A group build....

Wow,

You lot have been busy.

Modelzone does not "do" Dapol, so I will have to wait some time to find a kit.

IF I do, I'll join in....

Hi Stu.

I like the areas where the rendering has come off, leaving the bricks. A nice touch!

Hi Stu.

I have to say that I hadn't noticed the drain pipe, until I went back and had another look! Getting rather good....

Thanks for the info RE: the paving, bricks, etc. Very interesting.

QUOTE (Iarnrod @ 21 Mar 2013, 11:55) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Thanks, StuB. Quick answers to your questions:

1. I have not tried jointing the copper tape for precisely the reason you mention - I believe the adhesive would act as an insulator so there would be no connection. I did consider trying to scrape some of the glue off and then taping over the top to hold the joint but wasn't convinced it would work.

> SNIPPED

Oh, now I see it.

Stu, you wanted to join the tape electrically. I thought you meant to run one strip over another WITHOUT joining electrically.

One way of maintaining electric flow would be to paint some conducting silver paint (as used to repair car rear window de-mist things/ circuit board tracks) as sold by Maplin's Electrical shops, car spares places, etc, over the end of the joint. (One tape on top of the other.) This should bridge the tiny gap between the end of the top tape and the surface of the bottom tape.

I hope that makes some kind of sense!

Hi Stu.

Very Good!

If I was being "picky", I would ask...

Where is the drain for the kitchen sink?

I think that is the only piece missing?

Hi All...

Thanks to Norman, I now have a kit, and am working out how the internal layout should be for mine.

So far, I have also been modifying window holes, and using CAD (Card Aided Design! Connflake Box mock-ups) to help me visulise the space available.

You may be interested to know that this kit was used in a "Scenes From Life" piece by James Lavery in the May 2010 Hornby Magazine (Issue 35), where he made them as "under construction"...

He put the canopy over the front door on "back-to-front!" It must have been the moulding mark that is on the "Top" in my kit that made him thing that was the "bottom"?

Hi John,

Yes, a very good job of that house.

The kit first came out in 1957, so is a real classic now.

Hi Stu.

As you have said earlier, the kit is full off "errors". I am now finding the overall size to be a bit small as I try to make some sense of an interior.

I have had to concede defeat in my hope to retain the side chimney, even just using it for a small boiler takes too much room up, and I have copied your blanking patch for the chimney, and also shrunk the two side windows towards the back.

The Stairs have been constructed, and I am now working out some more details of the interior.

Placing the front and back walls together has revealed that putting a straight wall from the "inside" of the garage door would impinge slightly on the large centre window (The kitchen...) on th eback wall.

The garage length across the house is just long enough for a Standard Vangard (Oxford Diecast), but a Ford Popular (Also OD) fits even better, leaving a bit of room at the "back" of the garage.

I was hoping to put a wall across the garage, to leave a small utility room. It does not look like there is enough room though, even with the Ford Pop in residence.

The layout for the interior flues for the centre chimney is causing some head scratching, but I am now thinking of splitting the flues to come down either side of a central corridor above the garage, with a small room on either side.

The main bedroom is a bit tight for space, and I am working out how to get a bathroom and WC in as well.

QUOTE (StuB @ 1 Apr 2013, 19:25) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>The year I was born, does that make me a classic

Well Stu, certainly more of a Classic than myself!

(No guessing at the back now! )

At last.....some photos, etc.!

The Hornby Magazine "Scenes From Life" under construction version...











From a book on Airfix....



Airfix kit in a bag...



In this photo the Detached House seems to have been reversed...



Some other Airfix Trackside Models...





Another, earlier Airfix Book, by the same author...











And now... My model...

First workings...





Rough workings...

Windows blocked up with plastic card, "rendered" with ash from the fire...

Guttering from Ratio (possibly) materials pack.

Some furniture made from Cornflake packet and paper (CAD!).

The stairs are part of the steps from a Superquick Farm Barn (Bits Box.)

The Red Door is probably from the Airfix Booking Hall Kit. (Bits Box again.)

















The leading dimensions of the house...

QUOTE (Greyvoices @ 3 Apr 2013, 11:06) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Sarah,

May I send my grandchildren round to you for a few days? You could teach them skills that are far superior to those that they learn from me.

Best regards ................. Greyvoices (alias John)

Hi John, Dave, Stu and all lurkers!

I have noticed something, the Airfix Managing Director John Grey gave his name to the Airfix Self Service Store kit... John Grey-voices.?

As to skills, you haven't seen the mess I make!

It has been a "thing" with me to try and make sense of the interior of any building kit I have made.

The "current" (There have been changes over the years.) Superquick Country Station Building takes a bit of working out. For example, there has to be some stairs inside the booking office to get up to platform level, but there isn't much depth to fit them in. The "thin" platform buildings can just about accomodate a small Ladies, and a couple of Waiting Rooms, but I built a seperate "Gents."

I did the same with the Ratio "Castle Cary" Station Building Kit. (See Ffrwd Locks for that one.)

Something that needs to be thought about with Dapol Kits.

Made in Wales from Re-cycled plastic. I have heard that more recent Dapol Kits are made from a "softer" plastic, in order to make the moulds last longer.

Certainly, some older Dapol kits I have (From the Northwich days, pre the Winsford Fire.) are made from a "harder" plastic that "rings" more than the modern stuff, and retains its shape.

The Airfix Kits were made with a hard Poly plastic as well.

It does seem that there is some merit in the idea to source "Old Stock" kits for crucial models, there is usually less "flash" as well....

Today I have been woring on the base of the model, and thinking hard about the interior....

It is true that Airfox Used the HO/OO label, but so did a number of other manufacturers, as the "Gauge" is the same for the two "Scales" we could make some allowance...

(Nope, I am NOT getting into the Scale/Gauge argument!)

Progress has been made on the house. The base is just about done, just a few details to sort out. (The hedges were messy to make...)

I have painted the rendering, added the "roof" over the front door and fitted the walls together.

The windows have been coloured white, and are in course of being glazed.

The dividing wall of the garage is in place, as are the stairs (with the pantry and meters/etc. housed under them.)

All this has been making me remember the layout of the houses I have lived in....interesting!

More Photos...

The hedges are "Green Scouring Pad" cut into strips, and covered with Green "Turf" scatter and some Woodland Scenics"Foilage".

White PVA stays sticky for a long time. UHU sets quicker. I have used both here...

Superquick Paving. (Old stock.)

Airfix Station Fencing (Old pre-used.) With Square Section Evergreen Styrene Posts.

The gates and dividing fence came from a job lot of parts, unknown manufacturer, along with the possibly Ratio detailing pack of chimneys, guttering, down-piopes, etc.

The washing line is Slaters Plastic rod uprights, and thinner "rod" for the line. (Needs some washing next...)

The grass is a mixture of Green "Turf" and a lighter green fibrous scatter.

The Coal Lorry is the Cooper Craft AEC Flatbed kit with Merit/PECO Coal Sacks.

The cars are both Oxford Diecast.

The figure is from the Bachmann Scenecraft "Train Crew" pack.

The base is Cereal Packet, painted with acrylics.

The render is painted with an mix of Acrylics. Black, White, and Yellow Ochre.

















I have been continuing to look around at the various houses I pass, and have decided the roof will be Red Tiles (Basically a Red-Oxide Colour) as these are quite common on houses that seem to be from the same period as this one.

Incidently, there are some Semi-detached houses in Upton that are very much the same as the Metcalfe semi kits.

QUOTE (Makemineadouble @ 8 Apr 2013, 13:56) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>I very surprised you didn't wall paper the rooms , and add some washing on the line.
Good effort so far.


Thanks...

The interior is still in work (the windows were only pushed into place in the photos...) wall paper is a possibility.

The washing will come, but I may move the line first. As it is I would get muddy feet putting out and taking in the washing...

Stu...

As I am most certainly a hoarder, and love to buy bags of bits from Train Fairs, etc., I have a fair amount of bits and bobs. Some of it is even organised!

Norm...

The roof has had its first coat of Vermilion mixed with burnt umber acrylic paint.

(Black, White, Green, Burnt Umber acrylic paints available in large(!) tubes from "The Works" the "cheap" book and art shop chain. Also sets of small acrylic tubes, brushes, etc. etc. Woth a look! Also some Railway Books, and one of the Airfix books came from there!)

More photos.

The first floor is progressing well, with the bathroom. master bedroom, and two small bedrooms allocated.

The master bedroom now has a fireplace, with a clock on the mantlepiece, and a (now thought to be dangerous, so do not do this at home...) mirror. The flowery wallpaper shows that Mrs. has some say over the decorating!











The ground floor is still awaiting work. The front door will have to be re-hung to open the other way, towards the outside wall.



The outside.

I have added cills over the back door, and the garage door. (Rain Strips?)

TV aerial and waste pipes stil to be sorted.

The roof tiles. I have been looking very hard at houses, and noticed that some have shaped tiles on the roof "corners", with ridge tiles on the ridges (!). Some have ridge tiles over the "corner" joins, and some have half round over these joints.

The roof as supplied only has ridge tiles on the ridges, so mine therefore has the shaped tiles on the "corners".

The bathroom window has the lower panes "obscured"...

QUOTE (conmaira @ 15 Apr 2013, 14:28) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Progressing well - a couple of observations/questions.

Why are mirrors now thought to be dangerous? I doubt if they got much sleep with that wallpaper!

I have seen roofs with exactly what you described so I wouldn't worry too much. Front doors opening outwards are unlikely but probably not unknown.

I notice you have a dropped kerb for garage access, this certainly wasn't common (in London suburbs at least) until 1970s/80s but perhaps was elsewhere?

One final comment for all builders - I assume this house is coal fired but have seen no bunkers or coal cellar access? but perhaps they have all moved over to GCH?

Hugh

Hi Hugh.

Thanks for the observations.

It was thought more recently I believe that having a mirror over the fireplace encouraged people to stand in front of the fire, potentially catching alight!

The front door won't open outwards, just towards the right hand wall, rather than to the left.

Hmm. As the Garage was built in, I thought the builders would have arranged the roadworks? (The Garage door is also to be added, based on one I saw in Bedford.)

Good point. The coal bunker will come, along with the Dustbin(s), possibly a shed for the lawn mower, and several other details up my sleeves (it is a bit uncomfortable! )

The period I am aiming at with this house is the 1950s, the same as with Ffrwd Locks. (Where you will find a coal bunker in the yard of Railway Cottages.)

This build has certainly made me look more closely at houses lately!

Now then Stu!

That really made me laugh

But yes, the Front Door, and the Back Door too, would fit the fence with little modification!

QUOTE (sarah @ 8 Apr 2013, 09:40) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>>SNIPPED

Incidently, there are some Semi-detached houses in Upton that are very much the same as the Metcalfe semi kits.



Some of the "Metcalfe" Houses in Upton, Chester.

OK, so a bit Off Topic, but they are houses!