This thread shows the assembly of a Campbell's Double Hand Car House (Kit #368). Hopefully these pics will inspire some of you to try your hand at a craftsmen style kit. Campbell kits are a great way to learn the basic techniques of building craftsmen wood models. The instructions are simple to follow, and their full-size templates second to none.
This first pic shows the wood parts and templates laid out and ready to go. I like to lay out my templates on a flat work surface such as this piece of foam core.
I start assembly by edge-gluing the front and back walls. I use Elmer's glue applied with a pin or tooth pic. Try to avoid the glue from oozing out. Glue stains will not allow the paint or stain to adhere to the wood. Remember, "more glue does not make a stronger joint". next, add the corner post to the gabled side walls. Install the post even with the bottom of the walls, allowing the excess to protrude the tops. Once dry, simply cut excess material with a sharp razor for a perfect fit.
To avoid the walls from warping, I like to add plenty of extra interior bracing. Here, 1/4 inch square wood is used to brace the walls.
With the wall bracing complete, we are now ready to apply paint. I apply a base-coat using Floquils' Earth. Allow the base coat to dry over night. You are now ready for the top coat. For this project, I chose Polly-S Medium Grey. Apply the paint thinned down with water. Hence, the extra bracing applied on the previous step. You want to stain, not paint the wood. Allow the base coat to show through. Next, mix up a batch of alcohol and India ink (2 full table spoons to 1 pint of alcohol). Apply the A&I stain onto the walls to tone down and weather the gray paint. Finish up the walls with dry-brushed "Reefer" white.
Those not familar with dry-brushing, here are some tips to follow:
Take a stiff 1/4 wide bristle brush and remove most of the white paint from it. (You may want to practice this on some scrap until you get the hang of it). Rub the brush over your walls to allow the white paint to hit the high-spots and edges.
The doors are assembled next. I added door handles made from .010 wire to better detail the model.
Glue the walls sections together, keeping everything square until dry. Install the wood-plank floor and rails. The foor was weathered using my A&I stain.
That's all for now.
In my next post, i'll add the roof, facia and rafters.......
11/20/07
The roof comes next:
I start by cutting out the roof cards using a sharp razor and straight edge. Tip: Avoid using sissors when cutting card stock. It will curl the card and leave a jagged edge. When applying shingles, I speed up the process by letting each row past the edge of the card as shown. (they will be trimmed on the next step). Keep each row as straight as possible by following the printed (alignment) marks on the card. Work your way up each card section until complete.
Trim the excess (paper) shingles with a pair of sharp sissors, leaving about 1/16 of an inch of overhang on each side.
Glue the completed roof cards onto the structure. Ensure the roof card is centered and has equal spacing all the way around. The instructions calls for the roof to be capped off with a piece of stripwood. However, I like using small strips of shingle material to make my roof caps. It may be a bit more time consuming, but the end results are worth it. Once finish, paint the shingles with full-strength Floquil's "Earth". Allow the paint to dry for about an hour, then follow up with a heavy coat of A&I wash.
Tip: To simulate an uneven shake roof, I like to go back and randomly lift some of the shingles with a #11 xacto blade. Once satisfied, I dry brush the roof with "aged" white, and finish-up with a coat of dull-coat.
The last step is to apply the facia boards and rafter tails. Follow the full-size template carefully to cut out the facia boards to thier proper angles. Don't forget to mark the botom side of the roof card where the rafter tails are to go.
Tip: A fast and easy way of installing the rafter tails is to cut them a bit longer to overhang the bottom edge of the card by about 1/8 inch. Then snip each flush with the roof edge using a pair of rail nippers.
Here's the completed model:
Have Fun.... Bob.
Bob,
Thank you for taking the time to present this very organized and informative thread. I've been holding off on a couple of Bar Mills Billboard kits I have, but after reading your tips, I think I'll take the plunge and assemble and paint them.
Don Z.
Research; it's not just for geeks.
nice tutorial , thanks Bob .
a question (ok , two questions)... if you paint the walls with Earth aren't you sealing the wood ? if so how does the staining work with the thinned grey ? obviously it does , but it seems to me that it shouldn't work . also if the wood is sealed is there really a need for the extra bracing ?
Don Z wrote: Bob,Thank you for taking the time to present this very organized and informative thread. I've been holding off on a couple of Bar Mills Billboard kits I have, but after reading your tips, I think I'll take the plunge and assemble and paint them.Don Z.
I'm glad you found this tutorial helpful. Please post pics of those billboards when finished. BTW, since Barmills has stop production of them, I'm sure they will soon be considered a "Collector's Item".
Great tutorial on craftsman kit building. I like the step-by-step approach and the images are very helpful. I've copied and bookmarked this one!
I have one question, you mentioned using "aged" white paint, is this a paint you buy or one you mixed up?
Thanks,
Ryan
Ryan BoudreauxThe Piedmont Division Modeling The Southern Railway, Norfolk & Western & Norfolk Southern in HO during the merger eraCajun Chef Ryan
SilverSpike wrote: Bob,Great tutorial on craftsman kit building. I like the step-by-step approach and the images are very helpful. I've copied and bookmarked this one!I have one question, you mentioned using "aged" white paint, is this a paint you buy or one you mixed up?Thanks,Ryan
Ryan:
My bust. I meant to say Antique White. Polly-S markets it.
Thanks for the answer!