Decided to open a new section here on the blog, one dedicated to solo builds as opposed to full dioramas. I have recently started enjoying creating structures without a full accompanying scene, purely for the speed if nothing else.
I don’t have a layout, and I will forever remain a guy more interested in the scenery than the trains. In fact, I think of what I will ultimately create as a super-diorama more than a traditional layout.
So, with this new section, I am creating what I’ve conceptualised as “Mizupo’s Groceteria”. A small grocery store where you do all the shopping — a concept very familiar these days, but not quite so back in the 1930’s.
First, I’m using a brick wall I made up for the sign test.
This will be a stucco building, so I grabbed some basswood and cut out my windows and doors.
Some of the cuts are a little rough (looking at you, round window), but that’s okay. All these blunders will be covered up by the stucco if not the windows themselves.
The large opening will be filled by a 3D printed store front.
After masking off a thin edge at the top for the cornice, I then used Rustoleum’s Stone Effect rattle can spray to create a stucco effect.
This stuff does a great job at creating scale stucco. The only thing I don’t like about it is how uniform it can appear — it’s too perfect. To fix this, I use Durham’s Water Putty to add variation.
Then I got to work cutting the cornice from wood moulding I found at Menards. It was tricky getting these corners to mate as the angles I’m using are very unusual — the whole building is an odd trapezoid. I got them close enough to work with though:
This was an evening of work, so from here I called it a day.
More soon.
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