So let the fireplace casting begin. Here are the results of my first attempts. As you can see I found a piece of channel iron (motorcycle ramp) for my form. I used Pam as my release agent and I used coner mesh for the strength part. The river rock is aquarium gravel.
As you can see it has some spots where the cement came clear through to the form and other areas where not enough cement patch grout came through the mesh to grab the rock. My second attempt was even worse. It sat up way too fast and my layered fix was a bust. So HELP!! What will improve my castings?
Yes I did have to take out both back walls. My roof had a different center than the walls did. I think I'll make both of these walls removable when I replace them.
Rex
Rex in Pinetop There is a Doll House store up in Scottsdale that has a whole bunch of unfinished 1:24 furniture that I'll probably take a gander at. Michael's also has unfinished furniture. You're right though that I'll probably end up spending more on furniture than I have on the whole building. So far I've got 6 cedar and 4 redwood fence boards invested in the project. Rex
There is a Doll House store up in Scottsdale that has a whole bunch of unfinished 1:24 furniture that I'll probably take a gander at. Michael's also has unfinished furniture. You're right though that I'll probably end up spending more on furniture than I have on the whole building. So far I've got 6 cedar and 4 redwood fence boards invested in the project.
OK, 6 cedar plus 4 redwood equals about $17.
Veronica's Dollhouse http://www.veronicasdollhouse.com/ has a very nice French bedroom suit for $144. That's probably a budget buster what with a dozen guestrooms to fill.
Miniature discount dollhouses and more http://www.miniatures.com/hbs/global/index2.asp has several nice looking beds for around $12. Don't know about you but that is more in line with my budget.
Tom Trigg
Tom,
Yes furnishing will be much more expensive than the grand hotel itself however right now I'm more concerned with fixing my fireplace casting problems. Any ideas on how I can avoid those flat spots?
Nope! Waiting to learn from your mistakes. I've tried a couple times before and one look later I applied multiple applications of the old 8 pound sledge hammer, putting the debris under a new sidewalk.
I tried the Ray Dunakin casting method twice and messed it up both times. The first try was my best but it had the unacceptable slick spots shown in the photos. I believe that comes from the mix being too thin. The Rapid Set mortar mix would not clean up even with a wire brush or a cutting wheel on my trusty dremel. That stuff is tough! My second trial was with stiffer mortar however that mix didn't pick up the rocks. I tried to butter it with more mortar and recast it but that was even worse. This third trial has a wood core with wire mesh stapled to it as I did for the full scale fireplace in Pinetop. I'm also using a slower setting mortar mix and doing one side at a time by applying mortar to the mesh and then hand placing each stone into the motar. That way I don't have to grout the gaps. Those rocks that don't stick get glued back in place with Titebond II. I tried Gorilla Glue but that stuff foams on cement and ends up shiney which is not what I wanted. The slick/tumbled aquarium gravel does stick to the rapid set mortar but not as well with this slower stuff. This process is taking much longer than the Ray casting method so I'm doing the shingeling while I wait for the current side to set.
Pictures to follow if I'm successful. If not then I'll take your advice and make use of the 8 pounder.
Picture update. I think I have a keeper - at least from the 10' rule perspective.
A lot of the shingles are on now too. Next step is to rebuild the back walls around the fireplace.
Rex in Pinetop I think I have a keeper - at least from the 10' rule perspective.
Another progress report. The roof is done. The back wall is reconstructed. The back deck railing is on. Here is a pic:
Next is to construct the support columns in front and build the 22 doors. Not sure how to finish off the windows yet. Any suggestions?
Rex: Here is a thought, actually it is the way I'm doing most of my buildings. Do a IMAGE search for the phrase "hotel room interiors". Find some that you like, reverse the image and print the images scaled down on transparencies. Cut them out, spray Elmer's spray adhesive on the printed side and attach to suitable backing. The Elmer's will not cause the ink from your Inkjet printer to run if you let it dry up for at least 24 hours. The ink (or better yet a color lazer printer) is sealed away from any weather damage. Check out these two buildings as an example, I did them just over a year ago and all is still fine. I would post another but Rene would probably get upset with Doug Longbottom's (President RbFSRWy) "french maid". This will give you immediate interiors at minimal cost, then as you build/acquire actual furnishings you can pull the prints off and put in the real goods. There is an article in the new Issue of GR about doing exactly that, but he used pix of his friends and fellow operators.
Curtains and stained round glass window over the door.
Stained glass windows on the second floor of my hotel.
Rex, Don't know how, but I missed your latest posts. Been woundering what was going on with the hotel project. I can see. Looks really great. I like the chimney and can apprieciate the time and effort going into shingling that massive roof having done several smaller ones my self. By the time you finish you'll need a semi and crane to move and place in the train yard. Jack
Rex:
Read June 09 GR, page 14, Letters, People in buildings, by Bruce (TheJoat). He is also doing much the same thing, just different subject matter, different materials, different ....... OK, everything he is doing is absolutely different from what I do, except that it involves a photo/picture on the computer. The end product is that from a distance of 5 foot, the human eye will see something inside the room through the window glass.
Jack/Al: I've been planting subliminal seeds into his brain so that when it comes time to move this monster to the GRR, he will slip up and call FedEx instead of U-Haul. It only took two years to get Vic to part with a couple of Mack Bashes, I figure it just might work with Rex.
Yes the Grand Hotel is strong. I built the floors with plank and beam construction. I've been picking it up many times to work on different sides or take it outside to paint. The fireplace is removable so I can take it out to have access to the dining room and lobby.
I have a 16' covered trailer I haul my RC planes around in so it will haul my winter garden railroad building projects up to the mountains where the layout is located.
I've been thinking about your picture suggestions for the room windows. It would sure save a pile of money on furniture and window dressings. I'll give it a shot. I think I'll still have to furnish the dining room and back deck with tables and chairs and people too.
The back deck will have stairs but those will be added after placing the Grand Hotel on the site.
Thanks for all your compliments and suggestions.
Heck, I'd stay there in a heartbeat! Great looking hotel.
Later,
K
Rex in Pinetop I think I'll still have to furnish the dining room and back deck with tables and chairs and people too.
The picture thing works when windows are on only one side of the room. Not having met you face to face, I'd say that no matter how nice the photo thing looks, you won't be satisfied until the photos are gone and tables, beds, chairs and people have been built/acquired. In the meantime it give a "lived in" look without a sudden breakage of the wallet.
I'm finished! This project started back in February and now all that's left is to place it on site and finished the front and back steps when I figure out where they go. Here is the picture progress report:
Yes I went with a dark stain on the roof. The doors were mass produced in a strip and then painted. Door knobs were added before glueing in. I'm going to wait on the window dressings for now.
Very impressive. ty very much for showing us.
Rex: With all those blue green doors, you're going to need a couple of "bawdy" girls for the second floor. Well done my friend!
Ray,
Nothing but holes for windows so far. Tom has me thinking about photo's of hotel interiors as described in the GR mag this month. It beats the price of furniture for all those rooms. I'm thinking I will spring for tables and chairs and some people for the dining room and the back deck.as a minimum.
How do you finish your windows? I recall you having some interior furnishings viewable through the windows. I'd like to get to multi-pane but don't have many ideas yet for the dividers. Would painted wire over clear styrene work say glued to the inside? Some of the Pola kits come with paper curtains to glue to the inside of clear plastic but they fade pretty quickly.
Rex in Pinetop Some of the Pola kits come with paper curtains to glue to the inside of clear plastic but they fade pretty quickly. Rex
Some of the Pola kits come with paper curtains to glue to the inside of clear plastic but they fade pretty quickly.
You could do as I did.
Scan the sheet into a jpeg file. Print on transparencies. Use Elmer's spray craft glue over the printed side, stick to plexiglas. Print is sealed from any weather exposure. No fading is noticeable after a year plus outside. The curtains are in the widows, the round window above the door is "printed stained glass".
Rex in Pinetop I'd like to get to multi-pane but don't have many ideas yet for the dividers. Would painted wire over clear styrene work say glued to the inside?
I'd like to get to multi-pane but don't have many ideas yet for the dividers. Would painted wire over clear styrene work say glued to the inside?
Get some automotive "pinstriping tape" put it on plexi or whatever you use for glazing. Automotive pinstriping tape is going to UV proof, weather proof,
Here is an update on the Grand Hotel project. As you can see it's in place and getting a lot of comments from neighbors and drive-bys.
This shot shows the Grand Hotel location on the high priced side of the river: Still no windows finished so that will wait until the fall.
Here is the barn and ranch house. I need to build the coral.
I also set out the new fire engines.
I have grass and trees in the park. I used cold patch for the road around the park.
The trains are running!!!!
Rex: It is customary to remove the hanging chain from birdhouses before putting them into the garden railroad.
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