Crane fitting
Brazier
Workshop paining
Laurence continued mining into the grassy bank where the crane is being fitted. Wooden blocks representing concrete bases had been made and painted. Fine tuning ensured the crane legs where at the correct angle.
Stephen dismantled a battery powered, flickering tea-light into its component parts. The flickering was integral with the pale yellow LED, which made remodelling easier. The brazier (an original John Langridge item) had a 5mm hole drilled in the back to suit the LED. Wires soldered on the LED were extended into the scenery void behind the workshop. Initially, a power supply unit was going to replace the 2032 3v battery, but it was easier to reuse the original casing, battery and switch. Once tested, the LED was glued in place and 'coal' was glued over that. The gently flickering pale yellow light was perfect.
Geoff tackled painting the workshop brickwork to make it more realistic colour-wise, and to remove the sheen of the plastic. First an overall terracotta layer of paint, then flecks of darker and lighter hues. Geoff experimented with a technique he'd read about using white paint spread over the whole wall and the excess wiped off the surface, but he wasn't happy and removed it completely. A brief trial of Humbrol modelling filler rubbed into the joints went the same way. Finally, a mix of powdered filler and grey acrylic paint was applied all over. Once dry, this was rubbed off using a stiff brush - a stunning success.
