My wife took the kids on a little three day weekend journey, so I toughed it out at home....with my layout! I'm a rather active participant in the Family Life and have both regular work and freelance work going, so a whole weekend to focus on hobby stuff is like...well...a unicorn. :) I had Friday, Saturday, AND Sunday to get stuff done and get some relaxation in.
I have my TO DO list going for my layout which makes it a little easier to focus, but after I took them to the airport and came back home on Friday, I was a bit of a muddy mess. I had so much time and tons to do and I think it was a bit overwhelming. It was obvious that I needed to gain a little focus. So, I hopped up and went to see KING KONG. (Fun film, by the way) When I got home, I was able to grab a bite to eat and dive in - clear and focused.
Shizuka Ramp
The first task on my list was continuing to doll up the front part of Shizuka. There was an area right in front that was really bugging me every time I saw it. I had already dropped in a bit of pink foam to form a flat area to work in, but now it was time to build the actual ramp for the front road area that, up to now, was this awkward drop off.
I just ended up building out the area with some styrene. I built up the ramp and walls, cutting them into the area and bending them to fit with an elevation hat seemed to make sense. I blocked off the parking area with another bit of styrene and it seemed to make sense flow-wise.
Ahhhh....so much better!!! No more road to nowhere.
Power to the People!
I snagged those people from the Chinese company and they were as expected - fine looking overall with an overall 50% ok paint job. I've been going back in and hitting them with paint markers to fix the paint that was missing and tame the paint that was too loud. Working out well. A perfect TV viewing activity.
Said people are being used to people my new sidewalks. I have two sidewalk styles going, but I'm only really happy with my styrene passes. First, the styrene....
I really like how they turned out. They seem like they are the right height and I like the texture.
My other attempt was cardstock, but it's just a bit too thick for my liking. So, I won't be using this batch anymore. I am going to keep this section - just saying it's a higher sidewalk block.
Station folks propped up with vehicles while the glue sets. :)
Dad's Spot Entry Fix
I spent a little time adding to the place I built in memory of my Dad. I boosted it up a bit with styrene so the loading area in the back can be accessed from the street back there. Then, I built in some stairs and a ramp for access.
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| Still needs some details and paint touch ups |
Road Out of Kiwamura
I had this little back section that I filled out with pink foam and I saw that there was an opportunity to build out a little scene that I've been looking at for a while now.
The scene was not exactly the same, but the idea was there - a little road section heading down.
So, the process was somewhat simple. Basically, I carved the pink foam and made the road out of styrene. Pretty happy with the way it's turning out. Still needs some work.
Road Paint Ups Started
It...has...begun.... :)
I finally started my roadway painting. I'm trying to get things rolling on the roads and come up with processes for detailing and getting items like lines and postings in place so they don't look like they've been drawn with a large crayon.
The roadways in Soyokaze could use some detailing and weathering, but I think the basic coloring is good for the area.
I mixed up some paint up and started to move some buildings around. And...of course...one of the rooftop signs fell RIGHT into the middle of things....
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| Direct hit. :::sigh::: |
I filled in large pockets of blank uniplate areas with foam core, then painted the back deck area and spots between. I now has a spot for a crossing and more small areas for additional buildings.
I then set to work on defining the road areas between Kiwamura and Shizuka. They are coming along.
I also touched up this area and got rid of some of the large hump I had between the two section areas.
PROGRESS!
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| New little Sankei paper kit building |
It was nice being able to really focus for three days. By Saturday night, I was a well oiled machine that was rolling through things like mad while still having fun. Keeping the fun in the equation was the key. I didn't want this to turn into a panic fire drill. I had my music going, good lines on what I was doing and what I wanted to do next, and even came up with projects that I could take on at night upstairs in the house (Like the Sankei kit above) so that I could get my movie viewing in as well!
It's all a blur now. Like a happy dream. But my week was far better for it, that's for sure.
I plan to take a few more Staycations in the future. Time off of work where I can get some good hobby time in during daylight hours.
CHEERS!
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