HO Scale O'Neills Fabrication Official Forum Build

Michael_Pearce

Look pretty rotten Ken!! Rotten as in decayed rather than awful, inferior, terrible etc. Best in show again.

KKarns

Thanks Steve. Once "planted" and the details and landscaping done along the bottom it will soften the look. It appears kind of dark now but the idea is to have that peeking through all the details. In addition, the photo is inside and on the dark side as well.

Hey Michael, appreciate that. see above. Glad to see you're still out there, how's your build coming along?...Ken

sdrees

Hi Ken,

It has been a while since I have posted on this site since I am building my layout now. Your have been doing a great job on this model. I have always wondered what tools and techniques you use to get the rotted look on the bottom of you boards.

Thanks,

Steve

KKarns

Steve, appreciate that and glad you asked that question regarding the treatment of the board ends. I will soon be doing an advanced wood tutorial here on the forum in which I build on the tried and true techniques Brett so eloquently outlines in each of the kit manuals and at Craftsman Kit University here on the web-site. Your question will be keenly addressed and hopefully some good techniques can be shared...Ken

nextceo

Hey Ken, definitely looking forward to your wood tutorial...you are the master at making new wood look old.

sdrees

Ken,

I am looking forward to your tutorial!

KKarns

Alan, the wood and I have a mutually satisfying relationship...we're both old!

Look forward to it as well Steve, it will be fun to see what good ideas are batted around.

KKarns

Jumped ahead a tiny bit and decided to put together one of the remarkably detailed hand trucks that is supplied with O'Neills. This kind of detail in 1:87 is unheard of! Separate frame, axle, handle and wheels and this is not a casting. SWSM continues to set the standard for which all others are measured...



Staged along side O'Neills Tower and Deck for scale. Pieces were removed from the carrier sheet, painted and detailed with rust chalks. Wheels and axles blackened and weathered with chalks. The next one I do I'm going to try painting red and weathering...



Such a "yummy" detail!



Reality check!...note just how small and finely detailed this is...Ken

admin

That's wonderful. So easy to assemble but so finely detailed and prototypical. Excellent execution...

Coors2u

That gets a thumbs up from me. I partial to the one in the back of my van though. Its designed for delivering "Kegs". Yours is outstanding as well though. I love seeing how things are turning out on this build. Great thread Ken. Keep it up.

KKarns

Thanks Brett, this guy took me less time to assemble than detailing a typical resin casting and the results...well...I'm simply amazed at how you came up with this manufacturing technique. I'm quite certain most, if not all, of the modelers on this forum realize the significance of this innovative development you have achieved here.

KKarns

Justin! Hey nice hearing from you. Like Bryan on the weld bead, you just issued a challenge, does this mean I'm going to have to detail one of Brett's barrels into a keg to marry up with this hand truck!?

Thanks my man, appreciate your thoughts

KKarns

I am now working on the actual diorama base. Quite a milestone in the O'Neills build thus far. I laid out my base just a bit larger than what is called for in the manual. I used 1" foam board epoxied to a 3/4 inch composite board. I then painted the base with a dirt colored latex. I'm modeling HOn3 track so my centerline was recalculated on the template and the base was marked for the centerline followed by tie spacing marks every 0.25". If anyone followed my SWSM Loco and Service Shops build, you know I spend a great deal of time and effort detailing my trackage. My ties were cut from 3/64 x 3/32 strip wood stock with the graining done prior to cutting and will support code 55 rail on un-ballasted road bed. Once the ties were cut the final detailing was done followed by a grey/black stain and then glued to the diorama base. The ties will be further detailed after the glue dries. Next up is the initial layer of dirt.

KKarns

Note...no attempt was made to get perfectly aligned ties, and in fact a few are purposely skewed a bit for effect.

brownbr

Nice progress. Love that handtruck. Looking forward to the kegger.

If you need more outlandish ideas I have another. How about warping the top board of the railing on the porch and exposing the nails underneath.

Funny story...some time ago I had some paint mixed up at whatever store I was at. I commented that the paint was a nice dirt color. The guy looked offended...

KCSTrains

"I used 1" foam board epoxied to a 3/4 inch composite board." Hey Ken, why do you do it this way? Is it to get some undulations on the surface? It's an interesting idea. Phil

KKarns

Thanks Bryan, hey...I'm slow enough at this as it is, let alone entertaining 1:87 scale nails!....well...hmm..maybe. Don't know what that guy's problem was...you said "nice" dirt color.

I use the 1" foam board to allow for various topography changes such as ditches, roads, that kind of thing including subtile undulations as you mentioned. Sometimes I'm undecided until the structure is planted and scenic work is under way. In addition, holes can be easily punched in through the dirt layer for trees, bushes, posts, pipes, telephone poles, etc..even after the glue is dry. My Loco Shop build...I put in an inspection pit and the foam allowed me to do this. I add the 3/4 inch composite for strength, particularly on larger dioramas. The foam board is also impervious to water and moisture so it won't suck up the water/glue/alcohol being used above. I also like the look of a nice "chunky" substantial base.

SteveCuster

The hand truck and ties look great Ken. I just cut my base yesterday, I also used 3/4 MDF. I bought a 4x8 sheet of it to cut down, it's heavy stuff.

-Steve

KKarns

Thanks Steve. That stuff is very dense but really resists warping quite nicely. Really excited, as I'm sure you are, to be at this stage of the build!

KKarns

I decided to experiment with the other large Hand Truck Brett includes with O'Neills. I primed with basic brown and let that cure then followed with SWSM/Reaper Garnet Red from my craftsman paint set purchased here on the web-site . When dry to the touch, picked and scraped the paint with a sharpened toothpick and a little water. Toned down and dulled the color with an application of dry chalk. Finally went over it with a very small stiff brush to smooth things out. Stack a couple of crates on this guy and set it on the loading dock...

nextceo

Your little cart looks awesome...just missing the Keg...

KCSTrains

I like it!! Phil

Wes

Hey Ken. Stoked to see the diorama base start to take shape. That cart is just beautiful. Hard to believe its 1/87

KKarns

Thanks Wes. Last night I applied the base dirt layer and will be detailing the track first as I want to be able to manipulate the base with out anything else on it. Once the track is done, it's full out diorama building...fun stuff.

KKarns

Thanks much Alan, we'll see about the keg!

Appreciate that Phil.

KKarns

The scenic work on O'Neills has commenced and moving along. I will alternate between the scenic work and casting and carrier sheet details to try and keep things interesting. I have laid in my track ties and before putting down the rail, I want to add the road bed and get things all put in place before hand. When I constructed the Main Bulding, Addition Stairway, and the Upper and Lower Landing Stairway...the stairs and the building were all set to a flat service. When spreading the first base layer of dirt I placed a cut-out, per instructions, for the main building but also made small cut-outs for the two sets of stairs that were on the same flat plane as the Main Building. Once the Main Building is set to the base I will fill in the two bare areas under the stairs but this insures they are perfectly flat to the base (see figure 1.)


(figure 1.)

This picture serves to illustrate how I like to go about setting my "dirt". I start with a very finely sifted light colored dirt spread over the entire base. I then come back with a darker layer with two grades; one is as fine as the base and the other is a bit more coarse. I will then proceed to add all the other scenic details like ground foam, bark, sticks, leaves, etc..

Why the dark more coarse over the light color?....When the glue dries, wherever I want a light colored path I simply rub my finger over the area which rubs off the coarser dark layer exposing the nice fine lighter base layer just like a path would be. It also natually grades from fine in the middle to more coarse as you get to the edges. I will illustrate this later when I put in a high traffic area.


(figure 2.)

Close up showing the coarser texture of the top layer with the lighter layer beneath peeking through.

Next I will be laying the rail, rail joiners, and rail spike heads in that will finish off the track detailing.

Wes

Brilliant idea on the light then darker dirt laying Ken. Love it.

KKarns

Thanks Wes and I'll point out the advantages as I get to those areas. Off to start detailing and laying in the track...Ken

KKarns

Step 2. I cut the rails to a scale 35' (slightly shorter than standard) and weathered. The rail was then laid out per HOn3 criteria (I used 3 foot) with code 55 rail, track line marked and the rail epoxied to the ties. Next is to add the rail joiner detail and the spike heads (4 each per tie).



Coffee cup for scale I guess...

nextceo

Rails look good...