Today I received my very first Downtown Deco hydrocal kit. I got a great deal on ebay, but that is not important. This will be the very first kit I have tried that is made of hydrocal. The instructions and advice that come with the kit are very detailed and well written. However, as with all things, there are I am sure, tips and tricks learned over time that this novice hydrocal builder could benefit from. If you have experience with these type of kits, I would be really interested to get some pointers and thoughts on creating a masterpiece!
I have been intrigued by the Downtown Deco product line for some time and am so far very impressed by the look of the castings.
Is there nobody that has made one of these kits?
I have built one Hydrocal kit, a New Haven “Pagoda Roof” signal tower. Here is what I learned: The sides are not necessarily beveled to fit. If not, CAREFULLY sand them to a good fit. If there are any gaps they are easily filled with a little patching plaster. Before assembly, I painted all of the exposed sides with a thinned (with alcohol) shellac to seal them. You can use any sealer that is compatible with the model paint you are using. Paint the parts before assembly. If brick, paint the brick color first and let it dry. Then dribble a thin gruel of plaster mix over the sides and it will run into the mortar lines. If it is too thick, it won’t run. Just wash it off and start over again. When it begins to dry use a Kleenex and wipe the residue off the brick faces. Before assembly, glaze the windows, put in window shades, curtains or blinds. Stagger them in height. If the walls are thin, and you are going to want to light the building, paint the inside a dark gray (charcoal) and possibly consider partitioning with differant lighting in each area. Any building can be made into a work of art. My Signal Tower is.
Thanks BigRusty, I figured that no-one had responded to forgot to hunt down the thread as it dropped like a stone down to the wasteland of page 5 and beyond.! I got all my materials, so will plan to start on this later this week. Would anyone be interested in me taking pictures and posting a clinic while I am at it?
Simon,
Sorry, missed the first post. I’ve done 2 of the N scale DD’s and love them.
First, since their real appeal is the worn down, seedy, wrong part of the tracks look, I don’t think you should seal the walls. That will keep the plaster from absorbing the color as recommended in the instructions.
Follow the directions when it comes to painting. You can test the method on a side that won’t be visible, but trust the directions. The beauty of the kits is that you WANT them to look seedy. So heavy weathering, dirty ink washes, etc are the order of the day. It’s hard to go wrong.
One tip, though. If you want to cut open a door or window, do that before painting.
Mike Tennent