Large Scale Central

Pete's 1st time Build Challenge, the CAMB Beer and BBQ

The MIK - Annual Build Challenge
#1

OK , just re named the other build log I started but didn’t properly name. Since I am on the road and cannot start until tomorrow, I thought I will give the back story to the build.

The Babs River Railroad BRR has yet to lay any track, but they acquired a brand new UP GP 38-2 in an unusual lease program from UP, they get it for 50yrs but have to maintain it as new. BRR , while surveying and contemplating where the track work will be laid has hired engineer Scott to keep the loco in tiptop shape. Last week the BRR received a call from Chad, one of the 4 men who are building a BBQ near the proposed track right of way. there was a shipment of cut stones for the fireplace and the front of their new building on the interchange track near Mt Orbie . He didn’t have the car number yet but tomorrow some track panels will be laid from the Locomotive to the interchange and by Sunday they should have the boxcar at the actual build site. Augie Marco and Brian the other 3 are reporting to the boxcar tomorrow to inventory the stones and make sure they are ready for a brisk 4 week ground up to opening night blitz. Rumor has it also tomorrow a building system call coroplast will start being fabricated to the specs ( which have yet to be determined) and possibly will be on site when blocks arrive. Now to get home and start documenting some of this action

Here is the original required napkin . Although after seeing Vic Smith’s napkin I will probably never submit anything again

#2

Well they laid some track, and by the time I got home they had unloaded the boxcar of all its stone

So with no heavy lifting for me I got right to it, cut my wall panels out of Coroplast, Thank you new sherrif Penzone , #1 for unseating Joe Arpio, and #2 for leaving signs up past the pickup date

then after much figuring out I think I have the layout of the stones/blocks that will be most pleasing and use most of the allotted 225.

I think I am going to do wood siding on the ends. Here is a mockup of the fireplace that will go on the right side wall

I am hoping to be able to do a full length porch along the front wall . time will tell on that idea

Has anyone tried painting the blocks yet, I would love to hear what and how it works, I was thinking of trying some spray paint to lighten the color some, to a light tan, like Texas limestone, so the building doesnt wind up really dark.

#3

Nice start Pete,

You might make a scratch builder yet

#4

Suprising myself I got almost all the blocks used up. If anyone needs a few extra long ones let me know.

The wood is an idea to face the wall with stained wood, but if I do that one I will ahve to do the rest of the building, maybe it will just be on this wall, like the blocks. I used up most of them doing this, but if anyone needs some long blocks I have about 4 left. The small cubes will be support pilings for the front porch for the place.

Here is a close up of the fireplace, which will be on the far wall when its done. Put it here for pictures

Now to start the hard parts, bracing the walls getting it all on a base, and building a roof and the pillars and things. Has anone used Coro for a roof ? Does it hold upin hot weather. Not sure what the final roofing material will be yet. still thinking on that one.

#5

I have. I braced mine well with 1 inch square wood rafters.

#6

Ha,Closet scratch builder. Looks good.

#7

Pete, we have hot summers in northern NM too. I have used 3/8" hardibacker board well sealed and covered with wood shingles and/or roofing tin for roofs. It of course does not sag, provides weight to counter our winds and is weather proof… The facias require some trim attention but is easy to do. I’ll rummage around for a photo. Might need to use some inside bracing along your coroplast walls. Not too heavy but stable in wind. Your model looks good and coming along nicely. I’ve also used tempered masonite too, but the jury is still out on that.

#8

In a dry climate, or extremely well protected from the weather, Hardibacker probably works rather well. But in my wet western Pennsylvania climate, Hardibacker board lasts a year or two, before it turns into little flakes of material and falls apart. I used it for the first floor walls of my sawmill, for its original build, and the Hardibacker disintegrated during its first spring. I used it for the deck of my arched bridge, and what the squirrels didn’t gnaw away, disintegrated in a couple of years. The bridge abutment didn’t even last that long.

The Hardibacker that I have sitting on the porch is still solid, and in good shape. So I have to conclude that Hardibacker must be kept dry. And even a good coat of exterior paint didn’t protect the first floor walls of my sawmill, so, for me, this product is off the materials list of any build I do from now on. Your mileage may vary.

#9

Looking good

#10

Ok got the walls up and all attached and made a roof from coro, Have not done any bracing for the roof yet. I need some advice, in this picture the roof is on with a small front overhang, and a bigger one on the back side.

Here is the orginal napkin drawing with a porch on the front, that will have a beam and 6 pillars holding it all up. but after seeing it this way it looks to be hiding too much of the detail, like the blocks and the wood siding. Anyone with opinions on which way looks better, maybe it is just my looking at it in a dark garage at night with all the dark blue paint on things that is messing it up.

Now to figure out what to do for the actual roofing material to cover this up with( I know grammar chicken, do not end a sentence with, well, with), may have to visit my Lowes and see what can be had for cheap.

close up of the under the porch wood siding, and window headers. Now I noticed I didn’t get the siding on straight, so ignore the crooked misalignment of wood parts

#11

On a side note, I used Goop to glue the stones to the coroplast, and to the wood I used to make the fireplace, and today I needed to trim some off the bottom of the fireplace, I used my bandsaw and cutting the wood and the really fine Taylor Stone blocks the Goop held on so well, I was worried about a stone getting broken or flying off, but the bandsaw cut right through everything, and the stone held tight, so as an experiment I cut some stone that were glued to the coroplast, and they also held on with no problems.

#12

That looks great, Pete. Looks like it is going to be a very popular hangout. Did you make the fireplace out of a single chunk of wood or are those individual blocks glued together? As it sits now, the fireplace is my favorite attribute of the structure but I have a feeling that once you get the porch constructed it will become my favorite. Thanks for the Goop testing. How quickly did it set up. Can you place stones side by side fairly quickly without worrying about moving the one you just set? I have not decided which adhesive I am going to use, but based on your testing and other’s experience, it sounds like this Goop works pretty well.

#13

Goop does have to set up a bit. After 10 minutes or so the blocks do not want to shift, but can be forced to shift if need be, although they will try and spring back to their original position.

I let my pillar dry overnight before I tried sanding the bevel into it to mate the stones on the corner. For the second pillar, I am going to try sanding it after only a few hours of setting time.

#14

Pete, your project is looking great. The finished project will be stellar. Looking forward to it.

David, sorry your projects with hardibacker weren’t successful. In our climate, it works well, especially when sealing it. Anyway whatever works best.

#15

Rich, you have a drier climate then I do. I think that may be the difference.

#16

Dan, I placed all the stones for the fireplace at one time, working slowly and keeping the base against a stop block to keep shifting at a minimum. David I think after a couple of hours you should be good to go, but I waited to the next day to saw the bottom off the fireplace

Thanks for the kind words guys!

#17

Pete, after lunch, the pillar had about 3 hours of drying time, and I was able to sand the corners just fine.

#18

Nice work Pete…When we firing up the Bar-B-Q and tapping the Keg… (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)

#19

Very nice Pete. For a first scratch build it looks like you know what your doing.

#20

Well after reading a lot of build logs, last years challenge and advice from all the great modelers here, it has made the learning curve a lot better. Plus the 10 foot rule has helped a lot.

What do most of you use for a base for the whole thing for outdoor use? how do you anchor it?