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Tool Shed - My first Sierra West build
I've been lighting up my structure models and doing lighting clinics for a few years now but haven't really delved into a Sierra West kit. Alan, Bill and Ken have been doing some lighting for a while now too - and they've lit up some of the bigger kits. Anyone else doing some lighting that I missed? Please let me know.
Anyways...after seeing so many of the great builds out there I thought that three types of light would work well in ANY of the SW kits. These would be hanging lights, pole lights, and gooseneck lights. The little tool shed seemed to be a good start since one of each could be used. Here's how it turned out so far:
A closeup:
I still need to finish the roof and fix that spot where some tape took off the paint on the roof :-P There are a few more castings to scatter about but I'm running out of time to get things ready for the upcoming Expo. Actually, I don't like the roof as all and ought to fix it. But hey Bill - didn't you say that sometimes you just gotta let things be because when your over work stuff the results aren't always that good?
Here's the pole light:
The reflector is one of the castings I stole from the O'Neills kit. It's a little chunky until you sand it down to make it a little thinner. I could've used another kind of reflector but I have a thing for those old radial-wave reflectors and was happy to see one in that smelly casting box. CA glue doesn't always hold that well with tubing so I figured on using some epoxy to stick together the two pieces of tube. Even after sanding down the epoxy glob it still looked like a wad of gum. On the second version (in the photo above) I wrapped some magnet wire around the two joined pieces and gave it a coat of thin CA. That held quite well. When I make the next pole light I'll taper that top support tube (or wire) so that it blends better with the main tube.
Well...I have some SW kits that I need to tear into next year. One of the first jobs (I suppose) will be to go through all the instructions and make notes to reference the latest grundgification techniques from Doctor Grundge.
Bill S. (slim)
Anyways...after seeing so many of the great builds out there I thought that three types of light would work well in ANY of the SW kits. These would be hanging lights, pole lights, and gooseneck lights. The little tool shed seemed to be a good start since one of each could be used. Here's how it turned out so far:
A closeup:
I still need to finish the roof and fix that spot where some tape took off the paint on the roof :-P There are a few more castings to scatter about but I'm running out of time to get things ready for the upcoming Expo. Actually, I don't like the roof as all and ought to fix it. But hey Bill - didn't you say that sometimes you just gotta let things be because when your over work stuff the results aren't always that good?
Here's the pole light:
The reflector is one of the castings I stole from the O'Neills kit. It's a little chunky until you sand it down to make it a little thinner. I could've used another kind of reflector but I have a thing for those old radial-wave reflectors and was happy to see one in that smelly casting box. CA glue doesn't always hold that well with tubing so I figured on using some epoxy to stick together the two pieces of tube. Even after sanding down the epoxy glob it still looked like a wad of gum. On the second version (in the photo above) I wrapped some magnet wire around the two joined pieces and gave it a coat of thin CA. That held quite well. When I make the next pole light I'll taper that top support tube (or wire) so that it blends better with the main tube.
Well...I have some SW kits that I need to tear into next year. One of the first jobs (I suppose) will be to go through all the instructions and make notes to reference the latest grundgification techniques from Doctor Grundge.
Bill S. (slim)
Comments
I usually say not to go back and overwork something after people post a finished model and ask "how does it look?" I ask "is it complete?" and if there are things they'd like to change or improve.
The idea is, at that point (of completion), he's satisfied with his work. The model reflects his construction abilities but also his eye for catching things that aren't quite right. He then has a way to measure growth and progress as a modeler down the road.
Any additions or changes after he's completed are done just to satisfy a critic.
With your model, you already said "I need to fix that spot" so, that's good! You're not satisfied with the pictures we see and therefore you don't consider it "done".
It looks really nice--especially that board that is a little thicker than the others to the left of the door. I love little character elements like that. The lighting too is awesome especially when you add it to the interior. Those lights will point out flaws and allow light to "leak" through gaps and really thin material, but I see none in these pictures.
Looking forward to seeing it in person!
Obvly difficult to comment on the weathering/details/etc due to the low lighting but the greyer deck compared to the browner walls looks great and I noticed that attention. Also the worn effect on the roof generally looks well done(despite the area you mentioned).
The details also appear to be well underway in the right direction.
Looking good so far.
Karl.A
Funny thing - When I built that front wall the boards were all flat. Since I work at glacial/sloth speed the humidity or something must have gotten to that board causing it to become a little proud. I thought it looked cool and chose to not fix it.
I added about four different shades of green to my pastel arsenal and added a little brushing of one of them to the bottom of the end wall by the door. Proto-wise the green might be more prevalent where the board meets the ground rather than the deck but I've been wanting to try the effect.
Bill S.
Bill S.
I want to make some videos and get them up on YouTube. Just the lighting part - not the prep/assembly stuff. It would be nice to tackle a large SW kit but that would take a lot of time. Partly because of my schedule and partly because the SW kit is something that you savor. I just couldn't get myself to "crank one out." I'll probably do the other HO shed for a video. We'll see.
Bill S.