Got some stain on the finished frame this weekend. After letting it dry for a day I partially disassembled it to carry it up into the loft:
Yes that's water outside the window. Our home is perched right on the edge of the Barnegat Bay and the loft overlooks a cove that runs behind the house. I was going to lay claim to the "model railroad built closest to the water" but there's probably some rich guy out there that has a layout on his yacht. Anyway it makes for a cozy little clubhouse with a nice view.
Before disassembly I stamped some witness marks into the frame so it always goes back together the same way . My neighbor Roger said it's starting to look like it came from Ikea so I stopped.
A handful of screws and it was back together...
My objective was to make a stand that looks like it belongs with it ..something that would enhance the way it is displayed but not be so fancy and "furniture-like" that it detracted from it or looked fake. I wrestled for days over which color to use staining small samples of maple but it's very hard to get the full picture off a 4" piece of scrap. I finally decided on a color called "Gunstock" and I'm really happy with the results. I think it plays well against the original dark green on the frame which overhangs it all the way around like a crown. It also looks good against the muted colors found on the board and the old accessories like the tunnel, station, and bungalows.
I was thinking of adding a coat of poly over it but I think I'll leave it as-is.
Here's one of the mountain backdrops propped up against it for color contrast, just to get an idea of how it will all tie together...
Gerry C.
