Here’s this morning’s efforts. 2 of the 4 constructed. These show both sides of the fencing. Do I win the prize for the most disgusting looking self healing mat on anyone’s workbench?!
Matt
I don’t know about that, but at least you have a cutting mat! my “cutting mat” (if that’s what it can be called) is 2 pieces of yesterday’s news (accually last year’s news. I found an article from the 2008 elections that has been cut-up and gouged to pieces) and the table itself. It looks very bad. Mabe that’s why my workbench is so cluttered[(-D]
For all interested in what my workbench looks like, I’ll try to post photos (without the headlines) showing what is currently on it, if I can find my camera. (I’ve been searching for 6-months now, and I can’t find the thing!)
Heh heh heh. Next time my kids come over, I’m going to use Sanfords line on them. “Some day all this will be yours”.[:D]
Hello I think you are doing a nice job. I would like like to know what you made the power meter out of ? And it kinda looks like the paint is pealing is it ? If so how did you make it peal ? The one thing I don’t like is the front door. It looks like it was jammed in between the windows. I think it should have a little space between the two. The fence looks like the one I just made are you painting it or going whit the weathered looked ? Looking forward to seeing it on the layout. Have a nice day Frank
Hi Frank! Thanks for the comments! Power meter is just a piece of scrap styrene painted gray and the “glass” is an end off a clear plastic sprue from a kit that I cut off. It’s a tad oversized but what the heck. The conduit is just a piece of wire painted black. The paint is a yellow acrylic heavily drybrushed onto the treated wood. Gives the appearance of faded paint. The front door does look like that closeup. Oh well, it is what it is! Color of the fence I haven’t decided upon yet, but leaning toward an extremely faded and weathered barn red. Any body care to throw in their vote for the fence color?
Matt
The building is for a junkyard, right?
I have a sugestion: How about many different colors? It would make sence, as the owner (Assumed, Mr.Sanford) would not have a lot of money to drop on keeping the property look good (“as long as the fence keeps hoodlems out”) so, it would make sence that the paint would be patchwork from left-over paint from other projects or places (like we model railroaders do) and, assuming that it’s not all out-door paint, there would be patches of bare wood.
Another sugestion, how about a truck hood or two for a side enteance into the fenced-in area? It would be kind of like what I was talking about earlier, with auto-body fences.
Hi “Northeast”! I hadn’t given a thought to a side entrance to the yard: good idea, but seeing as I already have the fence built to the measurements of the property line, that would require me to cut one of the fences apart. So “Naaah” but had I thought of it earlier, your idea would have been incorporated! The color variations is an excellent idea as well.
So today I stained the fence with the same wood treatment stain I used on the building and after that dried I painted one side of the fence with the drybrush technique purposely leaving bare wood showing and different “heaviness” of paint to simulate the age. I used a barn red for that purpose as if originally the whole thing would have been painted that color. I think a 2nd coat of white would have been in order and then a third different color on top of that to show the newest paint job. What do you think? Also, do you think Mr. Sanford would have painted the inside of the fence or just left it bare wood?
I won’t be able to do much more until Monday so I’ll leave it at that. We in the restaurant industry are gearing up for the busiest weekend of the year and I’ll be a babbling idiot by the end of Mother’s Day!
Matt
It’s O.K. about not using the side truck gate idea. However, if you plan do give Mr. Sanford a seprate lot (mabe a “well used” car lot) across town, you could try that there. Or you could give the gate idea to the other salvage yard in the next town, I hear they need a new fence[swg]
As to the inside, I’m not too sure. Mabe Mr.Sanford painted it barn red to make everything look good, but he never tried to re-paint it after he found out the high-cost of paint.
It would also be visually interesting to leave a car-sized area of new wood to represent the careless tow-truck driver’s hap-hazzard back-up techniques. I don’t think you would want to “unweather” the fence area, though. Still, it’s a good idea for another junkyard.
I can’t wait to see the completed scene.
Survived feeding 2150 mothers and their families (barely) and got back to the fence a bit. I dry brushed a charcoal gray on top of the barn red, then dry brushed yellow on top of that. Yellow being the top coat as Fred wanted the fence to be esthetically appealing to the color of his building. Followed that all up with an AI wash. 
Lots of folks pay Fred a pretty penny to hang their advertising on his property. Another AI wash was then in order! 
More to come later! Matt
Hello nice job on that fence. I really like the broken boards. As for the inside of the fence I would not paint it more then likely Fred had to but up the fence after the junk was getting to much for the neighbors to stand. Either that or paint around the junk that’s more like Fred. Have a nice day Frank
Thank you Frank!
Almost forgot to introduce the real star of this show…The one and only true “BIG DUMMY!” (and his best friend 'Lizbeth)
Just to eliminate any possible confusion, this “Big Dummy” is the four legged East Coast variety. The other one has two legs and is in L.A.!
Matt
Now to wait for the glue to dry before beginning the base and the ground…
Matt
I originally planned to build the scene on the layout itself, but I decided to build it as a mini diorama first. Easier to work on all sides of it at the workbench and blend it in to the surrounding terrain on the layout later. I took a scrap of hardboard and cut it to match the dimensions of the property’s foot print on the edge of town.
I then cut squares of plaster cloth, dipped them in water and covered the hardboard.
Matt
I think you are going to have fun filling that 'yard with junk. I would!
At other’s suggestions I discarded the hardboard base I started with and cut a new piece. This one I covered both sides with primer to seal it from any warping before adding the plaster cloth over the top. Once the plaster hardened I gave it a coat of earth colored paint. After the paint dried I glued the fence in place. Then I carried to it’s spot on the layout and drilled a hole through it and the benchwork for the building’s interior light wires. I then fed the wires through the hole and secured the building with just a few drops of WS Scenic Accent glue to hold it in place. The entire ground was then “painted” with full strength white glue and finely sifted real dirt was sprinkled over the whole area. Fine and coarse blends of ground foam sprinkled around the outside perimeter of the fence complete the “basic” start of ground cover. A wet water spray and then soaked with a mix of water and white glue secures it. I also placed the truck that will be the temporary stand in. This is a lower quality model that I won’t mind turning into battered, run down, barely driveable vehicle.
Now this whole thing must dry at least until tomorrow. Then the real fun begins…bringing the scene to life!
Matt
Junk At Last! …This morning was spent building the junk and scrap piles for this project. Also added a few trees around the property.
Here’s an overview of the whole thing.
A side view. Sorry for the “backdrop!”
The other side…
Some of the ancient vehicle pile…
Another view…
At last we get to meet the Sanford’s…Sitting down for a friendly game of checkers. (Yes I know they bear no resemblance to the real Sanford and Son; Remember this is the East Coast version !
Well, this project is “mostly” complete. At least the major parts of it. There will be more junk to add. I will be adding weeds and shrubbery growing up the fence in spots. Electric line will need run to the building.
Then this will need secured to the layout and surrounding scenery built around it. Then the interior light will need hooked up. I’m still thinking of maybe adding an outside pole light as well.
I do want to stop and say thanks to all who contributed with tips and suggestions as well as the very nice compliments. I started this thread to learn a few things and also to show anyone who’s never scratchbuilt anything that a project like this is
Thought I’de just throw in a few more pics for the heck of it. Here I set the junkyard in place to see how it will eventually look.
Before you ask; Those paper mockups are where some future 50ish mobile homes will go. I like the looks of the Nu-Comp Miniatures kits and was going to order a couple last winter, but nobody had them in stock for months. So I put that on hold to work on other things.
Matt
It looks really good. I whish I had that on my layout
Can you do a thred about these homes? (mabe it could be another scratch-building exhobition=) It all looks good, and I enjoyed this thred greatly. Sort of sad to see it end…
Hello I am tying to find out how to get a copy of this magazinge. I seen your model and my dad is retiring in january 2012 and we are planing a sanford and son theamed party. With the junkyard as the theme of the cake. can you help.