...to date, this is by far the dumbest thing I have ever said on this site. Paint is done, came out great, but just spent 3hrs straight doing nothing but gluing railings and finally finished them all, but am at my limit. Spent the entire day on and off between things mixing, spraying, and cleaning up paint, cutting 100+ teeny tiny parts off of sprues with minimal damage to paint, and then after being hunched over all that time it took to get the railings on, I'm spent. Need to be upright again for a bit. Wanted to finish this up today but no way in @$%& was that ever going to happen. Definitely taking me more than 20 minutes, and pretty sure I have several hours still, yet. There will, however, be no other buildings like this one on anybody's layout anywhere else in the world, so there's that, eh?
There will, however, be no other buildings like this one on anybody's layout anywhere else in the world, so there's that, eh? -that’s always something to hang your hat on. Especially in a couple of months when the memories of your frustrations fade a bit. -alternately, you can always set it down on the workbench and pick it up a little later. I hate leaving projects unfinished (I’ve got an obsessive streak) but there are a few things that become repetitive so I eventually burn out on it for a couple of months like coloring and installing n scale passengers in my coaches (at least 15 people to a coach) or replacing side panels on Concor autoracks with Plano’s panels (lots of delicate work to install each of individual panel). So I find something different/easier or just run trains and enjoy what I have done so far until I’m ready to get after it again. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I didn't stop to take any as I was going, but when I get home later tonight I can snap a couple of the progress. Think is going to rain again today so instead of mowing like I really need to I will likely be back at it again this evening. Same. Lots to do here, but one at a time. I'd go crazy if I was in the middle of too many things, am afraid. And yeah, holy cow - have already thought about when I get to the stage of putting out figures! I have quite a few already, but we're talking like 50, maybe 60, and several sets have a purpose already. I'll need that many more alone for my festival and shrine, never mind out and about in the city. I bought a pack of 200 unfinished figures for $10 online, not sure I have the patience (or talent!) to hand do that many - worth the extra $$ to me to buy the nice ones to mix in so it doesn't look like a drunk 5yr old did all of it lol
And yeah, holy cow - have already thought about when I get to the stage of putting out figures! I have quite a few already, but we're talking like 50, maybe 60, and several sets have a purpose already. I'll need that many more alone for my festival and shrine, never mind out and about in the city. I bought a pack of 200 unfinished figures for $10 online, not sure I have the patience (or talent!) to hand do that many - worth the extra $$ to me to buy the nice ones to mix in so it doesn't look like a drunk 5yr old did all of it lol[/QUOTE] So I use the undecorated figures for inside my coaches or inside buildings where you have another layer of plastic between the observer and the scene. I mostly use fine tip sharpies on the ones inside coaches-so I get color and shapes inside the coaches but since they are on the move it’s harder to tell that I missed a spot (or three) or didn’t bother to color an n scale necktie or purse different than the rest of the torso. I’ve got about 50 bilevels; I’ve only got 5 left to put people in. If I’m feeling up to it, I can get a coach’s worth of people done in an hour after work, tv running in the background. I will do that for a while, get burned out, then stop. I haven’t put too many people “outdoors” because I’m going to have tear my layout down for my PCS next year. A festival and shrine will be a lot of people and a lot of work but look pretty cool when you’re done. A guy I work with saw some of my stuff and asked me how much I’d want to build him a diorama of Shibuya crossing. I was like I don’t know, but it’s going to be a lot of money just in figures alone. And I wouldn’t get my own models done for like a year, haha. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
one of my scratch-builds is going to be a building on Shibuya Crossing. Am really looking forward to it being done but not at all looking forward to building it lol but I can't even imagine the details that would have to go into something like that. I'd be scurred of taking on that.
Go slow and take your time to get everything to your satisfaction. The one thing that bothers me most about builds I have done in the past is trying to admire them only to notice imperfections and regret I did not spend more time to notice and fix them during the initial build. At this point everything that bothered me has been stripped down and rebuilt so really I spent even more time on them than if I just had patience from the start. With all the lessons learned I find myself taking enjoyment in the build even more so than the final product. Shibuya Crossing is pretty neat. Which building?
Tokyo Drift came out a little over a year after I got out of the Navy, and for maybe (MAYBE) 5-10 seconds there is a skyline sweep in the opening moments of the film where they show the Adidas Futsal park on the roof of the Tokyu building in Shibuya. For the next 5yrs at least, the first thing anyone who ever heard that I had lived in Japan would ask me is 'did you ever play soccer on the roof of that one building??' like there was nothing else for someone to do anywhere in Tokyo. So, when I switched modes from wanting to do an HO Amtrak Coaster layout to an N scale Japanscape like 10-some years ago, that was the first building I knew I had to incorporate somehow. Just because. Am not going to do it the same as the actual store building, and the pedestrian bridge will tie into my airport instead of the shopping center and train station, but yes - there will be a curved-front building with a soccer field on the roof in my city.
I only know that intersection because a friend of mine who lived there used to go on walks all the time throughout Tokyo filming and posting along with commentary of what he was shooting. What did you do in the Navy?
Digital images show imperfections a little too well!! lol I know those seams didn't sand all that well, but it honestly isn't nearly as noticeable as it is in these photos, yikes! Just noticed where a sticky super glue finger took the paint right off that top railing on the back. Somebody oughta call maintenance to get it touched up. Anyhow, progress so far. I have the other base drilled and first coat of paint along with the steps, gutters, and roof. I fashioned a highly technical and carefully measured... ok, I can't do that with a straight face, and you guys can't see it - I slopped together something that happened to work ...piece of scrap to fit over the stairways so that's all that's lit from the outside ('cause it would be weird if every apartment in the building had it's lights on at once. At least to me it would be) So, like I said, am realistically maybe 1/2-way done. Might just be a bum tonight and step back for a few days.
Coming along nice. I really like that structure especially after the handrails get placed. Ah yes, IC here. Only did a single 6 year enlistment with my last duty station on the CG59 out of Long Beach.
Have you by chance looked at some of the Greenmax buildings. Besides having a series of 3 story taxpayers, shop below and living quarters on top. they have some of the same kits that are painted. I am impressed by the roof details.
Thanks! Been more work than expected, but am pleased with the end result Yep, these are Greenmax kits, used 2 together to make a taller building. Did not know when I bought them, but looks like they made them to be bashed like this. Pretty user-friendly to put together, just very time consuming.
So after saying 'not tonight', I of course did the obvious - stayed up well past when I should have gone to sleep and finished the rest Am not thrilled with my original roof idea so may redo it, but the rest came out pretty well. Will post some pics when I get home.
I had a couple of friends on the Princeton, but would have been well after it came down to NAVSTA SD. I was on the USS Stethem DDG63
with sides, stairs, and gutters painted & placed. I don't like the roof I originally made so think am just going to try to match the light/manilla and paint the accents - originally painted it the dark grey as well and is not right. ...the discolorations there are just sanding dust from where I had it on it's side to pop it together - it wiped right off
