2016 Turkey Creek Build Challenge entry, Larry & Steve's Quality Automotive, part 2

In case you missed part 1, where I cover construction of the main building, 2016-turkey-creek-build-challenge-entry

A lot of scenic items and the small building were from the Woodland Scenics Smiley's Tow Service.

The parts in the Woodland Scenics kit.

 The diorama is about 12" square. The posts were cut from dowell stock, and the horizontal boards are from the Woodland Scenics kit.  I drilled holes of each post, to they are installed solid.  I used whatever I had laying around for the fence.  

 I had never used static grass before, but I was not going to spend a ton of money on a grasser.  I built mine using instructions by Ken Patterson.  Here is a link to his video, https://youtu.be/lHxDH8PyAzA

 I am not good with electronics, so if I can make one, any one can. The parts I bought to the left and the leftover parts for use someday for something to the right.

Here is the finished grasser.

Some examples of the applied grass.

I used several different brands of grass.  Whatever was available at the LHS.

I cut the souped up engines out of some old Hot Wheels I picked up at a flea market for 50 cents, and set them in the parking lot, as though they had just been delivered.

Larry and Steve are converting the old junk yard into a speed shop.  

 Larry and Steve have started fixing things up, a new sign, a new roof on the office, and replacing the bad boards in the fence.

 A view from the back, shows the patchwork fence still in place there.

 Details came from the Woodland Scenics kit, the junk box, and I 3D printed some.

 The vehicles, well the ones that are not junk, are from CMW.  The flatbed on the red truck is 3d printed, including the wood bed.  Here is a link to a blog entry I did on 3d printing with wood infused filament, 3d-printing-with-wood-wood-infused-pla

I circled a few of the items that I designed and 3D printed.  As mentioned in the previous installment, the roof ridge cap was printed in copper.  I have a couple of blog posts on 3D printing with copper, 3d-printing-in-copper part 1 and 3d-printing-in-copper-2-3-weathering.  The Chimney was also 3D printed.  In the front corner of the fence is a pile of copper scrap.  This is scrap from printing in copper, and I ground up the scrap in a blender before weathering it.  The gate, including the corrugated metal were also 3D printed.  To the left are the four truck bodies I designed and printed, including the trash truck body.  Two the car frames were printed, and the one mostly buried in grass came with the Woodland Scenics kit.  The two big wheels, pole road engine wheels, the large tires next to the trash truck, and the fan blade were also printed, as was the yellow car body in the near corner.

2016 Turkey Creek Build Challenge entry, Larry & Steve's Quality Automotive, part 1

The main building was part of the 2016 Turkey Creek Build Challenge.  This was a kit put together by a team of Turkey Creek members, and the wood was cut out on a CriCut.

When I started writing this post, I assumed I would be able to cover this diorama in one article, but it just drug on too long, so there will be two entries, one on the main building, and one on the rest of the diorama.

The plans, as seen above, and below, were drawn by a Turkey Creek member.  All the parts are shown above, including the Grandt Line windows.

A close up of the plans (as if you did not know that).  I changed the kit slightly, by adding a garage door on the front.

The wood cut on the CriCut is quite then, so they recommend a lot of bracing.  One cannot have too many clamps.

I weathered the outside with Alcohol and India Ink (A and I), and painted the interior with flat black.

I painted the fenestration wood color, and then slopped on some A and I, as can be seen on the items at the top of the picture.

Rather than using strip wood for the roof framing, I 3D printed the roof framing.  Above is the drawing in SketchUp.

This is the view on the computer of one side of the main roof loaded into the printer software.

A short video or the rafters being printed.

I solvent welded the two halves together with Methylene Chloride.  Since I generally print in ABS, Methylene Chloride works great.

For the stairway roof, I used cardstock, and then

covered it with roll roofing.  This roll roofing was left over from last years Turkey Creek kit.

I dabbed on some rubber cement, then brushed on some paint.  Peeling off the rubber cement, give a peeled paint look.  I dry brushed the doors and windows. 

I used real wood shingles.  The is cherry veneer, and it is available at most craft stores.  I picked this up at Jo-Ann Fabrics.

 I cut the veneer into various width strips, and glued them to black construction paper.

I then cut the rows of shingles 1/4" long.  I glued them to cardstock I attached to the rafters. 

I designed a ridge cap, and 3D printed it in Copper infused PLA. (more on Copper infused PLA can be seen at 3d-printing-in-copper and more at 3d-printing-in-copper-2-3-weathering.)  

I also used A and I to weather the shingles.  Note that I left a little gap between the shingles and let a little black show through.

Larry and Steve just bought the place, and are in the process of fixing things up, turning the salvage yard into a Hot Rod shop.

A couple new engines in the parking lot.  

A view of the finished roof.  

In a future installment, I will cover construction of the rest of diorama.  

Last years Turkey Creek build and be seen at these two links.  

turkey-creek-make-and-take-wood-kit 2015 part 1

turkey-creek-make-and-take-wood-kit 2016 part 2

Windmill & Tool Shed, Woodland Scenics #4, Down on the Farm #8

A two for one.  I always have a lot of projects going, therefore, multiple different threads, or series within the blog, going on at one time.  I am just about to the point where I have to start on the scenery on the farm diorama...and I really don't like scenery, which is why few things get actually finished.  I needed a windmill for the farm, and while digging it out of the Woodland Scenics box, I ran across a tool shed I figure I can stick somewhere.

The pars that come in the package on the windmill kit.  It seems line just about all the kits have some use for a piece of flexible wire.  It just seems to be in all of them.  After cleaning the flash from the castings, I tried to assemble the tripod that is the stand of the windmill.  The first issue was that one leg, the leg with the ladder, was about 1/16" longer than the other two.  )Woodland Scenics really needs to pull out the old masters and make new moulds more often.)  The next issue was how to hold the three sides in position while the glue dried.  

I ended up using the foam packing from the kit and cutting it to make a fixture to hold the sides in position while the epoxy set.  I used JB Weld slow set epoxy for metal.  IMHO, I use the original cold weld formula, http://www.jbweld.com/product/j-b-weld/.  It is reinforced with metal, is magnetic, which could be an issue in some situations, an can be machined if needed.  For metal projects where one wants an extremely hard bond, it is the way I go.

You can clearly see in this picture that one leg is longer than the others.  I used some more JB Weld and glued a small piece of wood to the top of the structure, and when it was set, I filed it to provide a flat surface for mounting the piece that is supposed to go on top  

I added a couple details, the actual pump, painted red, that I pieced together from some scraps of paper and styrene.  I will eventually run a pipe from the pump to watering troughs in the hog pen.  

I  also applied decals to the tail fin, I guess that is what you call it, with the lettering for a popular brand of windmill, Aermotor.  The decals were applied one letter at a time, as they were just a letter jumble from the decal junk box.  

The Tool Shed pieces from the Woodland Scenics web site.

I think I will add more green on the base to make the detail show up better.

Maybe some white dry brushing to make more of the details stand out.

For the hog farm, the last building I have planned is the corn crib, the one from Blairline, http://blairline.com/corncrib/.  So I better get started on it.

Previous posts in these series"

Down on the Farm:

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/09/smokehouse-ho-scale-3d-printed-down-on.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/09/storm-shelter-down-on-farm-2.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/09/slaughter-house-3d-printed-down-on-farm.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/11/shop-building-machinery-shed-down-on.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-house-3d-printed-down-on-farm-5.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/01/shop-building-machinery-shed-redux-down.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/01/octagon-barn-3d-printed-down-on-farm-6.html

http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/02/farrowing-barn-down-on-farm-8-3d-printed.html

Woodland Scenics:

Machine Shop:  http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/11/machine-shop-woodland-scenics.html

Treehouse, Outhouse: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2013/12/treehouse-outhouse-woodland-scenics.html

Woodland Scenics #3: http://nvrr49.blogspot.com/2014/01/docs-office-shoe-repair-couple-of.html