Fachwerk Haus

[John Everett]

We had a few flakes of snow today. So I decided to stay inside and cobble.

I'm getting faster with this stuff. All the cork on this diorama was done in about 4 hours of actual bench time. That includes the cutting of the sheet and the chopping of the individual stones.



Rough lay-in of the stones.





Surfaced sanded to bring everything into alignment.

Smoooooooth......



Surfaces are given an acrylic wash of grays and browns. This is mostly just cheap craft paint thinned in rubbing alcohol which soaks into the cork better than plain water. I have to be cautious about using oil based paint. I'm not sure if it would attack the pink foam.






I'll go after individual stones with artist's tube oils tomorrow. Tube oils blend very nicely when attempting to simulate natural stone colors. Once all the oil paint is dry, it will be time for the grout! That's when things really get spectacular!

[paulh.]

More of the same please!
Nice tip on using baking soda for concrete texture. Gonna give that a try over the holidays.
P

[John Everett]

Oil painted individual blocks and stones.




I also built the chimney. The brick creates a discontinuity between the random stone and the red brick. And I'm totally OK with that. I think the red brick chimney might be something I put in every building. They just look so nice once the grout is done.

MDF with layer of hot glue.


Polymer baking clay baked and painted.


Same as I've done on other buildings.

[deafpanzer]

This is so great... really enjoying your build.

[bullardino]

The result of the individual stones is outstanding. The paved road is really fantastic, I will surely try your method

[remarc777]

Hi there John,

Love what you show us, very inspiring!

One question though: what´s `grout`? I used a translationprogram but it told me it's buckwheat wich still doesn't get me any further... Is it a kind of plaster? Results look very good!

Keep them coming!

greetings, Richard.

[John Everett]

Thanks, everyone, for watching

Dec 9, 2013 8:51:39 GMT -5 remarc777 said:

Hi there John,

Love what you show us, very inspiring!

One question though: what´s `grout`? I used a translation program but it told me it's buckwheat which still doesn't get me any further... Is it a kind of plaster? Results look very good!

Keep them coming!

greetings, Richard.

"Buckwheat"?

Grout is the concrete material which is placed in between floor or wall tiles.

This is grout:


For tile joints greater than 5mm, a sanded grout is used. Sand is added to give the grout more strength. For tile joints smaller than 5mm, un-sanded, or non-sanded grout is used. What you see here is all non-sanded grout. It has a very fine texture which fills all the empty spaces.

Grout is not plaster. Grout is a concrete product. It does resemble plaster in its powder form. But it is much heavier and stronger than plaster once it is dry.

Mask the area.



Grout powder, dry.



Follow the package directions.



Grout when mixed.



Wait 20 minutes before placing the grout on the surface.



Use strong pressure to force the paste into all the empty spaces.



Wait for another 20 minutes.



Use a DAMP sponge to remove the excess grout from the surface. The sponge must be damp, not wet. Too much water will wash away too much grout.






Rinse the sponge frequently.



Note: Do not dump the dirty grout water down a drain. The heavy grout will clog the pipes. Dump the water outside, where the grout powder wont do any harm.

Wait for another 20 minutes.



Do a final cleaning with the damp sponge and let dry.









The same process was used in doing the tiles on the lower level.

[paulh.]

Magical stuff John.

[bullardino]

Thanks for the sbs, I really appreciate

[bbd468]

This is just priceless info. Thanks for the SBS and sharing this build......most excellent!

[remarc777]

Hi there John,

Also thanks for the SBS, it's copied to my harddrive straight away !! Great job btw...

greetings, Richard.

[John Everett]

Weathering on the sidewalk and street was done with both oil and water based washes. I don't think it matters which you put down first. Just be sure that the surface is completely dry before you put down the second.






I also began placing roof tiles.

Behold! The first tile!

[Leon]

Awesome grout work and good to see the roof tiles going down John.

[bullardino]

Fantastic! Truly inspirational stuff.

[wbill76]

Nice progress with the tiling...one at a time, you've got a lot of ground to cover but the result is worth it.

[John Everett]

First half done. I need to make about 300 more tiles.

[paulh.]

Mad- in a good way!

[bullardino]

The roof looks fantastic.

[deafpanzer]

Thanks for the superb SBS! Karma for you because I really needed help!

[Deleted]

OMG! how did I miss this!!! truely inspired modelling John. You're use of different items like the fake nail are just amazing! Just read through the build so far and have already learnt loads! Top stuff

[John Everett]

Many thanks to everybody. I'm glad you're enjoying the blog.

I was able to stamp and bake some additional roof tiles and finished the other side of the building.











In adding a "concrete" finish to the chimney I mixed up some baking soda and cheap craft paint.
(Use an old brush which you are ready to throw away. This mixture tends to ruin brushes.)



Mix the two into a thick "concrete" paste.



The goop fills gaps and provides a simulated asphalt or concrete style surface.



Thanks for watching! I'm almost ready to start adding rubble.

John

[Leon]

Fantastic looking work on the roof tiles and chimney John.

[John Everett]

Rubble added today. Also began the greenery. I'm guessing this diorama to be completed in a month or so. I'll post a link when it's done.












Treatment with rust-orange and tan pigment powders helped to bring the dark and light tiles into a more uniform color combination. 














Merry Christmas to all in the event I'm not back before the holiday!

[wbill76]

Love the look of the roof, especially the damaged areas and the 'debris' on the ground below...it all ties together just right. Merry Christmas to you John!

[bullardino]

Brilliant. The rubble looks perfect, it has the right random look.

[bbd468]

Just freakin unreal.....but i looks so real!!   outstanding fella.

[John Everett]

Thanks for following along and taking the time to post.

Work on the diorama has been concentrated mostly on finishing the figures and the vehicles. With those items nearing completion it's time once again to get back to working on the structure.

It's come time to add the frame around the edge. Oak! (stained in red)





It was two days of clamping and waiting for glue to set. 


Yeah!!!!! Frame done!!!!



Windows and detail items for the basement level.




Damaged window frames for the upper level.


Getting closer... Any month now....."Stay on target!"

[Leon]

Nice work on the Oak framing John.Really sets this dio off.

[bullardino]

Really nice framing, I will use your technique in the future.

[Deano]

Really coming together now , it looks a fair old size ... look forward to seeing your models on it