Project Update: Nemchik's Salvage by Bar Mills

The pictures below show where I got to before big push to complete the Raglan Road. I have almost finished the brick building. I need to dirty up windows, "rust" wall vents, and glue roof on. The shed #1 is almost complete. All it needs is weathering. Two more structures are in the works. They are so called long building and shed #2.

Project Update: Raglan Road by Bar Mills

This is the final update. I finished the Ice Cream Store last night. The Raglan Road was quite a project. Scotty Mason likes to say that craftsman kits are expensive but at the same time they are quite inexpensive if you take into account the cost per hour of entertainment you get out of it. This one is practically free then.

Project Update: Raglan Road by Bar Mills

This past weekend I came as close to finishing Raglan Road as possible without actually finishing it. The Skinner's Salvage and Hubcap Heaven are finished. The Ruthy's Sweets needs very little to be declared done. The biggest task right now is to glue fence posts to three sections of instafence.

Project Update: Houligan's Alley by FSM

I am glad to report that I have gone through the instructions part for the woodworking building and I have written down list of materials. I have prepared all wood based on it. I am hoping I got it right. I would hate to put everything aside until I prepare a single piece of stripwood I need to continue.
I have walls glued together. No surprise here. Everything fits well. It is my second FSM kit. Well, I haven't finished the other one yet. Anyway, George's engineering is excellent. Next step is to apply stucco to the joints. I am uneasy about it. It is much easier to do everything at once than to touch up parts later and make them match the rest.

Project Update: Raglan Road by Bar Mills

Finally, I have Raglan Road update. I re-designed and installed storefront signs. Original red banner was painted on window material. It had to be removed and replaced with new one. I used rubbing alcohol which did the job well but also revealed the fact that there also was a coat of some kind of fixative on top. Alcohol removed it completely in the areas where banner used to be creating visible borderline marks. I had to wash whole window material surface and in the process lost everything that was applied on originally. That possibly led to some issues later on. The storefront is made out of thin plywood with sticky backing. Window material was supposed to adhere to the back of plywood and stay. Instead it popped out in the center next day. My suspicion is that special coating may have been there to provide better adhesion. I had applied canopy glue to all edges and I didn't want to cut out window material. Therefore, I decided to drill little holes through material into plywood and apply little beads of canopy glue into the holes. I put weights on and let it dry for a day just to make sure glue get enough time to dry. The solution worked and I then proceeded to putting storefront panels together. Instructions suggested gluing storefront former to the panels without removing backing paper. Unfortunately, if plywood is warped anything trying to keep it straight experiences significant forces. My storefront panels were warped and backing paper got pulled off. I removed former and the paper. I left sticky layer and used epoxy to glue former back giving each side 24 hours to cure under weight.

I don't believe that my storefront came out bit two small. I think it was engineered that way but it didn't have enough gluing surface to get attached to the building. It fit right into opening leaving maybe 1/8 of an inch up top for securing it. I ended up gluing strip of wood on each side inside of the opening and then attaching storefront to them.
The rest should not cause any major issues and I hope my next update will be final.

Project Update: Houligan's Alley by FSM

Raglan Road progress is very slow right now. I will tell the reason in its own post some time later.
So... I have been doing some work on Houligan's Alley as well. Let me start with the instructions. Some people claim they are the best in the hobby. I agree that by following them one would end up with great model. My problem is that there is too much reading and very few diagrams. When I build Bar Mills kit I usually I don't read until I get to particular point in construction. I may not read at all if diagrams are clear enough. I use diagrams to determine how parts have to be prepared i.e. whenever stained with A&I to represent weathered wood or stained with Driftwood replacement and then what color which parts have to be painted. Then I prepare all parts at once. It is nearly impossible to do this with FSM kit. I have attempted to read through the instructions several times and have failed so far. All I have managed to do is to read several steps ahead so I can prepare at least few parts ahead of time. Therefore, I don't have to wait for paint or stain to dry when I need them. To some people FSM instructions are perfect but to me they are just all right.
First up is Casey Woodworking building. It is stucco structure what is nice break after doing so many clapboard ones. I used FSM way of doing stucco since I thought it would produce uneven rough look I wanted. Airbrushing water putty or using Sandstone paint would have given too uniform look. The stucco turned out to be rough enough for my taste but don't forget I am from Europe and our stucco is really smooth.
I painted the walls with Polyscale Aged Concrete instead Floquil and I had some minor issues. Water putty leaked out through the paint a little so I painted the walls second time. That possibly has taken away some stucco roughness but not too much. I painted the bricks with Georgia Clay craft paint. For limestone streaks I used white oil paint wash. And while doing this I made a mistake. I made streaks to go up on one wall because what I thought was bottom was actually top. I tried removing stain but without much of success. I will try weathering powders later when I don't need to handle the wall anymore. Perhaps I should have not added limestone streaks to that wall at all since it is well covered from the rain.

Project Update: Nemchik's Salvage by Bar Mills

Here is yet another Bar Mills kit build. This time it comes from my own stash but it is going to another home after I finish it. I am not sure if it was "SOLD OUT" when I started it a week or so ago but now Bar Mills site says it isn't available anymore.
I was always attracted by brick building in the kit so I started my build with it although it is building number four in the instructions. It is made of resin and it is something I haven't worked on before in this size. I have painted resin details but not built and painted entire structure. When I got the parts out of the box they were warped. Perhaps I should have laid them flat and put in the oven. Instead I have decided to brace them. I am not sure now if the walls were warped that way to begin with or they warped in different place every time glued bracing. Anyway, I used up almost all bracing material provided in the kit and still didn't get it completely straight. After I was somewhat satisfied with the result I primed the walls and painted mortar lines first using different shades of gray. I should get some number of hits for using this phrase. And if I throw in the word fifty... Well, this build has nothing to do with the book or its content and it is all G rated. My intent is to dry brush brick color on. I find doing mortar lines after brick is painted very tedious so I want to reverse the process. Stay tuned if you want to see the result. I hope it works out.

Project Update: McGee's Hotel by Micro-Scale Models

It looks like I am having very productive start of the year. All of it is because I have been working on few things during holidays and now it is time to share the info.
Micro-Scale kit is something I haven't done before. I was curious but at the same time I had some concerns when I agreed to build several of them. In general, reviews on the net are favorable. Although many mention instructions which aren't FSM quality. So... I got the box, got out the instruction sheets. Yes, they are not FSM type but that doesn't mean they are worse. It looks like manual was done in the 90s using early CAD and publishing software. However, diagrams are pretty clear. I even didn't read much of the text. Weathering tips are most likely already outdated, I already have certain techniques worked out, and I don't need to read how to glue parts together. Information where all parts go are in the diagrams and this is what I need. I have been making paper scale models made in Poland for years. Early ones were all in Polish and all I could rely on were diagrams. I used written instructions just to determine the order parts go by looking up their  numbers. For modelers who find hard to follow diagrams building this kit could be a challenge.
What is a bit unusual about this kit is that it contains structural shapes. I got this term from Northeastern Scale Lumber web site. Some T and V shaped stripwood is included. I am guessing first one would be tee and the second angle? Most of the wood has rough surface what requires a little more preparation.  Clapboard siding is different from I have seen so far. Board spacing is closer than I am used to seing.
I didn't like the colors of the pilot model which I thought were too cold for hotel. I have chosen yellow and green instead only I didn't go for bright tones but toned down variants instead.
It may be awhile before I post next update. This structure has number of windows for sure. I have to install "glass" and then window treatments before I have anything new to show.

Project Update: Houligan's Alley by FSM

Here is a change I mentioned few days ago. After I am done with Raglan Road build I will use my lunch breaks to build a kit or maybe two for myself. Lately I have been looking more and more at these nice kits I have acquired over the past couple of years and drooling. Throw in the mix the fact Raglan Road is taking much more time than expected and here is a result. There are few other reasons involved but they are too personal to post them here.
I have decided to start with Houligan's Alley. It is my second favorite FSM kit. The number one is Skinner's Row but I don't have it. Number two is not a bad start at all either. I have already done some prep work that I can only do at home like spraying parts with primer and such. No pictures yet since what I have right now is pretty boring stuff.

Project Update: Slim's Dogs & Burgers by FOS Scale Models

This is the very last of last year's. I don't have much to say. The pictures tell the tale.

Project Update: Raglan Road by Bar Mills

Happy New Year!

There will be some change this year of when and what I build at least temporarily. Nothing dramatic though. I'll get back to this soon.

Lets get back to the last year's stuff. I am still wrestling Raglan Road and will continue that for some time in the nearest future. The pictures I am posting reflect pre-Christmas state. There has been some development since then. Skinners's Salvage finally got its front sign, awnings, and electrical installation. It still needs one casting installed, a sign or two, and rusty metal parts touched up before I can call it done. Hubcap Heaven got its roof top vent. I finally re-designed and installed signs for the pharmacy/candy store. It is called Ruthy's Sweets. I still need at least one thing to design before I can continue.
On a side note, the kit instructions mention that the pharmacy building has been designed after one seen in the movie "The Sting". I managed to see it during Holidays. I must say Bar Mills folks have taken some liberty recreating it. JL Innovative Design's Klein's Pharmacy kit is much closer to the original. I am not taking sides here though. Just stating a fact.