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HO Twin Mills

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Comments

  • Continuing to look fantastic Mitch, everything is coming together beautifully.
    I'm particularly liking all your wood tones in this particular set of pics. Really nice
    warmth and variations, I'm also liking following along as you are starting to add those details and seeing it evolve..
    Very nice work.

    Karl.A
  • I am with Karl. What a nice build!
  • Great build Mitch. Those belts are tough and quite fiddly to get the right amount of tension. As I have said before...I admire anyone who builds this wonderful DeerCreek Sawmill kit and hold in high esteem those who build it as well as this!
  • You may have already done it, and I know these are progress pics... so, maybe irrelevant, but, don't forget to 'touch up' those step edges on the lower level of stairs in the last pic.

    Yes, I've been closely admiring and looking for two days and repeatedly enjoying this last set of pics.

    Karl.A
  • Thanks to everyone for your encouragement. As I keep saying much done more to do.

    As much work that has been done on the structures and castings this kit really comes down to the wooden roof on the old mill, the corrugated roof on the new mill and the log pond. All the details are fun but those large items are the first thing visitors will notice so they must be as "realistic" as possible. I must proceed carefully and not rush to get it done.

    Karl, I am (pleased, surprised, excited) that you would take an extended look at my pictures. I know what you mean about the stair treads. I built the stairs some time ago and it has been set aside. Probably had an interruption and did not touch them up. The lack of stain is not as apparent in person but it does stand out in the picture. I am sure I do not study the pictures for flaws as much as I should before posting them. Rushing! I did notice after the fact but I appreciate your pointing it out.

    Mitch

  • Mitch...I can relate to the tone of some of your statements....I catch myself rushing to complete a step or saying to myself, "that's close enough"...and I end up removing, redoing, or correcting during the next session...like you, I encourage and appreciate comments on my modeling
    Terry
  • Mitch, I also have this kit and I'm very interested in how you build it. I have pictures of Bill's build, but this will add to my collection that I will use as a reference guide. Soooo much detail and great craftsmanship. Unbelievable. Phil
  • Hi Mitch-
    I have been trying to figure out your wing wall puzzle and I think I got it. The groove end of the chipboard sits directly on top of the 4x12 on the floor. The surface that gets sided butts up snug against the inside of the trusses. Then, it gets sandwiched in between the vertical post and the truss.

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    2SQNOK9BBKTC

    So, I think the cut groove should have been facing downward and on top of the 4x12:

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    As long as your wing walls don't interfere with the upper rafters or trusses, your solution should work fine.

    If the slack in your belts are noticeable enough to where they’ll bother you in the future, by all means do them over. As time goes by, the odds are that they’ll develop MORE slack (changes in humidity, an inadvertent bump, etc.). To keep mine nice and tight, I glued one end to a lower drive wheel with CA. Once dry, I pulled the belt up and over the other drive wheel and clipped a small plastic clamp further down the belt material. The weight of the clamp added tension and kept it tight. When I was satisfied with the belt positioning on the top wheel, I gave a little slack, added a drop of glue and let the clamp pull the material tight. Once dry, I trimmed the excess an glued the loose end. It sounds complicated by there are pics and details toward the bottom of this page:
    http://www.craftsmankituniversity.com/vanforum/index.php?p=/discussion/84/twin-mills/p6

    One more quick suggestion...make sure to add some loose sawdust on the floors and around the machines. Do it now as it’ll only get trickier as you add the remaining components and details.

    Nice work all around!

  • Thanks for the comments Terry and Phil.

    Always good to hear from you Bill. Appreciate your comments.

    Here is the state of the model right now.

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    The new mill has a corrugated roof which apparently measures .75 long X .5 wide for each panel. The directions say I need 580 of them?

    Here is what that looks like.

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    I painted all the panels flat grey. The next step is supposed to bake them at 350 degrees for three minutes. I did not want to pull all of those panels off these sheets to bake them and put them back on sheets to weather them. What to do???

    I took my paint stripping heat gun and drifted it over the panels to heat them up and seal the paint to the aluminum. I did it. It seemed to work. I hope it works. I will find out.


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  • That might just work. Great progress on the mill. Phil
  • It never gets old watching one of these mills being built...
  • Great shot of all the various structures that make up Twin Mills. Love that first picture with the great background. Your work appears impeccable!
  • While I try to figure out how I want to weather the corrugated roof I turned to the extensive scenery required for this model.

    Here is the base.

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    There is a stream that leads into and out of the pond.

    I found a color that represented a good earth color called Dapper Tan and used it for the foundation so I could use a very thin layer of real dirt


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    Next I added sculptamold to some of the shoreline.


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    Then I added dirt to the area under the new mill and the space between the old mill and the new mill. Not much will be visible between the mills but some scenery is in order to enhance the space.


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    I realize there is a gap underneath the building and the barrels are not buried in the dirt. The building will be taken care of later when it finds its permanent home and the barrels will barely be visible between the buildings.

    Thanks for looking.
  • So lovely to see a layout come together.
  • Thanks for the step-by-step guide here. It's always helpful. Looking good. Phil
  • Thanks for the comments Robert and Phil.

    I colored the sculptamold and added dirt and a little burnt grass to the shore of the pond. I like the way it looks but I may be fooling myself since I do not see any one else doing this. The resin pond will be half way up the slope when it is poured.

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    The base of the slopes need to be cleaned up and a color transition from the edge of the slope toward the center of the pond from lighter to darker needs to be painted in next. If the consensus is that the stained sculptamold does not work, I can cover the slopes in dirt and proceed from there.

    Thanks for looking.


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  • I always use the 'burnt grass' colors instead of the bright greens, I find the muted tones blend much better with the style of structures and details that I model.
    As for the sculptamold stain, as its the first large scenic element its colouration should determine the following elements, meaning that any other exposed rocks or such should generally follow that colour tone, then the scenery will look harmonized and natural throughout.

    Looking good so far, enjoying seeing this evolve.

    Karl.A
  • There is something I wanted to fix and I think I fixed it. I wanted to pass along my solution. Not very clever but a solution.

    In a recent previous post there were some long grasses that were a brighter green than I would have liked. Well I made a stain with a Sennilier pastel number 062 and stained the grasses with it. Here are the results. They are all the same grasses just stained.

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    I think they are much improved compared to their previous color. Score another one for pastels.

    Thanks for looking.
  • Good solution. Pastels can cure a lot of issues. Phil
  • The landscapers are doing a fine job here.
  • Looks great and the variegated color looks natural.
  • Completed the rough drying shed.

    There is some glue that is still left on the rear wall studs. Obviously will not show when the roof is installed.

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    Some of the wood is stained another darker color to better match my sawdust.


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    Roof is installed but not papered yet.

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    Tar paper roof installed.

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    Still have not weathered the corrugated roof.

    Thanks for looking.
  • Looking fantastic Mitch. Lumber stacks are perfect!
  • My camera loves to enhance orange or the computer does. I wanted to give you a better idea of the color I see when I look at the model not what the camera makes it look like.

    The original picture is below.

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    I adjusted the "warmth" lower on my editing software on my computer and this is what I get.


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    It may not be a big deal to most but I do not want to edit all my pictures for their warmth bias, if that is what it is. But the lumber stacks in the first pictures appear much oranger than they do in person. Just trying to give you a better idea of what I see.
  • Lumber stacks look great as does the tarpaper
  • I'm glad you adjusted the color. It give you more of a sense of the true color. Your project is really coming along. Phil
  • Lumber is very well done.
  • Spot on Mitch the lumber looks very real keep it up. .............Carl............
  • Board variation looks great and so well done!
  • Thanks for the comments Bryan, Phil, Robert, Carl and Ken.

    Another shot or two of the rough drying shed.

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    I have added some sawdust to the interior of the new mill.


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    The saw dust shows up better in person and it is more subtle than overwhelming.

    I lightly rusted some of the corrugated to represent a roof that is relatively new and just starting to rust. After all it is a new mill. The corrugated is being held down by masking tape and will be flatter when installed.


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    Thanks for looking.
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