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Forum Boards => Dioramas => Topic started by: Random on April 08, 2018, 12:23:30 AM

Title: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 08, 2018, 12:23:30 AM
I've been a fan of the FSM for years and have always wanted to do some city modeling.  I have space right now for what amounts to a glorified around the room oval which will let me model two city areas.  The first will be inspired by the South Manchester station area of the FSM.  My intention is to model the station and the core surrounding area close to George's originals and then expand out working more on my own ideas.

This is all being built on modules that can fit though a bedroom door, around a corner and down stairs.  Hopefully one day they will move into a larger space that will let this become the core of a larger layout.

Here's is a shot of the area's design being worked out full size.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-180218095644-29845327.jpeg)


The core module is about 28" deep by 56" wide.  There is another module behind it that is 25" deep and 48" wide.   The station building (being detailed here: http://modelersforum.com/scratch-building/stone-buildings/ (http://modelersforum.com/scratch-building/stone-buildings/)) will be located to the left of the module.  Because the station is built on a plywood base I had to raise the surrounding sidewalks.  The wood strips you can see are two layers os 3/32 thick basswood.  The streets in between are poured using Durham's water putty. I'm using woodland scenics risers to lift the roadbed to the right.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418233945-30996513.jpeg)


Because of the depth of the road I built it up in several pours.  The first was a fairly thick mix (about like cake icing) that I worked in as best I could to fill the area.  After it set but before it was rock hard I used a straight edge to scrape down any high spots.  I then went back and filled in the low areas.  During each pour I taped off the wood frames and then pealed that away as soon as I was done spreading putty.  I lightly sanded with course paper once it was set and then filled again, each time being sure to keep the edges down even with the wooden bits.  If you look closely you can see some wood inserts in the roadway to the left and right of the station area.  This is were the footings for the railroad bridge support beams will be placed.  Finally, I sanded the roadway smooth with find sand paper.  You can see an area where I tested paint color in the upper left.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418233945-309972287.jpeg)


Here you can see the raised mainline turning off to the left and a riser for a siding.  The finished sidewalks will be installed on top of the wood strips.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418233945-30998955.jpeg)


The area to the right will be lifted with a combination of florist foam and woodland scenics sheet foam to create the base for the Railway Express building.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418233945-309991793.jpeg)


For the stone retaining wall to the right of the station I used 3 castings made from Sterling Models molds.  I had a supply of these castings on hand.  They were cast in standard plaster of paris and wow are they delicate. I backed them with card stock to try to give them some strength but I still have to be very carful handling them.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418233945-31000439.jpeg)


Here is the retaining wall set in place to test the fit.  This was the moment I realized that I had not made the notch for the bridge wide enough. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418234044-310011973.jpeg)


The railway express building is one of 3 large buildings around the station that I plan to match as closely as possible.  This will be made from two Magnuson Burndout's Fireproof Warehouse kits.  I will also be modeling the two buildings directly behind the station from Magnuson kits per George's original.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418234044-310021236.jpeg)


I will need another retaining wall to the right of the stone.  This will be concrete.  The end wall will be reworked to remove the doors on the first floor.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418234045-31003460.jpeg)


While other bits and bobs have been drying I have also been working on the yellow freight building that will go on the raised station platform.  As its not part of the stone station itself I decided to move it's build to this thread.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070418234045-31004267.jpeg)



I also plan to model the diner built from a rail car as well as the red and white auto repair building.  After these buildings I plan to vary from the original to create my own city area around the station.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on April 08, 2018, 04:49:26 AM
Off to a great start Roger , I will certainly follow this one closely.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Zephyrus52246 on April 08, 2018, 07:51:40 AM
What a cool project.  Interested to watch it all come together.


Jeff
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on April 08, 2018, 08:11:18 AM
Roger


Great project! I will be following along.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dave K. on April 08, 2018, 08:49:05 AM
Yep...following.👍🏻
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on April 08, 2018, 09:28:11 AM
Looks like a fun journey in your future Roger - neat start.....I'll be looking in.  :)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on April 08, 2018, 10:04:44 AM
This is really going to turn out great. I'm in for the long haul.

Tom ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Lynnb on April 08, 2018, 10:40:45 AM
This is going to be an interesting project, will you be building fsm kits for this?
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jimmillho on April 08, 2018, 10:42:25 AM
I also will also be watching.

Jim
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on April 08, 2018, 12:32:08 PM
I'm watching, too. I love just about everything about the F&SM and especially love big city scenes.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 18, 2018, 07:08:35 PM
Not much progress here as I've been glazing windows elsewhere but I did manage to get a base coat of paint down on the roads.  The paint is a mix of Fawn (tan) and Slate Gray Americana craft paint using a ratio of 3 parts tan to 2 parts gray.  This is a ratio George mentioned in one of his videos while he doesn't specify what tan and what gray.  Once weathered this one looks good to my eye.  It took 3 coats of paint to get good coverage over the water putty road.  Sidewalks will be painted separately and applied over the basswood risers.  Next I'll need to carve expansion joints and cracks into the road.  I'm also planning to drill some shallow holes and place manhole covers. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-180418190105-31282797.jpeg)


Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on April 19, 2018, 07:40:08 AM
Hey Random:

This looks like a very interesting project. I shall be following along. You are off to A good start.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 07, 2018, 10:22:21 AM
I've spent some time carving in expansion joints and cracks as well as drilling some holes to plant manhole castings.  I was not happy with the surface as I could see brush marks.  The roads were done with craft store paint over water putty.   So... I decided to try sanding the painted surface in hopes of removing the brush marks.   This did not go well.   The paint apparently did not actually adhere to the water putty.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070518100306-31418776.jpeg)


I found that using a plastic drywall spreader the paint would roll right off with minimal pressure. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070518100307-31484921.jpeg)


There were a few spots that had adhered better but a touch of water fixed that in short order.   

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070518100307-314851055.jpeg)

I'm glad I realized this issue now rather than deep into weathering the streets.

The last time I modeled city streets I used regular plaster of paris poured into similar wooden forms, carved in details, painted with floquil earth (edit: I think it was probably aged concrete, not earth) and then weathered with charcoal.  Those roads came out just like I wanted.  Since I have changed both the material and the paint in this case I am not sure where the issue lies.   But I do know I am once again missing floquil paint.

I have had great success with craft store paints on wood and hydrocal models but on other materials not so much.  I'd hate to have to break the roads out and re-pour them but it may come to that.

Pondering my next steps.

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on May 07, 2018, 10:35:06 AM
Hi Roger:

Looks like you are moving along. As I said will be following along.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dave K. on May 07, 2018, 08:38:24 PM
I once tried using Durham's for roads but found it way too hard to work/sand once dry. Thoughts?
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 08, 2018, 10:24:53 AM
I find that I can carve the Durham's effectively with a worn x-acto blade or steel scribing tool but it is more difficult than plaster.  The real issue I'm having is with how it takes paint.  If I can't figure that out I won't be using it again.  I'm a bit stuck with these roads as pulling out the Durham's would destroy the wooden bases for the sidewalks and bridge supports.  I did a small test with some Polly Scale earth and the paint went on much nicer, so the issue may just be the craft paint.  I'm considering ordering some Scalecoat concrete and aged concrete and giving that a go.  Thoughts on the paint?


Cheers

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Oldguy on May 08, 2018, 12:45:11 PM
Try coating a small section with Glidden Gripper.  It's a primer that I use to "glue" foam together, plus as a paint primer.  I haven't found anything that it would adhere to, but I haven't tried it over water putty.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dave K. on May 08, 2018, 01:01:48 PM
Quote from: Oldguy on May 08, 2018, 12:45:11 PM
Try coating a small section with Glidden Gripper.  It's a primer that I use to "glue" foam together, plus as a paint primer.  I haven't found anything that it would adhere to, but I haven't tried it over water putty.

I wonder if Kilz would prime it sufficiently?
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ReadingBob on May 08, 2018, 01:11:41 PM
Quote from: Dave K. on May 07, 2018, 08:38:24 PM
I once tried using Durham's for roads but found it way too hard to work/sand once dry. Thoughts?

Ditto.  I can't recall if I ever got around to painting it when I was finished.  If I did it I most likely used Floquil and that probably worked okay.

I've used this Concrete Paving material to make roads with some success.  It takes a little practice to find a consistency you like to work with and some patience to get it spread just right but it can make for some really nice looking streets.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111014155647-4741757.jpeg)

Unlike Durham's it can be softened up by misting some water (or rubbing alcohol) on it.  It can be carved when dry.  It takes powder/chalk very well. 
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-250115184902-60621865.jpeg)

They also have a couple of Asphalt mixes I bought but haven't tried yet.  A little seems to go a long way. 
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on May 08, 2018, 01:25:58 PM
Bob,

Beautiful build of Fox Run Milling!

Vince
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 08, 2018, 10:17:35 PM
That road does look nice.

With the goal of saving the roads I've already poured I decided to try a different approach with what I have on hand.  Because of the influence of Troels Kirk my paint cache includes a set of artist acrylics.  Using Payne's Grey, Titanium White, and Naples Yellow Deep I mixed up a color that matched fairly closely a paint chip for Scalecoat aged concrete.  I used a half inch flat brush and developed a technique to remove the brush marks.  I applied the paint in one direction and then lightly feathered it in a perpendicular direction.  This was a little finicky and two coats were required to get good coverage but this looks much better than the craft paint and seems to be much better adhered.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080518220618-314862297.jpeg)


I allowed it to dry for several hours and then went back with my scriber and reasserted the expansion joints and added cracks.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080518220619-31544935.jpeg)


I think this will work out once I hit it with the weathering but in future I may go back to plaster roads.  We'll see.

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 16, 2018, 10:39:10 AM
I felt that the streets were too gray and too uniform so I went back and worked in more Naples Yellow Deep with previous gray and then applied that over the gray with a round artist brush using long strokes.  This introduced more warmth and a faded and uneven look to the roads. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-160518103018-31582291.jpeg)


The next step will be to highlight the cracks and expansion joints and start on the sidewalks.  I intend to make them from basswood but I am toying with some ideas including cutting the wood into "tiles" to allow me to work in some unevenness. 

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 16, 2018, 06:38:44 PM
I did a bit more work on the roads this evening.  I used a mix of dark brown, light brown, light gray and dark gray artist's soft pastels to give the roads a general weathering and highlight the cracks.  I then went back with some ochre to soften the colors and add warmth.  Next I took the dark gray and worked in an impression of the car lanes.  I again used the ochre to soften and pull back any areas that didn't work for me.  I then blended the whole surface with a soft brush.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-160518182616-316261247.jpeg)


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-160518182616-31627665.jpeg)

The holes will receive manhole cover castings.


And here is a quick shot with the station placed temporarily.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-160518183129-316281912.jpeg)


Cheers.



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 17, 2018, 05:50:25 PM
I have more details over in the Stone Buildings thread but I started painting the platforms and bridge members for the station.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-170518174109-31629459.jpeg)


Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 19, 2018, 12:52:14 AM
Foam risers and the retaining wall have been glued in place to the right of the station.  I've done some test fitting of the bridges.  I need to add the bottom plates and cut the girders to support them. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190518002840-316451102.jpeg)


I'm not sure how it will work out but I decided to cut individual sections to build the sidewalks.  A washer broke on the chopper while cutting them. Fortunately I was able to find one that fit in my scrap box.  I used sanding sticks to knock down the corners and edges.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190518002840-316461250.jpeg)


I also cut curb stones from strip wood.  My hope is that this will allow me to work in some irregularity into the sidewalks. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190518002840-316471933.jpeg)


Time for some sleep.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on May 19, 2018, 03:33:24 AM
Amazing , I am very interested in how this works out.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 30, 2018, 11:46:17 AM
Over the weekend I set out to install the sidewalks.  First I took all of the sidewalk stones and curb stones and attached them to card with tape so that I could paint them.  The paint color is intentionally varied using artists acrylics on a palette.  By varying the amount of Naples Yellow, I could lighten or darken the color.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112717-318272473.jpeg)

Once dry I pulled the stones from the card and gave them a good mixing.


I protected the station with cling film and using a straight edge glued down the individual sidewalk stones.  I tried to avoid any obvious patterning of lighter and darker stones.  Also, some of the stones had been "buttered" with Durham's and have a slightly different texture.  I pulled the more interesting of those into prominent locations.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112718-31828244.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112718-318292316.jpeg)



Next I installed curb stones.  These are meant to portray natural stone curbing in an older section of town so the corners are not rounded.  They are however worn back a bit on the outer corners.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112718-318302179.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112718-318311439.jpeg)



Lastly, I went back over the sidewalks with artist pastel chalks and a soft brush to blend the colors and give some weathering. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112853-31832250.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300518112853-318331316.jpeg)

The bigger gaps will eventually sprout grass and weeds and I may add some cracking to some stones.  For now I think its coming along well.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on May 30, 2018, 03:25:08 PM
Sidewalks look great Roger
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on June 04, 2018, 11:08:26 AM
The approach bridges for the station are coming together (details in the stone buildings build).

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040618110300-3196366.jpeg)


And while everything was drying on the bridges I assembled the express building for the raised platform. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040618110300-31964752.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040618110301-319651139.jpeg)

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on June 04, 2018, 11:10:05 AM
Roger


All I can say is this is some great modeling. I'm really enjoying your thread.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: madharry on June 04, 2018, 12:22:28 PM
Nice work on the sidewalks and road.

Mike
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on June 20, 2018, 10:07:11 AM
Thanks.

I realized Monday that I had not set foot in my shop since I finished the Diner.  I'd been spending all my time job hunting or digging dallisgrass out of my lawn.  It was time to fix that.

While the Diner build was ongoing I had been waiting for a set of heavier girder parts to arrive.  I got them assembled, sized, cut and added bottom plates, nut & bolt castings, and top plates where needed to level the platform. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094031-321801553.jpeg)


I bit of paint later and the supports are ready.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094031-323641357.jpeg)


I test fit everything in place and realized three things.  I needed to back the platform off from the rails a bit for clearance, some of the support girders did not line up with the beams in the platform frame, and I was going to have to fill in that area to the right between the sidewalk and the stone wall.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094031-32365149.jpeg)


I filled in the area between the sidewalk and wall with some aged brick from Downtown Deco.  This comes in a fairly large rectangle casting.  I cut off a strip to fit.  Unpainted the casting did not look impressive. I was concerned that I would not like the results but once painted details popped out that where simply not visible on the raw white casting.  I painted this with a mix of reds, oranges, and browns from my pallet and then after only a few minutes drying time washed over it with a very thin bit of lamp black.  I then dabbed the excess off the surface with a paper towel.  I am pleased with how it turned out.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094031-323661318.jpeg)


I added a spacer beam on the face of the platform frame to move it back from the rails and fill that void.  I also added some short beams where needed to bring them over the support girders. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094031-323672005.jpeg)


I also decided to fill in the area in front of the station with a couple of layers of sheet wood.  This area will be paved using more Durham's to give a similar effect as the roads but I did not want to deal with as much depth as before.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094112-323681680.jpeg)


And here are the results as of this morning. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200618094112-323691339.jpeg)


Cheers!


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on June 21, 2018, 10:17:28 AM
Hey Roger:

The station is coming along nicely. Where did you get the FSM stone wall castings? Wish I had some of those.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on June 21, 2018, 01:50:33 PM
Thank Karl.

The station walls are from my own masters and molds.  They are inspired by the FSM originals.   I detailed my process in this thread:

http://modelersforum.com/scratch-building/stone-buildings/


The retaining walls to the right are from Sterling Models molds.

http://sterlingmodels.com/rock-molds/


I've thought about marketing the plaster wall sections but with the original FSM parts going back into production soon I'm not sure there would be any demand.

Cheers.



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on July 15, 2018, 10:02:13 AM
Hi Roger:

Thanks for the info. Very interesting.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 19, 2018, 04:00:40 PM
I can not believe its been a month since I updated this build.  I've certainly done work in that time, although not as much as I'd have liked.  Life and all...

The raised platform is now complete.  I did some rechecking of car clearance on the track side and had to shift the platform about an eighth on an inch away from the rails.  This required me to add some additional support for the front most support columns.  They protrude a bit into the parking lot in front.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154818-327071245.jpeg)

Its very dark under the platform so I want to go back and add some slighting underneath it to light the roadways.  The plaster platform lifts out of the girder support frame so that will not be a problem. 

The overall scene is coming together. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154818-32708785.jpeg)


Here the station tracks have been installed.  The New Haven coach is sitting on the road surface behind the station.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154818-32709139.jpeg)


I am debating if that roof is too washed out.  It might need an overcoat of rain streaked grime.   I haven't decided yet.



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 19, 2018, 04:10:22 PM
While bridges and track were drying I did some work on the yellow express building.  I laid up some Campbell's shingles on card.  There are a lot of very nice laser cut roofing materials available now but I still like these best for cedar shingle.  I feel like they give more texture.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154818-327101631.jpeg)


Old stock seems to be better than new.  The cuts are not as sharp on the more recent runs I've purchased.   I never pass up a chance to grab some old stock.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154818-32711698.jpeg)


Here the shed roof is being glued in place.  Those fishing weights are invaluable.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154917-327122463.jpeg)


I hunted far and wide to find a roll of old brown gummed packing tape of the same type the singles are cut from.  I use this to cut roof cap shingles. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154917-327131238.jpeg)


The roof still needs painting but its in place.  This is the side that will face the isle.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154917-32714839.jpeg)


I was never able to locate a view of the building from the back side so I went with a plan that made sense to me when related to the visible sides.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190718154918-327151581.jpeg)


Roof paint, vents, signs and details will be next.

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on July 20, 2018, 01:47:56 AM
The scene is coming together very nicely, Rodger.

I'm enjoying your thread - thanks for sharing.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: tct855 on July 20, 2018, 08:18:19 AM
Roger,
Since you decided to build a structure that was originally done in the mid 80's, I'll stick with the theme in my reply to this build.  That's Incredible!  Thanx Thom...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqBoUtAqI3c 
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 24, 2018, 10:18:36 PM
Many buildings from the 80s actually.   :)  Thanks.

So........

Its a bit unnerving to take a band saw to several Magnuson Burndout's Fireproof Warehouse castings but if you do you get this:


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-240718221237-327871143.jpeg)


Which will eventually form into a building shaped like this:


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-240718221237-32788119.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-240718221237-327891289.jpeg)


These old castings do NOT smell good when you cut them with a band saw.

This will be the express building to the right of the station complex.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on July 25, 2018, 08:31:54 AM
This keeps getting better and better.....great work Roger.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 28, 2018, 11:50:12 PM
Up to no good with the band saw again tonight.   These three buildings lend them self to the assembly line approach.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280718222233-32790321.jpeg)


Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 31, 2018, 09:38:49 PM
The express building's walls are all glued together now.  I did not bother to make each seam perfect.  Imperfections will be hidden with downspouts, signs, vines, etc when completed.  That narrow wall will have to be trimmed on the pencil lines.  I didn't do a good job of keeping the cut straight.  Also, the long front wall had a slight bow in one of the castings.  I straightened it by glueing two fairly large strips of basswood to the back, leaving it clamped over night.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-310718211934-328222168.jpeg)


This will be the gray building behind the station.  The walls are rearranged from the kit so there will be some interesting fitting at corners as the beveled corners are no longer adjacent.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-310718211934-328421782.jpeg)


I allowed the saw to wander a bit too much in one spot so a substantial gap occurred.  Fortunately its between the raised detail.  I filled the void with sand and then added thin CA to secure it all.  It may get a little putty filler after the wall is primed if necessary.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-310718211934-328431720.jpeg)


And here we have the American Tool and Die company building still under the weights allowing the glue to cure.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-310718211934-328441923.jpeg)


All of the joints in these walls are butt joints.  I alighted the wall sections using blue painter's tape.  Then I hinged the joint open and applied gelled Super Glue and closed it.  Weights were used to hold things in place.  The joints seem fairly strong but I will probably add some reinforcement to the backs of the walls.


Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on August 01, 2018, 07:57:12 AM
Roger,

Great thread and I've been following, er, lurking around.

I have all the old Magnuson kits and plan to use the to make some of George's neat kit bashes. However, I make a rubber mold of the original wall and make the reproduction from Micro Mark resins. This way I retain the original just in case I need to make a second, third or any other walls.

Tom ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: rpdylan on August 01, 2018, 07:59:57 AM
I also have a couple of Magnuson kits and bought some mold making material from Micro Mark to make some copies.... the walls sure do smell weird! great thread- enjoying it very much!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 01, 2018, 08:46:39 AM
Many of these kits are still available from Scale Structures Limited so I personally won't make copies of those.

http://scale-structures.com/ss1500/?sort=featured&page=1 (http://scale-structures.com/ss1500/?sort=featured&page=1)

Burndout's Fireproof Warehouse is here:  http://scale-structures.com/ss1511 (http://scale-structures.com/ss1511)

The Victoria Falls Hotel is here:   http://scale-structures.com/ss1505 (http://scale-structures.com/ss1505)

Wanglie's Dept. Store is the only one of this set I've not been able to track down in production. 

Bob Lunde, who designed all the Magnuson kits, offers new structures that are very nice at http://www.lundestudios.com (http://www.lundestudios.com)  He offers a structure called the Bon Ton that is similar to Wanglie's.

One of the fun results of this process is the leftovers.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010818084022-328452149.jpeg)


I'm already forming ideas for new structures.  Except for the diner and auto repair shop I plan to move away from exact copies of George's structures in this area after these are complete.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on August 01, 2018, 09:21:33 AM
Roger,

Thanks for the information on the Magnuson kits still being offered. I learned something new here. Again, thanks. I've bookmarked the information for future use.

Tom ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 01, 2018, 10:48:24 PM
All 3 buildings got a coat of primer and a baked finish (sitting in my hot garage).  The primer was rustoleum automotive primer.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010818224204-328462387.jpeg)


I put the base color on the express building this evening.  This will get green doors, tan lintels, and I should probably find the cornice pieces.  I'll need them soon.  This was done with artist acrylics.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010818224204-32849747.jpeg)

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on August 02, 2018, 05:00:15 AM
Thanks for sharing this, Roger. I love big city buildings. These look great.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on August 02, 2018, 04:59:30 PM
Are you planning to do mortar lines? Might want to do that before you install the trim/windows, so you can maneuver the walls and even redo things if necessary.  I use thinned artist gouache (which needs to be sealed, since it'll dissolve if water from scenery touches it).  Other techniques, such as thinned wallboard compound, aren't as sensitive to water.


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 02, 2018, 06:03:46 PM
For mortor I've always used thin washes of watercolor.  I use the cheep school sets. 

My bigger issue is the building topper/cornice.  I realized today that George used the cornice from the Victoria Falls hotel which were cut away from the full wall when he built other structures.   I only have one set of those cornices and need about 3 more.  I don't like to make copies of in production parts so I'm pondering alternatives. 

I also need to remake the skinny end of the building.  I don't want the door there.  Not sure what I was thinking when I cut that.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on August 02, 2018, 06:08:33 PM
It's explicitly legal to make copies for your own use, and I think it's morally legitimate to do this for what you want to do.   But you can't sell or even give away copies to anyone else.


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 04, 2018, 05:37:01 PM
What I like about using water color for mortar is if it goes on too heavy it is easy to remove.  Just run it under water, draw a foam brush over the surface and then rinse.  Allow to dry then start over.   This is my second run.  I make a very thin mixture of water and watercolor with a drop of dish soap to break the surface tension.   I dab this onto the brick with a soft brush.  The mix should look very faint when applied.  As the water dries the watercolor pigment will settle into the grout lines.  If any spots don't get enough you just give it another round.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040818173035-32850234.jpeg)


At the lower left is the remade narrow wall ready for paint.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 10, 2018, 11:36:36 PM
I've spent my evenings this week working on painting the 3 brick buildings.  I wanted to share some progress.

These walls are the back wall and side wall of the gray building that will stand directly behind the station.  They face the station and the American Tool & Die company.  The finish on these walls is intended to be lower quality, faded, and not so nice looking brick.  I did some experimenting tonight and came up with this method.  I'm sure its a take on existing ideas.

Here is a before and after shot.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230318-329241655.jpeg)


I did this using artist acrylics.  It may work with craft paints but I did not test it with them.  The artist acrylics are much thicker and that may add to the effect.  I first painted the walls with a nice rusty red color randomly mixed from my pallet.  I wanted it to be a bit more orange than the express building.  I allowed this paint to dry for a week to ensure that it was fully set.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230318-330051956.jpeg)


Once the undercoat is set, I applied a thick coat of Naples Yellow Deep over the brick, making sure to get it all down into the grout lines.  I started from the top and covered about a third of the wall.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230318-330061452.jpeg)



I then took paper towels, wadded them up, and wiped the paint away using vertical strokes.  You have to keep turning and folding the paper towel because once you get too much paint on it it smears rather than lifts paint.  I also used paper towels with a nice texture.  Smoother paper towels might not work as well.  For the narrow bits between the windows I wiped sideways to get the bulk of the paint off but then followed with vertical strokes.  I wanted to make sure any streaking looked like natural water paths.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230318-330082124.jpeg)


Here is the upper part of the wall after wiping away paint.  I used a toothpick to clean excess paint from the window openings and to pull off the little paper bits that collected around the raised window sill details.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230318-330071442.jpeg)


I continued to wipe away paint, rubbing fairly hard in places, until I had the effect I wanted.  It is possible to rub though the base coat you can't rub too much.  If any areas have started to set you can soften the paint by wetting your fingers and rubbing the area to dampen, then continue wiping.  Be sure not to get it too wet or you will lift paint out of the grout lines.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230441-33009197.jpeg)


Here is the finished wall.  It will get a light coating of ink wash to tone things down.  I really like how this turned out.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230441-33010441.jpeg)


The base color came out of the middle of this pallet.  Most of my reds are mixed from the red and orange colors with some browns occasionally mixed in for good measure.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230441-33011261.jpeg)


This is the Naples Yellow Deep which was used for the overcoat.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100818230441-33012339.jpeg)


This was fun to do, came out well and took less than an hour to overcoat and wipe down the two walls.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: tom.boyd.125 on August 11, 2018, 01:30:39 AM
Roger,
Keep the information coming !
Tommy 
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on August 11, 2018, 09:22:25 AM
I think Naples Yellow is one of the colors Troels Kirk uses.  His DVD is a great source of knowledge and inspiration, unfortunately they sold out years agol.


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 11, 2018, 10:04:10 AM
My pallet comes from the Troels Kirk DVD.  I will use craft paints for details and things like window lintels where I want to make sure the color is consistent.



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 12, 2018, 08:51:18 PM
More catching up from the last week.

Here is the end wall of the express building. I had to cut off the door and add a black brick section to the lower portion.  This also shows the wash of thin watercolor applied to part of the wall.  This wash has enough dish soap added to break the surface tension and allow it to flow into the grout lines.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818204355-331161541.jpeg)


I originally painted the freight doors with some black-green craft paint.  But when the wall was not under strong light the green looked black.  So I went over it again with a lighter green; dark olive.  The upper wall has the olive green and the lower the black green.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818204355-331361314.jpeg)


Here is the olive green under general room lighting.  The green shows pretty well now.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818204355-331371019.jpeg)


And here are the walls fully painted.   The next step will be to add the window mullions and glazing.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818204355-3313897.jpeg)


I still have to figure out the cornice.

More in a bit.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 12, 2018, 09:19:39 PM
American Tool & Die also got some work this week.  This is the green building. 

Matching this building's color was a bit of a trick, particularly because its very green in some photos and almost golden in others.  I settled on a green which I had on hand that seemed close, FolkArt Forest Moss.  This is the same green which was used for the trim on the Leroy's Grill build. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818210408-331391288.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818210408-33150774.jpeg)


This green is in the right family but defiantly too strong.  So I lightened it with a several washes of Master's Touch Chinese white watercolor.  This is an artist watercolor that comes in a tube.  Because I wanted to town down the entire building in this case I did not use any detergent in the wash.  I wanted it to sit on top of every portion of the building. I used the large bush with a dabbing motion to apply the wash.  Clearly from the photo I was not careful.  I allowed each wash to dry over night and applied more to any areas that were still too strong.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818210408-33151592.jpeg)


Here is the final result.  I painted the lintels with a light ivory craft paint.  It took about 6 hours total to paint all of the lentils.  I still have to paint the cornice.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-120818210409-331522208.jpeg)

The building needs a wash of the light ink mixture to bring out the details on the front lentils.  I need to test the green to see if I want to wash just the lintels or the entire building with ink.

The marathon painting session yesterday left me worn out so no more progress today.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 14, 2018, 10:13:30 PM
I only had a little time this evening for the workshop so I finally got around to painting the yellow express building's roof.

This is done with acrylics from the pallet.  Grays with a bit of brown for the base.  Then some greens here and there and some white streaks all blended together with a damp flat brush.  Lastly a bit of Naples Yellow dry bushed with an upward motion just to catch the edges of the shingles and give them a little life.  All credit has to go to Troels Kirk's dvd for this method.  I'll probably go back and touch up the bare spots with a bit of ink wash once the acrylics are dry.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-140818220521-331771450.jpeg)

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on August 15, 2018, 02:05:58 AM
Nice work, Roger.

Nice colours, a good steady hand and some interesting techniques.

I have a pallet based on Troels Kirks DVD also, and use his method for painting the shingles, finding it easy and effective.

Great progress.  I have Lots of these kits to 'bash' as my layout progresses, so am finding your thread very interesting.  Thanks for taking the time to share.

Cheers, Mark.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on August 15, 2018, 08:08:02 AM
Roger


Great work and techniques. Thank you for sharing them with us.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 15, 2018, 10:52:17 PM
Thanks.  I took this project on to practice a variety of techniques and learn a few new ones. It has certainly filled that bill. 

A bit more progress tonight.   I did some work building up the track and scenery base to the right of the station.  Most of the work is hidden under the books but it's just another layer of foam to raise things up.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150818224248-331781752.jpeg)

And a bit more interesting are some details that got a touch of paint.  The beam will go on top of the stone wall to the right of the station to act as the transition between the bridge span and the ballasted track.

The other bits are the three layers of two fans.  These are from Blair Line and are laser cut from very thin lazerboard.  They will stack up to make two vent fans for the front wall of the yellow building.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150818224248-33194532.jpeg)

The cover grill required a steady hand to poke out the leftover bits of wood in some of the openings but otherwise they were very clean.  They should provide a little more detail than the one piece cast metal vents on George's original. 

That's it for tonight.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 27, 2018, 05:22:21 PM
My cornice pieces are coming together.  I have finished the profile build of two 2 foot long sections.  I wanted to make enough to finish the express building and have a section left over to use as a master for a mold.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818171453-333761018.jpeg)


The spacing of the major components matches the original but the trim I am using for the major detail is deeper than the original.  As a result the over all cornice is about 3/32 deeper than the original.   I have had to outsource the frame and block details as I do not currently have a cutting machine and do not want to cut them all by a hand.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818171453-333802052.jpeg)

I am pleased with the overall balance.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818171453-333811774.jpeg)




Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 27, 2018, 05:54:57 PM
While I am waiting on the details for the cornice I decided to experiment on the windows.  Adding the window mullions by applying the glazing and then adding short bits into the window opening is tedious and difficult to keep everything aligned.  Someone, I think on this forum, tried applying the mullion behind the glazing as a single strip.  The only issue with this is the glazing covers the mullion and in a foreground model I felt this would be too obvious.  So I decided to try a variation on a theme.

First I painted the mullion strips to match the window trim, which in this case i left as a red that matches the brink.  (Color me lazy but i like the look.)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173503-33382596.jpeg)


Next I marked the midpoint of the window openings across the back in pencil and cut a strip of glazing to fit between the marks.  I attached this with thin ACC.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173503-33383305.jpeg)


Then I placed a strip of painted mullion against the edge of the glazing and tacked it down with thin ACC.  I then cut another strip of glazing and attached it against the mullion strip with more thing ACC.   The result is the glazing buts up against the mullion rather that sitting in front or behind it.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173503-33384691.jpeg)


The only issue now is that small gaps can be left between the glazing and the mullion which might grow larger with expansion of the materials over time.  So I decided to stabilize the materials with a small bead of canopy glue. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173504-33385186.jpeg)



I apply this with a toothpick and then used my finger in an up or down motion to draw it into the gap and remove any excess.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173504-33386389.jpeg)


Here is the view from the front while the canopy glue is still setting.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173701-33387594.jpeg)


This is after letting the canopy glue dry overnight ad with a dark piece of card placed behind the wall.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270818173701-33388989.jpeg)


I like the effect and installation was relatively easy.


Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on August 27, 2018, 07:54:19 PM
Looks good, Roger. Nice effect on the windows. I definitely like the clear plastic sheet look better than the Canopy Glue or Micro Krystal Klear effect. And with your windows having no mullions, making panes out of glue isn't really an option.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on August 28, 2018, 02:18:35 PM
Roger:

Looks great so far. Keeep the pic coming.

karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on August 28, 2018, 04:38:31 PM
What Karl said.....good looking brickwork.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 10:56:23 PM
Lots has gone on since I last updated this build.  Grab a beverage and a chair and here we go......


To start things off it was time to start the passenger shelter for the platform.  These are taken from a plastic kit.  I can not recall who made it and the box has gone walk-about.  I trimmed a bit off the end of each arm to narrow them by about 1/16th inch on each end and then glued them into holes drilled into the platform with canopy glue.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918222952-335711401.jpeg)


I squared the posts, placed the ruler across the top and added a few weights.  This was left to dry overnight.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918222952-33572586.jpeg)


Next I added a sub-roof made from card stock.  I cut this as a single piece and scored and folded it to match the inverted V of the supports.  There is a surprise hiding under the card stock.  More on that later.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918222952-33573762.jpeg)


Weights were placed over each support post to ensure that the roof seated properly.  (There is a hint of that surprise here.)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918222952-335748.jpeg)


The next day with the glue dry and the weights removed the roof is looking very nice.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918222952-335751685.jpeg)


The view from below reveals the support beams that run the length of the roof under the card stock.  There are also deeper trim boards that cover the cut off ends of the support post arms.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223140-33576631.jpeg)

While this was drying other work progressed elsewhere.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:09:39 PM
Elsewhere on the forum I saw a post about the new cutting machines.   Let me tell you, after a week of back and forth, they are not the beat all end all for every project.  (I do still want one for cutting sigh painting stencils.)  The disaster below was the result of trying to cut the cornice details for the red express building.  This was the third attempt to get them cut. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223140-335771247.jpeg)


After this I went back to the tried and true method of straight edge, pencil, and sharp knife.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223140-335782258.jpeg)

I easily spent 4-5 hours going back and forth with the cutting machine. I was working remotely as the machine I was using is out of town with a relative.  Drawing and cutting the details by hand took just under an hour.  Lesson learned.


Here we have two buckets of nicely hand cut detail pieces.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223140-335791996.jpeg)


Applied to the cornice strips the details give a look that is very similar to the original kit's.   It took a couple of hours to glue all of the details in place.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223141-33580223.jpeg)


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:21:48 PM
While the cornices dried I built up the red express building.  I used gel type superglue  to attach the walls.  This was a little interesting as none of the corners are square.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223311-335811873.jpeg)


With the building tacked together I cut and fit the cornices.

This is the front.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223311-33582443.jpeg)


This is the left side which faces the station.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223311-335831799.jpeg)


The narrow wall to the right, away from the station.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223311-33584354.jpeg)


I didn't like how the cornice sections came together over the short wall so I decided to rework that section.  I had to add an additional bay to the end of the cornice to extend it. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223311-335852184.jpeg)


The new section over the short wall butted into the back side cornice neatly but on the front side it overlapped a bit.  I added some more detail to the corner to make the two pieces transition together more pleasingly.  This is the stare step of trim right at the corner.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223517-33586640.jpeg)


Here is a slightly different view of the cornice after some sanding and blending.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223517-335872379.jpeg)


I'm much happier with the look  of the cornice across the front of the building now.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223517-33588565.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223517-335891757.jpeg)


On the left side the side cornice blends into the back of the front section.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223517-33590203.jpeg)


And here is a view of the back side that will face the track.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223642-33591557.jpeg)


There was a lot of fitting and blending required but the results were worth it.   


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:26:00 PM
While I was adding the blending trim to the right side I got frustrated with applying small amounts of canopy glue to the boards with a toothpick (my usual method).  I remembered the bottles I had purchased to add the plaster slurry to blend the stone wall sections on the station.  The tips on these bottles are much more pointed than the canopy glue bottles and allow you to create a much smaller beed of glue.  I transferred a bottle of glue into one of these bottles.   As an added bonus, the cap is attached so you can't lose it on the work bench.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223642-33592312.jpeg)(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223642-33593583.jpeg)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:33:19 PM
Getting back to the build, remember those non-square corners in the express building?  I wanted to reinforce them but square strip wood clearly would not work.  So I used several sizes of dowel to reinforce the corners.  I applied a beed of canopy glue along the dowel where it would contact the side and set it in place.  Once that set I added some more glue to strengthen the joint.

The photo is a bit dark but you can see the dowel in both corners.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223642-3359480.jpeg)


This dowel is a bit easier to see.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223642-33595706.jpeg)


This corner is close to square but needed some reinforcement at the bottom where this is a gap.  (More on that when I address it.)

I used a larger diameter dowel on this corner.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223928-33596995.jpeg)


I also glued the cornice sections together.  Here is the complete cornice lifted and flipped upside down.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223928-335972029.jpeg)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:40:25 PM
While all those joints were drying on the express building I turned my attention elsewhere.

I added rolled roofing to the passenger shed. This was done with the same black pastel paper I used to roof the station.  I pulled and blended grays and a little brown from my acrylic pallet to create some color variation.  After they dried I mixed them and pulled randomly.  I used my fingernail to tighten the strips down over the edge of the prior strip.  I added "nail" impressions into the patches with a metal punch.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223929-33598819.jpeg)


I also went back to the yellow building and added rafter tails and the fans.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223929-33599507.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918223929-336001212.jpeg)

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:47:04 PM
Shifting back to the roof of the red express  building, I cut a sheet of 1/8th inch thick basswood to fit inside the cornice.  I added some stiffeners to the underside across the grain to keep it from sagging.  I then glued it inside the cornice. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224054-336012090.jpeg)


I flipped the roof over and settled the inset down on the stiffeners to make it level within the cornice.  I also added a small bead of glue around the edges to seal that joint.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224054-33602186.jpeg)

The completed roof and cornice looks good.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224054-33603542.jpeg)

I would love to prime and paint the cornice and roof but it has been raining for a week and I can not paint outside or vent my spray boot while its raining (the booth's vent is temporary and fits into an opened window.  Its bound to stop raining eventually.



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 11, 2018, 11:55:58 PM
Moving right along...

Another small addition is beginning to take place.  This is an interesting set of small walls.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224054-336042151.jpeg)


And back on the other bench, details have been added the passenger shelter.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224054-336051745.jpeg)


A bit of yellow paint and these walls are starting to take shape.   Interestingly I made the accidental discovery that titanium white acrylic artist's paint makes a very good primer on gray plastic parts.  This was applied with a brush.  I also discovered that this yellow craft paint is very translucent and the pencil marks show though.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224221-336061786.jpeg)


Not wanting to watch paint dry, I added blinds to the windows of the express building.  (This would have been much easier to do before I glued the walls together but I forgot.)  I added some simple view blocks into the building to prevent being able to see all the way thought it. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224221-336071709.jpeg)


The blinds are cut from tan pastel paper and glued in place with canopy glue. I cut various heights of paper to prevent them all being the same.  Although there are a few matched pairs implying an office with a picky occupant. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224221-33608762.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224221-33609554.jpeg)

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 12, 2018, 12:01:27 AM
Some brown trim, more rolled roofing, a cash register and some magazines and news papers later and those yellow walls tuned out to be the news stand for the station platform.  The newspapers and magazines are from the supply I made for the Leroy's Grill build.  I used newspapers and magazines "hung" from the front wall to cover those pesky pencil lines.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224222-33610341.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224321-336111273.jpeg)


That was a lot of work.  So how about a break and a couple of beauty shots.   Here is how the scene is coming together.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224321-336121760.jpeg)


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110918224321-336131656.jpeg)


This concludes the marathon update.  I will try not to go so long between them in the future.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on September 12, 2018, 02:41:07 AM
Great work, Roger. Outstanding scene. Clever idea for the view block in the brick building.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on September 12, 2018, 03:11:25 AM
Coming along great Roger, love the canopy roof .  The cornice details came out excellent, just wondering why the cutter couldn't cut it  ;)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 12, 2018, 08:57:45 AM
Thanks.  I've seen the view block method used before in articles.  They are tacked in place with a bit of white glue but can be popped lose easily.

The issue with the cutter is the result of several factors:

Very small detail parts.
Material held in place by the tackiness of the mat.
Thick material being cut with a lateral blade movement in crosscutting motions.
Software limitations in creating the cut diagram.

The mat in use was not new and may not have had enough tack to hold the material.  The paper being cut was 140 lb watercolor paper and is fairly thick. The cut diagram resulted in the long horizontal cuts being made first then the smaller cuts occurring inside the small resulting areas.  I only posted one picture but there were several failure modes.  Sometimes the full sheet shifted resulting in offline cuts. Other times sections pulled loose when the blade crossed previous cuts.

I think this could have been cut on the machine but I needed more advanced software to design the pattern with as few cuts as possible.  I needed to control the order of the cuts.  And a new mat and possibly a new blade would have made a difference.  In this case I had simply exceeded my desire to fiddle with it.  Making the cuts by hand was not hard and got the project back on schedule.

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 15, 2018, 11:06:59 AM
I started the next structure for the station scene.  This is the diner.  It started out as a Pullman Palace sleeper car from Roundhouse.  These are great old kits.

First step, slice.  I cut the car on my small band saw from Micromark.  This is the second best tool I've ever bought for modeling.  (The first being the thin beam square).  I made my cuts to match the general layout of the original model.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103414-336602081.jpeg)


The diner will only use the ends.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103415-337272230.jpeg)


Only minimal sanding was required to match the ends. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103415-3372813.jpeg)


I used an index card to mark up the dimensions of the storage shed.  I selected windows from parts I had on hand and the door casting was used as a sizing guide.  I'll be making the actual doors myself so that the details are double sided.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103415-337291149.jpeg)


Since the large front doors will be modeled open the shed will need a full interior.  So I decided to frame it rather than using scribed siding.  I framed the 4 sides flat using the index card guide covered with waxed paper (but failed to take any pictures) and then assembled the shed frame.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103415-33730435.jpeg)


I attached a roof from cardstock to give the model some stability.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103732-33731811.jpeg)


The framing of the shed is matched to the car so that the vestibule door opens to the shed.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103732-337322173.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103732-337332081.jpeg)


I built a frame to support the car from wooden ties from my parts stash.  The frame will be covered with a stripwood skirt.  The shed's base is made from stripwood cut to match the ties.  I wanted a lighter finish on these so I did not use the pre-stained ties.  The floor is made from scale 2x12s.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103732-33734939.jpeg)


I added horizontal framing members for the window and door openings.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103732-337352122.jpeg)
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103834-337361293.jpeg)


I then added siding to the shed with scale 2x10s.  These were lightly stained with ink & alcohol stain.  I still need to go back and sand the window and door openings square.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103834-337372281.jpeg)


I stained the shed base with ink & alcohol stain.  Note that the shed's roof extends over the car and tucks up against the clerestory.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150918103834-3373830.jpeg)


Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on September 15, 2018, 04:02:01 PM
Looking good , can't wait to see this diner serving food and of course coffee.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Opa George on September 16, 2018, 09:20:08 AM
Roger,
So much to comment on, so to keep it short: beautiful work. The brick triangular building looks amazing and I am really liking the passenger shelter and news stand.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 22, 2018, 09:53:41 PM
Thanks.

You know, I am really looking forward to Jimmy getting all those detail castings on the market.  But not wanting to wait I spent entirely too much time this week building four doors for the diner's extension.  These are built from scale 2x4 inch stripwood.  The pair for the front of the shed that will be open were built attached to each other by the horizontal pieces so that they lined up.  They also needed detail on both sides.  The single doors for the sides will be modeled closed so I just wanted planking to show when you look inside the shed.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-220918214503-34027275.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-220918214506-340281003.jpeg)

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Lynnb on November 10, 2018, 07:36:55 PM
Quote from: ReadingBob on May 08, 2018, 01:11:41 PM
Quote from: Dave K. on May 07, 2018, 08:38:24 PM
I once tried using Durham's for roads but found it way too hard to work/sand once dry. Thoughts?

Ditto.  I can't recall if I ever got around to painting it when I was finished.  If I did it I most likely used Floquil and that probably worked okay.

I've used this Concrete Paving material to make roads with some success.  It takes a little practice to find a consistency you like to work with and some patience to get it spread just right but it can make for some really nice looking streets.
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-111014155647-4741757.jpeg)

Unlike Durham's it can be softened up by misting some water (or rubbing alcohol) on it.  It can be carved when dry.  It takes powder/chalk very well. 
(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/56-250115184902-60621865.jpeg)

They also have a couple of Asphalt mixes I bought but haven't tried yet.  A little seems to go a long way.
Wow that is one beautiful piece of work.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Lynnb on November 10, 2018, 07:38:45 PM
Roger you're doing alot of really nice work here.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 23, 2018, 10:05:00 PM
Its been a while since I last updated.  I have managed to get some work done.  I just haven't had time to update.  So I'll be playing catch-up.

I assembled the green building.  I started with the beveled corner as this needed the most precise fit.  I used a bead of gel super glue to attach the beveled walls.  Wooden clothes pins in the windows provided good clamping points.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118215621-356521997.jpeg)



The cornice still had a gap at the corner.  I filled that later with squadron putty.  I allowed the beveled corner to dry overnight before moving on to the back wall.  A couple of clothes pins trimmed to blunt ends allowed me to use window openings on the back wall to help hold it in place.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118215622-356541895.jpeg)



I allowed that joint to set for a few minutes before adding the final wall and clamping everything in place. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118215622-35655224.jpeg)


The butt-joints had slight gaps but those will be covered by drainage pipes and other details.  This was allowed to sit and cure for several days.







Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 23, 2018, 10:20:12 PM
Once the green building had time for the joints to set firmly I placed it in the scene to test the fit.  Turns out the building is a trapezoid.  I didn't realize it until this point but the back wall was slightly longer than the front.  This left a visibly narrowing space for the sidewalk that would not have looked right.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118221106-356561564.jpeg)


My solution was to trim back the road to allow a full width sidewalk.  I used strips of basswood to build up the sidewalk and raise the building to properly align with the road.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118221106-35657369.jpeg)


I continued the basswood the full length of the block and joined it to the existing road. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118221106-356581862.jpeg)


With the building placed into the scene the narrowing road is not apparent and the sidewalk space looks correct.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118221106-356592149.jpeg)


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 23, 2018, 10:48:49 PM
It was at about this point that I realized I had not installed window shades before assembling the building.  Rather than try to position individual shades I decided to try using strips of paper to install them one floor at a time.  I cut strips large enough to cover the window opening and allow space above the opening for gluing.  I cut strips of pastel paper on a paper cutter. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223443-35660419.jpeg)


I made a template with markings for the position of the center mullions, top of the window openings and the center point between windows.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223443-35661880.jpeg)


I placed each strip into the template and marked off the grid in pencil.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223443-356621138.jpeg)


I cut each strip vertically up to the window top line and then trimmed each shade to the desired length and applied a bead of canopy clue along the upper edge.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223443-356631121.jpeg)


I spread the glue out with my finger being careful to keep it above the window top line. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223444-356641695.jpeg)


I positioned each strip behind the windows being sure to locate the center mullion line behind the mullions.  The process went fairly quickly.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223607-356652312.jpeg)


Here is the full front of the building with all blinds in place.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223607-356661898.jpeg)


I used a similar template for the left side.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-231118223607-35667562.jpeg)


More updates to come.

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on November 24, 2018, 07:16:01 PM
Looking good Roger , I use strips of paper with office buildings or other buildings where they would have had the same window shades through the whole floor or even the whole building.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on November 24, 2018, 07:31:58 PM
I've used yellow post-it notes for shades.  Turns out they fade authentically. :-)


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Opa George on November 25, 2018, 08:25:01 AM
Roger, shades in the Green Building look great. You achieved an authentic random look using that strip method.
--George
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 25, 2018, 07:00:04 PM
Thanks.  I used individual shades for the red express building but the strips were easier to work with on the green building. 


Next I turned my attention to the roof.  Since the building is not square I inverted it on a sheet of card and marked around the inside of the walls with a pencil. I then cut outside the pencil lines, did a little trimming and fitting, and braced the underside. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184249-356681945.jpeg)


While that dried I filled the gap in the corner of the cornice with squadron putty.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184249-356711129.jpeg)


I decided this building needs a elevator so I used an index card to mock up the size.  I wanted the mechanical penthouse to enclose the space above the elevator and the roof access stairs.  Access to the elevator machinery is from within the stairwell. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184249-356721925.jpeg)


The size represents a single elevator shaft as anything larger would overpower the structure.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184249-356732263.jpeg)


I used some scrap sections of the kit to make the penthouse.  I marked the required walls with pencil.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184249-35674390.jpeg)


Then I cut out the sections on the bandsaw. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184337-356754.jpeg)


Next I rigged a temporary jig and beveled the wall ends at a 45 degree angle.  "Rigged" is a key word as the bevels did not come out accurately on each side.  I suspect I'll need to make a better beveling jig for future projects.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184337-356761173.jpeg)


The errors in the bevels resulted in gaps but these will be easily hidden with clutter.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118184337-356771632.jpeg)




Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on November 25, 2018, 07:05:52 PM
Are you sure those castings were flat to begin with?  If there's some warp in them, that would show up at the corners.


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 25, 2018, 09:11:21 PM
They were flat.  My jig was very improvised and slipped.  At least the foremost corner has a good match.


I failed to take pictures during the steps but here is the final look of the penthouse.  Undocumented steps were as follows:

Basic brick color using my pallet of artist acrylics, varying the reds and including some black in spots to created some variety. 

Once the acrylics had dried I washed over the brick wall with thinned and wetted watercolor. 

The door was painted with the same green as the main building.

I tried to represent a rolled lead roof.  (That's my story anyway.)  I glued two strips of tiny strip wood to represent the lead interlocking folds, and then attached a sheet of heavy duty foil, flat side up.  I carefully worked the foil down over and around the strips of wood.

The foil is painted with gray acrylics and dusted with a bit of gray pastel chalk.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118192416-35678262.jpeg)


Continuing with the painting, I finished the cornice by painting it a darker color.  I then went back and touch up the green highlights.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118192416-356792096.jpeg)


I also tackled the cornice for the red express building.  Several coats of green were required and the lighter detail required two coats. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118192416-35680544.jpeg)


While the paint was drying on the cornices, I spent some time working on the diner.  I cut and attached the stripwood skirting around the raised support base and then painted it red.  I also painted the walls of the diner and shed in yellow and the windows in the same red as the skirting.  Squadron putty was used to fill holes in the roof and small gaps where the two ends were mated. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118192416-356811694.jpeg)


Temporarily placed together, the diner is looking good.  It still needs window glazing and a wash of ink to bring out the board detail.  I also need to paint and assemble details for the interior of the shed. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118192416-35682798.jpeg)


Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 25, 2018, 09:40:31 PM
I left out one other portion of the green building build.  While I was working on positioning view blocks the lobby kept bothering me.  Those big windows on the ground floor allow too much view inside.  So I decided to install a simple floor.   I cut a piece of heavy card to fit and reinforced it with stripwood.  This raised the floor to match the base of the doors.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118212621-356831369.jpeg)


I laminated a piece of pastel paper to the top of the card to serve as flooring. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118212621-356842039.jpeg)


I cut view blocks from black cardstock and positioned them to break the interior into 3 zones.  This prevents viewing through the building from one side to another.  I placed a sheet of waxed paper on the floor, positioned the view blocks, and flowed a bead of canopy glue down the joint where they touched.  Once that was dry I removed the waxed paper.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118212621-35685938.jpeg)


Now the ground floor interior has a bit more of a finished look.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118212621-356861904.jpeg)


The scene is coming together nicely.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-251118212622-356871032.jpeg)

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on November 26, 2018, 05:23:09 PM
Nicely is not the word Roger, awesome, great , fantastic , have your pic.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 26, 2018, 06:57:21 PM
Thank you for the kind words.   

Its not all Mars InSight landings.  When something is just not working, call an abort.  For instance, this attempted tar and gravel roof.


(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-261118185141-356881380.jpeg)


I think my white glue is aged out and didn't thin well.  I'm not certain, but it turned into a gloppy mess.  Solution: peal off the paper layer and reset.  I think I'll just go back to using a sheet of sandpaper for this one.

Cheers   ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 27, 2018, 10:47:29 PM
The old sandpaper method is much neater.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-271118224350-35740666.jpeg)


Some ink wash and pastels later and it looks like a dinghy roof.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-271118224350-357411400.jpeg)


Movin' right along (as the bear says).

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-271118224350-357421028.jpeg)


Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on November 28, 2018, 09:02:19 AM
Great looking built-up roof Roger.....well done.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 09, 2019, 09:57:06 PM
Its been too long since my last update again but with the holidays and having to move my work room I have not had much time to model.  I did, however, work on the sign for the green building.

I wanted to use precut letters for this sign but I was unable to find them in the size and font I wanted so I had to make my own.  I chose a font that was as close as possible to the desired letters, printed out the sign, and glued it to some medium weight card stock.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214022-3648668.jpeg)


I cut out each individual letter with a razor blade and xacto knife.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214022-367421870.jpeg)


The "R" in this font had a straight lower leg so to get the curved leg I used a "B" and then cut down at the bottom.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214022-367431020.jpeg)


I built the support frame from strip wood using a printout of the sign as a guide.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214023-3674463.jpeg)


To keep the letters from delaminating I placed them face down on some painters tape along with the frame and primed them with spray automotive primer.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214023-367451158.jpeg)


I was careful to get all of the edges of the letters.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214120-367461618.jpeg)


I then mounted the letters to the frame using the printout as a guide for spacing.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214120-367471974.jpeg)


Next I primed the face of the letters to seal them fully.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119214120-367481940.jpeg)


So far its looking good.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 09, 2019, 10:18:13 PM
I almost forgot.  I also painted and installed downspouts on the green building to cover the seams between the wall sections.  Those blue weights came in handy again to hold them in place while the glue set.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119221149-367491082.jpeg)


The scuppers at the top of each downspout were white metal castings that came with the original building kits.
(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090119221149-36750766.jpeg)

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Lynnb on January 10, 2019, 04:09:54 AM
Nice work on the sign and downspouts.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on January 10, 2019, 07:18:59 AM
Wow - the clean cut on those letters is amazing. Nice!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 10, 2019, 12:33:57 PM
Thanks.   I cut the outside portions  of the letters with the single sided razor blade by placing it and rocking it back and forth while pressing down to get as straight a cut as possible.  I then went back and removed the outer curves by shaving off a bit at a time in straight cuts.  The inside areas were done with short vertical cuts with the xacto knife.   The real trick was sanding the edges afterwards.  I used fine grit nail files and some small rat tail files for the inside portion.  I had to be very carful as the card could delaminate if I was too aggressive. 

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Rail and Tie on January 10, 2019, 07:14:16 PM
Very nice all the way around. Your extreme patience paid off on the sign and lettering. Wow that looks like a lot of work to get it right!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Opa George on January 11, 2019, 05:38:35 AM
Roger, I heartily agree with the comments on your sign--very impressive work, and the resulting sign is fantastic.
--George
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dennis Bourey on January 11, 2019, 08:12:29 PM
I can't believe the craftsmanship. it's awesome work. I love to try it.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 13, 2019, 03:51:53 PM
I managed too spend a fair bit of time in the workshop the last few days so I have several updates.

First up I finished the sign.  I added angled support beams and bracing then primed the back of the sign.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119154631-367511977.jpeg)



I then painted the framing a lighter color so that the letters would stand out.  Then the letters were painted with the same green as the building walls.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119154631-367781724.jpeg)


The result looks pretty good. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119154631-367791325.jpeg)



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 13, 2019, 04:07:16 PM
Next I turned to the diner. 

The roof had an unpleasant mating seem at the right so I decided to cover it with some black tissue paper to represent rolled roofing.  I cut the tissue into strips about 4 scale feet wide.  I then spread a thin layer of canopy glue over the roof and applied the paper with a small overhang on the each side which I rolled over the edge with my finger.   I also used my finger to smooth the paper so that it did not wrinkle too much.  Some texture was desired but the tissue can wrinkle unrealistically when wet if you let it.  Finally I applied some thinned canopy glue over the top and applied a strip of tissue down the middle to make a weather proof cap.

Once the roof dried I trimmed the ends with an xacto knife.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119155605-367802415.jpeg)


I painted the sides of the clearstory a medium gray and then mixed some darker gray to paint the roof on the sides of the clearstory.  I will probably go back and add paper to the sides once I attach the shed and blend the roofs together.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119155605-36781495.jpeg)


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on January 13, 2019, 04:55:22 PM
The tool and die company is impressive.....well done Roger.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 13, 2019, 05:06:27 PM
And lastly, I turned my attention back to the third brick building which will stand directly behind the station. 

To orient this building so that the main walls face the streets requires it be assembled differently than designed.  This is made a challenge by the beveled corner intended to join the two street facing stone clad walls. 

It has been a while since I worked on this one but fortunately I took a picture of my intended arrangement, complete with scrawled notes.  As you can see the beveled corners will end up on opposite corners.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163242-367912075.jpeg)


In order to clean up the joints I needed to cut the bevel from one wall and add it to the other.  I chose to cut the beveled section away from the wider wall shown in the top left of the picture above and add it to the right side of the narrower wall at the lower right. 

I applied painters tape to the back of the wall to stabilize it in case of a bind while cutting and marked a guide line on the front.  I then cut away the full bevel using my bandsaw.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163242-36792888.jpeg)


You may recall that the building's height was increased by joining two kits so when the beveled section was cut away it separated into two triangular shaped pieces.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163243-36793966.jpeg)


Next I test fit the cuttings to the right side of the narrower wall.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163243-36794677.jpeg)


Here you can see the full bevel ready to be attached to the wall.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163243-367951449.jpeg)


This shows the beveled section of the wall where the cuttings will be attached.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163424-36796417.jpeg)


On the wide wall, cutting away the bevel had left a flat edge that would show once the building was assembled.  I decided to cut shallow grooves into the edge of the wall to match the indented detail on the corner stones.  I made the grooves by touching the edge of the wall to the bandsaw blade, being carful not to cut deeply.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163424-36797707.jpeg)


The the overall effect is convincing.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163425-367982225.jpeg)


Turning back to the other wall, I used gel type super glue to attach the bevels.  They blended in nicely.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163425-36799520.jpeg)


Here you can see the entire wall with the cut away bevels attached.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163425-36800179.jpeg)


The stonework matched as designed but the very top portion of the cornice on the wide wall was damaged some time before I purchased the kit.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163528-368011758.jpeg)


The beveled section was just slightly shorter than the main wall so I applied a small triangle of styrene to fill that gap and give me a backing to repair the cornice.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163528-368021131.jpeg)


My next step will be to fill that void with squadron putty and file it down to match the cornice detail.  Fortunately only the very top bit had broken away.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119163528-368032405.jpeg)


So that is where things stand today.  Unfortunately I have to turn my attention to updating the resume and looking for a new source of modeling income (and those other annoying things like house notes and bills) so I'm not sure when I'll get back to it.  Hopefully the gap will be shorter this time.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on January 13, 2019, 05:37:27 PM
I've never had much luck cutting straight lines with my small bandsaw.  But I'm pretty good with the table saw :-)


Your walls turned out great!



dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 13, 2019, 09:44:16 PM
Thanks Dave.   

A table saw with a nice rip fence would make some of these projects easier but I only had room and cash for the band saw at the time and I felt the band saw would be more versatile.  Fortunately I'm pretty good at following a guide line as long as I go slowly.  Plus, these old resin walls are only mostly straight so as long as I'm close the seams are nothing a good downspout or bit of ivy can't cover.

I found a few minutes this evening and decided to get the squadron putty out and fill that broken cornice.  As luck would have it the squadron putty has given up the ghost.  Not to be deterred, I grabbed some thick styrene and some more gel super glue and filled it in with that. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130119213721-368101151.jpeg)

Who knows, this might be easier to file and blend anyway.   I'll know tomorrow.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jerryrbeach on January 14, 2019, 08:02:47 AM

Roger,


This looks really good.  Kudos for cutting that straight with a band saw!  FWIW, I much prefer Tamiya putty.  I find it shrinks less and lasts longer "on the shelf" than Squadron.


Good luck with the resume and corresponding search.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on January 14, 2019, 08:14:01 AM
Quote from: jerryrbeach on January 14, 2019, 08:02:47 AM

Roger,


This looks really good.  Kudos for cutting that straight with a band saw!  FWIW, I much prefer Tamiya putty.  I find it shrinks less and lasts longer "on the shelf" than Squadron.


Good luck with the resume and corresponding search.


Roger,

Never had the room for a band saw but like Dave, I've learned to cut a very straight edge with the small table saw. The band saw is still on my list of items to get down the road.

Also, I prefer the Tamiya putty over Squadron as well.

Been following along on this adventure and it is looking great.

Tom  ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on January 14, 2019, 09:24:32 AM
You can make your own putty by dropping pieces of styrene into a bottle of liquid cement.  Try opening/ripping apart that tube of Squadron and dropping it into the cement.


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 15, 2019, 09:59:28 PM
My band saw is the small one that Micro-Mark sells.  I caught it a while back on a deep discount.  I find a band saw to be more versatile than the table saw for my needs.  For instance, it would have been difficult to add those shallow cuts to the end wall with the table saw.


So, I found unexpected shop time yesterday evening and managed to get a couple of things done.

The fill for the broken cornice turned out to be very good.  A couple of minutes with a flat file and the repair is done.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150119214131-368751295.jpeg)


I also unboxed the 2nd hand cutting machine I was given over the holidays and took a shot at making the "Honey Bee" letters for the diner.

I designed the lettering in the quite limited design software that came with the machine (there are only 12 available fonts as I recall) and after several trial runs arrived at a result that seems good enough.  I ran two passes, first with the marker to make the black outline and then with the blade to cut out the letters.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150119214131-368832360.jpeg)


The letters are well below the intended tolerance of the machine so it has a tendency to tear some of them.    You can see the inconsistency in the pen marking above as well as the cutting failures.  When you remove the paper the letters remain on the backing mat.  After teasing down the lifted corners on the remaining letters I went around the edges with a black permanent marker and touched up the black border. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150119214131-368841217.jpeg)


There should be enough good letters to make the signs.  Here is a set of previous test letters set in place roughly to check for size.  The font is not exactly right but I think its good enough.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150119214132-36885984.jpeg)


Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jrmueller on January 16, 2019, 09:01:46 AM
Following along interesting project with lots of different techniques. Jim
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 26, 2019, 07:24:55 PM
I managed a little time in the workshop each evening this week and have made some progress on the diner.

I glued the Honey Bee sign letters in place and added some other signs.  The advertising signs were printed on matte photo paper.  The paper I am using is Target's store brand and is 6.5 mil in thickness.  As a result is is fairly easy to cut into the edge of a sign with an x-acto knive and then peal the front and back sides apart leaving a very thin paper sign. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185422-371941034.jpeg)


I also added advertising signs to the shed and painted the Z brace on the doors red.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185422-372081946.jpeg)


Here is the back side of the diner with similar signs applied.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185422-372092291.jpeg)


I added glazing to the clearstory and the windows using the plastic sheet that came with the original kit.   The clearstory is blue while the main windows are clear.   I've never liked how flat plastic window glazing looks and I've finally found a method to resolve this issue.  I coat the entire surface of the plastic sheet with a thin layer of canopy glue and then carefully place it over the window opening from behind.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185422-37210339.jpeg)


The canopy glue should fully fill the window.  You can always add a little more glue from the front and work it into place with a toothpick if there are any gaps in coverage.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185423-372111320.jpeg)


The result is nice strong window glazing with that slightly wavy look of old glass.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185553-372122306.jpeg)


Here you can see the blue glazing in the clearstory.  Next I added black tissue paper to the roof on the sides of the clearstory so that they match the center roof.  I also applied window shades using the same pastel paper used on the green American Tool & Die Company building.  The shades were actually made from left over scrap from the prior building.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185553-37213293.jpeg)


I cut down the floor from the passenger car kit to use in the diner.  There are a large number of holes in the floor to facilitate installing underbody details.  As I am not installing any of those details I added a black card stock floor inside the casting. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185553-372141948.jpeg)


There are no end doors included in the original kit so a made fillers from some scrap scribed siding and painted them to match the diner.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185553-37215201.jpeg)


I cut some scale 2x4s for the end doors.  If you don't already have a chopper, you need one.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119185553-37216133.jpeg)


The floor casting had a very slight bow to it so I glued it to the timber frame and left it under heavy weights overnight.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119190024-372171991.jpeg)


With everything installed I applied a light wash of India ink solution to take off the shine and bring out the individual siding boards.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119190024-37218411.jpeg)


And finally, I installed the end door fillers and cross boards.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260119190025-37219781.jpeg)


Its getting close to completion now.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on February 09, 2019, 09:12:42 AM
I've made progress on several fronts.  Lets start with breakfast...er...the Honey Bee Diner.


The shed has been attached to the side of the main structure.  I placed the shed loosely on its base to set the alignment.  The car body floats on its base a bit as I removed the mounting lugs from the floor.  They were a bit obtrusive but in hindsight it may have been better to leave them in place and simple mask them with detail castings.  Live and learn...

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082510-375341050.jpeg)


I roofed the shed with some rolled roofing left over from the Y shed on the passenger platform.  This is the painted pastel paper strips.  The diner roof will need some pastel chalks to bring the color more in line with the shed.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082511-3755272.jpeg)


I've also worked with more signage.  A added a large advertising sign to the back wall of the green building.  I used the same method that I used on the Hotel and Grill signs. 

The sign was printed on matte photo paper and then the layers were split.  I used a medium grid emery board to remove any paper pills from the back and thin the sign just a bit more. 

Then I coated the back with thinned canopy glue, positioned it on the building, added more thinned canopy glue to the front of the sign until it was fully saturated and started tapping it into the brink with a half inch stiff brush.

The small advertising posters at the bottom of the wall are not worked into the brick (with the exception of the old circus poster) so that they better represent pasted up posters.  I just gave them a light tapping with the brush to settle them into place.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082511-375531183.jpeg)


Working the sign too much with the brush will eventually start to remove ink from the surface as you can see in the large blue lettering.  A certain amount of this helps to make the sign look old but too much and you'll have a nice white patch on the building.  I focussed extra attention to the white space between the lettering and graphics.  The brick texture clearly shows though the sign and with some areas showing the green of the wall though the sign it definitely looks painted on.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082511-37554156.jpeg)


HOT TIP:  Hobby suppliers sell sanding boards for far too much money.  I buy mine at the grocery store.  The foam cored emery boards come in several levels of grit and are much cheeper.  They can easily be cut into what ever shape you need.


Now it was time to address the sidewalks.  The green building has a lip molded into the front and right side so that it overlaps the sidewalk.  I wanted a nice flat base to accommodate this so I carved these sidewalks from a sheet of 3/32" thick basswood.  I make two cuts with the blade and then run the back side of the blade though the groove to widen it without cutting deeper. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082511-37555699.jpeg)


I stopped the new sidewalk at the end of the building.   

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082618-37556300.jpeg)


I chose to continue the individual stone style sidewalks to the corner.  I had to make a new batch of stones to fill this space.  They are also made from 3/32" basswood and are about 3/4" square.  I use an emery board to nock off the corners and round the upper edges.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082618-37557564.jpeg)


I painted all of the new sidewalks with my concrete bass color and then lightened them with some pastel chalks to lighten the color and blend with the old sidewalks.  For some reason the camera really pulls yellow into the image.  In person the color is much closer to the old stone section.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082618-37558626.jpeg)


Rather than watch the paint dry on the sidewalks, I installed another large sign to the end of the green building.  An overly aggressive swipe of the emery board added a touch of extra weathering to the upper left corner.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082618-3755961.jpeg)


Once dry the sidewalks were glued in place with just a few weights to hold them flat.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082619-375601127.jpeg)


I added strip wood curb stones and with that the sidewalks are done for the street side of the building.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082707-375611365.jpeg)


A few more advertising signs in the front windows and I will be ready to permanently plant the building.


(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-090219082707-375621011.jpeg)


Cheers!






Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on February 09, 2019, 09:56:11 AM
Great progress Roger..... 8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on February 09, 2019, 03:27:14 PM
The signs are fantastic Roger , coming together fine.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on February 23, 2019, 11:04:54 PM
Its time for more updates from the last few weeks.

The express building has been finished.  I added vents to the roof. The small one at the left is a bit of copper tubing.  The two capped vents are FSM castings from Jimmy's new offerings.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219224958-379851249.jpeg)


I added express signs to the right and over the freight door.   The red and yellow wall cabinets are from the Atlas telephone pole set. 

The vent in the central window was made from a square of styrene, a bit of left over sprue, and a circle of styrene cut with a small hole punch to make the cap.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219224959-380032339.jpeg)


With that the express building is wrapped up.




Next I finished painting the gray stone and brick building that will stand behind the station.  This was all done with artist acrylics picked up and mixed and blended from my pallet.


(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219230413-380062126.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219225001-380051033.jpeg)


I've already added the glazing behind the windows.   Mullions need to be added next.



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on February 23, 2019, 11:47:26 PM
I also finished the diner.

The shed doors were painted red and door pulls were added using some very small strip wood.  I rounded the corners once they were in place and painted them to match.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232243-380071929.jpeg)


I added vents to the roof.  The capped vent at the left is another FSM casting from Jimmy, the three in the middle are brass tubing. The vent on the shed is a brass casting. I don't recall its maker.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232243-380081618.jpeg)


I made steps for the shed from laser cut stringers from Rusty Stumps and stripwood for the treads.  The step for the diner door is from square stripwood.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232243-380091889.jpeg)


I painted the shed steps to look like weathered wood and the diner steps to look more like old concrete.  The diner roof got a brushing of acrylics to bring its color more in line with the shed's roof.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232243-38010369.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232243-380112352.jpeg)


I printed a couple of diner signs and glued one directly on a piece of wood and the other on a piece that was painted white.  I chose the one on the left for the final sign and trimmed the wood down to the size of the sign.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232435-38012827.jpeg)


I painted stripwood to match the diner trim and then attached it to two sides of the sign.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232435-380131743.jpeg)


After that dried I repeated the process with the other two sides.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232435-380141845.jpeg)


With the frame in place I touched up the red trim and painted the back of the sign white.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232435-38015373.jpeg)


Here is the completed sign.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232435-380162334.jpeg)


I positioned the sign and braced it with more stripwood.  I used a machinist's square to hold it in place while it dried.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232556-3801755.jpeg)


The diner is complete and ready for details in the shed and final placement.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232556-380182461.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232556-38019592.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232556-380201986.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-230219232557-38021849.jpeg)

Cheers!


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Opa George on February 24, 2019, 08:31:44 AM
Roger, I continue to be much impressed by your attention to detail and overall gorgeous work. Thanks for the continued inspiration.
--Opa George
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jerryrbeach on February 24, 2019, 10:03:43 AM

Roger,


I'm really looking forward to seeing all these structures come together into the final scene. 
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on March 01, 2019, 11:43:45 AM
Hello all,

I just have a quick update today.

I've completed painting and preparing the gray stone building that will sit behind the station.  The shades were much easier to do before assembling the structure (lesson learned).  I was looking at photos of George's model and noticed the little bits of color in the windows.  I decided to try that adding them to this structure to see the impact. They do seem to add a nice hint of life.

The cat is a bit hard to see against the black background.  I'll need to do something to make it stand out.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010319110857-38110816.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010319110857-381111167.jpeg)


Here's a preview of the next small structure.  The mockup is made from index card.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010319110857-38112602.jpeg)

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on March 04, 2019, 11:11:13 AM
Planting the stone building behind the station required that it exactly match the angle of the street corner so I started final assembly in place on the layout.  The sidewalk to the left is unpainted.  Waxed paper is placed under the corner to prevent glue from attaching the corner to the sidewalks.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105714-381642433.jpeg)


Inside, the front wall was held in place with a large machinist square protected by more waxed paper.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105714-38166681.jpeg)


Clamps were used in the windows to hold the joint together while the gel superglue set.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105839-38167503.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105840-381682078.jpeg)


Once that corner set I built up a foundation to support the other walls.  The back wall was held in place with clamps and weights.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105840-381691468.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105840-381702419.jpeg)


And finally, the side wall was installed.  Clamps at the front corner and a large rubber band for the back corner held everything in place while the glue set.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319105840-38171585.jpeg)


During the entire process the street facing walls were held securely in place against the sidewalks.

Cheers!



Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on March 04, 2019, 12:20:38 PM
Here is a view of the foundation for the inner walls.  They are built up from strips of the same wood used for the sidewalks.  The sidewalk facing walls have a small lip that extends below the sidewalk so I left gaps between the foundation walls and the sidewalks.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120542-3817247.jpeg)


My scene has a wider alley way between the station and this building than on George's original.  I intend to pave this area with an aged brick casting.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120543-381731776.jpeg)


Viewed from the front of the scene, the new building fits in nicely.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120543-381741237.jpeg)


I put baffles made from black pastel paper inside.  The front baffle sits flat to close off the large storefront windows.  The other two are curved to allow a little light to bound around inside.  This will make the cat more visible.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120543-381751753.jpeg)


I built up my standard roof with a piece of thick card and some stripwood stiffeners.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120543-381761742.jpeg)


The rearrangement of the walls leaves this corner with an unfinished edge.  I've mocked up a retrofitted elevator shaft similar to George's to cover the unfinished casting edge.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120656-381771225.jpeg)


Nine narrow strips of siding, some cardstock reinforcement strips, and stripwood corners will make up the shaft.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120656-381781249.jpeg)


I attached the corner strips to the siding using straight edges to keep everything square.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120657-38179464.jpeg)


Once that dried I added the reinforcing strips to the back being sure to leave room for internal blocking.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040319120657-381801718.jpeg)


With all of that drying on the bench I need to turn my attention to that mystery structure later today.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on March 06, 2019, 11:16:56 AM
Yesterday's progress was all related to elevators.

I painted the wooden elevator shaft for the gray stone building.  For some reason my camera has started washing out some of the lighter colors.  The siding is not as splotchy looking in person as the photo would indicate. 

I painted this with mixed on the fly acrylics last night.  I went over it with a dry brushing of a lighter mix this morning to give it a faded look.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-060319110150-382021665.jpeg)


The mystery structure is the freight elevator for the station platform.  I made this from left over brick wall sections from the green tool and die company building.  My supply of brick was limited so the lower section is made of more small sections.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-060319110150-382122465.jpeg)


Here are the assembled sections with a priming coat of brink red.  The tall section will be the elevator shaft under the platform.  The back side will be against the retaining wall so it is made with a wood filler strip.  The wider section is the upper elevator building with an extended "lobby" and two sets of doors to allow moving freight directly to the express building or onto the platform.  Its back wall will be obscured by bushes so it is made from styrene to save my limited brick wall supply.

Only one wall edge was molded with brick detail so I carved a simple brick texture onto the ends using a razor saw for horizontal grooves and the end of a pointed file for vertical grooves.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-060319110150-3821363.jpeg)

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on March 07, 2019, 10:32:27 PM
The wooden elevator shaft decided it wanted to be a banana so its spent a day drying under weights placed at each end. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070319222020-382142288.jpeg)


I made 3 sets of doors for the station freight elevator.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070319222020-38216718.jpeg)


I decided to model the elevator open on the street level.  This will create a lighted mini-scene below the deck.  I built an elevator car from thin sheet wood.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070319222110-382171295.jpeg)


The elevator has two exit doors on the upper level so the car has movable gates on two sides.  The gates are made from the woven screen material I used for the Zephyr Diner security gate.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070319222110-382181399.jpeg)


I added a thin foundation sanded to form a ramp to the front of the elevator shaft.  This allows the floor of the elevator car to sit level with the lip of the entry.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-070319222110-382192059.jpeg)


This should look pretty convincing once its loaded with a cart or two and some crates.

Cheers!




Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dave K. on March 08, 2019, 06:44:41 AM
Your patience and attention to detail really pays off...the cornices are beautiful and I love the stacked newspapers in the newsstand. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on March 08, 2019, 07:29:25 AM
Roger


Fantastic work! Like many of the others have said great attention to the details.  It's all about the details. Thank you for sharing your work with us. Great thread.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: vinceg on March 08, 2019, 09:01:09 AM
I love that screen material. Very flexible for a lot of applications.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Opa George on March 27, 2019, 08:22:55 AM
Roger, this is looking very good.
--George
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 05, 2019, 04:56:37 PM
The platform elevator has been sitting stagnant while I get around to wiring the lighting for the elevator car so that it can be lit at street level.  But all is not at a standstill.

The wood sheathed retro-fitted elevator shaft for the gray building (after spending a week under weights being straightened) has been attached.

(https://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050419164536-38585637.jpeg)


In addition I have started designing the next structure which will sit behind the express building and across the street from the green American Tool & Die.

It will go here:

(https://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050419155504-385661404.jpeg)


I will be detailing the design and build of the new structure, dubbed Odd Manufacturing,  in its own thread here:  https://www.modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=4332.msg118104;topicseen#new (https://www.modelersforum.com/index.php?topic=4332.msg118104;topicseen#new)

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 22, 2019, 10:16:04 PM
When I started this area I wanted it to end up on a double sided peninsula.  However, my current space just will not allow that.  So I've decided to add a one foot deep section to the back of the scene to serve as a backdrop.

This will have a street along the front that will blend into the existing module.   The remainder will be filled with structures to create a three dimensional backdrop. 

My goal is to prevent the eye from following any direct line to a flat backdrop.



The first background structure will be made from the remainders of the DPM M.T. Arms Hotel kits that I'm using for the "Odd Manufacturing" build. 

This needs to be a tall structure so that it will rise behind the American Tool & Die company building.

After a lot of cutting, even more sanding, and one broken bandsaw blade I have the main walls ready for glueing.

(https://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-220419220846-38701289.jpeg)


The hotel will be located between two other structures so the lower sections of the left and right sides will be covered.  The lower sections will be filled with cardstock walls.

The left side is shallower than the right.  I made this decision based on the parts I had on hand but it will also let me add to the illusion that the city is not on a square grid.

Glueing together all of these joints will take several days.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 02, 2019, 10:59:41 AM
Several days, lots of sanding, and a good bit of liquid plastic cement later and I have the 3 main walls assembled.  The process was slow as each joint needed time to cure before moving on.

I used half of my panel cutter guide as a straight edge for the large wall.  Initially I clamped the bottom section of the wide front wall against the blue panel cutter and worked up adding sections. 

I made sure to weight each section down to keep the wall flat.  I also used heavy weights to hold the sections against each other while the cement set.

I neglected to take many pictures during this process but in this one I have flipped the main wall upside down and clamped it against the fence.  I used another straight edge across the bottom of the building (top of photo) to ensure the next section was square.

(https://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020519093724-387771825.jpeg)



And here are the assembled walls almost ready for painting.  I need to replace a couple of mullions that were broken in shipping.  The lower sections the side walls and the back will be made from mat board as they will not be visible. 

(https://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020519092041-387141935.jpeg)


I used a Touch-N-Flow Applicator to apply the liquid plastic cement to the joints.  I applied it fairly heavily and then used lateral pressure to help close up the seams once the plastic softened.

There were a few spots that required some putty to fill gaps (white areas).  Next I'll need to build out the ground floor recessed doorways then it will be time to think about paint and curtains.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on May 02, 2019, 03:37:03 PM
Looking good, Rodger.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on June 27, 2019, 10:09:46 PM
This project has become complicated.  I have seven things going at once. 

Trees
Land form and the road tunnel
A new roof for the gray building behind the station
Finishing paint on the hotel background building
A form to make a concrete retaining wall
Forms to make new stone to build my own tunnel portal and cut stone retaining wall
And more work on the the manufacturing building that will sit across the tracks from the express building.

(https://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270619215817-39175720.jpeg)

I'll have more details to share as things come together.

Cheers.


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: tom.boyd.125 on June 28, 2019, 12:06:06 AM
Roger,
Have not checked your build thread for 10 months ! You have made some really amazing progress.
Must be neat to walk into your modeling area and see the FSM in front of you everyday.
It's looking fantastic and know you are going to have something very special.
Thanks for sharing all your build tips on this project.
Tommy
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on June 28, 2019, 12:13:59 AM
Looking good, Rodger.

You'll be a master juggler in no time!

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Rail and Tie on June 28, 2019, 01:37:24 PM
Nice work all the way around!  I really like the elevator shaft and car.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on June 28, 2019, 02:27:12 PM
Getting along fine Roger , and , no , 5 layouts is not too much, but can be if you have 7 projects on each one  ;)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on June 28, 2019, 04:38:13 PM
Hey Roger:

Just went through the whole thread and all looks just great. Will be following along.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dennis Bourey on June 28, 2019, 08:33:45 PM
Roger, Your doing a amazing job.

Dennis
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 26, 2019, 11:47:03 AM
The bulk of those trees headed to a local shop for consignment.  So far lots of lookers and no takers.  I may have priced them too high. 

I had perfectly good stone wall and portal castings but they just didn't look right to me.  I wanted the stone to to be the same as that used for the station.  So I've spent a good deal of time making masters and cleaning up molds.  I also thew a concrete wall in for good measure.

Poured in place concrete wall casting (12" planking in HO scale):

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260719113324-394221928.jpeg)


Stone Wall:

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260719113324-394231945.jpeg)


Stone road tunnel portal:

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260719113324-394241998.jpeg)


I'm working on a master for a poured in place concrete wall using plywood cribbing rather than planks and pondering a stone tunnel lining.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 27, 2019, 10:33:30 AM
I completed another master last night.  This models a cast in place concrete wall where plywood was used for the form.

I first made a frame of thin stripwood (about 1/16th inch square) attached to a thin sheet of styrene to create strips.  I filled the mold with hydrocal mixed a bit thinner than normal so that it would level more easily.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100559-39438324.jpeg)


Once that was dry I carefully removed the strips of cast plaster from the mold.  A few broke during removal but that doesn't hurt the plan.  I marked each strip and scribed the lines with a hobby knife.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100244-394342299.jpeg)


I placed a round toothpick under each scribe line and gently snapped the strips into blocks.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100244-394352271.jpeg)


I cut strips of pastel paper slightly narrower than the block and attached blocks to the strips with canopy glue.  In this step I pulled blocks randomly so that none of the ends would match perfectly.  Otherwise the vertical seams would be essentially invisible.

Canopy glue is essential to this step because it remains flexible when it dries.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100244-394361444.jpeg)


Now comes the fun bit.  By attaching the blocks to the pastel paper backing I was able to add cracks and damage while holding them in place. 

I placed strips over round toothpicks to snap cracks and broke a few between my fingers.  I then flexed these edges against each other or opened them up and gently scraped the edge of some small scissors along the joint.  This created some erosion along the crack to make it more visible.

To model the areas of serious concrete erosion I placed the stones on an old mouse pad and used a steel ball bearing to press into and roll on the block.  When you flip the strip over and flex it a bit it results in the areas like the second block from the left in the lower row.   

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100244-394371681.jpeg)


Satisfied with the general state of decay on each strip I placed a sheet of pastel paper under my high strength polymer framing jig and glued each strip to the sheet with canopy glue.


(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100559-394391038.jpeg)


And here we have the finished master.  I'll need to add some backing material to make it thicker before I cast a mold.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-270719100559-394402106.jpeg)


I am having entirely too much fun with hydrocal.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on July 27, 2019, 04:08:34 PM
Some really cool looking walls there, Rodger.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 28, 2019, 06:49:28 PM
Thanks.

The stone retaining wall and portals were made the same way I made the wall sections for the station build, but I used a different method for the concrete retaining wall with the plank style.

First I made a frame in which to poor a master casting from sheet and strip wood.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719182911-394412476.jpeg)


Then I roughed up and cut a supply of scale 12" wide planks.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719182911-394482119.jpeg)


I glued the planks into the form in a patter to represent the temporary cribbing (as see from the bank's side).

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719182911-39449238.jpeg)

After the planking had dried I poured in hydrocal to the desired thickness and allowed it to set up for about a day.

When I removed the wall section most of the planking came off of the frame with the wall.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719182911-394501913.jpeg)


I carefully removed the planks with a pick.  Here is the finished master.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719182911-39451634.jpeg)


And I was left with a supply of 12" planks lightly coated on one side with hydrocal.  I kept the planks to use later in a construction scene.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719182949-394521752.jpeg)




For a change of pace I camped out last night in front of a couple of episodes of MST3K and cut 510+ curtains for the hotel from 7/8 inch wide woven ripped ribbon.  The the texture makes it look like the folds of drapes though the glazing.  And it comes in many many colors to suit the tastes of your hotel's interior decorator.  Mine went with taupe. ;)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280719184336-39453213.jpeg)


Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 30, 2019, 12:32:22 AM
I wanted to test my curtains so I decided to tackle one of the small walls.

I ran a bead of canopy glue across the top and bottom of each window and positioned a piece of ribbon on each side of the window.  For a few I used one wider piece of ribbon placed between two windows such that it was visible in each.  The glue grabbed very quickly so I was able to flip the piece over and shift them to make sure no curtain extended across the middle of the window.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300719001827-394541623.jpeg)


This makes  some pretty convincing heavy hotel curtains.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300719001827-394611756.jpeg)


48 windows down, 207 to go.

Cheers!





Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on July 30, 2019, 11:42:01 AM
So, I built this cradle for my bottle of Gesso last night....

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300719113941-39462952.jpeg)

;D

More on that later.....


Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dave K. on July 30, 2019, 01:33:12 PM
Continuing to enjoy your thread!!!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on July 30, 2019, 04:03:59 PM
Hey Random:

Looks great. Do you think that stuff would work for corrugated roofing?

Let ,e know. If so where did you get it?

Thanks:

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 01, 2019, 12:34:07 AM
Karl,  The ribbon is woven and frays very easily when cut.  I don't know if it would work for roofing.  Maybe if you coated one side with white glue before cutting.  I got this roll at Walmart.  They carry it at most of the craft stores and any large sewing store should have it.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010819001839-39494354.jpeg)


So, the cradle was not actually to hold the Gesso bottle.  It just happened to be the right diameter to hold the curved sheet in place while drying.  This form is to make the master for the tunnel roof.  I used my smallest stones in a simple running pattern. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010819001839-39498197.jpeg)


It took a lot of canopy glue to fill the voids between the stones but it went together fairly quickly.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010819001839-39499458.jpeg)


After the glue dried over night I sanded the ends and bottoms (tops?) of the walls and then used a very thin slurry of plaster to fill in the gaps and give it a heavily mortared look.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010819001839-395001021.jpeg)


This will yield a section of tunnel roof 2 1/4 inch long.  It is designed to work with my auto tunnel portal.  The lower portions of the walls will use sections of the matching retaining wall.


I also finished putting curtains in the rest of the hotel.  That only took 3 hours.   :D

Well, that's enough for tonight.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on August 03, 2019, 09:44:25 AM
Hey Roger:

You are moving right along. Thanks for the info on the ribbon.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on August 03, 2019, 09:46:10 AM
Hey Roger:

Tunnel roof looks great too.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 03, 2019, 11:18:15 PM
You're welcome Karl, and thanks.


That's a lot of curtains!

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-030819230332-395011143.jpeg)


The brick side wall has a couple of simple shades implying some sort of service space rather than a room.  One of the reinforcements started coming loose so they got a bit more glue.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-030819230332-39529765.jpeg)



With the depth of the tunnel liner I opted for a molding box rather than casting around all sides.  The finish mold will be flipped in placed in the same box to cast copies.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-030819230332-395302181.jpeg)


One side is designed to be easily removed.  There are also a few filler plates from styrene sheet and a locking pin.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-030819230332-395312425.jpeg)



Three more masters set up for molding.  From left to right we have the cornice from the express building, the tunnel liner, and the plywood form concrete wall.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-030819230332-395321138.jpeg)


Two pots of molding compound, a drum solo (on the counter to work bubbles out), and half an hour of popping bubbles on the surface to make sure the back of the mold is smooth and we have molds ready to set over night.  (Fingers crossed)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-030819230406-39533571.jpeg)


Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 04, 2019, 05:23:18 PM
I de-molded the masters and poured testing castings.  They look good.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-040819172038-395362387.jpeg)


I only need 6 of the tunnel liners for the current project.

Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on August 05, 2019, 02:34:04 AM
Great stuff!

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on August 05, 2019, 08:07:09 PM
Very nicely done.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dennis Bourey on August 06, 2019, 08:02:20 AM
I agree!!!!! Very nicely done.......Dennis
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: sdrees on August 06, 2019, 12:32:23 PM
What else can I say, Very nicely done!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on August 07, 2019, 04:37:35 PM
This thread just keeps getting better with each posting. Fantastic job.

Tom  :D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 13, 2019, 11:49:05 AM
Setting up your first business is confusing and time consuming.  Hopefully it takes off.

But, back to modeling. 

Anyone like walls?  These are my castings painted.  For the castings with deep relief I first paint it with a dark ink stain and then work the colors from dark to lighter into the walls.  Its all done with artist acrylics mixed as I work on a pallet with a half inch round brush.  After drying overnight I dry brushed titanium white vertically to add light.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130819113459-39586675.jpeg)


This next photo is the completed tunnel liner.  It consists of 5 full castings and one partial casting cut down with an old razor saw that will never cut anything but plaster again.  The lower straight portions of the tunnel liner are cut from my wall castings.  (The lower strip will go on the other side.)  I inked this as well and then painted it with a darker gray.   After drying I again dry brushed titanium white to simulate calcium buildup from water penetration.  I also added a few more distinct leak lines. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-130819113459-396032259.jpeg)


Next I need to decide on the tunnel road surface.  I'm probably going to go with some form of cobblestone.

Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Rail and Tie on August 13, 2019, 12:36:36 PM
very nicely done!  The castings came out perfectly.  Can't wait to see what you do with them installed.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on August 13, 2019, 03:19:01 PM
The castings look terrific, Dennis!

Cheers, mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 20, 2019, 02:35:16 PM
I wanted a cobble stone road for the tunnel.  I decided to go with some latex road that I bought ages ago from Kancali.com.   They appear to be out of business which is a shame.  This is an interesting material and being thin latex sheet you can easily use it on uneven roads.  So, of course, I put it in a flat tunnel.   ;)

I painted the sheet a dark gray and then went back over with lighter grays, tans and white to highlight the stones.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140643-396972185.jpeg)


I marked the position with the tunnel casting and then installed the latex road.   After it dried I painted the area next to it a dark gray just to ensure no bare plywood would show if there was a gap.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140643-396981391.jpeg)


Next I installed all of the wall sections and tunnel portals.  Note the lone portal on the far side of the tunnel.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140643-39699823.jpeg)


Then I installed decking over the tunnel to complete the track base.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140643-397002121.jpeg)


The tunnel has a surprise inside.   It came out pretty nice.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140643-397011270.jpeg)

The tunnel lights are 3 "fairy lights" cut from a string 50.  They are battery powered LEDs that run on 3 volts.  You can find similar strings on Amazon for less than $10.  I recommend getting the "warm" LED. 

This photo shows the liner with the lower walls attached and the lights installed.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140744-397021839.jpeg)



With my big workbench clear of trees for the moment I added the lower walls to the sides of the hotel.  These will be covered by adjoining structures so they are made from foamcore.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140744-397031698.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-200819140744-39704714.jpeg)


Cheers!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on August 20, 2019, 03:36:15 PM
Really love that view down the tunnel, Rodger!

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 30, 2019, 10:18:26 PM
Thanks Mark.  I am quite happy with how that tunnel came out and may lower the hill in front of it to allow a better view.

So, remember that large hotel that is suppose to be a background structure?  I was looking at the big windows and thinking I should add some interior detail right up against them in the event you could see into them in between foreground buildings.  I decided to divide the ground floor and make the right two thirds the hotel lobby and the left third a tavern.  I did a little googling of tavern names in the Boston area and ran across one featuring a dragon. 

Then I got carried away.

I created a dragon themed tavern with a full front seating area.  The booth seats are make from milled passenger car seat stock.  The floor and wall are scrapbooking paper.  The art is printed thumbnails from a screen grab of an image search.  (If your search includes "framed" many of them will already have the frames around the image.)  The bar at the back is an image from the web printed on photo paper.  It only covers a portion of the back wall so the dividers were added from chipboard and create the impression that the bar continues to the right and staff can access the kitchen to the left.  There might even be a dart board back there somewhere. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214709-397052429.jpeg)


From over head you can see how the bar only partially covering the back wall.  The wall between the tavern and the lobby is chipboard and the back wall is foam core (I ran out of black chipboard).

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214709-397291432.jpeg)


The hotel lobby uses more of the same printed art but with a landscape and still life theme.  The wood door to the right is another printed image as is the front desk.  In this case I separated the desk from the mail sorter in the background.  I attached the mail sorter to the back wall and the front desk to a thin bit of foam core.  This will allow me to add a clerk or two behind the desk.  The opening in the left leads to the elevator lobby, which is another printed image.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214709-397301131.jpeg)


From the back you can see how the ground floor installs into the building.  The base is also chipboard which warped when I added the flooring paper.  I had to use heavy weights to hold it flat while the canopy glue dried attaching it to the front and side walls.  (I also had a sheet of waxed paper underneath so that the hotel didn't become a permanent part of the workbench.)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214709-397312408.jpeg)


Here is the view into the tavern from the street.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214709-39732883.jpeg)


And here is the view into the lobby.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214709-39732883.jpeg)


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 30, 2019, 10:33:00 PM
I always struggle with choosing names but in this case I wanted to pay homage to the man who inspired this entire scene.  So I chose the "St. George Tavern" which also ties in with the dragons.  The signs are printed on paper and attached to the inside of the window glazing.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214839-397341521.jpeg)



The hotel lobby was very bare so I made some lounge chairs from blocks of balsa wood and chipboard for the sides and back.  I simply scaled them from a figure and painted them a brown to simulate leather.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214839-39735426.jpeg)


I decided to group the chairs in pairs so I made some small tables to go with each grouping from small bits of wood.   In the back you can see tables for the tavern booths.  They are made from stripwood, bits of dowel and black chipboard for the tops.  I painted the tables with a brush and when dried they had a wood grained look to them (a happy accident).

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214839-39736307.jpeg)


With the booths installed the tavern is ready for customers.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819214839-397372443.jpeg)


(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215035-397381140.jpeg)


The Hotel also needed a name so in keeping with my theme I give you the Hotel St. George.  I created the signs and printed them on clear film.  I then attached this to the back of the glazing to give the effect of paint on the window glass.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215035-39739628.jpeg)


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on August 30, 2019, 11:03:46 PM
The hotel clearly needed an awning to keep arriving guests and their luggage dry as they arrive.  (This is still just a background building?!)  I designed an awning in software based on some I found on Google street view.  I created a design file and cut it out with my hand-me-down ScanNCut machine in 130 lb watercolor paper.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215035-397401813.jpeg)


I built up the paper layers over a strip wood core leaving the middle hollow to allow for lighting.  (Background building??)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215035-397411626.jpeg)


The top was installed with a slight overhang on the front and sides.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215035-39742703.jpeg)


While the awning dried I designed a sign to go on the roof.  Advertising is key after all.   I designed the signs in software, created vector files, and then a cutting file for the ScanNcut.  (This is not an advertisement for ScanNCut.  It was gifted to me second hand and not perfect, but free is free.  And its darn handy within its limits.)  I designed the sign to cut backwards so that I could glue on the wood strips before removing it from the sheet.  This kept the lettering in the correct alignment.  The strips will form the mounting boards for the finished sign.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215208-397431518.jpeg)


I designed a basic support tower for the roof sign, got out the Chopper and made eight of them (four for each sign).

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215208-397441804.jpeg)


I added some diagonal stiffeners and then decided to make iron connector plates to link the timbers.  I scanned a tower, loaded the image into my design software and designed the plates directly on the tower image.  Then headed back to the cutting machine.  It cut out a supply of plates while I ate dinner.  Marvelous!

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215208-39745872.jpeg)


One thing this particular machine will not do (or I've not figured out how to do yet) is emboss bolt heads or rivets.  So I spent about 4 hours hand embossing and installing the plates on both sides of all eight towers.  The results were worth the effort.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215208-39746553.jpeg)


One final bit of assembly was necessary to keep the awning from falling onto the sidewalk.  These chain supports are made with EMD cab unit lift rings and some craft store chain.  Opening a link and inserting it though the lift ring was a bit of a chore, but it will be more interesting than the old fishing line support.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-300819215208-397471888.jpeg)


As of this evening the awning, roof signs, and roof sign support towers have been painted and are drying. 

That is a lot for one update but it has been about 10 days. 

If you're curious, I did all of the computer design (window signs and cutting machine files) in Affinity Designer on the Mac.  Its far cheeper than the Adobe products and creates the vector graphic files required to load into the software for the cutting machine.  I then import the vector file into the cutting machines software and arrange it to fit on the material to be cut.  That software exports a file that tells the machine where to cut.  This particular machine is able to scan an image, pick the edges and use that to cut another material but it is designed for large craft items and does a poor job on anything with fine detail.  Using the vector design software is a must for anything small and intricate. 

That's all for now.

Cheers.




Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jerryrbeach on August 31, 2019, 07:20:07 AM
Roger,

WOW!  Where do I start?  I love the Dragon Lounge!  Really cool concept and awesome execution.  The lobby is outstanding, too.  Thank you so much for including the techniques you used for the window signs.  Those signs really add a unique touch.  Are you sure this is a background building??
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Rail and Tie on August 31, 2019, 12:54:38 PM
As usual, I have to comment on anyone doing such a great job detailing the interior of their structures!  Excellent work!  Now you just have 200 guest rooms to do!!

Very good work on the tavern!!
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on August 31, 2019, 03:29:08 PM
Awesome!

This is looking spectacular, Rodger!  Thanks for sharing all your techniques.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jimmillho on August 31, 2019, 04:39:48 PM
WOW, what more can I say.

Jim
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on September 01, 2019, 08:09:39 AM
Roger,

I'll just keep it short and agree with all the other comments. This is just a wonderful build thread.

Tom  ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 10, 2019, 12:18:44 PM
The hotel is almost complete.  I finished the awning.  There is still the water tank for the roof to build. 

I felt the awning was a bit too plain so I added another layer of detail using a layer of stripwood and another paper roof section with the middle cut out.  This creates a raised lip around the awning which makes sense as it would trap and channel water to drainage pipes.  I also made some finials from beads and a pin head.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115314-3990828.jpeg)


Here is the completed awning ready for paint.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115314-399372412.jpeg)


I sprayed the awning with the same green paint as the hotel front.  Once dry both the awning and the hotel were dry brushed with titanium white.  I set the awning in place to plan the support locations.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115314-39938508.jpeg)


The lift ring for each chain was attached to the top of the roof behind the raised lip with a bit of superglue (and a lot of patience).

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115314-399391323.jpeg)


At this point I also added signage to the awning.   The hotel name is on the front and both ends.  These signs were printed on matte photo paper which was then thinned and attached with canopy glue.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115314-39940726.jpeg)


I supported the awning on wooden block and attached it to the front of the hotel with a thin bead of canopy glue along the back edge of the roof.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115614-399411234.jpeg)


With the blocks still in place I attached each chain's upper lift ring to the front of the building.  I had to cut a notch in the back of each lift ring to fit over the relief of the building front.  This was very tedious and frustrating but the results were worth it.  You can see a bit of wire showing below the awning.  I plumbed the lights prior to installing the awning to preserve my sanity.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115615-39942188.jpeg)


After the lift rings dried I attached the lights to the underside of the awning with small applications of gel type superglue and large applications of patience.  Here we have the hotel with lights working.  There is a bulb under the awning in front of each door and two bulbs in the lobby.  There is a single bulb in the tavern giving it a darker mood.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115615-399431642.jpeg)


Here is an alternate angle.  You can see the hotel name on the side of the awning.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115615-399441954.jpeg)


The roof signs are complete as well.  The lettering was painted to match the hotel building and the support frames were painted with the green of the entry and awning.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115615-39945137.jpeg)

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-100919115637-399461975.jpeg)


Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dennis Bourey on September 10, 2019, 01:52:02 PM

looking good there Roger..........Dennis
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on September 12, 2019, 07:29:23 PM
Roger


Fantastic work! And great build thread.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on September 15, 2019, 10:28:19 PM
Thanks.

I have just a quick update tonight. 

Because the hotel (which was supposed to be a background building) has gone a bit over the top I needed a way to get into it to access wiring and what ever else I decide to add to it later.  So I needed to devise a way to make the back removable.  Magnets to the rescue.   I attached 5 angle brackets from the hardware drawer: two at each corner at the bottom, one on the left side about half way up, and two to the underside of the roof deck.  Because of the angle of the back wall the right side tucks into the side wall so no midpoint bracket was needed.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150919215825-399981487.jpeg)



I then attached a ceramic disk magnet that had double sided foam tape on one side to each of the metal bracket and pressed the back into position.  The foam tape grabbed just enough to hold the magnet in place while removed the back.  Then I pressed the magnets more firmly into the back wall.  The wall is foam core with some stripwood to reinforce it.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150919215825-401801201.jpeg)



Now i have a back for the hotel that holds nicely but is easily removed.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150919215825-401811285.jpeg)


I also finished the sign to hang above the tavern door.  I found a clipart image of a scroll and inserted the image of a St. George painting into the scroll.  I then added lettering to the top and bottom.  Next I printed two copies of the signboard on photo paper.  I cut these out and attached them back to back to make it double sided.  The metal bracket is made from wire. I made the curved piece using some very small round tipped jewelry pliers.  I used thin superglue applied with a toothpick to assemble the bracket and attach the sign.  Once dry I painted the bracket black.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-150919215825-40182467.jpeg)


That's all for now.  There's a water tank for the roof in the works now.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on October 13, 2019, 05:03:18 PM
The updates are behind and I've been spending too much time repairing locomotives but here we go.

The hotel needs a water tank on the roof.  I used some scribed siding wrapped around a cardboard core cut from a mailing tube.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019163933-407381487.jpeg)


I made the bottom from more scribe siding.   I used a razor saw to cut the ends of the "boards" all the way though.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019163933-408981428.jpeg)


The tank will sit on a base made from heavy timbers.  I attached them to some waxed paper with small drops of white glue to set the spacing.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019163933-408992373.jpeg)


The tank will sit on top of the elevator servicing structure.  I cut the walls from some left over scrap box parts.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019163933-409001794.jpeg)


For the tank roof I used the method described in the Campbells water tank kit.  Triangles of card are covered with Campbell paper shingles.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019163933-409011062.jpeg)


The triangles were flipped over and taped together.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164112-40902831.jpeg)


Then they were pulled together forming the roof pitch and the last joint taped.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164112-409031639.jpeg)


Here is the almost finished roof.  The hatch is a reefer roof hatch from the scrap box. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164112-40904775.jpeg)


The roof will be attached to this flat card cut to match. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164112-40905784.jpeg)


After fitting the flat panel under the roof I realized that I needed to trim the tape back.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164112-409061768.jpeg)


Using the tank as a stand I inverted the roof and glued the flat panel in pace.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164248-409071249.jpeg)


After the roof dried I turned it upright and reinforced the tape joints with small beads of canopy glue.  Then I covered the joints with strips of folded craft paper and capped it off with a finial casting. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131019164248-409081232.jpeg)


Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: NKP768 on October 17, 2019, 05:03:02 PM
Very nice Roger

Doug
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on October 22, 2019, 05:56:32 PM
Thanks Doug.

I wasn't able to finish this update before I had to leave on a trip but now that I'm back we can continue.

I scored the flat wall ends of the wall castings to match the brick pattern and then painted the brick, door, and windows.  The roof is card covered in a sheet of black tissue paper.  I didn't bother with much detail here as it will be covered by the tank.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170650-41071905.jpeg)


I painted the tops of the support timbers and attached the tank.  I painted the hatch and gave the roof a wash in thinned acrylic paint.  I used grays and browns to give some variation.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170650-41135437.jpeg)


For the tank bands I decided to give this coiled jewelry wire a try. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170650-4113650.jpeg)


I sized one band on the tank and then marked a paper cup to make a guide to cut the remaining bands.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170650-411371955.jpeg)


Here are all of the bands ready to be installed on the tank.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170650-411381268.jpeg)


To play the role of turnbuckles I used these jewelry crimping tubes.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170818-411392303.jpeg)


I placed a band around the tank and slipped each end into the crimping tube.  Then using small needle nose pliers I flattened the tube with the wires stacked on top of each other.  I then rotated the flattened tube to lay flat against the tank and worked the bands inward to tighten them.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170818-411401690.jpeg)


I continued with each band offsetting the position of the crimping tube.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170818-411411305.jpeg)


Here we have all of the bands installed around the tank.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170818-411422484.jpeg)


I made a guide to control the spacing of the bands from a bit of strip wood notched with a razor saw.  I used small drops of thin superglue to hold the bands in position on the tank.  I also put a bit of superglue on each crimp tube to keep them from loosening.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170818-411432347.jpeg)


I finished painting the timbers, mounted the tank on top of the roof structure, and added a ladder.   The ladder is made from some metal ladder stock from my scrap box.  I bent the top over and cut out a few rungs to make the top portion. I added a standoff cut from a bit of sheet brass to mount it to the edge of the timbers.   This is clearly not a modern safety ladder.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170948-4114437.jpeg)


I used some thinned lamp black acrylic paint to darken the metal bands.  I also worked the black wash vertically on the tank boards to give some more weathering.   I added small lengths of I-beam to the ends of the structure to imply a steel structure supporting the timbers.  Here is the finished tank from another angle.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170949-411451091.jpeg)


I applied a basic rolled roof to the subroof made from strips of painted pastel paper and then placed the signs and tank in place.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170949-41146666.jpeg)


I positioned the structure to align with the location of the elevator lobby implied by the interior on the ground floor.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170949-411471730.jpeg)


The the tank looks pretty nice along side the roof signs.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019170949-411482280.jpeg)


The bands and crimp tubes are a little oversized for HO scale but mounted up on the tall building at the back of the scene they give a nice texture to the tank.  I wouldn't use them for a foreground tank although, in O scale or maybe even S scale they might work pretty well.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-221019171047-41149450.jpeg)

Thats all for now.

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on October 22, 2019, 07:37:20 PM
Love it Roger , especially using the crimping tube and memory wire.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jbvb on October 23, 2019, 11:12:54 AM
I like how the tank and giant hotel came out.  Good that you have room for things that size.  Did you try blackening solution on the memory wire and crimping tubes?  The latter look like brass, so they should blacken well.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on October 23, 2019, 02:31:45 PM
Hey Random:

Looks really great.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on October 24, 2019, 10:27:52 AM
I was planning to use some blackening solution on the bands which I remembered after I had them installed.  The solution I have calls for a through rinsing with water after darkening the metal which seemed a bad idea on a wooden tank.  So I went with the thinned acrylic paint. 

The results look good enough and the brass gives a glint of metal with a general color of rust.  The tank also needed the extra weathering.  The tank will be about 30" from the isle and above eye level one the hotel is in place so it should do the job nicely.

Thanks all.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on November 13, 2019, 03:08:08 PM
A few random updates today.

I finished the elevator tower on the gray building.   

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131119145657-414892191.jpeg)


That railing looks pretty sketchy but its better than nothing.  I also added some vent pipes to the roof.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131119145657-41636989.jpeg)


Here is a test fit of the hotel building.   It was originally intended to be located more to the right, and it still may be, but it looks good here too.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131119145657-416371790.jpeg)


With the hotel located here you'd be able to see into the lobby and tavern by looking under the rail bridge. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131119145657-416381498.jpeg)


I filled in the alley between the station and the gray building with some Downtown Deco aged brick. 

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131119145657-41639366.jpeg)


On the back side of the green building I used some Magnuson brick sidewalk and made the alley with more Downtown Deco brick.  The gaps need dirt and weeds.

(http://www.modelersforum.com/gallery/622-131119145732-416401480.jpeg)



Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 05, 2020, 10:17:35 PM
Being locked up at home I raided my wood pile and using bits of this and that cobbled together a bit of benchwork for the 2nd city. 


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050420220441-438151398.jpeg)


I temporarily capped the benchwork with come cardboard and then some wrapping paper with the grid printed on the back and transferred a plan to it.  Surprisingly it fit.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050420220441-43817704.jpeg)


And using my meager supply of plywood I managed to cut out the uneven bits of the plan.   This will have a double track main and 2 track transfer yard on the upper level and an industrial branch leading down to the lower level via city street trackage.  The plan is inspired by the Third Street Industrial District plan from Model Railroaders' "48 Top Notch Track Plans" book.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050420220441-438181361.jpeg)


I have more space than their plan required so I've enhanced the operating potential of the district.

More to come as I'm not going anywhere else.

Hope all of you are well.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on April 06, 2020, 09:08:02 AM
Hey Roger:

It's coming along quite nicely and I'm following with much interest.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 11, 2020, 11:28:10 PM
Thanks Karl.


Its not the most exciting update, but over the last few days I've fitted risers, tested vertical curves for smoothness and coupler operation, and fitted more risers.   This took a lot of risers.  The grade from the upper level to the lower down the back street is in the vicinity of 6%. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110420231912-438701563.jpeg)


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-110420231912-438712272.jpeg)


I am waiting on more plywood for the lower decking and I need to transfer the track locations from the plan. 

That's it for now.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on April 12, 2020, 11:29:43 AM
Small progress Roger, but interesting.....can't wait to see the layout with all those big buildings.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 19, 2020, 08:45:16 AM
Benchwork continues on the new section but its rather boring to view so let's shift our focus to the older section.  Something is afoot next to the St. George.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190420083252-43947170.jpeg)


Three new structures are taking shape for the back block.  Starting from the St. George we have a Lunde Studios Magnuson Int'l, a highly modified DPM Goodfellows Hall, and a stack of Bachmann Savings & Loans.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-190420083252-43946963.jpeg)


I will probably make a separate thread for the construction of this block.

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 29, 2020, 11:49:08 AM
Between ODD Manufacturing and the main lines I needed a curved retaining wall.   So made a pattern for the curve and built a quick jig from scrap cardboard.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113224-440301721.jpeg)


My stone wall mold is flexible so I set it on the jig and then poured hydrocal.  The standard 2:1 mix was stiff enough not to run out of the mold.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113224-440322349.jpeg)


I also built a jig curved the other way.  I used this to dry the castings.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113224-440331321.jpeg)


Once they were dry I test fit the castings to make sure everything fit.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113224-4403498.jpeg)


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113224-440351339.jpeg)


The wall castings were 4 courses too tall so using the curved jig I scored them between rows of stones until they snapped along the score.  The trimmed castings are the same height as the track base.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113419-440361883.jpeg)


I gave them a quick painting with a wash of ink followed by acrylics and then glued them in place with canopy glue.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113419-440371191.jpeg)


I used a scrap of another casting to fill the gap by the tunnel.  The scrap was one course too short so I used a piece of strip wood to raise it to match the other walls.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113419-44038114.jpeg)



Finally, I dressed the seams with vines and put in some undergrowth along the base of the wall.   I carefully marked the limits for the undergrowth as the base for ODD Manufacturing will slide in against them.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-290420113419-44039450.jpeg)


The rest of the scenery between the structure and the wall will be installed on the structure's base.

Other things are afoot but that's it for now.

Cheers

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on April 29, 2020, 04:43:04 PM
Looking good, Rodger.

Neat technique to get curved walls.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on April 30, 2020, 02:25:29 AM
Hey Roger:

All is coming along quite nicely. Enjoyed all the photos.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jbvb on May 04, 2020, 08:05:46 PM
Nice mold work.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on May 08, 2020, 10:18:58 AM
I spent some time laying roadbed in this area and decided to work on the scenery on the opposite side of the tracks.  I installed a few rock castings for variety next to the road and gave the base a coat of cheep brown craft paint.  This was the only brown I could find in a large bottle.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080520100930-44175624.jpeg)


I chose to continue the cobblestone road on in this area.  This material is the same flexible cobblestone that was used for the road in the tunnel.  It likes to curl up at the edges so lots of weights were required.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080520100931-44176995.jpeg)


Installed but not painted, we now have a road leading up towards the express building.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080520100931-44177688.jpeg)


Next up, sidewalks.   I also need to decide what's going to go in the area to the right. 

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 02, 2021, 12:43:13 PM
Is it still Thursday?  I've lost track...

I added sidewalks to the street.  After looking at this for a while I'm not sure I like the cobblestone material.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121124104-47309782.jpeg)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 02, 2021, 01:26:48 PM
I finally got around to laying track in this area and so I decided to pave the area in front of the express warehouse.

I wrapped the building in cling wrap to prevent plaster from getting on it and pinned some stops to the foam to keep the building in position.


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130258-47310694.jpeg)



I also pinned down some stripwood forms and then filled the area with plaster of Paris.  I normally use hydrocal but in this instance I wanted the softer plaster of Paris for the next step.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130258-473112101.jpeg)



I used a short straight edge to carve down the plaster so that it was level with the rails and slightly below the stones at the front.  I also created a slope at the left to help blend this area into the road.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130258-47312438.jpeg)



Next I carved the flange ways.  This is where I need the softer plaster.  I use a small screwdriver with a head width equal to the flange way.  These drivers normally come in sets for doing small machine work.  The heads are cut square and not rounded so they make a good scraping tool.  I hold the head flat and against the inside of the rail and carefully draw it down the length of the plaster.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130258-473132127.jpeg)


I use very light pressure so that I remove only a small bit of plaster on each pass.  I continue making passes until the track spikes appear.  At this point the flange ways are deep enough to allow cars to roll smoothly.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130258-473141757.jpeg)



I test the flange ways by rolling a few cars into the track.  If you try this be sure the uncoupling pins are set correctly or you will gouge the soft plaster between the rails.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130446-473151772.jpeg)



I then used a scribe to carve expansion joints onto the pavement.  In this case 18' by 10' gave me the look I wanted.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130446-473181007.jpeg)



Next I carved cracks into the pavement.   This area will see heavy trucks and movement caused by freight cars so I chose to add a lot of cracking.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130446-47319790.jpeg)


Here is a gratuitous close up of the cracked pavement.  I went back and added joints and cracks to the section between the rails after I took this photo.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020121130446-47320439.jpeg)


I want to add the ramp from the parking area to the road before I paint it but I'm still not sure I like the road.  I'm considering pulling it up and repaving it.


Cheers!

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on January 02, 2021, 04:10:49 PM
Looking good, Rodger.

Nice plaster work and scribing around that track. 

You could always try adding a thin layer of plaster and leaving worn sections with the cobbles showing through from underneath.  Might be worth giving it a go if you decide you don't like the cobbled road.

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 05, 2021, 12:54:52 PM
I am not happy with water based paint today.   I always did my street work with Floquil paints.  But that ship has sailed.  I've had good luck with the water based craft paints and artist acrylics on wood and plaster is porous like wood so it should be fine right?

I chose a craft color for a base coat and applied it to the parking lot.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050121124148-474461751.jpeg)



I allowed it to dry then proceeded to clean the rail heads.   That's where the disaster began.  The paint started pulling up along the edges of the rail like a plastic sheet.  So stopped and ran a razor blade along the edges of the rail to cut this film.   Even that didn't solve the problem.  I've got paint pulling up on the cut where the blade ran.  I've got paint pulling up when I clean the inside of the rails.  This is a mess that I never experienced using spirits based Floquil. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050121124148-474471191.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050121124148-474482464.jpeg)



At this point I don't know if I want to continue forward or just rip the whole thing out and start over.   My intention was to weather the surface with artists pastels but now that I have bare plaster again I'm not sure how to proceed.

I used craft paint but I did thin it.   

Very frustrated.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Keep It Rusty on January 05, 2021, 01:35:16 PM
Roger, before we tear anything asunder, maybe worth trying to seal everything in with matte medium -- if not Dullcote itself. This should protect your paintwork from being disturbed.

Also, going forwards, you can color your plaster mixes so any and all chipping doesn't leave a white finish.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 05, 2021, 01:59:21 PM
I think the issue is the water based paint just doesn't penetrate like oil based did.   Maybe I didn't thin it enough.   Coloring the plaster would make sense but I don't have anything on hand to do so.   I'm not sure what's best for that.   

So instead of breaking everything out I went into my supplies and found a bottle of oil based rust stain.   

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050121135351-474492386.jpeg)



I applied this along the rails to cover the white plaster.   I didn't bother being neat as more "mess" is to come. 


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050121135351-474501335.jpeg)


It smells more like the oil soaked concrete of a warehouse lot now.   Fingers crossed.

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Keep It Rusty on January 05, 2021, 02:35:18 PM
Weathering is a great solution, and would be my go-to (I love weathering).

Your can color plaster with your water based Acrylics :)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 05, 2021, 03:01:56 PM
How much paint do you need to add to the mix?  I'll have to try that.

I've applied a wash of ink per George's formula.   I think it is going to be ok.   


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-050121145544-47451222.jpeg)



There will be more weathering, likely with pastels.  I also touched up the cobblestone road where plaster ran into it.   It still needs highlights.


Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Keep It Rusty on January 05, 2021, 03:11:52 PM
I think it looks great. Pastel chalks will only add more depth, too.

Add as much as it takes to color the mix without clotting. Start with less, stir it in, making sure it's fully taken in the mix, then add more as necessary.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Janbouli on January 05, 2021, 07:10:00 PM
I color plaster with pigment powder , most of the earth tone colors are pretty cheap , luckily we don't need blues , they are the most expensive pigments.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 26, 2021, 11:20:43 PM
I've been doing a bit of scenery work in and around some finish work on the express warehouse.  Here is a brief update.

I ballasted this section of track (after adding feeders) using a modification of George's formula.  According to an interview video I found he used lamp black and a rust color thinned with spirits.  I've tried to replicate the look using water based paints.  I used oxide black between the rails and iron oxide along the outside of the rails, both thinned to make a wash.  I'm not sure if the black might need to be a bit darker but I stopped when ballast started to come loose.  The loading dock is the trackside dock for the express building.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260121230625-478251146.jpeg)


I've also added fences, vines, signs, and shrubberies along the sidewalk and walls.  There is a bit more I want to do here before I add streetlights.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260121230625-47827762.jpeg)


I hunted for quite some time before I found the exact circus clown sign and "Shell" sign that George used on the original.  Some of the other signs follow the original and others are different. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260121230625-478281525.jpeg)


Next I need to plant the express building and work on the scenery surrounding it.

Cheers.

Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on January 27, 2021, 08:35:43 AM
Good save Roger.....the road looks great.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Keep It Rusty on January 27, 2021, 10:55:16 AM
Looks great roger. Make sure you use those pastel chalks to tie it all together and give it some use!

Where did you source your retaining walls and sidewalks?
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on January 27, 2021, 12:12:07 PM
Hey Roger:

The layout looks just beautiful. Keep the pics flowing.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 27, 2021, 03:39:05 PM
Thanks.   

The sidewalks came from Magnuson kits.  The retaining walls and tunnel are cast from my own hand made masters. 
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 28, 2021, 12:01:18 PM
Air dry clay, a bit of strip wood for forming, a knife for trimming and a little finesse and we have a set of concrete steps leading to a cliff.   Once the clay dries it will be painted to match the other concrete in the area.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280121115155-478311.jpeg)


I also need some large shrubberies to mask an ugly bit of wiring next to the raised platform.   Theses are lichen dipped in thinned white glue and covered in a fine grass blend.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-280121115758-47833257.jpeg)


More later,

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 31, 2021, 01:17:17 AM
I've got a question about soil color in the Boston area.  Specifically, what color does it tend to be?

I used Polyblend Sanded Grout in "haystack" as a soil covering over the play sand I used to rough in this area (as seen in the photo above).  This color is very close to the color of my weathered concrete.   Should I go a shade lighter or darker or does the Boston area soil tend to a totally different shade?   I don't have access to real dirt as around here the soil is black/gray "gumbo" clay covered by whatever soil came with the grass mats when they sodded the yards.

That pale strip behind the car stop is the unweathered steps with a base coat of concrete.  It really washed out in the photo.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-310121010807-47849568.jpeg)

Thanks for the dirt tips,

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on January 31, 2021, 03:12:06 AM
Hey Roger:

Looking good. Keep the pic flowing.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on January 31, 2021, 09:09:37 AM
Hi Roger.....we lived in Newton for a year and the soil in our yard and and the park across the street was kinda brownish black.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: deemery on January 31, 2021, 09:13:19 AM
Soil color depends on where in New England and the underlying geology  ;D    Here in NH, where the soils are mostly weathered granite deposited by glacier action, I find the color is a medium beige (with a small amount of pink to it.)  Of course, organic matter turns the soils darker towards browns.  But it's definitely not the red clay I remember from Virginia.


dave
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Keep It Rusty on January 31, 2021, 09:18:29 AM
Quote from: Random on January 27, 2021, 03:39:05 PM
Thanks.   

The sidewalks came from Magnuson kits.  The retaining walls and tunnel are cast from my own hand made masters.

Missed this! Thanks. And well done on your new additions.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on February 01, 2021, 12:02:26 PM
I decided to paint the soil area.  I used a tan and two darker brown craft paints.  I thinned the paints into a wash and covered with the light color then dapped in areas of the darker colors, working back and forth with a single brush and allowed them to blend.   The results look more like soil with a history rather than a newly graded back yard. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010221114640-47911578.jpeg)


The car stop is from Tichy. I gave it a coat of red then came back with some rust.  I also rusted the rails with the same paint.  Once the paint has had time to set I'll give it wash of ink.  I noticed that one spot in the front looked like a protruding rock so I dry brushed it with some gray to make it look weathered and sun faded.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010221114640-479122096.jpeg)


Foliage is next.  I did a bit more work along the sidewalk and street while the dirt paint dried.  Some weeds were used to dress the uneven sidewalk joints as well as some gaps between the sidewalk and street material.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010221114640-479132040.jpeg)


I used a darker brown paint to make the corner against the wall look like washed out soil and added weeds to it.  I also added a thin wash of darker brown to the cracks in the driveway, particularly where it is more broken up to simulate dirt accumulating. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-010221114640-479141995.jpeg)


Cheers


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on February 01, 2021, 02:07:15 PM
Looking great, Rodger.

Those cobblestone streets sure look like they would make your teeth chatter!

Cheers, Mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on February 02, 2021, 06:52:13 PM
Mark, I have a love-hate relationship with that cobblestone material.  It was marketed for military modelers.  It is flexible and I originally bought it for a scene that was going to be very hilly.  It looks good from some angles and not from others.    That street might be paved over in the future.  Who knows. 


I pulled out the shrubberies and planted them with a little path down the middle.  The purpose of the bushes was to mask the edge of the platform and cover those ugly wires that you might have spotted in prior photos.  There is a bit of debris in there too. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020221184556-47928698.jpeg)

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020221184556-479502023.jpeg)


Cheers.


Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: jbvb on February 03, 2021, 03:52:50 PM
The scene is looking nice. But one warning about Tichy's HO Hayes-style bumpers: I built a couple and they do look nice, but then an operator lost control of their engine and ran it into the bumper, breaking it into 3 or 4 pieces.  I switched to Walthers at that point; the castings aren't as nice but they do the 'bumper' job better.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on February 04, 2021, 09:18:10 AM
Hey Random:


Great looking structures. Keep the pics flowing.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on March 25, 2021, 10:43:37 AM
I haven't spent much time in the workshop lately but I have been working on a block of buildings which will sit behind the station next to the hotel.  Here is an in progress teaser photo.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-250321103630-485291538.jpeg)


The two smaller structures are Lunde Studios fronts with foam core bodies.   The bank on the right made from two Bachmann Savings and Loans.  The bank sign is stenciled directly on the wall with craft paint.

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Mark Dalrymple on March 25, 2021, 12:47:41 PM
Looking good, Roger.

There is certainly some heft to those structures!

Cheers, mark.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on March 25, 2021, 02:31:25 PM
Roger,

Great stuff here, loving following along.

Tom  ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: GPdemayo on March 25, 2021, 03:23:40 PM
Boy are they big.....looks good Roger.  8)
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Zephyrus52246 on March 25, 2021, 04:39:11 PM
Impressively large structures.  They look great.


Jeff
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on March 26, 2021, 01:25:10 AM
Hey Roger:

That's quite the building. Love it.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 02, 2021, 11:20:32 AM
I finished weathering and roof details on the three new structures. 

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020421111326-487092489.jpeg)


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-020421111326-487101186.jpeg)


I still need to add some signs and looking at the water tank on the bank there needs to be a visit from the pigeons.   This block will form the background behind the existing station scene. 

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: S&S RR on April 02, 2021, 11:26:57 AM
Roger


Very nice builds. That's a lot of window castings.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 04, 2021, 11:53:00 AM
Window castings are easy once I stopped painting them with a brush.  The bank building's windows are cast in rows so I installed them after painting the castings and the walls.   The other 3 buildings have windows cast in place.  I spray the wall casting with the color I want for the windows and then brush paint the bricks. 

Cheers.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: postalkarl on April 04, 2021, 07:53:51 PM
Hey Roger:

Just beautiful work. Can't wait for more.

Karl
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: ACL1504 on April 04, 2021, 08:27:10 PM
Roger,

I'm never disappointed when checking in on this thread. The building are really amazing and will be even more so when finished.

Tom  ;D
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: tom.boyd.125 on April 05, 2021, 11:45:44 AM
Roger,
Great looking skyline !
Keep the progress photos coming.
Tommy
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on April 08, 2021, 10:59:58 AM
This set of background structures is almost complete.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080421104431-487292290.jpeg)


The brown building houses The White Rabbit Tavern, one of the oldest taverns in town, on the ground floor and apartments above.   The Red building is the home of Ieveli's Restaurant on the ground floor and apartments above.  It also sports a brand new awning. Pasquale, the owner, is very pleased.  Opened in 1924, it is the oldest Italian restaurant in the city.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080421104431-48764625.jpeg)


The building on the right is the Merchants Co-operative Bank complete with a small cantilevered awning over the entrance and security bars inside the windows.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080421104432-487651124.jpeg)


Here is a view down the block.

(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-080421104432-487662252.jpeg)


This block will sit behind the station scene.  I have one more false back structure to add.

Cheers
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Dennis Bourey on April 08, 2021, 12:03:52 PM
WOW!!! Beautiful job on that block Roger.
Title: Re: Two cities layout.
Post by: Random on January 26, 2022, 09:36:43 PM
I started a new job a while back.  Haven't been in the shop in a while.   That said, something is up...


(http://modelersforum.com/gallery/622-260122213431-51820101.jpeg)