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So I thought I'd share a few small projects I'm working on that don't really merit a whole thread to themselves.  

 

The first of these, a swimming pool, was the easiest.  I took an old plasticville swimming pool, painted it, used some more realistic looking water, then added a layer of water-simulating plastic sheeting over top:

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Next I'm making a Plasticville Frosty Bar (or, in this case, Fro Bar) into a lemonade stand.  The lemon will sit over top as a novelty sign & the interior of the stand will be detailed and LED lit.  So far, I've gotten it cleaned-up and starting painting...  so just getting started.  Updates to follow:

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Next, I've been converting a Lionel light tower into a rusty water tower.  This project is about 80% done - here's my progress to date with more to come:

The tower itself consists of a light tower base, with a French fried onion can, and a cut-down roof to a lionel water tower.  The "railing" of the light tower was covered with scale-size metal roofing material.  The onion can is covered with a printed water tower sheet metal pattern (glued in place), with some dry-brushed rust over top.

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Here, local vandals have been inspired by Joe Diffie to scrawl their love in John Deere green, in letters ~3 scale feet high:

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Decided the roof looked better in silver:

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...and added a red warning flasher to the top:

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inally, I've been working sporadically on an MTH trailer.  I'd previously detailed the outside, but am now going back to LED-ify the interior light and add Christmas lights to the exterior:

First, I removed the existing light mount, popped out the bulb, and drilled through it so I could insert a pre-wired LED in its place.  Pretty handy way to re-use the existing mount.  Here it is before I removed the original bulb:

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Here's the exterior as originally improved.  I added better skirting and did some light weathering, then put some "curtains" inside:

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New to the outside is a stringer of Christmas lights, which should look wonderfully tacky year round.  Blue tape is temporary while the glue dries:

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Christmas lights and the interior light LED and wired to the same 12V feeder:

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Attachments

Images (16)
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Moonson posted:

Delightful, FrizzinBee, all of it, each piece. It will be fun to see how you flesh-in the environments for each model, because you have some serious imagination doing a heck-of-a good job so far!

FrankM

Thanks, I appreciate the compliment!  I think that's the thing I'm looking forward to most...  finishing out the environments around my layout once I get the structures and major components complete.

Here’s a quick update on the water tower and the lemonade stand...

The water tower is now complete, following installation of a ladder from the ground and up the side of the tank.  ...After all, Billy Bob needs a way to proclaim his love in letters 3 foot high:

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The former frosty bar is slowly becoming a lemonade stand.   I’m in the process of painting the stand itself & just about ready to detail the interior:5C2C70DF-BF1D-49F2-859A-55E70E1CEC59

Attachments

Images (2)
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  • 5C2C70DF-BF1D-49F2-859A-55E70E1CEC59

Love the work guys.  I want to try my first modifying on a Plasticville water tower.  I want to change basic colors first.  What kind of spray paint sticks?  I want the base to look like concrete. The stand will be black.  I will need some very-dark brown and some way to make the roof look like old cedar shingles.  Please point me in the right direction to the detailing path.

 

May I recommend a primer coat first?  After that, almost any kind of paint will adhere to the surface.  Cedar shingles for the roof may be cut from tan or brown construction paper. Cut a strip, notch the bottom, and start laying it on diluted white glue.  If you need a tight bend, slit the top and overlap.  John in Lansing, ILL

Last edited by rattler21
Odenville Bill posted:

Love the work guys.  I want to try my first modifying on a Plasticville water tower.  I want to change basic colors first.  What kind of spray paint sticks?  I want the base to look like concrete. The stand will be black.  I will need some very-dark brown and some way to make the roof look like old cedar shingles.  Please point me in the right direction to the detailing path.

 

FWIW, The only thing I’d add to the above comments is a recommendation on paint brand...  the rustoleum 2X coverage spray paint is designed to stick to plastic, as well as most other surfaces.   I’ve had great luck with it, and generally do not need a primer coat.

When spray painting, I’ll usully spray the most prevalent color, then go back and hand paint the details with acrylics.   Testors makes a concrete color in the acryl line that is pretty decent...  that’s what I used for the concrete base on the frosty bar above.

bfishma1 posted:

Great work!  Have you thought of lighting the lemon from the inside?  Think it might be a great "beacon" luring in folks to the stand.  Shouldn't be too big of a deal to run a bulb or LED in there I wouldnt think.

Thanks again for sharing

Thanks!   That’s a good idea, but unfortunately the lemon I bought is not hollow.   I discovered (when drilling holes  for the mounting posts) that it’s actually filled with styrofoam... so I don’t think lighting it from the inside will work.   I do plan to light the inside of the stand, though, and am considering whether putting a spotlight on the lemon would look good.

coach joe posted:

Hey Frizz, how about ditching that lemon and using one of those Realemon plastic lemons once you'v squeezed out all the Juice.  Of course they have a green cap on one end.

That's a good idea, but I'm kind of invested in the existing lemon so I finished out the project that way... plus our Realemon is in a bottle, so I don't really have ready access to one of those anyway

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