After a couple of requests for pictures of the Downtown Deco Back Alley kit here it is:

It is still a work in progress with many details and weathering left to do.

I found it interesting to build a hydrocal kit for the first time, I will definitely be building more in the future.

I recently started a new kit from Downtown Deco.  It is a hydrocal (plaster) kit of a back alley.  Basically it is a series of five buildings that are only a couple of inches deep, designed to be placed against a backdrop.  I was given this kit, unfortunately a couple of pieces were broken and the box cover was missing.  With the cover missing I had to look online for pictures to figure out how to put together the major portions of the kit.  The instructions were pretty good, but were missing an exploded diagram to identify each of the pieces.

I glued the broken parts back together by using white glue.  This worked pretty well, however for the next model I intend to try 5 min epoxy.  I then glued the walls together again using white glue.  I found that this was a little bit brittle, but does an OK job of holding the fairly large pieces together.  I came back the next day and filled the gaps between the individual pieces with putty.  Sculpting tools assisted in filling the gaps to make them look less like a gap and more like a damaged area of the building.

I added on the lettering using dry transfer decals.  After adding the small lettering I decided to redo it in another location.  I find that is one of the nice things about dry transfer is that they are relatively easy to remove if you decide against them.  I did this by using the tip of a hobby knife to scratch them off.

I then added all of the final details, using grab-irons from a detail upgrade kit available for this model.  I decided that buying the upgrade kit would produce better results than trying to make them myself.  For the next kit I will think twice about them, because while they certainly were convenient it would be easy to make them.  Included in this detail kit was an etched metal kit for the end ladders.  This would have been a very good looking upgrade, however I found that my soldering skills were not up to the task – they will make good additions to a scrap pile some where on the layout.

After final touch-up, I sprayed the model with dull-cote.  I didn’t bother masking the windows as I did not put an interior in it.  I then used chalk to weather the caboose.

I have to thank my wife for the beautiful picture of the completed project taken on my “work in progress” layout.

I brush painted the various parts using Floquil paint.  This worked well on the wooden parts, but I should have sprayed it on the floor.  The outer roofing was really easy as it was basically a large sticker.    I really like the way it looks, when painted I think it will look like tar paper.  Using this outer covering helped me out on the cupola as it covered a crack that happened in the sub-roof as I was gluing it into place.

Also when building the cupola, I discovered that it was possible to position the laser-cut parts approximately where they were supposed to be, and then use an x-acto knife to do the final alignment.  The knife was also useful in pushing down the small parts to set them in place.

After installing the sheathing on the outside of the body, and assembling the cupola, I assembled the roof.  Again I was amazed at the precision of the parts and the limited prep-work they needed.

As you can see in the picture I had to improvise a little bit to hold the parts together while the glue was drying.

I had to improvise again when assembling the main portion of the roof.  In order to make the roof curve to match the frame I glued one side and then clamped it and glued the other side.  I tried using clamps at first, but they tended to shift parts around; using a nearby box of tools provided a flat surface and enough weight to hold the parts while the glue dried.

I picked up this kit because I wanted to try a laser cut wood kit that used peel and stick windows and doors.  My first impression upon opening this kit was the extreme detail and precision with which each part had been created.  The instruction manual was very clear and easy to understand, with very detailed expanded drawings demonstrating each step.

I assembled the inner skeleton using wood glue, the rest of the kit I used Zap-a-Gap to glue parts on it.

I was impressed that the siding was installed using the peel and stick method.  I found that an x-acto knife with a #10 blade was the best thing for removing the backing.  I was very impressed that each part required only minimal prep before assembly.

This picture shows another technique that I have found useful.  I spread out a sheet of sandpaper on my desk and use it when assembling wall sections.  It allows me to quickly true up and remove burrs from wall panels.

After reviewing some of my previous posts, I realized that I hadn’t put up the final pictures of this fine model.  So, without further ado, here they are:

(I just had to say that, lol)

Here is a picture of the rear of the house, showing off the back porch.

And here is a view of the right side of the house.  You can see the seams on each end of this wall.  This is so I can remove this wall with little damage to the building if I ever decide to put an interior into it.  When I place it on a layout I will cover this seam with ivy.  I will also lightly weather the house after it is in place to fit the location.

I constructed the front porch using the same techniques as I did on the back, building a wood frame under the floor and using it as a mounting point for the lattice.  I didn’t bother installing legs on this one either, however it would have helped in the installation by keeping the back corner of the porch up while waiting for the glue to set.

I painted directly over the cardstock for the porch floor and continued with the assembly of the porch.  When installing the gingerbread I found that it was much easier when using a curved pair of tweezers to hold them.  I used the same technique as before on the gravel for the roof, painting the surface with roof brown, followed by a coat of scenic cement, and then sprinkling on the ballast.  I then used a pipette to add cement where needed.  I found in a couple of spots the ballest ended up getting stuck on the walls higher than I wanted.  The best solution for this was to use an x-acto knife to push these spots down before the glue dried.

I assembled the back porch following the directions.  The cut out piece seemed to fit a little bit strange so I had to do some cutting to get it to fit correctly.  I used Elmer’s wood glue to hold the pieces together.  In the foreground of the picture you can see how I framed the porch with scale lumber, and after it had dried I used the pieces of lattice to build up the rest of the porch.  I didn’t bother installing any posts going down as you can’t see them anyways.

I then painted the porch and installed all of the “gingerbread around the edges of the roof.  The roof was painted with Floquil’s roof brown and then covered with fine ballast to provide texture.  Using the ballast is a good way to cover the small cuts and adjustments that were needed on the roof.  Also in this picture you can see where I added the “spears into the gingerbread around the roof of the model.  I had to use putty around some of them to fill in the gaps, but it was easy to hide the patches.

For this section of the build I installed the chimneys first, after assembling them.  I painted them by dry-brushing a couple of colors over the gray primer coat.  I used a ca glue to assemble them and to fix them to the wall.  I then cut each of the pieces of the parapet into the correct length, and then held it up to its final location to judge the angle I needed to cut it at.  As you can see in the picture there was a slight gap between each one, but I was able to use Squadron white putty to cover those.  You can’t see it from the picture but I made sure to paint each of the pieces before installing them, as it would have been difficult with them already in place.

After the glue had dried (it took only a couple of minutes) I began the installation of the special molding on both the parapet and the top section of the mansard roof.  At each of the major corners I left a gap for the “spike” that would go into place.  In this picture you can also see that I began to fill in the top of the bay window with putty.