This update includes more work on backdrops in a number of areas.
BJ adding detail with Pastels
North East Corner
BJ is drawing the tree trunks on with pastels.
The pastel trees have brought the north east corner to life.
The colour of the hills and the pastel trees have toned in well.
More pastel trees on the hillside are bringing the plaster work in the foreground to life.
Above the Helix
BJ has added more trees above the helix
Western Wall
BJ adding pastel tree trunks to the western wall.
Foliage added to tree trucks painted in September
BJ added some lichen to the tree trunks.
A side view of the lichen trees.
Video of his pastel techniques
The wizard and his pastels,
Western Wall Lower Level
The linoleum is up, ( thanks to all hands on deck, Bob, Barry & Pam. ) the liquid nails went off quick.
All we need to do now is clean it ! ( Thanks Jim for the helping hand.)
South Western Corner
Industrial building
We want to install some sort of Industrial building that will hopefully detract from the corner view.
I hope the painter can hide the ripple on the curve !
Facade location
The MDF board was pulled off the southern wall by the stairs and replaced with linoleum so we could install building facades at a later date and have better clearances.
This month we have worked on Curved backdrop props while BJ does some more painting.
The Supervisor
watching every move,
Backdrops
Jim, Chris & me did the woodwork while BJ was on the artists' brushes.....
The work happened in a number of areas
Above the Helix
BJ applying paint to the helix backdrop
BJ is blending the hills of the helix backdrop into the existing scenery.
The application of some trees are bringing it to life.
Have a look at his methods
BJ applying some more distant hills above the rocky outcrop on the eastern wall.
BJ adding some more distant limestone outcrops on the south eastern corner backdrop.
BJs blending of colour of the hillside is showing some depth and the trees are bringing it to life.
BJ laying down on the job while some of the roster on the helix sleep.
North East Corner
BJ blending the existing backdrop on the northern wall to the eastern wall.
Watch how he layers the colours to get the right mix of colours
The blending of the two walls are not nearly complete but looking good.
Now what a difference it makes when the two walls become one, great work BJ.
Hey Tom B what do you think?
Lower Level Western Wall
Now folks, this is what happens when you don't sit down and plan and you lay track and run trains.
I had a problem with the back drop, I wanted to have a backdrop on the lower level below the double track run around below the upper level, but I could not curve MDF 3mm sheet because the curvature were too tight!.
I remembered that Joe Fugate's DVD's showed him using linoleum as a backdrop material where flexibility was needed. I thought that might be a go,seeing that one can curve and paint it,smooth side of course,so here it is.
The double track under the top deck takes up a bit of room,so I decided to put up curved battens to support the linoleum and save space on the bottom deck.
This is a close up shot of what the curved battens look like, ( I think I need more )
Chris admiring the stack of battens that he & Jim cut up.
I have gluing marks on the batten that is being clamped to the bench,so all other battens that we mark will have the glue in the right place when it is applied to the stringers.
OK boys,here we go, gluing the battens to the stringers.
Chris and I are hard at it while the super is watching on.
work in progress.
and there is more.
you can never have enough clamps !
Proto 1000 RDC
Discussion on proposed sound decoder installation
Jim has just got his Southern Pacific one and only Bud Car ( RDC ) so we all thought we would see where the decoder & speaker would be best placed when we install sound in the unit.
I pulled my Santa Fe unit out of the box for a look see, yep! be nice on DCC and sound.
Oh sh.t I dropped the body mounting screw on the floor - now just where did it go....
Beware of Loco Box foam
Hi Folk's. not long ago I had a GN S-2 4-8-4 test running on the Hallett Cove Southern and I had the odd drawbar short out, it runs ok on home rails but that's another story, anyway I went to rob another drawbar from an older Tenshodo GN S-2 to my horror when I saw it, she was all gummed up with oily foam goo, now it needs a full on paint job. When I had ran it last on DC I had not wrapped the loco & tender in a thin plastic wrapper prior to putting it back in the foam surround in the box,so watch out for oily foam it ruins mechanisms & good paint jobs.
Well another day and a bit more achieved. Bj did some trees using pastels - trunks that is to complement the previous painting. We were lucky enough to witness how he does "closer tree trunks" using a bamboo skewer and craft paint straight from the tube (which will have fine liken later for foliage) He also decided that the previous work above the helix was just not going to "do the connecting of scenes" - so paint it out and do something different! Tom B we caught some additional video just for you....
Above the Helix
Tree Trunks by Pastels
A short video on how BJ did it
Tree Trunks by Paint
A short three part video on how BJ did it
I hope this provides further insight as to how we are doing things..
