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Tuesday, November 20, 2012

Project Update: Pop Gracins by Bar Mills

Yesterday Bar Mills released their newest Bar Mills Moose issue. They announced very short run of Sokol's Mattress. And guess what. My blog received record single day number of hits. Thank you, Bar Mills! In my opinion their kits have best value for money for those who like to build. However, modelers who are looking to quickly populate their layouts with structures may be disappointed. It takes time to build each kit. Most of them aren't complicated at all only have quite a number of detail parts.
Pop Gracins is no different. It was quite easy to build and it took a bit longer than I originally anticipated. However, there is nothing new. I always underestimate time needed to build a kit. The hardest part in this kit was billboard on top of the garage. Bar Mills likes to use plywood for sign base. Bad part about it is that if it warps then it is hard to impossible to make it flat again. If the part has invisible back side it can be braced. Unfortuantelly, roof top signs have both sides visible. Some of them have supports with relativelly large gluing surfaces what allows to keep sign straight. Pop Gracins has very skinny supports. Anything I tried didn't hold on so I made new sign base out of chipboard. I like chipboard. It can be straightened out with fingers if it warps.
Over all it is neat little kit which I had previously discounted as uninteresting.










3 comments:

  1. whats your best technique for weathering a wood structure

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    1. I would say an oil wash. I mix up some black oil paint and Turpenoid (or mineral spirits). Then add a little of brown oil paint. I brush the walls, windows and doors with it after painting them. Keep in mind if you are using solvent based paint you need to give it at least a week before using oil wash. Nice thing about it is that it doesn't go evenly and if it looks too dark I can wipe it of with a paper towel or dip a brush in clean Turpenoid and go over the area.

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    2. Thanks..very helpful..love your work!

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