Buckets

A while ago I'd read a post on the Albion Yard blog about buckets so went ahead and purchased some etches thinking they would come in very useful. For some reason this evening, after a good day working in the garage, I thought I needed a little challenge and set about soldering one of the buckets together. Jumping in at the deep end I ignored the straight sided bucket and went for the, potentially more difficult, slope-sided example.

Surprisingly it was not too difficult. The handle was the hardest part but after summoning a bucket full of 'patience' I eventually had something that would 'hold water'!

For my first attempt at soldering something so small I'm well pleased... I've just started painting the 1/76 scale chap in the picture but thought including him might help with getting the comparative scale of the 1/72 bucket. The etch is in the background.

For more information go to Brengun where, on page four of their 1/72 accessories section, you should find the buckets along with a good looking tool set. On page three, of this section of their e-shop, there is also a very nice looking bike etch.

I have no connection with Brengun apart from being a very satisfied customer.

Flocking fun

I am starting to have some fun creating trees, bushes and ground cover.

At the weekend I'd quickly painted a back screen. Though it's a little rough, for the moment I think it does the trick. By now I was hoping to have had the layout erected in the garage so that it could be worked on as a whole. With the cold weather continuing this is not really feasible. So the task of a back screen was brought forward to reduce the damage to any scenic items while moving the boards around. Also, as the major design fault of this layout is that I've incorporated the end back screens on the fiddle yards boards, I'm giving thoughts about adding removable ends to each scenic board as protection when transporting it around the house or to an exhibition.

Start of the Cornish Hedge and fencing

I've started to install fencing along with different lengths and colours of static grass to the meadow at the back. At the front it is hoped that the long white sausage will eventually look like a Cornish hedge. The idea is that this hedge will run all along the front, but for the moment the jury is still out on this idea.

Test tree finished

Above is my first tree for many a year, in fact only my third attempt ever. My first couple of trees where constructed about 25 years ago on a long lost OO layout and can just be seen here. I think the above is a slight improvement. Not sure where it will be installed on the layout as it was only constructed as a test piece so it might not pass muster.

All authorised by the management

My missis is being a little treasure at the moment not only is she allowing me to work in the kitchen she's also allowing me to take over the dinning table for a few evenings. Mind you she has a big distraction on at the moment which I'll mention in my next post.

Enthusiasum rekindled

It's been a while...

For the last couple of months, I've got to admit that, I'd lost my mojo for Tredethy Wharf.... Instead I've been spending my time on some wargaming projects. Very easy modelling, getting a few more models ready for the wargaming table. Normally these dual interests trot alongside each other quite nicely and over the Christmas break I'd planned on committing a couple of days fully to Tredethy Wharf. Unfortunately due to both me and my wife being ill, which meant cancelling all our Christmas plans and New Year celebrations, somehow knocked me sideways and I lost my enthusiasum for Tredethy. Luckily my enthusiasm for Tredethy Wharf fas been rekindled after helping Bob with his Winterschef layout at the recent Milton Keynes show.

Since the the show I've added the first coat of static grass to the second board, then after not being happy with the roughness of the result on the first board, I've attacked ridges and undulations with a hammer. This has left numerous huge rabbit warrens....hopefully these will vanish with further applications of static grass. Mind you, it might be worth trying to incorporate a rabitt warren and/or a few mole hills into the scene somewhere.

The rails on one board have been painted in, what I think, is a dusty rust colour and I've also started ballasting the track on the same board. I'm using Carrs Ash Ballast fixed in place with a diluted solution of Copydex. After looking at photos of the branch, the ballast might be a little on the coarse side, but this ballast should help to differentiate between the hardstanding mud/soil area around the sidings and the ballasted track.

I must get to grips with the buffer stop soon before working out how to represent the hardstanding areas, after which it will be onto fencing, hedges and trees... The current plan I'm working towards is to have the left hand end more complete than the right for the exhibition in May.