Create's Year Long Challenge

I've began in earnest on my Create Year Long Projects.  For the 1/12th scale house my schedule was to do the following

Week 1:  Repair the siding

Week 2: Paint the siding where required.

So was I able to accomplish those first two week goals?  Will I put my head project manager, Linfield on the task and he did oversee the replacement of the siding.

The paint used on the house is Old Sturbridge Village's Townhouse Ivory.  It was an oil based paint that is now a 30 year old plus can of paint.  Believe it or not I was able to shake and stir the can of paint.  But I have yet to apply the paint.  Being oil based, I'm hoping to be able to do it on a day when I can open a window and ventilate the room, which I haven't had in January so far!

Over the years the siding has shifted so you can see every panel.  I don't plan to remove it now, it was applied with contact cement.  I think I will add vines and ivys to conceal some of these panel joins.

Since I was not able to accomplish week two's paint project, I looked at future weeks to get ahead of the game.  

Week 3:- Add foam base, walkway, flower beds & grass.

Well I have added the foam base on the front, added the walkway (yet to be painted), some of the grass on the front and painted the flower bed, just so you didn't see white through the bushes and flowers when I add them.

My steps are a preformed piece I purchased from miniatures.com, I cut the grass panel and put in place, leaving space for the flower bed and fence and street ahead.  Then I laid the cobblestone walkway using egg carton pieces.  When I placed the steps back in place, of course I had mismeasured and the walkway was over to far by about 1/4".  I made the decision to move the house, which only took a slight cut in the foam base to accommodate this move.

Now everything looks much better.  Linfield is inspecting the work again.  I'm waiting for the glue to dry so I can paint and add ground cover between the cobblestones.

The foam panels had to be joined and although I butted two factory cut edges, there is still a gap.  So I filled it with drywall patch.

I used a lightweight quick dry patch.  Linfield again is inspecting the work.  I may need to add a second coat once this dries.  Then I'll be able to add the next grass panel.  I plan to spray an adhesive on the grass and sprinkle some loose grass ground cover to give the lawn some inconsistency and hide any joins.

So right now I feel I'm a little ahead my 12th scale house schedule so I'm very pleased with the progress.

I also worked on Red Hook Wharf the past two weeks. But more about that in the next post!

Until the next time.....

Wanda