Large Scale Central

In-ko-pah RR: Another brick building

Modeling
#21

Here’s a little update….

I covered the roof with corrugated aluminum panels. These were made for me by Dave Taylor. I used Dynaflex 230 to glue them to the roof:

The rear wall of the building is removable for access to the interior:

The interior will be built into this box structure. Like the rest of the building, this was made from Sintra. The ceiling will be added later:

I printed wallpaper and flooring onto self-adhesive vinyl and applied it to the interior structure:

The building’s interior is divided into two sections. The larger section, on the left, will be a radio repair shop. The smaller section will be a barber shop:

I sprayed the building’s exterior with a coat of white primer. After that had dried, I applied concrete colored latex house paint, working it into the mortar lines and cracks:

I painted the aluminum roofing with self-etching primer, followed by Rustoleum’s “Cold Galvanizing Compound” for a realistic galvanized metal look:

On my first brick building, I applied most of the brick-colored latex paint using a flat “stamp” made of scrap pieces of Sintra. This time I tried just dry-brushing it on. That seemed to work just about as well:

Then I used a fine-tipped artist’s brush to touch up individual bricks as needed. I didn’t spend too much time and effort trying to get it perfect, since most of the bricks will eventually be covered with white paint. Here’s how it looks so far:

That’s it for now, more later.

#22

Great job Ray, keep the updates coming.

#23

Very nice.

I notice in your shot of the unpainted building, you modeled the separations in mortar that happen when the foundation settles unevenly. It would be a shame to not highlight those with some gray paint before you’re done.

#24

I dunno, I like the red brick look

#25

A little more progress…

I started adding the white paint that covers most of the building. I’m using white latex paint, which I tinted just slightly with a bit of black, dark brown and golden yellow, to give it a kind of dirty off-white look.

I began at the top of the walls, where most of the paint is worn off. To achieve this look, I used a small stencil brush to stipple on some small random blotches and spots. Then a minute or two later, when the paint was semi-dry, I used a damp paper towel to wipe off some of the paint. Here are some shots of the progress:

Next I went to work on the side of the building. I was kind of experimenting here, so some of the paint was stippled with the stencil brush; some was dabbed on or dry-brushed using a regular artist’s paint brush; and some was wiped off or smeared – whatever seemed to give me the look I was after:

I still have to do extensive touch up work before that side is finished – adding details, chips and stains to individual bricks.

Then I started on the front wall. As on the prototype, the paint on the front will be mostly intact but with some areas of heavy wear. I did some stippling on this side, but mostly I used a regular brush to apply the paint, dry-brushing some areas and applying it full-strength in other areas:

That’s where I’m at so far. I’m almost finished applying the white paint. Then I will move on to doing the extensive touch up needed to achieve the most realistic effect.

#26

Great modeling Ray. I appreciate your showing, in detail, your modeling techniques. They will come in handy.

Doc Watson

#27

Really nice.

#28

What they said…:wink:

#29

idid this - a pic
i did that - another pic…

and all together ist is a first class teaching how to do masterclass modeling.

1 Like
#30

Uh Oh, Now the secret is out on the roofing, what am I to do now. Glad you could put them to good usage. Looking great as always.

#31

Still more progress…

Here’s a shot that shows how the top of the wall turned out after I’d finished putting on the white paint:

I wanted an old, faded sign on the front of the building dating back to its prior use as a billiard hall. So I printed the lettering onto vinyl, then cut it out to make a stencil. I’ve found that it’s easiest to remove the letters prior to peeling the stencil off of the backing:

I stuck the stencil in place on the building. Then I used a stencil brush to stipple various shades of light gray, simulating the appearance of chipped and faded paint:

The finished sign, along with further progress on the front of the building… I touched up some mortar lines, added more white paint here and there, touched up individual bricks as needed, etc. I filled the two square holes at each end of the wall with “mortar” made from a mix of acrylic modeling paste, artist’s stucco, and latex paint:

The base of one pillar will have a concrete-reinforced repair. I made this by building up layers of the same “mortar” mix described above. This photo shows the final layer. Before it hardens completely, I’ll peel off the masking tape, while carefully trimming along the edge of it with an X-acto knife to ensure a sharp, clean edge. Later when the acrylic has fully dried, I’ll sand it smooth:

Here’s the finished front wall of the building:

While waiting for that modeling paste to dry, I started painting the window and doors. First they got a coat of white primer. Then I brushed on a coat of light gray:

Next I added a couple thin washes of black mixed with brown. I painted in a bit of extra detail on the “plywood”:

I still have to add the white paint to the doors and window. In the meantime, here are a couple test shots showing how the building looks out on the layout:

#32

Ray, I just told Carolyn, “He is an amazing modeler.”

Questione: where d’ya get the doors? Sorry if you mentioned it in your text, but I am lazy and impatient and not about to waste a single millisecond scrolling through pages of your post. :slight_smile:

#33

Thanks Joe! The doors were scratch-built. I just skimmed over that in an earlier post back on Page 1. The full step-by-step for the doors and window is available on my website:

http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_Mineral_Ridge_3.html

#34

WOW RAY Awesome details, thanks for sharing
Dennis

#35

A little more progress…

After painting the doors and window to look like old gray wood, it was time to add the white paint. The prototype photos showed that most of the paint was intact, but where it was peeled, it had come off in large sections. I figured the easiest way to replicate this look was to just paint it by hand. I think it turned out ok. Then I used very thin washes of acrylics to add stains and weathering:

At this point I still had to make the doorknobs and add the glass:

I used a different technique for the paint on the plywood and planks below the window. I’m not happy with the way it looks, so I’ll put on some signs that will hide most of it:

I made a bunch of signs, and installed some of them on the exterior. These were printed on vinyl and stuck to thin sheet brass. I weathered them with acrylics, then coated them with Krylon UV-resistant clear. The radio repair shop is named for fellow modeler Bob Santos:

Right now the doors and window are only temporarily in place. I’ll glue them in later after I’ve done some more work on the exterior:

I also painted the foundation next to the stairs. Later I plan to paint a sign on the foundation:

That’s all for now, enjoy!

#36

I’m enjoyin, I’m enjoyin…!!..:wink:

#37

Ray,
You have a great combination of vision, skill & patience.
Thanks for sharing it with us.
Ralph

#38

Darn, I just got my cue out of storage and now there’s no where to go!

Very realistic!

#39

WOW!!!, love it:)

#40

Ray,
your detailing again and again lets me open mouthed.

(please note: this is a multy line comment!)