Syzdek Mfg by Downtown Deco

[nycjeff]

Continuing on...

I next painted the annex building with a watered down brick red color for the base coat after priming. I wanted this part of the build to look a little different than the main building.



I then dry brushed an orange and brown color onto the walls for some color variation.



Here is how the two buildings will look when joined. You can see the slight color difference and also see how the rear wall of the annex overlaps the back of the main building. I'm still not sure if this is how it's supposed to look or not. The pictures I've seen of the kit never seem to show this view. It's a pet peeve of mine that manufacturers do not show all sides of a kit in pictures promoting the kit.



Here's a view of the third annex wall after painting.

[nycjeff]

Here are a few more looks at the annex walls. I used a light grey wash on the bottom foundation part of the walls and a brown color with antique gold highlights on the boarded up windows.





Here's a look at the front of the two buildings. I want to do something with the space in front of the annex. I saw a terrific build thread of this kit by Tom W. on this forum dated October, 2021 and he did a great job depicting the remnants of a old building in this space. Since I want my version to look a little more like it's an active business, I'm going to do something a little bit different.



That's it for now, more later. I'm going back to Ohio for the wedding of one of my grandsons, see you in about 10 days.

[tom.boyd.125]

 Jeff, will follow along. Have a safe trip and look forward to more progress when you return.
Tommy

[nycjeff]

Jeff, will follow along. Have a safe trip and look forward to more progress when you return.
Tommy

Hello Tommy, thanks for looking in. I'm back from my trip for the grandson's wedding, the wedding and the rest of the time in Ohio was a lot of fun, but I can only think of one thing to say about the trip there and back- air travel sucks.

[nycjeff]

As shown in the last picture posted, there is a large empty space in front of the annex building after it is joined to the main structure. As I said, since I want my build of this kit to reflect an active business, I decided to scratchbuild a covered loading dock for the area.

As with all of my scratchbuilds, I first made a drawing of the area to the dimensions available and then cut various pieces of stripwood for the deck of the loading dock. I used a variety of sizes for the deck- 2x12, 2x10, 2x8 and a few 2x6. It's not shown in the picture, but I placed a piece of blue painters tape down the middle of the deck pieces to hold them in place while I glued on the long end pieces of bracing.



Next I laid out bracing for the underside of the dock. I think that I used 3/32 stripwood for this.



I cut 1/2 inch long 1/8 stripwood for the support posts and then glued them in place.



Next I started gluing in place all of the tiny brace pieces between the posts. I used 2x4 stripwood for this.



With the deck complete, I next started on the back wall of the covered loading dock. I again drew a scale drawing and then laid out the studs and cross beam pieces. The wall is as wide as the deck and it is 2 and 1/2 inches tall. I wanted the roof line to be 3 inches above the ground and the deck with the posts is 1/2 inch tall. This wall will be placed right against the plaster front wall of the annex building. The large open space in the lower middle is for two barn style doors that I will model in the open position.

[nycjeff]

Next I laid out the front wall of the covered loading dock on the same drawing, with the top of the front wall 1/2 inch lower than the top of the rear wall. I used 3/32 square stripwood for these pieces.



Here's a view of the rear wall after the doors were glued in place and the wall was stained with my A&I solution. I used 1/16 thick plywood for the doors and 2x4 stripwood for the trim pieces.



I then made another scale drawing for the two side walls of the covered loading dock assembly. You can also see that I placed a piece of black construction paper behind the open doors. I didn't want to attempt to cut a door opening in the plaster wall of the annex and since the rear wall of the dock is mostly hidden, I'm hoping that the black paper will give the impression of an opening in the wall and a darkened interior.



Here's the partially completed covered loading dock in place next to the plaster buildings. I've drawn lines on the roof card for the rolled roofing that I will install there.



That's it for now, more later.

[nycjeff]

When I ordered this kit from Downtown Deco I saw that I could get free shipping if I ordered another less expensive kit along with it. So I got the First Timers Bar for not much more than the cost of shipping the Syzdek kit. The bar is a small structure when built as a stand alone building, but I thought that I could work the bar into my Syzdek build somehow.



I realized that with a little kitbashing I could adapt the bar into a side office entry for the main building. I decided to use one of the side walls along with the front wall for my kitbash. The rear wall of the kit was too short for what I wanted to do, so I ended up cutting a portion of the other side wall to get a new rear wall. I was a little hesitant cutting the plaster wall, but using my razor saw the cut went pretty well. After a little sanding I had a rear wall that fit.



I assembled the three walls and then built a plywood wall for the open space against the main building.



I then sprayed the small structure with rattle can flat grey primer as I did with all of the other plaster walls. The small square thing see in the picture is a plaster tin shed that came with the Syzdek kit.

[nycjeff]

After the primer dryed overnight I brushed on the same base color coat as I used on the main building. The wall details that come out in these plaster kits is unlike anything that comes in other wall mediums.



I then drybrushed some other wall colors on, as well as a light grey wash for the stone foundation and the stucco areas of the wall.



That's it for now, more later.

[ReadingBob]

Looking good, Jeff! I think I may have to bump up a Downtown Deco kit in my queue. You're giving me the urge to tackle one.

[ACL1504]

Jeff,

Someone got up and left so I grabbed their seat. I'm now on the front row.

Like Bob said looking good. I have many of the DD kits but just haven't pulled the trigger to start one.

Until next time. 

Tom 

[nycjeff]

Hello Bob, thanks for looking in. These Downtown Deco kits are a lot of fun to build, you should move one up in your lineup of kits to be built.

Hello Tom, glad to see you there in the front row, as I just replied to Bob, these kits are a lot of fun and one would sure fit in on your layout.

[Jim Donovan]

Looking good Jeff;

I have built a couple of their kits and have a couple more to go. You are 100% right in the look is unique and wall details really come out.

Jim

[Zephyrus52246]

I have an extra one of the "First Timer's Bar" kits when he had a buy one get one free offer.  I like the idea of shortening it and adding it onto a building.  Thanks for the idea.  

Jeff

[GPdemayo]

Great progress Jeff, looking good.....

[nycjeff]

Looking good Jeff;

I have built a couple of their kits and have a couple more to go. You are 100% right in the look is unique and wall details really come out.

Jim

Hello Jim, thanks for looking in. Building this hydrocal kit has been a lot of fun. Kits like this always look good on the layout because the details jump out so much.

I have an extra one of the "First Timer's Bar" kits when he had a buy one get one free offer.  I like the idea of shortening it and adding it onto a building.  Thanks for the idea. 

Jeff

Hello Jeff, the idea of kitbashing a plaster kit was not something that I planned on before it kind of just happened. Cutting the plaster wall wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Great progress Jeff, looking good.....

Hello Greg, thanks for looking in on my build thread.