Winter Challenge 2024 - FOS Background Flats

[ReadingBob]

Okay, it's time to throw my hat into the ring.   

Note: Although the prizes are really neat, I'd like to add that I don't need any more kits so please, should I happen to qualify for one, give it to the next person in line. 

For my Winter Challenge 2024 thread I'm going to build two FOS background flats, Mitchell Distillers and Cookson Soap.  Both are kits I hope to use on the shelf layout I want to build.  Once I have these together, I'll have a better feel for how much real estate they'll really take up.  I plan on hand laying my track so having a definitive plan before I start construction is must.

Here are the two kits.



The contents of Cookson Soap.



The contents of Mitchell Distillery.



Before separating things, I like to mark the part number on each part (as indicated in the instructions) using a pen.  This is not always necessary if the parts are unique looking enough but sometimes it comes in handy.



Starting with a new single edge razor blade I removed the walls from the carrier sheets but slicing through the points of contact holding them into the sheets.



Then I sand the edges of the wall sections using an emery board.  This process squares the edges (the laser cut leaves a slight angle) and removes and nubs left where the contact points were cut with the razor blade.



More in a moment...

[ReadingBob]

I cleaned up the metal castings, where needed, using a small, flat, file.  Sanding sticks, emery boards, etc. work for small touch ups.



I removed the plastic windows and doors from the sprues using a sprue cutter.



A couple of quick swipes with and emery board takes care of any nubs left where the cuts were.



To be safe, I placed the doors and windows in their openings to make sure there weren't any missing.  It's frustrating to paint, weather, glaze, etc. all the window castings only to find out that you're short one when you go to install them.  In this case, they were all accounted for.  Had one been missing I have a couple boxes of Tichy assorted door and window castings that I could have raided to replace the missing component.  If I'm short one later, I can only blame myself for losing it.  Not that that's ever happened. 



Both kits include some Tichy 55-gallon barrels.  Where these connect to the sprues is too thick for my sprue cutter, so I resort to using an old pair of flush cut rail nippers to remove them from the sprue.



There's a vent, include with Mitchell Distillery, that is made up of two halves that need to be glued together and then several bands that get slipped over and glued into place.  I opted to build this prior to painting all the details parts.



Here are the two halves getting glued together.



It's hard to see the band in this picture but I'm sliding it over the end and into position.  I put a heavier bead of glue on the back of the vent (the side that will face the wall and not be seen) than the sides and front.



More in a moment...

[ReadingBob]

Finally, there's a small grate that goes over the vent opening.



To prime everything that needs to be primed (at least the things I thought needed to be primed at this point) I taped some strips of painter's tape, upside down, on an old baking tray I use for this purpose.  The top row are the parts from Cookson and the bottom two are the parts from Mitchell.  I'll use a rattle can Khaki color to paint these.



To add the bracing, I smeared some glue along one edge of the 1/8" strip wood.



For the bracing that goes at the rear of the structure I used a piece of photo mounting board as a gauge to keep the bracing from being right against the back.  I hope to install a sheet of photo mounting board inside the back as a view block and to keep the light from escaping out the back against the back drop.



After installing the bracing, I weigh it down for a few minutes until the glue grabs hold.



Then I trimmed the bracing, to fit, using a single edge razor blade.



Time for lunch so I'm going to stop here for today.  Thanks for following along! 

[GPdemayo]

Grand start Bob, I'll be looking in.....

[Zephyrus52246]

Bob builds are always informative and welcome.  

Jeff

[ReadingBob]

Grand start Bob, I'll be looking in.....

Thanks, Greg!  These will be on the new layout.  I need to come up with a track plan before I start construction.  Having them completed will tell me where the track has to go, in relation to the structures.  Hand laying the track, as you're well aware, requires a more refined plan before you start.  The track can't be moved around quite as easy after the fact.

[ReadingBob]

Bob builds are always informative and welcome. 

Jeff

Thanks, Jeff!   I'll make sure the boys at the Mitchell Distillery order the barrels they need from the Jeffries Point Stave and Heading Company on your layout.   

[Jerry]

Great start Bob.  And as usual your wonderful tutorials.

Jerry

[ReadingBob]

Great start Bob.  And as usual your wonderful tutorials.

Jerry

Thanks, Jerry!  I know I repeat myself, a lot, but I always figure/hope there's someone new to the forum that may be reading my thread for the first time. 

[GPdemayo]

Grand start Bob, I'll be looking in.....

Thanks, Greg!  These will be on the new layout.  I need to come up with a track plan before I start construction.  Having them completed will tell me where the track has to go, in relation to the structures.  Hand laying the track, as you're well aware, requires a more refined plan before you start.  The track can't be moved around quite as easy after the fact.

You're right, hand laying does require a bit more planning, but I do love the result.....

[ACL1504]

Bob,

This will be a real stunner and your STS never disappoint. 

Looking forward to your choice of colors.

Tom 

[ReadingBob]

Bob,

This will be a real stunner and your STS never disappoint.

Looking forward to your choice of colors.

Tom

Thanks, Tom!  The colors will be pretty plain.  Mostly white.  I'm leaning towards heavy weathering for the soap company and lighter weathering for the distillery.