First Craftsman kit.....


Patrick

Alien Attitude.
Ok, after sticking the fire station in first, I decided to get the interlocking tower actually out of the box:
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I glued the initial sidewall corner pieces in place: (Who sees my mistake?)

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Cleaned the flashing off the metal windows and doors and painted:
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The kit was old enough for the card stock to actually discolor, so it got a priming coat of paint to hopefully preserve it.
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Next three are build in progress and how it sits currently.

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It's painted with a bad white enamel to hopefully stabilize the structure. The wood is so thin the least little bit of moisture warps it.

For those who didn't find my or care to find my mistake in the 2nd picture, I needed the extra corner boards at the bottom for the wainscoting. Realizing it a hour and a half after they were glued (Elmer's), I carefully steamed them off in the kitchen over a pan of boiling water. The sides curled, but I was able to flatten them. I think going forward with these types off kits (I have several more), it may pay to figure out what colors I wish to paint them before I attempt assembly. I'm also not sure if my use of an acrylic or latex type paint is really a good idea.

More pictures as I take them.
 
Patrick - Nice progress.
It's painted with a bad white enamel to hopefully stabilize the structure. The wood is so thin the least little bit of moisture warps it.
Hint: I prime both sides of the wood with Krylon white (or gray) primer in the spray can from Walmart. It can be done either before or after the bracing is applied, but before assembly. Then it doesn't matter what type of paint is used. I prefer water-based paints after the priming.
Hint #2: In some cases, I replace cardstock parts with Evergreen styrene sheets. I usually use the .020" or sometimes the .030" thick, depending on the size and application.
 
Patrick - Nice progress.

Hint: I prime both sides of the wood with Krylon white (or gray) primer in the spray can from Walmart. It can be done either before or after the bracing is applied, but before assembly. Then it doesn't matter what type of paint is used. I prefer water-based paints after the priming.
Hint #2: In some cases, I replace cardstock parts with Evergreen styrene sheets. I usually use the .020" or sometimes the .030" thick, depending on the size and application.
Thanks for the tip. I had found the kit is missing some parts for a battery box that sits outside. I have the box but the card stock doors are missing, unless I'm to create them from the cast offs, which is what I'm going to do. Probably next weekend before I get a chance again, unless I take a day or 2 off. I've got about 6 weeks available and have to use some soon. I just don't like taking time off and going nowhere, although the pandemic is taking blame for some of that.
 
Thought I had more pictures, but here's the two I have based on the 5 hours I spent on Sunday. Ok I was watching Star Trek and The Nartian during the build.

The roof substructure:
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The basic building:

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While looking through the illustrations, It looked like I was missing some detail parts. When you read the instructions, it tells you what and where to cut them from.

What would have been nice would have views of the building from all side and not just the 2 detailed sides.
 
Good job there, Patrick.
Can't say I really like using card stock for scale models, even though I made and used some for the facia on my 2-car garage. The printed stuff looks like it's printed card stock, and it usually dosen't seem 3-dimentional or tough enough for my liking. It is a more scale thickness, though. So I suppose that's the compromise.
Curious to see what you are going to cover the card stock roof with.
 
I'll try to get some additional pictures, but there is embossed roof material that I have to cut and glue onto the roof. The outside walls are actually thin wood that's scored. Makes card stock seem thick by comparison. The outside is painted white, although this photo makes it look beige. The green strips in the 2 photos are the same material the roof shingles are, just a different pattern on the embossing.
 
Ok, Been a while since I added to this, so here it is:

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Camera angles make it look bad, but it is still a work in progress.
The paper on the roof is a little wide, but needed when I cut the roof material as marked and still had a gap. They were supposed to be 1/8" but needed that to cover properly.

As I said in the coffee shop, I left the bottom door with the trim over it to stabilize the structure until I can get the windows in. I've got the windows repainted brown, but don't like how they look. The mid shingles I think are screaming to be green, but I was thinking of green trim and a slate color roof.
 
As it is my first craftsman type kit, there are some details I'm not sure I like. In the background of a couple of the pictures, you'll see some of the windows in a brown color. They're in mineral spirits being stripped as I just don't like the color against the pale yellow I want the building to be. I do know once the paint is on, the roof and the whole building will look better.

Patrick that’s looking very nice. It’s always fun to build it your self at lease I think so
I agree!!! There's always that self satisfaction, which is what I liked when I scratch built O scale buildings for my Lionel trains in HS. it's too bad none of the buildings or pictures survived all these years.
 
I don't know about you but I get a certain satisfaction out of working with wood. It looks so much better than plastic on these kits, and you can distress it, which really kicks the appearance up. Coming along nicely! The yellow & brown looks very SP-ish, except the roof would be green if it was one of theirs.
 
Ok, as promised:

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Still not sure I like the looks on the windows. I need another coat on the building trim. But it's getting there. May be a week or 2 before I can get back to it. The paint is a gloss latex that actually becomes dull when thinned with water, I may be thinning it more than I want. The door inserts will match the building body when I've completed them.

It's a long ways from what I want, but unlike the plastic kits, almost everything has to be cut.

Anyone know what to glue the plastic windows to the metal window frames with? I'm thinking plain Elmer's, but is there something better?
 
As a Millitary Modeler also both are good but I like Microscale Krystal Klear. I just used it to put these lights in this F7 I like for windows also. Here a B-25 Mitchell I made windows for using Krystal Klear and used it to install the windshield on this GMC cckw Dump Truck that I built
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