My next project
- Thread starter Gary Pfeil
- Start date
Brick work is fine but I like your idea of polished black granite too Gary which will be an interesting focus point.
I'm intrigued enough with the thought of how it could look that I've decided to go ahead any make up a front wall and try to get that marbleized (sp?) look. I'll just hold off on the brick till then. While I could just use styrene and scribe it for the size of block, I might wait till I get to the hobby store Thursday and see about using what is sold as sidewalk. Anybody duplicated this type of wall before?
I have painted theatre sets to look like marble, but nothing this small...!
To get the look of the marble, you use several colours that are blended together while wet. Just sort of smoosh the brush into the surface with a jabbing motion.
For the black marble, you probably want two or three shades, some white for flecks, and a grey or white for veining. In 1:1 scale we used a feather to create the veins in the marble. You probably want to use the tiniest brush you can find, with half the bristles cut off...!
You will have to seal it with a gloss coat to give it a shine. We washed the entire thing with an orange wash to make it look "antique", but that was for under the stage lights.
Looks like it might be time for a field trip to an old bank or somewhere you can find a sample of what you want to achieve...
Good luck!
Andrew
oooooo....
That black granite idea sounds great!
You might try some of the freebie websites for backgrounds. Get
one that looks good and print it. Then put a few gloss coats over
it. It might just look good.
Was doing that silly thinking again...
That black granite idea sounds great!
You might try some of the freebie websites for backgrounds. Get
one that looks good and print it. Then put a few gloss coats over
it. It might just look good.
Was doing that silly thinking again...
Gary what you're doing is totally fantastic! I love that bridge in the second shot - and the wrap-around building is great. I like the marble idea too, I've been considering something similar for the Bachmann Trade Tower kit. I guess painting would be your best bet, but I'm also wondering if there might be some arborite countertop covering that would work.
Another thing mentioned earlier in this thread has me a little bummed out though. I was planning on hiding the edge of my backdrop with a fence and I confess I thought this was an original idea! Guess not. Hmmmmm.
Anyway, great work! Keep the pix coming!
cheers
Val
Another thing mentioned earlier in this thread has me a little bummed out though. I was planning on hiding the edge of my backdrop with a fence and I confess I thought this was an original idea! Guess not. Hmmmmm.
Anyway, great work! Keep the pix coming!
cheers
Val
Here are two more heads. Perhaps you can use one of them...
I'm also curious if and when somebody posts a pic of a high-gloss marble facade of a building. Come to think of it, I also didn't see any of these black glass facades on a model RR layout. Would be great to see something like that on a modern time layout! (And to know how model it
)
Ron
I'm also curious if and when somebody posts a pic of a high-gloss marble facade of a building. Come to think of it, I also didn't see any of these black glass facades on a model RR layout. Would be great to see something like that on a modern time layout! (And to know how model it
)Ron
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Wow. Lots of activity here. Andrew, thanks for the description of how you painted marble 1:1. Perhaps tonight I will practice on some scrap styrene. My original thought was to try applying silver and gold to gloss black via a "mini sponging" effort. That is, to try to apply say gold to a dry course sponge, just enough to lightly coat the very top edges of the sponge, then use the sponge as a rubber pad to transfer the paint, like rubber pad printing. Or the old flick the toothbrush idea may be tried as well. A very tiny brush with half the bristles cut off may require more talent than I possess! Ken, one of these days I should get a good printer so I can try some of the things people do, like print brick paper and maybe granite and marble walls. And pirate logos too. My 8 year old $50 printer ain't going to help me here. Speaking of pirate logos, many thanks to both Ron and Blake. Blake, I like that logo, can you add the word "cement" to the bottom of the circle? Looks a lot like a logo used on the nose of FA's, doesn't it? Maybe a cement hopper owned by Ragnar Cement will need to be built. Are you able to print it so I can sand and apply it? Val, I too thought of the laminates used for counter tops. I mentioned it to Blake, who thought the material would be difficult to work with. I'm not sure where I would be able to get a small (say 7x14") piece not laminated to a counter top already. My rectangular piece with just two good sized openings might not be so difficult to cut from it. Hey, I'll try anything once, twice if I like it. Thanks for the compliment on the trestle Woodie. I spent a lot of time on that and I'm happy with the way it turned out.
If I get anything done in regard to the wall I'll post a shot. I'm going away for the weekend (Nearfest festival in Trenton-anyone else here going?- tremendous "progressive rock" artists, there may be tics being sold even tho sold out- check www.nearfest.com ) so if I haven't accomplished anything by Thursday evening, it will be next week.
Thanks everybody!
If I get anything done in regard to the wall I'll post a shot. I'm going away for the weekend (Nearfest festival in Trenton-anyone else here going?- tremendous "progressive rock" artists, there may be tics being sold even tho sold out- check www.nearfest.com ) so if I haven't accomplished anything by Thursday evening, it will be next week.
Thanks everybody!
Some of the contractors or Tile/Carpet places might have old
pieces or remnants (little left over pieces). Usually dirt cheap.
I'm sure you knew that though.
pieces or remnants (little left over pieces). Usually dirt cheap.
I'm sure you knew that though.
I have a suggestion...
...for your building Gary.
I worked in Paterson for a few years at a foundry. It was right on Railroad Ave. about 1/2 mile from the yard. There was a track that crossed the street into a loading dock. I modeled a kitbash of a smaller version in N and hope I can find that building.
Anyway- we made house lamps- brass palted zinc castings. We occupied a city block almost, an old brick building defineitely out of the late 1800s.
It seems to me the place was a foundry previously- we cast our own zinc in the foundry (120/135 degrees there in the summer), a milling depart ment, the polishing department, a brass plating room, on to finishing for paint/lacquer.
The finished parts went to stock. On the other side of the building the product was assembled, wired and boxed for shipment.
The different loads inbound would be zinc ingots on skids, barrels of anodes for brass and other types of plating, barrels and boxes of paint and solvents. Outbound are finished goods- boxed and stacked on pallets as well as the milled off trim from the castings, etc.
The other suggestion I have is a textile mill. You could call it Gary's Magic Carpets and have an O-Scale figure riding a Magic Carpet hovering over the building.
Looks great.
Mark
...for your building Gary.
I worked in Paterson for a few years at a foundry. It was right on Railroad Ave. about 1/2 mile from the yard. There was a track that crossed the street into a loading dock. I modeled a kitbash of a smaller version in N and hope I can find that building.
Anyway- we made house lamps- brass palted zinc castings. We occupied a city block almost, an old brick building defineitely out of the late 1800s.
It seems to me the place was a foundry previously- we cast our own zinc in the foundry (120/135 degrees there in the summer), a milling depart ment, the polishing department, a brass plating room, on to finishing for paint/lacquer.
The finished parts went to stock. On the other side of the building the product was assembled, wired and boxed for shipment.
The different loads inbound would be zinc ingots on skids, barrels of anodes for brass and other types of plating, barrels and boxes of paint and solvents. Outbound are finished goods- boxed and stacked on pallets as well as the milled off trim from the castings, etc.
The other suggestion I have is a textile mill. You could call it Gary's Magic Carpets and have an O-Scale figure riding a Magic Carpet hovering over the building.
Looks great.
Mark
Gary, what did you use to make the silos? I want to make something like that in my main yard, but I only have about 2" clearance between the last track and the backdrop! Any ideas?
