Thanks for the input, I appreciate it!
Yep, will definitely have rain spouts.
I'm finally making progress on this again, after taking a short break.
About a year ago I found a sheet of 13mm Sintra in the cutoff bin at a local plastics dealer, and I've been holding onto it ever since. I decided to use this to make the arched walls of the passenger waiting area. I don't know if it's because this stuff was old, or what, but it was quite a bit harder than the 6mm stuff I've been using, and was kind of a pain to work with. I had to use a jigsaw to cut it. I also found it more difficult to scribe. It might have been easier if I'd just laminated two sheets of 6mm Sintra together, to get the required thickness. Anyway...
After cutting it out, I taped the plugs from the arches in place temporarily, to hold a pushpin marking the center of the arch. Then I scribed the stones around the arch, using a small metal ruler as a guide:
When I'd finished scribing the stones on the face of the wall, I used a special tool to continue the mortar lines around the corners onto the edges of the arches. This was just an X-Acto knife, with the edge of the blade ground flat:
Here is the exterior side of the wall. It is complete except for some details that will be added after assembly. As you can see, I have changed the shape of the wall's top edge from the original design:
Here's the interior side of the same wall. When I shot this photo, I still had to scribe a few more lines near the top. On the left end, there was no need to include all the scribing since that is where the adjoining wall will be glued to this one:
That's all for now. I still have two more walls to do for this part of the depot.
Ray:
The detail is excellent as always. Amazing!
I have one question about the top of the wall. You have kept the stone courses horizontal all the way to the top. I'm no expert on south western architecture but it seems to me that the top of the wall would have been finished with a cap of some sort, perhaps similar to the arches below.
Just my worth.
Dave
I'm just a dude with a bad back having a lot of fun with model trains, and finally building a layout!
Thanks Dave. Yes, there will be a cap along the top of the wall. I'm holding off on adding it until after the walls are assembled.
Sorry Ray.
I should have known better than to question your work.
I forgot to mention something in my previous post… When I designed the walls of the waiting area, I used a drawing program to create simple templates. These were printed onto paper, cut out, and then traced onto the Sintra:
After texturing both sides of the north and south walls, I glued them to the main structure. The joint was not perfect, especially on the angled, south, wall, so there was an uneven gap at the joints. I filled these gaps with JB Weld's "Water Weld" epoxy putty, taking care to press it firmly into the gap. After it set, I sanded it down, and then scribed it to match the walls. Here are before and after shots of the north wall, followed by the south wall:
Here's how the whole thing looks so far:
The base of the waiting area is removable. I scribed 1/2" squares on the floor to represent terra cotta tiles:
Small stainless steel screws hold the base of the waiting area in place. The base can be removed for painting, and for easy access to the waiting area interior:
Here's a shot of the end wall in progress. I have to align the stone courses to match those at the corners of the north and south walls:
That's all for now. Hope you're all having a great Thanksgiving!
Another update!
Previously, I had added some protruding stones on the west end wall. These were made by gluing thin strips of Sintra to random stones, then carving them. But I had to hold off on giving the rest of the building this treatment until I'd finished the east wing. Well, now that is done, so I added the protruding stones to all the walls. Here are a few shots, with the first one showing the strips prior to carving:
Next I made the balconies that will be on the north and south sides of the depot. These were made from pieces of 6mm and 4mm thick Sintra. The following two photos show the underside of the balcony, so you can see how the 4mm layer was cut at an angle:
Next I added the roof to the west wing, and to the center section of the depot. I still have to do the roof on the east wing. I also began construction of the bay window:
And here are a few shots of the depot as it currently looks, temporarily in position on the layout. Sometime soon, before I get much further with the construction, I need to fill in the gap in the foundation around the base of the building:
That's all for now. Thanks for watching!
That is really progressing nicely. I love the wall detail.
Hey! Congratulations! You made it on to Cody's Office in the mail section. You're famous!!
hon30critterThat is really progressing nicely. I love the wall detail.
Thanks!
Hey! Congratulations! You made it on to Cody's Office in the mail section.
Cool, I didn't know that. Are you referring to the video? I just watched his December video and didn't see it there.
You are in the Viewer Mail section of the December 'Inside Cody's Office'. You asked a question about the acrylic sign holders that MR was using on one of its project railroads.
Ah, you must have misheard it. That was someone else.
Sorry Ray, my bad. My brain got cross wired. It was George Paine.
No problemo. :)
Here's how I filled the gap in the foundation...
First I taped waxed paper to the lower part of the building. Then I added a few layers of masking tape, so that the final opening in the foundation would be just slightly larger than the building itself. Next I coated the masking tape with petroleum jelly, and placed the building on the foundation:
I used a blend of high strength mortar mix and vinyl concrete patcher. This was spooned into the gap around the building. I used an old zoo membership card to spread and smooth the mortar, however a scrap piece of styrene sheet will do. I couldn't get it as smooth as I wanted but it's close enough:
As you can see, I just barely finished by the time it got dark. Due to the cold, the mortar set very slowly and I had to wait several hours before removing the building from the foundation. Even then, the mortar was still not fully cured, and a small section broke off. However, this will be easy to repair. For now I just set the broken piece back in place:
I sanded the top of the foundation to get it a little smoother. It's still not perfect but it will do. Here's how the depot looks with its new foundation:
This close up shot shows what a great spot for photos the depot will be when it's finished:
I've also added lintels to the door and window openings. These were made from strips of 1mm Sintra:
And I've started adding the capstones (I think that's what they're called) along the top of the walls, beginning with this wall on the west end:
That's it for now. As always, thank you for your comments and for following along!
Great progress Ray!
The lower portion of the building will have a sort of wainscot of stone blocks. I started on this by adding a strip of 1mm Sintra along the top of this area:
Back when I made the first building in Mineral Ridge, I had made a mold of hand-carved stone block pieces, and had cast a lot of extras for future use. (For details, go here: http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_Mineral_Ridge_1.html )
Anyway, those are what I'm using on this project. I'm just gluing them to the Sintra. Some are cut to fit, or to create corners:
Then I fill any gaps with styrene putty, let it dry, and carve off the excess putty. Here's how it's looking so far:
I'm almost halfway through making the wainscot.
Wow Ray!
It gets better all the time!
BTW, yesterday I came home and discovered water seeping out of my mountain:
Apparently the neighbors behind us, on top of the hill, have a leak in their sprinkler system. I told them about it and they said they'd get someone to find the leak but so far that hasn't happened, and it's still leaking. I'm a bit concerned because I don't know how long that slope can hold up with water constantly flowing through it, and we've got rain coming tonight.
Uh Oh!
Not a good thing. I really hope there is no damage done.
I finally got a little modeling time the past few days, and the depot is progressing nicely...
Adding the blocks to the pillars was kind of tedious due to the need for custom fitting many of the blocks:
After I finished the pillars, then I installed blocks on the south side of the depot:
With the blocks finished, I could finally put the roof on over the waiting area. I started by gluing styrene strips on the inside of the north and south walls. These were sloped just slightly towards the end, for drainage purposes:
The roof was cut from 4mm Sintra sheet, and styrene rafters were added:
Then the roof was glued in place. I added short strips of styrene between the rafters, at each end:
The terra cotta tile floor was made to look less perfect, and more natural, by carving cracks, pressing in irregularities, etc:
I also finished adding the capstones along the tops of the walls. These were mostly made of 2mm thick Sintra strips which were scribed, then bent to fit and glued in place:
I added a few other details too, such as the rafter "tails" under the eaves, and support beams under the balconies. Here's how it all looks so far:
I installed two styrene tubes to drain the flat roof over the waiting area:
The foundation on the south side needs some work. Some parts aren't level with the floor of the depot, and there is a large crack that needs to be filled with mortar:
At the west end, I need to extend the foundation to create a sidewalk around the end of the depot:
I'm using some large, fancy brass buttons to represent decorative concrete castings on the depot:
Here's one with a quick coat of concrete color paint, just to get an idea of how it will look:
I was going to work on the Spanish tiles for the roof next, but I want to try casting them in resin and my mold compound has gone bad, so I have to wait to order some more. In the meantime I'll work on making the doors and windows. I still need to make the interior details too.
It is really coming along well.
Thanks, Dave!
I got a little work done making doors and windows. On the freight doors, I started by scribing planks and wood grain onto pieces of 4mm Sintra:
The trim was built up using styrene strips. Here's one of the finished freight doors temporarily installed on the building:
Next I made the small windows for the west wall of the baggage/freight room. The windows are all made from styrene strips, scribed with simulated wood grain:
The windows for the main part of the depot are a bit more involved. My standard method simulates the appearance of a sash window, but uses a single piece of glass. I start by putting together the frame that fits into the opening, then add the "bottom" layer made from wider strips. The sash details are then added:
And here is one of the finished windows, temporarily installed:
Got a little more done...
The doors were built up from styrene strips, in much the same way as the windows:
Here's one of the doors temporarily installed on the building. I haven't added the doorknob yet:
I added the structural components for the bay window:
The window frames were built separately. Here they are temporarily installed:
The silicone molding compound I ordered arrived yesterday, so it looks like I'll start work on the Spanish tiles next.
Pretty good Ray!
The next stage of the project was a bit of an adventure…
I made some Spanish tiles using 7/16" (.438") diameter styrene tubes. I marked lines on the tube lengthwise, dividing it evenly into thirds. Then I scored these lines with a sharp hobby knife. I used the extruded aluminum rail on our patio door as a guide to draw and score the lines. Then I cut the tube into 3/4" segments:
After sanding the ends of the segments, I snapped them apart along the scored lines. This gave me three tiles per segment, each about 3/8" wide:
Next I sanded the edges to a slight taper, making them narrower at one end:
Now, I could have just gone ahead and made all of them like this. However, I wanted to try making a mold and casting them in resin. Although the shape is simple enough for a one-piece mold, the tiles are so thin that it's not possible to pour the resin in and get all the air out. So I would try using a two-piece mold.
I built a small box which is held together with screws. Most of the box was made from 6mm Sintra. Only the top piece is styrene:
The tiles were glued to the inner side of the styrene top, using a solvent:
To make the first half of the mold, I had to fill half the box with sulfur-free, plasticine clay. I held a piece of Sintra against the tiles to support them while I pressed the clay around them. I had set the clay in front of our small, electric space heater for a few minutes so it would be soft and supple:
Then I used the blade of a small screwdriver to press tiny bits of clay into the gaps and smooth it around the tiles:
The styrene top was secured on the box, with one side open. Then I finished filling the box halfway with the clay, again using the screwdriver blade to smooth it:
I used the end of a paintbrush handle to press small dimples into the clay. These will form "keys" in the silicone to aid in aligning the two halves of the mold:
I taped the corners of the box to prevent any possible leaks, then filled the box with silicone molding compound. (The brand I use is Oomoo 30.)
After the silicone had set, I removed the bottom and one side of the box so I could access the clay. The clay easily pulls away from the mold, especially if it's not warm:
I cleaned out all bits of remaining clay, then replaced the bottom piece of the box. Next I brushed petroleum jelly onto the silicone, thinning it a little with paint thinner. It's very important to cover the silicone completely to prevent the two halves becoming one. Then I poured in the second layer of silicone and let it set:
After the silicone had set, I disassembled the box and pulled apart the two halves of the mold. These were coated with a mold release spray that I bought at Michael's (craft store). The spray was allowed to dry:
The resin was dribbled into one half of the open mold. The mold was then closed and quickly set upright. I used two bricks to keep the halves of the mold pressed together. Extra resin was poured over the top to replace any that leaked out. This method worked, but it's very messy and wasteful, getting resin all over everything. It also required a few tries to get the best results. After an evening of making castings, I had about 80 useable tiles.
The cast tiles had a lot of flash that had to be sanded off, as seen on the left and middle tiles in this photo:
Here are several tiles after sanding:
Sadly, I came to the conclusion that although the tiles could successfully be cast, the process was too slow and labor intensive. I can make them individually from styrene tubes just as quickly, if not quicker, and with a lot less mess and waste. Which is a real shame, because that two-part mold sure turned out nice. But at least it provides a good "step-by-step" on the mold-making process.
After spending a few days cutting up styrene tubes and turning them into Spanish tiles, I was ready to start gluing some to the main roof of the depot...
I'm using Dynaflex 230 paintable sealant to secure the tiles to the model. Naturally, the concave, "bottom" rows of tiles must be put on first. I began by gluing a single tile at the beginning of each row, in order to test that the spacing was correct. I determined that spacing them on 1/2" centers would be just about perfect:
The bottom rows must be placed with the narrow end of the tile facing "downhill" on the roof. I goofed and did the first row, on the right, the wrong way around. Since it's on the end and not very noticeable, I just left it that way:
After all of the bottom tiles were glued in place, I left it to dry:
Then it was time to add the top rows of tiles. First I used more Dynaflex 230 to fill the spaces between the bottom rows. I only worked on 2-3 rows at a time:
Each of the top tiles was partially filled with sealant prior to placing it on the model:
The top tiles are placed with the narrow end "uphill". Excess sealant can easily be cleaned off with water and a small, cheap, craft paint brush:
This side of the roof is now complete. It took 200 individual tiles for this. I figure in total, it'll take at least 1000 to do the whole job:
Nice tile job. I can't wait to see the station when it has got colour on it.
I finished putting tiles on both sides of the main roof, and capped the ridge. The gaps under the ridge tiles were filled with Dynaflex to simulate mortar:
I managed to tile most of the north side of the baggage room roof, then ran out of styrene tubes and couldn't make any more tiles for a while. So while I waited for an order of tubes, I went to work detailing the interior. I built some stairs out of 4mm and 1mm Sintra, plus some .020" styrene for the baseboard. Here's a shot of the stairs under construction:
A few years ago I bought some 1/24th scale balusters from a dollhouse supplier, and put them away until I found a use for them. Much to my amazement I was actually able to find them now that I needed them. I drilled a hole in the bottom of each, and glued in a short piece of brass rod:
The handrail was made from a 1/8" styrene tube. I sanded two sides of it flat, and plugged the end. Then I drilled holes into the underside and fit it over the tops of the balusters. BTW, the floor is a photographic image printed onto self-adhesive vinyl:
After I built the stairs I sprayed them with white primer, followed by a very pale, yellowish color to match the walls. When that dried I masked it to paint the dark trim color:
The interior walls will have wainscot. These were made from .020" thick, V-groove styrene sheet, with trim made from styrene strips. This one is designed to fit the stairs. The wainscots were not glued in place until after they'd been painted:
Here's how the room looks so far. The stairs are finished and painted, though not yet glued into place. The wainscots and other trim have also been painted and installed:
I still have to make the crown molding, the ticket counter, and other furnishings.
More excellent work. Its hard to tell that the stairs are actually a model!
By the time you are finished the station I will have run out of accolades.
Absolutely fantastic!
You sure are modeling in the right scale for scratchbuilding!