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Post by g3750 on Mar 21, 2021 1:43:53 GMT
Updated 3/20/2021: We have started putting down Highland Avenue on its styrofoam base. I have installed man-holes (painted and rusted) in the middle of the street. I am using Hold The Foam glue to attach the Leisuretime street (kind of like a tar paper) to the foam. Here are a couple of photos of the road clamped to the foam.
I also spray painted the remaining side walk sections and used a wash to darken them a bit.
They will probably get a second or even third coat to darken some sections. Here's my recipe for the wash: - Use Matte Medium 1:4 w/ Water plus 2-3 drops dish washing liquid
- Take 10ml of that mixture and add 5 drops of India Ink
- With a small brush, wash (scrub) the sidewalk.
- Blot with paper towel.
This leaves a light grimy wash. More when I know it.
George |
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Post by g3750 on Mar 28, 2021 3:49:28 GMT
Updated 3/27/2021: At the beginning of March, I published a profile of the hillside behind the Steubenville PRR station. It was a work-in-progress. Since then, I have been working more closely with the actual area and available space and have updated it to better reflect reality. I don't expect the changes to do much (if anything) to components already procured, but they will affect the construction (obviously). The big changes in the diagram are: - Each of the types of houses has been measured and positioned relative to the backdrop
- I've split each house down the middle or at least to closest point where it reaches full height (if that makes sense)
- I identified each of the stair profiles required. I think they will work out nicely as the houses (and street) rise west to east
More when I know it.
George
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Post by ptc on Mar 28, 2021 15:43:31 GMT
Sidewalks and streets, so important to give the realistic look.
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Post by Country Joe on Mar 31, 2021 1:37:58 GMT
George, it looks like you will only use the front half of each house. Is that correct?
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Post by g3750 on Apr 1, 2021 3:44:28 GMT
George, it looks like you will only use the front half of each house. Is that correct? Yes, that's the plan. George
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Post by g3750 on Apr 1, 2021 3:51:09 GMT
Updated 3/31/2021: A friend made me some gorgeous HO concrete stairs and hand rails. I am in the process of: - Layering and gluing down styrofoam so as to construct the basic structure of the hillside
- Painting the stairs
- Painting and weathering the sidewalks
Here's the planned area (overhead using RR-Track)
Here's the prototype as shown by Google Earth (this is modern day, house colors and details will be different for 1952-3).
Here's the area on the backdrop with 4 of the houses in place. The section of road running vertically is Superior Street.
This shot shows some of the 2" styrofoam blocks being used to create the hill. The drawing against the layout shows a cross-section of hillside and the relationship of the HO houses to it. Three separate types of HO houses will be cut in half and used in the diorama. My thinking on this has cleared considerably since making this drawing.
One of the holes for the house wiring just be seen in the photo below.
In the shot below, the hillside and a set of concrete stairs mate up (nearly) with a slightly crooked house front. The area at the foot of the stairs will hold a sidewalk and Highland Avenue. It is (obviously) not yet in the final position.
More when I know it.
George
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Post by ptc on Apr 1, 2021 12:34:16 GMT
You have planned this very well, George. I am impressed with all of the work you are putting into your new layout. Nicely done.
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Post by g3750 on Apr 1, 2021 22:12:51 GMT
You have planned this very well, George. I am impressed with all of the work you are putting into your new layout. Nicely done. Thank you!
George
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Post by g3750 on Apr 3, 2021 3:53:16 GMT
Updated 04/02/2021:
Working on the first of the HO houses.
Here's one of the stairs. Not sure about the color. I'm going for painted, yellowing concrete, but I'm not sure I am there yet.
Here's the front porch (in the foreground). The brick front for the porch is in the background.
I've just flipped the front wall over and glued in the door and windows.
And here's what it looks like from the front.
George
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Post by g3750 on Apr 4, 2021 1:41:58 GMT
Updated 04/03/2021:
Today I made a trip to Hobby Express to get: - Super glue - don't you just hate when you run out (or it dries up)? Anyway, I needed some instant and some medium viscosity to move forward on Dave's grandmothers house.
- I also picked up some drapes! In fact, I got all sorts of drapes and blinds from City Classics, enough for all the HO houses.
Actual work did take place, including the cementing of all windows in the front of the house and the accurate cutting of the brick front porch.
More when I know it.
George
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Post by g3750 on Apr 5, 2021 1:15:43 GMT
Updated 04/04/2021: Building HO houses, especially those that must be cut to fit a specific location, is a bit tricky. HO is too small, at least for me. I cut the base of the 2 story frame house to fit the diagram (or so I thought). In fact, it is about .10” too long, which is must better than too short. We’ll stick with it and see how the stairs work with that slightly steeper angle. Next I cut the house’s side walls and basement walls to that size. I’ve also cut out the front porch overlay using HO brick styrene sheet from Plastruct. That was also tedious and exacting work. All this had to be done under a magnifier loop. The porch has been assembled using a styrene glue (Pro-Ambroid) I had on hand. It’s pretty old, but should be OK. The mortar lines of the brick porch were enhanced with some diluted off-white acrylic paint. I wiped it on and then off. The dirty drain holes were highlighted using an India ink / matte medium wash.
Next, the window frames and the door were inserted into the front wall, which was then flipped over. I applied styrene glue to the backs of the door and the windows so that it would seep into the joints. After that, these were set aside to dry.
My trip to Hobby Express yielded some of wonderful City Classics HO curtains and blinds. These were cut and applied to the front wall of the two-story frame house. I then laid some black construction paper behind the 3 upper story windows to indicate the rooms were unoccupied and dark. A piece of scrap balsa wood was cut to approximate the floor between the two stories; it will help complete the light box. All these were affixed using some of Eileen’s Tachy Glue.
More when I know it.
George
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Post by ptc on Apr 5, 2021 12:44:56 GMT
Working with O-Gauge, I bet the smallness of HO accessories is a real pain. But the look will be worth the effort.
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Post by g3750 on Apr 5, 2021 14:25:58 GMT
Working with O-Gauge, I bet the smallness of HO accessories is a real pain. But the look will be worth the effort. Well, it is a pain, but I'm starting to get some momentum with this project. So much of the delay has been deciding what to do and then stumbling forward trying to do it (unknown territory). But we are finally seeing some real progress.
I do hope the look is worth it. HO modelers have so much more to choose from. By themselves, I would say that the Walthers offerings out-number the collective buildings and kits available in O scale probably 3:1.
I have to keep reminding myself that this is a backdrop, and albeit a 3-D backdrop, no one will get closer than 5' to it (more likely 10').
George
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Post by g3750 on Apr 6, 2021 1:28:16 GMT
Updated 4/5/2021: Not too much got done today - teaching day. Did get the porch attached, installed a light inside the door, and glued the front wall to the porch assembly. I also cut the brick porch end. I hope to cut and fit the brick to the porch tomorrow. Here's a good look at the blacked out upper story.
And you can see the Just Plug LED light (peel & stick) on the bottom of the front door. We will be lighting up the 1st floor. Between the stories is a small piece of balsa wood that will serve as the floor/ceiling.
Here's a look at the front. I've glued the weathered floor to the front porch. Above it is the support for the porch roof. A section of brick with 3 columns will go in front of the porch lattice work.
More when I know it.
George
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Post by g3750 on Apr 7, 2021 2:43:09 GMT
Updated 4/6/2021:
Made some serious progress today. In this photo I have glued the brick siding to the front of the porch.
Here's a look at the corner of the porch before we glue it in place.
I am just about to cut the tops of the columns to mate up with the porch roof.
I glued and clamped the brick siding to the porch front and installed the roof (I aged it with a wash). The brick columns were cut to the proper size and fastened to the front bottom of the porch roof.
I must confess that I am proud of the eaves that I installed on the front of the house. Yeah, that was done under a magnifier with tweezers. What a PITA! That plastic is just 3/64" wide!
I have glued and clamped the eaves, gutters, and aged roof (the sections are upside down so it can't be seen) sections together. When it's all done, I will cut them to the proper length and install.
More when I know it.
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