Back after another long pause... I have been busy working on several buildings I try to list on eBay and naturally I placed this blog on the back burner. Can't promise it won't happen again, but for now I am back.
Some time ago, I began work on Magnuson's Victoria Street Townhouses, a hard to find and somewhat expensive kit that features four historic townhouses. This kit is considered to be a craftsman kit, but I would rather call it pain-in-the-rear-end kit. The two side walls came crooked and I had to use heat to reshape them - a vast improvement but still not perfect. As you can see in the photos below I have primed the areas that will eventually be painted.
The second kit I have been working on is Bachmann's Department Store. Not hard to find, but usually expensive. Parts were also primed and spray painted - I used acrylic wash for the mortar lines. The brick walls didn't come out the way I hoped, so I had to remove (wash out) the acrylic paint and opt for spray. Unfortunately the spray I used (produced by Krylon) proved to be a disaster. Hopefully, the weathering job will fix some of the imperfections. Currently I put this project aside, but more details will become available when I resume work on this kit. For now, I can share two photos of the more detailed facade.
The photo above was taken before I added the brick-finished additions at the top and bottom. They are visible on the image below (shows one of the shorter sides of the building):
Currently, I am working on a M. T. Arms Hotel kit by DPM. It looks similar to Bachmann's Department Store, but it is significantly less detailed, easier to assemble and quicker to finish, although painting the finer details proves to be a more time consuming task than I thought. If you decide to go with the more popular coloring schemes (for this kit), you will end up with a less inspiring product. I took a different route. Here is the image of the kit:
First, I removed the sprues and smoothened all surfaces that needed smoothing. I still don't understand why DPM placed sprues in some windows, making it easier to damage the window frames, but with careful work this will only take a few minutes. The next step was to wash the parts with warm water and liquid soap, which is a pretty standard practice, as it prepares the surface for a good paint job. After priming the walls (only the exterior) with white primer, I sprayed the non-brick sides. Sorry, I don't remember the color name, but it is some sort of darker beige, which is close to the original color of the kit.
The brick walls were actually painted using acrylic paint, but I was very displeased with the result. I washed the two walls and spray painted them using the same dark beige color I used for the other two walls. Once the paint dried, I painted the window frames using acrylic paint. Not the best job, but in real life we rarely see perfection. I ran a burnt amber wash and the results were simply great!!! See photo below to get an idea:
Not bad. It looks much better in real life, but even as is it doesn't look bad. The next step will be to paint the window frames once more and take care of some imperfections that can be fixed easily. Then, I plan to weather all four sides using chalks, add the "glass" and window dressings/blinds, glue the walls together, place the roof and put whatever final touches are needed.
There will be actual reviews of the kits, but for now I must say that working with DPM kits is fun. Some modifications are needed, occasionally, but they are all worth the time. Bachmann's Spectrum line - The Department Store is part of this collection - offers several structures as a great way to add realism to your layout, but these kits are far more involved. Last, but not least, Magnuson's townhouses are very nice to have, especially if you can buy 2-3 copies of this kit, but expect a lot more work. Even without the crooked walls, this kit requires a lot of smoothing and filing. Once done, however, I expect the townhouses to be my favorite project so far.
Some time ago, I began work on Magnuson's Victoria Street Townhouses, a hard to find and somewhat expensive kit that features four historic townhouses. This kit is considered to be a craftsman kit, but I would rather call it pain-in-the-rear-end kit. The two side walls came crooked and I had to use heat to reshape them - a vast improvement but still not perfect. As you can see in the photos below I have primed the areas that will eventually be painted.
(Photos will be posted here)
The second kit I have been working on is Bachmann's Department Store. Not hard to find, but usually expensive. Parts were also primed and spray painted - I used acrylic wash for the mortar lines. The brick walls didn't come out the way I hoped, so I had to remove (wash out) the acrylic paint and opt for spray. Unfortunately the spray I used (produced by Krylon) proved to be a disaster. Hopefully, the weathering job will fix some of the imperfections. Currently I put this project aside, but more details will become available when I resume work on this kit. For now, I can share two photos of the more detailed facade.
The photo above was taken before I added the brick-finished additions at the top and bottom. They are visible on the image below (shows one of the shorter sides of the building):
Currently, I am working on a M. T. Arms Hotel kit by DPM. It looks similar to Bachmann's Department Store, but it is significantly less detailed, easier to assemble and quicker to finish, although painting the finer details proves to be a more time consuming task than I thought. If you decide to go with the more popular coloring schemes (for this kit), you will end up with a less inspiring product. I took a different route. Here is the image of the kit:
First, I removed the sprues and smoothened all surfaces that needed smoothing. I still don't understand why DPM placed sprues in some windows, making it easier to damage the window frames, but with careful work this will only take a few minutes. The next step was to wash the parts with warm water and liquid soap, which is a pretty standard practice, as it prepares the surface for a good paint job. After priming the walls (only the exterior) with white primer, I sprayed the non-brick sides. Sorry, I don't remember the color name, but it is some sort of darker beige, which is close to the original color of the kit.
The brick walls were actually painted using acrylic paint, but I was very displeased with the result. I washed the two walls and spray painted them using the same dark beige color I used for the other two walls. Once the paint dried, I painted the window frames using acrylic paint. Not the best job, but in real life we rarely see perfection. I ran a burnt amber wash and the results were simply great!!! See photo below to get an idea:
Not bad. It looks much better in real life, but even as is it doesn't look bad. The next step will be to paint the window frames once more and take care of some imperfections that can be fixed easily. Then, I plan to weather all four sides using chalks, add the "glass" and window dressings/blinds, glue the walls together, place the roof and put whatever final touches are needed.
There will be actual reviews of the kits, but for now I must say that working with DPM kits is fun. Some modifications are needed, occasionally, but they are all worth the time. Bachmann's Spectrum line - The Department Store is part of this collection - offers several structures as a great way to add realism to your layout, but these kits are far more involved. Last, but not least, Magnuson's townhouses are very nice to have, especially if you can buy 2-3 copies of this kit, but expect a lot more work. Even without the crooked walls, this kit requires a lot of smoothing and filing. Once done, however, I expect the townhouses to be my favorite project so far.
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