2022 Mental Health on a shelf

[THS92-GWR-NO]

Background

So a year ago I got to know a fellow modeller living in Australia. 

Along with several others we decided to mark that modelling is our go to for stress relief and mental health. 

Goal was to have this ready to be revealed on monday the 10th of October - aka Mental Health Day. 

This was a project the six of us kept under wraps. 

 

My fellow modellers, a good group and I'm happy to have gotten to know and call friends. 

IG: Haraldshead & Harwick Harbour

IG: SBJ - Emperor's Path

IG: Mitch's Models

IG: Chandler's Railway

IG: Nick - Coffeepotscreations

 

During this time we've kept each other liquid and going, as Handon in SWAT would say. 

 

Basic design decitions: 

The basic idea was for each of us to make a small diorama or micro layout, easy and cheap to build. 

An IKEA Lack shelf was the chosen base for all of us to use. 

For me, this would be my first micro layout / diorama (not even sure what do call it?) 

 

Size: 110x26 cm 

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/lack-wall-shelf-white-90282180/

 

After spending some time deciding on a layout, I decided to make an embankment with a narrow river and a bridge. 

Building my main layout, GWR Division Tromsø I'd been using a lot of building foam for elevations - and this was brought on here. 

 

 

Initially I only had a smaller shelf to work with - so this was for a while my primary workbench for the project. 

The bridge was something I had from a faller bridge kit and had been looking for a chance to use. 

 

 

The track layout was something I wasn't sure about. Single track all the way? Double track on one side? Double track with a small head siding? 

 

 

 

Having learned something about foam behaving a bit impractical when laying track on top - I decided to use plastic wrapping to avoid a mess. 

 

 

I was for many months unsure about weather I wanted the head end towards the buffers or not. 

During this time I made a side section of foam removable while trying to make up my mind. 

 

 

 

Oliver did some test runs on the track for approval. 

 

 

And with this, part one is over - part two will continue tomorrow. 

Edited October 17, 2022 by THS92-GWR-NO
Specification of background

[Paul H Vigor]

43 minutes ago, THS92-GWR-NO said:

Background

So a year ago I got to know a fellow modeller living in Australia. 

Along with several others we decided to mark that modelling is our go to for stress relief and mental health. 

Goal was to have this ready to be revealed on monday the 10th of October - aka Mental Health Day. 

This was a project the six of us kept under wraps. 

 

My fellow modellers, a good group and I'm happy to have gotten to know and call friends. 

IG: Haraldshead & Harwick Harbour

IG: SBJ - Emperor's Path

IG: Mitch's Models

IG: Chandler's Railway

IG: Nick - Coffeepotscreations

 

During this time we've kept each other liquid and going, as Handon in SWAT would say. 

 

Basic design decitions: 

The basic idea was for each of us to make a small diorama or micro layout, easy and cheap to build. 

An IKEA Lack shelf was the chosen base for all of us to use. 

For me, this would be my first micro layout / diorama (not even sure what do call it?) 

 

Size: 110x26 cm 

https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/lack-wall-shelf-white-90282180/

 

After spending some time deciding on a layout, I decided to make an embankment with a narrow river and a bridge. 

Building my main layout, GWR Division Tromsø I'd been using a lot of building foam for elevations - and this was brought on here. 

 

 

Initially I only had a smaller shelf to work with - so this was for a while my primary workbench for the project. 

The bridge was something I had from a faller bridge kit and had been looking for a chance to use. 

 

 

The track layout was something I wasn't sure about. Single track all the way? Double track on one side? Double track with a small head siding? 

 

 

 

Having learned something about foam behaving a bit impractical when laying track on top - I decided to use plastic wrapping to avoid a mess. 

 

 

I was for many months unsure about weather I wanted the head end towards the buffers or not. 

During this time I made a side section of foam removable while trying to make up my mind. 

 

 

 

Oliver did some test runs on the track for approval. 

 

 

And with this, part one is over - part two will continue tomorrow. 

Sprayed and sculpted embankments - that's new to me!

[THS92-GWR-NO]

3 minutes ago, Paul H Vigor said:

Sprayed and sculpted embankments - that's new to me!

 

Happy to show new angles. One of the reasons I wanted to make embankments and hills with foam was to take the chocolate box feel away from my layout. Using foam letting it rise (within limits) giving some random feeling to the scenery. 

 

Not saying that straight cut isn't good too, just not what I wanted for my layout :)

[Paul H Vigor]

29 minutes ago, THS92-GWR-NO said:

 

Happy to show new angles. One of the reasons I wanted to make embankments and hills with foam was to take the chocolate box feel away from my layout. Using foam letting it rise (within limits) giving some random feeling to the scenery. 

 

Not saying that straight cut isn't good too, just not what I wanted for my layout :)

I'd considered using spray foam to infill hollow embankments, but not to use it for the full monty!

 

Civil engineering in a can! 😎

Edited October 17, 2022 by Paul H Vigor
to add information

[THS92-GWR-NO]

10 hours ago, Paul H Vigor said:

I'd considered using spray foam to infill hollow embankments, but not to use it for the full monty!

 

Civil engineering in a can! 😎

 

The most important lesson to learn when you build with foam is to make sure the elevation of the trackbed is secure. 

Preferably by using something solid for trackbed, adding noice canceller on top if you want it, but at least making sure the trackbed is sollid. 

Both on my main layout and on this shelf I made the mistanke of not making the trackbed solid and letting it get uneven. That didn't cause too much problems here on the shelf, but on my layout with rail joiners and elevations that wrecked havoc with my track. 

 

#lessonlearned

[THS92-GWR-NO]

Part two

By the time I'd come to this stage with the foam I'd been playing around with scenery and static grass on a couple test plates. 

 

So with grey paint for stone, some scatter in a bright green I decided to try static grass on the removable section. I still hadn't decided weather I wanted the buffer head siding or not. 

 

 

 

I wasn't happy with this result, the colors didn't really mix to well in my opinion. 

In the end I ended up with replacing this whole removable section. 

 

Track ballasting was done with three different types of ballast and stone. 

 

"Flusssteine" from Faller was used initially to fill gaps in the foam base to even it out.

Next was the finer style "Talus" from Noch.

Finishing off with Hornby Skale Scenic "Ballast Gneiss". 

 

 

 I found the three in combination gave a pleasing result. 

 

Part three to follow

Edited October 18, 2022 by THS92-GWR-NO
Added ballasting

[THS92-GWR-NO]

Part three

At this point I had little over 2 evenings left before publishing results. 

 

I've always been a person who's been better at working under pressure. Certainly got my fair bit of this now. 

 

I had two more places that needed foam, possibly three pending on the head siding being there or not. 

 

I ended up going for the head shunt. That meant three places to fill up with foam. 

I used paper rolls to give me a barrier to keep it from going to far, and to give a smoother surface to work with paint and ballast. 

 

 

 

Having looked at YouTube channel "MärklinOfSweden" I'd learned a trick with using more paper to get rippling effect on water. 

Decided to try it out here. Using diluted PVA glue and toilet paper I made the canal. 

 

 

Bit of a rush, but much better than the stalemate I usually end up with. 

 

Once the foam and paint had settled I mounted it to the wall. 

 

 

 

This was the final evening, so with few hours left ballasting and painting started

 

 

Again I opted for the same model of ballasting

 

 

At this time I had also a goal of getting a canal boat to the scene. This had been 3D printed, but not painted yet. 

 

More about that in part four. 

[THS92-GWR-NO]

Part four - 3D printing

 

6 months ago I bought a Flashforge Adventurer 3PRO. I have only barely started using it, but I wanted a canal boat for my shelf. 

 

 

For a first attempt I am quite happy with it. 

 

 

First round of painting was the hull after removing supports. 

 

 

This was a bit rushed, and I haven't had any primer to use ( I know, I know...) 

 

 

Painting is still a work in progress, both on the back scene and the models. 

 

 

Current status on the painting. 

 

More to come in part five.