Sunday 1 September 2013

North Light Engine Shed…………

Well here we go again. I’m back on track (no pun intended). I’m back at my craft desk and I’ve started the R021b North Light Engine Shed in dark red brick from scalescenes. It’s a very versatile kit that can be built in two or four road versions and can be as long as required, as it is of a modular design and can be added together quite easily.

It all starts simply with the side walls, cut out and glued back to back to form the inside and outside.

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To hide the raw card edges, the cover layers wrap around the edges, and there is window sills to add for the bottom of the windows.

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For the top of the windows there is no cover, but a selection of coloured markers come in very handy just to disguise the raw edge.

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The windows, I print with my laser printer onto OHP (Over Head Projector) film. Be careful if you want to try this as some laser printers will not take OHP and can damage your printer. If this is the case, the windows can be printed using an inkjet printer equally as well. The windows are sandwiched between the inner and outer walls.

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Next comes the dressings for the walls. These come in the form of the buttress’s, plinth and drainpipes. These add depth and texture to the walls. And like before, those felt pens hide all of the raw edges.

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Oh! I forgot to mention, there is a distribution box and trunking for the interior wall.

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That’s the walls done. the next job is to start on the roofs. Hopefully I can get a start on these in the next couple of days. Keep popping back to see the progress.

Until Next Time…………

Chris sig

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Here We Go.............

After a false start I think I'm ready to start blogging again. I thought I was ready a few weeks ago, but I think I was being a little bit eager. I'm afraid I have had to put the current model that I was building, a pair of semi detached houses, into a dark cupboard. They were proving to be a little bit of a problem for me. It seemed that every time that I tried to pick up where I left off, they just brought back some raw memories for me. I know that may sound strange to some, but for some reason it did. Anyhow, after a lot of deep thinking and even more work been done on renovating our kitchen, I have finally gotten rid of all off the damn plaster dust from our dining room, which was acting as our make shift kitchen and I have my craft table back.
So, I now hope that normal service can be resumed. I have a completely clear table that I can sit and model make to my heart is content. I've been in touch with my good friend John Wiffen from Scalescenes and he has spurred me on to start building again. I have got a couple of projects to get along with. The first is the R021b North Light Engine Shed and the second is the R022b Gable Roof Engine Shed, both from available Scalescenes. So, watch this space over the next couple of weeks to see my progress with the two aforementioned projects.
It's good to be back....
Until Next Time...............




Saturday 6 July 2013

Back to the land of the living........

I think that I'm ready to return to the world of blogging. The reason I have been missing for so long is that I have had a bit of a family crisis of late. At the end of April, after a very short illness, I lost a dear brother very unexpectedly. He was only 53, four years my senior and I miss him dearly. The thought of sitting at my craft table and making models was he last thing on my mind. Not to mention sitting at a computer and blogging about it. However, they say that the sooner that you try and get back to normal the better. So here we go again.
In my last post told you that I was making the 1930's semi detached houses from scalescenes. Well since the passing of my brother I'm afraid that it has been left in limbo a little bit. It's about three quarters done, so I need to take some pictures and get them posted. I will try and get myself motivated tomorrow to take these pictures. It sounds like I've been vegetating in a darkend room, but his is not the case. Myself and my wife Jak, have taken up cycling and it has helped me immensely,
getting out in the fresh air and just going where ever the moment takes us. Plus I've managed to lose 56 pounds (25.5kg) which isn't a bad thing! Today I went for a ride to the beautiful city of Durham. A round trip of around forty miles. The weather was absolutely beautiful and when I reached Durham there were several street brass ensembles playing away merrily. They entertaining the crowds with a range of witty and traditional tunes. I could of stopped and listened all day, but I was on a mission to achieve forty miles, so away I went.
This was the view from one of the bridges that cross the river wear at Durham.
And this was a quick picture I took of one of the bands.
Forgive the layout in this post, it's all over the place but I'm writing it on my new fangled iPad, and I don't quite know what I'm doing yet.
Right, I promise to get my butt into gear tomorrow and get normal service resumed.
Until Next Time..........


Tuesday 2 April 2013

1930’s Semi Detached Houses…………

Well it finally arrived, after many delays in the design stage, the To13 1930’s Semi Detached Houses from scalescenes. And I must say, it’s been well worth the wait. This style of house has evoked so many memories for me, as it was this style of house that used to belong to a Aunt and Uncle who lived just outside of Nottingham, over forty years ago. I went  onto Google maps to check the address and it is almost the same house, spooky! We used to visit  a couple of times a year, and to see this house again has brought it all flooding back. Happy memories. Thanks John.

Before I start with the build, a couple of things to tell you. I promised in my last post that I would show you the vast range of marker pens I have at my disposal. These are courtesy of my wife Jak who designs for the craft industry. I know that this collection is a little bit overboard, well a lot overboard, but I have found that a good selection of colours comes in very handy when touching up raw edges.

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The second, is this new knife I’ve found. I don’t suppose for one minute that they are new, but I’ve just found them. What with our Grandson Jack growing fast, I thought it was a good idea to get this retractable Swann Morton craft Knife. All my knives are retractable apart from the Swann Morton and I’m always terrified he puts his hand into my tool tin and cuts his finger on a exposed blade. Plus the body of the knife more comfortable in your hand, as it is a little bit thicker. I find I have more control of the knife.

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I was hoping that I might have had all the Easter break building this model but, as usual like all of the best made plans, it didn’t happen. At least I got a good start. First job was to print the glazing onto a sheet of OHP (Over Head Projector) film. My laser printer thankfully takes OHP, but check your printer before you use any OHP because if it is not compatible it can cause some serious damage to it.  The detail is so fine and authentic  Next, print the frames, cut the out and bring the two together.

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The middle interior walls sandwich a thinner layer which makes up the drain pipe. So clever.

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The upper floor and lower ceiling join together with some spacing pieces. These then join the interior walls by simply interlocking.

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When bringing the walls and floor/ceiling together if you haven’t cut the slots out wide enough, and they are stiff putting them together, instead of trying to cut the out a little more, I have found that it is easier just to use one of my wife’s nail file boards to file the slot a little wider. It makes a neater job.

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Well, that was my weekend done for. Back to work tomorrow. I should have a couple of nights free this week to get some more done on this project. Once I’ve got some progress to show you I’ll post it as soon as I can. Promise.

Until Next Time……………

Chris sig

Thursday 28 February 2013

Staverton Station and Goods Shed………………..

I’ve finally got round to posting this build. It is the R003b Station and Goods Shed from scalescenes. It’s based on the GWR Staverton station, and those kind folk at scalescenes are donating £1 from every kit sold to the Staverton Preservation Group - South Devon Railway.

It has been built for the last three weeks, but I’ve been so busy I don’t know whether I was coming or going. Anyhow, here are all of the pictures from start to finish. I must really post as soon as I take the pictures. It would make my life so much easier.

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The detail never ceases to amaze me. This detail down the right hand side is for a part of a drain pipe. It will all become clear shortly.

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The main walls. Interior.

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The detail inside that no one ever sees. If you look where my lump of a thumb and finger is, you can see the rest of the drain pipe cleverly built into an oversized interior wall. So when the cable end is fixed into position……

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……..“Hey Presto” you have a drain pipe, that can’t be knocked off.

IMG_1051         Once all glued up nicely together, it make quite a sturdy little structure.

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The fine detail seating under the covered area.

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And would you expect anything less than some very intricate roof detail. These amaze me every time, how effective they are.

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The finished Station Building.

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And now for the Goods Shed. It is a simple sturdy box construction.

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The roof is an effective slated design. The same as the Station Building. Cut into strips and ever so slightly overlapped.

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The picture on the right shows one of the downsides of printing with a laser printer. When I wrap the sheet tight around the card, the print cracks and rubs off. I can live with this as it is just a case of touching up the damaged section with a corresponding coloured marker. I’m very lucky in that I have at my disposal, a wide range of markers that my wife Jak gave me, and if I haven’t got the right shade, I can usually find the right one in her pens as she uses a wide range of markers in her design work. If I can’t find the right shade in the pens that she has, I never will. I will post a picture of the pens that I have at my disposal in a future post for you to see. I still prefer using the laser over the inkjet. The images are so much sharper.

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Some delicate wall awnings for above the doors finish the job quite nicely thank you.

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Well, that’s that post done and dusted. I must, like I said earlier, post as I’m going. One it’s got to be easier than sitting for hours, scratching my head wondering how I done a particular fiddly bit weeks ago. And two, you don’t have to wait weeks so you see just how quick and easy these scalescenes kits can be.

The next build due out some time early March, is a 1930’s style Semi Detached House. Can’t wait.

Until Next Time……………..

Chris sig