I have the Lionel Legacy Hotel on my layout. I bashed the Woodland Scenics Emporium into a hotel and named it the Premier. Today I started a third for my downtown. I will call in the Imperial. It has to fit a very oddly shaped parcel on my layout - almost a trinangle, and be a certain height: four stories plus a canted roof. I am making it of Ameritowne panels cut apart and re-assembled.
Here is today's progress. I will post more pictures as I make more progress.
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A great start.
Lee,
What to you paint with? Acrylic? Do you put a primer coat on first?
-Ted
Red is the color of the Amer-I-town panels. You can do a lot with a diluted latex paint wash.
Lee,
What to you paint with? Acrylic? Do you put a primer coat on first?
-Ted
I prime it with Rustoleum primer, then flat paints, also spray, usually Rustoleum.
That's nice work with the wash, but I am going to avoid red-brick because I have so many. I think the Imperial with be white or beige. The Legacy hotel is red brick and the Pertmier is sort of brownish. I need a contrast.
Like Wow • I am ready to pull out the Visa Card & make a reservation. lol
Lee,
That looks fantastic. I cannot wait to see the finished product. I love the angled corners. It gives the structure a great look.
Alan Graziano
Really nice project, Lee.
Nice Lee, as for the color, why don't you go for the challenge (I know you are up to it) and go for that tan/yellow/brown/gray art deco look?
That is going to be a nice building.
I like the angled shape of the structure.
I love the shape of this building.
Art
I managed to get some progress in today on this. Thank goodness for Gorilla tape to hold the pieces of this puzzle together. The basic four-story outer shell is not complete and once the cement has hardened will now have a bit of strength. Still a lot of work to do.
Kind of reminds me of a mini Brown Palace.
Forrest Jerome needs to see this since he couldn't seem to understand what we were trying to tell him about holding the corners and sides together while the glue dried!!
Lee...this is really nice application of how to use the Ameritowne line. I think this would be a great magazine feature. I hope you take plenty of pictures that you can send to Allan and see what he thinks....
Alan
I am in e-mail contact with Forrest. Like anything else, Ameri-Towne panels have their own unique way of being worked. This "warped panel thing" is no big deal but I can understand how some people think it is - you grow up as a kid thinking plastic kits fit together well.
Actually, I rarely use clamps anymore. Tape - and I use Gorilla tape - which looks like black duct tape but holds much more tenaciously and doesn't seem to dry out over time - applied tightly it holds until the cement is really hardened. It can be a challenge removing it, it holds so well, but no problems so far.
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Actually, I rarely use clamps anymore. Tape - and I use Gorilla tape - which looks like black duct tape but holds much more tenaciously and doesn't seem to dry out over time - applied tightly it holds until the cement is really hardened. It can be a challenge removing it, it holds so well, but no problems so far.
I've never tried this, but may be applying it, (Gorilla tape), sticky side out. You're using the tape in a complete circle anyway. I've had trouble getting masking tape off painted models.
There are also large rubber bands that I have used. Don't know where my wife finds them, probably an office supply.
I have also used solid single strand 14 gauge wire in a loop, twist to tighten.
You have to marvel at how sticky some of these products are. We, Fort Pitt High Railers, use duct tape to secure power cords to the floor when the cords cross the walk area during shows. I have had trouble getting the tape off the cords. Eventually used paint thinner. I wouldn't use paint thinner on a model. Mike CT Have a great weekend Lee. Very nice model, reminds me of the New York City Flat Iron building shaped in a triangle.
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Actually, I rarely use clamps anymore. Tape - and I use Gorilla tape - which looks like black duct tape but holds much more tenaciously and doesn't seem to dry out over time - applied tightly it holds until the cement is really hardened. It can be a challenge removing it, it holds so well, but no problems so far.
I've never tried this, but may be applying it, (Gorilla tape), sticky side out. You're using the tape in a complete circle anyway. I've had trouble getting masking tape off painted models.
There are also large rubber bands that I have used. Don't know where my wife finds them, probably an office supply.
I have also used solid single strand 14 gauge wire in a loop, twist to tighten.
You have to marvel at how sticky some of these products are. We, Fort Pitt High Railers, use duct tape to secure power cords to the floor when the cords cross the walk area during shows. I have had trouble getting the tape off the cords. Eventually used paint thinner. I wouldn't use paint thinner on a model. Mike CT Have a great weekend Lee. Very nice model, reminds me of the New York City Flat Iron building shaped in a triangle.
Thanks. I like the idea of the wire. That would work very well in places. gotta remember that.
Finally, it is in primer now. It took five days to do the gap filling: even with care and a miter-angle indicator on my band-saw, I still get tiny gaps between all the "puzzle pieces"that will look ugly unless filled. Here, the very minor imperfections in panel flatness from one to another do affect my speed of work and result. The gaps up to a millimeter wide in places seem unavoidable. But once filled they disappear one you paint the building (don't paint them and they stand out like sore thumbs). I fill them with yellow glue applied so capillary action draws it into the and through the gaps, etc. (see my 'Streets for O-Gauge book, p 84 for how I fill gaps).
I always intended to make this hotel a lighter color since the Legacy is brick red and the Premier brown. I sort of like this primer color and think I will put on a second coat and then, with white painted trim, this ought to look good. It will have to have a flat roof due to the overhead space available where it will go on the layout.
Great progress. Looking good.
I really like the angles Lee....looks nice!
Alan
Lee, what's the approximate angle of the two walls on the right front?
Should make a terrific addition to your layout; thanks for sharing.
Lee it looks O.K. but i think if you would try it over again you would get better results... so rather than throwing this "attempt" away i'd be happy to take this and i would even be willing to pay the shipping!!!! seriously it looks super
Coming along nicely Lee.
Pingman, the angle if the two walls is about 35 degrees. The building has been built to fit in that particular weird space shown initially, although it is no longer on the wooden "pedestal" - its too high to fit under the shelf ceiling there without that removed.
HELLO LEE – Wow • First class photos, to tell the progress.
Buildings built to fit strange shaped lots are hard not to stare at. Im guilty of doubling back and forth at corners just to experience the rarer narrow angles on large vertical planes. I wanted to see a perspective illusion done on one making it look taller, or longer while standing at the corner. I might have done one if I pursued larger architecture further.
PS-Thank you for letting us access to your site and books Lee!
Very generous
I love the shape of the building. quite creative
Al
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