Large Scale Central

Springtime "Finds" Thread

in Dollar General today and spotted these…look ‘G’ to me

HotWheel shown for scale

$8 each…

They look like the start of something good.
How come they are $8 at the dollar store? I thought everything was $1 at the dollar store?

Are they supposed ot be bird houses?

Looking forward to your rebuild.

There is (was?) a ‘dollar’ store in Massena, NY that had a sign outside “Everything a dollar (or more)”. I always thought “doesnt that apply to just about EVERY store?”

May have to check this out. Look nice even if they maybe a birdhouse. Later RJD

Dollar General is a group of stores that is supposed to be the Old Neighborhood General Store from days past…not much in there for a dollar

Dang, I JUST was at the dollar store but wasn’t looking for train stuff, just some toilet paper!

Be sure and buy a can of Krylon Crystal clear satin finish and apply a few coats for UV and weather protection if you are using these in the garden.

krylon

I don’t think the stuff you pictured is UV protective.

Cale,

I was in the local General Dollar a couple hours ago…

I saw those, but what really got my interest were the trashy trailers with palm tree & flamingo… I was reaching for two of the trailers when SWMBO reminded me that my train fund was sub zero…

Dave

(I just had to have that Lionel/Schylling repro O gauge propeller driven wind up tinplate Zepplin)

Cale, I bought five of those last year. I sprayed the heck out of it with uv protecting. but they are not solid wood, they are plywood. well you guessed it, they did not last the summer. did manage to salvage all the small accessory’s. So be careful what you buy! if its plywood leave it on the shelf.

no, didn’t buy…no avail operating funds.

just thought I’d post, since stores begin to place things out for the season that some may be interested in.

When I had my tiny outdoor layout all my structures were birdhouses, they were close to scale, compact, and way WAY more affordable than Piko or Pola buildings, but some caviats to consider;

  1. Even though they are “birdhouses” and therefore intended for outside us, alot of them do not use glues that are really outdoor worthy, if you look at the two buildings in the pic with shingles, the shingles started falling off after about 6 months. I had to re-glue them down with some nasty outdoor gluey stuff.

  2. Even though they are “birdhouses” and therefore intended for outside us, the woods used are often untreated and/or most unsuitable for the extremes of outdoor exposure, particularly if you get alot of wet stuff, as eventually water will find a way into the wood, it will soak up, swell and eventually SPLIT or WARP unless you literally soak them with a good penetrating water seal like Thomson’s or similar.

  3. Even though they are “birdhouses” and therefore intended for outside us, the paints can also be unsuitable for outdoor use, for the time I had my layout down most paint finishes held up pretty well, but I did notice over time that some were beginning to fade, so a after the Thomson’s dries , give them a good dousing with a UV protectant.

Spring time find. I’d just like to find my layout…

The craft store just started putting out their birdhouses as well.

Terry

"…Krylon Crystal clear satin finish and apply a few coats for UV and weather protection… // …don’t think the stuff you pictured is UV protective. "

But this Krylon product is !

'Preserve It ! ’

http://www.krylon.com/products/preserve-it-digital-photo-paper-protectant/

Available in Gloss and Matte (satin).

When i read, “moisture-resistant, uv protection against fading, acid-free…” probably great for outdoor use and for overcoat even decal/weathering jobs imho

ANYthing (except 1:1 lawnchairs) I build for outdoor app’, i spray with this product to stretch out the timeline.

doug c

p.s. but I only use when i can spray and let it ‘gas out’ outdoors for at least a week, since the chemical make-up is wickedly toxic, especially if you are MCS !

BTW those birdhouses … knowing from experience how short a lifespan they have the only time I’ll buy them, is either my fave thrift store or maybe a garage sale … for less than say $4 !

imho