Lee m22 Posted December 11, 2011 Author Share Posted December 11, 2011 Hey. An afternoon smuthered in plaster n bandages! Thankfully not of the medical kind!! Alas, I ran out of materials to finsih the full layout (again) and I will probably double it all up just for extra strength. A trip to the model shop is required! I've got the materials for the platform (take 3!) and the station, which I still intend to try and scratch build. I was going to round off the backscene but decided against it due to both budget and the fact I should have really thought about it before I started glueing the terrain down. I'm trying to build up layers of grip filler in the courners with the hope that when I sand it down and paint it, the sharp corners will not show so heavily. Time will tell. Thanks for looking Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold mudmagnet Posted December 11, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted December 11, 2011 Hi Lee, I've been reading through your thread and all looking good. I like the space that you have left and not been tempted to fill with track! Will be following with interest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jonas Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 The second picture looks like a snowy day in the highlands! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 12, 2011 Author Share Posted December 12, 2011 Hi Lee, I've been reading through your thread and all looking good. I like the space that you have left and not been tempted to fill with track! Will be following with interest. Hi, thanks for the comments! Believe me, it was hard not to fill it up with track! I'm a fan of action so I like to have plenty of points and routes to see in a layout. In fact, the siding at the front of the siding as supposed to be disused and disconnected..... as it is, it will probably just be very overgrown, and if I find a spare wagon, I might grow one into the undergrowth. I went through Northampton Castle station the other weekend (once a regular haunt for me) and there are wagons that must have sat there for years! Two are fully bedded into the vegitation and one of the opens has, what looks like a tree growing out of the top of it! The second picture looks like a snowy day in the highlands! Indeed! My friend Adam was telling me about the snow-effect of my plank scene, and how he could use it for his 40K battle board.....With that in mind, I thought it would be quite apt for the snow plough to feature in the pic!! Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloucester Road Posted December 12, 2011 Share Posted December 12, 2011 Hey. An afternoon smuthered in plaster n bandages! Thankfully not of the medical kind!! Alas, I ran out of materials to finsih the full layout (again) and I will probably double it all up just for extra strength. A trip to the model shop is required! I've got the materials for the platform (take 3!) and the station, which I still intend to try and scratch build. I was going to round off the backscene but decided against it due to both budget and the fact I should have really thought about it before I started glueing the terrain down. I'm trying to build up layers of grip filler in the courners with the hope that when I sand it down and paint it, the sharp corners will not show so heavily. Time will tell. Thanks for looking Regards Lee I find that the stage were the plaster goes down is the big step in layout building, it has a certain not going back feeling and sense of permance. Like the open feel and the decision not to over do the track will pay off on the scenic side. This is coming together nicely. Stephen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Thanks Stephen I agree, the plaster is one of the more 'permanent' factors in building a layout. It's also the part where the layout stops looking like a bundle of blocky layers, and starts to take on thesmooth look of the real world. Fingers crossed I can get some more plaster bandage soon and finish the process...Then I can get on with adding some 'colour' to the scene Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Hi all, I've actually done it! I've actually started working with plasticard and that dark art of scratch building! I must give thanks to Southernboy and his thread Frankland, as after browsing, I suddenly felt inspired to get on with it! So if you may remember, I plotted out my station building quite some time ago Well, I've finally started cutting up the card, and thrown together the basis for it's frame! Yep, it's hardly something to behold with wonder, but I was at least excited to make a start, and that it hasn't fallen apart yet! Work has unfortunatly crept up upon me, and I'll have to leave it for now. Tomorrow, however, is a day totally devoted to the layout, so I'm hoping to progress with this start! First a visit to the model shop though to pick up some supplies!!! Hope you've all enjoyed the snow (if you got any). My husky got to see snow for the first time! At least it kept her attention off my toolbox for a while!!! Fingers crossed, some photos of progress for you all tomorrow! Thanks for reading! Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Nice dog! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 16, 2011 Author Share Posted December 16, 2011 Nice dog! Thanks In this house, Husky is law! Thankfully she likes watching trains and long walks! It's only a 10 minute walk to the WCML from my house, so our daily 2 hour hike tend to have a railway theme! (next layout will have a Bletchley based theme I think!) Roll on saturday... after the dog walk for some inspiration, it's a day of plaster bandages and plasticard! Thanks for reading Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 good luck with Scratch building the station Lee, Beautiful husky, My 9 month old German Shepard did exactly the same this morning with the snow, looking into the sky in amazement whilst getting covered in it. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 good luck with Scratch building the station Lee, Beautiful husky, My 9 month old German Shepard did exactly the same this morning with the snow, looking into the sky in amazement whilst getting covered in it. Graham. Thanks for the comments German Shepard would have been my second choice, I do love the big working dog breeds, but my love of wolves and intention to mush meant it had to be a Husky Mind, Khyla has mistaken herself for a guard dog once at RAF Lakenheath....Must have been the F15's doing their circuits Back to the station, and a Mid-day update I was going to bail on the stone plan...the prototype that I'm basing my design on is a rendered building, so a bit of textured paint would have sorted it. I have, however, man'd up and attempted the stone effect card for a real North Wales effect. The lintels are a bit of a botch really, and although I've sanded the thickness down, I still think it's too thick. The first face of stone looks alright, but I'm unsure how to get the corners right as the other faces are added. Still a big learning curve here, and I don't predict amazing results, though the satisfaction gauge is deffinatly reading high Future attempts may be more carefully planned. I've not decided on the rest of my scenic buildings yet, but I've seen a rather nice stone chapel building in Blaenau Ffestiniog, which is where this station's likeness comes from, so perhaps that will be a part of the scene. Backto the card and glue now...saving the plaster fun for later! Thanks for reading Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 Ok, so the main building is now wrapped in the stone effect platicard. I've added lintels all round and also a rather deep fascia. I'm starting to think that this looks like a bit more like a suburban building.....a flat roof would make it a a rather decent crew building for an MPD. DOH! Where did I go wrong? Perhaps it just needs a lick of paint and that sloped roof to bring it back from the current look. I think a couple of hours away from the platicard (more the plastic cement fumes!) may help too. When I come back to it, I may strip that fascia off and replace it with some stone cobles to cover the damage.... Still time to think about it....might have to think of the interior now too, I'd hope to get it illuminated in there at some point! Comments, critisisms and suggestions more than welcome! Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 All models look not quite right til finished. To fix the corners run a scalpel blade up and down the joint, keeping the edge 90 degrees to the join. It should shave off the edge whilst keeping the blocks defined. Next time you do a bit, try mitring the ends, put your knife blade at 45 degrees when you cut the corners. This keeps the ends neater. I think the lintels will look fine if you slightly round the edges and ends to hide the depth. Remember most viewers will not see it so close, plus careful painting, use a mortar colour thin on the stone, then dry brush the stone grey on. To do this get a big, old but soft ish brush, dip in paint, then wipe the brush with kitchen towel or sim, until it feels almost dry, then brush fast over the stones, top to bottom (opposite way to the courses.) Let it dry, then add a bit of white, then do another coat, when dry paint detail, job done! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gloucester Road Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 For a first go it looks good! Put the sloped roof on and see how you like it, if not go for the flat one and use the buliding as something else. I was going to suggest some of the items mentioned by devondynosoar118 but i was beaten to it. Part of the joy of the hobby is learning and trying new stuff, not to mention listening to what others have to say on here. Keep up the good work and keep us posted. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 17, 2011 Author Share Posted December 17, 2011 Thanks for the thoughts and suggestions chaps! I took a walk, and when I came back, I decided that for my station, the fascias were wrong, so off they came, and a stone header course or two have gone back on. I may have ruined a lintel or two trying to thin them off.. Again, it's all part of the learning curve! I wanted to do the roof this eve, but funnily enough I found that my tiled plasticard happens to be 00 and not N...TYPICAL!!! Now I've got to go to the model shop and will probably end up spending £50 for the sake of a £3.00 roof sheet. Ah well! It's been a lot of learning today, but mostly quite relaxing and enjoyable!!! Even if I have to start again from scratch to get it right, I'm confident that I can get the results I need. Anyhow the final shot for tonight! Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.C.M Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Hi Lee, Just been catching up on your thread, It's really coming along and is looking good. Merry Christmas, Peter. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Harvey Posted December 18, 2011 Share Posted December 18, 2011 Lee good progress there. Are you teaching Khyla to chase and bring you back a train Pete Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 18, 2011 Author Share Posted December 18, 2011 Hi Lee, Just been catching up on your thread, It's really coming along and is looking good. Merry Christmas, Peter. Thanks Peter! It's no Llanbourne, but hopefully by the time I'm finished, it will resemble North Wales Merry Christmas to you too! Lee good progress there. Are you teaching Khyla to chase and bring you back a train Pete Thank's Pete! After the car chasing experience, I don't want her to take to train chasing as well! It is quite funny watching the freight trains crawl by and the drivers often notice her staring at them and watching them pass......Doubt the Virgin drivers ever notice her mind LOL! On the progress front, it's a little weak today My planned two hour overtime shift this morning turned into a full blown 9 (think of the money, think of the money, thats the airbrush sorted!) So I'm at a noisey impass what with it being too late. I have managed to get the platform sides up. A small mock up also shows the rough idea of the final landscape. So from the second photo, the trackside platform edge will run almost all the way to the right hand side, and eventually blend into the sloping ground. The other platform side isn't as long, and ends by the buidling. The whole area around the building will raise upto platform level, with a sloping road leading down to track level behind the platform. Least thats the plan at the moment. Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shanks522 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 Good luck with the platform surface Lee, Station is looking really good, one little trick i have learnt is to mitre the corners with a bit of sand paper, just cut to length, put the sand paper on the bench and rub the plasticard roughly at 45' to get the join. Graham. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 19, 2011 Author Share Posted December 19, 2011 Good luck with the platform surface Lee, Station is looking really good, one little trick i have learnt is to mitre the corners with a bit of sand paper, just cut to length, put the sand paper on the bench and rub the plasticard roughly at 45' to get the join. Graham. Thanks Graham. I did use that technique on a couple of the corners. What let me down is only thinking of it after glueing the first edge on, and rushing the job in my excitment to get results.....Next time I won't be so hasty! I'm building a photoplank at the moment so I can practice grass and texture techniques before hitting the layout blind..... When I pick up some more plasticard in the week, I may be inclined to start the station again from scratch and apply what I've learnt....I'd still finish this one though,m and make it a home on the plank as a small trophy at taking the plunge into scratchbuilding! Love the new avatar Graham! Your germam shepard pup certainly looks rather strong! I'm a sucker for a dog with big pointy ears too Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
devondynosoar118 Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 You could use the excellent tile sheets from Scalescenes, I tried them out on Squeezebelly lane and they looked easily as good as plastic, plus they are ready coloured. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
modeler123 Posted December 20, 2011 Share Posted December 20, 2011 love the layout Lee were is it set ? didnt have enough time to look through everything Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 21, 2011 Author Share Posted December 21, 2011 love the layout Lee were is it set ? didnt have enough time to look through everything Thanks! The layout is a fictional location somewhere in North Wales. I hadn't fully concluded my research when I commited to the layout, but I've been inspired by some stonking photos and decided that I'd like my layout to take their flavour. I'm also constantly inspired by the magnificent layout Llanbourne North Wales by P.C.M. One of my fav's. Mind Peter has 54 pages so brace yourself if you partake in reading through it! The made focus of my layout is to learn the skills needed to really produce the results of a specific model. SO it will be a bit of a mish-mash of things. I've got to get me a class 24 for me birthday, and I'd really like an Intercity 47 with some blue/grey Mk.1s. Ballast trains will be a feature in my yard, and after reading about a nuclear flask service that propels the flasks back from the loading point into a station before continuing its journey, I hope to model a similar practice with the new GF flask wagons when they come out. Thanks for reading Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted December 30, 2011 Author Share Posted December 30, 2011 Hey all! Hope you all had a great christmas and some productive modelling time during the forum outage. I did spend far too long for the first couple of days checking back every hour or so for the forum. I was finally sensible enough to find messages from Andy Y on twitter, and when I realised it was going to be a while, I finally retreated to the railway room. So basically I've spent 3 days of building up layers of plaster bandage and filler, then sanding it down. I was never really satisfied with the results, but I set myself a rule a long time ago - If you can't get summit right in a day, walk away and try again the next day. After three days, move on! SO on that basis, as I'd gone through two respirator masks with the sanding and dusting, I decided to seal the surface with watered down PVA and sprinkle a fine sand over the entire landscape to add texture. I've now got to sealing and coating with a second layer of sand, and this will be final before it comes down to ballast and scenery now! A big thanks to Graham (shanks522), After reading yoru method for building your platforms, I've tried it myself and I'm glad to say it provided the best results out of my numerous attempts! I can now get down to painting it now! Christmas didn't bring any loco's or wagons, but I did get an FMR static grass applicator and the book on airbrushing by George Dent....I've been reading through ready for my Birthday in Feb, when I'm hoping to dive into the airbrushing game! Thanks to some very poor price labelling in a certain large DIY store, I managed to get a dremel black box set for a stupidly low price. I spent a good bit of dosh in there mind, kitting out my tool box for future modelling projects. SO, next step, cleaning up the sand and spraying the scenery a dull brown colour ready for some grass. I'll be spending a bit of time to finish shaping up the backdrop before I get that painted a base colour. Then it's time to get my head down and break out the plasticard to get my buildings done! A couple of photos to finish with; Thanks for reading Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee m22 Posted January 4, 2012 Author Share Posted January 4, 2012 Hey all, Well the forum is back, as is my slow progress it would seem! Not much to report after a weekend of tiling and plastering the kitchen. I've been playing with scatters and static grass to see what I like the looks of colour wise. I've also sprayed the majority of the scene with the brown mud colour, touching up some of the track damage and preparing the surface for the various scatters and grasses. The backscene has been painted a very pale grey. I just randomluy grabbed a few tester pots of emulsion. Quite apt the one I've chosen is called 'Light Rain'! I've started to paint the platform sides but a few flash photos show me I need to give it another coat of grey before I start to weather it. The platform surface has been a nightmare...the cost of old, crappy paint and rushing! I'm thinking that is going to be my biggest headache in the near future. I'm ready to start ballasting the track but I'm holding off due to the prospect of the new Dapol couplings V's the GF offerings. I'm still undecided if to go down the road of auto couplers on this layout. A couple of pics to prove I've done summit I'm not happy with the colour of the static grass....Think thats as good an excuse as any for a trip to the model shop! If in doubt, spray it mud colour! No honestly, it will get better than this! Some touch ups needed, some spillages to own up to as well Hoping to shape up the platform finally this week, and a trip to the shop for some corrigated plasticard for some factory buildings to go in the back scene I thinks. Regards Lee Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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