Fullsteamahead.ca Framer's market

Too often, do I find myself not completing a project because I don't have the skill. Well thats how I used to think. With proper planning and the determination to find the right materials, your project will surely find its way to succeeding beyond expectations.

In this, our very first build, we attempt to dazzle you with our average Joe talents. No pun intended, Mr. Rutter.

Craftsman Kits are a packaged set of materials, plans and scene-specific objects put together to create a scene. These kits don't have tools or paint; they just have precisely cut pieces to make a truly stunning scene. Just follow this build and you won't be left out of the loop. We found all the suggested pieces of this sweet puzzle and are ready for the build.

As it states in the instructions, find and organize your pieces. Separate the plastic and resin pieces from the rest of the kit and wash them in soapy water. Rinse and dry thoroughly. Leave the sprue on the windows and doors. This makes it easier for handling during painting. Put them aside for priming. We will get to that shortly.

Next, attach the plastic sprues to a piece of masking tape. This keeps the parts from running off when being sprayed. We used Grey automotive primer on all the parts. Do a few coats, letting each coat dry completely.

Separate the wood pieces as per the instructions and do a medium weathering on them (will update with recipes), two 2"x6", three corner trims. Next, find the bundle of 1/8"x1/8" (1:1 scale) uncolored strips of wood and use these to brace the wood walls. Use the pictures in the instructions to see the placing of the brace boards, making sure to leave room for the mdf base plate at the bottom of the walls. One thing to note is dry fit the walls and see how they actually are put together (one overlaps the other). Glue the walls together and let the glue dry.

Do a light weathering on the exterior of the walls and let dry.

After we let all the pieces dry, we can go on to painting the pieces. Preparation for a build like this makes all the difference. It is important to be patient and let each step finish, before moving on. This gives us time to study the instructions and pictures provided with the kit.

Once dry, I first decided that adding LED's to models is a good upgrade, so I will paint the inside of the structure. This way, when lit up, we won't see the whitish glare of the walls inside. I am using Krylon Hunter Green spray paint on the trim, windows and doors.

On the walls I am using Vintage White. In the instructions it is suggested to use Parchment White; however I couldn't find it at Michaels. In the instructions there is a lot in terms of painting advice. This is my first kit, so I decided to take the simplest form of paint job titled "hasn't seen paint in a few years". This avoids rubber cement and wire brush weathering, still giving a lived-in look.

I painted the walls with a thin White coat and let dry; and then touched up later with a light wash. I didn't want a solid coat. I liked the idea of some dull spots.

Last bit of Part 1 took care of preparing the pieces for the structures. Now, that our paint is dry, we can focus on windows. The kit comes with acetate for the window glazing. It seems everyone has their own way of glazing. All I did was use a fine tip brush and paint white glue on the back of the window frames, then cut the acetate to fit, pressed it on and let dry (We later find this technique is flawed and will need a new approach). Add the hunter green corner trims to the structure. Cut them longer than you need and very gently trim to fit.

While we are letting the structure pieces dry, we can work on the open-air loading dock. Note: these are super easy to break. If one does break (two in my case), just take your time and glue them in just as you would if it came in two pieces. I used stainable glue for this part. I know that there is a better product for this and will update this story to match the best procedure.

We stained the loading dock after building it. I did wonder why we were doing it this way, as all previous steps said to stain first. The result was glue showing through the stain. The fix will be dry brushing Grey over the glue marks. Next time, I will pay more attention to how I apply the glue - to make sure none escapes and smears on the wood.