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Dueling Shacks
With Brett's encouragement, I'm going to venture into my first build and first build thread. I suspect that I share some of the same circumstances as others reading this forum: looking to start my first SWSM build and concerned about making a mistake, especially compared with the craftsmanship shown throughout the threads.
I model in HO scale and have acquired a good number of SWSM kits all with a planned place on my layout. See the photo below.
The top three unmarked boxes are a couple of tool sheds and one lineside shed. The other unmarked box is Duluth Plumbing Co.
I considered starting with one of the sheds, but have plans for them on my layout, so didn't want to mess one up in a learning experience. I've also felt some concern about starting my first outing on the HO scale details given my eyes are not getting better as my youth is appearing more distant in the rear-view mirror. The O Scale Dueling Shacks seemed to really be a good kit to start with. As Brett notes, "The Dueling Shacks are Not About Scale. They're About Learning New Methods and Techniques." I've included this bit of narrative so that if there is someone else in a similar position, you might consider jumping in also.
So I'm starting this thread at the point we are with every one of Brett's kits, anticipation of the arrival of the box. That for me should be day after tomorrow.
One of the elements Brett mentions is that his kits are designed to tell a story. I want to practice that as well and want to add a story to this kit. At this point, my intent is to have each shed on either side of a pull out on the side of a dirt road, with a 1930's pickup pulled in with a man standing between the sheds, holding a tool, looking as if he is deciding which shed to walk to. Growing up on a ranch, there was always a handmade tool box somewhere. I plan to have such a tool box opened in the back bed of the pickup.
Thanks for all your support so far. I'm looking forward to the journey.
I'm frankly in awe of the craftsmanship, and more significantly, camaraderie that everyone shows here. I really would appreciate any ideas or suggestions along the way.
Mark
I model in HO scale and have acquired a good number of SWSM kits all with a planned place on my layout. See the photo below.
The top three unmarked boxes are a couple of tool sheds and one lineside shed. The other unmarked box is Duluth Plumbing Co.
I considered starting with one of the sheds, but have plans for them on my layout, so didn't want to mess one up in a learning experience. I've also felt some concern about starting my first outing on the HO scale details given my eyes are not getting better as my youth is appearing more distant in the rear-view mirror. The O Scale Dueling Shacks seemed to really be a good kit to start with. As Brett notes, "The Dueling Shacks are Not About Scale. They're About Learning New Methods and Techniques." I've included this bit of narrative so that if there is someone else in a similar position, you might consider jumping in also.
So I'm starting this thread at the point we are with every one of Brett's kits, anticipation of the arrival of the box. That for me should be day after tomorrow.
One of the elements Brett mentions is that his kits are designed to tell a story. I want to practice that as well and want to add a story to this kit. At this point, my intent is to have each shed on either side of a pull out on the side of a dirt road, with a 1930's pickup pulled in with a man standing between the sheds, holding a tool, looking as if he is deciding which shed to walk to. Growing up on a ranch, there was always a handmade tool box somewhere. I plan to have such a tool box opened in the back bed of the pickup.
Thanks for all your support so far. I'm looking forward to the journey.
I'm frankly in awe of the craftsmanship, and more significantly, camaraderie that everyone shows here. I really would appreciate any ideas or suggestions along the way.
Mark
Comments
Mark
You have quite the collection of Brett's kits, hundreds of hours of enjoyment all boxed up and waiting.
The Dueling Shacks is going to be a great place for you to jump into your SW journey. You'll learn and get comfortable with many great techniques on many different aspects, from tarpaper to corrugated and siding to details.
Jump in and enjoy the ride !!
Karl.A
I took pictures last night and intend to post them this evening.
You really do a great job with photos of your builds. Do you use a special camera? I was surprised it seems the best photos came from my cell phone. Just wondering?
Mark
I appreciate your thoughts on my pictures and once again you're right, I take almost all my pictures with my iPhone 6s. Some really close shots I'll use my digital camera but that's it.
I'm really enjoying this thread already and it's all because of the enthusiasm you convey, it's infectious...to me anyway and I love it! That's the whole deal with fine scale modeling to me is the excitement and gratification of creating something you can be proud of and sharing that passion with fellow modelers. Well done...
Karl.A
Ken, Ed, & Karl, I really appreciate the kind words. Phil, I'm building structures before the layout. I have a 12x30 room to get floored before I do layout work. I've seen the work you are doing and am impressed all around.
Ken, I pulled off last night and took pictures of a Dr. Grunge barn. I will post photos shortly. It looks like you needed practice in 1/1 scale before working on Bluesky.
I'll post more later tonight. Thanks again.
Mark
Does anyone else cherish the idea of opening that little green box?
Ah, but first look at the bags.
I really love the laser-cut framing.
The chipboard templates are really well done.
As well as a good number of templates.
The manual looks pretty simple on the outside...
But then again the quality is in the details and care taken in these kits.
I took a look at the metal castings first. The detail and crispness of the castings is really phenomenal.
There have got to be way more than the 50+ castings advertised. I think they call that Under promise and over deliver. Thank you, Brett.
And look at the detail on the raw casting. Wow.
And then it comes time for the adventure to begin. These kit really do offer so much more than others you run across.
As a bonus on the way home from work I saw something that could only have come from Dr. Grunge. I hope you enjoy and can see how this barn applies to the shacks.
For anyone following along, thank you for joining in. What a great supportive group this SWSM clan is.
Mark
You live in a very beautiful part of the world judging by your barn pics.
Love the barn pics, and that gray siding color is what many of us try to emulate. Thanks for posting.
As I follow the directions, I want to check out a deviation from the instructions. I am going to try a variant and not fog the windows with dull coat. As I have looked at most of the windows I've seen, there may be some light hazing, but they are not cloudy. So I thought of experimenting at this stage to see what effect I like. I am looking at using either real glass or acetate using dusting for the dirty windows. I can always install the glass per the instructions but for now I'm holding off on that.
This photo shows the tarpaper prepped per the directions along with the laser cut doors and windows having a light even coat of dull coat on the front side. BTW those are the SWSM/Reaper Miniature paint set on the rack in the rear.
I mixed my AI solution per instructions. I also have some more diluted mixtures per Dr Grunge's commentary. You can always add more ink if not dark enough so i have a bit of time to experiment.
I have looked to the final pages and looked to see what tools I might need, along with some of the supplies. Here is a picture of the craft paints I picked up as they were missing from my arsenal.
If you find yourself in a similar position as I am having the common tools like the chopper, sander, and some knives, I was a bit surprised by what I needed to get. For the record, I'm investing in around $150-$200 in tools to fill the list Brett list in the back of the construction manual. i'm not debating it, as I'm looking to build other SWSM kits, it seems prudent to get tools ordered and on the way so they are on hand when I need them.
I have my chalk and it is now in boxes similar to what Brett showed. I found some good quality boxes at Hobby Lobby, but suspect you can get them at any similar craft shop.
I am posting this before I actually jump into the fun part of the kit, the texturing of the wood. If you have not already investigated Ken Karns' Dr. Grunge's Advanced Wood Clinic is a must read. I want to incorporate some of those techniques into this build as well.
This picture shows the brushes and implements I have ready for the texturing and modelling the wood.
I'll do my best to keep a record of my experiences with the next steps. Thanks for following along.
Mark
After building many of Bretts kits and learning so much from each one I still follow the instructions to the letter every time I build the next one.
Not only is there something new every time, but you will see how all the parts come together and the reasons behind them as you build.
Looking forward to the next set of progress pics.
Karl.A
Mark
First I started texturing the strip wood as per the manual. The strip wood and brush are what is prescribed for the first step.
This photo shows some untouched wood on the left compared to wood that has been initially textured on the right.
Once I was done with this, there was in fact a good pile of sawdust left on the glass.
One of the things that Ken pointed out was that he used a smaller brush and only textured three strips at a time. I tried this and agree that there is a better feel for how the brush is working the wood. I apologize for the poor quality of the picture, but is shows the relative position of the brush when working the wood. (I have not yet figured out how to take a picture with my cell phone while holding the brush.)
One of the other things that Ken talks about is using steel wool to remove the fuzzies. This photo shows the steel wool I use. You take about a golf size piece of wool and wrap it around the strip. If you apply a little pressure, you will clean up the fuzzies. If you clean pulling the wood through with the grain it pulls smoothly and doesn't tend to snag the steel wool fibers as much. It pulls easier with the gran as opposes to be harder against the grain.
It may be a little hard to see, but the pieces on the left have not been touched while the strips on the right have been worked with the steel wool.
Here is a photo of the finished pieces as needed for this part of the kit.
I also textured some strip wood I am going to use for a fence. This is to be used for testing colors before applying them to the structure material.
I am looking for grayer tint underlying the wood. I would appreciate any suggestions as to how to accomplish this with chalk. Ken mentions using AI in conjunction with chalk so I will be doing some experimentation. I certainly would appreciate any comments or suggestions on what people have found works best.
Finally, as I was cleaning up through the evening, it dawned on me that with a good number of the kits, especially the Wood Cutters Shack, and Twin Mills that having a good supply of sawdust around will be helpful. So I'm collecting the residue from the texturing and saving it for future use.
Mark
Brett, I am coming to appreciate your construction manual more as I refer to it during the build. I appreciate all the hard work you put into all aspects of your kits.
Phil, if I am able to get to this tonight I thought I would take some of the 'fence' material and run a test to see what the results are. I know the pallet mentioned uses mostly the umber shades, where as most of the weathering in Wyoming, and Colorado tend to the gray shades.
I really do appreciate this forum and the amazing amount of skill, information, and friendship.
Mark
this kit was my first swsm build, and i'm so glad that's where i started. it's a great kit, enjoy!
I tried a number of AI recipes. The one that finally proved just right was the formula Brett lists in his instructions: 1 tsp Higgins non-waterproof ink to one pint of alcohol.
I experimented with the grays. as can be seen below. The first picture shows one coat on the bottom, and two coats on the top.
This picture shows the wood with three coats.
I liked the results after four coats. One thing of note, I got some wood from a reputable supplier that I got at the hobby shop for testing. The grain simply did not come out nearly as clearly as with the wood Brett supplies with the kit.
This picture shows the overall look of the wood.
This is a closer view of the ends.
As I look at the colors on the last two photos, they are much more vivid than they do naturally appear naturally.
Hopefully, I'll post pictures tomorrow of the chalk. I'm planning on using gray and umber to arrive at the next stage in coloration.
Mark
I really appreciated your guidance in Dr. Grunge. It helped answer some questions I had plus gave me a better track on the colors.
And yes, I understand your note on the barber pole piece, That type of look would really be jarring.
Mark