Winter Challenge 2024/2025 - Flat Iron Corner Building - Tom Langford.

Started by ACL1504, November 20, 2024, 03:49:55 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

nycjeff

Hello Tom, great job on the stairway stringers. I can't believe that you cut them yourself. I wouldn't have the patience. Exposed stairways add so much to a structure. Can't wait to see the finished product.
Jeff Firestone
Morristown, Arizona
modeling the New York Central in rural Ohio in the late 1940's

EricQuebec

Nice job as usual.
Personally, I used always X-Acto N17 blade for this job. It work well and broke less stringer than N11 blade (in my opinion).
The second way to avoid any brokage, is to glue (with scholar stick glue) a template on the wood, and once all the stringer cut off, remove the template with a little bit of water (tested nd approved by myself :D )

Eric

ACL1504

Quote from: Pennman on January 14, 2025, 05:05:48 PMTom,
You are absolutely a determined individual to possess dexterity in the cutting of your stringers.
I too, have cut my own and patience is required. I hate it when I get hasty and slice a piece off where it shouldn't be.
Great modeling and an excellent How-to. Thanks for sharing your skills.

Rich
Rich,

Thanks for the comment and for stopping by. This is the last scratch build on the stringers for me. As I mentioned, I've done it several times but will use commercial stringers in the future to save me time.

Tom 
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

Quote from: Mark Dalrymple on January 14, 2025, 06:29:16 PMHi Tom.

Maybe check out here

https://www.builders-in-scale.com/bis/parts-laserwood.html

for your next order.  They do stringers at several different gradients along with treads (and in several different scales).

I, too, have done my own stringers in a pinch, but did not enjoy it or find it very good value for money.  I found it hard to get things accurate enough to meet my quality control and found I had to be very selective with choosing my 2x12's with very straight grain, to avoid too many breakages.  The different gradients is also a welcome addition, as 45 degrees is rather steep for most stairs.  Another option (if persisting on making your own) is to make the stringers from plastic and paint them to match your stained timber.  I've had good results doing this with a grey primer followed up with adding soft pastel chalks mixed into a slurry with isopropyl alcohol using elephant, cool grey and (storm?) blue.  These are fixed with a pastel/ pencil fixative - not dullcote - which dissolves most of the chalk.  I do the same sometimes on timber, but apply with a fibre glass pencil.

Cheers, Mark.

Mark, Cheers,

I agree, they are difficult to get/make so they look accurate.  I did consider using styrene for stringers, but went with the wood for nothing else than better weathering.

I've ordered some NESL stringers for future builds.

Tom
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

Quote from: nycjeff on January 15, 2025, 08:24:46 AMHello Tom, great job on the stairway stringers. I can't believe that you cut them yourself. I wouldn't have the patience. Exposed stairways add so much to a structure. Can't wait to see the finished product.


Jeff,

Thanks for the compliment. I've done so many it isn't a big deal for me anymore. I will use "store bought" ones in the future.  8)

I think these will look really good on the back of the building.

Tom
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

Quote from: EricQuebec on January 15, 2025, 05:09:01 PMNice job as usual.
Personally, I used always X-Acto N17 blade for this job. It work well and broke less stringer than N11 blade (in my opinion).
The second way to avoid any brokage, is to glue (with scholar stick glue) a template on the wood, and once all the stringer cut off, remove the template with a little bit of water (tested nd approved by myself :D )

Eric


Eric,

I've also used the #17 blade but prefer to use the #11, personal preference I guess.

I've never thought of the paper template on the wood using the glue stick. I think it would work very well.

Tom 
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

For my sign I used an old sign from another kit. The Riff Raff Cafe is a structure on George Sellios' F&SM layout.

I glued it to a piece of cardboard. The cardboard is the back of a legal pad.

After gluing it to the cardboard, I placed a weight over it and let it sit overnight to dry. Since the while glue is water-soluble and the sign and cardboard are paper, I didn't want any warpage when I came out the next morning.



"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

The following morning I removed the weight and cut the bottom portion of the cardboard from the bottom of the sign as shown below.



I used a new Emory board to lightly weather the sign. I used the rough side and pulled the Emory board across the sign from the top to bottom. I used several light strokes on the sign. This can be overdone if not careful with the pressure used.



"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

I painted a piece of HO scale 2 X 4 with full strength Floquil Weathered Black. I cut and glued it to the outside edges of the cardboard.

I'll add more weathering using pastels, when I'm ready attach the sign to the front of the building.



"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

ACL1504

This is how it will look and fit on the front of the structure. Nothing is glued yet.

"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

Zephyrus52246

Lookin' good, Tom.  Cutting your own stair stringers, no wonder you're a master craftsman.  

I can't believe someone in law enforcement would have a "legal pad".   ;D

Jeff

Jim Donovan

Was able to enjoy catching up on your build tonight Tom, really enjoyable watching you work and seeing your methods. Not sure I would have the patience to make stringers though!

Jim
Holland & Odessa Railroad

Bruce Oberleitner

So I'm betting that many "Diet Pepsi's" where consumed while cutting out those stair stringers.  Good thing we don't include that cost in with our modeling work...

8)  8)  8)

ACL1504

Quote from: Zephyrus52246 on January 18, 2025, 08:42:08 PMLookin' good, Tom.  Cutting your own stair stringers, no wonder you're a master craftsman. 

I can't believe someone in law enforcement would have a "legal pad".  ;D

Jeff


Jeff,

Thank you, much appreciate the very generous compliment on the stringers.

The last couple of years at the State's Attorney's Office, I went around to all the offices and asked them to save all the backs of their legal pads. After a few months I had over two hundred. I had to call a stop to my request.

I thought the cardboard pads would make great roof material as well as floors on multiple story structures.

Tom 
"If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Thomas Jefferson

Tom Langford
telsr1@aol.com

Powered by EzPortal