Mini bicycles

Now, I love my 1:14 scale remote control Audi TT, though in person it’s not as realistic as I would like. On the other hand, I just found some bicycles that are marvelously realistic! They are 1:12 scale diecast models by Maisto. First, the Audi Quattro Citybike.

And, the Audi Quattro Trekkingbike.

Finally, a Mercedes Benz Hybrid Bike. This should be the last of my collection, though. The three I bought were the ones I liked best.

No, I haven’t kicked the Audi TT out, but I’ll have to figure out some storage solutions for the bicycles when the car is parked in the garage. I have a couple of ideas to keep it from feeling so cramped…though that is how most garages are.

The more stuff I get crammed into the garage, the more realistic it feels. Yes, I know it’s insanely tidy, but it’s a new house. :D

The shelves were made from balsa wood following instructions in the book Making Miniature Gardens by Freida Gray. The tools and accessories were all purchased, though I did paint a few of the tools to make them look more realistic. The pegboard has tiny hooks that can be moved around. The shop light works, too, though I don’t have it wired at the moment.

Categories: Model Cars, Vehicles
March 28, 2011 | 0 comments

Baslow Ranch – Farm wagon

This was one of the initial things I built for Baslow Ranch. As an integral part of my idea, I had to figure out from the start if it would even work the way I wanted.

My wagon was adapted from a covered wagon kit by Allwood (made in the 70s, I think). I changed it from a covered wagon to a farm wagon since the kit was 1:16 scale and, as a covered wagon, it would have been a bit small in relation to the barn. Here’s the box image.

The kit was partially assembled when I bought it. Three of the four wheels were already done as well as the main body. The faux wood trim didn’t look right (think wood paneling on an old station wagon), so I ended up taking the body apart altogether and cut new pieces from a scrap of plywood I already had. This allowed me to score the inner and outer surfaces of the pieces to mimic wood planks.

I painted the outer body Black Cherry by Folk Art. I painted the rest of the pieces with a wash of black and brown paint and used some of this wash to age the Black Cherry paint.

The trim is made from 1/8″ wide Instant Lead Lines by Plaid. This is a self-adhesive material used for faux stained glass. Once in place, I pressed a nail set into the lines to create rivets. A little rust paint added here and there aged the look a bit.

I added some ballast by Woodland Scenics to dirty up the inside.

It’s a good thing this was meant to be a rickety ol’ wagon, because the wheels are nowhere near straight. Three of the four wheels were assembled by the previous owner, but I my fourth wheel wasn’t much better. The chassis and basic structure are solid, though.

It ended up fitting perfectly in the barn space.

I applied multiple paint washes to some unfinished wood barrels I purchased and put them in the back of the wagon.

I made the stool using a pattern in the book Finishing Touches by Jane Harrop. It, too, was aged with a black and brown paint wash.

The wagon has a removable tongue, too, though it makes the wagon too long to park inside the barn with the doors closed.

Categories: Baslow Ranch, Model Cars, Vehicles
May 30, 2010 | 0 comments

The wayback machine

Though I had a dollhouse in childhood, my main interest for as long as I can remember has been cars. I wanted an all-terrain vehicle for my second birthday, and grandpa bought it for me. I am not sure exactly when I got into building model cars, but I still have three completed 1:25 scale models – one showroom quality and the other two junkers. These were made sometime in the late 80’s – early 90’s.

The first is a Jaguar XKE. It’s the most polished of the three. It has a gold metallic undercoat covered by sheer deep green. I used an airbrush on all the models. Other than on the wheels where I was able to use a small brush, the chrome details were painted gold using the tip of a sewing pin. That same method was used to paint the dashboard details.

The second is a Volkswagen Beetle in a lovely shade of oxidized army green. Of course, the kit body was originally pink. Ech!

I cut mini vinyl floor mats to cover the holes in the floorboards. It has broken windows, dents, rust, a missing rear view mirror, multiple city stickers and a now-missing CB antenna mounted on the back. That’s railroad paint called dirt as accent.

The third, and my personal favorite, is the Datsun 240Z. It has a cockeyed suspension, which – if you have ever seen one of these on the road – should seem familiar to you.

Occasionally, I will see one that is showroom new and I just have to smile. This model has the same issues as the Beetle – the dents, rust etc., but I did a few extra things here.

The spider web crack in the front windshield is done by poking a heated straight pin through the plastic then using a hobby knife to etch the pattern.

I upholstered the hatchback just to put a greasy tire mark there.

There are cigarette burns in the seats, a missing headlight and only part of the nameplate remains on the back. I painted most of the car in a mix of gloss and flat black, but the hood and rear piece have a bit more gloss to represent replacement parts. It, too, got a splash of dirt to finish it off. Interestingly enough, the dustier these models get over time the more realistic they look.

Categories: Model Cars, Vehicles
September 16, 2009 | 0 comments