License plates in 1:12 scale
I’ve been trying out some new ideas for random farm junk and thought some old license plates would be appropriate for a barn find car. My first go around has been a success!
They are made from paper but look like metal with the embossed detailing. The letters are raised on the front, and the backs are metallic silver. They are somewhat flexible but need to be treated gently.
The GO GET EM plate is for the Datsun, so right now it is cleaner than the others. I will age it when I get to that part with the car. I also need to make another for a match set. :D
I’ve made a listing in my etsy shop for mini custom made license plates. There are some limitations for reproducing the plates in miniature. The image generator I use doesn’t have all years and some images work better than others, but with a good image I can try my best. The old tattered ones tend to look the most realistic as well. :D
Categories: Model Cars, Vehicles
April 4, 2015 | 0 commentsMiles
This cutie is a sock monkey made by the talented Cheryl Brown. He’s brought along his favorite book.
Categories: Animals and birds
April 3, 2015 | 0 commentsDatsun 240ZG – part 2 – color
Continuing work on the 1:12 scale Datsun 240ZG by Tamiya. Once the front brakes are assembled, the parts are supposed to spin. Success so far! I’m mixing the different colors of metallic silver on the fly to achieve various types of metal. I think this adds realism even if these aren’t the truest colors for the parts. Obviously, these have not been dirtied up yet.
I spray painted the underside, wheel wells and engine compartment flat black. I then did a quick spray of flat grey in the engine compartment. I didn’t worry too much about overspray for the grey since this will be a grungy car when I’m done and grey will be part of the dirt process.
The engine compartment is supposed to be the same color as the exterior, however, so I needed to do some masking before doing that part. I used a bag to cover the majority of the molded chassis. I then taped off the wheel wells and front portions of the underside. I always wear a latex glove and hold pieces in my hand when spray painting for better control.
I sprayed a quick layer of flat white, not worrying too much about getting into the recesses. The black, then grey, then white layers will create some depth under the final paint color before I even get to the aging process.
Next up was the final coat of Testors Fiery Orange. Wow! This is one awesome color! :D
The engine compartment is now body color and the whole piece is ready for its place in the assembly.
The nice thing about doing the engine compartment before painting the body is that I can try things out here. Even though this will be a barn find car, it’s better to experiment with the lesser seen places first. :]
Categories: Milo Valley Farm, Model Cars, Vehicles
April 2, 2015 | 0 commentsRoom boxes and mini scenes
Just a recap post to make it easier to find my mini room box scenes. These are typically for holidays or humor and are not permanent structures. You can click the title links for additional details and photos.
The Wishing Fountain – Halloween 2024
Spooky Hollow – Halloween 2022
A Coral Pink Christmas – 2021
Happy Halloween from Bert and Halo – 2020
Sewing in mini – 2018
Mom’s Kitchen – 2016
A quiet little Christmas – 2015
The Maple Room – 2015 — a quick-change room box for photographing minis
Laundry Room / Craft Room – April 2015
A little Halloween humor – 2011
Christmas at The Newport – 2009
I also have a post on photographing minis without a roombox.
Categories: Roomboxes and Mini Scenes
March 30, 2015 | 0 commentsMilo Valley Farm – siding, part 1
With the window openings cut on side walls, I made wall templates from black construction paper. I will apply Greenleaf Dollhouses 3/4″ birch siding strips to these templates and then glue the templates to the building walls. I did this for the siding on The Artist’s Studio, and it was a much easier approach than applying directly to the wall boards.
There are templates for inside and out to give the illusion of a plank-built barn. The interior will have strip wood beams to mimic the skeletal structure of the barn.
I primed the walls and floor with black craft paint. I used painter’s pyramids so I could do both sides at the same time. You paint one side of your board, wait until it’s relatively dry and then flip it over onto the tips of the pyramids. This means your painted surface won’t stick to the work surface. You can work much more quickly than you would be able to without them. And, painting both sides of the boards at the same time keeps warping to a minimum. The pyramids allow both sides to dry evenly.
Since I didn’t prime the underside of the floor board, I ran a damp brush over the surface to counteract the moisture of the primed side. This was the only piece I pressed under magazines after the paint was dry since it needs to be perfectly flat on the raised foundation.
I’m now cutting the 3/4″ siding strips in half lengthwise to make narrower boards. While I like the look of the wide boards on Baslow Ranch and The Artist’s Studio, I wanted to have a different look this time around.
In cutting the strips lengthwise, I was left with boards that had one clean edge and one rough edge. I sanded the rough edge just enough to make it less noticeable but not to the point of making it a super clean, new plank.
I drew a few vertical guidelines with a carpenter’s square and then began applying the siding strips back to front allowing the ends to go past the top and bottom edges of the template. I used Aleene’s Quick Dry applied with a toothpick. I was careful to keep glue off the front of each board, but it won’t matter if there are errant marks in the end. The guidelines helped me keep the boards relatively aligned, but the variation in the width (a natural occurrence with strips like these) left some gaps perfect for an old building. :]
For the front piece, I used a whole 3/4″ wide plank cut to size. I then cut around the outline of the template.
It looks good for scale. :D
As you may notice, I’ve painted the edge of the base board black-brown and glued the foundation in place. I drilled a hole for the wiring to exit the foundation below the stone line.
Categories: Milo Valley Farm
March 29, 2015 | 0 comments
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