Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

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Old Man Aaron
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Old Man Aaron » Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:07 am

Thanks again, guys, means a lot. :)

Unfortunately once in-situ, one would need one of those mirrors on a stick, the type used for looking under cars at borders, to see inside. Hopefully things will be better on the next tramway; I could mount the pub on a raised garden bed for better access and viewing.

That bevel cutter is a great idea, should look into getting one. :) I should also stop procrastinating the fascia lettering and get this pub finished - It's now been two years and three days since starting this build, much too long.. Besides, I.N. Spectre will need somewhere to stay when he arrives.. Please do take your time with him; In case you've not already figured, I've been dreading the lettering job since day one, and there's a number of other jobs yet to do.. :roll:
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by philipy » Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:30 am

Funnily enough it occurred to me yesterday that the Hotel would be suitable accomodation for the inspector when he gets to you!

For those who haven't cottoned-on, arrangements are being made for Mr I.N Spectre to pack his bags and get on a flight to the land of Oz, starting in Anzac Creek. Having gone all that way, he would very much like to do his thing at various other Antipodean railways, so if those members would like to drop me a PM we'll put them on the list.
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Lonsdaler » Wed Mar 24, 2021 1:04 pm

philipy wrote: Wed Mar 24, 2021 9:30 am Funnily enough it occurred to me yesterday that the Hotel would be suitable accomodation for the inspector when he gets to you!

For those who haven't cottoned-on, arrangements are being made for Mr I.N Spectre to pack his bags and get on a flight to the land of Oz, starting in Anzac Creek. Having gone all that way, he would very much like to do his thing at various other Antipodean railways, so if those members would like to drop me a PM we'll put them on the list.
Jolly good. Glad someone has expressed a wish to be 'visited'! :lol: I feel I must take some blame for the loss of interest, he's been with me since September, and only just started his inspection. Of course, as far as he's concerned, he only took a 2 week break :lol:
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by GAP » Thu Apr 08, 2021 10:36 pm

Wonderful job there, Aaron it captures the essence of a Queensland pub perfectly.

Quick question where did you get the PVC foamboard?

Also a tip for conduit for wiring.
I use irrigation piping as my conduit it is;
Cheaper than electrical conduit
Readily available
Comes in 2 sizes 12mm and 19mm
Has a large range if fittings
Does not require glue to seal it
It is Waterproof
And can be buried in the ground without an issue.

For my galvanised cladding I used Liquid Nails "Landscape" mainly because it is formulated for outdoor use but also it is relatively cheap.
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Old Man Aaron » Fri Apr 09, 2021 3:53 am

Cheers Graeme; Irrigation line sounds the way to go, then. I've been getting my foamboard from the evil green hadware shed. My local one used to sell 3ft x 4ft sheets. kept it with the MDF and corflute, but stopped carrying it. Ended up finding more foamboard from the polycarb sheeting section, of all places. It's still white 3mm foambaoard, but it's noticeably harder to cut and carve. Unlike the old stuff that I used in this pub, it has a slight "grain"to it's surface, which can result in the surface layer of PVC tearing slightly, if carved against the grain with too much pressure. Worse still, the sheets are only 2ft by 4ft, and about 50% dearer by sq ft! And good luck trying to find it on their website.. It's certainly usable though, having made a bank and now mill traffic office with it, and plans for more yet.. Still have 1½ sheets left, but when I need more, I'm going to a plastics wholesaler; they're all over the place. They supply 4x8 sheets, and multiple thicknesses. Probably cheaper, too.. I know that was a bit long-winded. :roll:


29/03/21
With "Victoria" overhauled and awaiting testing, the bench was clear for the pub to re-occupy it. The downpipes (non-funcional, they'd just clog) had been made some months ago, and could now be fitted using screw eye-hooks for picture hanging, as "good enough" mounting brackets. Holes were pilot drilled for them and Sikaflex applied to the "threads" before screwing them in. After fitting the downpipes, the brackets were etch-primed.
Image

02/04/21
After more practice by lettering the aforementioned bank, it was time to bite the bullet and letter the fascia. I don't have the skill to hand-draw my templates, so these were made in the computer, reversed, and printed out some months ago. A hard charcoal pencil (with frequent stops for sharpening) is then carefully used to outline the letters.
Image

The outlined templates were then carefully positioned on the fascia, taking my time to ensure they were correctly located. With that, one could see the letters' edges through the paper; these edges need to be rubbed with something, to transfer the charcoal pencil outlining to the fascia surface. I find a cheap ballpoint pen is best, as the ball rolls over the paper without tearing it, and the ink lubricates the ball and shows clearly where you've already been over, without soaking through the paper. Carefully flipping up the paper reveals where the charcoal didn't properly transfer, so you could either run the pen over the paper again, or touch up the surface directly with the pencil.
Image

03/04/21
With the guide lines in place, it was time for the scary bit - which as you may have gathered by now, isn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. :roll:
In the past, I've used with little success, regular brushes and enamel paint. But using proper signwriting brushes and lettering enamel makes all the difference. The home-made mahl stick provides support for your painting hand, and is a huge help for both accuracy, and keeping your hand from smudging the lines or fresh paint.

Because lettering enamel has so much pigment in it, it usually covers in a single coat. Which is good, because if you have to re-coat the edges; that's where mistakes creep in, because we're human and our hands are rarely able to perfectly repeat earlier brush strokes. So you end up having to wipe off and re-try these areas, over and over again until you get it right. Of course this issue reduces with experience, but using paint that covers in the first coat really cuts out most of this problem. There are still spots that need a second coat, but with letters this size at least, these are rarely the edges due to the way the paint flows, leaving a slightly thicker and thus better-covering coat around the edges of your letters.

This is just my experience anyway. If you've a knack for accurately brush-painting models, you may also have a knack for signwriting, because most of that skill transfers over.
The paint was a bit gloopy and thick on the brush here; it's hard to paint and balance and camera on your knee at once.

After the second coat, that was the red done. It's not quite perfect, but the shading/outlining is yet to come and will hide that. Will give it another week to cure, then start the black shading..
Image
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by GAP » Fri Apr 09, 2021 8:52 am

[quote="Old Man Aaron" post_id=161989 time=1617936816 user_id=1517]
Cheers Graeme; Irrigation line sounds the way to go, then. I've been getting my foamboard from the evil green hadware shed. My local one used to sell 3ft x 4ft sheets. kept it with the MDF and corflute, but stopped carrying it. Ended up finding more foamboard from the polycarb sheeting section, of all places. It's still white 3mm foambaoard, but it's noticeably harder to cut and carve. Unlike the old stuff that I used in this pub, it has a slight "grain"to it's surface, which can result in the surface layer of PVC tearing slightly, if carved against the grain with too much pressure. Worse still, the sheets are only 2ft by 4ft, and about 50% dearer by sq ft! And good luck trying to find it on their website.. It's certainly usable though, having made a bank and now mill traffic office with it, and plans for more yet.. Still have 1½ sheets left, but when I need more, I'm going to a plastics wholesaler; they're all over the place. They supply 4x8 sheets, and multiple thicknesses. Probably cheaper, too.. I know that was a bit long-winded. :roll:

Thanks Aaron.
I have glanced at that stuff in the green shed will look closer next time or looks like I'll have to find a plastics wholesale near me.
Graeme
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Lonsdaler » Fri Apr 09, 2021 12:41 pm

Looking good Aaron. I'm in awe of your patience doing the lettering by hand, and using picture hanger eyes as drain pipe brackets - what a great idea! That's something I always struggle with. Thanks for the tip :thumbup:
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Peter Butler » Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:22 pm

I have tracked down some pictures of down-pipes I fitted to my structures back in 2016 (mentioned on my Time to build a railway thread) where I described using picture screw-eyes with the addition of a small collar of plastic tube either side. This helps to make the 'bracket' more realistic.....
IMG_4314.JPG
IMG_4314.JPG (147.66 KiB) Viewed 5979 times
IMG_4487.JPG
IMG_4487.JPG (126.25 KiB) Viewed 5979 times
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by FWLR » Sat Apr 10, 2021 7:01 am

Brilliant idea.

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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by ge_rik » Sat Apr 10, 2021 7:33 am

Clever!

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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sat Apr 10, 2021 11:02 am

Funny you say that, Peter - I think that's where I got the idea. :study:
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Lonsdaler » Sat Apr 10, 2021 6:28 pm

Peter Butler wrote: Fri Apr 09, 2021 2:22 pm I have tracked down some pictures of down-pipes I fitted to my structures back in 2016 (mentioned on my Time to build a railway thread) where I described using picture screw-eyes with the addition of a small collar of plastic tube either side. This helps to make the 'bracket' more realistic.....
Clearly a detail I missed Peter, or filed in the wrong brain cell :lol:
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sat May 01, 2021 11:14 am

01/05/20
With the fascia lettered (it passes the 3ft test, at least) and paintwork touched up, the pub is very close to completion. I need only apply Tamiya's flat clear enamel to the letters, and fit the roof with mastic sealant, after pre-emptively poisoning the interior for when (not if) the ants find a way inside.
Image

Then it's just waiting on the weather to clear up, so I can install the building in position..
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by philipy » Sat May 01, 2021 11:18 am

Superb, Aaron, simply superb from start to finish.
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Peter Butler » Sat May 01, 2021 11:52 am

Excellent throughout, you should feel proud.
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Jimmyb » Sat May 01, 2021 12:29 pm

Aaron very impressive, as said by other, something to be proud of.

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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by GTB » Sat May 01, 2021 12:39 pm

Old Man Aaron wrote: Sat May 01, 2021 11:14 am I need only apply Tamiya's flat clear enamel to the letters
Looks like a Qld country pub to me...... Well done.

Do the lights automatically turn off at 6pm, or is your track set in a period after Qld abandoned the 6 o'clock swill? ;)


Be wary of Tamiya matt clear, if you haven't used it before and already know the trick.

They don't actually make a matt clear in either the acrylic range or the enamel range. What they call flat base X-21 is actually a matting agent, intended to be added to the clear X-22 (which is gloss finish) to cut it back to a satin or matt finish, depending on how much flat base is added.

Since most of the label is in japanese script and the only english instructions are safety notices, the label doesn't inform english speakers of the intended use of the bottle contents. Been there, done that, the first model I used it on turned a frosty white and had to be repainted........

Regards,
Graeme

ps. Where did you find a supplier of signwriters enamel? I thought it had disappeared, as I haven't seen a signwriter using a brush for years, it's all vinyl around here now as far as I can tell.....

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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by Old Man Aaron » Sun May 02, 2021 6:12 am

Thanks, real pleased with the result. Looking forward to making it a centerpiece on the next tramway..
The pub's lights won't be properly connected up here, but they and other buildings will be next time; likely on a timer so they're visible every night. I do have a 12V SLA battery going spare though, so that would do for temporary use when other modellers visit.. Never heard of the 6pm swill, but then I live under a rock. It'd make an interesting subtle detail to include. I'm modelling 1920s-70s, when did QLD abandon that?

Oh yes, the flat base trap. Been there, too. Thanks or the reminder. I've already a couple jars of gloss clear with flat base added, that's what I meant to say, but forgot it doesn't come pre-mixed. Can't imagine why they don't just sell flat clear ready mixed like the other hundred enamel colours they do.. :roll:

Speaking of paint that Australian shops are seemingly incapable of stocking anymore, I get all my signwriting stuff from 1-Shot Australia's website. Ordered from them a few times, and they seem pretty good. They sell a flattening agent that mixes into the paint, but it's dearer than I can justify for the little use I'd make of it.
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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by FWLR » Sun May 02, 2021 8:24 am

Excellent build, it's worthy of a place in any garden railway line.

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Re: Imperial Hotel - a Queenslander pub

Post by GTB » Sun May 02, 2021 9:45 am

Old Man Aaron wrote: Sun May 02, 2021 6:12 am Never heard of the 6pm swill, but then I live under a rock. It'd make an interesting subtle detail to include. I'm modelling 1920s-70s, when did QLD abandon that?
Looks like it was actually an 8 o'clock swill in Qld, which was abandoned in 1941, much earlier than Vic and SA....

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six_o%27clock_swill

Graeme

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