In-ko-pah RR: Dos Manos depot

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks guys!

Yep, Saltillo tiles. The Master would approve. 

[Ray Dunakin]

Another update!

Previously, I had added some protruding stones on the west end wall. These were made by gluing thin strips of Sintra to random stones, then carving them. But I had to hold off on giving the rest of the building this treatment until I'd finished the east wing. Well, now that is done, so I added the protruding stones to all the walls. Here are a few shots, with the first one showing the strips prior to carving:








Next I made the balconies that will be on the north and south sides of the depot. These were made from pieces of 6mm and 4mm thick Sintra. The following two photos show the underside of the balcony, so you can see how the 4mm layer was cut at an angle:






Next I added the roof to the west wing, and to the center section of the depot. I still have to do the roof on the east wing. I also began construction of the bay window:




And here are a few shots of the depot as it currently looks, temporarily in position on the layout. Sometime soon, before I get much further with the construction, I need to fill in the gap in the foundation around the base of the building:










That's all for now. Thanks for watching!

[TRAINS1941]

Ray it sure is looking good..  Your work with that Sintra board is unbelievable.

Jerry

[finescalerr]

Yeah, what he said. And the last two photos are very good, too. -- Russ

[Bill Gill]

Great work, Ray. I like how you did the protruding stones, and also like those low angle views. That's going to be a nifty addition to the RR.

[lab-dad]

Hey Ray,
Do you do "commissions"? 
-Marty

[michael mott]

Your patience at getting all this stonework believable is certainly paying off, personally I am looking forward to seeing some colour.

Michael

[fspg2]

Ray, always nice to see your construction progress!
As are the parts weatherproof?

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks, everyone! Yes, the materials are waterproof.

Here's how I filled the gap in the foundation...

First I taped waxed paper to the lower part of the building. Then I added a few layers of masking tape, so that the final opening in the foundation would be just slightly larger than the building itself. Next I coated the masking tape with petroleum jelly, and placed the building on the foundation:




I used a blend of high strength mortar mix and vinyl concrete patcher. This was spooned into the gap around the building. I used an old zoo membership card to spread and smooth the mortar, however a scrap piece of styrene sheet will do. I couldn't get it as smooth as I wanted but it's close enough:






As you can see, I just barely finished by the time it got dark. Due to the cold, the mortar set very slowly and I had to wait several hours before removing the building from the foundation. Even then, the mortar was still not fully cured, and a small section broke off. However, this will be easy to repair. For now I just set the broken piece back in place:




I sanded the top of the foundation to get it a little smoother. It's still not perfect but it will do. Here's how the depot looks with its new foundation:






This close up shot shows what a great spot for photos the depot will be when it's finished:




I've also added lintels to the door and window openings. These were made from strips of 1mm Sintra:




And I've started adding the capstones (I think that's what they're called) along the top of the walls, beginning with this wall on the west end:




That's it for now. As always, thank you for your comments and for following along!

[Chuck Doan]

Just very impressive Ray! Need to get the roof on before El Nino!

[finescalerr]

At the rate el Niño is approaching I think Ray will have more than enough time. Beautiful work. -- Russ

[Bill Gill]

Ray another gem! You're getting well versed in both modeling and construction materials.

[michael mott]

Amazing work Ray!

Michael

[Ray Dunakin]

The lower portion of the building will have a sort of wainscot of stone blocks. I started on this by adding a strip of 1mm Sintra along the top of this area:




Back when I made the first building in Mineral Ridge, I had made a mold of hand-carved stone block pieces, and had cast a lot of extras for future use. (For details, go here:  http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/IRR_Mineral_Ridge_1.html )
Anyway, those are what I'm using on this project. I'm just gluing them to the Sintra. Some are cut to fit, or to create corners:




Then I fill any gaps with styrene putty, let it dry, and carve off the excess putty. Here's how it's looking so far:








I'm almost halfway through making the wainscot.

[finescalerr]

Well, the quality certainly hasn't declined. -- Russ