hello fellow modelers,
going to tackle the SRMW Spencer Paper Bag kit. Its a big one. The diorama is 2' x 2'... that is a lot of real estate so I am going to mess around with it to get it to fit my space.
I bought this kit when it first came out and I'm just opening it now. Lots of stuff in the box. Unfortunately, it didn't take long to run into my first problem, and its a big one: one of the walls was put into the laser upside down so the clapboard is facing the wrong way! @#$%!!!!!
After swearing a bit, I guess I gotta make a wall,,,,, I'm not too happy right now,,,,,
Nice kit.....I'll be looking in Bob. :)
One of my fave structures...following eagerly.👍🏻
Sorry for your issue, but I'll be following.
Looking forward to the thread. Hopefully only the one wall was an issue.
Jim D
Bob,
Nice looking kit, but too bad on the upside-down wall. Not good quality control on the part of the kit maker.
As far as making up a new one--instead of starting from scratch, could you make horizontal cuts to divide the incorrect wall into four segments: sloped top, first run of short windows, second run of tall windows, and bottom, then just turn each piece upside down and re-assemble? You would still need to make the sloped segment from leftover scrap.
--George
George,
that is a great idea, however the space between the windows to the outside edges is different from the front to the back,,, I gotta bite the bullet and make a wall. The problem is that I don't have a matching clapboard material. I have so many kits that I bought and I've never gone through them to check the parts/material..... so I guess its just the nature of these kits. One of my big kits from a few years ago was missing the bag of windows, however the company is still around and shipped me out the windows. For companies that are no longer around, a person is just out of luck...
anyway, this kit has a lot of windows! I cleaned them up, scratched some grain into them, and sprayed them white....
George, I have some random clapboard siding, that the seller claimed was used for FSM kits. How big is the piece you need?
dave
That's a Fav of mine. I'll be watching :)
Dennis
Has anyone else built this thing? Any tips, direction is much appreciated!
Quote from: rpdylan on June 12, 2019, 08:07:19 AM
hello fellow modelers,
going to tackle the SRMW Spencer Paper Bag kit. Its a big one. The diorama is 2' x 2'... that is a lot of real estate so I am going to mess around with it to get it to fit my space.
I bought this kit when it first came out and I'm just opening it now. Lots of stuff in the box. Unfortunately, it didn't take long to run into my first problem, and its a big one: one of the walls was put into the laser upside down so the clapboard is facing the wrong way! @#$%!!!!!
After swearing a bit, I guess I gotta make a wall,,,,, I'm not too happy right now,,,,,
I've encounted the same problem last week with my SWSM Foss landing kit
Eric
Bob
I have this kit and like Dave have a pretty good supply of clapboard, including some that I bought directly from George. I had George cut it to 12 inch lengths so I could get it on the airplane. Let me know which wall you need and I will see if I can match up the material.
thanks John, Dave,,, Ive reached out to Bob VG for some assistance,,,,,, other than this one issue, the kit looks like its going to be a blast to build!
Well, I reached out to Bob Van Gelder and he is going to help me out! What a guy!
I went through the rest of the kit and everything looks great. There is a lot to build in this kit, so I am going to try and have multiple
"assemblies" going on at the same time..... if I'm waiting for glue or paint to dry, ect......
thanks for you all that are following along and the offers of help. again, if anyone has built this thing and has any advice or tips, please let me know!!
Bob
Quote from: rpdylan on June 13, 2019, 07:03:32 AM
Well, I reached out to Bob Van Gelder and he is going to help me out! What a guy!
I went through the rest of the kit and everything looks great. There is a lot to build in this kit, so I am going to try and have multiple
"assemblies" going on at the same time..... if I'm waiting for glue or paint to dry, ect......
thanks for you all that are following along and the offers of help. again, if anyone has built this thing and has any advice or tips, please let me know!!
Bob
Great news! Bob is still taking care of his customers in retirement.
I'm following along as well. I've had a few issues with other kits and the manufacturer has always been very helpful.
Great news to hear Bob is taking care of the problem.
Tom ;D
ok, Bob Van Gelder was really nice and made me a new wall to replace the defected one. I am so grateful being as its been a long time since I bought the kit from him,,,, (I have kept the box closed all these years in case I decided not to build it and could sell it)
anyway, the wall arrived in the mail so I'm back to the workbench!
Quote from: rpdylan on June 18, 2019, 07:40:59 PM
ok, Bob Van Gelder was really nice and made me a new wall to replace the defected one. I am so grateful being as its been a long time since I bought the kit from him,,,, (I have kept the box closed all these years in case I decided not to build it and could sell it)
anyway, the wall arrived in the mail so I'm back to the workbench!
Bob
Great news! Bob has always taken care of his customers. I'm looking forward to watching your progress.
not much progress today due to my awesome FSM pilgrimage!
started to get the walls together:
That is awesome that, well into retirement, Bob is still there to lend a hand!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Hey Bob:
Walls look great. Great job on applying the sign. Will be following along.
Karl
Thanks Karl!!
so to build the smoke shop section, you have to install these brass trim pieces into the window openings.... the problem for is that the trim pieces didn't fit, they were too big. I started to file the pieces down and quickly realized this was going to be a lot of work. So I went "old-school" and trimmed the openings with strip wood... the acetate windows will get installed in back of this trim....
I use School Glue to attach the signs, its very thin and doesn't grab fast to the wall surface, which I like for the positioning of the sign when gluing on.
the two resin pieces are put together using 5 minute epoxy (super cheap at Harbor Freight)
Very cool Bob.
thanks Curt!
the foundation for the main building is made from this printed brick paper over wide strip wood. I certainly don't like that so I found some textured stone paper sheets that I got from Micro Mark,,, I don'e even remember getting these sheets but they were in my paper box so I am going to use this instead....
I have some of those Micro-Mark sheets, they should work well. They have some texture to them. I also have one or two sheets of the much lamented Paper Creek brick, which I really liked. Too bad that line wasn't continued after the original owner fell ill.
dave
Dave, those Paper Creek products were nice, I still have some colored roofing from them left over.
The trim for Spencer's consists of putting on the frieze board, which on the sides means cutting the correct angle to go up the slanted portion of the roof. then trim goes under the roof overhang, scale 1x8 and then 1x4 make up the fascia. The roof card is just a bit too big and I discovered this after I glued it on. this meant that I had to put a scale 1x10 on the front to take up the space on the overhang. After that the pre-cut rafters get installed.
there were two pre-cut floor dividers as light blocks that were put in.
I used a glue stick to apply the roofing paper.
the last photo shows the parts of the structure that sits on the roof...
Looks great so far.
Looks really nice, Bob. I love the look of those large, multi-story clapboard industries.
--George
Bob,
Looking real good so far....nice job on the clapboard walls..
Loren....
That really looks nice. Love the coloring.
Really nice work! I love the coloring and weathered finish.
John
thanks guys!
I tried something new for me with the walls, I wanted to blend/layer colors. I put Hunterline gray stain on both sides and weighed them down. Then I sponged on light gray craft paint, then some white, then a color called taupe. They look good to the eye, my camera seems to make the darker areas stand out more than what my eye sees.
I got the idea for this from Bob Mitchell, who makes walls look like they have been painted different colors in the buildings' life
the little roof-top addition has taken a lot of my time, I opted to use the "dreaded" Campbell shingles on a part of it rather than all rolled roofing. I haven't secured it down on the main roof yet.... the main roof needs more weathering and distressing. ....
Bob,
Your Spencer Box build is looking great. Will follow along as my walls were braced and painted recently...buff color with red windows...but not raised yet.
Will see if you run into any other issues. BobVanGelder from SRMW has helped me in the past on a few of his other kits too. Great person to deal with.
Tommy
Tom,
The other issue that I ran into was the brass trim pieces for the cigar shop windows: they didn't fit properly into the opening and it was just easier for me to trim the windows with wood rather than try and file down the thin brass trim pieces. I think that if the trim pieces had been laser cut from wood it would have been easier for me to fit them into place. Other than that, everything has been pretty straight forward...
Coming along well.👍🏻 Great meeting up with you at the F&SM on Saturday.
thanks Dave,
Yes, it was a good time to be had at the FSM!
Quote from: rpdylan on June 25, 2019, 08:14:43 AM
thanks guys!
I tried something new for me with the walls, I wanted to blend/layer colors. I put Hunterline gray stain on both sides and weighed them down. Then I sponged on light gray craft paint, then some white, then a color called taupe. They look good to the eye, my camera seems to make the darker areas stand out more than what my eye sees.
I got the idea for this from Bob Mitchell, who makes walls look like they have been painted different colors in the buildings' life
I really like the look of the walls from this process. They have an extra richness that strikes the eye immediately. Your roof treatments are also very nice.
--George
Good job Bob looks good
Doug
thanks guys! appreciate the kind words!
There was a Foscale video from years ago with Bob Mitchell,,,, I thought I would try out the way he does his walls.... that is what I went for. The walls look more blended to the naked eye than they do with the camera.....
As much as I would like to build this thing on a diorama and "drop" into place on my layout, because of the size, it will be impossible to do this. the diorama base is 2' x 2'..... that is pretty big. Plus I need to re-configure things to fit better where I am using it. So,,,, I am going to build the main buildings on a foam base that is 12 x 10 approx...... then drop that into place on the layout and go from there. I started the water/ river feature on the layout.... pics to follow.
Quote from: rpdylan on June 26, 2019, 05:55:20 PM
thanks guys! appreciate the kind words!
There was a Foscale video from years ago with Bob Mitchell,,,, I thought I would try out the way he does his walls.... that is what I went for. The walls look more blended to the naked eye than they do with the camera.....
As much as I would like to build this thing on a diorama and "drop" into place on my layout, because of the size, it will be impossible to do this. the diorama base is 2' x 2'..... that is pretty big. Plus I need to re-configure things to fit better where I am using it. So,,,, I am going to build the main buildings on a foam base that is 12 x 10 approx...... then drop that into place on the layout and go from there. I started the water/ river feature on the layout.... pics to follow.
Try his tuna salad and report back. :o
I see you have watched the video, Dave!
here is what I am doing, the main structure will drop into the space in back of the water feature,,,, a series of small falls for the water to go down to the edge of the layout. A Hunterline wood truss bridge is already made to go over this river. you can also see the placement of things --looking past my scratch build Fox Run diorama......
Interesting to see the overall composition, Bob.
I'm enjoying your build and do hope you will take us on the journey as it is blended into your terrain.
Cheers, Mark.
Quote from: mark dalrymple on June 26, 2019, 06:31:52 PM
Interesting to see the overall composition, Bob.
I'm enjoying your build and do hope you will take us on the journey as it is blended into your terrain.
Cheers, Mark.
What Mark said...
A Plus work!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks guys for the positive feedback!
dry fitting pieces to see how they fit....
been nibbling away at the layout site where Spencer will finally sit....
Hey Bob:
This structure is coming right along and looks just great.
Karl
Looks great Bob.
Bob
Your build is looking great. The process of blending the build into the scenery on the layout is my favorite part of this wonderful hobby.
Absolutely top-notch work, Bob. Very nice!
--George
Coming along just beautifully.👍🏻
Thank you so much for the kind words guys! thanks for following along! I think I make a mistake on every kit that I build, some are small some are big,,, some I fix and some I don't.... in my zeal to attach the side addition to the main building I forgot to put a foundation on it... grrrr..... oh well, it is what it is, I will scenic around it, the addition is now 1/8 inch lower than it should be,,,,
(the ground cover is some earth colored foam with dirt on top, its dark because its wet with glue)
That's a good-lookin' scene you building there. And as I've said to my daughter a few times, "We all make mistakes, big and little, it's the recovery that matters." 8)
--Rich
Looking great Bob! Thanks for all of the pics. The color really came out superb on the building.
I would not have noticed the mistake if you hadn't written about it. Looks very good from where I sit.
--George
Thanks George, I did one of those Homer Simpson "Doh"! when I realized it!
as an aside here, the instructions are pretty good good with this kit,, but I have to say that in my experience, the absolute best kit instructions have come from George Sellios' FSM kits. These SRMW instructions come in second, but are very good because FSM sets the bar pretty high. I built a sand house kit last year and those instructions were borderlne worthless.
for any kit, my advice to modelers is to read and study the instructions for a day or two before doing anything. my blunder here is such a rookie mistake, thats what drives me crazy!
Bob, We all go crazy one time or another, At least you took the plunge and ran with it. Spencer is one of my favorite kit. Next to the roundhouse...Dennis
Bob,
Beautifully done, love it.
Tom ;D
not much bench time lately, combination of work and summertime stuff. I am nibbling away at the front and side loading dock sheds,,, they are a bit time consuming.... I gotta put the rafter tails on before I install the front shed roof because I would never get them in place easily once the roof is put on.... one trick I do for cutting the gable end trim and end rafters is to trace the wall on a piece of paper from the cardstock cut out and use that to cut the pieces.... I'm sure all the pros here already know this trick.....
I'm going to use these Minuteman shingles on the sheds.... forgot that I had them!
Hey Bob:
No matter it still looks just fine.
Karl
got the walls of the brick market building together using 5 minute epoxy, primed with a red colored primer.
the dock sheds are a bit challenging to get together, I think if I was going to do it again, I would build this shed before the dock is put into place.... this would have been against how the instructions tell you how to do it, but it would have made things easier. The roof will come up right under the upper window sill,
Looking good, Bob. That brick market has some really nice molded-in detail.
--George
Looking good, Bob.
I do really like the tobacconist shop.
Cheers, Mark.
Thanks Mark and George!
It started raining again so I left my yard and went back to my workbench,,,, got the roof on the side shed.
The market building is connected to the factory with an elevated "bridge"... in order to have the market come off of the factory at an angle, I cut the cardstock. The instructions do not call for any bracing inside this piece but I'm from the school of "never too much bracing"!
I had picked up some of this corrugated material on paper at the last Expo. really nice stuff, can't wait to see how it paints up.
using this rusting kit I got at the craft store, I painted the "metal" siding.
The instructions for Tedechi's Store calls for the cardstock roof to be sandwiched between the walls and the cornice piece. I really didn't like the way this looked so I am putting the cornice trim piece directly on top of the walls and will trim the cardstock piece and drop it in place from the top. --- the photo shows the cornice piece being glued on with a weight to help keep flat.
Hey Bob:
Looks just great. Only one problem the sign is upside down. Just kidding.
Karl
Love how the corrugated tin came out Bob!
Just catching up on build threads.
It all look excellent, super job!
Would love to build one of SRMW's kits, but except for a couple of the structures in the Cambridge Crossing kit, nothing else would work in my diorama scene.
Following on, now.
Jim
thanks guys for following along!
What I like about using this Vallejo rusting paint "kit" is that you can get some nice rust effects by just following the paints in order using a sponge,,, and then go back and change anything that you might not like..... this is how the instruction sheet is written.... and of course I usually do all my weathering powders after I'm no longer handling the model
I pushed the market structure up against the walkway and main building to see how it will come together,,,, the market comes off at an angle which adds interest.
By forgetting to put the "foundation" on the side shed where the walkway is, the walkway is a bit too high on the market wall.... so I think I need to drop the market down a bit by contouring the foam base. plus I want to add the sidewalk to the front of the market so that is a bit of an elevation drop also.... (confusing?)... I'm always trying to think ahead of how things will lay out before I glue a structure on to the base....
Looks great Bob! You've done a nice job on the corrugated as well as the brick. Keep those progress pics coming.
Thank you Mark.... Walls will get some final weathering powders at the very end....
not much to report, got some of the tower done, it fits into the corner of the market building. The roof of the market will need some serious detailing to improve the look!
got some more work done on the roof of the market building. Broke off that for a bit to get the bar structure built. The kit name for this is Shuge's.... I changed the name as you can see. I painted everything on this structure in shades of gray, with white trim.....
I think that I pass this tip along on every build that I post, but I will repeat it because I think its a good one.... I edge my roof cards with either scale 1x3 or 1x4, depending on the thickness of the roof card. I think it improves the edge, I find that the cardboard edges can get the layer separation, while small, I think it can be noticeable.
I'm fussing with the placement of the lounge,,,, I need to fit in a sidewalk,,, and I want a dingy alley.
The road is joint compound. If you let it dry a bit, then dip your finger in water and smooth it out, rather than try and smooth it out using a putty knife. This works pretty good.
Looks very good Bob.
Coming on very nicely, Bob.
Cheers, Mark.
I've been nibbling away at this kit diorama when I can, plus working on the site that the diorama will sit on.....
here is a photo looking across at the different roofs ... this is how the structures will be arranged....
Hey Bob. This will look great looking across the isle to the scenery in the background.
Cheers, Mark.
thanks Mark,,,,, however, the diorama is actually going across to the other side,,,, I am making the river with the outlet pipes that goes in front of the Spencer Building and then this will go in front of that feature. the plan is that the view will be past my Hunterline bridge over the river to Spencers,,,,
I gotta post some photos of this area,,,,,
the diorama is being built on the foam base, and sits in a cut out on the layout. This way I can work on this monster at the bench. The bridge will drop in when I am ready with the track.... the river has about 10 coats of gloss Modge Podge so far.... lots more detail at the river is needed plus I gotta make the waterfalls.... the road that goes in front of the market will curve at an angle to the side of the layout,,, the backdrop here will be some tall structures, with the track going under one of the buildings.....
Bob,
Very nice scene, excellent work....
Loren...
I agree the whole scene is developing very nicely.
--Rich
This is going to be an awesome scene Bob!
not much time at the bench lately, trying to get this power pole assembly done.... (getting a Jordan kit together also....)
Very nice job Bob!!!!..... Dennis
Bob,
Nicely done on all of it. Love the weathering on the brick walls.
Tom ;D
week and a half away on vacation to Arizona..... looked at areas for future retirement!
now its back to the work bench, but its summer again here in the North East!
the machinery that controls the water outflow to the river consists of several castings, but goes together easily with some CA glue. The shed over it took a bit of time because of the fragility of the structure.
Looking superb, Bob.
Cheers, Mark.
Bob,
Really excellent build. Love the SRMW kits, and how they always were presented.
Question. for your or anyone else who might know. Any idea why the paper mill would be connected to the market? I could see if it were a outlet store of some time, for the paper company.
Does the walkway have to be installed (For future reference)?
Thanks.
Jim
good question, and I have no idea! I thought of that myself during the build but I liked the elevated walkway so much I kept it as is. I did move the restaurant and changed it to a bar room. You don't have to connect the structures with the walkway, they have complete walls and can be separated... I actually covered up windows with the elevated walkway.
there were things that came up during the build of this kit that were a bit challenging, but any experienced modeler can build this thing.... just requires some accuracy with the trim and the resin pieces....
The instructions do not guide you step by step, in ultra detail, with regards to the diorama base as the FSM instructions do.... but one doesn't have to do the elevations like the prototype..... I did do some elevation changes as I love them for my dioramas.
the double telephone pole assembly took some time to complete... will post photos when I get a chance.....
Beautiful work!
John
Bob
Great work indeed! Bob's kits need a scene like you have developed. I'm enjoying watching your progress.
Bob some wonderful work going on there!!
Jerry