I am going to build my first O-scale kit my way. American Model Builders Elevated Warehouse Laser-Kit #484. First wall is being torn apart with a striking knife then each piece glued onto paper.
Looking forward to the finished project!
First wall reassembled and needs to dry overnight. Tomorrow the wall will be coated with a sandstone filler and sanded smooth. Second wall will start the same way.
Two of my wife’s heavy antique irons kept the wall under pressure all night. This morning I am using a striking knife to make small knots (holes) and cracks in the wood before applying a sandstone coating.
I powderize red sandstone from Cape Blomidon, Nova Scotia and use it as a filler in quick drying wood glue. Using a metal spatula I coat the wooden wall, filling all the cracks and holes. When it dries I will lightly sand the wall to bring out the wall’s details.
A bit of sanding and now the wall has lots of character! Compare it to the perfect laser-cut wall.
The beauty of the wall’s exterior is “locked-in” with a coat of clear Varathane. I’ll let it dry for a few hours then cut it out of the paper and work on the interior of the wall. I’ll also start the second wall.
The wall is cut out from the paper and now I can work on the wall’s interior. The wallpaper is roughed up by sanding. Then, powdered gypsum that I make from real Windsor, Nova Scotia gypsum is used as a wood glue filler - basically plaster. The wallpaper is covered with a thin coat of gyprock and will be sanded and painted when dry.
A heavy antique iron puts pressure on the wall so it doesn’t bend excessively. In about an hour or so I will sand and paint the wall interior. This is my signature wall that I developed last year. There are seven layers. From outside to inside: urethane, sandstone, wood, glue, paper, gypsum and paint.
After the wall is painted I will construct the inside timbers
- not part of the kit. I bought this saw from the tool guy at the market this morning to cut timbers from the birch logs that I cut from my woodland property in Victoria Harbour on the Bay of Fundy. I sprayed a rust release penetrant on this old saw and after cleaning it up, will apply a water resistant silicone lubricant.
Wall 1 interior painted and wall 2 reassembled.
My new old saw works beautifully! I am cutting lumber from birch logs from my property in Victoria Harbour. This will make it easy to do the timber work inside the warehouse.
Old School,
I have never scratch built anything in my life, and I doubt that I ever will. My interest in the hobby is collecting, and researching the items that I add to my collection. That doesn’t mean that I don’t appreciate other aspects of the hobby and the interest that folks have in those other areas. I just wanted to let you know that I am enjoying your approach to the hobby and this project. Your attention to detail is fantastic, particularly your desire to have stone, wood, and other materials from places that you have been, or would have been carried as loads in your cars. Your displays obviously tell a story. When I log in I make sure to check on your progress and what you have posted. I appreciate being able to be a scratch builder vicariously through your work. Keep up the good work, its very entertaining.
Thanks,
Enjoying the World’s Greatest Hobby
Northwoods Flyer
In five minutes I can turn a log into five wonderful planks from which I can easily cut the timbers I need.
Tomorrow I’ll build a fence across the mitre box on the right hand side so that each plank is the same thickness as the others. By the way, the reason I cut the logs 4" in length is so they fit nicely across the mitre box.
Very kind words. Thank you so much Northwoods.
DJ
Fence is finished. My set up is as follows: wood base with wood fence glued and nailed in place, two c-clamps holding the wood onto a plastic yellow mitre box, c-clamps also hold the base and yeoow mitre box onto the metal bed of the vintage mitre saw.
I have left about a 3/16" gap between the saw blade and fence so that the thickness of the sawn planks fits inside a u-shaped piece of zinc metal should I decide to use the zinc for braces to join the timbers together inside the warehouse. The zinc is used in stained glass work.
Today’s field trip included hiking on the Minas Basin beach at Walton. When the Bay of Fundy tide began to ebb I was able to collect wafer thin pieces of shale to use as roofing, flooring and landscaping on and around this warehouse. The shale in Walton is ideal for modelling since the pieces can be almost paper thin, lightweight, flat, and very easy to work with.
End view.
A little more wall work before I turn in. Been a long day.
