces.  Then I aligned them and put them under weights.  After about 30 minutes, I went back and double-checked alignment.  Once the glue is set, those walls are probably permanently aligned.  Tomorrow I'll double check everything, do a test fit, and then probably spray paint the walls white (outside) and dark grey/black (inside).  Then back under the weights for a day to cure.

dave

Quote from: ACL1504 on February 06, 2026, 04:11:16 PMI do have a couple of desks but they don't fit. I think it is because the tower interior space is small and the fact I put the levers to much in the center.

Tom

OK...  You could do what the prototype did.  Cut two blocks the correct width, glue on some "drawer fronts" and then put a correct width plank between those two blocks.   

By the way, a question on Florida railroad prototype practices:  How well would rolled roofing work in a hurricane?  Would that be used because it's low cost, and replaced after a hurricane? 

dave

Underside of the roof under construction:

Yesterday I did the Bar Mills grey wood shingle strips.  i attached them using a glue stick.  This is something I learned from Bob Van Gelder's kit instructions.  Talking to Bob, he said "no problems with the glue stick failing over time."  After the strips are all installed, while the roof is still flat cardboard, I run a rubber roller over the roof to press down the shingles.  Then I flip the roof back over, and run a small line of liquid glue (I'm using Testors clear canopy glue equivalent) along the edges of the shingles.  This locks the shingles into position so they don't come loose later (particularly when trimming the shingles to the edge of the subroof.)

Then I started adding bracing.  The lower piece has a piece of wood cut to the gable shape, with 1/8" square glued to it.  Once the glue sets on the one side, I'll add the bracing strip (top) and glue the subroof to the other side of the bracing.  Then I'll add bracing running the other way on the roof.  When that's done, I'll trim off the shingles from each edge of the roof. 

I painted the edges of the cardboard subroof BEFORE trimming the shingles.  That way any slop was caught by the underside of the overhanging shingles.  Then using a -brand new- X-Acto #11 blade held at a shallow angle, I trimmed off the shingle edges.

Then I drybrushed 2 colors onto the Bar Mills shingles.  The first is 'Barnwood', which I drybrushed (using a bristle fan brush) in both directions.  This tones down the grey and adds a bit more texture.  Finally, I used a light yellow and drybrushed solely from the bottom to the top, to catch the edges of the shingles.  I also ran that along the sides of the shingles.


And on location:

The darker roof will look good against the forest green backdrop.  Now really what I should have there are open fields, particularly given my era (when forest cover was at its minimum.)  But you go with what you can get...  

Next up, the farm house. 

dave

Dr Jeff, are you dealing with flu outbreaks?  There was a lot of that going around at the end of January, but fortunately I've not heard of anyone complaining about catching "The Springfield Crud" from the super-spreader event that is the big train show.

We've been slightly above freezing a couple days this week, that ends today with a cold front blowing through for the weekend.  It's too cold for Scotch Club this weekend, unless we can find an indoor location...

After the cleaners leave, I'll finish up the roof on the barn.

dave

While digging through my stash of stuff for the machine shop, I found a laser-cut (UPS brown color cardstock material) rolltop desk that I put into the drafting room/office (on the right).  

Unfortunately, I don't remember where I got it!  Does anyone recognize this?

dave

Well, gluing a part on upside down is an experience I could have done without...     But working a new set of foundation castings will go much faster the second time.

dave

I got the shingles laid down, I'll glue the edges down and trim them tomorrow.  Picture then.

dave

Well, your abilities and standards/expectations increase, and if the standards/expectations exceed your abilities at a given point, it might well feel like you're going backwards.  BUT I suspect if you look at stuff you did 20 years ago, you'd realize you have actually improved a lot.  You can blame the internet for exposing us to some really great modelers who raise everyone's expectations...


dave

"Breakfast Burritos with chorizo" reminds me of Louis/Desert Drover, who didn't make the transition from Railroad-Line.  I hope he's doing well.  

Today's task is the roof for the barn.  I need to decide between the kit shingles, which look like traditional asphalt or slates, or Bar Mills wood shingles.  I like the Bar Mills product for wood shingles, although I know others have gotten spectacular results with different products. That's pretty much the last step before the new foundation arrives.  I could start on the house, or do some scenery work on location.

dave

For removing spackle from nooks and crannies, let me suggest these make-up applicators:

Those should be easy to find at a beauty supply store or your favorite on-line marketplace.  (I searched for "cotton pointed make up swabs")

dave

Mike, glad to see you've found a use for core and hand samples...  

dave

The sherrif looks GREAT!!!

dave