FOS Brody & Martins (2019 Tom Schwarz build challenge)

[ReadingBob]

Welcome to my build thread for the 2019 Tom Schwarz build challenge.     I'll be building the FOS Brody & Martin waterfront coal dealer.  I'll have another build thread going on concurrently but that one won't be part of the challenge.  It will be the Fine Scale Miniatures, Jewel Series #10, Avram's Bakery.  I'd only be kidding myself if I thought I could wrap that one up my April 15th.   

So let's get started with the obligatory pictures of the kit and it's contents.   


One two sided sheet of instructions and a template are included along with strip wood.


Also walls, signs, details and corrugated roofing material.


Let's get started by cleaning up the detail parts.  I use a sprue cutter to remove the windows from the sprues.  Note: Some of you prefer to leave the windows on the sprue and paint them first.  That's cool.  I just prefer to remove them prior to painting.    


I clean up the edges with and an emery board.  I also check the mullions for any flash (there was none) and if I see any I gently scrape it off with the tip of an X-Acto knife.


The metal castings I clean up with a file and/or sanding sticks.


More in a moment...

[ReadingBob]

I used the tip of an X-Acto to clean up a little flash that was in an opening in the metal casting of garbage cans, a barrel, tires, etc.


Once the castings were prepped I taped a strip of blue painters paint, upside down, on an old jelly roll pan and stuck the castings on the sticky side of the tape so I could prime them with my airbrush.  When I'm working on a smaller kit like this one I'll prep the castings for another kit (or two) and add them to the tray as well so I can prime all of them at the same time.  If I'm going to break out the airbrush, mix up paint and have to clean it up afterwards the more the merrier.   


While waiting for the primer to cure I started prepping the wood.  There are a few dowels included for the pilings so I ran an fine tooth razor saw along the length of them to rough them up and give them some texture.


The flat strip wood that will be used for the decking and supports for the pilings I roughed up with one of my favorite tools for such things, a wire welders brush I found in Home Depot.


All the strip wood was then given the opportunity to jump into the pool (filled with Hunterline Light Gray Weathering Mix) and soak for a spell.


I keep an old cardboard box handy to prop the wet strip wood up in to allow to dry.  I failed to mention I sorted all the wood by size first and marked the sizes on some blue painters tape I (loosely) wrapped around each bundle to keep it organized.


More in a moment...

[Dave K.]

Great start!!

[Bruce Oberleitner]

Looking forward to seeing how this baby turns out.  Great kit selection for the contest!

[ReadingBob]

Next up I removed the walls from their carrier sheets using a single edged razor blade.  A double edge one might be a bit rough on the fingers. 


I squared each edge of the walls (particularly the ends) by running them back and forth over an emery board laying down on my cutting mat.


Next up I added bracing to the back of the walls.  I used a square just to make sure I didn't glue the bracing beyond the end of the wall which would make a good fit at the corner next to impossible later on.  Note I didn't stain the bracing material.  No need to as I'll paint the interior black later one.


After the bracing was glued into place I trimmed it to fit using a single edge razor blade.  I always toss my old blade from the previous  build and start with a fresh one when I start a new build.


Once the walls have been braced I paint the interior black using a cheap craft store acrylic.  To think I used to use Floquil Grimy Black  ($$$) for this step.   


The exterior of the walls were first stained with Hunterline Light Gray Weathering mix and then, after they dried, with Polly Scale Reefer White.


That's all for the moment.  Thanks for following alone!   

[ReadingBob]

Great start!!

Thanks Dave!  My vacation ended yesterday but I spent a good part of it at the work bench practicing for retirement.  I think I'll be able to handle it but it's still a few years away.   

[ReadingBob]

Looking forward to seeing how this baby turns out.  Great kit selection for the contest!

Thanks for following along Bruce.  This is one of the rare one's I'm building for myself.  I've got a ton of waterfront kits and I'm thinking about building a waterfront switching layout centered around Red Hood Wharf one of these days.  This one will fit right in with that.   

[ACL1504]

Bob,

I'm in on the followers as well.

Tom

[Dave K.]

Great start!!

Thanks Dave!  My vacation ended yesterday but I spent a good part of it at the work bench practicing for retirement.  I think I'll be able to handle it but it's still a few years away.   

Yep. June 2021 for me. It's dragging.😡

[PRR Modeler]

Looks great so far. I'm following.

[Bruce Oberleitner]

Looking forward to seeing how this baby turns out.  Great kit selection for the contest!

Thanks for following along Bruce.  This is one of the rare one's I'm building for myself.  I've got a ton of waterfront kits and I'm thinking about building a waterfront switching layout centered around Red Hood Wharf one of these days.  This one will fit right in with that.   

That would be awesome!  I hope you do it!

The Red Hood Wharf is ones of Dougies kits I wish I had pickup up back in the day.

[madharry]

Looking good Bob. You sure get a move on and this has been a flying start. Doug's kit was called Red Hook Wharf, if he ever did a Red Hood Wharf I would be first in the queue!
Mike

[Opa George]

A great start, Bob, and I certainly will be following along.
--Opa George

[vinceg]

Wow -- really exploding out of the gate, Bob! Looking forward to following this one.

[ReadingBob]

Bob,

I'm in on the followers as well.

Tom

Glad to have you on board!  Hopefully I can show you the finished model sometime soon.