Dunbracken

[clanky]

agree with john re the bigger layout , chust perfect
cheers john

[invercloy]

Well Tom, your work is first class whether this is a first time or not. I expect the big layout to be world beating! ::)
best
John

agree with john re the bigger layout , chust perfect
cheers john

You're both very kind!  I have learnt a lot since starting Dunbracken, but I look at bits of it now and think 'I could do better'.  Especially the foamboard fascias which have a couple of small knocks to them now.

I've just returned from a holiday in Scotland and have some more ideas for the 'big' layout.  I'll post some pics on it soon once I get going with the baseboards.  Dunbracken was built in a rush, and i'm looking forward to being able to savour the building of a layout a bit more, and take my time with things more than before!!  ;)

[invercloy]

I took Dunbracken out in the evening sun tonight and gave it a bit of TLC for the first time in ages.  I repaired the damage caused to the chimney of the inn by SWMBO's exercise ball...  Planted the new Scots Pine trees from SiST, and added some more height to the waves in the harbour.


The rather naff old Heki Scots Pines that were used at the last minute for the Tonbridge exhibition.


The new trees now planted (plus a dollop of wood glue)


Another view of the SiST trees



Repairs now carried out on the Inn, i've only just noticed that the chimney stacks never got weathered... 


The waves in the harbour now raised slightly to give more definition and better shape.

Then I posed some of the stock on the layout too.


Uist

[clanky]

tom , Dunbracken looks even better in daylight , must admit that i was a bit worried about your keeping to scale , looking at picture 3 for instance , i thought your sleepers looked totally out of scale , ;) anyway chust perfect cheers ,  para handy and crew   :laugh:..

[invercloy]

Thanks clanky! I was going to try and hide the fence, but that one slipped through  :P

[pilotfriend]

Right Tom

Couple of points to bear in mind for the next project.

Backdrop

The colour rendering between the model and the background is poor. You need to colour adjust the background against samples of tree colours and grass of the model. The backdrop has too much in the near distance of high detail which detracts from the modelled vegetation. It is always better to restrict backdrops to middle and far distance.

When doing the graphics, distance should be shown by less detail. Use layers in Photoshop and the 'median' facility which remove sharp detail. A large close in tree in the backdrop will never look right. Your distance images need to have less saturation too.

Best to have trees right up to the backdrop and close together. This stops shadows on the backdrop which destroys the illusion.

stonework

There is still some way to go there, both for buildings and the harbour wall. Your carving attempt looks just like that. Better to use either Wills sheets or bits that an outfit like Townstreet will supply. I still think that Townstreet's stonework is unbeatable. More work on detail painting of stone would be good too.

Apart from being daft enough to build a  layout on an ironing board (and you know what I think of that and pizzas), those are the only things I can really fault.

very best
JdF

[invercloy]

Thanks for your comments John, the handcarving was something that seemed like a good idea at the time, but next time I'll be using Slaters sheets. Partly for my sanity, and partly to achieve a more realistic appearance.

Re. The backscene, it was done in a rush and hence bought pre printed so not ideal for the job.  I've got plenty of images that I'm going to compile into a backscene hopefully more akin to what you have achieved on CG.  These will be take. Specifically for the purpose, and the transition will be much better.  Doing that was a big learning curve.  I've learnt a lot building this layout, but now I see things I could improve upon.

I guess that's all part of the fun  ;)

[binleywoods]

We all - potentially - have varying abilities. I'm sure that many modellers would be very pleased to have achieved the level you have with Dunbracken, particulary when juggling work, family and other calls upon our time. Well done, I hope that I can reach this standard.

[pilotfriend]

You are quite right Binley but having seen what Tom is capable of, he has no excuses except learning curve.  I suspect he will become one of the top 009 modellers (if he is not already there).

JdF

[invercloy]

We all - potentially - have varying abilities. I'm sure that many modellers would be very pleased to have achieved the level you have with Dunbracken, particulary when juggling work, family and other calls upon our time. Well done, I hope that I can reach this standard.

Binley, thanks for your comments, it has been difficult, I don't have children to use as an excuse, but I've been studying part time for a civil engineering qualification, that has been a big drain on time.   However, that's done now so this winter i'll hopefully be able to crack on with the new layout a bit more quickly than this one  ;)

You are quite right Binley but having seen what Tom is capable of, he has no excuses except learning curve.  I suspect he will become one of the top 009 modellers (if he is not already there).

JdF

John,

Your comments are very kind, but i'm not sure if I can live up to them...  :-[

As you've said learning curve is an issue, i'm very pleased with this for my first attempt, hopefully the future will allow me to experiment with many other methods to improve things.  The one bit I do struggle with is reliability of operation, but this I think is improving and, again, will hopefully be better on the next layout.

[JulienW]

Thanks for your comments John, the handcarving was something that seemed like a good idea at the time, but next time I'll be using Slaters sheets. Partly for my sanity, and partly to achieve a more realistic appearance.

<snipped>

I can imagine that getting the Slaters sheet to go around the bends may drive you round the bend! :laugh:

As a suggestion it might be worth trying to use some sort of mould pressed into the 'wet' clay.  I'm sure such things are available commercially (probably from the States), as I have read about the technique being used to create cobbled surfaces.  Equally, such a mould could be made from latex rubber or RTV silicone rubber using one of the Wills stone sheet as a master.  As the rubber would be flexible it should be capable of doing the curves in both directions.

[invercloy]

As a suggestion it might be worth trying to use some sort of mould pressed into the 'wet' clay.  I'm sure such things are available commercially (probably from the States), as I have read about the technique being used to create cobbled surfaces.  Equally, such a mould could be made from latex rubber or RTV silicone rubber using one of the Wills stone sheet as a master.  As the rubber would be flexible it should be capable of doing the curves in both directions.

Thanks for this Julien, it's just made me find the Bragdon Enterprises site whilst doing a search on such things... http://www.bragdonent.com/

They produce moulds for retaining walls, this one looks quite suitable: http://www.bragdonent.com/smpic/73s.jpg

There are also some fantastic rock moulds http://www.bragdonent.com/smpic/11s.jpg, i'll be purchasing several for my next layout!  8)

[Graeme Dunbar]

As a suggestion it might be worth trying to use some sort of mould pressed into the 'wet' clay.  I'm sure such things are available commercially (probably from the States), as I have read about the technique being used to create cobbled surfaces.  Equally, such a mould could be made from latex rubber or RTV silicone rubber using one of the Wills stone sheet as a master.  As the rubber would be flexible it should be capable of doing the curves in both directions.

Something along these lines are described in "Model Buildings Masterclass" by Roy Porter (my copy probably bought "remaindered", but available at a ridiculous price on Amazon at the moment).

He shows plasticine rolled onto Lego base plates with a wall built around it, stones or bricks embossed into the plasicine with a variety of  shapes stuck to the ends of skewers (toothpicks in 009?) and then cast in plaster. He make one-offs: he says 3 or 4 castings from one plasticine master, if done with care. Perhaps a more robust mould could be made using silicone rubber off the plaster casts.

It looks rather complicated and beyond me!

I have tried "Das" modelling clay, poked and prodded with toothpicks, knife blades and an old toothbrush. It makes quite good rounded, weathered stone, but my "blasted" or quarried stone did not look good. The stuff is too doughy and squidges/splodges out when I made impressions on it unless I timed it just right, i.e. just before it set.

There is a Dutch modeller who makes all his stone walls from builder's plasterboard with one layer of paper peeled off and each stone individually carved in the surface!

[invercloy]

There is a Dutch modeller who makes all his stone walls from builder's plasterboard with one layer of paper peeled off and each stone individually carved in the surface!

I've seen something similar on RMweb using foamboard with the top layer if card peeled off, then the foam scribed.

The bragdon moulds look very tempting though  8) no doubt they'll come in useful on subsequent layouts.

[JulienW]

The bragdon moulds look very tempting though  8) no doubt they'll come in useful on subsequent layouts.

Thanks for the link!

Just had a look at the range myself - I feel a bookmarking coming on!