Installed a whole house fan this morning, which should make sleeping much easier. Our high attic traps a great deal of heat and without any insulation in the ceiling it seemed to me what food must feel like under the broiler.
However, the porch on which is the layout space is really an addition to the house and doesn't fall under the influence of the whole house fan at all. Modeling either happens in the living room (where the portable AC is) on my 2'x2' board or early in the morning/late at night when the porch is cool.
I did recently get a shop light hung with full spectrum bulbs over the layout space. My usual day off is Monday so I'm taking Tuesday as well. I hope to finalize the layout plan and run off a few copies to sketch out scenery ideas, framing layout, etc. and construct a small model of the layout with cardstock or balsa.
Still kicking around backdrop ideas. 1/8" masonite seems like the most economical choice next to 1/8 lauan, with the masonite being more flexible. I'm thankful for all the feedback on that post. But I keep leaning toward primed canvas. It should hang well without warping as long as it's tacked to a sturdy frame, and flexibility is no problem at all. Plus, it's ready for painting, or a few more layers of gesso to smooth it out further.
I have a theory that the texture of the surface, if it's a little matte or rough will actualy appear more realistic because the glare will be reduced. As long as it's well done so not to be distracting (either too simple or too ornate...I'm sure there are many opinions about this out there on either end of the spectrum).
There's a structure modeling contest for my club coming up in August, so I pulled out a diorama I had started a while back. Also promised to work on a grain elevator for a friend that may become a contest entry as well. And there's that SS Ltd Timber Gantry that's been started...modified for working lights above the tracks. So who knows. Maybe a little bit of everything. We'll see.
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