Your work is amazing and your tutorials are the best! This is what modeling here is all about! If you don't get motivated and excited to do some bench work modeling after perusing Bill's posts...well...there's no hope for ya!! Well done my friend...
My sawmill is sitting started on a shelf in the shop...O'Neills is sitting dormant on the workbench.....your outstanding work got me to go down to the shop last night and get going again so I too can get back to the sawmill....Keep up the outstanding work!
Bill thanks so much for taking the time to share your techniques. You have such a fantastic eye and get such realistic results. I love to learn and learning from the best is what this forum is all about. Kudos!!
Thank you for all the positive comments, guys. Your words are both flattering and motivating at the same time. Hopefully, you'll try out some of these ideas and get similar results.
This update will finish up the major machinery contained within the mill (the log turner and log haul ramp will come later). This is another area where I'm missing a lot of the pictures documenting the construction process. Fortunately, most of the weathering I added to these items followed the methods I outlined in the log haul entry.
Again, I used white chalk on the areas that get exposed to extreme heat and black chalk over the areas that don't get as hot (like at the seams and edges). I also took care to shape the intricate piping so the bends were crisp and at the correct angle, position the valves in line and true, and to install the tiny gages in a straight line protruding the same height.
For the planer, I used craft paint to color the frame. I love Karl's suggestion of Apple Barrel "Christmas Green". When first applied, I looks really LOUD. But by simply handling and rubbing the pieces, the color will get darker and wear off in spots. To get this effect, use the paint straight without thinning it down.
I cut slits into the full piece making sure they were in line with the blades. The cuts were made far enough into the board so that the piece butted up against the large rollers (red arrow). With the individual boards, I sanded them down on one end so they were really thin. Those ends were tucked under the large rollers and below the full sized piece of wood. The transition between the two is almost invisible:
Here's the log carriage. Straight forward construction with more outstanding detail:
Finally, the twin cylinder steam engine. I LOVE this piece! It was colored using "Christmas Green" as before, then dulled down with raw umber chalks. The valves got a light dusting of gold ochre chalk to give them a bronze appearance. Fuel stains were added using the Mig enamels and the heavy grease around the large wheel was done with the same process described earlier, however I'm pretty sure I used black chalk to "soak up" the oil.
If I failed to explain something or if my explanations aren't clear, ask away! There's more to come...
Bill you are in the modeling groove my man...brilliantly done! My favorite is the last picture of the log carriage...that "clutch" mechanism detail is for a lack of a more appropriate term...perfect! Combination of colors and detail is wonderful.
Thanks much, gents! Brett--the Christmas Green works like a charm and leaving a couple areas plain metal color adds a nice accent.
Ken--two of the levers are a bright yellow craft paint that I mixed chalk into (some raw umber) just to see how it'd work. The one selector piece was done with a regular red that I rubbed and dusted with raw umber.
So much to comment on. Just love it. I particularly like the variation in colouring on the metal parts of the log carriage and the chipped paint on the levers. That's not to say the engine and boiler and edger aren't fantastic. What a great eye for colour and texture.
It is looking so good! The subtle grease buildup around the wheel on the engine is an example of what is making the whole presentation look so realistic. Looks like your maintenance man set his oiler down on top of your cylinder also.
I was looking at some pics of steam donkeys recently. It looked like there was a lot of "gunk" build up around the piston inside the cylinder also.
Bill, this is POETRY for the eyes. Fantastic man. I am keeping all of your photos in a special map to use as documentation when I start mine. Thanks for posting all these.
Sorry Jerry. I’m still around and I’ve made a lot of progress (it’s about 85-90% complete). I just realized it’s been a year since I updated this entry!
I’ve been heavily focused on some issues with work, but that’s coming to an end hopefully within a week or two. Once I’ve got that finalized, I can put my focus on important stuff—this being priority #1!
i'm grateful this thread was reactivated. bill, your machinery looks like the absolute 1:1 real deal. if i didn't know i was looking at your model, i would completely be convinced they were the authentic real life machines. it's just amazing. awesome.
Bill, I'm going saw milling myself pretty soon. Guess who I will use as my guide? Man, I love your work! You are the Chuck Doan of 1/48th scale. Our mill engines are very different, but yours REALLY helped me understand how to do mine. Thanks again, saw mill buddy.
Sorry Jerry. I’m still around and I’ve made a lot of progress (it’s about 85-90% complete). I just realized it’s been a year since I updated this entry!
I’ve been heavily focused on some issues with work, but that’s coming to an end hopefully within a week or two. Once I’ve got that finalized, I can put my focus on important stuff—this being priority #1!
Okay Bill its now close to Easter!! That's April how's the focus on work doing I bet its 85-90% complete!!
Comments
Ken--very kind of you to say and much appreciated! Your post motivated ME to get off the
inter-tube and keep building.
Ed--Thank you! I hope you'll try it out and report back with your results.
Alan
This update will finish up the major machinery contained within the mill (the log turner and log haul ramp will come later). This is another area where I'm missing a lot of the pictures documenting the construction process. Fortunately, most of the weathering I added to these items followed the methods I outlined in the log haul entry.
Let's start with the large horizontal boiler. For complete steps on construction, take a look at how I built the HO boiler in the "Deer Creek Mine" build:
http://www.craftsmankituniversity.com/vanforum/index.php?p=/discussion/514/deer-creek-mine-official-forum-build/p6
Again, I used white chalk on the areas that get exposed to extreme heat and black chalk over the areas that don't get as hot (like at the seams and edges). I also took care to shape the intricate piping so the bends were crisp and at the correct angle, position the valves in line and true, and to install the tiny gages in a straight line protruding the same height.
For the planer, I used craft paint to color the frame. I love Karl's suggestion of Apple Barrel "Christmas Green". When first applied, I looks really LOUD. But by simply handling and rubbing the pieces, the color will get darker and wear off in spots. To get this effect, use the paint straight without thinning it down.
Also, I used Bryan's idea of having the individual boards exiting the machine while a full piece is going into it: http://www.craftsmankituniversity.com/vanforum/index.php?p=/discussion/362/the-sawmill-project-kit-308/p4
I cut slits into the full piece making sure they were in line with the blades. The cuts were made far enough into the board so that the piece butted up against the large rollers (red arrow). With the individual boards, I sanded them down on one end so they were really thin. Those ends were tucked under the large rollers and below the full sized piece of wood. The transition between the two is almost invisible:
Here's the log carriage. Straight forward construction with more outstanding detail:
Finally, the twin cylinder steam engine. I LOVE this piece! It was colored using "Christmas Green" as before, then dulled down with raw umber chalks. The valves got a light dusting of gold ochre chalk to give them a bronze appearance. Fuel stains were added using the Mig enamels and the heavy grease around the large wheel was done with the same process described earlier, however I'm pretty sure I used black chalk to "soak up" the oil.
If I failed to explain something or if my explanations aren't clear, ask away!
There's more to come...
Brett--the Christmas Green works like a charm and leaving a couple areas plain metal color adds a nice accent.
Ken--two of the levers are a bright yellow craft paint that I mixed chalk into (some raw umber) just to see how it'd work. The one selector piece was done with a regular red that I rubbed and dusted with raw umber.
Fine work all around.
Jerry
I was looking at some pics of steam donkeys recently. It looked like there was a lot of "gunk" build up around the piston inside the cylinder also.
Jerry
Jerry
I just realized it’s been a year since I updated this entry!
I’ve been heavily focused on some issues with work, but that’s coming to an end hopefully within a week or two. Once I’ve got that finalized, I can put my focus on important stuff—this being priority #1!
Jerry
Bet you think I'm a PITA well I am!!
Jerry
Jerry