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king derelict

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Everything posted by king derelict

  1. The stairs are spectacularly good. Its already very real looking Alan
  2. I think realistic sails are one of the hardest things to achieve. Your jibs look great Alan
  3. Thank you very much OC. I think I need an assistant to square and angle the blocks and then we would really see some progress - but that would feel like cheating. I want to try that glazing technique that @Jack12477 referenced recently on one of the figures . That looked very effective. But first the walls have to rise a little further. I'm conscious EG is out there with his howitzer😎 Alan
  4. Pushing long down the long section of wall. The first round tower is complete and I started sanding down the square tower. The little trays are very handy for keeping the squared blocks of different sizes and the angled blocks. Many thanks to my cats for liking that particular brand of cat treat and keeping me well supplied with the containers I think I will be breaking off at intervals to work on some small projects to recharge the enthusiasm. So following the conversation about Verlinden being no longer in production I thought I needed to get some while I can I am taking the 2023 Moratorium on New Kits more as a suggestion than a hard rule. The 2023 Moratorium on new book only lasted 5 days. Oh well Thanks for all the support, likes and comments Alan
  5. Thanks Mark I'll explore for information Alan
  6. Thank you Ken, I've read you can get flickering ones too. I need to sort out the basics of how to wire them up snd them how the main castle will build up to determine how many are needed inside the cardboard formers Alan
  7. Great start.It looks like the gate is going to work out nicely Alan
  8. Thanks Craig. Yes it definitely is fun watching it grow. Its something very different from the usual run of models. It is very messy - the dust goes everywhere. No-one will complain about sanding a wooden hull after making one of these. For that reason I'm working in the garage at least until the weather gets hot again Alan
  9. With the board to square and shape the blocks I'm picking up some efficiency (Thanks Jack) and moving foreard. In the short time available today I reached the top of the wall in the next section and nearly finished the first round tower. So as i work along the walls I'm starting to think about adding lights to the model. The outer wall has no windows so it isn't too late to decide/ There will be plenty of room below the main castle to install wires and the hill at the rear could accommodate a battery box. I have never lit a model so this would all be new to me. The dust is starting to accumulate. I find the soft brush indispensable for sweeping off the tiers of blocks after they have been sanded to remove steps. The stiff brush is used to clean the sandpaper and files which clog very quickly. Many Thanks for looking in and the likes and comments Alan
  10. Jack, that is a great idea (again). I ended up gluing a couple of strips of ply together to make a combined holder / pusher for the blocks seen just below the fence. The ergonomically shaped section further back means I can square several blocks without developing a groove in my thumb. Many Thanks = that really helps me move the model forward Alan
  11. Thank you OC. The look of stone really does make the model. I'm thinking about giving it a thin grey wash when its complete> I think the warm tone is a bit too Mediterranean. Lots of ideas for later on😎
  12. A long old day of real life at the eye clinic yesterday so no progress until today. I managed to spend some time on the Castillo today and finished one side of the first bit of the outer walls. I'm trying not to look at the higher right hand section yet. Thanks to @Jack12477 the construction went a lot faster along the straight sections. The curved towers are still a slow file and fit work Thanks for looking in and all the support and comments Alan
  13. Thank you very much Ken I have some squares of the closed cell insulation board material which I have used for seascape bases. That may be a very good way to build up the basic shapes and contours of the hill. The kit would have you make several pillars out of card for the upper parts of the castle to rest on. Its going to be heavy so I am not so convinced that is a good idea so I'm thinking I might use layers of the foam boards depending on how the heights work out. That would also allow me to carve the landscape right to the walls. Thats going to be a very interesting part of the build - many blocks away. Alan
  14. Hi Waitoa. There is definitely room; you are most welcome, Your village is a wonderful creation so I hope I don't embarrass myself in front of you Alan
  15. ack That is a great idea. Thank you very much. Your comment jogged my memory. I bought this from Micro=Mark (I think) for wooden boat building) and never used it It works quite well, especially for squaring the ends. The blocks are so small that after doing a number of them I end up with sore fingers from holding them against the fence. Its worth doing; it really speeds up the construction of the walls because there is no need to custom fit each block and the gaps are tighter too. I may do better trying to make a custom board though that would make the blocks easier to hold while sanding Thanks again - that's a big help Alan
  16. The Aedes Ars kits are a whole different aspect of the hobby. The catalogue has some fascinating things to build. There are far more complex things than Castillo Loarre too Construction kit for the reproduction of the Almansa Castle (aedesars.com) I love the limestone landscapes of the Yorkshire Dales. I did a lot of caving up there years go and hiked up the hillsides along and over the drystone walls. My favourite part of the country in many ways. The village pubs after a long caving trip were another great attraction. Especially in winter. Alan
  17. Thank you very much EG. Thats ll good stuff. I hadn't thought of building up the landscape off the base but that may be the best idea. Its all going to get quite crowded between the inner and outer walls and trying to build the hill up between them may be difficult. I think I may need to build at least the basic shape before placing the higher buildings which get built off the base also. Its going to get interesting when I get to that point. It is also probably going to be the most fun bit of the project. Alan
  18. Thank you very much Jack. That is really very helpful. The landscaping is going to be an entirely new project once the walls are built. The kit instructions or guide are very basic but that sort of adds to the interest. I'm glad I mounted the kit onto thick plywood. Its going to be very heavy when complete. Alan
  19. The wall building continues a little at a time with most of the day spent doing other things (pressure washing the patio). The blockwork lends itself to being picked up for half an hour - adding a few bricks here and there or sanding one of the awkward ones to fit. It all adds to the progress. Its probably worth pointing out that this is a double wall so once I reach the end of the formers i have to start all over again on the other side of the formers. Its not a weekend project 😎 Thanks for all the support, comments and likes Alan
  20. Thank you OC. I think I will add the blocks over the area that is indicated and then add the next section of teh castle and see what the terrain is like. I'm thinking that plaster bandage over foam may be a good way to set the basic shapes of the hills and cliffs. The railroad and scenery guys like @Jack12477 and @Canute may know if you can still get the stuff or have a better idea Alan
  21. Thanks for hanging around for this one Edward. Yes, once a section is finished it will get a pretty vigorous sanding. That will smooth the walls, clean up the corners and make the round towers circular. The blocks sand easily and there is a lot of depth to go at with these 5mm blocks. If there are still gaps a mix of diluted white glue and the sanding dust will sort out most problems. The last resort is some artfully placed ivy The blocks are somewhat irregular and the guide recommends squaring up each block. Given that there are 8600 blocks and I have a limited ability to true up anything I use them as is. I find that selecting adjacent blocks and rotating them to get the best fit gives a good result generally. I do sand each layer to make sure the following layer doesn't start to slope or meet steps between the blocks. Alan
  22. Thanks a lot OC. A long haul ahead but its fun and they are an interesting diversion. Alan
  23. I think the plan to use a raised frame and paper gate will create the illusion of depth without looking odd on the walls. It is definitely worth making the gate. It would be irritating to know it should be there. Alan
  24. Mike The ice effects are spectacular. The used of different media really enhances the look Alan
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