FOS O Scale Gas Station- Raymo 2016 Build Challenge

[Mike Engler]

Thanks John, Jeff, John, Bob, and Mark.


A look at the back wall before the roofs were added. I also added a door to the side wall of the shed. It seemed to be a good idea to have access from the outside to a shed that was added to the main building. I just used stripwood and didn't even cut an opening since you couldn't see anything through the door. I will add hinges and a latch.


Windows are lined with stripwood and are glazed with acetate sprayed with "Workable Fixatif", the new Dull-cote.

[Mike Engler]

This photo shows the front wall and one of many cool details that you build up- in this case the Dr. Pepper vending machine. More fun than just painting a casting! You glue some pieces of die-cut 1/8" wood together for the main box, and then lasered pieces, painted wire for bottles, a sliver of acetate and "Sharpie" silver to paint frame. Two laser cut vents and a coin box. Sign from Doug's printed sheet. I painted mine "FolkArt" 619 Poetry Green. If you Google Dr. Pepper images you will see several shades of green were used through the years. See the May 13th Baggage Car for some other good suggestions on the color.


The front door hardware included a laser-cut door knob plate, and a tiny tack is used for the door knob.

[S&S RR]

Mike


It looks great! Your detail work is fantastic.

[Janbouli]

Excellent , weathering is spot on.

[postalkarl]

Hi Mike:

It's a WOWZER!!! Very nicely done as always. Your models always impress me. Keep up the good work.

Karl

[jerryrbeach]

Mike,
As usual, absolutely beautiful.  I especially like the soda machine.

[donatode]

Mike ......

[Jerry]

Hey Mike

A great job on the weathering and details.

Jerry

[Mike Engler]

Thanks John and Jan, Karl and Donato, and Jerry and his other brother Jerry. I do love weathering, and while I'm getting better at it, whenever I try to weather something to the level that Doug Foscale does it unfortunately looks like a mess. Mine is under-stated compared to Doug's as shown in the first photo of this thread. But that is the nice thing about weathering- there is probably a proto-type for about any amount you do. Great weathering is in the eye of the beholder.


While some new photos are hanging up to dry in the dark room, here is a practical tip for those lucky enough to still have Floquil paint jars around, both Poly scale and the regular oil base stuff. Much longer shelf life and very easy opening can be accomplished by this little trick a lot of you probably know. Cut several thin plastic sandwich bags or similar into 2" X 2" squares, and put one square under the cap before you replace it to "seal" the paint. Keep the remaining squares on hand so they are ready when needed. You won't believe how great this is until the next time you use this bottle of paint, even if years later.

[Mike Engler]

So back to the real non-build thread-  more of a progress report thread. The first photo shows the main and shed roof bases in place, both of which are thin cardstock. I weighted the bases well so that there would be no gaps between the roofs and the walls.
The second photo shows all my weights holding the 2x10 trim on the top of the parapet walls, and the main building to the foundation slab. The slab isn't really visible here.


Both roofs are from a paper thinner than construction paper but a little heavier than regular 20# bond paper. Painted with Grimy Black and dry brushed with white. Doug advised to cut into strips and adhere to the roof bases with 3M transfer adhesive, which I use whenever I can. I applied the transfer adhesive to the back of the painted paper before it was cut into strips. They were applied edge to edge rather than overlapped, and after all were in place tar seams were painted with acrylic Mars Black with a tiny brush. A little out of the lines here is OK- it is tar they were using and neatness didn't count much. More weathering with chalks to come.


You can see the 2x10 parapet wall caps are all in place in the last pic. Doug added flashing to his model by taking regular copy paper and coloring it with a bronze metallic Sharpie, and then dry brushing it with a mint green color. He cut into strips a little wider than the trim and then glued them in place to the top of the caps so they looked like bent metal at the edges. This is something I'm going to trial a little later before I actually do it to my model. I kind of like how it looks now.

[Mike Engler]

The foundation and pump island slabs were die-cut 1/8" thick basswood painted concrete and weathered with A/I and chalk. !/8" sq. wood was used for the timber "T" support.


Several cool castings were included, notably the gas pump (two parts) and air pump. Blacken-It followed by acrylics, A/I, and chalk depending on the piece. The gas hose was made from .040" solder- nozzle body was a very thin strip of masking tape  around the solder  and a short piece of .020" wire became the handle.


The Greyhound sign was made my making the sign support from 3/64" stripwood and a wire support. The roof sign letters were die-cut and mounted to a stripwood framework built on a template included. Many detail castings will be used later when this goes on a diorama or a layout when I can add scenery. For now it will stand as a "structure" for an upcoming contest. A scrap car door, a radiator, barrels, crates, tools, and pallets are some of the ones I saved until later. I did use the electric meter and breaker box, and I connected them with the thin brass wire that was blackened and touched up with Grimy Black before gluing to the wall with the Formula 565 Canopy Glue.


This was a lot of fun, and a kit that would be a blast for all skill levels. I stuck to the instructions for the most part, but it would be easy to take it in other directions. Biggest problem I see is that this O scale thing might become addictive- I've already ordered Doug's new "Pop Gunn's Grocery".


I'll post some final pics and let you know how this fared in the contest.

[jerryrbeach]

Mike,
Very, very nice!  I love the little touches, the scratches in the oil drum, the mortar stuck to the side of the cement block, the slightly broken corners of some boards.  I am a little surprised to see that Pepsi crate with green and gray quart cans.  Which color can is Tom's diet Pepsi?

[donatode]

Outstanding Mike!

[Zephyrus52246]

Neat.  Love the gas pump/hose/handle.  More pictures, please.  One thing I'd add is some kind of latch and some hinges on the shed door.  Good luck in the contest!


Jeff

[fbernard65]

Mike,

Excellent build!!!!

Frank