An Industrial Narrow Gauge Adventure - Adding Clutter part four

Regular followers of this Blog will know that I have been working on an industrial narrow gauge railway layout built to 1:27.7 scale or 11mm = 1 foot. The choice of such an unusual scale has meant that much if not all items needed for the layout have had to be heavily modified and/or converted from existing models, completely 'scratch built' or sculpted by me.

In a series of clutter themed posts which are planned to run throughout August I will demonstrate what materials I have used to model such items and how I have painted these various pieces of 'clutter' which will at some stage be added to the finished layout.

Moving away from wooden boxes and oil drums, in this latest post I am showing some wooden planks and a couple of small oil cans.

Firstly, the planks. I Googled UK scaffolding planks and scaled them down to 1:27.7 before cutting them from some 1.5mm thick scrap wood (wood used as packing cases for fruit or vegetables). I added some subtle graining by rubbing with sandpaper before adding the metal strips to each end. The metal strips were cut from a metal/aluminium food container (the sort that you get your Chinese take-away in). The metal strips were glued in place with superglue and then painted - actually dyed. I used a very weak dirty wash to add some aged colour to the wooden planks before masking the ends to add the colour-coded end strips and paint spills. I think they look great and will make more.

Secondly, the oil cans. The smaller can was turned on my Black & Decker electric hand drill from a plastic rod I had in my 'spares box'. The detailing is a simple dress makers pin for the plunger and a strip of aluminium tray bent up as the handle. It is painted dark green/blue with gloss black oil runs. The second oil can, more of an oil kettle was made from the top of a pen (the plunger) with plastic card detailing and more aluminium strips as the banding and a bent florists wire handle. It was painted in a well worn rust colour mixed from Vallejo Game Color Charred Brown and Hot Orange. The paint was stippled on with an old brush before being washed with a flesh wash from Games Workshop.

Tony