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Ballasting at last.


5&9Models

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An opportunity presented itself to drag the baseboard outside yesterday and take some photos in the rather dull afternoon light. At last I feel some progress is being made, or in other words, what a difference a bit of ballasting makes!

 

I took a few more photos to show how some of the areas are finally tying together after some further detail was added.

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Oooh look, ballast at last! This is my own somewhat unconventional technique since the ballast in the 1840s was all over with only the rails showing. This can be a bl**dy nightmare when it comes to keeping things clear enough for smooth running.

 

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A view under the bridge.

 

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The stables with the tall Greyhound  in the background.

 

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The tannery, with a little more detail added and some 'bedding in'.

 

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The somewhat neglected back yard between the Greyhound and the Tannery.

 

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11 minutes ago, burgundy said:

Brilliant!

Will the tannery come with its unique fragrance?

Best wishes 

Eric 

Thanks Eric. Yes, I was thinking ‘scratch n sniff’. :bo_mini:

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That really is top class modelmaking. 

 

The thing that stands out for me is the subtle variations in shade of the brickwork. Most modellers ( including myself ) tend to make colours too dense, but that is just about perfect. 

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A tour de force!

 

Dave has already mentioned the colours, which are exactly the shades I associate with Victorian times (or maybe your modelling has brainwashed me :)). The textures are excellent too, I think, just look at those setts.

 

PS: Chris, can I ask what brick sheets you are using? 

 

Edited by Mikkel
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7 hours ago, Dave John said:

That really is top class modelmaking. 

 

The thing that stands out for me is the subtle variations in shade of the brickwork. Most modellers ( including myself ) tend to make colours too dense, but that is just about perfect. 


Thanks Dave. I find it makes a huge difference taking the photos outside. Artificial light, even ‘natural daylight’ LED lighting tends to make the colours too intense. A little tweak when editing the photo can help too.

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41 minutes ago, Mikkel said:

 

PS: Chris, can I ask what brick sheets you are using? 

 

 

Thank you Mikkel. I use Slaters Plastikard sheets. They’re fine but you can’t mix bonds as the courses are slightly out which is really irritating.

 

The other trick is on corners; score a groove in the back and bend the sheet round so you use it like a wrapper. That way your courses stay in line and you don’t get that giveaway joint all the way down the corner edge.

 

I only discovered this half way through my project so some of the earlier buildings don’t have it and it shows. The best disguise for this is to pick out some of the corner bricks in a slightly darker shade, painting around the corner joint with a fine brush. The eye then picks up those bricks and the brain tells you the corners are more realistic than they really are!

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That is absolutely brilliant modelling, Chris.

Please can I ask about your unconventional technique for ballasting? I've got a bit of ballast to lay down myself, and your method obviously produces excellent results!

(On the subject of fragrances, I've recently been using joss stick ash as a scenic material. Call me an old hippie, but I think a whiff of sandalwood adds something to a layout.)

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1 hour ago, Ian Simpson said:

That is absolutely brilliant modelling, Chris.

Please can I ask about your unconventional technique for ballasting? I've got a bit of ballast to lay down myself, and your method obviously produces excellent results!

(On the subject of fragrances, I've recently been using joss stick ash as a scenic material. Call me an old hippie, but I think a whiff of sandalwood adds something to a layout.)

Hi Ian, good to hear from you and thanks for your comments. My ‘ballast’ if you can call it that, is Sandtex ‘Old Stone’ masonry paint decanted into a smaller tin (golden syrup) and several spoons of sharp sand (children’s playpit) thrown in and mixed well. Then it’s brushed in, left to dry and then a second coat applied to fill in the gaps and holes that only become apparent when the first layer dries. Wipe it away from rail tops and sides or live to regret it! A general thinned wash of mixed Burnt Sienna and Black acrylic dulls everything down and once all is completely dry, a dry brush of the Sandtex highlights the surfaces. I also glue thin card over the sleepers and over the sides first as it builds up the ground level ready for all over ballasting.

The most important thing of all is to experiment on dummy track lengths first. Don’t use this technique on your layout until you’re 100% happy with the process and the results. 

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Many thanks, Chris, I think a bit of testing on some old track is called for - I can see how it could go a bit wrong! But it sounds an excellent approach once it's been mastered.

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20 hours ago, 5&9Models said:

 

Thank you Mikkel. I use Slaters Plastikard sheets. They’re fine but you can’t mix bonds as the courses are slightly out which is really irritating.

 

The other trick is on corners; score a groove in the back and bend the sheet round so you use it like a wrapper. That way your courses stay in line and you don’t get that giveaway joint all the way down the corner edge.

 

I only discovered this half way through my project so some of the earlier buildings don’t have it and it shows. The best disguise for this is to pick out some of the corner bricks in a slightly darker shade, painting around the corner joint with a fine brush. The eye then picks up those bricks and the brain tells you the corners are more realistic than they really are!

 

Thanks Chris, I will have a go with Slaters for my next project. I have been using the Finecast English bond sheets as they have a slightly worn/old world look in close-up, but I have recently had problems with getting the mortar neat, and recent experiments suggests it's down to the groves in the Finecast sheets.

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5 hours ago, Mikkel said:

 

Thanks Chris, I will have a go with Slaters for my next project. I have been using the Finecast English bond sheets as they have a slightly worn/old world look in close-up, but I have recently had problems with getting the mortar neat, and recent experiments suggests it's down to the groves in the Finecast sheets.

The same issue applies to Slaters. Sometimes the definition is good and sometimes is a bit dodgy. That’s the advantage of buying at an exhibition, you can examine the quality before you buy. Damn! I’ve just noticed a flaw in my suggestion...:(

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1 hour ago, drduncan said:

Absolutely fantastic modelling. Extremely effective and atmospheric.

Duncan

Thank you.

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