The last couple of days have seen work ‘progressing’ in earnest as I address the rear of the main building.
So working in the confines of a spare bedroom acting as a temporary workshop, on a half moon telephone table purloined from the hallway in lieu of my desk, I have made a start by removing the warped section of clear styrene sheet which was serving as a rear wall for the last couple of years or so (a real struggle indeed, such was the strength of the glues used, compounded by a fear of damaging the frontispiece), and strengthening the whole by putting in place supports and brackets of sorts (strips of cut sections of styrene) in strategic places. It’s proved a bit of a faff as those already in place proved an obstacle to new fabricated sections. Also, checking fabricated bits for size was made more difficult by the restrictions of the small table upon which I was working. Why is nothing ever straightforward……….
The only bonus of all this was that it provided me with thinking time. Even after two years of poring over photos and creating mental images, occasionally at the most inopportune moments, I was still unsure of what I wanted. To that end, I’ve been steadily collecting bags and bags of stuff, including windows of various shapes n sizes and building materials (and the odd tool or two) just in case, most of which won’t get used!
Even so, it’s been eating up most of my styrene stock at a fast rate, such that I’m considering fabricating the final section from foamboard and card, as replenishing supplies not only entails a journey to the nearest model shop when it’s open, but is becoming increasingly a costly affair (the proprietor blames it on Brexit, but I’m sure the manufacturers are North American, so not quite sure how he drew that conclusion?).
Enough waffle; here are one or two images, as a picture etc., etc..
Identifying the best places to put reinforcements as mentioned while trying to navigate the turning of a relatively large building in a small space without knocking over various tools (again) or pots of glue:
The new fabrications have served to address the out of plumb wall below:
I bought up as many pieces of thick 2.5mm styrene sheet (in fact the last of the stock in the shop!) as this is not only robust but can have thinner sections glued on without warping, and from which I made a new rear wall:
Sadly, I broke into several full sections attempting a seamless butt jointed wall, however, I later realised that none of the sides were truly perpendicular, but only after cutting into them, so I was soon depleting my stock of the larger sections required. Thus, the ‘gaping’ result you see above. This won’t be a problem as this will not be seen as it is merely structural. The rear of the station (I decided)will be represented by the new removable section which will be positioned in front of this ‘wall’. Apart from what I’ve already described, it’s main purpose is to hold up the main roof and support some side rooves which can be seen on the previous images of Blackfriars.
Trying to brace everything while I mark out and try for fit on this postage sized table:
As can be seen from the last shot, I eventually knocked over a new pot of glue due to the restricted space which subsequently dissolved my brand new cutting map
There was a bonus to this : the glue handily fixed the new wall to the cutting mat which assisted greatly in marking out new sections inside without falling over.
Ah well, at least I’m going in the right direction and have a better idea of where I’m going.
Cheers for now.
jonte
