This is what The Hotel California is supposed to look like.
This is how I built it.
We did not care for the baby blue color of the plastic stone walls. So we decided that I would change the color. It took a lot longer to do the painting than the actual construction. The kit comes with very good working windows that they intend for you cover up with paper curtains. Hence, no floor pieces for the second and third floor. Since I will eventually add furnishings to the interior, I had to fabricate a floor for the second story, and a roof for the one story beer hall next door. A chunk of old Plexiglas worked very well for both.
Painting: First off everything was washed in paint thinner to remove the mold release compounds. A coat of black primer followed by a double coating of "River Rock" almost a limestone color.
Weathering was next, a very light misting of "Slate Gray", "Satin Black", "Saddle Tan", "Blue Hyacinth" (light blue), "Ruddy Brown Primer", "Red Oxide Primer", "Gray Primer", "Catalina Mist" (light blue-green), "Ballet Slipper" (light pink), "Gum Drop" (purple), and "Bright Idea" (light yellow). Since I am notorious for smearing "almost dry" paint, I waited an hour between each coat or misting. All this "down time" provided the opportunity to bash a couple of New Bright cars.
City Maintenance crews (SWMBO) trimmed the trees in the park prior to placement of the Hotel and Saloon.
The total project listing for the past 4 days is:
The final visual effect.
Some pleasant discoveries during the project. Windows that actually work just like the real thing; some slide too easy, some too hard but most just right. The building glues up very easily.
Some frustrations encountered. The balcony is a bear to put together. The only "glue detent" for the balcony is on the second story façade, which I moved next door to become the front façade for the second building. The handrail for the balcony has no glue detents, thus requiring a trip to the store to get a bunch of small alligator clamps to hold the parts together. The way I put this thing together, the balcony is a freestanding structure. When I get the alligator clamps I'll also pick up some small screws, then I can drill pilot holes so I can screw the balcony to make it more secure.
Tom Trigg
Hey, I could use that city MOW unit here! Have some grass to remove....
Toad
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