Rebuilding a SRMW Currier & Sons Cabinet Office

ACL1504 · January 22, 2015, 02:21:55 PM

Bill and Kris Cutler asked me if I would consider building a couple of structures for their layout. Since they are members in good standing of the SBG and very good friends, how could I refuse.

Their layout is featured here.

http://modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=313.0

About a year ago, an old friend, as in good friend and old - he is 82 gave me a structure he built and no longer wanted. The structure was part of the SRMW Currier and Sons Cabinet Makers, Kit #230. The kit was released in late 2000.

The attached photos are from the photos that came with the kit. I'm rebuilding the yellow structure.

Here is how it came to me - in many pieces.

I hope you will join me in this fun adventure. The structure will be further deconstructed, if that is even possible, repaired, repainted and rebuilt. In the end, I hope to have a structure worthy of a small section of real estate on the Pennsy Six Miles West of Altoona.

PennsyJ1 · January 22, 2015, 02:40:30 PM

Wow, Thanks Tom we really appreciate you doing this for us.

That area on the layout we talked about really needs something nice. Do you really have the time with all you have going on to tackle this project. We will be following a long and learning as you go.

Bill & Kris

ACL1504 · January 22, 2015, 02:58:27 PM

Quote from: PennsyJ1 on January 22, 2015, 02:40:30 PM
Wow, Thanks Tom we really appreciate you doing this for us. That area on the layout we talked about really needs something nice. Do you really have the time with all you have going on to tackle this project. We will be following a long and learning as you go.

Bill & Kris

Bill,

Thanks for checking in and adding to the adventure.

Now, your question has three answers. First, no I don't have the time but need a break from all the track laying, bench work, wiring, etc. This will be a slow build with everything else going on but it will be great fun. As you know well, there is no time for anything when retired.

Secondly, I don't have the time to do it for you. Nuff said!

And the third part of the answer is I do very much have the time to do it for Kris. Nuff said here as well.

Tom

PennsyJ1 · January 22, 2015, 03:05:31 PM

If you say so. I guess it pays to have to get a man to do something.

But really, with you there is never enough said. I am sure there will be plenty more.

GPdemayo · January 22, 2015, 03:13:16 PM

I'm darn glad to hear, from el presidento, that Bill & Kris have achieved full status in the SBG!

Neat kit that will look great on the Pennsey layout, I'll be watching. Is the Judge helping you with this one?

ACL1504 · January 22, 2015, 03:17:17 PM

Quote from: PennsyJ1 on January 22, 2015, 03:05:31 PM
If you say so. I guess it pays to have to get a man to do something. But really, with you there is never enough said. I am sure there will be plenty more.

Bill,

You know I was only kidding about the three answers. I have all the time in the world for this project.

Tom

ACL1504 · January 22, 2015, 03:17:57 PM

Quote from: GPdemayo on January 22, 2015, 03:13:16 PM
I'm darn glad to hear, from el presidento, that Bill & Kris have achieved full status in the SBG!

Neat kit that will look great on the Pennsey layout, I'll be watching. Is the Judge helping you with this one?

Greg,

Thanks for checking in and no, I have the Judge building one of Jimmy D's starter kits!

Tom

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 12:30:43 PM

Okay folks, I've been working on this model between paint and glue drying on the model I'm doing for Ken Crump of KC's Workshop.

As you can see in the photos above the model is in pretty bad shape. I mentioned the builder is a friend and in his early 80's. He gave it to me in the shape you see. Loving a challenge, I see a wonderful model in this sow's ear.

I will not be using these stairs and platform. I'll be scratch building new ones.

I'm not sure what effect he was going for but you can see in the next photo the green fingerprint doesn't look quite right, lol.

Continued in a few.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 12:44:22 PM

I'm thinking the paint needs to come off the model but I wasn't quite sure how to go about this. The paint needs to be removed as when I repaint it the fine brick details will be covered by the extra layer of paint.

I decided to try using Acetone and Q-tips to remove the paint. I also found I needed to apply some pressure to the walls with the Q-tips. I decided to carefully break apart the tree walls so I could lay them flat and attempt to remove the old paint.

The store front doors are cast into the hydrocal. I broke them when I removed the right wall. This will have to be fixed later. I just went ahead and removed the entire door from the front.

NOTE: I did make the repair and I'll show you how I did this much later in this rebuild. The build is much farther along than the thread.

Continued in a few.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 12:47:19 PM

I removed as much of the sign as I could using a #17 Xacto blade.

Continued later as it's now time for a nice cold Diet Pepsi.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 01:05:23 PM

I wasn't very happy with the paint removal using the Acetone. I figured I was just moving the paint around. The next two photos show you how the walls looked after the Acetone application.

I really need to get more paint off the walls but for now I'll set them aside and move on to the wood walls.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 01:15:14 PM

The photo below shows the upper front wall section. Other than the bad paint job, it isn't to bad.

I carefully removed the four windows. They were really glued in but care and patience paid off as no damage was done to the openings. You can see the amount of glue used to secure the windows.

I used a #17 Xacto blade to remove the corner trim. I carefully removed the trim by slipping the blade between the wall and trim. I then used the blade to pry the trim away from the wall.

Here is a little test. What is wrong in the photo below?

Continued in a few.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 01:20:12 PM

The answer to the question will be given later in the build, er, I mean rebuild.

I needed to remove the Hydrocal casting from the wooden wall.

Unfortunately and sadly, all my patience and care didn't prevent the casting from breaking.

More on this later in the build. I'm moving on to the three Hydrocal walls once again.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 01:25:08 PM

I decided to reassemble the three lower walls. I used CA to glue the walls. I applied the CA glue and then made sure the walls were square and true. I then sprayed INSTA-SET Accelerator on the casting and this set the CA glue.

Continued in a few.

ACL1504 · February 16, 2015, 01:35:46 PM

Wonders never cease to amaze - Go figure.

Yes, you read that correctly. I needed to rinse the walls to get the accelerator residue off. I used a soft bristle toothbrush and some liquid hand soap to wash the three wall sections.

Why am I showing ya'll this nice little bottle of hand soap? No, it isn't another test question. I'm showing ya'll this cause this s--t is better than Acetone and much cheaper. It's just hand soap from Bed Bath and Beyond.

As I was lightly scrubbing the walls with the soap and toothbush, the paint started to come off.

Before -

After -

More upcoming.