Beavers Revenge

[Dufus]

Beavers Revenge

 

I am coming to this challenge a little late.  I saw it originally last year and thought it would be fun to have a go so in anticipation I bought a small base board from Justin at scalemodelscenary.co.uk.  I have only been modelling railway for a couple of years but have in the past made a number of sailing vessels so I am not completely new to modelling.

 

I wanted to do something that would make me try a number of techniques that I have not yet used.  That might mean it is a bit of a disaster, but hopefully it will mean that I increase my own skills (or at least learn my limitations).

 

I want to incorporate:

1. Some kind of water feature.  Although I have made a number of ships, the only time I have used water is when making a ship in a bottle or light bulb.  Nothing like the water shown on many layouts these days.
2. Static grass.  My kids brought me a static grass applicator for Christmas over a year ago but I have never used it.  I am only just finishing wiring my main layout, it is going to be months before I get to put grass on it so I would like the opportunity to use it now.
3. I have loads of coffee stirrers, I tried making part of a building for my local model railway club and it looked terrible. I want to develop this further and so thought a trestle bridge might help here.
4. I want to make some rolling stock or try bashing something that I already have.  I have a free-be paper mill loco from BRM when I subscribed, what about doing something with that?
5. It needs to be fun!  Nothing too serious.

 

When the topic ‘waiting for a train’ was announced I discussed this at the King’s Lynn Model Railway club.  I thought I don’t want the waiting to be people so what about an animal or two.  Cows or farm stock would be too easy, what about beavers waiting to bring down a bridge?  Could I get any beavers at OO scale?  Well I searched the internet and no I could not find any.  I emailed my cousins in Canada, could they ask at their local model shops because this is a non-starter without the beavers! Still no.  I did however find a couple of STL 3D print files (for free!) on the internet.  I have a 3D printer but the nozzle is blocked due to me using it in a freezing shed so last week I brought it inside and spent hours servicing it.  I managed to print some OO scale beavers. The project is on.

 

 

[Dufus]

Currently sat in a hotel room in St Helier Jersey trying to cut polystyrene without making too much mess!!  Just about got the basic valley cut out.  Need to learn how to resize photos from my phone or I will have to wait until I get back to Norfolk and use a proper camera.

 

below is a basic plan of action if it comes out.

 

Chris

[Dufus]

OK, Making some progress.  First off I have got the basic profile of the valley cut and some plaster bandage on it to seal it for now.

 

I found a picture on google of logging on a slope.  I bit of photo-shopping and I have a back scene.

 

I have had 3 attempts at making the bridge,  the first two went in the bin.  Third one looks reasonable.  It was one of my original objectives of this challenge to improve on my skills working with wood.  I am not where I want to be, but getting much better.  The bridge now needs fixing in place, I will need to build up the banks slightly so the beavers have somewhere to sit gnawing the bridge supports.  It will also fix them to the bank at the same time.

 

 

 

I have painted three of the beavers. They need to be smoothed down as the paint shows the layering from where they were printed.

 

 

They don't look quite as bad as the camera makes them look but do need a little more work.

 

Finally, I have made the wagon for the felled trees.  This was a kit I bought at a show last year.  I have not made any of these for 50 years. I used to make airfix kits at boarding school and even found an unmade break van in the loft which I will now assemble. 

 

 

I have made a log load for it. Still needs painting, chains adding and finishing off, but again more progress has been made.

 

 

When the glue has dried on the bridge, I'll give it a paint wash then start working on cleaning up the beavers a bit more.

 

 

[Guest]

Nice work. I will watch it with a great interest.

[Dufus]

Okay, nearly done.  Still got some small details to finish that I hope to get done before Sundays deadline.  Even if they don't get done, I am still pleased with the way it has gone.

 

I have achieved most of my objectives.  I have improved my small scale woodworking skills. I have had a go with a water scene.  I did not get the static grass on here but I did get to have a go on the flat and on an embankment on a main layout.  The grass on the flat looked really good but the embankment still needs some practice the get the grass growing up rather than 'out'.  I decided not to ruin the beavers valley but to leave it until I have more practice.

 

The other thing to do before Sunday is practice with the camera to get a better depth of field before submitting the final photos.

 

To be going on with here is what I was originally thinking of, 

[Dufus]

Submitted last night. 

 

Bit of a false start when I copied and pasted Phil's email it would not go.  Had to type it out by hand.  presumably some mechanism to stop computer generated spam.