Merry Christmas 2016

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas!!

Jack and Zero are all in the holiday spirit decorating the tree and sorting out the presents.

Zero has one he’s eager to open. :D

Jack is a bendy doll and Zero is a wind up toy, both of which I’ve had for a long time. I made the presents and the wrapping paper rolls. The tree is from The Newport. It was a bare Lemax tree that I lighted and decorated with mini bulbs, star garland and a tree skirt. The wallpaper is Ornate Quatrefoil by The Paper Studio. The rug is from Iklectic Kollectibles.

Categories: Roomboxes and Mini Scenes
December 25, 2016 | 0 comments

Ye Olde Taxidermist

Introducing Ye Olde Taxidermist, my entry in the HBS Creatin’ Contest 2016.
——–

Keep your dearly departed in your life during their afterlife. That is the heartfelt mission of Ye Olde Taxidermist, though the shop also caters to naturalists by preserving fine animal and bird specimens for posterity.

Ye Olde Taxidermist makes house, or farm, calls in a stylish Model T Van.

The shop even has a telephone, if you are so inclined.

No animals were harmed in the making of this build. In fact, they all had great fun seeing who could stay still the longest. Roland kept making his holy crap, I think I’ve been stuffed jokes and making this face, which caused an onslaught of giggling among the rest. Silly animals! :D

——–

Ye Olde Taxidermist started as the Backyard Bungalow kit.

I added two inches to the foundation and cut down the depth of the front porch. The foundation has egg carton brickwork. I eliminated the side windows to save on wall space and covered the exterior with clapboard siding sheets.

I added a removable back wall that is actually done in two pieces. The back sunburst gable is glued in place, but the lower wall slides out as needed. The exterior color is Warm White by Americana.

It has interior trim to match the side walls, so it looks seamless when viewed from inside. There’s a jewelry finding nailed to the side as a knob.

Suppose I should have put some art on that back wall.  :D

I changed the kit’s double door to a single door with a transom window. The door color is Plantation Pine by Americana, and the frame is Warm White, also by Americana. I used Opryland door hardware and made the kickplates from heavy paper. I painted the paper antique bronze and added nail detailing. The door lamp is a black coach wall sconce.

The oval doormat is from Arjen Spinhoven Miniaturen. The porch soffit and floor boards are skinny sticks, with the soffit painted French Blue by Folk Art.  The gumball dispenser is from Hobby Lobby.

The display window showcases some of the dearly loved pets of the shop owner. Sherwood is by Michal Gvir, Isabeau is by Maya Schippl, and Grover is by tmd_art.

The Mackintosh chair features some of the first miniature needlework I stitched. I refinished the wood as well. I did research this chair to see if it would be good for a 1915 setting. Having been created in 1898-1899, it was already a bit dated. :D

Grover’s stand was made using a candle stand kit by The House of Miniatures, with the height lowered just a bit. The window lights were made from Chrysolite kits (one from my stash, and one from Debora). I altered them from chain lights to post pendants with aluminum tubing. I also used 3mm LED bulbs from Evan Designs for longevity. They look like true bulbs as well.  :]

The window unit and its base are removable for ease in changing the display. It would have been cumbersome to reach through the back of the building and set the display in reverse from behind. The window unit’s trim disguises the fact that it’s a separate assembly. I have the trim held on with museum putty.

The whole window assembly is built so I can remove the window plastic to replace it or just swap it out. At first I planned to slip the glass in through the top, hence the open slot. Now, the whole top trim is removable. I’ve also run one extra wire under the lower base just in case I ever want to add other lights to the window…or even create a Christmas display.

I used silver sticker letters and flourishes on the front pane.

I printed the sign on paper to help me place the silver letter stickers.

I like how this photo makes it look like a smaller scale build, like quarter scale.

There’s a curtain separating the window from the main store interior. It is removable for cleaning or replacement as needed. The cash register was a gift from Barbara, though I did touch up the paint around the keys (a detail not seen after the effort). The ledger is from Looking Glass Miniature (the stack of string-tied boxes shown in other photos are also from here).

The wall calendar features the artwork of Theo van Hoytema. I edited the art to make an October 1915 calendar. The owl looks positively perturbed — too cute! I painted the copper plant stand with a delicate patina. The flowers and lamb are from Barb’s Corner; the eagle is from ABC Dolls & Miniatures. I made the griffin box from a kit by Lisa’s Little Things bought at one of the local shows.

I modified the Chrysnbon phone/clock/coat rack kit to make a smaller wall phone. I used the hook, receiver, mouthpiece and bells to make my own. I used scrap wood to make the housing and stained it medium brown. I painted the black parts with Testors semi-gloss black. I left off the name plate that many of these phones had since it would have been too small to be legible and would have detracted from the overall look.

The two large counters are from miniatures.com. I stained them Minwax English Chestnut and used a finishing technique to disguise any large grain or glue spots. The shorter counter by the door was made from a vintage kit found on eBay. I was able to cut the pieces into a custom angled counter that allowed better flow into the shop from the front door.

I made the reversible open/closed sign and painted a Chrysnbon coat rack. The umbrella is by FranMadeMinis. I used Brodnax Willow wallpaper and stained the interior trims.

I used three bird prints from A History of British Birds published in the 1850s by Rev. Francis Orpen Morris that I had made for The Newport many years back. They’ve been in storage for some time, so it’s nice to have a few displayed again.

For the rustic flooring, I used the leftovers from The Artist’s Studio flooring, various lengths of board Mike cut for me. I glued the individual boards directly to the mdf floor base using Elmer’s wood glue, supplemented as needed with dots of super glue gel. I sanded the boards with my Dremel Multi-Max oscillating tool, first using 60 grit paper followed by 120 grit paper. The end result was a smoother surface, but I left it a little uneven to keep the rustic beauty. I stained the floor with Minwax Dark Walnut. Since these were different types of wood, the stain didn’t mask the random coloration I liked so well. It just darkened the look overall. Dee-gorgeous! :D I had originally planned to sand this and apply another color as accent but I couldn’t touch this finish, though I did add nail detailing using an awl and paint.

The barrel ceiling ended up being more of a gentle curve, but I still love it. I used crown molding along the side walls as stops for a piece of mat board. It’s covered with textured scrapbook paper called Pressed Tiles – Brown, by The Paper Studio (purchased from Hobby Lobby). Love this paper! I painted it Liquitex Antique Bronze.

The three-light chandeliers were a test of wills. These were made from Chrysolite Heritage Chandelier kits given to me by Debora. I swapped out the included non-replaceable bulb lights for Cir-Kit Concepts candle sockets with varnished wires. The required splicing of six wires into two bundles of three, ending in one exit wire each, inside the main cone is not an easy task and you get one shot at it because you cut the wires so short. I had to scrap three sockets in one attempt. But, it all worked out in the end.

The chandeliers have bases that are glued to the ceiling. The fixtures have pieces that fit and twist into these brackets, so you can remove and pull them down as far as your wires will allow. This makes for easier servicing — no working in tight spaces. I used bronze acrylic paint to cover the red wires so they wouldn’t be as noticeable. I also changed out the included chain for heavier chain and used wax to hold the hurricanes and shades in place. They are fiddly but perfect for the space.

I made the light switch from polystyrene sheet and rod. Talk about fiddly and small. Those buttons are 1/16″ in diameter.

There are numerous animals on display. Most are artisan pieces I’ve collected over the years. I made tiny dioramas for them, though the animals are not glued in place to keep from damaging them.

I used leftover scenery materials on top of driftwood pieces. Some bases were cut down and sanded to better fit the size of the animal while others were left as is from the bag.

I made the Burrowing Owl, and Friedrich is by Michal Gvir. I made the carrots using the tutorial from Sugar Charm Shop — a few stumps to plant and full carrots for show.

Ophelia is by *Reve*, and Endora – by agzr*studios. I made soft pillow beds for each cat. Barbara sent me the red, pink and ivory silks as well as the nest artwork shown in other photos. The green quilting fabric is from my stash.

Hugo B. Agerton is by Steve Panner, who also made Roland Sneakypants shown earlier in this post. I made the mushrooms using Peiwen Petitgrand‘s book on making clay food.

The badger art is from the Graphics Fairy, printed on parchment and mounted on card stock. Clyde the Hoopoe bird is by Katie Doka of FairiesMiniatures.

Sanford is by Steve Panner. I added an aquarium pebble, tall grass and bits of foliage to the base.

Juniper and Archer are both by *Reve*. I used more of the carrots for Juniper’s vignette.

Sam the Toco Toucan is by Katie Doka of FairiesMiniatures.

I re-purposed two House of Miniatures items for the bird perches — a bookstand and pedestal desk. I’ve kept the tops for other uses. I finished them in dark walnut with a satin varnish. I used pieces from the old tree branch I used in The Artist’s Studio with the wood stained to match.

For Igraine by Olga Proshina, I stained two brackets and added jewelry finding accents. A thin floral wire capped with belaying pins holds the bat suspended.

I went through many ideas before finally stopping on a vintage taxidermy shop set c. 1915.

The other ideas were sound, but it was all decided once I found the 1:16 scale 1913 Model T Van kit by Entex that included decals for a taxidermist. From Mouse to Mastodon. I love it! :D

There was more than one kit release over time, but even though I had two kits with different front images, the parts were identical for both. Interestingly, this one is shown built with the driver’s side opposite but with the use of a spare tire instead of the plastic covers. That would not have been possible with the parts molded as they were. Four different sets of decals were included: Carnation Milk, Coca Cola, The Texas Company and Templeton & Son Taxidermists.

I ended up making my own removable sign boards for the van for a few reasons. I wasn’t keen on using the name on the included decals, and I wasn’t sure about my success in applying large decals either. And, I might want to use the van for something else in the future, so I can just swap out the boards. These are printed on regular paper and mounted to bristol paper for added weight. Mini hold wax keeps them in place without marring the paint finish.

I have a full post dedicated to the 1913 Model T Van build with links back to the individual posts for easier reference. The van fits relatively well for scale in my final project, but I do love it even on its own. This was not an easy or forgiving kit. So many parts broke during assembly, and a few were even broken from the start. I had two kits, and even with that, I ended up having to glue the suspension so the front wheels would not turn and the van would not roll. But, I was able to add LED headlights and taillights. Overall, I’m glad I took on the task and I’m pleased with the look of the final model.

The backdrop used is a countryside landscape I found online with no discernible origin in a google search. I wanted something with a rural feeling.

The landscaping board is finished on the edges with iron-on veneer edging. I then glued layers of white 1/16″ foam sheets by Woodland Scenics using Weldbond glue. I went with thin foam so I could keep the land relatively flat on the baseboard while still allowing for natural unevenness.

I used Fine Ballast Dark Brown by Woodland Scenics for the dirt and Woodland Scenics Ballast left over from Baslow Ranch for the gravel. It’s all set in place with Woodland Scenics Scenic Cement. I’ve planted black-eyed Susans along the front. The stairs were built from scratch.

There are depressions in the gravel from where the van has pulled in and out along the side of the building.

The grass is Heki Wild Grass in dark green.

The roof is removable to provide access to all of the wiring as needed.

The roof is covered with asphalt shingles by What’s Next (found a vintage lot of these on eBay a few years back). The roof ridge is finished with heavy paper sprayed with stone finish spray paint. I’ve done a shingle lap before, but I just didn’t like the results I was getting this time around. As for whether asphalt was a correct material to use in 1915, well, you’ll be happy to know I did look it up.

I wanted finished eaves, and I initially tried scoring the mdf boards. That wasn’t as clean as I wanted, so I used some super thin scored wood sheets from my stash and cut piece by piece. Added trims around the edge hold it all in place and disguise the fact that the roof is removable. From underneath, it looks clean and solid.

There’s a 19.5″ tall tree adjacent to the building. The height of the tree was meant to put the building in better proportion with the Model T Van since there are different scales at work here.

I made one branch to fit over the roof, because who is going to climb a ladder to trim it?

The canopy provides good coverage, but the bark texture is my favorite part.  :]

I made a birdhouse from a kit by Twilla’s Tiny Treasures, purchased at one of the local shows. I like a white birdhouse best, but next to a white house, spring green is my second favorite choice. It came with gingerbread detail, but I left that off for a simpler look.

There’s a handy push mower to make quick work of the upkeep. It’s a Phoenix Model kit from Jennifer’s of Walsall.  It’s recommended to use Devcon 5 Minute Epoxy, so I bought some from amazon (as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases). This stuff stinks to high heaven with the hardener smelling like rancid, rotten eggs, but it is as advertised at least.

I sprayed the handles and blades with Testors Model Master Metalizer Lacquer in Aluminum Plate. It buffs to a fine metallic finish. I hand painted the grips semi-gloss black. To keep it simple, I chose black for the wheels and guard. The hubs and connecting rods are Testors Flat Olive Drab, leftover paint from the Sopwith Camel from years back. After assembly, I touched up the paint and added some grime detailing…just enough to give this mower a few years of service. I glued the handles half-way between resting and upright so it would look natural while still being able to sit close to a wall, or against a tree.

And, of course, when you’re back in 1915, you should have photos that feel as though you’ve stepped back in time.

Let’s take the van for a spin!

——
UPDATE: Ye Olde Taxidermist has won an Honorable Mention in the 2016 HBS Creatin’ Contest! It’s a great honor to have my work recognized. A huge thank you to HBS! You can see the winners and remaining entries posted here. Congratulations to all on your creativity and hard work!

A special thank you to Debora, Bill, Lyssa and Barbara for your support, friendship and contributions to the build! And, a warm thank you to everyone for your kind comments and encouragement along the way!

Categories: Ye Olde Taxidermist
December 16, 2016 | 0 comments

1913 Model T Van, completed

I have finished the 1/16 scale 1913 Model T Van! In this post are the final photos and links back to the individual posts along the way for easier reference.

It fits relatively well for scale in my final project, but I do love it even on its own.

This was not an easy or forgiving kit. So many parts broke during assembly, and a few were even broken from the start. I had two kits, and even with that, I ended up having to glue the suspension so the front wheels would not turn and the van would not roll. But, I was able to add LED headlights and taillights. Overall, I’m glad I took on the task and I’m pleased with the look of the final model.  :]

Only one back door opens due to broken hinge parts, but the back cabin contains all the LED wiring so it doesn’t matter much. The headlights and taillights work by remote control, so I won’t need access to the back cabin all that often. There are mock porcelain plates dated 1915.

I knew I would never be able to make this 1913 van showroom new, so setting it in 1915 gave me two years of road wear and weather exposure to work with in detailing. Just enough dirt, wear and grime to make it realistic.

Still looks pretty clean, though.  :D

The hood lifts off, whereas the real life van would have had hinged access to the engine compartment.

The door is glued shut due to delicate hinges, but I did split the seat in two so I could lift out the lower part to see the detail I put into the gas tank. :D I keep the lower part in place with mini hold wax.

The interior is not easily photographed in the final model, but you can see the detailing in person.

A lot of the kit “brass” ended up painted black to disguise the glued joining lines and bare spots from removing from the sprue. 

The spare tires were supposed to be solid parts to mimic covers. These had belt detailing that I knew would be impossible for me to paint to my satisfaction, so I used two of the spare tires I had from the second kit. I find it much more realistic, and the tires hide the main flaw I had when putting this side together. I didn’t put any permanent decals on the van for reasons soon to be revealed. The main reason is I might want to use this for other builds, and removable signs seemed the right way to go.

I went through many ideas before finally stopping on a vintage taxidermy shop set c. 1915 where the van would sit.

The other ideas were sound, but it was all decided once I found the 1:16 scale 1913 Model T Van kit by Entex that included decals for a taxidermist. From Mouse to Mastodon. I love it! :D

Yes, that’s a different image on the box cover than what I’ve been showing. There was more than one kit release over time, but even though I had two kits with different front images, the parts were identical for both. Interestingly, this one is shown built with the driver’s side opposite but with the use of a spare tire instead of the plastic covers. That would not have been possible with the parts molded as they were. Four different sets of decals were included: Carnation Milk, Coca Cola, The Texas Company and Templeton & Son Taxidermists.

I ended up making my own removable sign boards for the van for a few reasons. I wasn’t keen on using the name on the included decals, and I wasn’t sure about my success in applying large decals either. And, I might want to use the van for something else in the future, so I can just swap out the boards. :] These are printed on regular paper and mounted to bristol paper for added weight. Mini hold wax keeps them in place without marring the paint finish.

My instruction sheet showing my markup along the way….

I learned a lot about Model T Fords and early motorized transportation during the build, and here are a few of the references I sited along the way:

• A video on learning to drive a Model T at the Henry Ford Museum along with some excellent vintage off-road footage
• A video that takes you for a ride in a Model T
• An awesome video showing the fabulous articulation of a Model T
• Article on Model T lights
• Article on porcelain license plates

Here’s an interesting contraption I photographed at the local Volo Auto Museum. Many a Chicago winter would call for such a beast. :D

——————–

Here is the Entex kit photo to kick off the recap. I’ve listed the links in reverse order from newest to oldest.

Part 13 – body assembly, final detailing, belts for the spare tires

Part 12 – taillights, micro wood and body assembly

Part 11 – tags for the devil wagon

Part 10 – wheels and tires

Part 9 – headlights!

Part 8 – painting the body panels

Part 7 – wiring details and more wood finishes

Part 6 – wood finishes, front cabin and installing the floor board

Part 5 – acetylene generator and headlamps 

Part 4 – installing the engine and assembling the frame

Part 3 – metal gas tank and exhaust system

Part 2 – painting the chassis and getting those fenders to shine

Part 1 – the beginning of the engine build

Categories: Model Cars, Vehicles
December 11, 2016 | 0 comments

1913 Model T Van – part 13

Finalizing work on the 1913 Model T Van. It’s time to put on the remaining body panels and get to the final details. I mentioned that I had a problem with the driver’s side panels. Because the passenger side has a door that was supposed to be operational, the front panel and the door were molded as two separate pieces. The driver’s side front panel and door are molded as one piece, which makes it slightly shorter. There was a gap between the door and the back body panel (larger than the thickness of the micro wood I put on the separating wall, so that effect was negligible).

I added a tiny strip of styrene to make up the difference and repainted the panel. It’s not as clean of a fix as it would have been had I noticed it earlier, but it’s less noticeable than a dark gap. I used plastic cement to glue the front and side panels together before putting them on the frame because they didn’t want to line up properly otherwise. The front middle panel is a little off, but I am happy with the results as is because this was not easy to assemble.

I had wanted to leave the back cabin roof removable to access the wiring due to the delicate back door hinges, and it does sit well without glue. The side panel top edges show just slightly, so I ran a black Sharpie along them to disguise them as best I could. I still won’t have room to work on the LED wiring, but this does give me access to the battery without having to open the one back door that functions.

For the hood handles and horn, I used Testors Metallic Gold spray paint. It’s not a precise substitute for the brass factory finish, but it will do in a pinch.

I didn’t think the gold paint would work as well for the window surrounds and long stays, so I sprayed those black. I used Crafter’s Pick The Ultimate glue to hold the window panes in place since super glue makes clear plastic cloudy. These panes often need to be glued repeatedly over time in car models because the glue fails with age.

The front cabin roof didn’t fit very well, which was odd. It seemed to be molded at a different angle than the side panels. I managed to wrangle it into shape. I skipped the green sun visor since the pieces from both of my kits were not in great shape. Better to just leave it off than have it look like a sloppy afterthought.

I snipped the speedometer and gas light tubes under the chassis since I knew they would just end up snapping parts off as well. You can still see them in the front cabin and next to the acetylene canister.

The two side lamps and two coach lamps are painted black to match the other lights. I didn’t wire these since there wasn’t a way to disguise the wires in the open front cabin.

The spare tires were supposed to be solid parts to mimic covers.

These had belt detailing that I knew would be impossible for me to paint to my satisfaction, so I used two of the spare tires I had from the second kit. I used super glue gel to hold the two tires together to keep them uniform. I glued the brackets to the running board, and slipped the tires in to fit. Using the tires with the spindle wheels helps disguise that body panel gap repair, too. :]

I added belts made from scrapbook paper called Buckskin Brown by The Paper Company. The silver buckles are laser cut paper representations from Dragonfly International, bought at the local shows. They are a little large for scale perhaps, but I like the added detail.

So, that’s it…99.9% done. I’ll be making my own removable sign boards for the van for a few reasons. I didn’t plan to use the included decals, and even though I can print my own, I wasn’t sure about my success in applying such large decals. The last thing I wanted to do was muck it all up at the 11th hour since this model gave me so many fits along the way as is. Finally, I might want to use the van for something else in the future, so I can just swap out the boards.  :]

Categories: Model Cars, Vehicles
December 10, 2016 | 0 comments

1913 Model T Van – part 12

Continuing work on the Model T Van. A dry fit of the body panels shows that the back doors do not open fully.

This is partly due to the outer raised hinge detail, the hinge brackets not being wide enough to clear the body panel and my heavy-handed paint job. I’ve seen one other model with the doors open wide, so this is also likely operator error on my part. :D

Had I known this earlier, I would have removed the hinge detail altogether before painting. If you didn’t know it was supposed to be there, would you miss it? I took an X-Acto blade and scraped off some of the paint. I’ll touch it up with paint later.

The rear cabin has molded rack detailing on the inside walls. You are to add pre-cut micro wood strips as accent. Since there will be such limited visibility, I opted for the easy way out and painted the interior black, leaving the one forward wood wall I did as is. I won’t open the cabin often, just to change the battery, so seeing inside is irrelevant. I’ve added the remaining micro wood pieces to the interior as well as the side seat padding and the oval window.

I drilled a hole in the floor board so I could run all the wiring into the rear cabin. Why such a large hole? I didn’t want to have to do this more than once!  :D

Jasper offering moral support while stealing my chair….

To limit the wear and tear on the rear door hinges, I installed a remote control from Evan Designs for the lights.

It will even dim the lights.

The sensor is installed on the rear frame for ease of access while blending in with the undercarriage.

The taillights had solid brackets, so there was no way to just feed wires as is. Since I have two kits, I had spare parts to see what I could come up with. I modified the lamps using custom cut and bent 1/16″ diameter aluminum tubing to hold the wires.

I kept the plate that attaches the lamp to the bumper, drilling a hole adequate for the tubing. The left shows the original bracket; the right shows my modified plate before painting.

At this point, I needed to glue on some of the body panels. I had a problem with the driver’s side, so I ended up prying those off. More on that later. I needed one side on to glue on the back piece, so I used the other side instead. The door is meant to open, but I have no idea how these parts were supposed to snap together without breaking the hinges. I tried with the spares and the tiny pieces snapped off as expected. So, I cut the tab on the interior and glued the door in place. Considering just how many parts have broken during assembly, opening and closing the door is not a priority.

I used Devcon 5 Minute Epoxy on the taillights to get a firm hold since I was using mixed materials. This stuff stinks to high heaven with the hardener smelling like rancid, rotten eggs, but it is as advertised. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)

I painted the lamps black to disguise the sprue marks and to blend the aluminum.

The red is Testors Metallic Red paint. Using a tip from the guys at Hobby Town USA, I didn’t shake the bottle to mix the paint but used the clear tint from the top of the bottle. It colors while remaining transparent, though it takes a few passes. I touched up any bare spots with a red Sharpie.

The tube runs long under the bed for stability and connects to the same type of flexible tubing I had used for the headlights. I’ll do touch-ups later.

All the tubing and wires enter through the hole in the floorboard. The electrical work is all enclosed in the rear cabin. The door hinges are very delicate. If one breaks after assembly, I don’t think there’s a way to repair it. As it is, one broke as I assembled the hinge holders, so I had to glue one door closed. I am not hopeful for its longevity. With this system, I will need to open the door only every once in awhile to change or remove the battery. The wire length allows me to work outside of the van for battery replacement. As for accessing the wires in the cabin, if one goes out, it will be out for good.

I dabbed a bit of amber glass paint on the LEDs to tone down the whiteness for the rear lights.

The license plate further disguises the sensor. It’s pretty sensitive; you don’t need to aim the remote directly at the sensor for the lights to work.

Testing…okay, so now we can be seen coming and going. :D

They might look a little rigged if studied closely, but at least the taillights work.  :]

I will let the epoxy gas out for awhile before adding the clear side glass pieces to the taillights.

Categories: Model Cars, Vehicles
December 8, 2016 | 0 comments