wefalck

Perhaps you can find a 'pissoir' instead - somehow the whole French scene reminds of 'Clochemerle' (novel by Gabriel Chevallier), that has been cast into a British TV series - the cast-iron pissoir was blewn up eventually.

I am using a similar technique for ice as for water that I developed back in the early 1980s or so, albeit with somewhat different materials available then.
 
Basically I glue a sheet of acrylic (perhaps 2 or 3 mm thick) onto a wooden base. There is a cut-out for the (waterline-)model, which has to extend beneath the waterline by the thickness of the acrylic glass.. This wooden base has been painted appropriately to represent the water under the ice-sheet. The acrylic glass is then given a coat of acrylic gel-medium to represent the somewhat irregular water/ice surface. Snow on the ice can be represented by glueing 'micro-balloons', crushed glass (can be bought in hobby stores I think - my supply still comes from my teenage railway model days), or crystalline sugar(!) onto it. This is a good strategy for closed ice-sheets or what is called 'pancake' ice. If you want larger ice-floes, you have to glue with acrylic gel-medium very thin pieces of broken glass (use gloves and pliers and goggles) or acrylic glass before covering everything in the gel-medium.
 
Below is a scene of a Zuiderzee-botter frozen-in that I created some ten years ago:



Unfortunately, I don't seem to have taken pictures of the actual process.
The scene was based on this picture that I took in Enkhuizen in 2009:

It is, indeed, important to study photographs of the situation you want to create.

These chop-saws seem to be copies of the PROXXON KG50, which they offered for many years and is currently priced at 110€ here in Europe. More recently they also offered a heavier version the KGS80, which kost 270€. 
 
On the actual topic of this thread: I would rather use a circular saw than a guillotine on materials thicker than a couple of millimeters, particular hardwoods. This ensures square ends.

Perhaps you can find a 'pissoir' instead - somehow the whole French scene reminds of 'Clochemerle' (novel by Gabriel Chevallier), that has been cast into a British TV series - the cast-iron pissoir was blewn up eventually.

I agree, seemingly to scale, it still seems out of proportion. Also, they are more likely to be found in larger towns or cities.
 
These columns were invented by a Berlin printer named Ernst Litfaß and the first one was installed in that city in 1854. From there the concept spread all over the world. They often had dual uses, e.g. as transformer stations or covering access staircases to the sewer system. There is a famous scene in the film The Third Man, when Harry Lime slips into one in Vienna - the grand sewer-sytem was notoriously used by criminals to hide or gain access to houses. The Vienna police used to have a specially trained and equipped 'Kanalbrigade' to combat this (they appear also in the film). 

Perhaps you can find a 'pissoir' instead - somehow the whole French scene reminds of 'Clochemerle' (novel by Gabriel Chevallier), that has been cast into a British TV series - the cast-iron pissoir was blewn up eventually.

I agree, seemingly to scale, it still seems out of proportion. Also, they are more likely to be found in larger towns or cities.
 
These columns were invented by a Berlin printer named Ernst Litfaß and the first one was installed in that city in 1854. From there the concept spread all over the world. They often had dual uses, e.g. as transformer stations or covering access staircases to the sewer system. There is a famous scene in the film The Third Man, when Harry Lime slips into one in Vienna - the grand sewer-sytem was notoriously used by criminals to hide or gain access to houses. The Vienna police used to have a specially trained and equipped 'Kanalbrigade' to combat this (they appear also in the film). 

I am using a similar technique for ice as for water that I developed back in the early 1980s or so, albeit with somewhat different materials available then.
 
Basically I glue a sheet of acrylic (perhaps 2 or 3 mm thick) onto a wooden base. There is a cut-out for the (waterline-)model, which has to extend beneath the waterline by the thickness of the acrylic glass.. This wooden base has been painted appropriately to represent the water under the ice-sheet. The acrylic glass is then given a coat of acrylic gel-medium to represent the somewhat irregular water/ice surface. Snow on the ice can be represented by glueing 'micro-balloons', crushed glass (can be bought in hobby stores I think - my supply still comes from my teenage railway model days), or crystalline sugar(!) onto it. This is a good strategy for closed ice-sheets or what is called 'pancake' ice. If you want larger ice-floes, you have to glue with acrylic gel-medium very thin pieces of broken glass (use gloves and pliers and goggles) or acrylic glass before covering everything in the gel-medium.
 
Below is a scene of a Zuiderzee-botter frozen-in that I created some ten years ago:



Unfortunately, I don't seem to have taken pictures of the actual process.
The scene was based on this picture that I took in Enkhuizen in 2009:

It is, indeed, important to study photographs of the situation you want to create.

I am using a similar technique for ice as for water that I developed back in the early 1980s or so, albeit with somewhat different materials available then.
 
Basically I glue a sheet of acrylic (perhaps 2 or 3 mm thick) onto a wooden base. There is a cut-out for the (waterline-)model, which has to extend beneath the waterline by the thickness of the acrylic glass.. This wooden base has been painted appropriately to represent the water under the ice-sheet. The acrylic glass is then given a coat of acrylic gel-medium to represent the somewhat irregular water/ice surface. Snow on the ice can be represented by glueing 'micro-balloons', crushed glass (can be bought in hobby stores I think - my supply still comes from my teenage railway model days), or crystalline sugar(!) onto it. This is a good strategy for closed ice-sheets or what is called 'pancake' ice. If you want larger ice-floes, you have to glue with acrylic gel-medium very thin pieces of broken glass (use gloves and pliers and goggles) or acrylic glass before covering everything in the gel-medium.
 
Below is a scene of a Zuiderzee-botter frozen-in that I created some ten years ago:



Unfortunately, I don't seem to have taken pictures of the actual process.
The scene was based on this picture that I took in Enkhuizen in 2009:

It is, indeed, important to study photographs of the situation you want to create.

Stays 2.0 are done. You the viewer may not be able to tell the difference but I sure can. I am much more pleased with 2.0 than 1.0. 
 
 I kept fighting that 32 GA brass wire and kept failing so I dug through Maggie's thread stash and found some silver metallic thread that was the right diameter. This was my first time using metallic thread, what a treat and it turned out to be just the ticket! Most of our models have some weight to them and when running line or wire through eyes the model is heavy enough to add resistance when tying a knot. My biggest problem is Billy doesn't weigh anything. I weighed Billy tonight and as pictured Billy only weighs 0.8 ounce or 24 grams! The metallic thread when looped through an eye and pulled tight will cinch on itself. This allowed me to CA the thread at the eye without issue using just two hands.   
 
 Stays 1.0

 
 Stays 2.0.  All the connections look the same The thread is tight and not wavy. As is off the spool the tread is pretty bright, I gave the thread a very light black wash. Depending on how the light hits the tread the metal in the thread shows differently. It's kind of a cool effect but still might be a little too bright. A second light black wash maybe in order and is not a problem applying. 

 
 Stays 1.0 

 
 Stays 2.0  
 
 Stays 1.0

 
 Stays 2.0. I also changed the eye connections from under the eaves to the boiler deck and the wheelhouse roof. Much more sturdy and it looks better, IMHO. 

 
 Thank you for the likes, comments, and the support.
 
   Keith

I am using a similar technique for ice as for water that I developed back in the early 1980s or so, albeit with somewhat different materials available then.
 
Basically I glue a sheet of acrylic (perhaps 2 or 3 mm thick) onto a wooden base. There is a cut-out for the (waterline-)model, which has to extend beneath the waterline by the thickness of the acrylic glass.. This wooden base has been painted appropriately to represent the water under the ice-sheet. The acrylic glass is then given a coat of acrylic gel-medium to represent the somewhat irregular water/ice surface. Snow on the ice can be represented by glueing 'micro-balloons', crushed glass (can be bought in hobby stores I think - my supply still comes from my teenage railway model days), or crystalline sugar(!) onto it. This is a good strategy for closed ice-sheets or what is called 'pancake' ice. If you want larger ice-floes, you have to glue with acrylic gel-medium very thin pieces of broken glass (use gloves and pliers and goggles) or acrylic glass before covering everything in the gel-medium.
 
Below is a scene of a Zuiderzee-botter frozen-in that I created some ten years ago:



Unfortunately, I don't seem to have taken pictures of the actual process.
The scene was based on this picture that I took in Enkhuizen in 2009:

It is, indeed, important to study photographs of the situation you want to create.

I am using a similar technique for ice as for water that I developed back in the early 1980s or so, albeit with somewhat different materials available then.
 
Basically I glue a sheet of acrylic (perhaps 2 or 3 mm thick) onto a wooden base. There is a cut-out for the (waterline-)model, which has to extend beneath the waterline by the thickness of the acrylic glass.. This wooden base has been painted appropriately to represent the water under the ice-sheet. The acrylic glass is then given a coat of acrylic gel-medium to represent the somewhat irregular water/ice surface. Snow on the ice can be represented by glueing 'micro-balloons', crushed glass (can be bought in hobby stores I think - my supply still comes from my teenage railway model days), or crystalline sugar(!) onto it. This is a good strategy for closed ice-sheets or what is called 'pancake' ice. If you want larger ice-floes, you have to glue with acrylic gel-medium very thin pieces of broken glass (use gloves and pliers and goggles) or acrylic glass before covering everything in the gel-medium.
 
Below is a scene of a Zuiderzee-botter frozen-in that I created some ten years ago:



Unfortunately, I don't seem to have taken pictures of the actual process.
The scene was based on this picture that I took in Enkhuizen in 2009:

It is, indeed, important to study photographs of the situation you want to create.

OK, here's the partner building to the grocer. This one is the "Haberdashery" from Berkshire Valley Models, a kit-maker known to me. I like their kits and as you'll see, this one addresses several of the issues I had with the previous one. Follow the link to see what the default kit building looks like.
 
Right away this gets a big thing correct by assembling the walls ahead of time. A layer of scribed siding is glued onto a sub-layer of thin plywood, but doing it on individual walls means  you can clamp these all you want. I added some internal bracing to help ensure flatness.

Windows and doors are the usual procedure for kits like this, built up from several layers of thin laser-cut wood. But again, installed ahead of time so it's much easier to get them right. The kit also includes two scribed floors (unlike the other one), which I initially weathered even though I ended up deciding that the upper floor wouldn't be visible.

The walls can be assembled into a separate box that sits on the base (meaning it can also be detached), making it much easier to do an interior. I decided this building would be a drugstore. It's a nice complement to the grocer and it lends itself to an interesting interior. Here's a couple of reference photos of period drugstore interiors from Missouri in this era, both from the State Historical Society of Missouri digital collections (public domain, no copyright). The first one is actually from Rocheport's own Dimmitt Drugstore:

And this one's from nearby Miami (MO):

The key elements here are lots of tall dark wall shelving loaded with bottles and packages, along with prominent glass cases. Some period drugstores also had tables. I had another great reference photo showing a collection of well-dressed ladies and gents lounging around several round tables in the center aisle of a drugstore similar to those above, but I can't remember where I found it, so can't share it here. But here's my version:

The tall "walnut" shelving conveys that idea nicely. I built the glass cases from thin strip wood and leftover window glass. The tables are just cut-off dowels. The back wall is affixed to the base. Note how the building base is a nice solid piece, with the floor designed as an inset. This lets the building "box" slide down nice and snug on top, so you can remove the building if you need to mess with the interior. Much better than the other building's integrated floor. This building has only front windows, no large side windows like the other, so the interior really only needs to hint at detail. I think this is plenty.
 
Starting to assemble the "box". The upper floor glues in as part of the structure, but since you can remove the box from the lower base and you can make the upper roof removable, this doesn't matter. I decided I didn't want any part of the upper floor visible, so installed some basic "curtains" behind all the second-floor windows.
 

Here's the partially completed walls being test-fit into the "box", with the companion building next door. Note that all the layers of detail on the front haven't been completed in this view, nor the windows.

And here are three views of the finished building:



I like how this color scheme came out. Not too bright, distinct from its neighbor, but sharing a hint of the same color palette so they don't clash. 
 
I gave this one a generic "drugstore" label. I hadn't found the Dimmitts photo when I lettered this, but even if I had, I wouldn't have used the name since I also found an exterior photo of the real Dimmitt's and it's a brick building. I might letter a more specific name up top, or just leave it be. 
 
In a followup post I'll set these two buildings onto the layout with the wooden walkway that goes in front of them. But that's a project for another day. Hope you enjoyed this simple build and thanks for reading along! There are just a couple more buildings to go, and eventually I'll have some more scenery projects to share as well.
 
At some point this winter I'll also start building the benchwork for the next town down the line, starting this whole process over in a new setting! This one will be simpler, as it's a narrower scene with far fewer buildings. But that's in the future.
 

There are many different ways in which the waterways and covering boards were composed/constructed, depending on the period and the size of the ship. Sometimes, waterways and covering board were one piece of timber and in other cases there were two (as in the above drawing) or even three pieces. I have seen drawings/paintings of warship decks, where the waterways/covering boards were painted. In the case of the above drawing, it would be likely, that the covering board is painted, but the waterways are not - would be also easier to realise in a model.

Very pleasing run of the planking and nicely executed!

These chop-saws seem to be copies of the PROXXON KG50, which they offered for many years and is currently priced at 110€ here in Europe. More recently they also offered a heavier version the KGS80, which kost 270€. 
 
On the actual topic of this thread: I would rather use a circular saw than a guillotine on materials thicker than a couple of millimeters, particular hardwoods. This ensures square ends.

There are many different ways in which the waterways and covering boards were composed/constructed, depending on the period and the size of the ship. Sometimes, waterways and covering board were one piece of timber and in other cases there were two (as in the above drawing) or even three pieces. I have seen drawings/paintings of warship decks, where the waterways/covering boards were painted. In the case of the above drawing, it would be likely, that the covering board is painted, but the waterways are not - would be also easier to realise in a model.

Perhaps you should have brought in the mother-in-law to clean out the dust ...🙃

Thank you, Jacques. Without the paddle wheels it does look more like a houseboat. Billy was a heck of a lot more colorful than any other sternwheeler I'm aware of.
 
 Thank you, Glen. It's not the wire itself, it's the connecting points. I will differently be redoing the stays.
 
 Thank you for your support, Keith
 
 Thank you, Bob. Even though the Tennessee sits in front of me I've really not paid attention to her in a year and a half. The other night I looked closely at where I left off and I was startled at how much I've forgotten. Bob, short answer to your question is, yes, I'll be going back to work on the Tennessee. Billy has scratched whatever itch I had. 
 
 Thank you, Keith. We haven't heard from the other Keith, pilot Keith. I think of him from time to time and wonder how he's doing. We seem to lose track of far too many of our MSW family.    Gary comes to immediate mind. 
 
 Thank you very much, Pat. 
 
 Homemade yes, not so much flimsy, John. I can do better!
 
 

There is another interesting arrangement that seems to have been quite common on somewhat larger ships, such as schooners or small brigs, in the earlier decades of the 19th century, where a steering-wheel was put onto the tiller and the endless rope wound around the drum. This made the helmsman to walk with the wheel while the tiller swung around.

The above example is from the model of an 1839 brig from Altona/Hamburg, but it seems to have been a quite common arrangement on Dutch ships of that age.
 
I think the arrangement with an endless rope is more conducive to be operated by a single helmsman on merchant vessels with very small crews. 
 
 

There is another interesting arrangement that seems to have been quite common on somewhat larger ships, such as schooners or small brigs, in the earlier decades of the 19th century, where a steering-wheel was put onto the tiller and the endless rope wound around the drum. This made the helmsman to walk with the wheel while the tiller swung around.

The above example is from the model of an 1839 brig from Altona/Hamburg, but it seems to have been a quite common arrangement on Dutch ships of that age.
 
I think the arrangement with an endless rope is more conducive to be operated by a single helmsman on merchant vessels with very small crews. 
 
 

There is another interesting arrangement that seems to have been quite common on somewhat larger ships, such as schooners or small brigs, in the earlier decades of the 19th century, where a steering-wheel was put onto the tiller and the endless rope wound around the drum. This made the helmsman to walk with the wheel while the tiller swung around.

The above example is from the model of an 1839 brig from Altona/Hamburg, but it seems to have been a quite common arrangement on Dutch ships of that age.
 
I think the arrangement with an endless rope is more conducive to be operated by a single helmsman on merchant vessels with very small crews. 
 
 

Perhaps you should have brought in the mother-in-law to clean out the dust ...🙃

There is another interesting arrangement that seems to have been quite common on somewhat larger ships, such as schooners or small brigs, in the earlier decades of the 19th century, where a steering-wheel was put onto the tiller and the endless rope wound around the drum. This made the helmsman to walk with the wheel while the tiller swung around.

The above example is from the model of an 1839 brig from Altona/Hamburg, but it seems to have been a quite common arrangement on Dutch ships of that age.
 
I think the arrangement with an endless rope is more conducive to be operated by a single helmsman on merchant vessels with very small crews. 
 
 

Perhaps you should have brought in the mother-in-law to clean out the dust ...🙃