2020 Build Challenge: FSM The Rock Bunker

[rpdylan]

its incredible how much modeling work is involved in this kit,,,, its such a small box!  This kit is so cool, its a nice kit to build to get away from the same old building of clapboard walls, ect. I will say that when building this thing, accuracy is a must, and I have been going slow and steady with this thing.
   The canopy structure that sits over the hoist shed is your basic framing over template construction, not very difficult. I am using the provided metal corrugated roofing material,,,, treating the material with etching solution. This is some really nasty stuff, dipping it in the solution and then in water to stop the process. some pieces I dissolved more than others.  The treated pieces are thinner and fragile but look great when rusted up.  This little rust paint set I got at Hobby Lobby, and is a pretty good deal price wise for getting some of these great paints. what I did was hit the panels with darker rust color, then lighter,,, basically just dabbing on the paint until I thought they looked good.....

[ReadingBob]

I am using the provided metal corrugated roofing material,,,, treating the material with etching solution. This is some really nasty stuff, dipping it in the solution and then in water to stop the process. some pieces I dissolved more than others.  The treated pieces are thinner and fragile but look great when rusted up.

Have you done this before?  I tried it years ago.  It looked great at the time.  But I found out that I apparently didn't do enough to completely stop the etching process.  Years later when I pulled the kit out of the box I had it stored in I found the panels had continued to erode.  Some were almost all the way gone and the there were some interesting piles of rusty rubble on the ground beneath them.    Live and learn.  I never tried it again though I still have the bottle of etchant.

[rpdylan]

hey Bob,
   yes, I have done it before. I soak the metal in water after the etching,.. the ones I did years ago are still ok on the structures.  I like the paper ones from KC Workshop, I may use those ones on the roof.....

[ReadingBob]

hey Bob,
   yes, I have done it before. I soak the metal in water after the etching,.. the ones I did years ago are still ok on the structures.  I like the paper ones from KC Workshop, I may use those ones on the roof.....

Glad to hear it.     I did mine over 30 years ago (yikes!).  I followed the instructions in a pamphlet that was included in an FSM kit.  They were written by Ken Hamilton.

I should get some of the paper ones from KC Workshop.  Something good to have on hand. 

[Mark Dalrymple]

Coming on really nicely, Bob.

It sure looks like a fun kit to build.  Your corrugated iron looks terrific!

Cheers, Mark.

[Opa George]

Interesting discussion on the etching solution for corrugated sheets.  I used that technique with a kit waaaay back and loved the results. Although I have heard that the deterioration process can still occur as Bob mentioned, I did not have the kit long enough to verify. 
Now I like using the paper corrugated. 
--Opa George

[Lynnb]

This is my favorite type of kit, sooooo much wood. You're doing a great job.

[rpdylan]

So far the hardest part of this kit was the construction of the small upper chute framing,,, very fragile, and the casting needs to be placed inside it, all while keeping things square.  I then placed the chute machine housing below and used the conveyor casting to get the position of it, marking the diorama base.  this kit needs to be built on the dio base in order to finish it. I make my base slightly smaller than called for, mine is around 10 inches x 16 inches.  I had to add some concrete footings to the canopy because without them a train car wont fit under the canopy,,, its still a tight fit side to side, I have some small gondolas in my fleet that will fit.  My kit does not have the grate casting that goes under the track- where the material would be dumped into the holding area below the hoist/conveyor house.... I think I will scratchbuild something..... the canopy framing is pretty straight forward but accuracy is key as the lower roof framing must line up exactly with the upper roof framing so that the conveyor can be inserted through them correctly. The photos show a lot of areas that need paint/stain touch up.... I always save my pastel powder weathering for when I am completely done and don't have to touch anything anymore.    hopefully I can get a good more done on this with my days off this week,,, being quarantined and all (best hobby ever for a guy like me who needs to stay home!)
thanks everyone for checking on my build thread!

[PRR Modeler]

Very nice modeling Bob.

[sdrees]

Very nice

[Opa George]

Bob,
Nicely weathered wood, metal and corrugated.  Looks authentic. I grew up next to an abandoned rock quarry and this looks exactly like those old ghost structures we used to play in.  Our parents would have been horrified to know about our playground.
--Opa George

[Lynnb]

Assembling that chute would drive me up a wall, I'd be all thumbs.

[rpdylan]

thank-you guys so much! it always feels good when other modelers like my work!
    I do like the way the metal panels come out using the etching solution, but it is a bit nasty to do.... as far as the rusting goes, I just dab paint on in a random way. If I don't like the way an individual panel looks, I just go over it again. The best thing in weathering techniques that I learned is to never use just 1 color. I think I put 4 or 5 rust colors on the panels, overlapping/ blending the colors in. I know a lot of people will critique things that are super heavily weathered, George Sellios talks a bit about this in interviews that he did on the old Keller videos, but he likes it and so do I. My word for what the FSM looks like, and what I strive for is "Hyper-realism".  I feel that when my models are detailed/weathered in an over the top way, they look more real. 
    As for the upper chute framing, the two sides are built flat on the drawing, but the difficulty came in when I had to connect the two sides with the cross framing, keeping in mind that the chute casting had to fit in-between tightly.  after fiddling around for a few minutes, I decided to glue the casting to one of the sides, let it dry, then glued the other side onto the casting, ensuring that things were square and in line from side to side. then I glued on the cross framing,,,, it sounds easy but believe me it was a bit difficult for me to do. when I was gluing on some of the cross pieces, of course I dropped the assembly onto the floor and it all fell apart! I'm sure that has never happened to anyone else, right!?  That is when I realized that this little assembly was the hardest thing that I had done on this project!
    So,,,, because I am enjoying this build, I've decided to go for building the FSM Coal Bunker kit- it has been nice to get away from clapboard walls and do framing/ board on board structures.
    I drove by this quarry structure, located in Malden Mass, almost everyday as a kid.... My father never wanted to stop there and let me out- I was fascinated by the building. Of course I didn't have a camera then, and when I got older I never stopped to take a bunch of photos. Its now torn down, and to quote the line from "The Road Warrior"- "Lives now only in my memories".... I want to try and replicate this look on the Coal bunker kit, but first I gotta finish the Rock Bunker!

[ReadingBob]

Those are great pictures of the Quarry Bob.  Love the colors of the wood and concrete supports.  Certainly worthy of trying to emulate both.  Thanks for sharing.

[Mark Dalrymple]

You are doing some fantastic work on this great kit, Bob.  Looks like a lot of fun.

That's a great looking quarry.

Cheers, Mark.