Garden Railway Forum

Rik,

I am not a purist. Nor do I know what a sawmill looks like, but it all looks superb. Well done.

Your attention to detail is commendable.

The finished sawmill, ancilliary buildings and fittings etc, will look fantastic.

I'd be happy if I could build models half as good as you have acheived.

Ian

Gralyn wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 3:31 pm This may be a strange question considering all the superb machinery you have modelled.
??? How do you keep the Sawdust in place. I cant even keep gravel ballast from spiriting
itself away.

Lashings of PVA

Rik

IanC wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 4:29 pm Rik,
I am not a purist. Nor do I know what a sawmill looks like, but it all looks superb. Well done.
Ian

Thanks Ian
I certainly don't think it's skill on my part, just dogged persistence.....
There are some very highly skilled modellers on this forum whose models are far more accomplished. I like to think of myself as 'Everyman' - ie if I can do it, then anyone can.

Rik

That is a beautiful interior Rik, a superb bit of modelling. I couldn't tell a belt was fouling anything and the sawdust looks just right to my eyes, accumulating where you would expect it. The site I have for a mill may have to become a cutwood store as area is nowhere near big enough...the saw will have to be off stage.

That is phenominal Rik! Absolutely beautiful job, and I can't believe those are 'my' pulleys, you've worked them up so well.

Good grief Rik, I fancy I can even SMELL it!

Superb work again, possibly your best yet. You do set the bar high for the rest of us!



Andrew

I can only echo everyone else's comments Rik. I dare say someone who works or worked in a timber mill would see any inaccuracies, but to my eye it's a busy workplace, and that is the effect you wanted I think. Brilliant stuff again!

Yes - fantastic - the building, the fittings and how you have staged the people that bring the scene alive

I'm a carpenter iv seen a few saw mills there used to be one not far from where I used too live. That is spot on looks fantastic and looks like it would work well done love it

I'm a carpenter iv seen a few saw mills there used to be one not far from where I used too live. That is spot on looks fantastic and looks like it would work well done love it

Sorry, late to the party....again.... but what a superb piece of model making. I agree with all of the above, it looks just as though the machinery could actually do its job. I have seen several woodworking shops in the flesh and this could easily be one of them. Apart from the line-shafting the machinery probably hasn't altered much in the intervening years.
I love the atmosphere you have created with the sawdust..... with the roof on and shadows forming from sunlight passing through the open sides it will be spot on.

I too agree with all that has been said, a fantastic job and it all looks so right. I'm particularly taken with the sawdust, its placement so very typical, and its application I imagine quite time consuming. Interested in what you have used for the belting, as that too looks very realistic.
Pity a roof will cover it all! Did they have skylights I wonder.
Grant.

LNR wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 2:48 am I too agree with all that has been said, a fantastic job and it all looks so right. I'm particularly taken with the sawdust, its placement so very typical, and its application I imagine quite time consuming. Interested in what you have used for the belting, as that too looks very realistic.
Pity a roof will cover it all! Did they have skylights I wonder.
Grant.

Thanks Grant.
With the sawdust, I assumed it would accumulate in nooks and crannies which were not thoroughfares, ie the staff would only sweep when and where necessary (or am I attributing them with my own values?).

Took me a while to seek out something for the belts. In the end, I went for thin card, painted with acrylics.

Rik

Thanks for the feedback, folks. As it will only be glimpsed through the sides once the roof goes on, I've used a bit of modellers' licence here and there. I'm wondering whether to instal some (dim) lighting. From photos, sawmills of the era seemed to be quite gloomy - though actually, I found it difficult to find images from the 1930s, and especially from the UK. Quite a few photos from Australia and Canada - then I suppose logging was much more prevalent there.

Rik

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 10:30 pm I love the atmosphere you have created with the sawdust..... with the roof on and shadows forming from sunlight passing through the open sides it will be spot on.

Thanks Peter. Just the impression I'm seeking to create.

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 6:09 am

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Mon May 21, 2018 10:30 pm I love the atmosphere you have created with the sawdust..... with the roof on and shadows forming from sunlight passing through the open sides it will be spot on.

Thanks Peter. Just the impression I'm seeking to create.

Rik

Two of the best Modellers on the forum here. Peter and Rik.

Love all of the work you have done on the sawmill Rik, just superb

Don’t want to show my effort of the crane on a wagon now.

There's not much else I can add to everyone else's comments and praise, you really have excelled yourself this time Rik. You have put so much effort into creating just the right balance of detail and realism, to hell with what the purists may say. It is a shame that so much of it won't be seen once the roof is on and presumably from a normal viewing position but as you say, 'you know'.

pandsrowe wrote: ↑Tue May 22, 2018 9:20 am It is a shame that so much of it won't be seen once the roof is on and presumably from a normal viewing position but as you say, 'you know'.

Thanks Phil
I'm thinking of installing some lighting so the interior might be a bit more visible. But as you say, I'll know it's there.

Rik

That would be really effective Rik. Go on you know you want to do it.

Latest progress
I've been steadily slogging away at sorting out the gantry crane for the sawmill - and here's where I'm up to ......

The main components of the crane are now in place and (thank goodness) it seems to fit the intended site.
I've made a start on landscaping the area to accommodate the new structure. A bit of fine tuning now required to make sure all the legs actually touch the ground!
The design was drawn from some images on the web - though (as always) trying to make something appropriate for the 1930s requires a certain amount of reverse thinking. Mine is manually powered rather than electrically (or hydraulically) driven - from a time when manpower was relatively cheap.
As always, there is plenty still to do - the trackway for the saw trolley needs to be extended outwards and some sort of loading dock will be built to hold the logs. My first attempt at making a scissor grab for the logs was OK, but too small. And of course it all needs painting and weathering - as does the surrounding landscape. Oh, and I also need to make a boiler house and coal store!
Rik