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HO Scale Brass & Iron Foundry Official Forum Build

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Comments

  • Ken, did you insert the windows into the "flats" before assembling the walls? (Just curious since none of the sashes needed to project beyond the window openings, affecting the glue clamps.) Great looking work!
  • Ken, The outdoor pictures with the natural light really shows off the finish on the stones.

    WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • awesome looking walls. your stone looks great.
    windows are really cool too, but those walls are the star of the show.
  • Thanks Brett, those windows were a joy to work with.

    Hey Bill, the casting should take most of the credit, simply beautiful carved stone work and incredible resin casting. Thanks much.

    Right you are Terry, it is tough deciding which SierraWest kit to jump into. I'll be making that decision once The Foundry is completed...first things first! The walls of the Foundry are a butt joint with the stones carved to match up to the appropriate wall. I put a good dose of black and 408.3 into the joint to soften it.

    Appreciate that Joel and nice hearing from you as always. Wasn't thrilled with a good number of the pictures as they looked slightly washed out. The very first picture perfectly captures the warmth and tones of these incredibly designed and produced walls.

    Thanks much Bob and glad you asked about the glazing. The widow frame comes in two pieces a base and a top piece with the etched details. Once the windows are primed I glued the top to the base. I then finished the final detailing to simulate old metal framed windows. I then turn my window with the backside facing up and with forceps I lay the pre-cut piece of mylar (glass) with the side previously sprayed with dullcote down on the frame so the shiny side is up. I ensure the piece of mylar is centered on the window frame and I take a sharp pointed scribe and lightly scratch the surface where I want pieces cut out, holes, etc... I then place the mylar on a piece of wood and with my #11 blade cut the various pieces out that were previously marked with the scribe. I then lay the mylar on my chalk paper and dirty up the side sprayed with dullcote and carefully glue to the window frame. Other than a few personal deviations, I followed the manual. Of note, when cutting out a missing pane on the 5 pane windows, if you go for a pane other than the outer ones you'll end up with two separate pieces of mylar and they are small and when cutting can go "fling" right off your bench. Wasn't the first time I could be found crawling around on the floor looking for a missing piece of clear mylar!!

    You're right Bill. I assembled each window completely on the bench then placed a couple spots of glue along the edges of the inside stone frame and just dropped them in the appropriate spot and then adjusted for centering. This was all done prior to putting the walls together and unless you have a window open really far, which I don't believe would look very good, the wall can be set flat on either side without disturbing the windows.

    Thanks Stephen...as I mentioned that first picture captures the warmth and tones the best.

    Appreciate that Kevin, can't beat those walls. This structure makes the entire diorama I believe.
  • Hey Ed, really appreciate your thoughts here my friend.
  • These stone walls are some of the best I’ve ever seen Ken. The coloring is fantastic. The windows look incredible. Great work all around.

    -Steve
  • That just made my day Steve!...really nice hearing from you as well. Hope you are doing well and look forward to seeing you again soon...Ken
  • Knocked that part out of the park Ken

    Wonderful work my friend.
  • Coloring on the walls is excellent as are the windows. I do think that some streaking coming from the corners of the windows might add some interest. Perhaps a dark "grime" color or a light "limestone" color would be appropriate.
  • Thanks Wes, nice hearing from you.

    Appreciate the thoughts Bryan. I am holding off final detailing until the structures are staged and I get a sense of how things will look together. In plan to grunge up the sills just a bit and add some soot where appropriate so your ideas enter here, thanks much.

    Ken
  • Ken,

    Great build! I really like all the photos you take and use to illustrate your modeling efforts. It takes plenty of time to set things up, snap the shutter, resize for the forum and attach them to your updates for us to view. Your efforts are greatly appreciated. As always, your modeling continues to be inspirational for us. Keep on keeping on!

    Later, Dave S. Tucson, AZ
  • Thanks much Dave and nice to know there's folks out there that appreciate the efforts of all those who post here, including those that respond to postings. I really enjoy it and use it as a tool for my modeling. Many things show up in photos that are missed during casual observation. I'm on it Dave...thanks for the encouragement as it means a great deal.
  • Absolutely fantastic! Such amazing work!
  • Thanks Mike, moving along slow but sure. Only two structures to go...
  • edited September 2018
    The Sand Bay and Lintel Beam installation is complete. As before, final detailing will be done once the structures are set in place.

    The styrene I-beams were measured and cut followed by priming and rusting with the various chalks and glued in place. The vertical support beam will be installed later. The brick resin casting was done in similar fashion as the tempering oven and this was glued to the wood sand bay wall casting.

    IMG_4013

    The white metal sand bay hatch was blackened and then detailed with paint and chalk. I decided to add the metal support rod which I originally had the door more open but it just didn't look right so I arrived at a position that the top of the hatch details were visible and it looked right to me despite workers that would have likely wanted it open a bit further to facilitate shoveling the sand in.

    IMG_4024

    The roof of the sand bay also functions as the floor of the second story of the Foundry. Brett includes a chipboard piece for the ceiling that perfectly simulates the floor planking.

    I'm known for working up details that will likely never be seen so as not to disappoint I have added joists that would have supported the second story floor boards. Now, if someone gets down on their knees and cranes their neck to look up under the sand bay roof...I have the detail covered!...The Workroom is almost done and then on to the wonderfully desgined and detailed front Office...
  • The joists were absolutely necessary. Good job.
  • Terrific stuff Ken. The brick colouring is 'spot on'.

    Karl.A
  • Ken, your modeling is first rate.

    George
  • Appreciate that Bryan.

    Thanks Karl and I thought the brick wall casting was great with that missing chunk right up front...perfect, leave it to Brett to create such a splendid piece.

    Hey George, thanks my friend...
  • Continually in awe of your work and this kit!
  • outstanding
  • Thanks Mike and you're right this is an amzing kit...so many new and unique features.

    Appreciate that Kevin...
  • Ken excellent coloring on the brick.

    Jerry
  • Love the shots of the sand bay and the weathering on the brick wall inset. Perfect. The added rafters look great and give extra depth. Can't wait to see it all come together... getting close!
  • Thanks Brett and things are coming along nicely and close to wrapping up the actual structure builds. Working on the Office, the last structure, as we speak...

    I love the sand bay area and anxious to get the final details planted in and around that area.

    Appreciate that Jerry and the brick resin casting is wonderful and was very happy with how it turned out.

    Down with that Ed...thanks!
  • edited September 2018
    I have begun work on the Office walls. When working up any structure, and there are six in this kit!, I first decide what kind of look I'm going for. I then complete one wall from start to finish to make sure I'm getting the look I want before completing the rest of the structure. It is much easier to correct and/or modify the results in dealing with just one wall versus all four...just don't start with the most visible wall. As most of you know, if you've followed any of my builds, I favor the old and grungy!

    When formulating my plan for the Foundry Office, I decided on a well weathered apperance with worn and degraded wood but no falling apart. The siding is a genius design with board-on-board over horizontal clapboard siding. I love working wood and this allows for such wonderful weathering and detail. The side walls, which is where I started, butt up aginst the stone Foundry Work Room on one side and the back of the false front wall of the Foundry Office. This joint is a prime area for water damage and rot. In order to detail the horizontal board ends with splits, cracks, missing shards of wood etc., I decided to modify the approach just a bit. I did not glue each board onto the clapboard wall with the ends hanging over each side and then trim with a blade, as this would have created a nice clean cut, instead I measured each individual board and pre-cut the board and then detailed the ends before glueing to the wall. This allowed for the board end detail shown in the images.

    Disclaimer: The weathering in the close up shot appears a bit harsh. Keep in mind that at scale this looks OK and appropriate. I also plan on adding some "caulk" (colored elmers applied with a pin) between the siding and the wall they butt up against. The associated clutter, door and window frames, roof overhang, caulking, etc. will serve to tone the overall appearance down appropriately.

    IMG_4051

    First wall I decided on was the right wall that faces the Pattern Shop complex.

    IMG_4054

    Some scale perspective.
  • Great variation in tone and colour. A miniature model within a model. Fantastic stuff.
  • Ken, hat's off for being able to put that much detail in HO. Amazing.

    George
  • edited September 2018
    Thanks Joel and good point...I do try and treat each small project as a model in itself...keeps me focused and on task!

    Yeah can be a challenge to get reasonable good details in 1:87...thanks for the note George...
  • Hey there. The stone walls and the brick are awesome. Really subtle and very natural. The last wall is full of character. Masterfully done!
    Jim
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