Project Update: American Seltzer Company by Bar Mills

The American Seltzer is my new lunch break project. I have been asked to make it more weathered than I usually do. I have decided to add peeling paint effect. There are quite few peeling paint techniques: Earth color paint applied with a sock or sponge, acrylic paint over patches of rubber cement, acrylic paint over mineral spirit, acrylic paint over hair spray. I have used rubber cement method before but this time I chose Earth paint applied with grouting sponge. The result is quite believable.

Project Update: Finescale Miniatures JS-13 Elijah Roth & Sons

Finally I have working board with test LEDs which are whatever I could find in a box. It turned out to be 4 reds and 1 green. The board has extra power plug for +12V which I added because I was not careful enough programming microcontroller. The pin I designated for short blue light flash (last from the left) has dual purpose. It can be either output or RESET signal input but only one or another at a time. To make pin an output special bit in the microcontroller has to be programmed. However, once programmed output cannot be changed to RESET input using just +5V power supply. This is where +12V comes in.

The code has been debugged is working the way I want. In the following video from left to right LEDs are initial blue welding flash, welding light, exterior lighting, interior lighting 1, and interior lighting 2. I suggest watching videos in YouTube by clicking on YouTube text in the bottom right of the player.

In the following video LED order is reversed.

Next step is to build mill mock up for LED placement testing and finalizing the code.

Flashback: Nedra's Hot Tamales by FOS Scale Models

Nedra's was my first craftsman kit I ever completed. First diorama as well. The kit was offered for free as a promotion for a very limited time. It was also centerpiece of  a contest. Bellow are the pictures of my contest entry. I admit, execution could have been better but the idea is still among my favorites. It was influenced by German model railroading and alpine theme of town of Helen, GA. Tongue-in-cheek name of my diorama was "Greta's Bakery and Hans's Biergarten". However, I am not sure if anyone ever got the fact that I named it after "Hansel and Gretel". Anyway, my participation in the contest turned out to be a big fiasco. I got last place but I learned a good lesson. Originality is not going to produce good place in a contest. I should have shingled up the whole thing.
I still have Nedra's CAD drawings I used for the project and I am planing on doing few more projects in the future based on the structure. One I would like to make is Taco stand as it was originally intended to be built. I still have few parts left. It also is a good base for playing around with 3D printing. I only wish I had bit a more time for everything I come up with...

Project Update: The Office by Railroadkits.com

I spent past weekend in Memphis. I expected to have some free time but I didn't take The Office with me. Instead of modeling I had a little BBQ tour. I had dry rub ribs at Randevouz on Friday and chopped port at Interstate BBQ on Saturday. Food was great!!! I will miss it since I am not planning on returning to Memphis any time soon or perhaps ever.
Good thing I had few weeknights available this week and finished the project. It was fun. I have learned quite a bit and it has turned out not bad for the first hydrocal kit thanks to Randy from Downtown Deco. I am sure I would have done much worse without his tutorial. I see myself building another office in the future several years down the road. It isn't one of the kits that you finish and don't want to see anymore. The Office is as well part of the bigger kit. I am pretty sure it is The Mill so I may do it sooner than I think.
Although I had fun and wanted to grab another hydrocal kit right away I think should stay away from starting another kit. I have too many projects in the works already. I have to stay focused. I have to finish my projects,  I have to finish my projects,  I have to finish my projects... I am not making New Year resolutions though.
OK. Here it is. I call it "Payday". Drums...

Project Update: Finescale Miniatures JS-13 Elijah Roth & Sons

I have some movement in electronics part of the project. With help from surface mount part soldering expert I now have LED test board and I have identified LEDs I want to use for this project. Next step is LED control circuitry. I hope to have it sometime next week.
I have some work done on diorama base. I had all scenery stuff out for The Office diorama so it was good opportunity to scenic the stream area.

Project Update: Decker's Tar Soap by FOS Scale Models

This is yet another commissioned project. I built last FOS structure about a year ago. It isn't that I don't like Doug's kits. It is quite opposite. I would build pretty much any of them and have few kits stashed away. My problem is time and those unfinished projects. I should have a bit more time in upcoming few months...
Decker's Tar Soap kit is limited edition and is sold out. I am glad I have an opportunity to build it without having to do hunting on eBay. I am painting it in Karl Scholz's signature color. It is Floquil CN Gray #17. Well... To be exact I am not using Floquil. I have two problems with solvent based paints. First, I get a headache while working with them. Must be psychological. Second, I am not sure if my painting technique would work with Floquil. So... I painted a piece of paper with CN Gray, took it to Sherwin-Williams store, and asked them to match. Now I have life time supply of #17 paint. I wasn't sure how would windows and doors turn out so I painted them with Floquil though.
I didn't use all walls for the photo. I have decided to leave some uninteresting pieces out in order to have less crowded picture.

Project Update: The Office by Railroadkits.com

I really thought I was going to be done by now. I have made a mistake by using matte medium for securing dirt. It all fell off while sanding. I had to reapply dirt securing it with diluted white glue this time. That set me back for another 24 hours what was past my available hobby time.

Project Update: Sokol's Mattress & Furniture Co by Bar Mills

Finished! Terminado! Finito! Finis! It must have been longest single structure project I have ever done. It has taken me 3+ months worth of lunch breaks. It is about 60-70 hours. That is where my limit of patience is. I am ready to move to the next project which I will reveal soon. I can only say that it is another Bar Mills kit.

Project Update: The Office by Railroadkits.com

After release of the latest FSM kit it seems like hydrocal kits are experiencing Renaissance. Threads dedicated to hydrocal are popping up in the forums almost every day. Just few months ago it looked like such kits didn't even exist. Encouraged by this hydrocal rush I have decided to build one too even though I have plenty of unfinished projects. I have picked The Office because it is small, can be built quickly, and it isn't big loss if I mess it up.
I am following directions of Randy Pepprock owner of Downtown Deco. The directions can be found here http://kitforums.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=4576. Instead of Randy's recommended Terra Cotta paint I used Georgia Clay since my Michael's brand Terra Cotta looked too pale. I considered Heritage Brick as well but thought building would be too dark. I'll use it on another one. You can guess I am having fun.
So far I have painted the walls, windows, chimney, "wood" addition. And have weathered them as well. I may go over the eaves with Q tip soaked with rubbing alcohol and lighten up weathering a bit. I think I can finish The Office by the end of Thanksgiving weekend. Therefore, next update may be the last.

What's in the box: Davis General Store by Railroadkits.com

This is latest offering by Jimmy Deignan and Ed Fulasz. It is Limited Edition kit.

Project Update: Saw Pit Store by JL Innovative Design

As of yesterday the kit is finished. I had to make some modifications to the left side addition. Instructions call for one piece corrugated metal roof. That just didn't work for me so I cut up corrugated metal to pieces and because of it I had to add some support for them. I should have added more rafters. That would have made the addition sturdier but I was running low on stripwood...

What's in the box: Quinn Elbow Duct & Vent Co by FOS Scale Models

Latest offering from Doug Foscale.

Project Update: Sokol's Mattress & Furniture Co by Bar Mills

First update of the month... I have spent past almost two weeks worth of lunch breaks painting metal castings. Before that it took me quite some time to install cornice. It is challenging structure by itself  to build because of the angles involved. Throw in design mistakes and it becomes very challenging and time consuming and this kit has quite few. If it wasn't for the logo on the box and the style I wouldn't say it was Bar Mills kit. Here are the problems I have encountered so far. The walls are not the same height. I figured out that just before gluing them together. All walls had bracing going along the top so trimming was more complicated than it could have been had I discovered the problem earlier. The cornice parts do not account for thickness consistently. Some of the laser cuts are in the wrong places meaning some adding and trimming is required. There is not enough stripwood included. At least 1/32 square. I used what I consider 1 and a half piece of it for the door railing and still need maybe 3 pieces for the pallets. I may be short of 3/32 as well. Despite all that I am moving forward. I hope to be done by Thanksgiving. I am really looking forward to the next lunch break project.