@ Jeff,
Hobby Lobby has cork sheets like Guy is using. They are about an eighth inch thick.

Shaun

JBA, yes, the templars ! Almost the same word...but they were crusaders isn't it ?
I know, I was aware of the nice plaques, but this was zo hard to replicate. I hope I made an acceptable one instead, although a flat one...

Shaun, thank you , I put all of my patience in this project, each free minute between the work and the family, I hope it pays off in a good diorama.

Chas, the plumbing and wiring is so easy, only copper wire is needed to make it. It adds realism to a house, wall, gate...I found a photo of this gate and miles of electricity wire covered it, just lovely to replicate !

Eddie, I do the best I can, but it's really not unbelievable, the cork is easy to work with and I can recommend it to everybody to give it a try.

Petros, it's copper wire, good stuff to work with !


Scott, thank you too, as I said, I put all of my energy in this cork project, but the replies here give me the strength to battle on.


Jeff, I have bought this cork in an IKEA. The cork is about 10 X 10 cm, 2 mm thick, ideal for making houses.

Shaun, thank you, I hope that you guys can find this stuff and start your own project here on Armorama !

By the way, today I had only little time to continue, but here's the progress I've made :



G.

Hello guys,

I've done some drybrushing on the bricks and stones and made pics of it.
The photos were taken in daylight :









Still a couple of small jobs to do, but the end is near !

Wow, awesome work!!!

It looks fantastic!!! Keep up the great work!

[Hey Guy, I'm impressed & I'm off 2 the local IKEA 2 hunt down some cork ! Just got 2 try it out ! Wow again !

Hi Guy, great work so far. As i said for your lightwork you give me a lot of thinking about the detail paint work of accessoires. Your electricity box, street sign etc, .. While i am not a fan of rusting everytghing, i need to wheater definitely a bit more.

What is your street sign made of? Cardboard ? It looks great!

Cheers
Claude

Mark, thank you, I really hope to see more cork projects in the future, I recommend it to everyone.

Hey Ed, leave some for me please ! Thanks !

Claude, thank you. I printed it on photo paper, that's all, simple, cheap, effective I think. And completed with some rust effects it's quite acceptable to do the job.

G.

Super nice work! ;-)

Amazing work!

Hi there!

As all people here stated before, this is a certainly AMAZING job!
I have used the cork technique although I still have to improve myself until make a superfine job like yours!!!!

Than ks a lot for sharing!
Cheers

Attention to detail!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow

Every crusty bit of rust on metal,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, every crevace in the stone ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, every warp in the wood !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Just Wow

how do you guys make it look so real

Nige

From close up, it doesn't look like a model. It looks like the real thing.

Really really good work, I can't wait to see it on the ground you'll make for it.
Your texture work is awesome, as the wiring.

Regards. A.

Hi Guy!
congratuklations another time, no only for dessing aand contruction of the piece , but also for paint work, for me one of the best brickworks painted that I have seen.Hope see moe project from you here.
Carlos

Ole :most appreciated.

Martyn : thank you too mate !

Pablo : now I've started a house, I hope to have the same luck as I had building this gate. Thank you for your kind reply.

Nige : it's all in the cork, believe me, it's magic but I'm not the wizard ! Thanks for your reply.

Jordan : I was surprised too when I saw the close ups of the wall, but as I said before, it's the cork texture that does the thing. Thank you for your supporting words.

Alexandre : I have so much to do, because the ideas keep on popping up in my head, so the project grows all the time. I want to build three or four Normandy houses. Thank you !

Carlos : you are the modeller who inspired me to give the cork method a try, but I felt confident in the material from the beginning. Building a house this way gives me as much pleasure and fun as building a military kit ! Thanks for your reply, your opinion means a lot to me.

Stunning work Guy. I love those close ups. Your stone wall with it's many fine details looks completely convincing. Nothing has been missed.

Thanks for sharing.

Matthew : this is what I can reach at the moment, but the glory goes to the cork without a doubt, GREAT material to work with ! Thank you my friend, most appreciated.

I will post photos of the finished gate soon.

Old Normandy house, first update :

Hello friends, this is my next project, an old Normandy town house with a typical architecture for the place : long, flat bricks between woodwork in the walls, heavily aged and damaged.

I started by using a good reference photo before building.
Then a base was cut out of carton board, used by architects to make maquettes.
The photo shows the absolute beginning :



I hope to post progress soon ! Guy.

Hello friends, I'm bricklaying again.

The start of the wood work, balsa was cut and filed into shape :


The first cork stones glued on :


The wood work completed for this stage :




A stone element made of balsa wood, a stone structure was created by using Reno filler (not clear on the pic) :




The cork front needs a little sanding to obtain soft edges to create old stones :


This is the situation in the diorama. A small street between gate and house corner appears and I think it will add depth in the project later :


I hope you like it gentlemen ! G.

speechless.
It looks so easy, until I try it
Nice job mate.

Erikssson.

Hi Guy,
I´m seeing with close atention your work that ,as all people before me, consider very good.I can suggest you that if you want fill unwanted spaces among cork, as people use the putty in is vehicles you can use cork sawdust, this can be obtained with sandpaper ad melt this podwer with white glue.These paste could be used as "cork putty" and when dry can be sanded.
hope that this trick can be usseful for you
Carlos

That's a good tip you've given me Carlos, I think it makes the cork harder and stronger too.
I hope you show us your work soon. Thanks to your work and topics here on A. I achieved these results. G.

I'm sure it will. Great progress shots Guy. I like the placement of the house in relation to the gate.

Thank you Pat, I'm glad you like the small street corner.

Todays new update :

This picture shows the typical "colombage" of the Normandy architecture, rough structures, not sofisticated but so beautiful (!!!) .


First I attached the wood on the base, then I filled the gaps with small cork strips.


Global sight :


Ordinary bricks will be simulated by adding cork strips, slightly bigger then the fine ceramic strips between the wood. I hope to create nice variations in the front wall.


The corner stones.


The gutter will be supported by simple ornaments made of stone (here I used wood of course).


The windows and door will be added later.

Cu friends ! G.

Guy man, de max gewoon. Ben benieuwd naar het eindresultaat !