Is that one of those $2-300 Cosmic kits? I see those on there and they crack me up. I always think I could make 4 of what they're selling for what they're asking lmao I had planned a similar idea to this using a 2.5 OD square acrylic tube and cutting the center out of 4" wood squares then making Shoin-zukuri siding out of 1/16 balsa a while ago. I ran out of real estate within the city limits before I got to it though, which is fine because am pretty sure it would have been a colossal PITA
I was expecting this one to take a little longer, is pretty much the easiest of the Tomytec snap-together buildings that I've ever fiddled with. Less than 5min from cutting the tape on the box to being done. Almost a little disappointed lol Am going to hold off on the decals for a minute, think this one may be needing the Evans treatment
Remember that red Bible that's been sitting out in the middle of my city pretty much since I put up the tracks, even before there was much of anything out yet? Well, that's because it's the perfect footprint for one of my buildings and allowed me to build up around it so I knew what was going to be there. This originally was going to have a footbridge over the elevated train to the upper levels of my airport but since I moved the airport out of my city altogether, I can go ahead and start this puppy. No clue if this is going to work or not, but here's the first attempt, at least Soaked this piece in hot water for about 10mins then glued a poplar dowel down the middle of the structure so it curves evenly top-to-bottom. I tried to set the clamps with minimal pressure but we'll see tomorrow if it leaves any indents. Which - to be fair - am totally expecting. No way this could work on the first try lmao
Well, then - color me surprised! The glue held (so far), and the rest of it went together almost too easy. I mean, here it is a little after 8AM and I'm done with what I thought would take me most of the morning. Not complaining, just surprised. It did flatten out the one corner down at the lower left, but other than that the curvature looks astonishingly good and even across the whole face of it. I may run a covered canopy over the front of the building to cover it. I may just cop out and add bushes there, too HAHAHA Obviously needs some wood filler and a ton of finish sanding, but the shell of it is done. I have the soccer figures already, and just ordered some Atlas lights I think will work well along with a generic terminal board to run them on. I had purchased some plastic open-design steel girders for something else that I can't find now so will have to get more of those, will be perfect for the crossbars over the field. The actual building has structures, and big AC units, and billboards, and quite a bit more going on up there, but I'm thinking adding all that would take away from the space for the scene. No one is going to remember how many ACs or windows are up there, they're going to remember you can play soccer on the top of a building in downtown Tokyo. Not 100% sure which way to go on that one yet and either way there's lots of detail work left to do, but the guts of this guy is done and up so that all those little details are really all that's left - backwards as it sounds, somehow those are always the easy part imo. Looks right at home already
The busted up light cover I already have a use for, the broken sheet of FRP gives me ideas. Either way, buying broken stuff for dirt cheap is just fun
Adding the structures, and fencing, and fans, and ACs, and everything else would take away from the size of the pitch on the roof of my building, but know what looks weird? A flat roof with nothing but a soccer pitch on it. And, let's face it - I've never been one to leave well enough alone Cut a bunch of 3/4" wide pieces for the 'floors'. I tried to cut the windows at first but they were too inconsistently shaped so I threw those pieces out and just used a flat-front instead. I generally do not like to weather most of what I am using because Tokyo is ridiculously clean and most things are new, but this particular landmark is always seen with grime and dirt streaking down the front so even though painting lines would have been significantly easier, I wanted those cracks to get some blackwash into. Should look great. Found some 3D printed fans and coolers that I will need to buy next payday, but from here it's just the actual detail parts. I already did one coat of paint outside (using rattlecans instead of the airbrush, given the size) but I do not like the color at all. On the upside, raw wood tends to take in the paint so getting a prime coat will help considerably. Probably be tomorrow after work before I can try again with a different one. It's fine - lights won't be here until the 18th, and I still need the Plastistruct to make the crossbars over the field. Not going to be done anytime soon, but am mostly happy with the progress so far.
Paul, is it an optical illusion on my monitor, or does the building's curved side get deeper as it gets higher?
Nope, not an optical illusion - the bottom frame broke loose as I was gluing the strips to the face and I had to wedge a piece back in place to hold the shape. It's not perfect but the photo somehow looks far worse than it actually does - it doesn't bother me enough to scrap it and start over. By the time it's all said and done it won't really be that noticeable, it's just that photo has the perfect angle to highlight it.
A few days after my last post nearing a full year ago, my stepfather passed away. It wasn't sad - he had been in an unresponsive state following an insane stroke for almost 3mos, so it was in a way it's own blessing. I can't think of too many worse ways to end a life, he did not deserve it, but at the same we all felt so helpless so even though we were not particularly close it was an emotional release for everyone, likely himself included. A LOT has gone on since then, though, even if I haven't been on this site much (I've been lurking now and again but that's about it). I still have a little ways yet to go before I can jump back into all things train hobby related - if am lucky within the next year - but I'm still buying things as I go and coming up with wacky new ideas all the time. After getting all of his finances and insurance and everything else taken care of, the services, helping my Mom pack up and move out of and sell their huge house that they spent 27yrs packing an inordinate amount of crap INTO, she bought a really nice condo earlier this year and is settled into her new life, so that part is finally back at an even keel. I thought you guys might get a kick out of the saga that has been taking place on my end! So here's a bunch of photos of the crazy over the past almost year, exactly none of which has anything at all to do with trains (please hold your applause until the end - this is going to be a while lol)
After breaking up with a woman I had spent 10yrs convincing myself I would end up married to in 2013, I had more or less given up on finding love again. Then I came across this last October... It's a 2023 Nissan Frontier S 4x4. Everything on everyone's lots are high-end with lasers and heated cupholders and all sorts of other stuff that will inevitably break. All I wanted was a base model 4WD truck, and I happened on this one. It had been a dealer loaner so got it at the end of the model year with 5700 miles on it for a song, and being that it was a used dealer demo it was a certified pre-owned so it has 7yr, 100k bumper-to-bumper. Has been about 20 or so years since I've had a vehicle I like this much. Totally love it.
Now comes the fun... remember the room in my basement I had framed out and was waiting for my contractor friend to bring his crew over and finish? Came in day 1 and we tore out all the sweated copper and rerouted pex to the other side so none of it was routed under where the ceiling would be paneled, and started to wire the canless lights. That's when we made the incredible discovery that the whole house was a disaster. I should probably preface this by saying I had always assumed that the inspector had pencilwhipped the VA assessment, because there's so much that should have been flagged. This was confirmed when we found knob & tube, tied into single conductor, tied into 10A. And that was in ONE junction box on ONE joist. Project put on hold, because $2500 plaster job just turned into $25k home equity loan. I had to pull every inch of wiring out and start from scratch - new service panel, new wiring, new lights, new outlets... all of it. Figured while we were doing all that, might as well do the bathroom and kitchen at the same time. Because, you know, that's what smart people do - they tear out the only bathroom and the kitchen at the same time. Rookie mistake! Got the financing secured, they came back the Monday after Thanksgiving, and I went to stay with my Mom. I was expecting a 2-3 week affair. It was 7 when I finally told them what they had done is what they had done! The house looks amazing and it is safe, there's still a few things I need to finish like the crown and baseboard in the bathroom, but I have a mostly new house. Absolute pandemonium.
Just a couple of fun touches here... My Mom had found these old hammered brass hanging lamps that had come out of an old Irish pub, think she paid like $16 for the pair of them and I fell in love with them. Rewired them, once they had the ceiling in the back stairwell paneled, I got to work over a weekend and got them hung so they could wire them in place. These are so great! I also tore out a doorway at the top of the steps from the basement into the kitchen and bought this amazing transom panel from an Etsy artist. It looks really great, too. Both turned out so well.
The bathroom I lost my fool mind on, I know this because the contractor told me this and then subcontracted it because he was afraid to mess it up lol I had one of those fiberglass surround walk-ins that was hideous so tore all that out and we started over. I actually went to Floor & Decor to buy reasonably priced tile for the shower, somehow came home with absurdly expensive tile, but it looks amazeballs. The floor pan is something I have always wanted, the koi tile are from another Etsy seller and we just concreted in the pan then grouted the river rock and fish in there. Looks awesome. And anyone who tells you hinged shower doors are easy to install can't be trusted. This thing was a nightmare. Replaced the vanity, sink, plumbing, new vent IN the shower, new toilet, new floor. Like I said, I still need to finish the crown and baseboard, but it's pretty nice, I dig it.
And, of course, the basement room itself. Split the full basement down the center on the beam, the one half is the finished side you see here, the other side will be left unfinished for storage and for the layout, but first I have to get all the stuff OUT of that side haha baby steps. Still, have been living down here since it got finished. Bought a new leather sofa, built in the computer desk and bookshelves, moved the TV down here. I can honestly say I have not set foot in my old living room upstairs since 2023. Totally happy with it.
And then the project I finally got to just a couple of weeks ago - it's done nothing but rain so far this year in Ohio, but finally caught a good one and was able to knock this out in one day. Started at 7AM, worked until almost 6, couldn't walk for 3 days (don't get old - it's a trap!) Paid $350 to have my property surveyed and the corners located, then built this almost to them. Legally I could have built this right over top of their back steps, because they're almost 4ft over the line. I chose not to be a COMPLETE bast*rd even though they deserved it, but even so it turned out well and has actually done wonders for relations with the neighbors. They stay over there, I stay over here. It's a good arrangement lol
So that's why I have gotten exactly NOTHING done on my layout since last August. I've been building things all along, just in 1/1 scale. I really would like to get back to it, but just a couple more hurdles to clear first. For tonight, though, am going to enjoy this old fashioned in my hand (and probably a couple more in the process ) and take a peek into what y'all have been up to. Hope all of you are doing well and having a blast, cheers!
