Old Plastic Kit Updated

I pulled an old plastic kit off the shelf that has been gathering dust for 30 years.

These are available today for under $20 on Ebay.

 This is the final version of the kit in place.

Rusty Metal Video Clinic on Youtube

I have uploaded a 47 minute video clinic on rusty metal.  The Youtube video can be seen there:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nggXv7pAY7c&t=14s

Tom Yorke HO Hotel and Pool Hall

Tom Yorke hotel and pool hall

I finally got around to building the HO scale Yorke kit that has sat on my shelves for 40 years.

Good Use For Pill or Spice Bottles

Getting old means lots of empty pill bottles which get thrown away.  So I decided to glue some to a piece of wood using silicon sealant.  Now they hold paint brushes, Xacto knives, emery boards, tweezers and even stripwood.  Sure saves me time looking for those common small tools.

Just completed my version of FOS Scale Models HO kit, Mathias Metal Spring & Wire.  Details will be added when the building is put into place on a waterfront scene I am building.

Carolina Custom Kits Darden background kit

I built a basic background kit by Carolina Custom Kits.  The simple design works well as a background building.

I have uploaded a video on Backdrop Painting For Beginners - Colorado Mountains and Valleys to Youtube.

Segments include: 

Backdrop Preparation

Blending a smooth transition from horizon to overhead colors.

Basic clouds

Craggy Colorado mountains

Painting trees

Providing distance in your backdrop

Painting a distant valley

Here is the link:

https://youtu.be/Ae7SHHxh-KE

I figured my HO hotel would also have a cafe inside for customers.  Here is the mural I painted on the opposite wall.

While building a small HO hotel, I decided to paint a mural on one side.

I have uploaded a video clinic featuring Dave Biondi painting California Foothills to Youtube.  Dave and I used to host joint backdrop painting clinics at model railroad conventions.  His ideas and techniques are easy to follow.  Here is the link:

https://youtu.be/zmAJ7T493sY

John Olson had an article in the Gazette, Sept 1977, on building a small stone station in HO.  His article was the basis of a couple of kits.  This building is the Downtown Deco version.  I renamed the station for my small waterfront community, Sweet Haven.

I have added my video on Rock Casting and Coloring to my Youtube channel.  Here is the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LJIn17s4ts

Patten Mines #1

Back in 1986, I build a large HO scale layout.  This mine was one part of that layout.

The mine itself is based on two mills in Arizona.  Board by board construction.

This mill survived a move from California to Alaska and then onto Idaho where we live now.

Here is a photo of the same mill here in Idaho, 33 years later.  A little worse for the wear but still looks good to me.

Hot Dog Stand

I have been building some of FOS Scale Models HO kits lately.  This one is a free kit they offered with minimum purchase.  It was designed as a Roast Beef stand but I preferred to make it a Hot Dog stand.