AUSTRALIAN MODEL RAILWAY BUILDINGS, STRUCTURES and ACCESSORIES

SECTION 8

Bluestone Homestead


Check all parts are present. - you should have the following:-

1 x front wall (large door aperture)

1 x back wall (small door aperture)

2 x side walls

1 x facia plate

1 x gutter surround

1 x roof

4 x cornerstone strips

plastic bag cont. 12 windows and glazing

plastic bag cont. 1 x large door, 1 x small door

plastic bag cont. 12 x window inner frame, 12 window frame face

Chimney  2 pieces per chimney (Iron roof single chimney - slate roof twin chimneys)

plastic bag cont.   1mm brass rod


Instructions

Remove excesses and file/sand where necessary.


The cornerstones can be in two forms. Take two strips of the cornerstones and lay straight edge to straight edge. Keep the ends flush. You can imagine if these were glued together at 90 degrees you would finish with a large stone paired with a large stone at the corner of the building and small stone would then also be paired. This repeats for the height of the wall. That's one way to prepare your cornerstone. The alternate is lay the two strips side by side again, then position one strip a single stone higher the adjacent strip. This creates a large stone small stone pairing that alternates up and down the wall. You need to decide which you wish to create. For this project I prefer the pairings of large to large and hence small to small. Once you've made your decision cut the cornerstone strips to the appropriate length using the walls as a measurement. Glue the cornerstones at 90 degrees. Use MEK to glue these. The task can be made easier by using aluminum angle. I have a small piece in a cradle and the two cornerstone strips sit on the inside of the angle flush together and glued. The MEK can't stick to the aluminum. Paint the assembled cornerstones.


Paint the walls

     

Place facia plate on work area with facia lip uppermost. Position gutter surround  over facia plate. With the facia place on the work area surface position the gutter flush to the work surface also then glue. Make sure the gutter cavity is not visible. This facia plate when finished sits over the assembled walls with the lip pointing toward the ground. The lip fits neatly over the top of the walls. Obviously the gutter cavity is exposed to the top. So this gluing process is reversed to its final position. Paint.


With each wall position the cornerstone to the left end of the wall and glue. The lip of the cornerstone sits neatly over the end of the wall. Repeat for each wall. Make sure the cornerstones are positioned at the left end of each wall. Then glue the other ends and form a wall frame. Cut a piece of scrap styrene cardboard etc and insert inside frame for strength and stability. DO NOT GLUE. 


Glue the chimneys pieces together. If your homestead has an iron roof there will be a single chimney, if the homestead is a slate roof then it will have two. Glue the chimney cap where its widest to the chimney shaft over the hole. Paint.


To assemble the window frame - position the inner frame on the work area cleanest edge uppermost. Place a frame face on top with the detailed and clean face also uppermost. The inside lines of both window frame pieces need to be aligned as flush as possible. To achieve this either practice the placement of one onto the other with the intention of having a small amount of glue on either piece and gluing together. Or make a small box or similar

to insert into the cavity resulting in the box holding the two pieces in position. I have used both procedures and lately prefer the latter. I have not provided this little jig or box or whatever you could name because accidental adhesion is a distinct possibility. Glue window frames together. If the window frame and the windows are to be painted the same colour then the windows are to be placed inside the frame and glued. I cut small squares of ice-cream sticks that fit in the frame so when the window is placed on top of the ice-cream stick piece the window is centred in the frame. Utilize something similar. Paint.


If the windows and the frames are different colours then paint the frame assembly and the window prior to gluing.


Place chimney into position. Cut to desired length and glue.


Now to manufacture the down pipe. There are no rules where the downpipes are to be fitted, you decide where you wish them to be positioned. Take the brass rod and assess if a dog-leg bend in the rod is required  to travel from the gutter to fit flush against the wall. If the bend is required measure the distances and effect bends as required. Paint. Let dry. Cut to correct length and fix to building.


All done.