Inside Out: Shed structure (Part 2)…
It seemed right to start with the key structure on such a small vignette, a curiousity, a true cameo…
I relished the challenge here - I enjoy making small structure in N gauge, but I had never needed to include both the inside and outside to the same detail, same texture.
Normally I’d use 30 thou styrene and overlay, using superglue to avoid warping, textured embossed styrene to the outside. That would have made things very thick, especially around the windows in this structure so instead, I’ve taken a different approach. The brick base has this 30 thou sandwich, but above this the corrugated metal is just a single skin, attached a to a styrene frame. Mind, I cheated with the end wall, and just used plain styrene! I figured, once painted and detailed, our eye would just imagine the corrugation and this construction method allowed things to be more robust.
The progress was crafted in just a few mindful hours, grabbed between jobs yesterday. Moving from paper mock up to styrene gives a feeling of permanence and a commitment to continue. Today I will enjoy adding the roof vent, doors and detail whilst musing on how to do the concrete floor and inspection pit on Monday… for once, the box construction will be painless with a sharp blade and flare board. I have also indulged in some Modelu detail parts for the interior, just enough to bring it to life without creating clutter. It will be fun to pose and adjust these when they arrive after Christmas… speaking of which, the Austerity has been whisked away without me even ‘testing’ it so for once, I’ll open something for the first time, with the excitement of my inner child, something I’ve not enjoyed for many years.
Meanwhile, it’s time for a second coffee. Have a good day… until next time, more soon…
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This is a real cracker of an idea James (pun intended). I appear to be being pushed towards 7mm scale, and this kind of thing would be a good test piece and somewhere for a big Gronk to live as demonstrated here.. Following with great interest.
ReplyDelete2nd coffee time here too! Have a great day.
Thanks John. I think, personally, the challenge with a larger scale is just as hard as the smaller one. Getting your eye in and working out the ‘visual texture’ level you need, now to model weathered tired surfaces and not clutter a scene with cameo rubbish, all the same. Sounds a great project… as I said to Andrew on yesterday’s post, does it need to be inside out for you? If so, you could perhaps just model the shed line, and have a single track, the shed forming the front edge of the cameo on the outside?
DeleteYes, I agree about the challenge, so easy to over clutter. It’s literally only three days since I started to seriously think about changing to 7mm, and it feels like the Universe agrees, with support from an unexpected quarter arriving…
DeleteRegarding the design, I’ve thought long, as per one of yesterday's correspondents, about modelling a view from a window, but the perspective is a killer. Inside Out reminds me of the current vogue for bookshelf nooks it’s so tiny! I love the concept, and I won’t be starting anything before Christmas, indeed I have a OO cameo to get on with first, and a 2mm one…. Plenty to think about while the sprouts are cooking.
Now, that looks GREAT. So full of character already. I will be interested to see if your plans for the plan styrene end wall will work out. Roll on the next installment of this build.
ReplyDeleteYes. I think some framing for the corrugated sheeting to be attached to will help, and then there will be some pipework and conduit too… either way I couldn’t work out an easy way, in N, to give the strength I needed without recourse to a solid core…
DeleteA great idea James, I'm enjoying your enthusiasm for the project too! I've often thought a clay works modelled on the front edge of a layout and detailed would work well. I had the opportunity to do this on a previous layout based on car is wharf but changed my mind in the end and left the clay works as a view block which lots of people kind of criticised as they had to keep looking around the building instead of through it as I originally intended! As a long time N gauge modeller, I found O gauge a shock but I'm now fully immersed.
ReplyDeleteI think that sounds interesting Tom. It would be difficult to do well depending on viewing angles… here with a shed we’re used to low angle shots, I think this works with the concept quite well.
DeleteGood progress today. Can’t wait to share more tomorrow.
Hi James
ReplyDeleteThis is a really interesting concept and one which looks as if it will turn out well. It might also work I imagine in 1-76, as somewhere for my small remaining collection of 00 stock. Maybe a cement works and if placed high enough would disguise the “narrow gauge” track.
I have that IRS book on the Manvers Main/Barnburgh system. I also managed an “unofficial“ visit ( they nearly all were!!) back in 1970, to what was one of largest NCB systems I visited .
A visit to the shed was cut short by a warning that “the white coat man”, who I assumed was a somewhat officious colliery manger, was due back from Barnburgh soon, but if went to the screens I would see the working locos and be out of his sight. I did as was suggested and recorded the two working steam (Austerities), a Sentinel 060 and two ex-BR Drewry 060 plus some I did not photograph. Steam was it appeared on its last legs but the drivers still preferred steam over diesel, being, they said, more surefooted and powerful.
It’s poignant to think that fifty five years later, all is swept away.
I will sort out some photos and notes if you want, but they may not add much to your project
Best regards and Christmas wishes
Alan
Thank you Alan, would love to see them and share them here for everyone to see too! I can see this working in any scale, but N is proving to be good fun!
DeleteHi James
DeleteWill see what I have and send to you
Alan
I don't normally like doing one of these type of "me too" posts, but I just have to add my voice to the others to say this is a brilliant idea! This kind of thing would be perfect for a holiday project. Something to put together in a short space of time over the Christmas break for instance The rate you are going, you will be finished by the new year! I can't wait to see how this develops.
ReplyDeleteThanks David, that’s very kind. Today I’ve just written about that sense of ‘flow’ that you sort of infer here, yes, it’s a great project and one that I’m deeply enjoying.
Delete