ChrisN

Jeff,

I think the cottage looks fine and fits in well.  It seems to be daunted by the landscape which is good.

Should the walls be a little darker?

You could have your tree growing out of the hole in the roof.

Jeff,

Couldn't you push some weeds/ flock in through the window?

One thought about the position, how is the Tescos man going going to get deliveries up there?  Oh, silly me, it's deserted.

For those of you that haven't seen it, the "inventor" of the DAS stone-walling technique (RM, Feb 13), Ian Nuttall, has an article on his layout "Dentdale" in the November RM. Very nice it is, too - along with a fair number of his stone walls.

 

They look a bit neater than the ones I've created! 

 

Jeff

Jeff,

I must admit I thought they were too neat.  I did not know it was his technque you were using and I wondered how he did his walls.  I actu.ally think your look better because dry walls are rougher than ones with mortar

Jeff,

I think you are right.  You would need to model it with at least one door open and interior lights, and if you are doing an exact replica you would get someone telling you that the seats in the waiting room were wrong, and that picture on the wall was taken down in 1959, and the toilets were never that clean!

Jeff,

Fascinating!  I notice that the Station Master's office also housed the ticket office but the porters had a room to themselves.  Why is it called a 'Waiting Shed', and what is 'Dust'?

Of course when you have built it you will need to populate it with about 15 staff and 1 passenger.  (They may not have had that many staff in the 60s and maybe 15 was across two shifts.)

Hi Chris.

 

Don't get the wrong idea - I WILL be building the station buildings, but that'll definitely be something for next year. I really need to get the hillside/aqueduct/cutting section sorted next as they are all interconnected.

 

I have a "wagon project" underway - when all is ready I'll set things up and have a good play - and post lots of pics to keep Bodgit and Chip happy!

 

I must admit, though, that TRYING (I've not done proper buildings before!) to build a slightly smaller version of KStephen station buildings (I don't need the full thing) for KL certainly appeals. I'd never have said that, even under torture, 18 months ago!!

 

Jeff

Jeff,

I don't doubt that you will build the station building, and the goods shed, signal box and station masters house, and probably out of DAS.  I just like to point out the obvious as I often miss it.

Having seen what you have built so far I am sure you are more than capable. 

If you are going to make it smaller it would be a good idea to know what is in the prototype, in the way of rooms, offices etc and then work out which ones you won't need, or am I being a pedant?  If you do not detail the insides, and I am not suggesing that you do, then a building with a random set of doors will be fine, and a toilet block.

Jeff,

Don't forget, if you scribe the building you will need to scribe the chimneys.  They are of course much more fiddly and looking at the size you will probably need the stones in them to be scale size.

Should be good though, although you may want a side project, or just run some trains when your fingers ache.  Having said that it is all straight lines and perpendiculars so may be more straightforward.

Chris, I used a standard Swann-Morton scalpel. One reason why I'm having a break.... Using the point and gripping the end of the scalpel is hard on the fingers. But it does give quite reasonable control.

 

Jeff

Jeff,

I probably need to look at my scalpel blades as mine do not look beefy enough to do that sort of work.

Umm, modellers finger.  You probably need some muscle relaxant, Abbots is good or for this Bishops Finger is probably the best.

Here's the state of play after 75 minutes scribing. I've had enough for now. More later!!

 

100_4347.JPG

 

100_4348.JPG

 

I've struggled to make the stone pieces any smaller. Bearing in mind that the longest dimension is about 6.4cm, making the stones any smaller causes the clay to break off. I'm hoping it'll look ok when it's had a few acrylic washes.

 

Jeff

Jeff,

That looks good.  What did you use to scibe it?

Al,

Well what can I say?  It does look brilliant but showing it as a kit of parts as I have said before shows that is is do able by most people with some skill.  This is not to take away from what you have done because your result is excellent.

Love the thought process that puts it together and I especially like the legs, the way you have made them solid to fit the bridge; the platforms are flat aren't they?

I will have to look closely at what, if any, footbridges the Cambrian had, although that is a way away yet.

Jeff,

I think it looks good.  I did a row of terraced cottages along with the hobbit house and the DAS made it look like plastered stone which you get in some places, well at least down south and maybe op north.  Once it is scribed it will give it the right feel.  I agree with you, in that although some structures appear to be falling apart, others seem just to have lost the roof and seem quite sound.

If you can do as Andy suggestes and put joists inside, unless they are still in the roof.  Also they tend to be full of tall weeds, maybe brambles, well the ones in Wales do.

Have fun.  If you want just to run trains and post pictures of them for a while, why not?

Yes, you are in the right ball park, Chris. A couple of mm is sufficient - it's more of a "feel" thing as it's applied to the surface. The key element is to cover the ply with PVA before the DAS is smeared on. I'm sure you knew that!!

 

Jeff

Jeff,

Er, no not then.  I did make it stick on though by pressing it round the openings and edges.  It was having to be done and finished, for me, fairly quickly as my son needed them for props in a film he was making.  I bought a cheap rolling pin to roll the DAS out as the hobbit house was 200 x100 and I just wraped it all the way round.  Great fun if not 'finescale'.  I then emulsioned it before scribing square stones to give the mortar a worn look.

Back now to building coaches and cottages and painting figures.

Jeff,

How thick do you put the DAS on?  When I built some cottages and a Hobbit house in the summer it was probably about 3mm or so.

Jeff,

The 3mm ply with the DAS will give it a real 'chunky' feel and depth to the door and windows just as the original type would have had.

I would just email him and tell him that you are interested.  He also has a Facebook page which you can 'Like'.  I posted the web site link to RM Mag and someone immediately bought one of his 7mm figures.  It must all help as unlike us he does not do it as a hobby.

I model 1895 so they are a bit late for me, but as most people think that Victorians and Edwardians all wore the same thing and clothes never changed from year to year then I should be ok.

He will make them in pewter apparently so they may be a bit more difficult to modify if you want to.

It is interesting that they are all standing so they will be out on the layout not in a coach, or tea room.

Hi Chris,

 

That is a splendid post - deserving of several "likes"!!

 

The last paragraph is excellent advice. Right at this moment I'm not sure what I want to do. I tend to work in a linear fashion, and when the main Fell walling was "finished", it created a void. There are plenty of things to do but, strangely for me over the last 2 years, I don't feel the inclination to go and do them. A far cry from working 12 hours a day in a cold bunker last winter!

 

My enthusiasm will regenerate in a short time. Many thanks for your post!

 

Jeff

Jeff,

If there is nothing that grabs you, then go play trains!  That is why you have built the layout.  Read books, go to preserved railways, climb mountains.  You will soon find yourself thinking, I'd like to have a go at that.

*snip*

If you read the post on the previous page (post # 8811) about "burn out", you'll see that I'm taking a short break to get my 100% enthusiasm back. I've actually drawn up the dimensions of the run-down shack and hunted down the 3mm ply I'll use to cover with DAS. Haven't been in the bunker today, which says it all. Up at the LNER day at the NYMR tomorrow, so hoping that'll rekindle the spirit!

*snip*

Have fun this weekend.  Don't forget that is why we model.  We are not being chased for deadlines, having to produce stuff to satisfy our boss.  It is supposed to be relaxing.  That is why I have several projects on the go at once.  When one becomes tedious I do something else and go back to it later when I fancy it again.  Or if I have only a little time I will tackle things that either don't take long or you can start and leave. 

What do you really fancy doing next?  It may not be the next thing that needs to be done but providing that it does not depend on something being done first then do it, and stop when you are bored.  Yes you will end up with lots of half finished projects but they will all get done in the end.

Thanks Chris.

 

No elves, on this occasion. It took me from about half-six to nine o'clock to do what I've done tonight.

 

I'm sorry, as I haven't actually taken or posted any photos of "how" I did it, in this instance.

 

Contrary to my normal practice, I didn't pre-cut the bits. Instead, I took one 300mm length of the lattice material, and stuck it in place, and trimmed it off roughly to size, then stuck the rest of it in the next place, and so on, until I'd used up a strip, and then get a new strip and continue. For a complete set of lattice one way on one side, I used about 5 strips.

 

I found this quite a quick way of working, and it was much easier to position and handle a longer piece (as it's so thin) than if I'd cut them all to size beforehand. Even then, as I got to the end of a strip, I was having to tease the bits into place with the end of the scalpel blade.

 

Thanks,

 

Al.

Al,

This sounds an eminently sensible way to do it, and has obviously produced good results.

Al,

It is looking good and I am impressed, but where do you get the time?  How long did that take you, or have you got a team of elves cutting up the bits for you?

If you are redoing the landings and the poles are you just doing the whole thing again or will you be able to save some of it?

I've started dropping gentle hints regarding Christmas to various family members...

 

Not sure this is going to be successful however

Al,

You could do what I do.  Buy what you want and then get various family members to give it to you, after all they will probably buy it with your money.  This works unless you give it to them and they put it somewhere and then forget all about it...............

 

As for the footbridge, you have already shown that you have a mastery of plasticard (your station and goods shed show this) so something that looks complicated should be a doddle for you. I hope you get your meaurements correct this time!

 

I think i might be tempted BTW to try to keep the curve of the original, even if this means that it rises a bit more in the middle. Having it more flat in the centre will break the lines up. You will have to try and make a sensible descision about where the uprights will go, but using the drawing and a ruler you should get something that looks right (if in doubt copy the original drawing and cut it up to show what you think the end result will look like, then you will get a better idea).

 

Looking forward to seeing some more amazing plastic building!

 

Andy G

Al,

I think Andy has a point if you find it possible.  My only concern is that this time your wife will find the plasticard in the oven!

It may be an idea to do a mock up in card, at least the overbridge.  I understand cereal packets are good for that.  I am sure the ladies of the house will not notice a curved hole in the back of the cornflakes packet.  Just enough to know that you have bridged the gap and that you do not foul any stock.

Al,

I cannot see if you have put the floor on the bridge. If not then a new floor across the whole lot would give the strength you need.  If you have you may be able to remove it but if you cannot then perhaps the thinnest plasticard, not sure of the size, (this one, *points to a sheet in his box*) over or under it would do.

If none of this is possible, use a strong plastic glue and don't put any whitemetal figures going over it.

You are probably thinking to yourself, "Why did I not check this before I started?"  Well, join the club.  We have all done it, and it is why we all have bruised shins from where we kick ourselves.

Thanks mate, go for the easy option then...

 

Yes, I think you're probably right about the extension, I have a feeling upscaling the whole thing would look worse, but I'd welcome any and all views.

 

Cheers,

 

Al

Al,

I would just add the centre section.  If I remember rightly you have made some compromises on the station layout anyway.

The rivet counters will not like it but it is a representation of the real thing.  It would not look correct if you just made it bigger.

Al,

Really love this, the way that you are putting it together.  Just like a kit of parts.

Al,

I must say that it is looking impressive.  I like the way you have the plan at scale size to make it to.  The heating technique sounds interesting.  I have done it with hot water for van roofs but it would be difficult for a shape like that so the heating is the way to go.  By the way it does not work on Preiser figures so that you can move their arms and legs, they just shrink!

The way you have laid out what you have done shows how "do able" it is.  I do not want to detract from what is obviously a skillful build but you are showing how you are building a kit, except that you are making all the parts.  I know scratchbuilding frightens people because they look at the finished article and they do not know where to start, but if you look at how it is done it is "easy".

(Definition of "easy" - fiddly, frustrating, eye and finger aching, exacting, time consuming, etc etc)

Now a question.  That 'round thing'.  Did you bend a strip of plasticard or did you cut the end off a tube?