After doing a series of Downtown Deco plaster kits and an pair of River Leaf Models Laser cut kits, I decided to take on a good old fashioned craftsman kit. This interlocking tower has great detail and is close enough to sub for a Milwaukee Road tower.
The kit has pre-cut sections of siding that need to be edge glued together. Sections comprising each wall are in separate color coded plastic bags. Windows are pre-cut on 3 of the 4 edges which is a great time saver. After matching the sections to the template, I edge glued them together with white glue and set weights on them to dry. Square stripwood was added to the edges of the front and rear walls. When dry, I painted the siding and all the stripwood with Scalecoat Sanding sealer.
I started to paint the walls with white acrylic craft paint, but it was difficult to get paint in the grooves in the siding. I switched to Polly S and it covered much better. 2 coats were needed with light sanding between coats.
After cleaning up the cast metal windows with a file, they were washed with detergent, rinsed and dried. I primed them with grey Krylon primer and airbrush painted them with Scalecoat II ATSF red.
At this point the instructions recommend assembling the 4 walls and bay. I prefer to mount the windows first, and it was a good decision since several window openings needed to be enlarged with a sanding stick. Some were still a tight press fit, but this was easy to do with flat wall sections. I did not add the "glass" at this time as recommended. I like to wait until weathering is done.
The front and one side were glued in an "L" shape and clamped with Rite Way magnetic corner clamps. These are great clamps for ensuring perpendicular walls. I checked them with a small square and they were right on. I repeated this with the rear and the other side.
When the glue was dry, I assembled the 2 "L"s with white glue and clamped them with rubber bands.
The bay was glued and clamped with my newest favorite clamps, Berna Assemblers Multiclamps. These clamps allow easy adjustment of size and tension. They have soft silicone clamp surfaces that won't slip, won't mar a paint job, and they release easily. When dry, I glued the bay to the main structure.
The clamps are getting hard to find and the price is inflated. You can still get them at modelcrafttoolsusa.com, eBayUK or Amazon (search for Model Craft Or Berna Clamps). The large (8") clamps are the most useful.
While waiting for glue to dry, I painted all the stripwood trim with Scalecoat II ATSF red.
The next step was to miter cut the upper and lower trim. This was the most difficult part of the whole build. If you have ever installed crown molding, you will understand. The upper trim consisted of 2 parts that were glued together once I figured out the proper orientation. The template and photos were not too helpful. Then I measured and cut the proper miters using a Zona Saw and a small miter box on each segment, working my way around the building. If a piece was too long, I sanded it down with the NWSL True Sander. This tool ensures that the miters stay true. It is so easy to accidentally round the miters if you try to "free sand" them with a sanding block.
I numbered the pieces as I went. You really have to pay attention to make sure the trim is oriented properly and the miters are cut in the correct direction. It is easy to mess up. Ask me how I know . . .
I'll update my progress next week.
Bob Glorioso
