FSM Kit #295 Fox Run Milling Build by ReadingBob

[EricQuebec]

Always a pleasure to follow your progress on a kit.
YOu concrete wall look very good, it seems to be an interesting technic for paint them without old concrete paint or unbleached titanium white.
And I must build an AI tube too for my Twin mills kit....
Eric Québec city

[GPdemayo]

Looking good so far Bob.....

[ReadingBob]

Hi Tom, Bill, John, John, Paul, Eric and Greg,

Thanks for the wonderful comments and feedback.  I really appreciate everyone following along.

The A&I bathtub is a real timesaver when you have to do a lot of strip wood.  I picked the idea up from Jack (jerseymercantile) when I did my FOS Engine House at Caldwell Junction build.  It works better than the plastic tray I tried using in that build which was a tip I picked up from the FOS DVD Tips for Building Contest Quality Structures.  I had a hard time emptying the tray back into the bottle when I was finished.

My version of the bathtub is made up of a 14" long piece of 2 1/2" PCV and two caps.  I figured out how much of the pipe the caps covered and cut an opening into the PVC.  I used a hacksaw to make the cross cuts and sabre saw for the length wise cuts.  Boy did that create a mess.  I used PVC cement to glue the caps on but first I drilled a hole in the center of one cap to use as a drain.  I took a few scraps of wood I had and knocked together a simple little cradle to place it on. 



I had all sorts of good intentions of fastening a rubber or plastic hose in the end with the hole to make it easier to pour the contents back into a bottle but in the end I simply took a piece of double side foam and cut a square of it bigger than the bottle opening with a smaller square opening in the center and stuck that around the hole.  When I go to empty it the foam provides enough of a seal to pour the contents back into the bottle.



Thanks again for the comments!     

[PaulS]

Very clever Bob, and thanks so much for the information on your A&I Bathtub !!!
Looks like I am going to have to build a tub for my use as well ...
Much appreciated, and I'll be following along with the rest of your Fox Run adventure ...
Happy Modeling,
--Paul

[S&S RR]

Hi Tom, Bill, John, John, Paul, Eric and Greg,

Thanks for the wonderful comments and feedback.  I really appreciate everyone following along.

The A&I bathtub is a real timesaver when you have to do a lot of strip wood.  I picked the idea up from Jack (jerseymercantile) when I did my FOS Engine House at Caldwell Junction build.  It works better than the plastic tray I tried using in that build which was a tip I picked up from the FOS DVD Tips for Building Contest Quality Structures.  I had a hard time emptying the tray back into the bottle when I was finished.

My version of the bathtub is made up of a 14" long piece of 2 1/2" PCV and two caps.  I figured out how much of the pipe the caps covered and cut an opening into the PVC.  I used a hacksaw to make the cross cuts and sabre saw for the length wise cuts.  Boy did that create a mess.  I used PVC cement to glue the caps on but first I drilled a hole in the center of one cap to use as a drain.  I took a few scraps of wood I had and knocked together a simple little cradle to place it on. 



I had all sorts of good intentions of fastening a rubber or plastic hose in the end with the hole to make it easier to pour the contents back into a bottle but in the end I simply took a piece of double side foam and cut a square of it bigger than the bottle opening with a smaller square opening in the center and stuck that around the hole.  When I go to empty it the foam provides enough of a seal to pour the contents back into the bottle.



Thanks again for the comments!     

Great idea - I'm already gathering the stuff together to build one!  Thanks again Bob.

[Mark Dalrymple]

Awesome, Bob!

Lots to learn, and fun watching (also one of my) favourite FSM kits come together.  Its one I always watch on ebay in the hope it falls within my budget.  I would love to put a river to the left where the road dips down.

Cheers, Mark.

[ReadingBob]

Hi Paul, John and Mark,

Thanks for the comments.     I found that the A&I bath tub really speeds up the process of staining the strip wood that comes in a kit.  I think it's very well worth the time, effort and minimal cost to make one.   

I've been working on the walls this weekend.  Staining and painting them.  Today I hope to add the nail holes, splinter some boards, etc. and maybe even get to the point where I add windows and doors.  I love this part of the build...when things start to come together.   

[GPdemayo]

Neat gadget Bob.....thanks. 

[ReadingBob]

Thanks Mark and Greg!

Here's a bit of an update.  I had a busy weekend.  Hopefully things will soon start to come together.  With this kit there are a lot of things that have to come together too.   

I gave all the castings a coat of A&I.  When you see it puddle up, like it is on the edge of the door frames and windows, go back over the pieces with your brush when it's empty rather than loaded with A&I to break up the puddles.


I brush painted all the walls (exterior only) with the same Hunterline Light Gray stain that I previously stained the strip wood with.


Next I painted the interior of all the walls Grimy Black.  There's a lot of walls. 


The walls for the mill were then painted with Floquil Earth.  Straight up, no thinning.  I gave them one coat but not too heavy.


The shed/scale house walls were painted with Floquil Boxcar Red.  This time I did dip the brush in thinner before dipping it in the paint which turned the paint into a stain.  After the walls dried I compared them to the window/door castings which were also painted the same color.  The picture below doesn't show it but there was quite a bit of difference between the two with the walls be much lighter than the castings so I went back over them a second time to get a closer match. 


Next up I gave all the walls a light tapping with a sponge that was dipped in gray paint and then most of the paint was removed from it.  This gives a bit of peeling paint effect and makes it appear that some of the undercoat (primer) is showing through where the top coat has peeled away.


More in a moment...

[ReadingBob]

Now it's time to start detailing the walls.  I added nail holes using a steel ruler and a ponce wheel.  The templates give you a nice idea of where to add them which makes the job go a little bit faster.  Oops..I seem to have lost my picture of that step.  Sorry!

After the nail holes were added I used a chisel blade to 'lift' some of the clapboards.  Some I just lifted, a few I slide the blade under the siding and twisted it to break a small piece of the clapboard off.  Just be careful the blade doesn't slip and dig into a finger.


I started gluing doors and window castings in place.  I just use the same Pink Flamingo glue I use for gluing the trim on for this step.  It holds well.


While I was gluing the doors and windows in place I had one of these moments.


I realized a hole I had previously drilled in the wall for the grain pipe was in the wrong spot.  How the heck did I do that?


What to do?  What to do?  Leave the hole where it was and have the grain pipe interfere with roof that goes over the doorway?  Drill it in the correct place and cover up the mistake some how?  Hmmm...  I pondered this one for a few days and then I decide to do a graft.  I cut out a section of the wall over to where the hole should have been in the first place.


I stole a small section from one of the end walls, where it won't be visible anyway, and grafted it into place and then drilled the hole in the correct location.  The hole covers up where the seam would have been in the graft and the rest fit in there pretty well.  Now nobody will know of my mistake.  Well, except for you all.  Don't tell anyone.


Whew! Glad that worked.  I strongly recommend you drill the hole in the right place the first time.   

That's it for now.  Back to adding doors and windows.  Then it's on to glazing and shades followed by signs.  Progress!

As always thanks for following along.   

[S&S RR]

Nice! What problem?

[EricQuebec]

what a great reparation..... Invisible.
Very nice as usuale.
Eric Québec city

[gnatshop]

  Now nobody will know of my mistake. 
I Know, I Know!!! 

[GPdemayo]

Great save Bob.....

[postalkarl]

Hi Bob:

You could always cover it up with a rusted corrugated wall patch.

Karl