Scratch built fish cannery

[Dave Harris]

Been a while since I had time to browse The Gauge. Man a lot of good stuff has been added.
I really like the Scratchin -n- Bashin section. I've never been able to build anything the way the kit manf. intended , so everything I do is bashed or scratch. Some folks say cobbled would be more apt tho.
Here is a couple pics (I hope) of the Ramona Bay Fishermans Collective that I scratched for the S.N.O.B.'s Tule Springs & Western Railroad.
I used Scribed wood over a stryene core. The shingles are cedar cigar wrapper , applied one by one, windows are Grandt line with microscope slide glass panes. There is an operating wall clock in the office on the left side, the screen door has actual screen in it .( It was made out of the filter screen of an old GM auto-transmission --super fine stuff!! They don't use it anymore now they are some kind of foam stuff, try an old trans shop they may have some old ones left -thats where I found this one)
The open door on the right side has a simulated Arc welder working inside , not flashing lights but a rig that puts out sparks like welding slag along with the welding arc.
The last thing I'm gonna mention is the working brass carved weather-vane, a swordfish. Hope I haven't bragged too much.

Dave

 

[Dave Harris]

ok the pics did not make it . Can some one tell me how to get them to post?

Dave

 

[Dave Harris]

Trying again

 

[Dave Harris]

Another

 

[Dave Harris]

one more once!! as Duke Ellington used to say.

 

[n-scaler-dude]

...and I thought I was being innovative by using cedar cigar wrappers for wood supplies .

I guess nothing is new under the sun .

The cannery looks real cool!. It's scratchbuilt structures like your's, and most of the others' here as well, that provides inspiration for us amateurs.

 

[Dave Harris]

Richard,

There are many things "olde" that are forgotton , then rediscovered, some by remembering ,others by one like yourself thru imagination & viewing things not for what they are but what they could be.
There is a book that was printed by M/Railroader called 1001 tips for model railroaders ( perhaps it was some other number 700 or 850 , I don't remember for sure) any way, if you could find a copy of this long out of print book, it contains many-many- ideas & hints for modeling that are still viable today, Of course a good number are no longer valid, for a number of reasons, example using carbon-tet for cleaning!!! , or making "tin"
roofing out of LEAD Foil tooth paste tubes!!
Another thing to remember we ALL made our first model sometime, so no one was not at one time a beginner.

Dave

 

[Tyson Rayles]

Really nice work Dave.

 

[kettlestack]

A fabulous bit of "cobling" you've done there Dave!

It's so full of character. It has all the ingredients.. contour, colour and texture. Simply great!

Do you have any others you can inspire us with?

Errol

 

[rich maiorano]

can swell the fish from here or wait min. or is that me rich

ok it was the cats

 

[davidstrains]

Originally posted by kettlestack

Do you have any others you can inspire us with?

Errol

Great bit of modeling. I second errol's request to see the other structures on you layout.

 

[TomPM]

Great looking model.

 

[spitfire]

Great work!

Great modelling Dave. What really adds another layer of realism is the way you've used all those different sizes and even styles of window. And that complicated roof-line is just excellent!

cheers
Val

 

[Clerk]

Looks great Dave. I gave up scratch building. Everytime I tried it turned out like a piece of junk or like a 1st grader built it.

 

[sumpter250]

Another thing to remember we ALL made our first model sometime, so no one was not at one time a beginner.

Dave,
First, beautiful work!
Second, in a forum like this it's good to once in a while, remind ourselves of our own beginnings. The people, new to the hobby, who are awed by some of the fine modeling, need to be encouraged by the fact that we didn't start out building models as fine.

I gave up scratch building. Everytime I tried it turned out like a piece of junk or like a 1st grader built it.

Clerk,
At some point, every 1st grader, graduates from highschool!
Scratch building is relatively simple, you build each piece of the final model, and then you assemble it, just as you would a kit, or add each piece as it is finished. Either way, it's the piece your building each time you sit down to work. When the pieces are done, the model is done.
Pete

 

[n-scaler-dude]

dave - Thanks for the tip on the MR'ing book. I've collected alot of instructionals, and read most of them, prior to actaully starting on this venture, but that is one I don't have. I will surely look for it.

My first actual scratchbuilt structure, which I am working on now, is made almost entirely of strips cut from those cigar wrappings. Mostly because that is what I had around the house.

You can see the progress of it, so far, in my thread "My first model RR project", in the N/Z threads.

I've since added siding and am getting ready to shingle (one shingle at a time).

 

[Matthyro]

Great modelling Dave. A good addition to any layout

 

[marty w.]

Looking good Dave.

Marty

 

[Ralph]

Oh that's neat! I really like the unique shape of the building and details like the shingles and that great weather vane! I also like the tanks on the roof. Lots of character!
Ralph

 

[shamus]

Hi Dave, thats some great modelling/scratchbuilding you have done, I like that a lot.
Shamus