Large Scale Central

Bashing a simple building

Modeling
#1

Hi all,

Once a year our wholesaler has a clearance sale. Not much in LS but still a few odds and ends at bargain prices.

This year it is a ModelPower “Aspen Ski Shack”, that makes two of the “beauties” to kitbash a 1.5 times of original item.

I’ll chop the walls etc. on the table saw. More as I progress.

Oh yeah, it’s going to be one of those cozy dinky little “restaurants” something similar to what they have at “Wiesen”. Wife wanted to know if we’ll do checkered curtains and tablecloths … well why not?

Planned for “Preda” right up front, where it’s plain and visible.

#2

Hi all, Things have been chopped, sliced and glued. The “Tunnel Beizli” (The small joint by the tunnel) has been enlarged to 1.5 times the original intended length. Pretty hefty plastic walls!

The roof needed a bit of filler to complete/patch up the tiles

Now I’ll be working on the interior, but that needs to be designed first. The window opening on the end will be blanked with inset siding (typical Swiss job) so that I can place the baking oven/stove combo close enough. Actually I need the window frame from there in order to have proper wood window frames inside and out. Of course I also have to finish the inside of the walls with matching boards.

The porch to the entrance is on the small side but it fits with the proportions of the rest. As long as there’s room for a table, chairs and an umbrella. Still have to build the random stone foundation. Supposedly this is one of the buildings left over from the railway construction - used to be the kitchen adjacent to the dining hall - which was moved to a more convenient tourist location (strictly fictional, of course). More than 100 years old, still going strong and in the meantime protected as a historic building. :wink: :slight_smile:

#3

Those are thick walls indeed! That is solid plastic? wow.

Oh, by the way, someone keeps saying you don’t have a workbench, so I assume that someone broke into your house and built the workbench? Oh, and someone says you don’t build anything, so I guess the people who broke into your house and constructed the workbenches also placed this kit on your workbench?

Must be “model” elves working on trains in the off season when they are not making toys for Santa Claus!

Keep posting, looks like a nice building, and solid!

Regards, Greg

#4

Get it right Greg .
Never finishes anything .
Never said no workshop .
Just , never finishes anything .

Mike

#5
Greg Elmassian said:
Those are thick walls indeed! That is solid plastic? wow.

Oh, by the way, someone keeps saying you don’t have a workbench, so I assume that someone broke into your house and built the workbench? Oh, and someone says you don’t build anything, so I guess the people who broke into your house and constructed the workbenches also placed this kit on your workbench?

Must be “model” elves working on trains in the off season when they are not making toys for Santa Claus!

Keep posting, looks like a nice building, and solid!

Regards, Greg


Greg,

Yep, those walls are really thick. The “elves” grumbled a bit, obviously they never looked at Santa’s cabin or workshop.

Don’t mind the auxilliary comments from the sidelines, obviously someone has a short and selective memory. OTOH we never know if our memory will be better at that age. :wink: :slight_smile: But I sure hope so! :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

#6

You broke that promise pretty quick , h . I thought you were going to ignore me .
Auxillary . Lern ter spel .

Mike

#7

I guess I’m next to be targeted, as I’ve got way too many unfinished projects.

Actually, I need to do something like this, as I’ve got an old freight house that I’ve been meaning to extend. And I’ve got another old kit that needs to be redone as well. Oh, the shame of it all.

I’m going to try the Weld-On 16 on this stuff. What are you using for adhesive?

You’ve inspired me to be a lot neater in my work. I’m not quite there yet, as I still let too much stuff gather, but it sure is nice to have a clean workbench!

#8
Bruce Chandler said:
I guess I'm next to be targeted, as I've got way too many unfinished projects.

Actually, I need to do something like this, as I’ve got an old freight house that I’ve been meaning to extend. And I’ve got another old kit that needs to be redone as well. Oh, the shame of it all.

I’m going to try the Weld-On 16 on this stuff. What are you using for adhesive?

You’ve inspired me to be a lot neater in my work. I’m not quite there yet, as I still let too much stuff gather, but it sure is nice to have a clean workbench!


Bruce,

Not to worry, MM is plenty busy checking what I’m doing. Latest coup is checking for correct spelling, well I’ve given up long ago on checking for that. But if that’s his pleasure: “Even a blind chicken will find a kernel sometime.”
I just ignore him, but he figures that even comments that aren’t addressed to him should concern him. Hey, if that’s what it takes, who am I to say? But it sure looks like they spell “auxiliary”, a bit different across the pond. :wink: :slight_smile:

The solvent I use is M-E-K, works really well on that material.

I’m doing the random stone foundation using the dense pink styrofoam, cut the pieces to size and glue them together, then use a bit of diluted M-E-K to give the styrofoam a bit of texture, carve the stones with a hot awl, give it a base coat of primer grey, cover with a thin layer of drywall compound and paint with acrylics. That way if the drywall chips it’s at least not pink underneath. :wink: :slight_smile:

In the smaller scales I use the white, crumbly styrofoam. No need for M-E-K, the heat from the awl does the trick.

BTW is Weld-On 16 an adhesive or a solvent?

#9

Yeah, the MEK is nice. And cheap. I did not have good luck with the styrofoam outside. Of course it was a stone bridge, but between the squirrels and the hose, it really didn’t hold up. A foundation shouldn’t be a problem.

Actually, I’m debating whether to modify my buildings, or just start from scratch…

#10

Bruce, If I wouldn’t have had the first of those kits already I would have built a similar structure from scratch. But alas… Even the leftovers are planned for. The windows will be done in sandwich fashion, mullions and frames eithet side of the transparent plastic.

The frames still need to be painted and all the excess on the outside - the stuff that is usually glued to the wall - needs to be milled off to fit snug in the window openings.

#11

Hi all, As happens many a time, many, many years ago there was an “Oh damn” moment when I was working on styrene and had some dense styrofoam laying on the workbench - no, the workbenches are not always pristine clean. Sure enough some M-E-K spilled on the styrofoam and started working on it. So I took the piece, held it under the running water and the process stopped. Wellllllllll, wouldn’t you know … very nice, uneven texture, could be a rock face in Z scale and any kind of stone in the larger scales. Then it was time to experiment a bit; a saturated paint brush was too much, but just a bare trace of M-E-K on the brush gave the desired results. Following are some pictures with the results from a similar repeat (no, I don’t have pictures from way back that was long before the internet and recording such mundane methods. :wink: :slight_smile: )

#12

For those who live in less rock-infested areas, that may be a good way to make rock molds…just a thought.

#13
Ken Brunt said:
For those who live in less rock-infested areas, that may be a good way to make rock molds...........just a thought.
Yes Ken,

Use 2" styrofoam, apply the M-E-K liberally and hose down when the effect is as desired. All of this outdoors!

The M-E-K creates a shiny skin during the process, I haven’t tried it but it is possible that it will stand up to cement or patching concrete. :wink:

#14

Hans,

That press thing taking up a large part of your workbench - what do you use that for?

– Bob

#15
Bob Mills said:
Hans,

That press thing taking up a large part of your workbench - what do you use that for?

– Bob


Bob,

Amongst other things it’s used to regauge wheel sets in various scales, used as an ordinary arbor press (press fit dowels, bushings etc.), sometimes used for embossing. Haven’t built a lot of tooling for it, may still do that though.

Those little arbor presses are handy and save the bearings on a drill press - yes, most of the jobs of an arbor press can be tackled on a drill press; if you don’t mind changing bearings every so often. :wink: :slight_smile:
And of course since this was on the “flog list” of one of my ex-employers it was “grab and run”. Never pass up a really good deal! :wink:

#16

Bruce ,
I only “target” he who keeps sniping at me . He has been warned about it often enough , but seems to go on his own mindless path .
I probably have more unfinished projects than anyone --any DECENT modeller has , but I do not shove half cut up models on the site and say “watch this space” .
As I have said before , finished models from thingy are thin on the ground . Never seen on this site .
As I also said before , I would like to see one , as a modeller I am always ready to learn new ideas .
Anyway , must get back to some of my unfinished stuff .

Mike

#17

HJ, If you have not glued the window mullions to the glazing yet, might I recommend using clear silicon sealant for the task? This way you can remove the glazing if (when) you need to repaint the windows. Also, I’ve got some windows in some Pola kits that I bought used that had yellowed. I can’t replace them because they’re glued permanently in place.

Later,

K

#18
Kevin Strong said:
HJ, If you have not glued the window mullions to the glazing yet, might I recommend using clear silicon sealant for the task? This way you can remove the glazing if (when) you need to repaint the windows. Also, I've got some windows in some Pola kits that I bought used that had yellowed. I can't replace them because they're glued permanently in place.

Later,

K


Kevin,

Naw, they’re not done yet - you heard/read about my working pace :wink: ;). Silicon is a very good idea for the mullions and fastening in the openings. Thanks!

#19

Noticed that “Folkart” makes some Outdoor Acrylic paint, so I picked up some “Engine Red”, “Burnt Umber”, “Licorice” and “Metallic Gold”. Applied a test coat of “mix as I go” red and umber on one half of the roof, certainly will require some “Dullcote”.

#20

Where’d you find the “outdoor” variety of Folk-Art? I’ve not seen it at the usual haunts, but if it’s a new product, that wouldn’t be surprising. I haven’t bought any in a year or so.

Later,

K