# In-ko-pah RR: The Dos Manos Depot



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Back in May I did a foam core mockup for the Dos Manos depot:














Since then I haven't had much modeling time and have only just now started to work on the actual model of the depot. First I disassembled the mockup and worked out the size and position of doors and windows for each wall. As you can see by my scribblings this involved some trial and error:














Then I laid out the final design on a 16" x 20" sheet of 6mm thick Sintra PVC board, and cut it out:














Before going any further, I wanted to work out exactly what kind of stone and masonry the building would have. I decided on light tan sandstone in random courses for the bulk of the structure. Then I did a small test piece to see if I could successfully replicate that look using Sintra PVC board. Here's how the test piece turned out. I'm pleased with it:












With that settled, it was time to start texturing the first wall of the building. The first step in this process is to lightly sand the surface using a sanding block and horizontal strokes. This removes the sheen, and the fine scratches add a very subtle texture. Next, I used sandpaper wrapped around a dowel. This was applied with a scrapping motion, horizontally across the face of the wall. This added some more prominent scratches:














This close up view shows the scratches. Most of them will be obscured by the rest of the process, so they don't have to be perfect:














The next step involves tapping on the surface with a rock to give it a rough, uneven texture. For this you need a rock that isn't too rough or too smooth. Here's the rock I used:












After going over the entire surface with the rock, I used a t-square and pencil to lightly draw a series of horizontal lines on the wall. These will be used as guides when scribing the stone courses. Because I'm simulating random courses, the lines don't have to be evenly spaced:























That's it for now, more later. Enjoy!


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Great start! And great tips, thanks! 

How do you make your stone? That test piece looks fantastic.

-Jim


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks. I'll be explaining the process step by step.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, Looks like the start of another great building. I'll definitely be watching.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Time for a quick update!



I began scribing the stones on the first wall of the depot. The stones are scribed using an ordinary, carbide-tipped metal scribe from the hardware store. The tool is pressed firmly into the surface -- with Sintra, you're not really scratching it, you're indenting it. Here are a few photos of my progress:




































I still have to scribe the upper area of the wall (the second story portion). When this wall is done I have several more walls to do. By the time I'm finished with this building I'm going to be pretty tired of scribing stones!


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Ray-

It's so much fun to follow your projects. Your creative eye is amazing. Someday when I get around to working on buildings I will for sure be implementing the tips you have given us.


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## Bob Pero (Jan 13, 2008)

Very nice-Can't wait to see the finished depot


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Really nice Ray!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Well, I finally finished scribing the first wall:




















But there are still a few things to do that will give the wall more depth and realism. First off, some of the scribed stones are a bit flat and could benefit from additional texturing. For this, I'll use a small scrap of old patio flagstone:











Here's a "before" shot of a small section of the wall, showing some of the stones that need additional work:











I tapped those areas with the piece of flagstone, and here's how it looks now:











Another little trick to add depth is to carve out a few random stones, using a sharp #11-blade hobby knife, as I've done here:











There is still one more thing I want to do, which will extend some of the stones out a little from the surface of the wall. However, I have to wait until after the walls have been assembled. Also I need to scribe some mortar lines in the edges of the door and window openings, and touch up a few cut marks, etc.



That's it for now. Enjoy!


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## Robert (Jan 2, 2008)

So Ray, just curious, how long does it take you to scribe one wall? I am always very impressed by your work. Thanks for the tutorials.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

It took me a few hours, over a couple days, to do this wall.


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Hi Ray... looking over the test sample.. to my estimation... it appears you may have added extra layers on a few rocks to build them out beyond the base surface...

Maybe???

I'll bite n try this technique... I need some retaining walls from stone work... along the build up leading to a trestle.

Thanks for sharing,
Dirk


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

SD90WLMT said:


> Hi Ray... looking over the test sample.. to my estimation... it appears you may have added extra layers on a few rocks to build them out beyond the base surface...


That's correct. I'll do that on the depot walls after the walls have been assembled. I don't want any protrusions when I'm trying to glue the walls together and keep them square.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I spent quite a bit of time on the second wall today. I got the door and window openings cut out, sanded the surface, applied scratches, tapped the whole surface with a rock, and made a good start on scribing the stones:














Then I realized something… I'd done all this on the WRONG SIDE! 



Doh!!!



I had to scrap it and cut out a whole new wall. But I'll save the bad one, and maybe I can cut off sections of it for use elsewhere.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

LOL!! We all occasionally make stupid mistakes!! I've made some doozies in my day. 

Early in my machining days, I noticed the end mill I was using was turning blue. My immediate reaction was that I was running it too hard and it was heating up, so I turned down the RPMs. WRONG!! The exact opposite of what I should have done! I ended up breaking the end mill and literally welding the broken-off section into the work. LOL!! If you're not making scrap, you're not learning anything.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray,

Your mockup looks symmetric. Couldn't you use this as the center and right of the other side? Otherwise, how about filling in the cutouts you don't want and using it as the center and right anyway (if that makes sense to you)?


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Ray, when I first opened your thread, I wondered how you, an amazing craftsman pumping out so many excellent models, had any time left to do miniature masonry work. I thought it was real! 

Thanks so much for your thorough explanations. BTW, When you write the first book in your series for Kalmbach, I'll be one of your first customers.

Cliff


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Ah, the master at work and we get all this for free.  Ray could publish a book on how to make realistic buildings and we all would clamor to the book stores to buy it. Thanks again Ray.


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Add my name to the list of potential buyers for that book if/when it comes out. Craftsmanship like this spurs us all towards more realistic scenery. As Dirk mentioned this past week the movement to more and more realistic scenery is driven by the ability to mount video cameras on our trains.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Hooray! I finally finished scribing the (new) second wall, and got it right this time:




















Still need to use the X-acto to carve out a few random stones, then I'll go to work on the third wall.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Progress continues a piece at a time...

On the end wall for the west wing, I drew guidelines on the wall's edges, roughly matching the positions of the mortar lines on the north and south walls:











The finished west wing end wall:











After the walls are glued together, I'll need to use a bit of filler on the joints. At that time, I can do any necessary adjustments and touchups on the mortar lines across the joint:











Next I did the west wall of the central, two-story portion of the building. Most of this wall will be hidden by the west wing, so only a small area at the top of the wall had to be scribed:












That's it for now. Enjoy!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I finished scribing the east wall of the two-story, central portion of the depot:












I also created a special piece which will be laminated to the back of the west wing's end wall, to increase the wall's apparent thickness:












Here are all of the pieces that I've completed so far. These are enough to begin assembly:












Woohoo! I've assembled the walls and it finally is starting to look like a building! The east wing, which will be an open, shaded waiting area, will be assembled separately. I'm still trying to figure out the best way to build it:












Here's a view of the south side. I still need to build the bay window:












Here's the top of the west wing's end wall, showing the special piece that was added to make it look thicker:












A view of the northwest corner:












One of the next things to do, is blend together the mortar lines at the joints. 

That's all for now!


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, I think you could make some real money if you offered these buildings in kit form from a 3-D printing co.


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Looking great Ray!

You using a bandsaw to cut the curves in the west wall?


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

ewarhol said:


> Looking great Ray!
> 
> You using a bandsaw to cut the curves in the west wall?



Thanks. I used a jigsaw. The compound curves can be kind of a pain to cut out with an X-acto.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Remember that wall I goofed up and had to reject? Well, I used the top of it to make this piece, and laminated it to the rear of the south wall:











BTW, I've moved my site to a new web host, and this update is only on the new host. So if you can't see the above photo please let me know.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I've been working on blending together the joints at the corners of the building. In the past, I used an epoxy putty made by JB Weld, sold under the name Kwik Plastik. Apparently this is no longer available, at least under that name. So I've had to do some experimenting...

First I tried a product called Magic Sculpt. This is a two-part epoxy putty available from art and craft suppliers, and commonly used for sculpting. It's light gray. I applied some to a couple of corners, and after it cured I scribed mortar lines into it. It's a bit harder than the Kwik Plastik, and was a little tricky to scribe. In thin areas in sometimes flaked off during scribing:




















Next I tried a JB Weld product called "Water Weld". This turns out to be very similar to Kwik Plastik, and may even be the same product under a new name. It too is a two-part putty. It is almost white when cured. It's a bit softer than Magic Sculpt, making it slightly easier to sand and scribe. It also flaked off in some spots, but not quite as badly:











The results of both products in this particular application were very similar, but I'd say Water Weld has a slight edge. Neither one is ideal for use on a semi-soft material like Sintra. But considering that these are supposed to be rough, random stones, the defects are not significant and will be pretty well hidden when painted.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I wanted some of the stones to stand out from the wall, to give it more dimension. To do this, I start by gluing thin slices of Sintra to a few random stones. Then I use a hobby knife with a new, sharp #11 blade to carve them. Here are a couple before and after shots:







































Here's the finished wall:




















I won't do this to the rest of the walls until after I've added on the east wing.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray you have WAY more patience than I do...I think I've said that before ;-)


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking REAL good Ray!!


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, I'm planning on a roundhouse some day. I'd like to use your techniques for that. Where do you get your PVC board?

Thanks,
Jim


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I get it here:

http://www.foamboardsource.com/sintra-pvc-foam--sintra-pvc-board.html


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Because this depot will sit so close to the "edge" of the layout, a detailed interior is a necessity! However, this is the first building I've made with an interior that is also visible from all four sides. Previous structures had the rear wall against a cliff, allowing me to make that wall removable. (It also cut down on the amount of exterior detailing!) The interiors could be built into a box that slides out the back of the building.

On the depot, the interior box has to be accessible from below. Not a big deal but it does complicate things a bit. For one thing, the way I make and install the windows, they extend into the building slightly. So the box has to clear the windows and avoid damaging the shades/curtains. 

I built a recessed rim and spacers in the main structure. The rim creates an overlapping seal to help keep out moisture, as well as giving me something to put the screws into that will be used to secure the interior. Here's a view from the underside:











And here's a view from the top. I haven't installed the spacer on the wall at right yet, because I'm debating whether or not to add a window to that wall:











Here's the box which will contain the interior. The ceiling is removable and held in place with small screws:






















Here's a shot of the underside of the building, with the box temporarily installed. For this shot I only used two screws, instead of the six that will eventually be used:











Note that the floor of the west wing (baggage/freight area) is also removable. This room will not have interior details.


Here's a shot looking down from the top. The second floor windows will have closed curtains, eliminating the need for detailing the second floor. Only a light will be installed there, to shine through the curtains:











As you can see, I've also installed the bracing for the roof of the west wing, and will soon add bracing for the main roof:


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The depot sits between two tracks, and one of the tracks curves inward a bit. To accommodate the reduced clearance, I had to taper the east wing on the south side:











Because the east wing is an odd shape, I decided to go with a flat roof and parapet, rather than a peaked roof. I feel this will also give the building more visual interest, and I've seen photos of a couple prototype, mission-style depots that had a flat roof on one end. I put together a mockup of the east wing and taped it to the model to see how it will look:

﻿




















Before I start cutting up Sintra, I'd like to hear what others think of this design for the east wing.


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## peter bunce (Dec 29, 2007)

Hi Ray,

Would the east wing be more of a balanced length, for the rest of the building, if it was three arches long?

Don't forget the drainpipes off the flat roof, (yes I know the area is somewhat arid), in due course.

Yours Peter.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Since it is desert area, any shade would be greatly appreciated. I would suggest making the top of the walls flat and a little higher than the cars. Then put a peaked roof on it with overhangs out to the cars. This would allow any passengers to avoid the heat of the midday sun. (grin)

You might even extend the roof over the east platform with a lattice support at the end.

Just a suggestion.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks for the input, it's greatly appreciated! 

FYI -- The east and west wings are both the same length.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, Here is a photo of the covered area on the station in Lamy NM.
well that didn't work! second try


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

Ray,
I used to sponsor this section of the forum pages. TAP Plastics is about half the price for the Foam Board. Try here: TAP Plastics Foamed PVC

Or even better yet, call me at the San Leandro Store : *510*357*3755

Russ Miller
NGRC 2016 Chairman

NGRC2016




Ray Dunakin said:


> I get it here:
> 
> http://www.foamboardsource.com/sintra-pvc-foam--sintra-pvc-board.html


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks Russ. 

I notice your website doesn't call it Sintra. I'm guessing this a generic version? If so, is there much difference from the "name brand"?


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

TAP Plastics carried Komatex originally, they were the inventors of the foamed PVC. They licensed the product to Sintra in the United States. We now carry Celtic brand. We keep in generic so that we can switch amongst manufactures to get the best products at the best price. Call me Monday and I'll UPS you some samples to try.

Russ


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Russ,
No tap plastics in Sierra Vista for sure and don't know about Tucson. What sizes can you ship> Was easier when I lived in the San Jose area.

Alan W.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Russ, thanks for the kind offer. It's been a pretty busy week for us so I haven't had a chance to call yet.


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## Russell Miller (Jan 3, 2008)

fyrekop said:


> Russ,
> No tap plastics in Sierra Vista for sure and don't know about Tucson. What sizes can you ship> Was easier when I lived in the San Jose area.
> 
> Alan W.


Alan,
We'll easily ship up to 2 foot by 4 foot panels. Bigger than that and the UPS charges skyrocket. You can email me at work: "[email protected]"

Russ Miller
2015 BAGRS President
NGRC 2016 Chairman
Manager TAP Plastics San Leandro


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I'm finally making progress on this again, after taking a short break. 

About a year ago I found a sheet of 13mm Sintra in the cutoff bin at a local plastics dealer, and I've been holding onto it ever since. I decided to use this to make the arched walls of the passenger waiting area. I don't know if it's because this stuff was old, or what, but it was quite a bit harder than the 6mm stuff I've been using, and was kind of a pain to work with. I had to use a jigsaw to cut it. I also found it more difficult to scribe. It might have been easier if I'd just laminated two sheets of 6mm Sintra together, to get the required thickness. Anyway...

After cutting it out, I taped the plugs from the arches in place temporarily, to hold a pushpin marking the center of the arch. Then I scribed the stones around the arch, using a small metal ruler as a guide:











When I'd finished scribing the stones on the face of the wall, I used a special tool to continue the mortar lines around the corners onto the edges of the arches. This was just an X-Acto knife, with the edge of the blade ground flat:




















Here is the exterior side of the wall. It is complete except for some details that will be added after assembly. As you can see, I have changed the shape of the wall's top edge from the original design:











Here's the interior side of the same wall. When I shot this photo, I still had to scribe a few more lines near the top. On the left end, there was no need to include all the scribing since that is where the adjoining wall will be glued to this one:











That's all for now. I still have two more walls to do for this part of the depot.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I forgot to mention something in my previous post… When I designed the walls of the waiting area, I used a drawing program to create simple templates. These were printed onto paper, cut out, and then traced onto the Sintra:











After texturing both sides of the north and south walls, I glued them to the main structure. The joint was not perfect, especially on the angled, south, wall, so there was an uneven gap at the joints. I filled these gaps with JB Weld's "Water Weld" epoxy putty, taking care to press it firmly into the gap. After it set, I sanded it down, and then scribed it to match the walls. Here are before and after shots of the north wall, followed by the south wall:







































Here's how the whole thing looks so far:




















The base of the waiting area is removable. I scribed 1/2" squares on the floor to represent terra cotta tiles:











Small stainless steel screws hold the base of the waiting area in place. The base can be removed for painting, and for easy access to the waiting area interior:











Here's a shot of the end wall in progress. I have to align the stone courses to match those at the corners of the north and south walls:











That's all for now. Hope you're all having a great Thanksgiving!


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Ray,
INCREDIBLE
WONDERFUL
BLOODY MARVELOUS!!!
and many other words to convey what a wonderful piece of work this is.
It's always nice to see someone with passion so enjoy his hobby.
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks David!


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Ray-

Watching your progress, I can't wait to finish up working on my engines and rolling stock then move on to constructing buildings. I've said before, but you inspire. Your tips are very helpful.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

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!


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking really good!!


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## JimB (Jan 25, 2013)

Everything looks great thanks for posting photos of your work. James was JimB


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

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!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

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.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

BTW, yesterday I came home and discovered water seeping out of my mountain:











Apparently the neighbors behind us, on top of the hill, have a leak in their sprinkler system. I told them about it and they said they'd get someone to find the leak but so far that hasn't happened, and it's still leaking. I'm a bit concerned because I don't know how long that slope can hold up with water constantly flowing through it, and we've got rain coming tonight.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

More great looking work! I hope the water problem is fixed before it does damage to your mountain.


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## Mike Flea (Apr 8, 2014)

Outstanding work!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks! 

Yes, the water leak has been fixed and the layout has dried out -- at least, until our next round of rain arrives.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I finally got a little modeling time the past few days, and the depot is progressing nicely...


Adding the blocks to the pillars was kind of tedious due to the need for custom fitting many of the blocks:




















After I finished the pillars, then I installed blocks on the south side of the depot:











With the blocks finished, I could finally put the roof on over the waiting area. I started by gluing styrene strips on the inside of the north and south walls. These were sloped just slightly towards the end, for drainage purposes:











The roof was cut from 4mm Sintra sheet, and styrene rafters were added:











Then the roof was glued in place. I added short strips of styrene between the rafters, at each end:




















The terra cotta tile floor was made to look less perfect, and more natural, by carving cracks, pressing in irregularities, etc:











I also finished adding the capstones along the tops of the walls. These were mostly made of 2mm thick Sintra strips which were scribed, then bent to fit and glued in place:











I added a few other details too, such as the rafter "tails" under the eaves, and support beams under the balconies. Here's how it all looks so far:






































I installed two styrene tubes to drain the flat roof over the waiting area:











The foundation on the south side needs some work. Some parts aren't level with the floor of the depot, and there is a large crack that needs to be filled with mortar:




















At the west end, I need to extend the foundation to create a sidewalk around the end of the depot:











I'm using some large, fancy brass buttons to represent decorative concrete castings on the depot:











Here's one with a quick coat of concrete color paint, just to get an idea of how it will look:











I was going to work on the Spanish tiles for the roof next, but I want to try casting them in resin and my mold compound has gone bad, so I have to wait to order some more. In the meantime I'll work on making the doors and windows. I still need to make the interior details too.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Looks great Ray!! Another centerpiece on an otherwise excellent railroad!!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, Dwight!

I got a little work done making doors and windows. On the freight doors, I started by scribing planks and wood grain onto pieces of 4mm Sintra:











The trim was built up using styrene strips. Here's one of the finished freight doors temporarily installed on the building:











Next I made the small windows for the west wall of the baggage/freight room:




















The windows for the main part of the depot are a bit more involved. My standard method simulates the appearance of a sash window, but uses a single piece of glass. I start by putting together the frame that fits into the opening, then add the "bottom" layer made from wider strips. The sash details are then added:






































And here is one of the finished windows, temporarily installed:


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Got a little more done...

The doors were built up from styrene strips, in much the same way as the windows:




















Here's one of the doors temporarily installed on the building. I haven't added the doorknob yet:











I added the structural components for the bay window:











The window frames were built separately. Here they are temporarily installed:











The silicone molding compound I ordered arrived yesterday, so it looks like I'll start work on the Spanish tiles next.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

More beautiful work! What are you planning to use to mold your tile? I haven't done it with tile but have had good results with vinyl patching concrete using the vacuum formed plastic sheets from Ozark Miniatures as a mold. I did this for a platform on my Dorlores station.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I'm planning to mold individual tiles using resin.


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## CliffyJ (Apr 29, 2009)

Thanks for all the step-by-step photos Ray, really marvelous work!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The next stage of the project was a bit of an adventure… 

I made some Spanish tiles using 7/16" (.438") diameter styrene tubes. I marked lines on the tube lengthwise, dividing it evenly into thirds. Then I scored these lines with a sharp hobby knife. I used the extruded aluminum rail on our patio door as a guide to draw and score the lines. Then I cut the tube into 3/4" segments:











After sanding the ends of the segments, I snapped them apart along the scored lines. This gave me three tiles per segment, each about 3/8" wide:











Next I sanded the edges to a slight taper, making them narrower at one end:











Now, I could have just gone ahead and made all of them like this. However, I wanted to try making a mold and casting them in resin. Although the shape is simple enough for a one-piece mold, the tiles are so thin that it's not possible to pour the resin in and get all the air out. So I would try using a two-piece mold.

I built a small box which is held together with screws. Most of the box was made from 6mm Sintra. Only the top piece is styrene:











The tiles were glued to the inner side of the styrene top, using a solvent:











To make the first half of the mold, I had to fill half the box with sulfur-free, plasticine clay. I held a piece of Sintra against the tiles to support them while I pressed the clay around them. I had set the clay in front of our small, electric space heater for a few minutes so it would be soft and supple:











Then I used the blade of a small screwdriver to press tiny bits of clay into the gaps and smooth it around the tiles:











The styrene top was secured on the box, with one side open. Then I finished filling the box halfway with the clay, again using the screwdriver blade to smooth it:




















I used the end of a paintbrush handle to press small dimples into the clay. These will form "keys" in the silicone to aid in aligning the two halves of the mold:











I taped the corners of the box to prevent any possible leaks, then filled the box with silicone molding compound. (The brand I use is Oomoo 30.) 











After the silicone had set, I removed the bottom and one side of the box so I could access the clay. The clay easily pulls away from the mold, especially if it's not warm:











I cleaned out all bits of remaining clay, then replaced the bottom piece of the box. Next I brushed petroleum jelly onto the silicone, thinning it a little with paint thinner. It's very important to cover the silicone completely to prevent the two halves becoming one. Then I poured in the second layer of silicone and let it set:











After the silicone had set, I disassembled the box and pulled apart the two halves of the mold. These were coated with a mold release spray that I bought at Michael's (craft store). The spray was allowed to dry:











The resin was dribbled into one half of the open mold. The mold was then closed and quickly set upright. I used two bricks to keep the halves of the mold pressed together. Extra resin was poured over the top to replace any that leaked out. This method worked, but it's very messy and wasteful, getting resin all over everything. It also required a few tries to get the best results. After an evening of making castings, I had about 80 useable tiles.


The cast tiles had a lot of flash that had to be sanded off, as seen on the left and middle tiles in this photo:











Here are several tiles after sanding:











Sadly, I came to the conclusion that although the tiles could successfully be cast, the process was too slow and labor intensive. I can make them individually from styrene tubes just as quickly, if not quicker, and with a lot less mess and waste. Which is a real shame, because that two-part mold sure turned out nice. But at least it provides a good "step-by-step" on the mold-making process.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, Sorry that didn't work out for you. Your method does give me some ideas about how to cast some railings for a building I want to make. I got some 7 minute resin from MicroMark but it seems very weak in comparison to the 3 minute stuff I have been using for window frames. I'm not sure casting is the way to go in my case either but with the intricate shapes involved I don't know how else it could be done. 

Here is a photo of the balusters and finials for the railing before pouring the RTV. I made a 2 piece mold but it didn't work very well so now I am trying figure out a different method. I think your method of filling the mold half full with clay might work better than filling it half full with the RTV. One problem with that was the surface tension made the RTV stick up around the edges so it wasn't flat and had feather edges around the brass part.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

If that is your pouring box, might I make a couple of suggestions for a two part mold.

Get some plasticine (kiddie's modeling clay, the type that does not harden). Fill the box half way with the clay. Now embed the pieces to be molded and any sprues you want half way into the clay. Be sure there are no places where the mold material will flow under the masters. Make a couple of dents in the clay (we used marbles) for indexing the two halves of the mold. Now pour the first half of the mold on top of this.

When the first half has dured, remove it from the box. It shouldn't stick to the clay. Strip out the masters and clean up any problems.

Now take the clay out of the box. Place the half mold in the bottom, coat it with a release agent, and put the masters and sprues back in it. Now pour the second half of the mold. This should give you a good two part mold. That;s the way we did it when casting tin soldiers.

Hope it helps.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Rick, That is exactly what I was thinking!


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Ray,
Rather than cast individual tiles, had you considered making up a say 3" x 3" section of roofing with the styrene tiles, and then making an open mold of that to cast roof sections. 
Then butt them up together in place.
Maybe make it with finger joints to hide the joins if you see what I mean.
The only problem with doing that is the keen eye will see a pattern if there is anything obvious.
It's looking great.
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Someday I want to experiment with making a mold of a large section of tiled roof, but for now I'm just going to finish this model up using individual tiles. This depot has already taken much, much longer to complete than I'd planned, and I need to get it done so I can move on to other things.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Ray .. You are the MAN,, I bought a sheet of the sintra, and played around with it. used some hand tools
used a dremel, used a air powered extremely high speed air engraving pen, used the laser, (no comment on being PVC, ) I make a living cleaning air). My thing is I can't (no won"t ) take the amount of time you work with hand tools to get the quality and results you do. You are among a few people who lead the world in the highest quality of a modeler. So I tip my HATS to you because you are really good. So now I have tried sintra and I will stick with other products.
and now you are creating tile roofing, wow, you the man, 
Dennis


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

After spending a few days cutting up styrene tubes and turning them into Spanish tiles, I was ready to start gluing some to the main roof of the depot...

I'm using Dynaflex 230 paintable sealant to secure the tiles to the model. Naturally, the concave, "bottom" rows of tiles must be put on first. I began by gluing a single tile at the beginning of each row, in order to test that the spacing was correct. I determined that spacing them on 1/2" centers would be just about perfect:











The bottom rows must be placed with the narrow end of the tile facing "downhill" on the roof. I goofed and did the first row, on the right, the wrong way around. Since it's on the end and not very noticeable, I just left it that way:











After all of the bottom tiles were glued in place, I left it to dry:











Then it was time to add the top rows of tiles. First I used more Dynaflex 230 to fill the spaces between the bottom rows. I only worked on 2-3 rows at a time:











Each of the top tiles was partially filled with sealant prior to placing it on the model:











The top tiles are placed with the narrow end "uphill". Excess sealant can easily be cleaned off with water and a small, cheap, craft paint brush:











This side of the roof is now complete. It took 200 individual tiles for this. I figure in total, it'll take at least 1000 to do the whole job:


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Looking great - and you got them the right way too.
It reminds me of a friend years ago when our daughters were young, he bought a dolls house kit and put it all together very nicely, but he started the cedar shakes from the ridge of the roof.
It never dawned on him until someone looked at the roof and commented that the rain wouldn't roll off very easily.
Cheers,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

You certainly have more patience than I have! It is going to look beautiful as usual. Those photos are playing tricks on me, half the time they look upside down!


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

That is going to be a sharp looking building Ray


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## Phippsburg Eric (Jan 10, 2008)

That building was crying out for a good looking tiled roof, as usual you do a great job!


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## on30gn15 (May 23, 2009)

Photo looking through open waiting area across to Hotel is indeed a nice photo. May be a close call as to whether this qualifies as a labor of love, an obsession, or something else, but it is a grand project, and grand in several senses of the word.
If I were any kind of artist I'd make you an advertising sign for some kind of product name Proyecto Grande to put up near/on it. 
(that's what Google translate said project is in Spanish: has been multiple decades since I've had occasion to remember any)
Hey, there we go, on one of those folding "A" frame signs like sometimes found on sidewalks in front of restaurants and the like, except this time on the depot's patio, for play or something by that name appearing in town, _"Proyecto Grande, an architect's life dream ..."_


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## MJSavage (Dec 27, 2007)

Your patience is paying off. That is looking beautiful!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, guys!

I finished putting tiles on both sides of the main roof, and capped the ridge. The gaps under the ridge tiles were filled with Dynaflex to simulate mortar:











I managed to tile most of the north side of the baggage room roof, then ran out of styrene tubes and couldn't make any more tiles for a while. So while I waited for an order of tubes, I went to work detailing the interior. I built some stairs out of 4mm and 1mm Sintra, plus some .020" styrene for the baseboard. Here's a shot of the stairs under construction:











A few years ago I bought some 1/24th scale balusters from a dollhouse supplier, and put them away until I found a use for them. Much to my amazement I was actually able to find them now that I needed them. I drilled a hole in the bottom of each, and glued in a short piece of brass rod:











The handrail was made from a 1/8" styrene tube. I sanded two sides of it flat, and plugged the end. Then I drilled holes into the underside and fit it over the tops of the balusters. BTW, the floor is a photographic image printed onto self-adhesive vinyl:




















After I built the stairs I sprayed them with white primer, followed by a very pale, yellowish color to match the walls. When that dried I masked it to paint the dark trim color:











The interior walls will have wainscot. These were made from .020" thick, V-groove styrene sheet, with trim made from styrene strips. This one is designed to fit the stairs. The wainscots were not glued in place until after they'd been painted:











Here's how the room looks so far. The stairs are finished and painted, though not yet glued into place. The wainscots and other trim have also been painted and installed:




















I still have to make the crown molding, the ticket counter, and other furnishings.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

That is really turning out fabulous as all your models do
Dennis


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Ray, Your "model" roof looks better than the tile on my house. Fantastic job on everythign


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks!

I made the crown molding from strips of quarter-round, L-angle and .020" thick styrene. These were cut and mitered to fit each wall, then painted, prior to being glued in place:











Originally I had planned to just have a simple ticket counter. But after I built the counter, I found some photos of depots with ticket windows built into a kind of room divider with door, separating the customer area from the station agent area. I liked the way these looked and decided it might be a good choice for my depot. So I whipped up a crude mockup made from scrap matt board:











The divider/ticket window assembly was built up from various strips of styrene. Here's a test-fitting:











The rear of the ticket window will be partially visible through the bay window on the south side of the depot, so I built up both sides of the door, plus a separate piece to fit around the windows:











The security bars for the ticket window were made from .020" and .030" styrene rod. It might have been better to use brass but this was easier to work with and a lot less sloppy than my rudimentary soldering skills would have done. The bars were painted to look like polished brass"




















Here's a close up of the finished ticket window. The rippled privacy glass was made from .015" slide cover glass, with clear gloss medium dabbed on the the back to create the rippled look:




















And here are couple shots of the room with the divider/ticket window installed:




















Here's the back of the ticket counter. This will only barely been seen so I didn't put too much effort into it, however I do plan to add a few items setting on the counter:











The interior still needs a safe, stove, signs, lighting and other details, which will be added later. For now I'm going to go back to work on the roof so I can get that finished and start painting the exterior of the building.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, I am again in awe! Those photos could easily be of the prototype. I don't even attempt to put interiors in my buildings but do get inspiration for my car interiors from your work.


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

Absolutely beautiful. I am quite happy to get my models outlines to look similar to yours.
A master piece.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

That is some crazy detail. WOW! I looked at the pics first and thought they were the real deal you were trying to replicate. Then read through and saw that it was G scale. Holy Crap!

-Jim


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Ray-

First let me say "We're not worthy" (Wayne's World Reference)

Second did you make the windows for the attendant stand or did you use a commercial product?


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Ray,
Wonderful stuff!
It looks as though the brown paint has been sprayed on.
Correct?
Is this a spray can, or airbrush?
Not that I do very much painting of styrene, but nice to know what can be done with what!
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, everyone!

Eric, all the windows were scratchbuilt.

David, yes the brown interior bits were painted with a spray can. Same with the lighter color on the walls. I don't generally use spray paint, except primer and UV-resistant clear, on building exteriors but sometimes I use them on interiors where they are more protected.


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

How did you do the windows? Spread something on clear styrene?


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The ripple glass is made of slide cover glass. I created the rippled effect by dabbing clear acrylic gloss medium on the back of the glass with a small sponge.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Beautiful modeling Ray, I love watching for your updates
Dennis


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I had hoped to be a lot farther along on this by now, but some major family issues have kept hobby time to a minimum. Anyway, I did manage to paint the floor of the waiting area. I used custom mixed, flat, indoor/outdoor house paints to make it look like terra cotta "Saltillo" tiles:


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

There are times with a project this big, that it really starts to feel like it's sitting on my head and crushing it. This is one of those times.  I had hoped to be nearly finished with the depot by now, but there's been too many other things going on and even when I do get to work on it, it just seems to take forever. 

But anyway, I finally started making some progress on painting the "stone" walls of the depot. I began by giving all the walls a coat of thinned, sandstone-colored house paint:











Next I brushed on a dark concrete color. Before it dried I wiped it off with a paper towel, being careful to leave as much paint as possible in the mortar lines. This has to be done one small area at a time, or else the paint will dry before you can wipe it off:











The walls are supposed to look like a very light sandstone, similar to this:











So I had to go over each stone with another coat of sandstone paint, using a fine brush. I mixed in a small amount of white to lighten it slightly, and varied the mix so that the stones aren't all exactly the same shade:





























Next I applied thin washes of various shades of rust and brown. To finish it off, I lightly dry-brushed the whole face of the wall with a mix of white and sandstone. I still need to go in with an extra fine brush to touch up some of the mortar lines, but I'll do that later:



















That's one wall done, and only about 37 quintillion more stones to paint. Or so it seems. 


Did get started on the next portion:


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## riderdan (Jan 2, 2014)

As always, your skill and attention to detail are an inspiration. Looking at the photos, I realized I could see up to the underside of the roof, and you had built the support beams... which will probably never be seen, since you'd have to put your head on the ground to look "up" at the underside of the roof. But you'll know they're there, right? 

As I said, amazing attention to detail.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, your building deserves to be in a competition. If you do, it won't be much of a competition ;-) Beyond words.

-Jim


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

On Saturday we had an open house for our club, the San Diego Garden Railroad Society. Although the depot wasn't finished, I put it out anyway and got a few photos of it on the layout:





























Then back to work… I needed to find a way to paint the stone walls faster. I decided to try dry brushing the base color to get most of the stones covered, then just touch up by hand as needed. I tested this out on a wall inside the covered waiting area, where it wouldn't show too badly if it didn't work out. Fortunately it worked pretty well and did speed things up a little. Here's the wall after two coats of paint dry-brushed on, followed by touching up individual stones:











Next I added various shade of color to a few random stones, then finished it off by lightly dry-brushing the highlight color. It ended up a good match for the one wall I had previously painted the slower way:











With that settled, I continued on to the more prominent walls, taking up where I had left off. In this photo, on the left are the stones that were hand painted. On the right is an area where I've applied one coat of dry-brushed color:











Here's the same wall after a second dry-brushed coat and touch up:











And here it is finished:











Another area done the same way:





























And here are a couple shots of how it looks so far. Still have a lot to do but at least it's progressing at a somewhat more tolerable rate:





























That's all for now. Enjoy!


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

Only reason I could tell where new and old paint methods were used is because you showed them in process. How often does your club have a open house? Be worth the drive from AZ to see it.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The club has an open house every month, but always at a different member's house. Cris and I usually host it in February. That seems to work out for us weather-wise -- not too hot, and so far we haven't been rained out.

If you're ever in the San Diego area, let me know and maybe I can arrange a visit.


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## fyrekop (Sep 20, 2011)

I'll keep that in mind West on 10 to 8 ?? then south


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Well, after a lengthy hiatus due to family issues, I'm finally starting to get back into modeling and have made some more progress on the depot...

First off, I finished painting all of the tan-colored, random sandstone. I also painted the balconies to look like concrete, and painted the wooden beams, rafters, and eaves a dark brown. I painted the roofs too, and also put on a coat of base color on the large quarry stone blocks. Here are some pics of how it looks so far:






































The sunlight really brings out the texture of the faux stone:











The structural frame of the bay window has been painted white, then slightly weathered:











The flat roof over the waiting area was given a "tar and gravel" treatment. I painted on a couple coats of flat black house paint. While the final coat was still wet, I sprinkled on some white, decorative stone grit from the craft store:











The Spanish tiles were painted a terra cotta color, with subtle variations on several random tiles:











I'm planning to give the quarry stone blocks a colorful, banded sandstone look, similar to the blocks on the Nevada Northern's depot in Ely, NV:











However, I want to change the color a bit. I'd like to match the colors in this sandstone fragment I brought home from one of my Nevada trips a few years ago. Below is a test piece. The color is very close but not quite there yet:











That's all for now. Enjoy!


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## Stefan (Dec 20, 2008)

Ray, this is outstanding, as always!!!!
I love your passion in detailing everything.

If you don't like it in the end... I will send you my address!
Keep us updated.
Thanks for posting.

Stefan


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful work Ray. Can't imagine doing the level of detail you do.

Doc


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray,

Great work as always. I am breathlessly awaiting the final result.

As far as matching the sandstone, perhaps a couple of suggestions. I looks like you need at least three colors, beige, yellowish, rust. Also the sample looks like it shows some water patterns. That is it looks like some iron was in the sand and as it rusted the water washed it down. At least that is what I see rather than truly random colorings. Of course I could be wrong, I have been once or twice before (BIG GRAIN).

Good luck.


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Great work Ray. Love the detail. I'm excited to see how you wrap it up.

Will we be seeing an article on the depot in a future MRH issue?


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, when you're all done would you make a PDF of this thread? I'd love to have it as a reference.

Thanks,
Jim


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

Beautiful work.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Absolutely stunning color and modeling
Dennis


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, That is superb! Are you going to weather the tile? IMHO it looks too clean.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, guys! Yes, weathering is still to come.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Well, after a lengthy hiatus I'm finally getting back to work on this project. I've started painting the large stone blocks around the base of the structure. I'm trying to replicate the look of banded sandstone. Here's how it looks so far:


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## ewarhol (Mar 3, 2014)

Looks great Ray. Good to hear from you again. Looking forward to watching your progress.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Very nice Ray. Glad to see you back at it
Chris


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I finished painting the stones, but still have to add the weathering, so no new pics of that yet. In the meantime I did some work on some detail stuff. 

A few years ago fellow modeler Bob Santos gave me a few of his beautiful, custom made, cast resin detail parts. I've been saving them for the right spot, and this depot is the perfect place for a couple of them. One is a pay phone. I was going to just hang it on the wall in the covered waiting area of the depot, but then decided an old-fashioned, wooden phone booth would be pretty neat. 

I built up the walls from various sizes of styrene strips. The panels are scribed siding:




















A 3mm warm-white LED was perfect for the small, domed light inside the booth. The top of the booth is held in place with tiny stainless steel screws, #0 x 3/16":




















Here's how it looks so far. I still have to put glass in the windows and add some signs:




















I had a lot of interruptions while I was painting the phone, and kind of messed it up, but it'll do:











Now there are a couple decisions I have to make. First, should I put doors on it, and if so, should they be open or closed? Open would show the interior better, but closed be easier and would also solve my second problem, namely, how to attach it to the floor? I could just glue it but I try to avoid that, in case it ever needs maintenance or repair. I'd prefer to run a screw up through the floor, but to do that I'd have to glue a block into the interior of the booth for the screw to go into. That would only work if the door is closed so you couldn't see it. 

What are your thoughts?


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## Wesley Furman (Jan 2, 2008)

Always beautiful work. I like the doors open to see the inside. (But I don't have to do the tedious work.)
You could put a old couple of phone books under the seat on the floor to cover the screw. Or since the door is open a stray cat sleeping.
Thanks for always posting.


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray;

What a beautiful little phone booth. We have something similar inside the Roanoker Restaurant, and like the model, it's "just for looks."

The suggested cat need not be a stray. The booth could be the favorite cozy outdoor spot for the station master's cat. If you would like a painting challenge, you could try to make her look like our Ruby.










Best wishes,
David Meashey


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## jimhoot (Mar 21, 2015)

Very nice work Ray
I enjoy seeing how you build things for you RR and it encourages me to do more.
Thanks for the encouragement.


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## Ironton (Jan 2, 2008)

Why don't you put in the bifold doors mostly open? You could glue the v on the bottom to the floor of the boot and the side to the side of the door opening. At least I remember phone booths having the folding doors.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

A very nice addition to your station. Prototypical right down to the writing on the wall!! I love it.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Wow, if you don't mind I'm going to have to steal that phone booth idea for my depot. Very nice work Ray.

Chris


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I had made such a mess of the dial, that I decided to try to fix it even though the phone is already glued into the booth. I carefully reached in with a tiny piece of emery board, and sanded off the existing dial. The I scaled down a photo of a real dial, printed it onto self-adhesive vinyl, cut it out, and mounted it on the phone. I touched up the edges with bit of black paint. I also added some small ads and posters to the interior of the booth:











Another casting I got from Bob Santos was a pot-bellied stove -- just what I needed for the interior of the depot. I used a piece of brass tubing for the smokestack, and also glued a block of Sintra PVC to the bottom. This allows me to secure it with a screw from under the floor. That part of the stove won't be visible through the windows of the depot:


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## Scott (Jan 29, 2008)

That is a very neat addition, and it looks totally cool Ray.


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## delpetrina7 (Sep 12, 2016)

This looks really great!
Keep up the good work


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Lately I've been busy installing and wiring the depot's lights, both interior and exterior, as well as making some more interior details, installing doors and windows, etc. 

I made ceiling lamps out of clear plastic beads and brass-plated plastic buttons, with 3mm LEDs:











Here are a couple of the simple background details for the interior -- a wall clock and a safe:











The safe is tucked into a corner and will only be partially visible through the bay window, which is why I didn't put too much effort into it:











This next photo is a bit out of focus, but it does show some of the ceiling lamps:











I also made a vintage typewriter for the station master's desk, just inside the bay window. I'm not very happy with the keys but it'll have to do. I couldn't think of any better way to represent them:











That's all for now, more later.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Wow Ray as always extremely impressed. Love you detail on the safe and the type writer
Dennis


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks for the kind comments! Here are a couple more details… First is a desk fan, which I made from the engine fan and jack stand out of a model car kit, plus part of an old Gundam kit and a few other bits:











Next is a telegraph receiver. Kind of crude in closeup but actually turned out much better than I expected for something so tiny:











And then here's a shot of the desk top, with the items temporarily in position to see how it all fits. I may end up moving the fan to the ticket counter, and replace it with a lamp. This desk will fit into the bay window:










.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Amazing detail as usual! I love using buttons to make light fixtures.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

The window shades were made from strips cut from a Tyvek envelope, painted "antique white", and sprayed with Krylon UV resistant matte clear:












These were glued to thin styrene strips mounted on both sides of each window. Lace was then added where needed, to represent curtains:





























Here's a door with the window shade and doorknob installed. The doorknob was made from a tiny, genuine crystal bead:





















The balcony railings were made from brass etching, sold by Scale Link in the UK. To make them long enough, I had to butt two pieces together and solder them. Then I added a thin brass rod over the joint, both to reinforce the joint and to strengthen the post. I also add rods to the corner posts:




















Strips of 1/32" square brass rod was soldered along the top edge, on the inside, to stiffen the railings. A pair of machinist's "1-2-3" blocks were handy for keeping the etchings flat and holding everything in place during soldering. Excess posts were cut off:






































The railings were sprayed with self-etching primer, followed by gloss black, and then UV resistant matte clear. Then I used Sophisticated Finishes' "iron" and "rust" solutions to weather it:










.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

At long last, the Dos Manos depot is finished! 







































The signs were printed on self-adhesive vinyl, then touched up and weathered using craft acrylics:












Details of the north side:






























The south side:






































I ended up making the door closed on the phone booth. Doing so solved several potential issues. I may add a bench or two inside this waiting area:





























I'll shoot some night shots this evening.

Although the depot structure is finished, I still need to a bit of work on the foundation and sidewalk. I also have to connect wiring to the depot site. 

.


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow!! Beautiful Ray!! Just stunningly awesome work!! Major kudos!!

Are you planning to add any benches to the alcove area?


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## SD90WLMT (Feb 16, 2010)

Stunning....Pearrrrrr-Fecto.. mas!!!

Best time of day for lighting use from natural sources!! Wow!

Yep... Stunning does it Ray!
SD. Thanks Buddy!


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks guys! 

Yes, I am thinking of adding one or two benches. It's kind of a tight space so I'll have to see what will fit.


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## docwatsonva (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful work Ray. Another fantastic addition to your spectacular layout.

Doc


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, That is amazing work. Your eye for detail is beyond belief. Absolutely beautiful!


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow Ray that's insanely great!


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray Dunakin said:


> Thanks guys!
> 
> Yes, I am thinking of adding one or two benches. It's kind of a tight space so I'll have to see what will fit.


Perhaps a two-sided bench down the center lengthwise? Just a thought.

Again, it's a beautiful piece of work as is.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I shot some pics last night with the lights on… it looks so cool! For these shots I just hooked it up to a 9v battery since I haven't yet run wires to the depot site. Here are some of the night pics:











In this next shot, the small lights above the depot are from the Cliffside Mine:































The frames photos on the wall by the stairs are pics of my dad:





















































I'm not real happy with the figure seen through the bay window. It was just a resin copy of a cheap figure I found on ebay a long time ago. I may replace it later with something better:




















.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Dang Ray, If you had just shown those photos to me with no explanation I would have thought they were of a 1/1 station! The guy in the ticket booth looks just fine to me.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, Here a photo of the seats I am making for my Mexican second class car. They are made from seats removed from an Accucraft J & S coach, painted black and wood slats glued on. They might work for benches at your station.








Just an idea, you can do better than that I'm sure.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks, that's a cool idea. Looks good. 

I have a couple station bench kits from SLM that I'm planning to experiment with.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

The telephone works, no doubt... 

Seriously, fantastic! I've enjoyed following your progress, despite it making me feel incredibly lazy for doing simple "board and batten" stations. 

Can't wait to see what's next, but why do I have the feeling it's going to involve baking individual bricks? 

Later,

K


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Thanks Kevin! "What's next" will most likely be refurbishing some of my first buildings.


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## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

I recently built a special box to protect the depot from sun and weather. It's made from 6mm Sintra and painted with white exterior house paint:




















It was pretty easy to do this for the depot because it stands alone, and on a flat surface. I would like to do this for my other buildings, but the grouping and locations make it difficult.


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## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Nice, I thought it was a new structure when I first saw the picture.


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## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Ray, That is a really nice cover. I agree with UP9018, I at first it was a new structure in progress. I would like to do that for my buildings but at least some of are so big that I would a crane to move the cover!!


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## OldNoob (Apr 30, 2016)

Beautiful buildings!


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