The sand car was a fun little kit to build and paint.  This car is a perfect demonstration of how the little details are what make the model stand out.

The figure is from Woodland Scenics, with a small amount of chalk to dirty his clothing.

The water-slide decals were easy to apply, the most important thing was to cut them very close to the lettering for the best fit.  To apply I first dip the decal in the water and then pull it out and set it aside.  While waiting for the glue to soak off the decal, I brush the area it will be applied with a decal softening solution.  About 20 seconds is all that is needed for the the decal to release from the backing.  I then pick up the decal and backing with a pair of tweezers and use a small brush to slide the decal onto the model.  Once I have the decal positioned where I want it using the brush, I brush a little bit more of the decal softening solution onto the decal.

I sprayed the model with dull-cote and then used chalk to weather the car.

I added the tar-paper roofing by cutting it into strips and gluing it on the roof using white glue.  This had the effect of creating some small wrinkles, but these added to the character of the building.  The Ski and 7up signs I attached with rubber cement, the rest I used white glue.

I attached all the details at the loading dock with Woodland Scenics’ Scenic Accent glue.  Following the directions on the bottle I brushed it onto each piece and waited until it had dried clear before sticking the part in place.  I actually used it after I applied the primer coat, which allowed me to use the glue to stick the part to my work surface for painting.  After the paint had dried I lifted the parts off the work surface and easily repositioned them in their final position.  I especially recommend using this glue with figures.

When I have found a place on my layout for this model (a section yet to be built) I will do some final weathering to make it fit into the scene.  For now this model is complete.

My next task was to add the small details.  I used Floquil rust to paint the stairs, and will use the color on the railings also.  I changed the design of the landing on the right by adding some strip-wood in places where it would be on the prototype.  For all of the wood pieces I dipped the bulk pieces in a solution of alcohol and India ink.  I have found that it works much better to color the wood before cutting the pieces and gluing.  The glue can make the stain not absorb if used before.  When I figure out the location on the layout for the building I will weather them to match the location, making the rust color of the stairs blend well.

This picture shows a better view of the rear railing.  It was rather difficult to bend the rails into the correct shape, but using pliers with rather straight edges helped.

As I mentioned in the previous post I painted the front of the building nicely – to make it look well maintained as it will be the side facing the street.  Attention to small details like this add much the believability of a scene on a model railroad.  As you can see in this picture I am in the middle of painting the trim work on the front of the building.  This is another small detail that is really worth the time and effort.

This picture shows how the rubber cement helps to create peeling paint.  After the paint had dried over cement (I waited overnight to be sure) I used masking tape over all of the walls.  I worked this into the grooves a little bit with my finger nail. I then peeled the tape off, taking some of the outer layer with it.  I figured that the back of the building would have been ignored the last time the business was painted, in an effort to save money.

One of my latest projects has been the Bertani’s Billiards model from JL Innovative Design.  As you might have seen in my earliest posts I have built one of their kits previously.  The quality of the details provided with the kit are pretty good, although it is important to check the fit of parts before installing them.

This kit went together fairly easily, and the directions were pretty good.  I used Elmer’s wood glue to fasten the wood parts together and a ca++ (superglue) to glue the plastic parts to the wood.

I primed the model and then began the painting.  On the front two sides I went ahead and painted the first coat of green as I wanted it to look well maintained.  On the back I painted on rubber cement in spots.  I have used this technique before and found that it works really well for simulating peeling paint.  The most important part of this is to make sure it is completely dry before painting on the top layer.