A small portable train-set based around an 'Inglenook' layout

[user=312]dooferdog[/user] wrote:

DIS-AS-TER!

Why could I not leave well alone?

Just a little air bubble, so a tiny slit to push some glue in, and a gentle press to spread it, and…it has torn. Further, as it has dried out it has stretched and torn even more.

I have no more lining paper………..etc

Doug

Re my above last post, I have now re-done the backscene paper and brought the side papers around the edges of the plywood to ensure I have the same surface finish when viewing from the front.










I chose to use gaffer tape to pull the sharply folded edges around the corners, working from the middle up and downwards, and I'm glad I oil painted the outsides as it will make it easy to remove the overlapped outside paper.




I have also fitted some over-centre catches to keep the  the two halves in register.




I shall now let this all dry completely before attempting the backscene painting, afterwhich I shall disconnect the over-centre catches and then cut down the joining line with a safety razor blade. That will start a rumour at the local shop when 'Pére Noel' buys some razor-blades!

I intend painting a pale blue sky scene from top to bottom, not too 'summery' fading to lighter blue from top to bottom and subsequently using stuck-on structure backcene elements. I've been looking at loads of how-tos on Youtube but not yet found one I really like.

Well, back on track, now have to buy some white matt emulsion and a tube of blue tint [oh, and pluck up courage to start]. There's now't so daunting as a blank canvas!

Poop-poop,

Doug

Nice work Doug. :thumbs I have previously mixed some watercolour paint, from a tube, with white emulsion and it seemed to work fine.

Terry

Hmmm, good idea, when I was intelligent I did some watercolouring, must have some hidden away somewhere if the tubes haven't gone rock-hard.

Or, do you think I could use artist's acrylics to succesfully tint white emulsion? I have tube of cobalt blue roughly the size of a baby's leg from a previous project [ painting The Virgin Mary's uniform on a nativity scene……]

Knowing my current run of luck the mixture would curdle like my last attempt at Créme Anglaise. [Don't ask, I opened a can of Carnation instead, put it in a little jug and told my French guests it was a traditional British desert accompaniment, now they want the recipe…]

Poop-poop!

Doug

PS Macaroni cheese today with smokey bacon, tomato slices and grated cheese on top and 5 minutes under the grill, deffo needs some RLW.

D

Immaculate work as ever Doug. :thumbs:thumbs

I read about painting the backscene with a base of white emulsion and, whilst still wet, overpainting with blue blending it in whilst shading top bottom as required - darker to lighter etc…….  As a base effect, it looked very good - but then, you're the artist, not me ………..

Thanks for that Peter, s'funny, I do remember someone at Cambourne telling me you were an artist of some sort…..:)

Doug

As one has come to expect …….very neat work Doug.  :thumbs   

I look forward to seeing the resultant artwork

Regards

Doug, I mix the cheapest acrylic colours that I can find with emulsion paint, and so far it has worked out fine.

(Her indoors uses Daler Rowney paints which are strictly off-limits to me - and too expensive anyway…)

Beautiful job, Doug.  :thumbs

Fastidious, as always.

Thanks, chaps, acrylic and white ceiling paint it is….I will glue up a little 4ft practice board tomorrow [if I can escape putting up decorations for a little while] and try it out first, making careful note of how much of each, etc.

I once knew a decorator who was crowned Master Decorator of the Year' but at the presentation he was overcome with emulsion…

[O.K. Hat in hand, reaching for the door]

Doug

[user=312]dooferdog[/user] wrote:

…………………………… I do remember someone at Cambourne telling me you were an artist of some sort…..:)

…………

  Never believe everything you hear Doug - especially if it originates in Cornwall ………….:cheers

Looking great. I am always amazed at the care and attention you take to, well, everything. I am going to be checking back at this thread often. I like the trackplan; simple, but plenty of operability in it.

First coat of white emotion on the trial 4ft board…AAaagh! The dreaded dimples, hope it will dry flat! Did Woody have this problem, or Les?





Oh, another 'wrinkle', how to remove just alittle paint from a really big tin, I give you the 'Squisher'.

Simply crush a clean mineral water bottle top to bottom-wise, dip the neck below the surface of the paint and gently pull upwards until you have sufficient in the bottle, lift, and quickly screw the cap on again before wiping the excess off with a clean cloth…Simples! [Insert annoying Meerkat noise]




Poop-poop!

Cold meat and pickles today, YUM!

Doug

Dreaded dimples .  Did you let it soak a short while Doug?  What a bleeder.:roll:

3D clouds…?? ;-)

I guess you use a solid rubber roller to apply the paper to the backboard, working from the bottom up ? Can you remove the backboard from the layout (if strong enough to free stand) and reapply the paper ? PITA I know… When I applied cork to my baseboard, I used a tile grout spreader for the PVA application and worked across the glue lines with the roller, elimanating any air bubbles, by spreading the glue to one side.

Cheers, Gary.

Hullo Reg, Gary,

Thanks for your interest, luckily this is on the 4ft test panel and lo and behold, it has dried flat!!!

So, vesti la jubba, I have had a go with the emulsion and blue tube paints together with a little sienna for sun light. I think I have achieved what I set out to do so far, a non-descript sky that could be anytime of the year, before or after rain and with nothing too striking or eye catching to detract from the modelling in the foreground or too finnicky so as to leave a sense of distance.

I shall white-coat the main boards this morning after a little highlighting and shadow work on this test board and if it works out I'll bash on with colouring the real thing.

Bearing in mind this is happening in a cellar lit by both daylight and warm white flourescent tubes I have tried a shot with a daylight [colour-matching sewing light] bulb as well.













Mixed flourescent from 'light' side




Mixed flourescent plus daylight filiment lamp

Well, off to white colour the real thing and do some highlight and shadows now….usually where I mess things up!

Poop-poop

Doug

Looks fab Doug… have fun.

Marty

That looks good Doug. Glad the bubbles dried out. :thumbs

A bit late probably, but did you "size" the boards before papering ?  As with "normal" wallpapering, painting the substrate with a very much watered down wallpaper paste and leaviong that to dry, seals it to prevent the papering paste being absorbed too quickly.  If the paste is absorbed too quickly, the paper can dry too quickly preventing a proper seal.  Additionally, this "size" coat allows the paper to "slip" on the surface giving you time for an element of repositioning and reduces the initial "grab". :roll::roll:

Regarding the colouring - how did you get the "dappled" effect ?  It looks very natural. :cheers

Agree with Petermac.  Looks good Doug.

Thank you, gentlemen.

Peter, I did 'size' the boards by giving them a thin coat of oil-based paint [except the 'trial' board] and touch wood, now having white-coated the main boards they do not appear to have bubbled… doights croises.

I got the dappled effect by appling the blue with a small furry roller and where I wanted a cloud wiped off the blue with kitchen paper to leave the white showing through. Then I cleaned out the furry roller, rolled it in the white and just rolled a bit here and there over the cloud bits dabbing the edges with the splayed out end of the roller. I kept the edges wet by lightly spraying with water so they'd run into each other.

Then mixed some cadmium yellow and burnt umber, dipped the end of the roller in it and dabbed away again.

Then, I used a very special technique……….


I dampened my fingers and rubbed it all round the edges wherever I found a 'hard' edge. Finger painting, there I knew it would come in useful.

We knew when Claire had done it at school, the inside of one nostril would be blue or one ear would be green, depending on whether she had been painting 'seaside' or 'trees'.

Doug

Excellent Doug,
Next stop Rome.The Pope reckons some of Michael Angelo,s brush work needs a touch up.
Happy New Year.
Derek.