Wednesday 29th November 2023

Worklist:

Fit pipe support bases with magnets.

Paint brick buildings with flecks.

Remake pipe support frame bases.

Geoff had glued rusty steel strips to the pipe support frame ends so that magnets in the bases would secure the frames, but also allow them to be easily removed. 2mm diameter cylinder magnets were epoxied into holes in the bases. However, on testing stability, the layer of rust separated from the steel plates and stayed glued on the frames. The issue would be looked at in due course. 

Geoff made-up a palette of suitable brick shades and daubed dots and flecks all over the brickwork. He had used this method on the workshop and it worked well (See later). Once dry, fresh repair filler will be rubbed over the surface to add the mortar joints, but at the same time, the brickwork colours are also 'merged' with the basecoat. 

Stephen had made up gutters and downpipes for the roofs, which were offered-up for a size and alignment check. The gutters will be joined into a single, central downpipe.

Stephen cleaned up the rusty steel base strips and made plasticard strips the same size, which were superglued together. Plasticard sections were also added to stiffen the plates.

Geoff bent two lengths of steel and brass rods to the required arrangements. One is designated for light sludge and the other a water supply. He cleaned-up some 3D printed pipe flanges printed last week and tested them on the two pipes. 

The pipes will be bent down to the 'concrete' base and run off to the flooded quarry. A new tree was discussed for in front of the base to obscure the future hole in the back scene.

A long time ago, when the stonemasons building was just an idea, Stephen went through a reconstituted stone manufacturers website and produced a selection of standard stone components as 3D drawing files. Some typical garden items and some gravestones were also produced. At this time, Geoff only had a filament 3D printer and the objects came out a little on the crude side, requiring a fair amount of fettling. Over lunch, the files were located and a set run-off on the latex printer, with a much improved surface finish. A trial packing case was also included, but although this didn't come out so cleanly, it should be possible to rectify the problem.

A better view of the foliage on the side of the derelict cottage, which hides the rear track to the fiddleyard. 

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The workshop walls after filler-scrub treatment. The daubs on the new buildings are more in the red/orange range.

Wednesday 22nd November 2023

Worklist:

Apply base coat of paint on the brick buildings.

Check and review 3D printing of pipe flanges.

Continue forming weeds/shrubbery along alleyway.

Weather loading dock building.

The base brick colour was discussed and a single pot rather than a blend was chosen. Geoff then got to work.

Meanwhile, the 3D printed pipe flanges that were started earlier and had been unloaded and left to drain were reviewed. There are two sizes, and with bolts on both sides, vertical printing was required which meant that supports had to be added. 

After a wash in IP alcohol, the supports were removed and the flanges cured under the 'nail bar unit'.

Stephen continued with the alley shrubbery. Black plasticard strips were assembled and glued to the cottage to ensure the shrubbery could be removed with the cottages. The strands were twisted and prodded into a position to form a framework for the finer material.

The finer material was teased out and glued in place including a few dangly bits and some along the gutter. After rustification by Geoff, the corrugated barricade across the front was also glued to the cottage. We'll see if everything comes away cleanly once the glue has dried! It's hard to believe it's a board joint and that there's a railway line 20mm behind the corrugated iron.

The completed brick buildings dropped into place. It's a bold colour, but the next stage is to daub with spots of alternative colours (TBA), then coat with a plaster filler mixture for the mortar joints. The dried surface material will be rubbed off to (hopefully) achieve the same effect as the workshop on Worton Court. 

The assembled group, including the loading dock that Geoff had also weathered.

The signage is still temporary, awaiting more research and some decision making.

Wednesday 15th November 2023

Worklist:

Review latest work on cottages.

Develop pipe structure/bridge.

Develop rambling plant installation.

Stephen had painted the cottages and fitted gutters and downpipes. 

The derelict cottage had been given a blocked up window and broken window. We had originally planned for this to be fire-damaged, so the effects of such will be investigated.

Stephen had been researching names and signage possibilities for the factory, which had been bounced back and forth. Geoff had also been researching names specific to the locality at the time and had a list of possibilities. Stephen had made a simple paper mock-up that was taped onto the building, for discussion. Geoff was developing a backboard comprising horizontal planks. Investigations also showed that signage was often painted directly onto corrugated iron instead of a flat background, so Geoff will experiment to see if this was feasible on the model. The loading dock building is ready for Geoff's 'rustification'.

Geoff continued with the 'pipe bridge' albeit without the mid-span support structure, as the 8" pipes are now deemed capable of spanning the opening without additional support. Some 4mm steel rod was bent to shape (bends are required at both ends). The steelwork piers were deemed to be vulnerable to damage during storage/transportation, so, just in case, they will be removable. They had steel plates glued on the bottom, and magnets will be hidden in the concrete bases, making them removable. 

Stephen moved on the vine/climber that will disguise the gap in the buildings. Stranded wire was stripped and twisted into the stems and fixed to a strip of plasticard that was glued to the end cottage. The stems can then be run up/across the walls and foliage added to complete the feature. A piece of corrugated iron that blocks the alleyway will cover the lower part of the planting.

Wednesday 8th November 2023

Worklist:

Fit windows - office and factory.

Assemble the office building and front steps unit.

Review the existing end scene panel in the factory setting and consider proposal for disguising it.

The two brick buildings had been glued together the previous week and now Stephen glued the front steps unit in place. Geoff started gluing glazed window units into the separate factory building while Stephen glued the rest of the window frames into the house and office.

The existing white, 6mm MDF end panel was bolted in place to assess its suitability in the new factory scenario. The 'hole' was sized to suit its usual position just beyond the bridge which tended to obscure it to some extent. On the factory end, either something was needed to obscure the hole, a smaller hole, or a combination of both would be better as it the hole was more visible. 

An old idea for a framework supporting pipes over the track to and from the factory sounded good. Geoff found some plastic OO steel trestle frames that could be used and Google images were reviewed to find suitable prototypes. Geoff started to thin-down the chunky framework sections making them look more lightweight. Stephen prepared a black card insert with a minimum square sized hole. It was finally decided to continue with the pipe carrying structure and make a new end panel with a minimum sized square hole.

Holes for bolts to fix the separate factory unit were drilled. Fixings for the rear factory unit were investigated and two wooden blocks would be glued to the rear panels allowing bolts to go up from the tunnel roof.

The rear roof on the loading bay building was remade as the corrugated plastic had slowly deformed.

Wednesday 1st November 2023

Worklist:

Glue glazing panels into the factory window frames.

Glue the two brick buildings together.

Geoff assembled the 3D printed window frames and the acetate glazing panels that had been accurately cut to size on the CNC router. He then practiced different techniques of  applying superglue to join the two together. First, a cocktail stick, then a jewellers screwdriver delivering glue dabs in the corners then random dots on the glazing bars, and a combination of both. Excess glue oozing out was the problem. Finally, the screwdriver spreading a thin line of glue worked well and the rest were completed.

A bit of weight to press the units together while the glue dried didn't go amiss. The odd frame had distorted, but a short burst of heat from a room heater and some weight as they cooled did the job.

Geoff slowly worked his way through the other 18 windows. Meanwhile, Stephen assembled the two brick buildings (the office and managers house) and after carefully aligning them and preparing blocks and clamps, he glued them together.

He then took completed window units from Geoff and dropped them into place. They will be glued in due course.

A rare view of the buildings from the fiddleyard. The timber post and recessed nut in the right-hand building is for fixing the back scene, that hides the fiddleyard. A removeable floor and walls unit hides the fixing post. Internal details, fittings, lights etc. have yet to be decided upon.