Large Scale Central

Cliffhanging Structures

Modeling
#21

Mountains are made out of cement

the area that is pictured has 4 levels of tracks
Top track is 52 inches above ground bottom track 10 inches
All my structures are outside all the time
Thanks Dennis

#22

Wow, great stuff Dennis! I love those rustic “cliffhanger” cabins, and the stone depot with the turret, too.

The cabins remind me of some parts of Bisbee, AZ such as in these photos I found online:

(http://digital.library.unlv.edu/cgi-bin/getimage.exe?CISOROOT=%2Fsnv&CISOPTR=338&DMSCALE=22.956841&DMWIDTH=930pxpx&DMHEIGHT=500pxpx&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMROTATE=0)

.

#23

I love your layout and structures ! Every one likes a different part of the hobby, but rustic mining and logging is my favorite. Your stuff is great !

#24

Thanks for the compliments

Great pictures Ray, I was blessed to go through Jerome Az a couple times, those structures are cool

After doing 5 of these, and seeing how they finish, I will be doing several more.

Dennis

#25

Dennis what great construction; have been thru San Diego CA 3 years ago, Jerome AZ 2 years ago and this fall to a HO layout - Northlandz NJ with awesome cliffhangers as well.

Since the ‘PAZ’ is an island I have run out of space with the new outer loop for the Challenger and ‘cliffhangers’ will also be part of construction next summer.

See my albums, and keep up the great work!

#26

School Hill in Bisbee Ariz. looks likes it was laid out by the inventor of the Tread Climber.

#27

Dennis do you sell your laser kits? My eldest, Eli, would love that sort of challenge. He’s a LEGO ‘builder’ and fanatical about scale and perception (way more inventive than his dad too).

thanks

Cale

#28

Cale

Thanks for asking, I will be selling some in the future, only in small quanities, I refuse to make this a job, I love spending time in the evenings drawing and designing these up.

Most people have no clue the hours involved designing the simplest structure.

Dennis

#29

Dennis, looks great! How do you anchor them to the rock?

#30

More pictures, Dennis, more pictures!!! That is great work! What an inspiration!

#31

thanks for the compliments and comments

Joe, Anchor? different ways, the building in this picture, is actually screwed in the left side into the cement wall. Drill a hole large enough for a #10 screw to slip through, then drill a hole in the concrete and and srew it in.

Other buildings have legs extending out the bottom, As I was placing the cement I took the

structures and Set into the cement, wiggle it around and then pull out and let the cement dry. After the cement has dried then colored, I squirt clear silicone into the leg holes and set

the leg into that silicone, when dried they are bonded quite well.

#32

The walkway in the above picture has 3\8" round holes drilled into the concrete and then

square redwood has the corners trimmed off, silicone placed in the hole and the redwood

pushed into the hole. Then the flooring and the railing glued and nailed in place.

The small water tank/tower below has holes drilled into the finished concrete and the legs

are just setting in the holes, The holes are not in PERFECT alignment, so the legs are quite

tight, and stays there with no issues.

The post under the structures are just setting on a flat area and all the supports are glued and nailed in place.

I use a Grex headless 23 gauge pinner and titebond 3 glue in the construction of structures and all the bracing.

Dennis

#33

#34

I am continually amazed at the talents shared by the guys on this site and in this hobby!

#35

Thanks Dennis for the reply-I’d be interested for sure!

#36

For the bridge to Sully’s mountain, I drilled holes in the mortar, filled them with silicon, then stuck plastic anchors in it and screwed the bridge down. I put the silicon in to keep water from getting in the hole and freezing.

#37

This reminds me of Malcomn Furlows Mexican Hat Canyon layout that was in MR back in 2003, excellent stuff.

#38

Vic Thanks for comparing my layout with Malcome Furlows models, now that is a highly regarded compliment.

Dennis

#39

In the late 70’s, in Chugiak State Park near Anchorage on the side of Flat top, the was a little one room shack, basicly a cliff hanger, The views were phenomenal - your work reminded me so much of it, I spent about an hour and a half on google trying to find a picture of it for you. Alas, No luck, I never had a piture of it. Thanks for sharing your top-notch work, and the awakening of a long dormant memory.

#40

Bear hides mounted on the end of the wall

View of the whole wall

Dennis