#304 O Scale BlueSky Company. Karl.A

admin

The weathering on the main barn wood is fantastic as is the lettering. Looking forward to more...

Karl.A

Thanks Steve, Robert and Brett, great to read your comments.
Full speed and then more Robert, or a standstill, still looking for that middle ground.
Lettering scared me for a while Brett, (remember I wouldnt do the pilot model one, ha), but, followed your instructions and as always with everything, came out just as you guided.

admin

Here is the story of the SW BlueSky pilot model:

"With a little help from my friends...Karl Allison and Kevin O'Neill have done some pretty heavy lifting here! They were hard at work for weeks on components for the pilot model pictured here. Karl was building the main structure in Mississippi while Kevin was digging into the tractor repair shed and painting castings in New York. We met in early February 2011 here in Dallas and put it all together. The combined talents makes for one incredible kit - lots of creative ideas flowing here folks..."

A cool story and great memories. Here you can see the pilot model Karl, myself, and Kevin constructed:
https://sierrawestscalemodels.com/304.html

That was really ten years ago? No way...

Karl.A

Great times indeed, good memories.

Time for a 10yr anniversary release.... hahaha

Karl.A

Well, I havent done any details for over 5 years so lets see how it goes.
(all the details on the Woodcutters and Mill Engine dios I just finished were painted years ago, except for the gas pump and wheelbarrow.)

Luckily most of the smaller resin for this one is either done or started.
(Notice how I store the stripwood as I build, a few pill bottles taped together with the label for each bag, makes things handy and easy access.
Also powdered chalk in the lid of another with alcohol in the bottle for touch-up of wood ends etc.)



A few of the larger ones still to do.



And of course the vast selection of metal which is still in the box.



Except for the tractor which is sitting over on my O'Neills Wheels dio.
(gotta love that sun flare)



I guess its time to stop typin and start doin.

Karl.A

KCSTrains

Karl, I like the pill bottle idea for the stripwood. I believe I will use that idea. Phil

Karl.A

Now I just gotta find the handpumps for these little suckers. Hmmm

Karl.A

Beer O'clock.

Jim M

Beautiful

Karl.A

Thanks Jim, I moved on to the plethera of metal masterpieces...



A quick picture of my work process with so many castings to do.

Karl.A

job done, time to eat...

MuddyCreekRR

You are inspiring me to also get back into the shop...my summer long project (that carried thru the fall) is almost complete...a 1:1 scale 8x12 2 story shed....bottom floor wood shop (on the small side) and loft area for storage....a must get done....now....I can get back into the basement shop and work on the wee stuff...anxiously awaiting the next installment of the O scale Foundry....

TomMich

Always fun to see the transformation of all those beautiful castings!

brownbr

I like those lubesters

Karl.A

Thanks Art, Tom and Bryan, a little progress this afternoon, putting these danged glasses on and off seems to be slowing me down... ha

Joel

Great detail work as always. Love the way the labels fade into the surface of the oil cans.

Karl.A

Thanks Joel,
Small progress after an early finish on a Friday afternon.
Def gonna have to rebrush the edges of those deck boards, oh well.

Robert.G

Coming together nicely. I love those soft , mellow wood colors. One just wants to feel them..

Karl.A

thanks Robert.

Karl.A

Finally got all the details finished and put safely to one side, I wasn't in the mood to start graining and staining wood for the tractor/work shed so I went in the store room and found some blue foam for the base.
While looking for a new blade to cut the foam I came across this old interlocking stone wall master I built years ago for a project Brett and I were toying with at the time. Hmmm...
Unfortunately this instantly gave me a brilliant idea, dang it!!

KCSTrains

Karl, it’s great following your builds again. Phil

Karl.A

Thanks Phil, it's great to be modeling and sharing again, and amongst friends.

I couldn't bring myself to cut the old plaster master I found apart, even though it was a reject, so, I spent an hour or so searching for the 'new, improved' master I built and the mold of it Brett made for me way back when...
Both masters were made with individual stones, that themselves were individually made, but, the second 'better' one actually interlocks with itself, which makes various configurations possible and infinite lengths a reality. Thankfully I found them.

So, I dug out some plaster, made some wet water and cast the first section, along with two concrete pads for the gas pump scene. One as per the manual and one slightly longer as an option and to play with the variation.

So much for not thinking, relaxing and just following the manual, but, if it all works out, it really wont be a big diversion, only scenic wise.



Oh, I threw the other three details into the pic cos they were next to me and Im proud of how they came out.

Mountaingoat

Love the interlace stone wall. Gorgeous rockwork. And of course your details are equally great.....Rick

Robert.G

You should be proud of them , indeed.
That manual is starting to look like a medieval parchment, manuscript with those curled yellow edges..

Karl.A

Thanks Robert, it only took 10yrs to perfect the weathering on the manual, I'm pleased with how it came out.

First two castings of the wall section.

brownbr

I always liked that interlocking wall.

Karl.A

Thanks Bryan, this is a new design that I mastered about 7 years ago and has never been used or seen before. They are taking about 90mins each per cast but they are coming out perfect, I've got four done so far...

brownbr

New master but not new wall

http://www.craftsmankituniversity.com/vanforum/uploads/FileUpload/19/539.jpg

Karl.A

Yes, thats my desk and those are the first resin casts of the interlocking plaster walls I mastered for the Oscale RRC Kit, the office building . Nick O built the basic walls, I added about 3/4" to each side of the walls and built those interlocking corners, fixed a few other things and built in a new window. and thats what you get in the kit I built those corners specifically for each wall and they will only go together one way, they are about 5.5"x 2.75"

These new ones are only about 3.5"x3.5", for this new wall I cast individual stones and then built the wall stone by stone. I designed and built the corners on these new walls so that they will interlock with themselves from side to side meaning they can be combined continuously in any combination and to any length, including inside corner and outside corner with a clean fit as shown in my previous post.
The interlocking is universal with itself, which was tricky to design and achieve.

This new wall was built and designed for an entirely different (discarded/forgotten) project than RRC.

Here are 4 of the new walls side by side, pulled apart to show and then pushed together.
New wall, new master, new design.

Karl.A

Surprisingly this is the first time I've used this method of constructing wall framing.
The laser cut headers and footers are awesome, as many of you that have used them already know. Cutting the remainder was simple and accurate with the templates.

So easy to make a straight, square, accurate and perfect frame with little effort,
exactly the way a framed wall should be and look.