Howdy, Stranger!
It looks like you're new here. If you want to get involved, click one of these buttons!
Categories
- 951 All Categories
- 3 Picture Posting and Resizing
- 56 New Member Introductions
- 113 Off-Topic Forum
- 4 Photography
- 2 Resources
- 16 New Product Information
- 167 The SierraWest Forum
- 9 Brett's Blog
- 119 General News & Ramblings
- 3 Re-Release Information
- 6 Q & A about SierraWest
- 9 What Would You Like to See?
- 382 Builds
- 139 HO Scale Builds
- 164 O Scale Builds
- 60 Finished SW Build Pics
- 14 Miscellaneous Builds
- 190 Techniques
- 19 Working with Wood
- 20 Painting Castings
- 5 Masonry
- 23 Scenery
- 37 Tools and Supplies
- 21 Layout Planning & Building
- 40 Miscellaneous
- 24 Prototype Information
- 22 Reference and Research
Comments
sfc
This is some of your finest work and honestly since your work is some of the best I've seen that is saying something. I plan on studying these pictures at length when I start "planting" my next building. Amazing modeling, simply stunning.
Karl.A
In seriousness, the colours I specified are not essential, just a blend that give me a tone I personally like.
The shades certainly are not written in stone. Play around
A medium tan colour and an off white mixed should give you a blend you like. Keep notes on your ratios so that it is easily repeatable.
I look forward to seeing your experiments and ultimately the results on a diorama/layout.
Karl.A
I have heard that human hair makes good power lines as it sags just right.
john.
Seems like people began burying lines as early as the 1870s but I can't imagine why anyone would bother in a backwoods kind of operation or rural mill etc
Bryan
At some point in the future I hope to add some of the better dios to an already planned layout.
I visualize a rough placement for the structure in a layout and keep the base as small as possible.
most structures lend themselves to a certain topography.
Also I am now (very recently) trying to build scenes instead of just structures.
The scene is what it is and will have to be shoehorned into layout space, this is a reason I have started building dios just up to the track edge and not having track on the dio, it makes things easy to "adjust" later ... a temporary track section can be included but with the realization it will probably be removed at the time of layout placement.
Also, I actually need to build a layout room before I can build a layout, so that may be some time away, till then I can enjoy this side of the hobby which is what I love to do.
Karl.A
Excellent how to. Really like the way your doing the ground work. I'll be needing that very soon. Keep teaching us.
Jerry
Great pictures and a very excellent how to. Beautiful job. Sorry it took so long to get back to see it all done.
Jerry
I have the pleasure of keeping this thread alive by adding my thanks . . . . I have not done any of this previously and am reading everyone's threads throughout the forum for knowledge. Relative to what I have seen so far, you have covered uncovered areas. Bret is packaging up the Shipyard for me to exercise your lessons on.
My sincerest thanks & warmest regards.
John Maguire
Seattle
Lynn
Karl.A
excellent job explaining your techniques, one question if I may.....the stacks of split firewood how do you do it......I gave up splitting and stacking firewood years ago....I know there is an easier way in miniature just can't figure out how. Any help would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Scott
The stacks of fire wood are from sticks from the yard. I find that bush prunings are better than tree twigs because the bark is much thinner, more like a skin really, and the rings are much tighter. Azaelia, privet, boxwood to name a few. After pruning bushes I keep a select few branches in an open container in the garage to dry out, this way I always have some ready to use on hand.
I take a 1" diameter branch and cut it into scale 18" or 24" sections, this length would fit well in a fireplace, small stove or a boiler.
The 'rounds' are then split with a single edge razor blade the same way you would a real log. Using the 'chopper' can aid this step.
I like to keep the chopped wood small, oversized split firewood can spoil a great scene really quickly.
As with many modeling tasks I keep a scale figure close by to compare proportions and make sure things look 'right'.
The process of splitting goes a lot faster and easier than you would imagine, I was very pleasantly surprised the first time I did it.
Incidentally the split wood stack is held together with very dilute white glue. I built the stack and then dripped on the glue with a pipette and let it wick and soak through the crevices..
Karl.A
,I answered the above to quickly....I sincerely appreciate the detail you provided ie. Plants used,how to glue and split the wood,as a newbie the amount of detail provided by you and many others really helps..I just hope that someday soon I can put this all in a diorama that's worth posting.
My sincerest appreciation
Scott
This is my first post on the forum and I would like to say thanks to everyone for providing such great inspiration. The bar has been set pretty high but how cool it would be if I could model half as good as I have seen here. That's my goal. Karl, I'm really interested in how you did that brick cobblestone. If you have a chance, I would love a quick guide. Thank you.
Charlie in Maryland
Remember, we are all here to learn, so, post any questions you have and/or work to share with us all.
The cobblestones were simply carved directly into the Styrofoam base with an exacto and a metal straight edge. Mostly eyeballed and not measured which is why it will pass a cursory glance but closer inspection reveals that the stones are not all exactly the same sizes. <<shrug>> oh well.
Colouring was... a couple coats of thinned black to get into all the joints. Then once dry tangerine orange and burgundy wine were splotched on and blended randomly to give a varying brick colour. Once dry all was dry-brushed with sandstone for highlights. All paints were cheap craft paints.
Maybe a little chalk after that, I cant remember, it was just a quick temporary thing and never got finished.
Karl.A
The windows and doors are all scratched from basswood/plywood which is why they match the structure so well, same material.
What are you having trouble doing exactly?
Karl.A