freebs Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Thanks very much again, you could have solved a dilemma of mine. I am trying to find a way to obscure the glass on this: I want it to look a bit like this: The main reason is that as it's low relief & I have a thing about illuminating my buildings. I couldn't work out a way to do so without having to make an interior, so some sort of frosting was going to be the way ahead but i was scratching my head about what kind! What about Magic tape? that would work would it not? I can't think of anything immediately to hand. Of course, working for a sign company I'd just use self adhesive frosted vinyl, but unless you have a kindly sign company nearby, you wouldn't necessarily have that lurking in your drawer? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Baking paper would work beneath the glass but it may be more on the opaque side of translucent. Failing that some thinners might melt the plastic, or even sanding it with some 600 wet and dry on the inside? Also, try looking at plastic milk carton material - I was going to use that buy we had none to hand.... Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Lovely looking building btw. Except for the brick paper you cheater! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 Sorry - just spent faaaar too long scribing bricks to have to witness such nice clean bricks! Joking aside, whilst driving home from a very flooded building site on the Severn in shrewsbury I had a brainwave. Take the clear plastic you want to use for the windows and sand them with fine sandpaper so the finish is relatively even and not all scratchy(?!). Then use a white, black, blue and yellow mix of poster paint to get a dull turquoise. Add this to PVA at about 40% paint and brush it onto the sanded side of the plastic. Let it dry and see how it looks. Might need a few coats. I would like to try this myself but I have so many things going on at the moment!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 3, 2014 Author Share Posted February 3, 2014 More like eggshell blue. http://www.handyhippo.co.uk/p10684-hunkydory-adorable-scorable-cardstock-10-sheets-eggshell-blue.html Plus, adding more black to the mix will allow the variance in the colour that is visible in the picture. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 Thanks, Peterkem23. Like you I used to spend a lot of time in the car between when I started modelling again almost exactly two years ago and an awful lot of stuff I worked on was inspired by things I passed or dreamt up in traffic jams. I would often come home with a complete cutting list in my head and put something together in an evening leading to people speculating about my incredibly quick work rate! Having had a highly frustrating day I wasn't inclined to faff about, so I tried a piece of my glazing material with wet 'n' dry and it came out looking pretty good. I went to try and spray some varnish on another bit, but the varnish had run out so I've just sanded the whole lot. I'll look at the painting later. As I explained on my thread I tried baking paper & greaseproof paper behind the glazing. I'm afraid the net effect was to make it look like paper behind the windows, even though the colour & opacity were just what I was after! As for freebs's suggestion thanks as well. As I work in a School it's amazing what can be found in the Science, Art and CDT Departments. However these departments have been very generous with bits & pieces lately so I hesitate to ask for anything more for the moment... Edit to add:Initial results here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted February 3, 2014 Share Posted February 3, 2014 What about Magic tape? that would work would it not? I can't think of anything immediately to hand. Of course, working for a sign company I'd just use self adhesive frosted vinyl, but unless you have a kindly sign company nearby, you wouldn't necessarily have that lurking in your drawer? Freebs, if you spray clear styrene with Humbrol Matt varnish it mists it up perfectly. Anyway, try it on a scrap piece first. Chjeers. Allan Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Working on the doors using plastic strips from plastikard. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Freebs, if you spray clear styrene with Humbrol Matt varnish it mists it up perfectly. Anyway, try it on a scrap piece first. Chjeers. Allan Went to try a test piece last night and my varnish had run out! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass0four Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Lovely looking building btw. Except for the brick paper you cheater! Aye? - I've noticed you've used your wack of Scalescenes! ;-) As it happens, Scalescenes brown paper is my default for middle-distance and background stuff. I'm labouring to find the opposite of what you are doing - finding an acceptable (to me) method of manufacturing acres of 4mm terraces. There's no easy way. Tony. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Scalescenes.....I've got to be honest I'm torn. John Wiffen is the best at what he does, period. His designs are flawless and I have downloaded loads of his stuff, not to mention being inspired to design my own buildings using photoshop. His buildings are crisp and well designed, and the brickwork is random and well coloured. I have used his brick paper in the past, constructing all my buildings using them. But I want to change gear and spend more time on one model. So I no longer want to use them, unless I'm doing something with my son - who loves modelling. As for your mass production of terrace houses; try investing in your own resin casting kit! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass0four Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Scalescenes.....I've got to be honest I'm torn. John Wiffen is the best at what he does, period. His designs are flawless and I have downloaded loads of his stuff, not to mention being inspired to design my own buildings using photoshop. His buildings are crisp and well designed, and the brickwork is random and well coloured. I have used his brick paper in the past, constructing all my buildings using them. But I want to change gear and spend more time on one model. So I no longer want to use them, unless I'm doing something with my son - who loves modelling. As for your mass production of terrace houses; try investing in your own resin casting kit! I can't argue with you. I've seen your examples and they are excellent - but still paper, which always photographs flat! ... It's a bit of a paradox that most plastic brickwork is either over-scale, and/or looks like a pile of bread-loaves, but does paint well enough and reflects light well. I've tried abusing the paper by placing it over heavy abrasives, covering it with sheet of protective paper, and hammering the hell out of it, which does emboss a texture, but weathering and washes can show up badly. Otherwise, my main argument with Wiffen is the slates are far too big for UK domestic IMHO. The jury's still out on resin but I take your point. My experiments until now have resulted in surfaces that have dried curved, but that might well be my fault. A Linka type of plaster could be a possibility, with custom moulds(?) The truth is, I'm building a large-ish ECML layout as I love the trains of my 60s youth, but in modelling terms I'm probably better suited to diorama/micro layouts... I look forward to following your progress. One day I might have something worth a page of my own, but I tend to muck about then bin stuff in disgust! I read once, that "a perfectionist is someone who uses that as an excuse for not finishing anything." 'Sums me up! lol Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 I have dabbled with resin casting. The trouble with warping as far as I know, is the temperature raised by large amounts of resin curing through. There is a guy called fatspider on the modelrailway forum who is an expert as resin. I know what you mean about throwing things away. But you know what? Posting them in the forum is perfect for keeping tenacity levels up, as people are interested and wish to see a finished model. That is keeping me going with this build! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass0four Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I'm sure you're right about the resin - you can feel the heat and it's bound to have some effect. I'll look into your guy's work. I've been thinking it's almost time to bite the bullet forum-wise. But, as someone who has achieved a level of excellence that you are comfortable enough with to share, you'll understand the need for at least a bit of good stuff to show off at the start. Hell, we all like to have our fur stroked! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
allan downes Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 I can't argue with you. I've seen your examples and they are excellent - but still paper, which always photographs flat! ... It's a bit of a paradox that most plastic brickwork is either over-scale, and/or looks like a pile of bread-loaves, but does paint well enough and reflects light well. I've tried abusing the paper by placing it over heavy abrasives, covering it with sheet of protective paper, and hammering the hell out of it, which does emboss a texture, but weathering and washes can show up badly. Otherwise, my main argument with Wiffen is the slates are far too big for UK domestic IMHO. The jury's still out on resin but I take your point. My experiments until now have resulted in surfaces that have dried curved, but that might well be my fault. A Linka type of plaster could be a possibility, with custom moulds(?) The truth is, I'm building a large-ish ECML layout as I love the trains of my 60s youth, but in modelling terms I'm probably better suited to diorama/micro layouts... I look forward to following your progress. One day I might have something worth a page of my own, but I tend to muck about then bin stuff in disgust! I read once, that "a perfectionist is someone who uses that as an excuse for not finishing anything." 'Sums me up! lol Peter Denny- Buckingham Branch - used to lay brickpaper over heavy grit sand paper as you do Brass0 four then soft scribed the courses in with a blunt scribing tool. I tried it and screwed up big time ! Cheers. Allan. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Peter Denny- Buckingham Branch - used to lay brickpaper over heavy grit sand paper as you do Brass0 four then soft scribed the courses in with a blunt scribing tool. I tried it and screwed up big time ! Cheers. Allan. And yet you built a whole cathedral.....and a castle for a movie. Weird! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 Tonight's order of service was building the left hand door, which in my imaginary world never gets opened and is now beyond use as the wood has degraded. There will be items leant against it and grass tufts poking out from the bottom. Maybe even a cheeky dandelion making an appearance. (Allan D!) Tomorrow; the window aperture! Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Just to add my tuppen 'orth - I too started with Scalescenes stuff- they really are great kits, but I wasn't happy with the way the stone printed out on my printer. Then I saw Iain Robinson's work and decided to try and step up a gear... Yes it may take me months to build a Goods shed, but the texture is much more pleasing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Absolutely fantastic work Peter - you're turning into the Master of Decay (in a good way) Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 John wiffen should be chuffed there are only a few of us OCD modellers knocking about. I bet he's got a nice motor! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peterkern23 Posted February 4, 2014 Author Share Posted February 4, 2014 I'm not too sure about the roughness of the supporting bars actually. My first real doubt on this build. I'll sleep on it and take a look in daylight tomorrow. It's always hard to tell in unnatural light. Thanks. Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted February 4, 2014 Share Posted February 4, 2014 Bit hard to tell with the focus of the camera, but I think if they're painted up they'll look fine If the panels are falling apart, then the supporting bars would be knackered too! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brass0four Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 You've given me a bloody good idea, Pete. I had been thinking of my layout as a topic and everything else being within it. But if I postpone the layout thread for a while longer I can deal with individual tasks separately, as you are doing, ultimately linked back to the layout. This could get me out of the rut I've got myself into... Thanks for that! Tony. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
freebs Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Yes Tony, do that - I started by posting a thread for the various buildings I was working on, then abandoned those threads for the new layout thread Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
C&WR Posted February 5, 2014 Share Posted February 5, 2014 Are those nail heads I see on the door bracing? Very neat job! My solution was little drops of GS Hypo cement as shown in this post here which I think works for great big bolt heads. Yours are so much better for nails, what's the method? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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