Westlake Publishing Forums

I received my Snap-Tite gas pump kit from Shapeways yesterday. It is 1/16th scale, and was printed in the FUD material.  These are the parts that were printed so far (the 6-32 nut will be used as a thread insert for mounting):

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Here it is quickly assembled. The sides (green in the 3D model) printed very straight. They snap over pins on the base, and the top cover fits over pins on the top of each side to form a solid box. The front doors were slightly warped, but they will straighten when glued to the assembled box.  The other parts were printed separately so they can be sanded smooth more easily. I will likely paint each part separately (to allow for color separation and easier do-overs) and assemble it after.

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Interior detail:

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And this is a possible display base:

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HAHA!
Jerry I win!

I think the base needs to be bigger!
More stuff!!

Chuck, is it possible for someone to "order" one of these through shapeways?
You know, in case a guy was building in 1/16 and needed a gaspump?
;)
-Marty

I really like that, I mean really , really like that :)

The temptation to contact Shapeways and ask them for a re-run of Mr Doan's petrol pump is almost overwhelming, luckily the thought of comparing what you do to yours to what I could churn out is bringing me back to reality!

Glad to see you have started a new project , as always it will be fun and informative to watch how you develop it .

Very cool!

Chuck,   What was the cost to do this pump in this size ???

Chuck

Good to see you back at the bench even if it's BIG!!!!

Looks to be a great diorama but like Marty said the base needs to be bigger for more detail.

Jerry

Yes Martin you were right.

I bet several giant fake coins that you'll end up with a bigger, more complicated base!  ;D

Whatever happens, it'll be fun to watch! -- Dallas

So , Chuck , you'll be needing one of these then , http://www.dioramadebris.co.uk/116-scale-german-standard-size-bricks-mould-1160027-19-p.asp ! Please don't do your brickwork in boring stretcher bond . I've tried telling Dallas not to , but does he listen ? Does he heck .

  Looking forward to seeing the latest instalment of your shed/garage frontage series ,

  Nick

The wall measures 7" wide by about 8 1/2" tall, which is ginormous to me. I will build the window on an insert piece in case I change my mind, but not likely; this is just enough to be interesting. I don't think I could do a whole building again or even a wall in this scale. If it isn't enough I could always make a second one and use them as bookends!

Regarding the pump, I still need to do a reset crank handle and a nozzle. I'm going to primer it in the raw so you can see what the texture looks like. I also only did one dial face insert since mine will be up against a wall, so I would need to add another to the "kit". Craig, I paid about $70.00 bucks for this, which includes the setup fee. It would be a bit more if I add a second dial face and the nozzle, since that requires more plastic.

If I did put it out there, I would want folks to know exactly what they are getting, and what additional work will be required. I am going to be using glass for the ad panels and main window, and there are a few other things I am planning on making here, so it would not be a complete kit, just most of a kit. I'm not sure what I will use for the hose just yet. So, a little more tweaking to do.

Not sure about bricks or a cement foundation yet Nick. I may not be ready to cross over to the dark side of laying every brick, boring or otherwise. And yes, another old wood wall-blame my brain (I always do), he can't seem to think up anything better to do.

Of course the new model will be spectacular (and it even has a gas pump I actually used). But I still haven't forgiven you for abandoning the 1:48 diorama. I hope you finish both. -- Russ

Absolutely fantastic.

Would you be willing to share an image of how the sprue/parts were set-up/compiled for printing?

If you decide to release this as a shared printable item I would also be willing to pay for a printing or two...in 1/35 of course. (as well as any stipend/percentage to the creator for allowing usage).



Marc

That's a lot of gas :o :o :o
Am I going to need an antacid ??? ??? ::)
I think that hand has been photo shoped ???
MPH

Very nice. I am looking forward to your next steps.

Quote from: marc_reusser on August 01, 2012, 03:08:09 PM

If you decide to release this as a shared printable item I would also be willing to pay for a printing or two...in 1/35 of course. (as well as any stipend/percentage to the creator for allowing usage).

Marc

Must be in the name because I would also be very interested in a 1/35 version of your pump !!

Regards,
Marc B

Chuck,
What about wire insulation (with the wire removed) for the hose?
"if" you could get a length of solder back inside it that would hold the shape better.
I'm thinking acetone would kill the shine on the wire and of course some of your gouaches.

Or possibly a length of fusible link wire - its a little softer conductor.

-Marty

Here are the unadulterated "before" pics after a quick spritz of primer. The sidelight exaggerates the layers. These are simple shapes and should sand smooth easily.  But this is what you would be up against; not exactly shake the box style. This is also why I print separate items because sanding around complex surfaces can be tricky.  The dial plate and the oval flow meter bezel came out smoother than the larger curved surfaces. The O scale chimney I had done was quite smooth too.

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Here is the printing "cluster". I tried to clump it all together with minimal excess material. Some of the smaller parts are inside. A small saw blade allowed quick separation.

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I'll take a look at how easy it would be to scale this down. Some of the thinner edges would need to be addressed.

Thanks for the ideas, Marty! I'ts weird working in this scale again.

Thanks for sharing the set-up pics. Looks like they printed the whole thing laying sideways, instead of vertical, as you set it up.

Re. the hose,  you could also consider soft neprene cord...the stuff that is like that Berkshire Valley "EZ-Line"...it is matte on the outside, and very soft/flexible and it is hollow (at least at the larger dim). I had some tthat I believe was used for holding the tags to some outdoor gear that I bought, but I know I have seen it at either a craft or fabric store as well (such as Michaels or Diane's Fabrics). I used some for 1/24 scale radiator hoses. What dia and length do you need? If I have enough left and it works, or if I run across some, am glad to send it for you to play with.

Thanks Marc, I have to check the dimensions-still getting used to the conversions. Shapeways dosen't give the option for direction. When I got a quote from Finelines, horizontal was about 275.00 and vertical was 900.00! I guess it's a lot more print time.

Just a thought for the hose .......... you will know about using solder , useful as its soft available in a variety of diameters  and can be draped convincingly  but I find using standard electrical  heat shrink tubing  shrunk over it provides a suitable "rubberised" surface texture.

Quote from: marc_reusser on August 01, 2012, 03:08:09 PM
If you decide to release this as a shared printable item I would also be willing to pay for a printing or two...in 1/35 of course. (as well as any stipend/percentage to the creator for allowing usage).   Marc

Me too!  Or, I guess that's at least three now.  And, I can say with absolute certainty that if you're willing to share what you've done to this point, there's absolutely no worry about making you work out the final bits!  Having those pieces would be a great start!  (ie, no need for a "complete kit")

Quote from: shropshire lad on August 01, 2012, 11:51:20 AM
So , Chuck , you'll be needing one of these then , http://www.dioramadebris.co.uk/116-scale-german-standard-size-bricks-mould-1160027-19-p.asp ! Please don't do your brickwork in boring stretcher bond . I've tried telling Dallas not to , but does he listen ? Does he heck .

  Looking forward to seeing the latest instalment of your shed/garage frontage series ,

  Nick

That Dallas bloke is "Thick as a Brick" (doot-doot-dee-doo-dee-dee-doot) ... but gradually these things sink in.  Since I'm going with the clay approach on the side wall, there's no reason not to make some other stampers and mix up the bond a bit ... which, of course, doesn't really matter in Chuck's thread here ... so:

Chuck -- Regarding those brick molds:  I'm likely to order a few for future projects (thanks, Nick!) ... the price of a 1/35 wall mold is about $12 or so and the shipping on ONE mold is $16.  Bummer!  But, there are at least four molds that I'd like, and the shipping for FOUR molds is just a buck or two more ...

So ... if you decide you want the 1/16 brick mold, let me know and you can piggyback there ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas,
I ordered the 1/16 standard brick mold.
Should be here shortly, I will post when I get it and the trial runs.
-Marty

sorry chuck

Thanks for the offer Dallas, I need to decide if I will try printing my bricks again.

I started experimenting with some peeling paint for my 1/16th scale wall. I was originally going to use the same techniques as on my Groveland garage, but after seeing Dallas's beautiful crackle door, I decided to see if the Ranger crackle paint would work for this project. So far it looks promising. Here are samples of various peeling tests. These were done over a base of Silverwood stain; no additional wood detailing yet. These boards are just under a ½" wide.

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Chuck,

Quote from: Chuck Doan on August 06, 2012, 06:38:56 AM
... These were done over a base of Silverwood stain ...
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... I wonder why you don't have the effect of a surplus of stain at the end of the strips, making the ends darker than the surface of the wood ...  ??? ... do you cut the ends off - after having applied the wood stain? Or is it a special effect of that silverwood stain? Do you use a saw or a cutter?
When I apply wood stain on wood strips I always get darker ends because the ends of the strips are a little frayed out and get soaked with stain easily ...

Cheers

Sometimes that happens to me, but if I brush it on evenly and let the board dry laying flat (not standing vertically and resting on the end) then I usually don't get it.

Chuck

That's some really nice peeling paint.  I'll have to go back and look at Dallas thread to see how he did his.

Do you just do your two or three coats of Silverwood then paint the crackle on and let it dry??  Or do you have to pick at it???

Jerry

Quote from: Chuck Doan on August 06, 2012, 06:38:56 AM
I started experimenting with some peeling ... Here are samples of various peeling tests. These were done over a base of Silverwood stain; no additional wood detailing yet ....

Crackle effects look great!  On a critical level, I see two distinct "colors" or "items" or whatever:  white paint & stained wood, each essentially monochrome.  For the amount of wear & tear on that paint, there should be variations in tones there ... (Stop to point out the obvious:  Chuck said it's an experiment & he's NOT done yet) ... and likewise with the wood.  So, as "hinted" a moment ago, I'm sure you're going to address all this stuff, but thought it useful for folks who get geared up to go just from these pix!  ;D

Quote from: TRAINS1941 on August 06, 2012, 08:53:58 AM
That's some really nice peeling paint.  I'll have to go back and look at Dallas thread to see how he did his.

Do you just do your two or three coats of Silverwood then paint the crackle on and let it dry??  Or do you have to pick at it???

Basically, the Ranger / Tim Holtz Distress Crackle paint which has been discussed on the forum a few times ...

Only thing I did slightly different was to do two layers of crackle ...
-- First layer:  browns & grays ... smears of brown crackle paint ... and smears of black & white mixed together ... then knife and flake that a bit ... idea there is just to have a little more "old color" show thru where the top coat cracks.
-- Second layer:  white ... with some diluted acrylic inks for coloring ... (Chuck will uses gwoshes and ear plugs and make that come out better!)  ;)

After the paint has "tack" dried, you can lightly score it ... or pick at it ... or hit it with tape ... or combinations there of.

Looking forward to more "BIG" stuff ... still remembering a good bit from the red 1:16 shed ...

Cheers,
Dallas

Dallas is right, there is more to be done now that I am getting happy with the basic peeling.


Here are the current steps (why be simple?):
•   Apply 2-3 coats of Silverwood stain to the basswood strips and let dry.

•   Give the board a couple of heavy coats of Dullcoat spray and let dry.

•   Apply a coat of Ranger Picket Fence with flat brush. Let dry (and crackle)

•   Apply a second coat of ranger paint and let dry (for a whiter white).

•   Now place the board face down into a pan of acetone (Think of the Dullcote as lacquer hairspray. Extra extra hold)

•   After a couple of minutes remove the board and air dry.  Depending on how long it is in the acetone, the paint will be loosened from the board as the Dullcoat dissolves. The crackle seems to be enhanced as well. I used tape and X-Acto knife scraping to remove the paint. I lifted some with a flat knife to accentuate the peelingosity.

•   Follow up with another coat or two of Dullcote to tack the looser peels in place. If the boards aren't handled too roughly, the lifted peels can be retained.

The thickness of the Ranger applications will determine the lifting of the paint. Thin coats peel too, but with less lifting. A heavy coat may look too thick depending on the scale. However, crackled paint is often thick in real life, so it may just be a matter of preference.

You should be able to do the acetone dip even days after doing the paint, no hurry. But the amount of time in the acetone matters. Leave it too long and you'll have a bare nekid board surrounded by crackle floaters.

Other than maybe some slight warping (perfect for me), the acetone does not affect the wood or raise the grain.

Work with the acetone and Dullcote outdoors or in a spray booth with good ventilation.

I think this is more for larger scales, but maybe not. I will continue refining this and experimenting with coloring the exposed wood.

Chuck said "I lifted some with a flat knife to accentuate the peelingosity."

I think you might have created a new word with 'peelingosity.'  I love it!

I also really like your peeling experiments.

Bill Martinsen

Quote from: Chuck Doan on August 06, 2012, 12:35:04 PM
I used tape and X-Acto knife scraping to remove the paint. I lifted some with a flat knife to accentuate the peelingosity.

Peelingosity?  Congratulations!  That's tonight's SECRET WORD ... and here's the birdy ...

Let's combine your techniques into an article on how to create peeling paint for the 2013 (next year's) Modelers' Annual. Those who have tried it, please send me an outline of your method and some hi-res photos. At the end, if everybody agrees to a common process, we'll propose that as the current "state of the art". -- Russ

Chuck's method involves huffing both dullcoat and acetone, so it should have the most recreational value.  ;D  -- Dallas

Can't keep anything a secret around here  :'( 

VERY effective cracked/peeling paint!

Chuck,   I think the peeling paint / cracked method with the Ranger paints looks better in this larger scale.  O scale and smaller i dont think it would work as good or..... look this GOOD as it does in this Scale  ;D  I would like to try it on some O scale lumber one day and see how it would look ?? as i did buy a couple bottles of Ranger crackle paints last year...to put away and use on my 1/25 scale gas station project / rebuild.....If that every get's off the ground again ???

I have done peeled paint before, but this is the first time for actual peeling paint. Looking at examples on Flickr, this product does a great job duplicating real crackle paint.

I have gotten a start on my diorama wall; the first five clapboards are up. The crackle paint is working well. Or failing well depending on your point of view.

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Thats some seriously f@#$ed up paint! -in a good way!
Looks like the window will be messed up too!

-Marty

Whoa that is some serious peeling paint.  The nails look pretty dam good to.
For sure it is working real well.

Jerry

Those paint chips look very delicate, as though they might fall off easily during routine handling. I hope that's not the case. -- Russ

the peeling paint is great,but what is really good is the stain on the old timber and the texture.regards kim

Thanks!

Yes it somewhat delicate, but not too bad. The trick is allowing the acetone to soften the Dullcote, not dissolve it. Thus it still has some stickiness to hold the crackles. Plus a coat of Dullcote to seal. These boards went through a low pressure soda-blasting after all that.

I am not touching the finished surface, pretty much like any model. Some flakes are bound to fall, but that makes it even more realistic. 8)

Someday some fool will give it a good dusting or vacuuming and get a real surprise!

Looks as good as I imagined it would!

Presume that is the infamous Silverwood stain, stuff that seems impossible to get in UK or Europe ...... And if anybody can correct that statement I would be most grateful.

Can you give bit more detail as to how you achieved the old rotten wood look , thanks

Looking real good!  And, yes ... a couple coats of Krylon clear flat or equivalent will at least somewhat "glue" the flakes in place, so they'll hold up to at least a bit of handling ...

Did you use some pastels, water color pencils or some such to add the streaks of warm tones visible in the wood?

Cheers,
Dallas

I like the little bit of old, dried leaf caught in the boards, in the last photo.

Quote from: gfadvance on September 04, 2012, 02:19:43 PM

Presume that is the infamous Silverwood stain, stuff that seems impossible to get in UK or Europe ...... And if anybody can correct that statement I would be most grateful.

I managed to obtain two bottles of the stuff from Caboose Hobbies a while back. But now it seems they have realised how absolutely deadly the stuff is, and refuse to ship it overseas.

Regards, Hauk
(Located in Norway)

Looks really great  :o! The Ranger Crackle paints we all seem to be able to handle quite well but your raw wood color is just stunning as usual.

When I ordered Silverwood from Builders in Scale I got the following information from them. "Sorry can´t ship overseas but just mix Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol in the US) and india ink and you will have the same thing". Not so sure.... ????

Would be interesting to see a test from somebody who has access to both potions.

Anders

A solution of alcohol and India ink does not provide the same results as SilverWood. Jerry Lawrence used both on the same structures (I published two where he did that) and the wood looks different. Of course, it might be the result of using different strengths of stain but, to my eye when I actually saw the structure, SilverWood looks, well, more silver.

One interesting change: Jerry displayed the models under fluorescent lights from time to time over a period of a year or two and the SilverWood almost faded away leaving the wood almost in its original color, but slightly yellowed due to oxidation. I think the India ink stain held up slightly better but the yellowed wood looks more brown as a result. (Black + yellow = brown.)

Neither is perfect nor ideal.

Russ

... turning out pretty cool (and what the others said), Chuck  ;D ... following your building report with interest, as I'm going to give 1/16 a try too ...

Quote from: TRAINS1941 on September 04, 2012, 09:17:58 AM
... The nails look pretty dam good to ...

... did you use fishing line or brass rod (0,5 diameter) .. and if you did use the latter: How did you make the nail heads ...  ???

Quote from: Hauk on September 04, 2012, 11:53:20 PM
... I managed to obtain two bottles of the stuff from Caboose Hobbies a while back. But now it seems they have realised how absolutely deadly the stuff is, and refuse to ship it overseas.

@Hauk: what meaning does the term "deadly" have in this context: deadly=really dangerous ... or deadly=as a description for i. e. great, terrific,

Quote from: Junior on September 05, 2012, 12:04:50 AM
... When I ordered Silverwood from Builders in Scale I got the following information from them. "Sorry can´t ship overseas but just mix Isopropyl (rubbing alcohol in the US) and india ink and you will have the same thing". Not so sure.... ????
Would be interesting to see a test from somebody who has access to both potions.

... just wonder, in case the Silverwood stain consists only of isopropylalcohol and india ink if one could mix it reallyoneself or why the premixed original stuff can turn out so dangerous ... ?

Cheers

WOW.Stunning stuff Chuck.

The first picture sums up my modelling versus yours. Mine is the printed window and yours is the perfect peeling paint.

Im gonna go get my lego set out now.

Thanks very much! Yes Gordon it is the infamous (and now apparently deadly) Silverwood.  Here are the basic steps for the basswood (I am using the Midwest products fractional sizes):

Sand surfaces smooth with fine sanding stick and quick Silverwood coat to spot bad basswood grain (too big or wavy)

Add graining with fine wire brush. Cracks and splits with Xacto. Insect damage with dental pick. Then steel wool clean-up.

Approx. 2 coats Silverwood stain

Brush on grey, brown orange Bragdon powders and wash with acetone
to sear powders into wood (same as barn dio)

After paint application touch up exposed wood with gouache.  (the water color pencils are a good idea Dallas)

Gerald, the set nails are .02 (.5 mm) diameter brass wire. The headed nails are .010 fishline. Chuck a piece in a pin vise leaving approx. .03 sticking out. Hold up to a flame until it balls up and then press it against a flat surface. Sand the resulting "head" flat. Usually makes a great round head. From an idea that came from a couple of Terrapin group members.

Thanks Ray, I copied a photo on Flickr of the same kind of thing.

Thanks too to Virgil (Dr. Cranky) Suarez who first introduced me to the Ranger paints.

Quote from: mad gerald on September 05, 2012, 01:31:45 AM

Quote from: Hauk on September 04, 2012, 11:53:20 PM
... I managed to obtain two bottles of the stuff from Caboose Hobbies a while back. But now it seems they have realised how absolutely deadly the stuff is, and refuse to ship it overseas.

@Hauk: what meaning does the term "deadly" have in this context: deadly=really dangerous ... or deadly=as a description for i. e. great, terrific,

In this context "deadly" can be read as "likely to blow up airplanes." So I guess you could say "really dangerous" also.

The seemingly total shipping ban on inflamable liquids seems a bit strange as silverwood stain is probably no more inflamable than the liquer the passengers are drinking...

By the way, the poor lightresistant qualities og SW is a bit worrying. I mean, I can accept that stains are not totally UV-resistant, but they should stand up to fluorescent lights.

Regards, Hauk

It´s complete nonsense these regulations that started after 9/11. My hand luggage on many transatlantic flights used to contain among other things DioSol thinner, Floquil paints, etchant from Radio Shack, Gordon´s Gin  ;D ;D etc. This might be a bit over the top but under normal shipping conditions (US Post Office) I can´t understand what the problem is. If you use a shipping agent in the US you can ship all these items but that is of course very expensive.

Anders

Quote from: Hauk on September 06, 2012, 02:57:19 AM

Quote from: mad gerald on September 05, 2012, 01:31:45 AM
@Hauk: what meaning does the term "deadly" have in this context: deadly=really dangerous ... or deadly=as a description for i. e. great, terrific,

In this context "deadly" can be read as "likely to blow up airplanes." So I guess you could say "really dangerous" also.

... ah, thanks ... so it's all about transportation risks ... and I suspected someone could have discovered, that the usage - in general - may be hazardous to one's health ...

Cheers

I haven't gotten a lot of modeling done lately, but I am still slowly chipping away at my wall. Nothing too interesting; I finally made it to the top with the siding.  The window panes are mock-ups.

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Classic eave vents. Considerate to birds and bees.

Chuck only you would be so considerate of the birds & bees.  A very nice detail.   And mostly likely another 1st.

Jerry

Quote from: Chuck Doan on November 05, 2012, 09:18:33 AM
I haven't gotten a lot of modeling done lately, but I am still slowly chipping away at my wall. Nothing too interesting; I finally made it to the top with the siding.  The window panes are mock-ups.

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Classic eave vents. Considerate to birds and bees.

  And rats , wasps and bats . What a magnani-mouse sort of chap you are !

I think you should keep those windows. -- ssuR

Shouldn't there be screen, or remnants of behind the vents?
Those windows look like my windows!
-Marty

I to think that there should be screen behind the wood.   ;)

I was wondering what happened to this project!  Those window panes must be some of the crappiest modeling you've ever shown!  ;D  -- Dallas

Yes, there needs to be a mammaximum 1/4"x1/4" mesh behind those holes.  ;D

I am sure you reearched and found an example of what you did with the siding at the bottom and between the rafters,.......and I can't believe there is something in your work tht bugs me...however the siding bits between the rafters, and the way they hang down so as to lap, just seems odd/off to me.....I would probably have gone more along the typical lines of 2x blocking that is the height of the rafter (they generally used a taller piece and angle cut the top to align with the rafter/roof sheathing slope) and stands about 1/2" to 3/4" proud of the siding piece below.

Aint it great when you finally get to a project, get it all done, happy with it, post pictures and somebody tells you where you messed up? :(

Well at least it will be easy to put the screen in when you make the new ones..... :P

-Marty

I know what Marc is talking about-but I did copy an actual example. The trouble with cruising photos is who knows what kind of bonehead carpentry one is copying. :D

After Marc's comment, I did some more research and decided my original reference was more of an oddball than I thought.  So, I redid my eaves in a more conventional design. Thanks Marc for the observation.

I also added the screens behind the vent holes though it breaks my heart all those critters that won't find a warm home now. Probably for the best as the roof is beginning to leak.

A few years back Jerry Lawrence ("Younger") sent me some nice fine nylon screen. Thanks Jerry, I finally used some of it! 

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Chuck,   Thats right give Marc all the credit :o .....I guess Me and Marty's comments don't count  :P

Actually your and Marty's comments are what I followed regarding the screens. Thanks for all comments!

Chuck,    I'm glad my 2 cents counted ;) ;D

I preferred it as it was . Does that make me an oddball ?

Always were. Always will be. But we love you anyway. -- ssuR

I'd forgotten about the screen, Chuck. Glad you could use it.
-Younger

I made a bit of progress over the holiday. I mostly finished the lower sash of my window and stuck it in the frame for a few checkpics. When finished, this sash will be set back to represent a double hung window. For reference, the width of the window across the frame is 3 inches. I tested a couple of new materials for the putty, but found that Squadron White putty still has the best grain and crumblyness for old glass putty. Still needs a few glazing points installed.


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Holy shipwreck!  Nails, glazing, construction & crackle all look ... well, fairly adequate.  -- Dallas

This is just depressing  :-X

I've got to admit - it just kind of makes me feel inadequate! - and that's just what I really need ... yet another area in which to feel inadequate!

Looking great Chuck!
Been wondering about such things.
How are you applying the putty?
Are you coloring it, if so before or after?

I'm glad there is no visible putty on cast iron windows!...... or is there?....... :o

-mj

Okay Chuck, you found where I live and you've taken photo's to prove it.

Seriously, this is mind blowing, just stunning!

Glazing points.  You mean those little things that hold the pane in or should I say pain in???

Your so right it's all in the details!!!!  Just excellent work.

Jerry

Quote from: lab-dad on November 26, 2012, 08:44:50 AM


I'm glad there is no visible putty on cast iron windows!...... or is there?....... :o

-mj

  Yes . But as we are only seeing your windows from the inside we'll let you cheat a bit ...more ,

   Nick

That's just amazing!

Volker

Stunning, as usual!

It is comforting to see you spent your free time in a productive manner. Most satisfactory. -- Russ

Thanks very much guys!  It is nice to be getting some time in. 

Marty,  I used a wide, flat-ended X-Acto blade to apply the putty perpendicular to the frame. I had no luck dragging the blade parallel to the frame as one might tool a real window; it just kept curling out behind the blade. So I just packed it in, one blade width at a time, not bothering to create a perfect wedge shape yet, just close. When the putty dried, I took a sharp #11 X-Acto blade and carefully scraped it parallel to the frame, carving the putty down to final size.  Occasionally a section would loosen or drop out. I left some of these out, others I carefully glued back in to simulate loosened putty.  I scribed a few cracks in the surfaces and then did a final application of brown Bragdon powder to highlight and dirty it up a bit. The stock putty color looks good to me. I did add some crackle paint here and there as paint remnants.

I haven't looked at metal windows, so I have no idea how the glass is held in. I do know I would not like to do a lot of these!

Quote from: Chuck Doan on November 27, 2012, 07:47:24 AM

So I just packed it in, one blade width at a time, not bothering to create a perfect wedge shape yet, just close. When the putty dried, I took a sharp #11 X-Acto blade and carefully scraped it parallel to the frame, carving the putty down to final size.  Occasionally a section would loosen or drop out. I left some of these out, others I carefully glued back in to simulate loosened putty.  I scribed a few cracks in the surfaces and then did a final application of brown Bragdon powder to highlight and dirty it up a bit. The stock putty color looks good to me. I did add some crackle paint here and there as paint remnants.

Do you have to make it sound so easy, Oh just did this and that  and it just
turned out ................... Magnificent !

Chuck its been said before about your work but its worth repeating, it is just impossible to tell reality from model, wonderful   

Chuck,    I scraped some old metal frame windows this year out of a old barn a guy was tearing down......and all the glass was just held in with puddy just like wood windows :) at least thats how these were.  Held the glass in good as i had to break all the glass out and it didn't come out easy.

Thanks Gordon, large scale has its advantages. The crackle paint is working well too.

Thanks for the info Craig, I had no idea.  Might be bad news for Marty unless he really is doing a one-sided wall. :)

I did come across a three story wood window in a old hanger.  :o

Could very well be my house and it took years to get it looking like that. And you were able to do so in just a few short days?! Incredible.
Stunning work Chuck. I can't think of anyone that does as well as you.

Thanks very much Chester! Sounds like you and John T. should be posting some reference pics!

Why don´t we all get into 1/16 scale or larger? Would at least give us a fair chance to compete with the No.1 modeler on this planet. Imagine this in 1/87..... ???.

Stunning  :o :o :o

Anders

Thanks Anders, though I wouldn't go that far! Too much amazing stuff out there-just read the new Annual.

For me, your point about scale is true. I could not do the texture I am getting now in a much smaller scale. I won't say it can't be done, just not by me. I tried going back to O scale, but I wasn't getting what I wanted.

I agree but when saying "The No.1 modeler on this planet" I was of course referring to your ultra realistic builds and weathering methods which are truly outstanding.

Of course there are many different "fields" in realistic model building. The Italian guy who is featured in the new Annual (I just finished reading the article) is a true master with a vey different approach. The skills required to build those Colorado Coaches in 1/48 scale are very unique as well.

Anders

Quote from: Chuck Doan on November 28, 2012, 06:59:05 AM
Thanks Anders, though I wouldn't go that far!

  Of course you wouldn't , Chuckles , because you are such a modest sort of chap . But everyone else ( who appreciates what they are looking at) would go that far .  Myself , I would say that for what you do , you are one of the two top modellers in the World . The other modeller , who is out there somewhere , is currently not known to us .

   There , hopefully that isn't being too obsequious ,


    Nick

I am that other modeler. I'm just too modest to admit it. -- ssuR

Yes Nick, that is sufficiently fawning. For now.

Quote from: Chuck Doan on November 30, 2012, 03:07:09 PM
Yes Nick, that is sufficiently fawning. For now.

  Phew , for a minute there ,  I thought I'd overdone it .

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More  progress on my krustaceous window;  I am almost done with the sagging upper sash, and this weekend I made a decal for one of the panes. I had several pictures of old Lucky Strike decals and decided to try one. After some testing, here are the steps I used:   

I opened a picture of an old L.S. window decal in Photoshop Elements and cropped and cleaned the image.  I find that my printer makes bigger dots on gradient images, so I used the paint bucket and brush to make each color solid (The final weathering will be done after application)

Since I was going to print on clear (Testors) decal film, I turned the white cigarette package a slight grey, and then I re-whitened the interior leaving just an outline of grey to print as a cutting guide (white areas will not print on clear paper). Then I flipped (reversed) the image for printing.

I imported the image into Word and sized it to fit the window pane. I made several copies and then printed them on the decal paper using the "best photo" setting on my Epsom printer. I also turned off the "high speed" setting for the best image.

I cut out one of the decals and trimmed around the package shape. Then I gave it three coats of Dullcote spray, waiting 5 minutes between coats.

I applied the decal in the usual way to the backside of the glass pane and let it dry. I brushed thinned Polly-S off white to fill in the clear interior of the package shape and let it dry. (An even solid coat is not required). Then I took some 70% Isopropyl alcohol on a small brush and dabbed at the back of the decal. This partially dissolved the white paint and caused some crackling to occur. Using photos of actual weathered decals,  I moved the paint around to create different amounts of color and also made some chipped areas.

Great idea(s)!
I am especially impressed by how precariously that center pane is just about to fall out! don't sneeze!
-Marty

Astounding!

 ;D Don't have to say anything...the stupid looking grin on my face says enough.

Cheers,
Dan

Outstanding plus  (Gordon's door and frame don't stand a chance ) lovely workmanship - perfection
Barney
    dribbling

Uff! Chucks work put our work into prespective again (Hope that is the right translation :-\).

Very inspiring indeed,
Peter

Adequate. -- Russ

Real neat idea with the decal!

Anders

Thanks very much! I will need to put the decal technique to the test as I broke that pane last night.  :'(  I underestimated the delicacy of the larger panes (pains?) of cover glass. Oh well, twice as fun the second time, right?

Chuck,
not sure if you need or ever will larger pieces of glass but I found 1x3 and 3x3
I need to pick up the 3x3 and see if they are any good.
FYI; Ranger makes the 3x3
Marty

That is so excellent.  And now you have to re do it??

I'm sure it will be better that the 1st if at all possible.

Jerry

Thanks Jerry, I hope it will be better. Thanks Marty, after this one, i'm not sure I would make anything much bigger, but it's good to know. 3X3 sounds scary to handle!

Are you sure you didn't break it on purpose? I mean it does (did) need some work to be recognized as a model.

Chuck,

Thanks for the great decal SBS. The grey outline, and then paint in once applied is a great tip. I would never have thought of that.

M

Any chance you can re-assemble the pieces, on a piece of clear packing tape?

Not to crash the thread, (and I think this tip came from Ken Hamilton), FWIW, I used packing tape on the inside of this slide-cover windshield, to get the cracked look. In your case, even if the tape slightly distorted the transparency, might not be a bad thing, as most old glass had that "wavey" transparency/look, because of how it was made

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M

Good tip Marc, but it shattered, basically. The decal did keep the pieces from flying though. Not the look I wanted for that pane.

Did you scribe the packing tape or fold it or?  Kudos for cutting that shape, I struggle with simple rectangles! Can't wait for the book to come out!

It may have been subliminal, Chester. I just do what my brain tells me. Stupid brain.

I cut the glass to the shape I needed, then laminated the packing tape to it, and cut away the extra tape with an xacto; then turned the glass over, so that the tape was facing down (on the bench), and used a sharpened dowel (round wood toothpick works well), and simply applied pressure at the point I wanted to have the cracks originate from (as if a rock or such had hit the window)......and that was all there was to it. Glasswas then glued in place with the tape on the inside.

I'm with Dan.   

Chuck.  These days I just look at your work  and appreciate the years of experiments you must have made to achieve the high level detail of scale model construction

"M" ( the other one )

WOW WOW WOW Chuck. You just keep getting better and better.

When are you going to put in the spider's webs and dead gnats?

Thanks Mario! Thanks Narayan, I might try your silicon carbide asphalt if I have room on the base.


I did a replacement decal and pane, and added some glaziers points made from thinned Mylar. A last burst of insanity for the year.

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That's really rotten and yet quite beautiful!  -- Dallas

That looks great for being in such bad shape!
Question;
Wouldn't the glazing points be on the inside?
Just seems more logical to me.
But then what the heck do i know?
Marty

Thanks Dallas!

Marty, the glass installs from this side (the outside) and fits into a recess in the muntins. The points are pushed into the muntins to hold the glass until it it puttyed (puttied?). I made diamond shaped ones (half the diamond is supposedly in the wood muntin so I only made a triangle); there are other shapes too in the real world. They are .002 thick and .02 tall.

The inside of the muntin would be a milled shape so it would look nice.

Chuck

That is the most realistic broken window I'be ever seen.  Reminds me of an old window on my Uncles farm some 30 years ago.

Jerry

It also reminds me of how I feel some days ... starting to get dragged down by gravity, but partially stuck in the casing ... and wondering where and when the old panes (sic) are going to pop up or drop out!  ;D

I don't know how you always manage to top yourself, but you've done it again! A marvelous piece of work, indistinguishable from the real thing.

How big are those panes?

Thanks Jerry!

I know how you feel Dallas. As I get older, my models get more decrepit.

Thank you Ray, the panes are .625 x .750, which is a scale 10 x 12. Quite fragile when installed.

Quote from: Chuck Doan on December 27, 2012, 08:08:28 AM


, the panes are .625 x .750

That big , and here was me thinking you were doing great work at such a small size  ;)

Sorry Chuck , sarcasm is the lowest form of humour but your work is so impressive that I don't really know what else to say .......... And if I did not have a laugh occasionally, I would look at your work and as they say "take up knitting"

Quote from: gfadvance on December 27, 2012, 10:18:57 AM

Quote from: Chuck Doan on December 27, 2012, 08:08:28 AM


, the panes are .625 x .750

That big , and here was me thinking you were doing great work at such a small size  ;)

Sorry Chuck , sarcasm is the lowest form of humour but your work is so impressive that I don't really know what else to say .......... And if I did not have a laugh occasionally, I would look at your work and as they say "take up knitting"

  So , how is my new Christmas scarf coming along , Gordon ?

Chuck, that window is magnificent.  There's nothing that gives it away as not being full-size.

Thanks Gordon! Thank you Ken. Your new hallway is quite a treat as well.

A couple of quick gloomy late afternoon pics (not too great for colour):

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I haven't been to the bench much lately, but I have managed to make little progress. I installed some security bars on my window based on an old North Carolina country store. They are .045 dia. styrene glued to some Evergreen strip stock. I took short pieces of .015 styrene rod and glued them in to represent welds; some softening with liquid cement and some  shaping with a toothpick created the beads.

The assembly was painted with flat black spray, then hairspray, then Dullcote, followed by brush painting with thinned Polly Scale white. Then chipped with a stiff brush and a damp toothpick. Rusted with gouache and pigment powders  and attached with epoxy.

The Closed sign was printed on matte presentation paper and then cut out. I colored the back with Floquil Aged white (which bled thru) and then gave it a quick dip in Acetone to mottle the coloring. I then sealed both sides with Dullcote and then added stains to the front using gouache thinned with Windex, and chased with light air blasts from a lens cleaning bulb.

The sill was littered with chipped paint (saved from the previous chipping of the surrounding wood) and bits of crumbled putty (Squadron white putty) and sawdust chip "leaves". The ratty screen is 180 mesh Stainless filter screen from McMaster-Carr. Dipped (and thinned) in etchant and rusted with gouache. I copied a tacky installation where the screen was just nailed (or stapled) directly to the window frame, but I only did a small remnant so as not to hide all the previous window detailing. Still needs more work, which at my current rate of progress should be done by summer.

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too bad you put those damn bars up - i woulda' stole the sign! ::)
great info on a super litte project!
-mj

Astoundingly life-like!

How do you describe a "huff and a sigh followed by a head ache and a sort of sinking feeling " just fantastic workmanship Mr Chuck
A depressed Barney

Most satisfactory step-by-step and execution. -- Russ

Chuck, this is mind-boggling. Absolutely correct down to the last crumb...as always!

Chuck,

Please be careful around that chipped paint,it looks like there is lead in it.
;)

Paul

Just excellent.  Beautiful execution.

Jerry

Quote from: Chuck Doan on February 11, 2013, 07:28:19 AM

A couple of quick gloomy late afternoon pics ...

Gloomy subject ... gloomy pix ... great combo!  Stunning results.  ;)  -- Dallas

Uhhhh........

I'm going to go and sulk........and likely have a stiff drink or two to drown my feelings of inadequacy.

Quote from: marc_reusser on February 12, 2013, 03:35:12 AM
Uhhhh........

I'm going to go and sulk........and likely have a stiff drink or two to drown my feelings of inadequacy.

You have to let that go as a passing thought ... no way in hell just two stiff drinks would be enough!

It's a bit like looking at a solar eclipse, if you don't take proper precautions or stare too long, you're just gonna hurt yourself!  ;)   -- Dallas

Thanks very much! When it's done I'll try for some happy sunny pics! Getting old should be fun, right?

The final crumbs are glued down sparingly with white glue and then I sprinkle really fine dirt or sawdust to cover any exposed glue and then blow it off.


            Found an earlier in progress sun shot, closer to true color. Much more cheerful eh?

           
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chuck how are you
lovely bit of modelling great fly screen,what is good about your modeling is the seperation-that is the layers of wood plastic and metal.in such a small scale it can be become a mess in the example of the window it is in harmony
kind regards kim

Perfection!

Hi Chuck,

absolute fantastic and unbelievable. I would take this for real. The only thing I'm not sure about is the condition of the window glass, which might be somewhat murky (which rather may be resulting from damp air). Okay, forget it.

I try to console myself thinking that you are not building huge dioramas but rather those gem-like show pieces. Unfortunately that doesn't work too well ...


Volker

Wonderful! and thanks for the always helpful tips.

Thanks! It is a challenge to get a nice reflection on the glass and not me or the camera. Cloudy up shots are easy, but the sunny shots are harder, especially stright on angles. I'm still experimenting.

Have you tried shooting the glass from straight on with the camera on a tripod using self timer?

I'm not going to say anything about your work - everyone else has beaten me to it!!!!!!

As usual I'm lagging behind a bit here but does any one know of any crackle paints available here in England ( that's the bit below Scotland) I will be using it on the larger scales of models .
Lovely workmanship Chuck and superb detailing
Barney 

Barney - try looking at the Vallejo range for crackle effects. Available from general wargaming and military modelling suppliers.

What about the old acrylic over oil trick?
may not crack as nice as you want but may be you can come up with a "home-made" version?
-marty

Thanks Ian and Barney!

I finished the window:


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OK Chuck please stop !

The old knitting needles are coming out here and probably all over the world ;D

I seriously and obviously in error thought your work could not get much better ............ wrong again .

Superb, would be worth seeing with the giant hand or penny just to get a idea of size as well as to reinforce how high the bar is now   

Thank you Gordon! It's pretty big:

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Oh,thanks..... think that just makes it worse ............ Superb

I just dont see a reason for all the hub-bub........
The paint is peeling, the glass is filthy & cracked, falling out, there is rust on the bars.
I doubt they would keep anyone out - just pull on the thing at likely it would fall out.
Not only is the trim in poor shape but the underlying timbers supporting the structure are likely compromised.
Geese!

;D
-Mj

The only thing one could say is.  Are you sure this place is closed????
Just excellent work.

Jerry

Who is the "hand"y man fixing the window?

All in all, more or less satisfactory.

Russ

And now an Art Appreciation moment:  Thanks for allowing a glimpse into the window of your dilapidated soul!  ;D  -- Dallas

Beyond stunning!

Thanks very much! (Thanks I think, Dallas!)

Some goofing around for the Flickrati:

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And now time to move on. (to the next part of the project)

Wow ! . Really magic. Congrats, Chuck.

Chuck..............

I was fast running out of disbelief,  things to say, and superlatives to utter.
But now it seems you have finally stopped!!?

I guess I can finally say: "Outbloodyragious" ... can't think of anything else - not right at the mo' anyway!

Clever.  Brilliant.

Dan

Huh!

There is absolutely nothing that gives this away as a model!  The only thing that looks faked is the Giant inflatable hand..... not very lifelike.


Well done!

Quote from: Chuck Doan on March 04, 2013, 08:15:58 AM
Thank you Gordon! It's pretty big:

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Hi Chuck,
how did you copied the hand so well in the picture.

Simply unsurpassable.

Thanks! I'm concerned about my hand not appearing life like...better check for a pulse!

The "bars and stripes" pic is really clever!

Ed Colver...Chuck's seperated at birth hand.  ;D

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Ha! The Flickerati pic is awesome!

Awesome Magic Chuck!  ;)

Franck

Thanks Ray Marc and Franck!

No modeling time, but I still found time to waste:

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Excellent pastiche!

I like it! -- Russ

Your gonna really mess someones day up when they find out thats a model.
;D
Mj

Quote from: lab-dad on March 19, 2013, 12:38:45 PM
Your gonna really mess someones day up when they find out thats a model.
;D
Mj

I've had a lot of my days messed up by Chuck's modeling!   :P  But I keep looking.  ;D  -- Dallas

What did I say? Magic Chuck?

;D ;D

Franck

Quote from: lab-dad on March 19, 2013, 12:38:45 PM
Your gonna really mess someones day up when they find out thats a model.
;D
Mj

Your kidding that's a model?????

Jerry

Thanks very much! Andi I had to look that up, I thought you meant some kind of fried dessert or something. ::) Yes, homage to the arty-farty crowd on Flickr.

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Some progress:
My modeling muse has gone AWOL, so I have not been doing much. My Dad volunteered another of his display cases, so I am building an extension to my "simple" diorama backdrop wall. The new siding is done except for the nails and some final adjusting of the faux graining/coloring, and of course the door. I'm still evaluating how much of it I like.

The overall size is 7" high x 12" wide.


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Nice door. -- ssuR

Nice clean roof!

Both state of my art paper/cardstock modeling!

Chuck, that is some fine decrepitude for sure!

Michael

Looking Good!

I do hope your muse returns safe and sound. So sorry to hear.

Well the graining looks mighty impressive!

Care to give a few throw away lines as to how you did it ?

The muse will return, and if not I will pass some of mine on ........ I seem to have a new muse every other day hence a plethora of semi-started projects scattered over the work table, around it and on the floor  and absolutely nothing near finished .

Cheer up our Gordon and welcome to the unfinished modellers club!! or look at it this way you could become a member of the "Gunners" club they specialise in Im gunner build one of those one day or another way to look at it is call it enthusiastic about building new projects we all do it -Im a member of all these clubs and my latest thoughts (or "gunners" thoughts) are on building French buildings to fit in with the announcement of MINI ARTS European tram so whats in the unfinished box you name it and its there.
And Chuck you have started me "dribbling" again its just amazing stuff !!
Barney

Thanks! Gordon, the grain is done with gousch. I lightly Dulcote the wood first. Still playing with it, its not as good as Ray Dunakin did with his miners wall that's for sure!

I spent a hot afternoon at the bench working on some bricks I had printed a while back. Several bricks were placed a tad askew (hard to see without sidelight) for a more random effect. Textured with a dental pick and xacto, primed with Kylon brown primer, painted with various bricky colours and mortared with wallboard compound with grey pigments mixed in.

Kind of a quick test to see if this has any hope. I'm still driving it around the block. First modeling in a long while.



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The bricks are individually made, then imported into an assembly and patterned. Then I supressed random pattern instances and brought in seperate askew bricks.

   
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It doesn't look especially bad. -- Russ

My 1:12 brick mould from Diorama Debris should turn up soon. Hopefully it will give me a similar result.

Nice texture on those bricks.

Nope ;D
keep driving around the block, in fact go for a road trip ::) ::)
these do not work for me
Yea right :o :o
if you had the magic penny I would have fell off my chair :o :o
if you do bricks now ??? what's left for us
great job, love the color
MPH

Quoteif you do bricks now Huh what's left for us

barbie dolls & castles................

Dallas did the I dismember Barbie thing already. 

Good to see you back at it.  I guess as hot as it is there you can just put the bricks in the sun instead of firing up the kiln. :D
Nice coloring.

Jerry

I think if you work yer magic on coloring the surfaces of those bricks ...

Wow Chuck, you make it sound so easy, just mucking around at the bench one afternoon ;D...looks very nice to me, just the right amount of askews and edges knocked off.

Cheers
JT

I would say there's plenty of hope for them.

Some boring door details:

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Crusty address numbers. 1/16th scale, made from Grandt Line model RR numbers. Approx. .18 inch high. "Nails" are .012 diameter brass wire.



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Doorbell, 3D printed with .020 styrene rod button and brass wire screws applied.

Anything but boring.
Fantastic details.

Ignoring the fine finishes & such for the moment, your knack for picking up and including "boring" details adds greatly to the realism.  In day-to-day life, we see all these stupid, boring, ordinary things and dismiss them as un-interesting ... but we do notice them and the are VERY MUCH a part of dull old "reality" ... so then we see (various other) models with the cliche signs and whiz-bang "cool" details and go "uh-huh" ... then we look at your stuff, and along with the careful finishes, you've got all of those "reality anchors" or whatever the heck you call them ... and it makes ya pause ... and think ... wait a minute, came here to look at models ... is this a model ... or is this the real thing ... think it's a model ... damn, that's cool.  8)

So, in a nutshell, boring crap is an essential part of your fine modeling!  ;D

Cheers,
Dallas

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Chuck: Stop that, please! You are already millions of miles away from most of us... :-[

Cheers, Peter

Satisfactory. -- Russ

I guess this is were your saying comes into play!!!!

"They're most important to me. Most important. All the little details." -Joseph Cotten, Shadow of a Doubt

Just can't image how you notice all these little things.  But glad you do.

Jerry

Phenomenal, as usual!

And you might wonder why I don't post my stuff here anymore? ... I haven't actually built anything recently - but that's besides the point.

Fantastic as ever.

Just wonderful.....and I second what Dallas said about the small every day details that most often get missed, or poorly done...which you capture and do so well, that make it feel alive.

Stunning  :o

In 1/16 can you please advise the thickness & width of the basswood boards you used for the clapboard siding.
Using Ranger Distress Crackle paint looks right on in 1/16 scale.  I have tried it in 1:20 & looks o.k. however I just think the bigger the scale the better it looks.
Over the 4th drove down to St Augustine & looked at a few old house sidings with the peal paint.  Very close to what you are doing.  Here in Florida I see more greying under the paint from the boards being exposed to the Florida sun & weather.  Also toward the bottom of these structures I noticed alot of **AK** green slim (from algee & Oak tree with moss) that Marc must have applied for an upcoming feature in The Weathering Magazine

Chuck I look forward to your answer of the Midwest boards you use if it is not too much trouble

Mike Sigmon
Jacksonville, Fl

Thanks all! I guess boring is good!

Mike, I am using .03 x .50 size for the clapboards. Scale 8" wide with approx. 7" reveal. They make .375 (6") wide also, but I wanted to cut down on the number of pieces so I chose a wider size.

I have enjoyed using the Ranger paint; it's made this project much more interesting to me.

Chuck, I really like how you have included 3D printing as part of your routine operation. Its very inspiring to me. Thanks for posting these wonderful details of your build.

This is so utterly mundane that it's brilliant!

I'm not convinced that Chuck sees things the way the rest of the world do.  The techniques are superb but it's the observation that does it or me. 

Cheers

Jim

I don't understand you guys. Chuck's structure is falling apart. It needs far more than new paint; the thing is utterly decrepit. And you encourage his slovenly maintenance? -- Russ

Thanks Jim and Naryan! I like 3D printing too!

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Part of the foundation is kicked out to simulate shifting-might be a bit too unsubtle...could wind up behind a shrubbery.


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I stripped my first finish and started again on my brick foundation. Modeler Bill Gill suggested more texture so I did some more carving. The printed material is easy to  work. I also added some efflorescence as suggested by Marc, but only after I looked it up to see what it was (white staining). I think I am liking it better though I don't know how much will show behind the foliage and all that might get added.

Pedant's Corner .

  Efflorescence is an effect I would more associate with newer brickwork built with cement mortar . By the time your building reached the age it would appear to be I would have thought the salts would have been washed out . Of course , as always , there are exceptions in the real world .

   However , what you have done on yours looks great and I wouldn't suggest for a second that you change it . I would even consider adding more white to give the effect of worn off limewash .

   Nick

Quote from: shropshire lad on July 13, 2013, 10:56:21 PM
Pedant's Corner .

  Efflorescence is an effect I would more associate with newer brickwork built with cement mortar . By the time your building reached the age it would appear to be I would have thought the salts would have been washed out . Of course , as always , there are exceptions in the real world .

   However , what you have done on yours looks great and I wouldn't suggest for a second that you change it . I would even consider adding more white to give the effect of worn off limewash .

   Nick

I have piles of ref photos showing the effect on old buildings, and walls...especially on retaining walls, where the minerals from the soild behind leach through.....Have also found many images of what appears to be efflourescence along edges of very damp mossy areas on building walls. White staining also seems to occur from splashed rainwater.

For bricks along the ground like this, I would expect to see some water stains, etc.

You're not there yet ... you need to "see" bricks and all their little (um, personality things) the way you're able to "see" wood's character ... and then you'll blow us all away with it.  Beat you're head against that brick wall until you're "feeling" the bricks or able to think like a brick, and you'll be good to go.  ;D  -- Dallas

Just be "thick as a brick"...I can do that! :D

Nice job on the bricks Chuck.  I'm sure once there weathered to your standards they will be perfection.  Thanks for showing the beginning of them.

Jerry

I tried experimenting with a painted concrete pad for my (future) gas pump. Started with Ken Hamilton's Hydrocal and model RR ballast mix in a form made from styrene. I also added some grey pigment powders to the mix. After it dried I soda blasted it to expose the ballast "aggregate". I also dabbed wet pigment powder with a sponge and wiped it off for more color.

I used red acrylic craft paint, dabbed on with a brush. Soda blasted at low pressure to fully flatten and thin. Faded with wet pastel powders. Chipped with tape and stiff wetted brush. Touched up exposed cement with powders.


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Chuck,    Look's like old concrete to me ;)

Uh-oh ... yer giant penny has shrunken!  :'(

And ... question(s) ... wet pastels?  Regular or oil pastels?  Wet with what?  Water or ...?

Hey....that looks EXACTLY like my porch!

Thanks! Dallas, I used some inexpensive pastel sticks from Michaels's.  Scraped for powder and applied with a water dampened brush.


I decided to use asphalt shingles for my roof. I usually don't like modeling roofs, so I got some help. I sent some 320 grit sandpaper to Dave Krakow at Vector Cut, and he did a great job of turning them into shingle strips. I used info from the internet to determine the overall and gap size. I have just started to figure out what color to do, and how to weather them without having to spend a lot of time on the process.

Thanks Dave, nice work!

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That concrete slab looks perfect!

Nice shingles.

Looking good  8)

Good thing you don't like roofs. 
Or they would look like the real thing!

Jerry

I have finished the cement work and now I'm starting the ground cover and weeds. So far just basic jute macramé, sifted sawdust, bark and dirt. Applied with diluted white glue and Dullcote. Still lots to do; very tedious. I will need to go shopping for some leaves,  though I don't want photo-etched ones. Any suggestions?


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    Front steps



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    The pump base

Are these the sort of laser-cut leaves you would need?

http://www.model-scene.com/xx_l3_302.html

Thanks Ian, those look pretty neat, along with some of thier other leaf items.

Has anyone in the US dealt with these folks?

Holy carp! The foundation, steps and pad are insanely realistic! If it weren't for the visible edges of the scene, there'd be no way to tell it wasn't the real deal.

Stunning work.

I have purchased model scene....don't recall if it ws direct, but I had a good experience.

I would check with Dave Youngquist, at last Cavalry Hobbies, he can probably procure their products for you.

I am the Australian importer so if you run into trouble finding local supplies, send me an email.

Simply stunning work Chuck! Model Scene leaves are highly recommended with sometimes a bit of work. Bought some really nice ones at Euromilitaire yesterday that I hadn't seen before. L3-302 Decaying leaves......check them out!

Anders

Yep - they are the one Anders! Had them here for a while now. The IPMS guys love them. I'm looking for the particularly fine 1:72 palm leaves Daniel shows on his Facebook page.

I couldn't believe you could laser cut rotting leaves! I hope they are the right species Chuck. After all, was it this model that you nearly scribed the name of the manufacturer on the lightbulb?

Quote from: Ray Dunakin on September 22, 2013, 08:44:56 PM
Holy carp! The foundation, steps and pad are insanely realistic! If it weren't for the visible edges of the scene, there'd be no way to tell it wasn't the real deal.

Absolutely correct Ray

Jerry

Up to snuff as usual Chuck! ;)

Wondering if those leaves might be too small?
Also wondering if there are some larger leaves available?........

-Marty

I can source dry fern leaves which are larger and I have (cough, cough) some 1:12 leaves which were a failed experiment to get the dollshouse girls to make more realistic room boxes. From memory they were maple, oak and gum.

Thanks for the nice words and the leaf assist! Ian, I will check those out, I can always move the model's location to suit the leaf type. Hopefully the size will work out.

Great stuff Chuck! I'll leave myself out of the leaf talk.

Ian,
Please contact me I am interested.
i tried emailing you through the forum but it bounced "spam"

-Marty

(Marty, maybe his server is trying to tell you something ....) -- ssuR

Hello - this is Artizen sitting in a corner of his mind. Thanks ssuR!

I did a little more yardwork today:

Nother

God it looks so real.  Where did the leaves come from?

Jerry

You are one crappy dang landscaper!  But it sure does set the scene.  ;D  -- Dallas

Chuck, you really ought to maintain your home more meticulously. Other than that it looks okay. -- Russ

Chuck, what do you use to hold the leaves and other detritus in place? It looks completely "loose", and there's no visible sheen of glue, etc.

Perfect work.
I really like the corner area close to the steps.
This is really well done, and it also let appreciate your fabulous concrete texture and coloring.
Once again, when you're doing something you're doing it the best.
Impressive.

Very realsitic work as usual! Perfect!

About glue.....I use a wood glue diluted with water and a drop of dishwash detergent, dries dead flat. You can soak a whole pile of leaves etc. with a syringe. I also have a super glue (gel) that leaves no trace whatsoever! Both are Swedish products so no point in mentioning the brands here.

Anders

Thanks!
So far the ingredients are fairly organic-plaster of the realm, cast pretty much exactly as Marc Reusser's last garage dio. Then Jute macramé, sawdust, ground bark from bottlebrush twigs, model RR ballast and real sifted dirt. After reading Narayan's Bigelow Street article, I also used real leaves for the leaves. I found some tissue paper thin leaves at work-I have no idea what they are from. I will likely get some commercial leaves to add some more defined shapes. The main weeds and larger items are affixed with white glue, and the smaller bits are attached with liquid Dullcote. I brush it on in various thicknesses, sprinkle on the items and let dry. Then wash with acetone to break up the clumps and to thin the Dullcote. Everything in the pictures is glued on, though I wouldn't pick at it much.   

This is exactly like my back yard step - I trip up it although I know its there and the dog pee's up it -
lovely bit of modelling just that bit would do me in a frame.
Barney 

Chuck,   I picked up a pair of Gas pumps today....there not 1/16 scale I believe there a little bigger  ;)

Wow Craig, you snagged some Bennetts...are you going to restore them or? Looks like at least one is a Sinclair, which is the scheme I am planning to do.

Chuck,   They both are Sinclair... I started cleaning one pump last night and spraying W-d 40 on bolts so to make it easy?? to Gut the pump this morning ;) started taking all the heavy stuff out today....what a Pain ??? took me 3 hours just to do 1 pump.  I got both of them up [For Sale] they do look good restored.

Craig,
Instead of wd-40 try a 50/50 mix of acetone and auto trans fluid.

-Marty

Ultra realistic Chuck! Sometimes, your model looks even more realistic than the real things!

Perfect!

Franck

What Marty said or try Kroil. WD is not very good at loosening stuck fasteners.

Paul

Guy's  Nothing is working....PB blaster...acetone/trans fluid.  I'm trying to loosen one inside door handle that opens the door... have one door open the other one is the problem need both doors to open to do what I need to do ???

Quote from: Chuck Doan on September 30, 2013, 08:52:27 AM
Thanks!
After reading Narayan's Bigelow Street article, I also used real leaves for the leaves. I found some tissue paper thin leaves at work-I have no idea what they are from.

Hold on, hold on..Chuck...you read something I wrote and it informed how you model...to me it seems like the world has suddenly turned upside down!!

The steps are looking so very good and the grass creeping out of the cracks is fantastic.

I agree with Paul.  KROIL Oil!  FTW  Douse it good and let it set over night.  Best nut buster around. 

Thanks Narayan! Yep, a very timely article was that one. Perfect timing.

Now back to Pump Talk on Westlake Radio.... ;D

Chuck, that sounds like we need to tune into my online sex podcast. Go stand in the corner. -- Russ

I know, the Thong Show. I never miss it.

Quote from: Chuck Doan on October 25, 2013, 06:53:43 AM
I know, the Thong Show. I never miss it.

But if your in the corner it's the "Gong Show"!!  And Nick is the MC!!!

Jerry

OK Back to the subject. Chuck, when are you going to do a 1/16 weed wacker to take care of that mess at the steps?

I'm not sure Chester, but I'd better hurry-they're starting to take over.

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Just keeps getting better looking with each post.
Excellent.

Jerry

Put the pump on!
Looking good!
I'm assuming more of the same material for the latest crop of weeds?
Anything different?
-Mj

Where's the Gas Pump ;)

Chuck,

I feel that there should be some greener grass in the corner between the wall and the stairs, which I think would be the place where humidity  stays for the longest time.

Aside of that the curving edge in the foreground looks a bit artificial. ;)

A joy to watch!

Volker

Volker .. I was going to link to Chuck's dad's display cases - with curving bits .. but then noticed you winking. :) Oh .. the heck with it .. Cortland Cases (http://"http://public.fotki.com/ChuckDoan/model_projects/my-dads-stuff/?view=roll#1")

I agree, the front edge is a limitation, but as Ed was pointing out I am stuck with it due to the display case design. And in this scale, there wasn't much room for a yard. I still have to do the farside walkway. More green grass is possible; I'll water it tonight and see what happens. :D

Same used materials so far.

I am saving the gas pump for dessert.

I finally finished the basic yardwork on my dio:


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Chuck,    Scenery is looking great.....the cast iron ring in the ground is that the fill hole for the Tank underground.

Yep. Made from an old Grandt line wheel rim.



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Flaked paint, broken glass and putty from the window above litter the sidewalk. Mostly held down with Dullcote.

Awesome!

Just stunning.

You may have mentioned before so apologies for asking again. What do you use for your bases?

This is disgustingly good. Glad you watered the edge. I'm looking forward to try your grass making methods. It's the most convincing greenery I've ever seen.

Volker

Yes, disgustingly good. You're beginning to get the hang of model making. -- Russ

looking good chuck
kind regards kim

Fantastic and what a great idea with the Grandt Line wheel rim!

Anders

 :o :o :o :o :o :o :o :o

;D

Thanks very much! I was getting tired of teasing the "grass" into shape. I should think it could be patented as a pet fur trap as well.

Wesley, the base is just 1/8" Masonite. It is a hardboard material, I don't know what it might be called elsewhere. I seal it with sanding sealer before applying wallboard joint compound for the contours. Then earth colored paint and then sifted dirt over diluted white glue. 

That is one of the best miniature golf holes I've seen!!! ;)

Just kidding Chuck that is just some awesome modeling.  It's a good thing we all know it was a model because you sure can't tell it ain't real.

Jerry

Chuck's use of something for what it was not intended is a great tip for all of us.
I am constantly on the look out for common and unusual shapes.
When you break down the basic shapes they can be for anything in any scale.

Take a concave "coke" sign in O scale; could be an air cleaner lid in 1/16th, or a hubcap in 1/25th or?......

Just sayin'

BTW - Just perfect Chuck, always a pleasure!

-Marty

Thanks Jerry and Marty.

I don't think Grandt makes the steel rims anymore? It is easy to melt the plastic center out.

I wound up using gouache to paint the green grass. Tried green dye, but it was hard to control the color. Gouache is easy to build up or take back.

beautiful  :o

Thanks Arno!

I finally made some photo-worthy progress.

Here is the door being test fitted. The finish is the same method as the previous parts. The frame is .09 thick wood. The left stile is working loose; there is a tenon visible-just. The door panels were made from .015 mahogany plywood which was thinned to about .006. It's hard to get a picture that shows the de-lamination. I glued the plywood over bits of strip wood to get the effect and split the bulges as per prototype door weathering.


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The decals were made like the previous Lucky Strike decal. I did use thinned Polly Scale to fill in the white (instead of gouache) and I did a low pressure soda blast to thin and chip.
The key drop lettering on the mail slot was found on a prototype motel door photo and turned into a clear decal overlay. The other signs were made from pictures of decals found on the net.

I struggled for a bit trying to decide on a window treatment. I had first thought of old venetian blinds, but the prospect of messing with 80 plus pieces did not thrill me. I came across a picture of some newspaper covered windows and decided that would be easier.

The newspapers were done like this:
I found and copied interesting pages from the internet and cleaned them up in Photo Shop Elements. I make the background pure white to avoid dots when printing. I copied the artwork onto a Word document and sized them to a scale newspaper width. I make several copies of each on the sheet, and I vary the brightness on each to create a faded look. They were printed on Epsom matte presentation paper using the Best Photo option on my printer. I also turned off the High Speed checkbox in the advanced options. This makes the best print. I cut the pages out, leaving some extra width around the edges, then I sanded the paper thinner and used a sharp knife to cut to size to fit the panes in my door.

I started the finish using a Golden Oak Minwax stain pen on the backside. This imparted a brown/yellowish coloring. I washed the pieces in Acetone which lightens the color and imparts some mottling. I dabbed the pen around the sheet and then used a brush full of Acetone and a photo lens cleaner bulb to wash and blow dry the added coloring, which creates some nice color variations seen on old newspaper. I sealed both sides with Dullcote and dabbed some thinned Gouache to add more staining. I lightly moistened the back of the sheet which caused some curling, and when dry I installed them inside the windows using small pieces of strip wood to trap them, thus avoiding any glue distortion. I made some tape remnants around the edges of the lower left pane using Micro scale decal film which was applied with thinned white glue.

The closed sign was printed on the same kind of paper, and lightly scuffed with an ink eraser. Then the Oak stain N wash method was used to age it a bit.

The mail (and key) slot bezel, doorbell, lock plate and doorknob were all 3D printed.

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Here is the backside of the door showing the method of attaching the newspapers. I am reluctant to show off the fine work back here, but I assure you that with enough practice and a few adult beverages, anyone can achieve this level of craftsmanship!

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Incredible! Nothing gives it away as a model.

I love the old newspapers, the various decals, and the delaminated plywood.

A...R...T... !!!

Splendid. I particularly love the old color of the news paper.

The temptation is to try and make some clever or sarcastic remark.

But all it really needs is silence to just sit back and try to appreciate and absorb the quality of this work.


Wonderful.

The exterior is adequate. I was inspired to equal your level of craftsmanship on the interior side of the door but still fell short. Altogether, most satisfactory. -- Russ

Truly brilliant stuff Chuck! It's more than just the skill of execution but also the choice of subject. Real art!

Cheers
JT

So much to see.  So much to learn.

A true artist.

Jerry

Quote from: Chuck Doan on February 04, 2014, 08:41:20 PM
Here is the backside of the door showing the method of attaching the newspapers. I am reluctant to show off the fine work back here, but I assure you that with enough practice and a few adult beverages, anyone can achieve this level of craftsmanship!

Yeah ... I think I could make a reasonable facsimile of the BACK of your door ...  ??? ... but the front does look a wee bit more challenging!  Great work ... and thanks for the notes on the newspaper treatment, etc. -- Dallas

I don't know what to say, but saying nothing is no option at all. Aside of the ingenius artist shining through it the "Sorry, we're closed" sign makes this a melancholic masterpiece. Thank you very much for sharing this.

Volker

Hi Chuck

Thanks a lot for those wonderful pictures and the "how to do" (I've  spent a lot of time in translating that ...  ;))
What I'm asking myself all the time: In reading your thread it seems never something goes wrong in your projects, you simply manage everything. Is all that experience or do you need a lot of try and error too?

Also speechless,
Peter

Thank you for the nice words! Peter, what you don't see is that almost every part was done at least twice. The first door frame was too thin, so I redid it thicker. I did the door panels twice. After I installed the glass and putty I decided my first window muntins were too thick, so I smashed them out and made thinner ones. Each decal was done at least 4-5 times before I liked them. The closed sign and newspapers were done at least twice each. I decided at the last minute to make the door hinged, so that took more time. No, things rarely work the first time for me. 

So you are human after all?

:D

Gentlemen!
I am sourcing funds to mount an expedition to the trash heaps of somewhere in California (need to find out where Chuck's garbage goes, actually where he lives might help too).

One mans trash is another's treasure!!!!!

Thanks for the info on the build Chuck.

-Mj

Chuck, your explanation about how many attempts it takes to "do it right" should be mandatory reading for every modeler. Maybe one big difference between a "pretty good" modeler and an "excellent" one is refusing to accept something that is merely "good enough".

When I look at my own models I realize that two or even three attempts may have been insufficient. Or maybe I should have tried a completely different approach.

(For example, I tried building five or six different models from printed paper and never did achieve true contest quality. The lesson? Don't use printed paper for anything but a run-of-the-mill finish!)

Russ

Russ,
I totally agree.
I have often said to myself and new modelers - Don't be afraid to throw it away and start over!
It is a hard thing to do.

FWIW: I keep all my mistakes; they make great scenery detail/clutter!

-Marty

Astonishing modelling Chuck - and I thought I was loosing it big time the amount I sling in the bin !
Barney

Quote from: Chuck Doan on February 05, 2014, 02:29:30 PM
Thank you for the nice words! Peter, what you don't see is that almost every part was done at least twice. The first door frame was too thin, so I redid it thicker. I did the door panels twice. After I installed the glass and putty I decided my first window muntins were too thick, so I smashed them out and made thinner ones. Each decal was done at least 4-5 times before I liked them. The closed sign and newspapers were done at least twice each. I decided at the last minute to make the door hinged, so that took more time. No, things rarely work the first time for me. 

Thanks!  That's rather encouraging ... and, if you did get it right (like that!) the first time, we'd have to shoot you or at least smash your knuckles!  ;D  Well, enough of the gangster stuff ... time to go back to re-do #687 on one of my severely retarded projects ...  ::)  :P  :-\ -- Dallas

Too late Marty....I make weekly nighttime pilgrimages to Chuck's dumpster (BTW, Chuck you're dry cleaning receipt says it's ready for pick-up). Almost have enough pieces to build a dio. Like Johnny Cash says..."I got it one piece at a time....." :)

There's are images I find hard to process ???
One: Marc dressed like Nick Nolte in "Down and Out in Beverly Hills" dumpster diving ::)
Two: Marc riding his bike with Johnny Cash playin on his I tunes,............. :o
MPH
TMI Marc

So that's who has been rummaging in the trash. Sorry about the cat poop. Not sure I want the dry cleaning receipt back either. :P

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Gloomy shot of the whole door.

Yeah, how depressing .... -- Russ

If "were closed" who left the door open?!
Nice shot, and quite depressing on so many levels.................
Mj

What a beautiful shot.  Reminds me of when I was a kid (yes at one time I was) you found an old building the door was opened a bit.  You had to push on it just to get to see what was inside.

Jerry

Awesome!

drop keys here ,what keys-lovely.
kim

I hope you leave it that way Chuck, with the door slightly open. Really adds to the creepy atmosphere. Which is a good thing :o

Thanks!

Some more progress. The wall is permanently mounted and the shingles are applied, but they still need final weathering.

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Just amazing!!  Can't wait to see the shingles done.

Jerry

Remarkable, more or less. -- Russ

Somewhat less I think. Here the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Whatever that means. Hopefully the pump will help it out.

Are you suggesting some aspects of the model are less than your best work? If so I can't see an imperfection. Besides (knowing you as we do), if it ain't perfect you'll tear it out and keep working until you do achieve perfection. Right? -- Russ

Quote from: Chuck Doan on March 10, 2014, 02:24:31 PM
Somewhat less I think. Here the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Whatever that means. Hopefully the pump will help it out.

You could add a broom?   8)  ;D  :-X

But seriously ... some of the "boring little details" seen on your previous efforts are missing here ... no bee's nests, no electrical connections, piping & such ... no light fixture with scale bulb ... sign posts with fittings, etc ...

The pump should definitely add some "pop" ... maybe some other boring little details are in order ... ???  Or not, whadda I know?  ::)

Cheers,
Dallas

Actually there are more things coming and hopefully they will add more interest. Just kinda Meh feeling about it right now.

Quote from: Chuck Doan on March 10, 2014, 02:24:31 PM
Somewhat less I think. Here the whole is less than the sum of its parts. Whatever that means. Hopefully the pump will help it out.

I'm with you, Chuck, but it's difficult to fix what the problem is. Maybe the composition itself: The wooden edge beams (pillars?) do create an additional frame to the "natural" frame of the diorama endings, which makes it somewhat cramped. Signifying the rear wall running to the background may have made it a bit more suspenseful. The gas pump will be placed on the red foundation? Which height will it be, up to the Lucky Strike sticker? Maybe the pump could be thrown somewhat out of kilter to bring more tension at this prominent centered place into the very strong vertical and horizontal lines of the composition. I don't know and I'll better go back to rivet counting now.

Cheers,
Volker

Thanks for the ideas Volker! Yes, the pump top will be about even with the middle of the window. It should add some needed focus.
It looks better in the display case with a frame around it. There are still some small details that may help.

I installed a handrail this weekend. Made from 2mm diameter aluminum tubing and 3D printed fittings. The tubing was carefully treated with Archer etchant followed by pigment powders and Dullcoat spritzing to mottle. I downloaded actual pipe elbow and flange models from Mcmaster-Carr and then scaled them in Solidworks. Printed by Shapeways. Glued together with 5 Minute epoxy and touched up with pigment powders and gwosh.

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That looks awesome! The coloration is dead-on.

I didn't know McMaster-Carr had downloadable 3D models.

Thanks Ray. Not everything yet, but they have a lot of hardware type items.

What a beautiful detail.  Sure does fit in with the rest of building.

Jerry

Another tiny detail beautifully executed.

Nothin' wrong with that. Nothin' at all. -- Russ

Simply stunning. Especially the last picture looks extremely realistic. The color and rust stains are spot on. Did you have to work on the surface of the printed parts or were they directly usable?

Cheers
Volker

Your execution is perfect, as usual. What I love the most is that slight crack in the door. It's fantastic - super creepy! I don't think I would go in there.

Christian

Thanks very much! Volker, I had to sand the surfaces of the parts to get rid of the layering. I try different orientations of the same part in an order, and sometimes one will be smoother than the other. But there is always some final cleanup.

Excellent.
The weathering of the handrail is spot on, especially the illusion of heavier rusting of exposed threads at the EL.
Great tip regarding McMaster.

When I see what you're doing, it comes to me to ... throw away whatever I'm doing. On second thought, I have to try, and try till the end.
Absolutely speechless for such awesome work!

Thanks Geoff and Alex!

I wanted to have threads on the ends of my pipe railing (those of you with lathes may wish to look away at this point).
I knew a standard 2mm thread die would be too coarse, so I came up with a way to tap my threads. I super-glued a 00-90 tap into the vee groove of a vice I have. Then I glued a piece of styrene angle stock in the opposite groove as a non-marking cushion.

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Then I put the aluminum tubing in a small chuck and slowly clamped the end of the tubing in the vice while turning it with my hand. I used a bit of grease to help the process. The pressure against the tap cut perfect threads. I would have needed a tap with about 200 threads per inch to be the most accurate, but the 90 thread per inch tap is all I had. Worked out pretty OK I think.

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Gave me just a hint of threads.

That close up is just... sublime. Great stuff!

Chuck-

I love it. I know its been said before but if you didn't know better it could be mistaken for a full scale photo.

Would you be willing to map out what you did for the finish on the railing? Ive been wondering how to get a nice galvanized look for something I'm cooking up as well.

Thanks

-Michael

Thanks Ray and Michael!

The galvy finish on the pipes is mostly done by dipping the aluminum into the etchant. You just have to be careful not to leave it in too long or else it will start texturing. The 3D parts were sprayed with Model Master Aggressor Grey, and then touched up with a thinned mix of white and black (to grey) gouache to match the aluminum color. The final step is to use a cosmetic sponge to duft on a mix of grey, white and black pigment powders, and then spritz the object from a distance with short bursts of Dullcote. This gives a subtle mottling effect that looks pretty good to me. Sometime I have to repeat a couple of time to get something I like, but it doesn't seem to build up. Of course you can't do a final seal coat so it isn't suitable for handled surfaces. This mottling also works for rusty surfaces albeit with different colors.

Outrageously convincing Chuck.

Thanks Chester!

Since my gas pump will be in Sinclair livery, I thought it would be nice to have some kind of matching sign. Sinclair gas was sold by many roadside stores and garages, and it was common to see a Sinclair credit card sign hanging nearby. I did some internet searching and found pictures and size info for a late 30's through 1940's example.  The largest picture I found was an off angle shot, so I had to skew and transform the image in Photoshop Elements so it was flat and rectangular.

I found several weathered examples of this sign on auction sites, E-bay and Oldgas.com.  Although it can be easy to find this kind of thing on the net, it is not always clear as to why a sign got into the condition it is in. Is it an example of a sign that hung in one place for 40 plus years? Or did it come from the rafters of a barn under a leaky roof, or was it laying face down in dirt for many years? Or was it cleaned by someone or poorly restored? Or worse, is it one of the many fake weathered signs being made in India and Pakistan and sold online as "original" (many examples are just awful).

I based my weathering on a variety of examples, thus creating an interpretive version (What kind of painter are you? I got Neo-realist!).  I cleaned up the colors and added some chips in PSE. I would prefer to have some better depth to the chips, but the decal film I use is too rubbery to cut the chips out. Then I pasted several scaled copies on Word, and printed them on Testors white (rubber)decal paper. I cut the sign out of .010 styrene sheet making it about .01 larger than the decal. This is so I wouldn't have a vulnerable edge to catch on when handling it. I applied the decals to each side and Dullcoted them and used gouache and pigment powders to add rust haze and streaks. Tools used were cosmetic sponges, a fine brush and a sharp toothpick, with lots of back and forth, adding and taking back.

Many official Sinclair stations hung this sign using a cast iron bracket with a cartoonish dinosaur as the upper support. But most rural dealers used a more modest hanger. I made one using .015 x .06 brass strip. I formed the curls using tapered round nose pliers. I made a mark on the plier tips so I would use the same diameter each time for a consistent size. I drilled holes for the hardware and then soldered (!) the pieces together and treated the assembly with Blacken-it. Grandt line lift rings and NBW castings finished it off (attached with epoxy).
Then a coat of Floquil Roof Brown was brushed on and then hairspray, Dullcote and Polly Scale Engine black. Chipped with a brush and then rusted with gouache, pigment powders and a Dullcote spritz.

The sign was attached with a couple of large chain links I had. I used thinned white glue on the joints to keep it from dangling loosely. Many words for a tiny detail!

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  Wreckage of failed attempts (brass is a great heat conductor don'tcha know!)

Hmm ... think I like the failed attempts the best ... somehow identify with those!  :P

In addition to looking great (for a messed up old sign), that new detail adds a nice little punch of color ... and just plain looks good right war 'tis.  ;)

Cheers,
Dallas

Looks great, Chuck! I like the wrought iron bracket.

Thanks for info, only trouble is that even if most of us followed it to the letter we would not get close to what you achieve.



Now, about that bracket .............. ;D ;D ;)

How the heck is anybody supposed to know those outdoor photos are of a MODEL?

Satisfactory.

Russ

excellent!
Nice to see some of you playing with brass and solder - even if you are getting "boo-boos"
All part of the fun!
Great tutorial! THANKS!

-Mj

Maybe I'll try that but first I need to go get a box of Band-Aids.

Chuck thanks for the how to.  An excellent job on another small detail.

Jerry

Chuck,

If I understood your SBS (thanks!) correctly, there was no need to use your air-brush (with baking-soda) to achieve that finish ... ?!

Cheers

Thanks very much!

Gordon, these must be Colonial curls as opposed to the more proper Empire curls. ;D

Gerald, you are right, I didn't do any baking soda blasting on this.  

Facing 12 or so  grueling hours of auto racing on Sunday, I decided to keep my hands busy and away from the remote. So I downloaded some DIY plans for an Adirondack style chair-perfect for an old tourist court like mine. The plans included a cut list that made it easy to figure out. (Just watch out for overall dimensions that assume you are using modern undersize wood)

Construction was straightforward; after trimming and shaping, each piece was grained with a wire brush and treated with Silverwood. Then Dullcaoted and then brushed with two coats of Ranger Antique Linen. Dipped in Acetone and then scraped with a knife to peel.  I then took a damp sponge an applied gwosh coloring over the chips. Then a final coat of Dullcote to help keep the remaining paint in place.

A few brass wire "Screws" finished it up. (I did go overtime to finish it on Monday) Fun, simple project.

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Cool!

Hey I watched racing all day too on Sunday, but all I did was sit in my Adirondack chair ???
I didn't think I was supposed to make one too ::)
what the heck :o
I was curious about the ranger paint and chipping, thanks for that conformation, you dipped them, do you mean, dunk, submerge, ,............. ???
Just when I think I've got the world figured out, you blow it up, can I see then next to the magic penny  ::)
MPH

The Tour de France bicycle race starts in July and lasts three weeks. What do you suppose you can build while you watch that? -- Russ

I might be able to squeeze out a cup holder ::)
MPH

You describe a potent chemistry to destroy a piece of wood  ;)
Now if someone know a chemistry able to keep a wood deck looking clean and new for more then two years here in northern area, he's welcome.
:D

eric

I think their photo shopped  :o
Bold Claim :o
Let's see a scale person in those chairs ;D
Sorry Chuck, I know I'm straining the friendship,........................
But their just so unbelievable!
I know what else is new,.......................
but how can it be, in just 9 hours,......................
MPH

They look like the ones my grandparents had!!!
Except he painted his every year.

Your just amazing.

Jerry

Ah, my Adirondacks made it to the burn pile this year. Sorry I didn't get photos for you to work from Chuck but really, I see you didn't need them.
Eric, a good scrub with an oxalic acid solution cleans up most wood decks. Sold at most home improvement stores.

Nice job and amazing Chuck, as always!  ;)

Franck

Franck, it is as nice to see you back on the forum as it is to see Chuck's modeling. -- Russ

Thanks very much!  Yes it is good to hear from Franck!

Here ya go Gil:

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And sitting in place:

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Chuck, how do we know that's really your hand? Personally I think it is the hand of a giant who climbed down Jack's beanstalk. -- Russ

Quote from: finescalerr on June 01, 2014, 12:09:37 PM
Chuck, how do we know that's really your hand? Personally I think it is the hand of a giant who climbed down Jack's beanstalk. -- Russ

  Russ, have you been puffing those funny fags again ?

You do realize that sentence means something else entirely on this side of the Atlantic, right?

Quote from: Bexley on June 01, 2014, 01:51:18 PM
You do realize that sentence means something else entirely on this side of the Atlantic, right?

  Yes , I am aware . But I had forgotten when I typed it . Oh well , I still think he has been puffing something a bit strange .

I like the design of that chair, looks easier to build than most. I may have to try making some to go with one of my structures.

Ray, here are the plans I used. I made the back more rounded, otherwise it's from this plan.

http://ana-white.com/2010/05/furniture-plans-adirondack-chair-ana.html

Thanks Chuck! Looks like an interesting site, with some other potentially useful stuff.

Absolutely stunning, Chuck. No room for criticism at all. Again the grass blows me away in your b/w-picture. Barring the Adirondack. Unfortunately all your furniture looks unkempt and neglected. Otherwise I would have asked you to build a desk for me :D.

Volker

Thanks Volker!


I have had little interest to sit at the bench lately, and when I have everything seems to go badly. But after many mini sessions (mostly frustrating do-overs), I finished another detail for my dio.

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I modeled the faucet body and handle in Solidworks, and then had them printed at Shapeways. I initially did the handle as one piece, but it proved impossible to clean up without breaking. So I made a 3 piece version that allowed me to roll sand each part on a piece of fine sandpaper and then assemble. I printed these parts in a protective box with an opening to allow them to be cut off. I also used the "print it anyway" option to avoid any delays.

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After cleaning, the parts were primed with Mr. surfacer and then finished with gouache and pigment powder and Dullcote spritzing. The pipe is aluminum tubing.

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The handle screw is a shaved Tichy rivet. I attempted some threads on the spout; they sort came out. Not too bad considering they are spaced .003 apart. I either need to find some finer printing or else switch to 1:1 scale.

Can you and Volker please go stand in the corner so the rest of us can play catch-up? Another masterclass in the art of modelling. Because stuff like this is definitely A...R...T.

Yeah, that's about the most horrible model faucet I've ever seen. Embarrassing, isn't it? -- Russ

What a piece!
Interesting how it finally came together.
I'm glad I am stalled, gave you time to work out these valves for me  ;)
-Marty

Awesome and incredible Chuck!

Franck

This is why your called Mr. Wizard!

Just amazing work again!

Jerry

Astounding!

Quote from: Chuck Doan on July 31, 2014, 07:11:09 PM
<snip> I either need to find some finer printing or else switch to 1:1 scale.

http://www.finelineprototyping.com/datasheets/mfgreen.pdf

Of course .. using this requires you winning the lottery probably :D

Thanks very much guys! Ed, I still would like to try that green stuff one day. We are overdue for the next level of high resolution printing.

Here is the faucet installed (in a non-printed scene):

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Chuck, that's totally disgusting. Nobody should be that talented! -- Russ

it hurts

There's just no way for me to tell if that's a photo of a full-size building with plumbing, or if it's a photo of a model.  Absolutely outstanding work, Chuck.

Bill Martinsen

Thanks very much!

And now for more miniature mundanity:

Common hose rack made from Evergreen half-round styrene rod glued to .01 styrene sheet. Then  rubber banded around a socket wrench and dipped in boiling water to heat form the curve. Mounting bracket is .015 x .06 brass strip. Tichy model RR rivets and Grandt Line hex bolts complete the basic assembly.

Primed with Testors Flat Black spray followed by a coat of hairspray and then Dullcote spray to seal. Then thinned acrylic green was brushed on and when dry, a stiff brush was used to chip away the paint.  Then rust colored gouache and pigment powders were applied to the exposed black followed by a spritz-from-a-distance coat of Dullcote spray to mottle.

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More foam sagebrush tree and photo filter playin'
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Once again you brighten a Monday.

Another small detail that everyone else would forget.

Beautiful work!

Jerry

The hose rack is fine. Why is no water dripping from the spigot? -- Russ

 ;D

:'(

Mj

Just lovely!

Chuck the "spritz-from-a-distance" dullcote, is that when the spray is kind of broken up, because it was just a quick burst leaving a spotty coat of the dullcote?

Sorry if you've explained it elsewhere and I've missed it, thanks in advance. Cheers

Exactly John. I usually hold the item below the can maybe 10-12" away and do my best to give it a quick burst or two. I find it can be redone with a new application of powders if unsatisfactory.

I think you might have to put in the old quarter or penny in the next photo.

Quote from: Chuck Doan on August 26, 2014, 01:18:00 PM
Exactly John. I usually hold the item below the can maybe 10-12" away and do my best to give it a quick burst or two. I find it can be redone with a new application of powders if unsatisfactory.

Thanks Chuck!

in the words of Nancy Kerrigan :  :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( WHY ??? :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'(WHY ??? :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( WHY  ??? :'( :'( :'(
MPH

So very nice Chuck. Thanks for the update.

Well mottled!  ;D

Excellent little detail!

Thanks guys! Nice one Dallas!

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Started another detail item. I originally planned on using dry transfer lettering, but after some tests I realized it wasn't going to give me the look I wanted. After doing some research, I found the signs I liked the best were in a bold font, and often hand painted. I found a nice example on an online auction site.  It was from a Route 66 motel, and included size info along with a nice straight on view.

When Marc Reusser did his old Ford pick-up, he used a mask from Miracle Paint Masks for the door lettering. I found contact info on Facebook, then I cleaned up the front view of the sign I had found and sent it to Mal for a quote.  Within ten days I had a set of masks in hand, and Mal had perfectly captured the somewhat uneven handpainted lettering.

After 4 tries (Mal sent extra masks thankfully) I finally managed to airbrush a successful sign front. Nothing to do with the masks, just my rusty painting skills.

I have no idea what to use for neon tubing; I may just model it in a broken-off condition.

I can't wait to see how this detail turns out. -- Russ

Chuck,

good to see some progress! The hose rack is same as ever. Simply outstanding.

Quote from: Chuck Doan on September 08, 2014, 10:10:31 PM
I have no idea what to use for neon tubing; I may just model it in a broken-off condition.

Maybe you could use clear acrylic tubing and sand blast it after shaping?

Volker

Chuck one thought for the neon tubing is to make it out of clear plastic (how you get there could be an adventure in itself...3 D printed? heat formed out of clear rod? a cast in clear resin from a wire master-mould?) then painted in a translucent white/grey, and then with a heavy clear coat over that. Just a thought.
Narayan

I'm thinking annealed brass rod painted white

Oh, this will be interesting!

All my experience with modeling neon lights is in 1/87 which allows from a lot of shortcuts. I have built everything out of styrene rod, but your larger scale would not allow that. I would think that some solder would have the right strength while having enough strength.

I have rarely seen neon lights that would require a clear rod. White with a high gloss glaze should do the job.

I am super stoked for the next episode of the Chuck Doan Show!

You might see the clear tubing in older neon signage, though. Plain neon in a clear tube glows bright red, and glows blue with mercury vapor added. Other colors require special coatings inside the tube, which give it the whitish look. Nowadays, the coated tubes don't cost much more than uncoated, but years ago, sticking with red and blue kept costs down. Which is why red and blue are the most commonly seen colors in neon signs.

Where else but here would I have learned anything as interesting as that? -- Russ

To me brass rod would be by far the easiest material to use for this Chuck.  Time to break your soldering iron out!

Jim

At least an abandoned building would have non-working neon signs, so have you had a look here?

http://www.microstru.com/Billboards.html

Thanks for all the info and good ideas! I am still figuring out what to do with the neon tubing, but I do know it won't be working (whew).

I have made some tiny progress:

I weathered the face of my office sign and finished the "can" (sign cabinet or housing) and the brackets that hold the neon tube mounts. The can was usually galvanized, and took a long while to rust. The 2 round ceramic insulators were 3D printed. The tube brackets were made from .03 diameter brass tubing and .003 thick Mylar sheet for the mounting tabs.

Can fabricated with Evergreen black styrene.
Primed with Mr. Surfacer.
Airbrushed with Polly-S paint over hairspray (using the mask seen previously).
Chipped and then weathered with oil paints, gouache, and pigment powders applied with toothpicks, cosmetic sponges, fine brushes, cats nose (once by accident) and artists stumps.

The rear flange has some paint slop added from the painted siding it will be mounted to. I did some house painting while in school and I knew how to cut in edges. So while its prototypical, sloppy painting is a painful detail for me to add. Sign is shown attached to cardboard with double stick tape for easy handling.

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I have been enjoying learning something about neon sign construction. Huge props to the tube benders-that is a real art!

Beautiful!

I'll have to try using a cat's nose on my next model.    ;)

Very nice Chuck. Thanks for the update.

Gordon Birrell

I'm glad you found time to work on the sign. -- Russ

Quote from: Ray Dunakin on September 25, 2014, 08:22:21 PM
Beautiful!

I'll have to try using a cat's nose on my next model.    ;)

Ive seen people use cats whiskers for arials on locomotives (discarded from the cat, don't try to pluck them!)

Hi Chuck,

just great what you're doing.

I would use fiber optic conductor to simulate the neon lights.

There are here with us as in 0.5; 0.75; 1.0; 1.5 and 2 mm in diameter.
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They can be heat formed into any shape.
With transparent lamp color can be colored as desired.

I just have not tried it yet if I pre-edit with sand blower if they then are still illuminated?

When I was in college in the 1970's, my roommate used to trade the neighbour's cat her whiskers for canned tuna.  She never could figure out why she'd get caught in the fence between our houses.

Great work.  Glad your making progress.

I guess Zoey's nose would be to big!!! :D

Jerry

Chuck, This is a product called "cool wire" it comes in several sizes and colors, it's basically a wire that glows like neon, some mfg.s call it cool neon. The wire in the photo is .034" in diameter, it looks bigger in the poor photo, it's pretty flexible. Surely a good fit for larger scales.

Hal

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Thank guys! Thanks Helmut, I should look for some of that. Hal, I didn't need to see that! Wow, 1/12 scale is calling!

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I mounted the sign this weekend. After numerous tries, I gave up on the neon tubing.  There is a small piece left, but that's all. I can always go back later if some new idea comes up, and I need to finish the gas pump while my interest is still around.

Looks fine. Probably wouldn't be any glass left on it by this time anyway.

Don't mess with perfection. -- Russ

Looks fine to me.  Another perfect detail done.

Jerry

Chuck!
Hurry on the gas pump, gas prices are deflating ::)
Love the sign, I wouldn't worry about the neon, but don't forget the bug zapper with the sound module inside!
MPH

I was at a Radio Shack yesterday and they had EL (electroluminescent wire) in several colors. The ones they are selling are about .090 in. dia I believe.

http://www.instructables.com/id/The-Full-How-Too-Manual-For-EL-Electroluminesce/

Chuck, I don't know why - and maybe I'm completely wrong -, but I expected to see some kind of stains of the neon tubings on the sign, maybe simply from more fastenings. I must admit that I didn't check prototype pics. I think some more glass, at least suggesting one letter's shape, would add to this. Don't forget the broken glass on the floor  8).

Apart from that it pleases the eye.

Cheers,
Volker

Thanks Guys! Gil, that would be a great detail for some kind of display scene!  Thanks Ed, I would need something around .02 diameter though.
Volker, there definitely would be more rust from the screws that hold the tube mounts in place. But most signs seem to last a good while before this happens. I went with a sign that is just beginning this process. I did find plenty of very rusty ones; might be fun to do one in a larger scale. It was interesting to study the sign construction-something I had never paid attention to before.

Fantastic - just keep it coming
Barney

Quote from: Chuck Doan on October 19, 2014, 08:35:13 PM
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I mounted the sign this weekend. After numerous tries, I gave up on the neon tubing.  There is a small piece left, but that's all. I can always go back later if some new idea comes up, and I need to finish the gas pump while my interest is still around.

Hi Chuck, I just showed my this.
Her words that do not exist, that's an original.
Therefore my request can not you please show an overview of your Grand diorama.

It just does not get better as you do it.

Thanks Barney, Thanks Helmut!

For a while now I had been intending to buy some commercial leaves for my diorama; something that would have more shape than the crumbled leaves I had been using. As usual procrastination triumphed, that is until I received a package from my sister. Enclosed were numerous samples of New Mexico flora she collected while living there. One of the samples was a fern-like something. I will leave it to a plantacologist to let us know what these are as I would like to get more!

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The leaves were dried out and would disintegrate when I tried to work with them. So I used the old trick of soaking them in a water/glycerin mix for a few days. I learned this back in the days when lichen was the state of the art in model railroading. When dried, they were soft and supple again.

I separated them and did some shaping with a sharp xacto-mainly adding a stem to some by cutting the material away from the primary vein. Then I rolled the leaf with a toothpick to squish it thinner and I painted some with gouache to add fall colors (some I left in their natural light greenish color). I curled some and then installed them in a leafy arrangement on the steps. I only need a few "hero" leaves to place over the crumbled ones to help the illusion.

These are probably best suited for larger scales, but the nifty detailing of each leaf is hard to beat!  

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Holy cow, those are are so perfect it's like they were made for modelers!

I can find nothing to suggest the scale of the model, foliage, or debris. Nothing to nitpick. No chink in the realism to give away that it isn't 1:1. Satisfactory. -- Russ

Chuck, your modeling is absolutely stunning. Your pictures have this nice late autumn bright sunshine feeling (we have sometimes here in Gemany at least). I especially like the faucet's shadow in this picture:

Quote from: Chuck Doan on November 09, 2014, 05:34:52 PM
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Would really be intersting to know the kind of plant, although it may be too big for 1-22.5 scale. The shape is something in between oak and maple, isn't it? I once made some blackberry leaves out of cigarette paper. To avoid this lot of work of cutting each single leaf I printed some intricate leaves of diferent sizes and used this as cutting jig for some ten or so layers of paper which worked pretty well. Maybe this could work with the real leaves, too?

Volker

Very impressive job !

Hero leaf :o
that's what I want to be when I grow up ;D
MPH

Wow!!!  That is so impressive.  God it really looks like the real thing.

You always amaze with new things.

Jerry

Thanks very much!

I agree Ray, they are excellent for miniature use. Volker, my timing was perfect for a Fall scene. The Sun angle is much lower and the timing for good pictures is much shorter.

It looks close to Rattlesnake or Japanese climbing fern, but not exactly those.

Not sure but it's perfect as scale pin oak or oak.

Sapling?

Philip

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     Cloudy day shot

Good thing you signed it so people will realize you built it. -- Russ

Try again. It didn't get worse that way. I like the black bug under the leaves left side down.

Volker

Amazing!

Jerry

All I can say is - I'm awestruck.
Beautiful photography, absolutely stunning craftsmanship.

jus, WOW! (as always :D)

hi chuck
i always think that you do the best concrete
regards kim

Thanks Guys!

Well another year and this still isn't finished. I really need to slow down and focus. But at least it's done except for the gas pump. And maybe some more leaves.

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So much beauty in the mundane.

Quote from: marc_reusser on December 07, 2014, 09:21:30 PM
So much beauty in the mundane.

What he said!

One great thing about traditional building materials is that, even in ruins, they tend to age beautifully. Stucco, drywall and other modern materials are more likely to turn ugly.

I like it pretty much so far .... -- Russ

Hey, I think I've got the identity of the plants that contributed the scale leaves... looks like a variety of Filaree (Erodium is the botanical species), which is a fairly common weed in the Southwest. I saw a good one when out walking the dogs just today. One difference with our local variety seems to be the thickness of the stem (for water storage, here in the desert) which might shrink in the drying process. The plant grows flat on the ground, the stems radiating out from a central point, and has small five-petalled pinkish flowers and a very distinctive long spike on each batch of seeds when the flowers are gone.

Another source of scale leaves is grocery-store parsley (if the leaves are not too big). Take a close look, the next time you order the fish...

Also, the new growth small leaves on a Cape Honeysuckle look very convincing in a larger-scale application. I'll have to wait until Spring to get a picture of those!

Chuck-- I've heard of the water-glycerin treatment, but have never tried it. Would you mind going through the process?

Thanks!

Dave, that looks like it. My samples were several years old, so I don't know how they look when fresh. Google "preserving dried flowers glycerin" and you'll find several methods. Or, I suppose look up drying flowers for fresh samples. I just mixed the glycerin and water and soaked the leaves for several days. Dried them on a paper towel. Worked really well-they became completely docile. 

How can something so simple look so good!

Jerry

I forgot to mention just how much I have enjoyed watching this piece come together! Really, years mean nothing when creating at this level of authenticity. Several years ago, I was at a local IPMS meeting where a new member was blowing about having spent two years detailing a destroyer model. I was sitting next to a builder who was in his sixth year of work on a large-scale model of the Captain's barge he had piloted in the Navy, and I had just finished a large-scale tank that taken over 12 years. Our comment to the new guy-- "Well, you've got to learn some PATIENCE..." 

Thanks Jerry!

Thanks Dave! Great story. I'm still a rookie then  8).

C'mon Chuck, put the old penny into the shot already, so people can see it's a model!

Very beautiful Chuck !

It just gets better - amazing
Barney