Thanks guys, it's really good how close that Vallejo blue matches the color I chose on SketchUp. I had a computer problem. I upgraded to MAC OS Big Sur and then my VM Fusion Windows emulator was no longer functional. I had to buy an upgrade to VM Fusion 12.0 that is now coded for the latest MAC OS. My browser kept hanging up when I went to move my purchase request to the shopping cart. I thought their website was down. Then today in working with something completely different the same thing happened. The little red line advanced around 1/4 the way to completion and then froze. So I shut everything down and restarted and, of course, it now worked. So I went back to VM Fusion's site and was able to process my purchase so my Windows 10 is now working again on my MAC, and, more importantly, CorelDraw is running again. I need CorelDraw!
Happy Monday! Lots of images today...
Started the day getting the chimneys fitted. After marking where they would locate on the very fragile balsa Mansard skin, I used the #11 blade (new and sharp) to open up the skin. I knew I would have this complication since you can see the former looking down on the Mansard wall. That former is ply so using the Xacto was not the best way to remove it.
But before cutting out the scrap, I had to reinforce the edges of the Mansard since the balsa would be unsupported for the entire span between the windows and that would NOT BE GOOD. I traced the profile on some thin aircraft plywood, hand-sketched a parallel line to the traced line to account for the thickness and then cut it out with the #11. I used all kinds of CA to hold these pieces in. Before I did this I did almost destroyed the skin on the opposite side and had to glue pieces back together.
This view shows the new formers installed to reinforce the skin next to the window openings. This is important because the act of attaching the self-stick shingles puts stress on the skin as I burnish it down. If the skin wasn't supported it would simply blow through and be a wreck.
I even used a piece of MDF for one of these formers to even make it stronger. Remember, I had specified the wrong material for the formers in the first place. They should have been much thicker. And I should have designed the laser cutting to have former at each side of the window openings.
I used the Dremel Flexi-shaft with the 1/16" carbide router to forcibly remove the former.
The upper part of the Mansard needed a little bit of relief to so the chimneys sat plumb. While fussing with all this cutting and fitting I broke out another of those thin sections over the window openings. I decided to get radical by reinforcing all the week ones with some of the balsa I used for the foundation walls. This greatly strengthened this very thin and fragile area. It was necessary.
This is a top view of the new reinforcements.
With both chimneys able to sit correctly, I had to relieve the upper roof. I marked it out and cut the notches on the scroll saw. Had to be careful because there is an electronic chip on the underside that's feeding the lighting which also is complete.
I stopped work on the Mansard and got back to finishing up the turret. I painted it last week and wanted to get it fully complete and that meant shingles. Like I did with my last two Victorian projects, I'm using actual copper for the roof flashing. I'm pre-treating the copper tape (same as I'm using for the lighting circuits) using JAX copper aging chemicals. I used both the Dark Brown and Patina liquids starting with the brown and then patina. I treated the tape with the backing on the tape. I first I thought I made a mess when the backing paper started falling apart due to all the liquids. But I persisted and the backing did come off correctly. It's not as green as I would like, but the chemicals tend to have a delayed reaction.
Here was the flashing applied to the turrett.
I used the Victorian mix from Rail Scale Models which is a mixture of straight and fishscale shingles. You start the process with the starter row strip that is a separate part number you purchase. The starter row provides a strong purchase for the 1st row shingle tabs and prevents them from drooping or bending.
The patten is the same as I've used before and is traditional Victorian of three straight alternating with three fishscale shingles. The distances are very short and in couple of places required some CA to get it to stick. The filament pattern created by the FDM printing was a two-edged sword. It makes for less surface area impacting the self-adhesive shingles' adhesion,but because they were so parallel, it made it easy to ensure the shingles were horizontal.
I got two full sides complete including trying out the newly designed peak capping shingles (included with the starting row set).
I will have this part done tomorrow and then install built the little peaked roof and install the windows. I'll finish the Mansard completely this week as well.
