FOS Bandits Roost

[Opa George]

Thanks for looking in, Jerry, Curt and Bob.  The road out near the "elbow" takes a sharp and precipitous turn--part of the drama, I think. I'll smooth out and disguise the crack between the cobblestone pieces but leave the dangerous-looking angle.

Below, two pics of my progress on getting platforms, decks and stairs in. I built a heavy timber loading platform at the top of the hill for wagon and truck access to the millworks. Supports are equally hefty, although I admit it's still dubious engineering. I am capable of a considerable amount of suspension of disbelief, though. I like the rickety look of structures clinging to the side of a mountain.


Another angle.  I have much, much more to do. Balconies, dormers, railings, etc. But I like how it is shaping up.


Cheers!
--George

[Rail and Tie]

George, I love what you are doing with this. Very imaginative!  Lemony Snicket immediately comes to mind!

[cuse]

Love it...and I love "Dubious Engineering" in our modeling. Great!


John

[Janbouli]

Sweet George , the elevations are fantastic.

[Opa George]

Thanks for the notes, Darryl, John and Jan.   Since I am siting the FOS Rust Rock Falls kit next to this one, I will need a lot of elevation. Rust Rock falls needs about six inches of height below the structures to look good, and more may be even better.

George

[Jerry]

Great work.  Going to be one hell of a diorama.


Jerry

[Opa George]

Thanks, Jerry. I am surely hopeful! 

The dormers for the millworks went together easily. I used an artist's marker (similar to Prismacolor) to color the underside of the cardboard.  This brand is from AC Moore and is "Fossil."


The windows and window "glass" were all laser cut and fit perfectly. I added roofing to match the existing roof.  They add a nice touch to the overall structure.  I also started the dock, stair and deck railings.


--Opa George

[Mark Dalrymple]

Looking really good, George.

A lot of interest going on here.

Cheers, Mark.

[ACL1504]

George,

This build is really coming together nicely. Well done sir.

Tom

[vinceg]

OK - I'm officially back in the modeling game as of last night. I finished off a seemingly endless series of wiring tasks and I can finally run trains around the basement. Been waitin' about 25 years to do that. ("Waitin'" was the problem, of course.)

So, what does this have to do a a Bandit's Roost build thread? Turns out I was planning to build that kit next as well -- to create a corner scene (simiilar to rpdylan's comment earlier in this thread) just north of Monee - the first town I'm looking to scenic.

I started working on the paint store last night -- separating walls from the sheets. Surprisingly, I have never had to do that. The walls in the kits I have built have always been completely separated. The little "sprues" that hold the walls to the carrier seemed a little stubborn to me. My question to George (or anyone else) is how to best do that? Just be careful with a single edge razor blade? X-acto knife? Some other way? A bit embarrassing, actually - I have watched scratchbuilding videos where people cut out entire walls with what seems to be less effort than it took me to break a few of those nubs. (Yes, I started with a fresh razor blade.)

Would appreciate any insights.

Vince

[Opa George]

Hi Vince,
Wonderful to hear you are back in the game!

For the task you mention, and for most of my other soft material cutting needs, I swear by a NEW X-acto #1 blade in a standard blade handle.  Reward yourself at the start of every kit with a new blade, and don't be afraid to install a new blade anytime you feel a little dullness creeping in.

Lots of modelers also like straight-edge razor blades to cut out walls & parts.  It's mostly personal preference, I think.  I like the pencil-like handle of an X-acto--I feel it gives me more control.

Most walls will separate easily with a few cuts. For stubborn or thick attachments, make multiple cuts with firm, steady pressure.

For separating plastic parts from sprues, I use a sprue cutter, which is a tool specially made to make clean, flush cuts.  However a razor knife or blade will also work. 

For safety, try to remember to put the cap back on the razor knife when done. 

I hope you post pics of your Bandits Roost build. This kit packs a lot of fun and I am having a ball with it.

Best,
(Opa) George

[deemery]

When separating laser cut walls, etc from the carrier sheets, I find it works best to cut on both sides.  Start on one side, score through the little bit of material that connects the part to the rest of the sheet.  Then flip it over and cut through on the other side.  This prevents splintering and gets a quicker and cleaner cut. 

dave

[vinceg]

Hi Vince,
Wonderful to hear you are back in the game!

For the task you mention, and for most of my other soft material cutting needs, I swear by a NEW X-acto #1 blade in a standard blade handle.  Reward yourself at the start of every kit with a new blade, and don't be afraid to install a new blade anytime you feel a little dullness creeping in.

Lots of modelers also like straight-edge razor blades to cut out walls & parts.  It's mostly personal preference, I think.  I like the pencil-like handle of an X-acto--I feel it gives me more control.

Most walls will separate easily with a few cuts. For stubborn or thick attachments, make multiple cuts with firm, steady pressure.

For separating plastic parts from sprues, I use a sprue cutter, which is a tool specially made to make clean, flush cuts.  However a razor knife or blade will also work. 

For safety, try to remember to put the cap back on the razor knife when done. 

I hope you post pics of your Bandits Roost build. This kit packs a lot of fun and I am having a ball with it.

Best,
(Opa) George

Thanks, George. I just did a quick look on the Internet and can't find any #1 blades. I found #2 blades -- looks like a heavy duty version of the #11 which makes sense, but no #1s. Didn't even see anything on xacto.com. Do you have a reference?

Also, I forgot all about sprue cutters. It is my go to tool for plastic parts but it didn't even occur to me to try that. Might give it a shot.

Yes, the kit looks like a blast. I won't be taking on anything as ambitious as you are doing with the bashing for dramatic elevation changes. Instead, I think I am looking to pretty much follow what Doug did in the show model. Modest elevation increases from front to back to increase visibility of the rear structures and help the overall scene composition somewhat.

I have to say that FOS kits are quite different from the FSM and SRMW kits I previously built. Much less in terms of documentation. I think it will be good enough - will probably even eventually appreciate the brevity, but I sure wouldn't want this to be the first craftsman kit I ever built. And, how super handy that you are blazing the trail in front of me! I am definitely benefiting from your posts.

I will probably post pics in my overall Monee thread (wherever that is). Won't be for a couple weeks, I think, as my iMac is in the shop for service. So, my regular computer rig is not quite as powerful as usual.

thx,
Vince

[vinceg]

When separating laser cut walls, etc from the carrier sheets, I find it works best to cut on both sides.  Start on one side, score through the little bit of material that connects the part to the rest of the sheet.  Then flip it over and cut through on the other side.  This prevents splintering and gets a quicker and cleaner cut. 

dave

Thanks, Dave. I thought I tried that too. Still didn't get that "feel" that wood fibers were being cut with each pass. Almost like the laser cutting process "petrified" the wood in some way.

I'm probably just imagining it. Been out of circulation for several months and maybe a little fearful as I'm just getting back on the horse.....

[Opa George]

Vince, my apologies, it is #11 blades I use most of all.  My mistake, I don't think there are #1 blades.
--George