John, you have put me in some very elite company. Thank you. There will be more coming as I am working on my castings as accurately as I can. I keep going back to Karl's tutorial and to Kevin's tutorial that Karl posted. Still feel as though I'm walking on egg shells as I do each one. But, as each one gets done I do feel more confident. I have adopted the philosophy that each casting is a model in itself. More pics to come.
I just wanted to give all an update. I have been busy with all the castings. Hope to be finished in the next 2 or 3 days. Here is a pic of all the ones I am still working on. The detail isn't much, but you can see how much I have to go.
Here is a shot of the ones I have considered complete.
As I said, I hope to be done in a day or two. So, I'll be back then.
Looking great Dave, the finished castings are real nice and the others are really coming along. Remember its not a race so take your time and keep the quality high.
Thanks for the encouragement, guys. Karl, I most certainly am taking my time, as the length of time between posts shows. I either work, or study the model every day. Approaching the point where it will be difficult to "undo" mistakes. I'm at the point where I start the ground cover. Have been studying your post on diorama building and it is very inspirational and have picked up a lot of information. Thank you for that, and all of your tutorials. John, so glad you are watching along. Sorry I don't have any pics today, but the above tells the tale of what I have been doing. Hopefully I will have progress pics soon. Coors2u ( apologies, I have seen your given name on another post, but my feeble mind doesn't remember it ), thanks for keeping up with the build, as slow as it is. I want to make it as believable as the others on this forum.
Ok, I'm back. Have been doing more reading/thinking than modeling. Been studying Karl's tutorial, other scenery threads on the forum, and other builds. Finally got the fence where I like it. Yesterday I glued the first floor to the foundation, positioned the fence, painted some Latex "earth", and dusted on some dirt gathered from my back yard.
This AM I started the first layer of scenery. Brett's instructions have one do this at this time, and I can see why, Would be more difficult after the second story is attached.
I set the warehouse building in place just to give a little more perspective.
Terrific looking start Dave. All of the stone/brick walls look good now they are together and we can see the whole picture (especially the brick). The concrete foundation looks great and the scenery base layers are starting to give the whole thing some reality. A couple of things I'd like to mention...... The fence looks fantastic. The 'storage' yard is my favorite spot so far, great details and nice layout. Try doubling up the caspia branches so that you have growth in both directions. ie: stick two (or three) stalks in the same hole back to back, it should give a much more natural look.
Overall it's shaping up very nicely indeed so far, great work !
Karl, thanks for the good review. I have replanted those caspia trees as you can see below. I have been wanting to ask about something I have seen in your scenery that I like very much, but don't really know how to do it. I have attempted on Scotia, but not really happy with the result. Know of no other way to describe other than sprigs in various groups sticking up out of ground. Can you understand? If so, would you explain how you plant these things?
John, you are very kind and I thank you. Just keep on following along and I think I can "trash" thing up like no one will believe. May be so trashy that I may have to light a match to it and call my old friends on the fire dept.
Have been a bit busy. Got second floor attached, roof set in place, attached the side building, working on roof for that. The casting for that roof was not in the kit, so must fabricate one. Plan on finishing the roof off like some old dude ( or was that dud ) named Bill showed on his Quincy build ( which he would get back on, I'm anxious ). Don't really know Bill's process for forming his cedar shingles, but am stumbling along with a method I have come up with. So far, so good.
Below is the setup I have come up with to cut strips of cedar into 6" and 12" and will cut the strips into various lengths for the shingles. A good friend owns a cigar shop and as luck would have it has been saving strips of cedar that come in his shipments. I asked, and he was ready to load me up with the stuff. I told him I would try some and find out how it worked out. We'll see.
Dave, you are getting me all fired up! I just went through the entire build again for continuity and your steps & missteps are a learning event for all of us. When it doesn't seem right go back and do it again and gosh you sure have got it now. The landscaping is now bringing it alive. Please keep the good number of photos coming. They add life to the narrative. Respectfully, John
Hi Dave, I too have been enjoying watching you put this kit together. Great job! The details really anchor the scene together. Looking foward to more pictures. The above pictures are superb! Jim
John, real happy I've got you all fired up. All you have to do now is jump in and start building. One of the biggest things I have learned doing this build is that mistakes can be "erased" and things be re-done, thanks in great part to guys like Karl, Bill, Ken, etal.
Jim, thanks for following along and keeping me encouraged.
Alan, thanks for comments.
James, thank you for following along. Glad you like the fence. Yes it is included in the kit. I have not built a chain link fence before, but it came out well ( I think ) thanks mostly due to Brett's materials and great instructions.
Still cutting shingles. Workbench looks like a "Woodcutter's Shack" and have no idea when I will be done. Think I've been cutting shingles in my sleep. lol
Marty, thanks for the comment. Yes, I did consider a paper shear. But I have no idea how I would use it for the size I need. Maybe I can figure it out one day. If you have any suggestions I would apperciate hearing them.
They make small cutters for use in stamp collecting and other craft work. Try doing a Google search on "mini guillotine paper cutter" or "mini stamp mount cutter". They appear to come in a variety of sizes (and prices), not sure how sturdy one would need to be to be accurate enough for our purposes.
Which brings up the point, any great ideas on cutting corrugated roofing material other than a standard #11 knife blade?
Mike, thanks for the info on cutters. As far as corrugated roofing material, I just use a pair of sharp scissors and reform the ends. Haven't had any problem, yet.
I've used a paper shear for corrugated roofing, it worked, however the edges/ends curled. I could straighten them by hand. With #11 i could cut them better in the valleys.
Since my last post I have been working right along on Scotia. Progress has, obviously, been slower than a snail's pace. I have placed I have secured the castings after moving them around quite a bit. I have made three attempts at constructing a roof for the side building. I think the third time has been sucess. I will ask you guys to be the judge of that. Here are some pics of the progress.
This shows the porch, which I had go back and correct some problems that showed up. Also, you can see some of the castings under the porch.
Here we have the area in front of the side building with the second attempt at a roof.
Aah! and now the current condition. Got main roof attached, covered with tar paper, and some of the pipes attached.
The side building with the front of the roof done, but not weathered.
And a closeup of the roof. Looking for suggestions, comments, you know. Still working on the rear half of that roof. A few more castings, and work on scenery. Nearing a finish, I think.
Dave, you have been busy! Great progress on Scotia. Casting colors look nice and muted and particularly like the treatment on the forklift. I would make sure you touch up the ends of your deck boards on the second floor with some chalk so they don't look freshly cut, I know your not done so you may have been planning final details like that. Shake roof looks great its tedious work I imagine. May want to add flashing between the roof and the clapboard siding next time or try on the back side. You could try an overall dry light application of grey and brown chalk powders to the roof to dull and blend the shakes as you mentioned its not weathered yet, very little at a time...just my thoughts. Great progress and nice pictures....looks like your very close to final pics....Ken
I love the random shakes on the roof. I can imagine them rotting with moss in the cracks. How are you planning to cap the ridge line? Ditto on the forklift. I like the mute green on the wall and the crooked window header is awesome. The mass of those doors is well represented. The very red bricks on the front edge could be muted a slight bit. Some short jute dry grasses would look great near the front to breakup the line a bit. Keep going your almost done.
Ken, Marty, very kind words and I thank you; I was concerned that I was fooling myself that the shakes looked natural, but y'alls comments make me feel much better about them.
Ken, you caught me. I know about boards on the porch. Just haven't touched them up yet. Spending too much time nailing shingles, trying to beat the storms :>) Haven't forgotten the flashing. That one roof section is only set in place. Will flash all when I finish back side and attach to building. Great to have you stop by.
Marty, my plan is to have lead sheathing cap the ridge, does this sound acceptable? Still have a good bit of final weathering to do and I will tone that brick down. Funny thing, Jute grass is the thing I was planning to plant along the front.......now that I know how to do it. Glad you popped in.
Comments
Dave
I just have to tell you your castings look great ! Nice job.
John
John, thank you for the compliment.
I just wanted to give all an update. I have been busy with all the castings. Hope to be finished in the next 2 or 3 days. Here is a pic of all the ones I am still working on. The detail isn't much, but you can see how much I have to go.
Here is a shot of the ones I have considered complete.
As I said, I hope to be done in a day or two. So, I'll be back then.
Dave
Remember its not a race so take your time and keep the quality high.
Karl.A
Really nice. I am watching what you do closely.
John
John, so glad you are watching along. Sorry I don't have any pics today, but the above tells the tale of what I have been doing. Hopefully I will have progress pics soon.
Coors2u ( apologies, I have seen your given name on another post, but my feeble mind doesn't remember it ), thanks for keeping up with the build, as slow as it is. I want to make it as believable as the others on this forum.
Thanks to all of you
Dave
I set the warehouse building in place just to give a little more perspective.
Thanks
Dave
The concrete foundation looks great and the scenery base layers are starting to give the whole thing some reality.
A couple of things I'd like to mention......
The fence looks fantastic.
The 'storage' yard is my favorite spot so far, great details and nice layout.
Try doubling up the caspia branches so that you have growth in both directions. ie: stick two (or three) stalks in the same hole back to back, it should give a much more natural look.
Overall it's shaping up very nicely indeed so far, great work !
Karl.A
Respectfully,
John
John, you are very kind and I thank you. Just keep on following along and I think I can "trash" thing up like no one will believe. May be so trashy that I may have to light a match to it and call my old friends on the fire dept.
Have been a bit busy. Got second floor attached, roof set in place, attached the side building, working on roof for that. The casting for that roof was not in the kit, so must fabricate one. Plan on finishing the roof off like some old dude ( or was that dud ) named Bill showed on his Quincy build ( which he would get back on, I'm anxious ). Don't really know Bill's process for forming his cedar shingles, but am stumbling along with a method I have come up with. So far, so good.
Below is the setup I have come up with to cut strips of cedar into 6" and 12" and will cut the strips into various lengths for the shingles. A good friend owns a cigar shop and as luck would have it has been saving strips of cedar that come in his shipments. I asked, and he was ready to load me up with the stuff. I told him I would try some and find out how it worked out. We'll see.
That's it for now. Hopefully back with more soon.
Dave
Respectfully,
John
I too have been enjoying watching you put this kit together. Great job!
The details really anchor the scene together. Looking foward to more pictures. The above pictures are superb!
Jim
John, real happy I've got you all fired up. All you have to do now is jump in and start building. One of the biggest things I have learned doing this build is that mistakes can be "erased" and things be re-done, thanks in great part to guys like Karl, Bill, Ken, etal.
Jim, thanks for following along and keeping me encouraged.
Alan, thanks for comments.
James, thank you for following along. Glad you like the fence. Yes it is included in the kit. I have not built a chain link fence before, but it came out well ( I think ) thanks mostly due to Brett's materials and great instructions.
Still cutting shingles. Workbench looks like a "Woodcutter's Shack" and have no idea when I will be done. Think I've been cutting shingles in my sleep. lol
Later
Dave
Have you ever tried using a paper shear to cut the cedar strips?
Marty
Dave
Which brings up the point, any great ideas on cutting corrugated roofing material other than a standard #11 knife blade?
Dave
Marty
This shows the porch, which I had go back and correct some problems that showed up. Also, you can see some of the castings under the porch.
Here we have the area in front of the side building with the second attempt at a roof.
Aah! and now the current condition. Got main roof attached, covered with tar paper, and some of the pipes attached.
The side building with the front of the roof done, but not weathered.
And a closeup of the roof. Looking for suggestions, comments, you know. Still working on the rear half of that roof. A few more castings, and work on scenery. Nearing a finish, I think.
Dave
I love the random shakes on the roof. I can imagine them rotting with moss in the cracks. How are you planning to cap the ridge line? Ditto on the forklift. I like the mute green on the wall and the crooked window header is awesome. The mass of those doors is well represented. The very red bricks on the front edge could be muted a slight bit. Some short jute dry grasses would look great near the front to breakup the line a bit. Keep going your almost done.
Marty
Ken, you caught me. I know about boards on the porch. Just haven't touched them up yet. Spending too much time nailing shingles, trying to beat the storms :>) Haven't forgotten the flashing. That one roof section is only set in place. Will flash all when I finish back side and attach to building. Great to have you stop by.
Marty, my plan is to have lead sheathing cap the ridge, does this sound acceptable? Still have a good bit of final weathering to do and I will tone that brick down. Funny thing, Jute grass is the thing I was planning to plant along the front.......now that I know how to do it. Glad you popped in.
Dave