Emporium Seafood by FSM

It’s time to restart this blog.

I made my first attempt at reviving it last year, but a handful of issues got in the way—and once those were sorted out, I simply forgot to come back. Until about a week ago, that is. Now that I’m here again, I’ve been debating whether to mix posts about older and newer projects or try to keep things somewhat chronological. Somewhat being the key word, because I already jumped ahead in my last post.

For now, let’s roll things back into order.

Emporium Seafood has always been one of my favorite kits. The original design sits beautifully by the water, complete with a long dock that gives it so much character. For this build, however, I was asked to create a fully land‑based version while still preserving that dock. My solution was to perch the entire structure on a hill, imagining a track running below that would justify the presence of a crane.

To keep it compact, I built retaining walls on three sides and left the fourth as a natural slope. The whole diorama also doubles as an extension to Dexter’s Dead End, which is why there’s a road curving at the bottom of the hill.

Interestingly, the kit I used for this project wasn’t even mine—I still have my own untouched copy. I rarely build the same kit twice. It’s not that I refuse; I just have very little interest in repeating the same experience. But every now and then, when someone asks nicely, I give in. Emporium Seafood is such an iconic kit that I could see myself building it one more time… but realistically, it will probably never happen. It may be time to put my spare kit on the market.

I truly hope I won’t vanish from this blog again. In my defense, it is hard to keep something going after so many years. If my math is correct, it’s been about fifteen years since I first started this space. A lot has changed in that time—projects, skills, life—but maybe that’s exactly why it’s worth keeping the blog alive.

Here’s to a fresh start, and hopefully many more posts to come.

 

 

Fenster's Fresh Produce by Bar Mills

It looks like I'm finally rolling with it! As a side note, I acquired a resin 3D printer about 18 months ago, and so far, I haven't done much with it. But that's about to change.

When it comes to 3D design software, there are multiple options, some of which can be quite expensive. Therefore, I've decided to learn Blender, which is free. This is perhaps my fourth attempt to learn it. My brief encounter in the mid-2000s, trying to unfold some shapes for paper modeling, might count as an attempt. In 2018, I bought a video course on Udemy. I got through a couple of chapters but then stopped. The course was geared more towards game development and animation, although its description mentioned 3D printing as well. I found myself disinterested in texturing, lighting, and that kind of stuff.

Some time later, the company I was working for introduced its version of the Udemy platform. The selection of courses was limited to what the company felt we should learn. It goes back a few years, and I can't remember if I had a choice of several courses on Blender or just one. Anyway, the one I ended up with was more 3D design-oriented. Unfortunately, I didn't make it far either.

That brings us to today. The company I am working for now requires us to have a certain number of learning hours every year. They support Coursera, though. I was able to find several different level courses there. I picked one that seemed to match my level. Can't say I'm happy with it. It is heavy on texturing, but that doesn't bother me too much. What bothers me is the teaching style, or basically the lack of it. The instructor rushes and mumbles a lot. I try to follow him, building my own version of the 3D models, but I frequently have to stop, rewind, and re-watch the lessons. That triples or even quadruples the time.

In addition, I am going through the Udemy lesson I bought a while back. The content has changed since the last time, and the instructor has changed as well. I think the course is better now. Unfortunately, the time I spend learning with this one doesn't count towards the company's learning hours, so the motivation is a little lacking. Additionally, I bought another Udemy course that promised to focus on precision modeling and 3D printing. It is more in line with what I need. I have almost made it to the 50% mark. The other two courses obviously made it easier.

I have an idea for my first 3D design, but I am still missing a few techniques to achieve it. I might have to finish one or two courses I have started to gain the required knowledge.

That was a long intro, wasn't it? I don't really have much to say about the Fenster's Fresh Produce kit. That is probably why. Or maybe because I am excited about my 3D design progress. Anyway, I started this kit many years ago. I thought I had a post here, but I couldn't find one. I really loved the shape of the structure. I started working on it and then got distracted by another shiny thing. Then a customer at the time saw Fenster's on my list of started projects and asked me to finish it for him, and that is what I did. I hope the pictures tell a better story than that.

Pilcher's Arcade and Kone Shack by FOS

 As I approach the 30-month anniversary of not updating my blog, I find myself reflecting on the past and the familiar cycle of guilt and determination that often led to unfinished entries. If you're reading this, it means I have finally broken that cycle and succeeded in updating my blog once again.

Before 2020, and for a few months into it, my daily routine included listening to various podcasts during my commute to work. However, when COVID-19 hit, my work situation changed, and I found it difficult to focus on podcasts while working on models. This led me to stop listening altogether. Recently, my work situation has changed again, and I am now driving to work more frequently. This has given me the opportunity to resume my podcast listening habit, picking up where I left off about five years ago.

Currently, I am catching up on Wiley's Bench Time podcast. After replacing my phone, I wasn't sure where I had left off, so I decided to start from the beginning of 2020. Listening to episodes from the early weeks of the quarantine has been an eerie experience, bringing back memories of those uncertain times. There are a few more thoughts I have about the podcast, but I'll save those for another entry to keep this one concise.

In addition to my podcast journey, I've been busy with various model-building projects. One notable project was a commissioned build of the Pilcher's Arcade and the Kone Shack kits from the FOS monthly kit series. The color combination of the ice cream shack was a bit unusual, but I had a photo of the real structure to back it up. I probably still have that photo somewhere on my hard drive. Another interesting aspect of this build was the need to change the business of the add-on on the right side of the arcade building. Originally, it was an ice cream counter, but having two ice cream counters next to each other didn't seem realistic, so I turned it into a candy shop.

This 30-month-old project is just one of many I've worked on during my hiatus. I have a lot of catching up to do, and I'm excited to share more of my experiences and projects with you in future blog entries. Thank you for joining me on this journey back to blogging.

Building King Jazz by FOS Pt.1

I am trying to keep my posts in the chronological order as much as I can, but here is a rare exception. I have been wanting to build the King Jazz kit for years. Two shelf orphans needed a companion and this kit seemed to fit the bill. Or I just convinced myself that it did...

Hooper's Fresh Oysters by FOS

There have been a number of the Hooper Oysters build progress updates back in 2012. Then I put it on the shelf and let it sit for almost a decade. I am saying almost because I completed diorama a few months short of 10 years. I am just typing it up in July of 2022.
The main reason for such long procrastination is that I was scared of doing water. There was so much talk of water bubbling, peeling of and so on on the Scott Mason podcast. The painting of it was another factor. I watched Dave Frary paint water on a DVD many times. It didn't seem too difficult, but then I talked to someone who even after seeing the same video found it hard to do. I saw his result and let's say I left me unconvinced it was water.
I made some effort over the years though. I bought some of the figures, painted the others, bought the rock molds, made the diorama base which I ended up modifying later. The original would have had the building parallel to the diorama edges. Then someone showed the interest in the diorama and the rest is a history.
I am not sure how many people read these posts. I guess not many. Most people probably just check the pictures. Anyway, if there is anything on my started kit list that interests you contact me using the contact form. Majority of the projects can be completed fairly quickly and the cost is way below of what you would pay if you hired someone to do the job. All I want is to see these projects done and gone. 

Building Red Hook Office by FOS Scale Models Pt.2

After six years on the backburner yet another shelf orphan is done. The majority of changes had been done at the time of posting of the last update. Back then the structure had two large white squares showing. You might wonder as what they were for. Here is the explanation. I wanted it to have additional large windows, but I couldn't cut them myself. Therefore, I made it to appear like there were more windows by adding those squares i.e. window frames, and then the shutters over them. I hope that conveys the message.
The last change since the last post was the roof top sign. The original design didn't have it since it was supposed to be an office. I felt that the restaurant I was converting it to needed one. The name of the establishment has a story behind which I am not going to tell here. It was relevant when I started working on the kit. Over the years the name has lost its relevance, but I kept the sign the way I designed it.