crayment

Hi Mikkel. Thanks very much. I'll get round to the night shoot but just too lazy to wrench myself away from the sofa at the moment!

.... and Volumes 1 and 2 of Mackay's are now on order!

Hi Job. Yes, you're right. Now I've had a bit of time to think I really should get on, build the graveyard and put the church in a proper setting.

Thanks very much Portchulin Tatty. Now I know what to do this afternoon - search for copies of Mackays! I'm always stumped for names of architectural features.

Over the past 3 months I've had the most enjoyable and satisfying time building this model of one of the local parish churches. In the process I have learnt an awful lot and next time, if there is a next time, there are things I would do differently.. In particular, I experimented with using DAS for the some of the stonework and hadn't realised what a versatile medium it is. Similarly with styrene sheet. I thought I'd really struggle with the spire but with styrene sheet it was relatively straightforward (once I'd googled how to draw an octagon - I didn't listen at school). I have installed lights. I'll take a photo one night. I haven't seen what they look like in the dark. For the stonework I experimented with a mixture of styrene sheet and DAS - styrene for the window surrounds and buttresses with DAS in between. I didn't have the confidence to use DAS alone (and certainly not for the tower). I also had a go at resin casting the ornamental stonework at the top of the walls (which will have an architectural name I'm sure). And now the model is finished I am feeling quite bereft and at a loose end. I don't know what to do next.

Thanks Gary. Perhaps I should find somewhere else for it. I suppose that's an advantage of not planning ahead!

Well, that was the most fun I've had making a model and I'm a little disappointed to have finished it. I still have to bed it into the layout so that'll be a bit more fun but it'll be a while until I can get round to that. And this is where it's going.... I can do no more until that white space at the back has been filled for which I have had several very helpful suggestions. (This blogging lark is great - free advice!!) But what will go there? It's a case of breaking free from the paralysis of indecision and getting on with it.

Thanks chaps for the ideas - I want to do them all. I wonder....a medieval visitor centre, cottage with garden and part of an old industrial building......

I have had a thoroughly good time on and off over the past few days making progress on the Old Tyre Depot, particularly playing with the roof structure. Who'd have thought a few pence worth of plastic could provide so much fun? However, I'm afraid work will be getting in the way of more important things over the next few days so the roof is going to have to be neglected.for a while. I'm looking forward to painting it though. In the meantime, I have a bad case of what can only be described as modeller's block. There is a space on the layout, behind the chapel (on the other side of the tracks) and to the left of the castle, which is crying out for something. But I don't know what. It's sort of triangular - 300mm across the base (adjacent to the castle) and 500mm to the apex (adjacent to the tracks). What should fill it? Here are three photos to put the space in context. I thought about a park with a bandstand (improbably near the noise of trains but that wouldn't matter - it's only pretend and no one would actually have to play there) or perhaps a row of low relief cottages with their back gardens but neither idea is really compelling at the moment. If anyone has an inspiration or suggestion, I should be delighted to hear!

Amazing what you stumble across on this site. What a treat this is. Great observation and detail and you've brought out the character of the real thing. Reckon I'm hooked on dilapidated now.

Oh, thanks very much, Stu. The walls are just layers of plain and embossed styrene topped with a bit of Squadron putty to hide the joins. Chas.

Near to where I live is an old and very dilapidated tyre depot. The recent heavy snow has collapsed even more of the roof. It was constructed of brick, steel joists and corrugated iron and is full of character. I wanted to have a go at modelling dilapidated and have made a start on a version which is much smaller so as to fit the available space on the layout. The interior walls have been weathered and the roof structure begun. I fear though that impatience means I am going to struggle to finish off the interior. I really ought to have waited before starting the roof.

Hi Lee and thank you. Yes, I like to keep an eye out here to pinch ideas from some of the very clever model makers!

The Chapel is finished. Or rather, I've finished with it for the time being. Ii's been an interesting project from which I have learned a lot. I look at it now and think what I'd do differently next time. I suppose that's what modelmaking is all about and it's part of the fun - learning from mistakes and doing better next time round. Anyhow, the Chapel has found a location on the layout adjacent to the implausible retaining wall and will need a wall, gate and signboard eventually. Those will have to wait - there's much more infrastructure work to be done yet on the surrounds (which is the bit I enjoy least). The backscene behind the Chapel is, I have decided, going to be an approaching storm. There is a reason for that - I had grey paint left over from the roof which has formed the base coat. Next project is to build a dilapidated factory unit behind the garage. Never done dilapidated before - I'm looking forward to trying something new.

Goodness me, am I pleased to have discovered this blog. The cobbling is absolutely superb.