Greetings all,

Here are a couple of short of Donaghadee Harbour. I'm planning to use the basic shape for my Home Front Dio.

Need some suggestions for the stone work. Have thought of balsa for the basic build shape as it's reasonably easy to use and control length and angles etc.

There will be cobbles and rail track on top but the photos should give an idea of shape and stone work I'm hopeing to produce :-) :-)

Any thoughts???

ANGLE OF PIER



TYPE OF STONE WORK



The Lighthouse isn't included LOL, LOL.

The boats will be below the pier level in low water.

Any thoughts are most welcome.

Cheers

Al

Gday Al
Nothing short of ambitious!
Nah, just kiddin... I think that the LHS stock of balsa would be the best for this as you said... You would be able to find lengths and sizes that would replicate the stonework also; basically remaking the pier totally in balsa, and then do a final cover with some polyfilla or similar to add texture as needed... Whilst you are there see if they have any rolls of cork (the type for laying railroad track on) or even sheets of it, and these you can use for the cobbles... Hell, why not cork it totally? If you can get your hands on enough cork, then that would probably save you extra work on texturing...
Now, help me with my M4 post! :-) :-)
Cheers
Brad

Hi Alan, very ambitious -how much of it are you going to build? Have you tried corksheet as a stone material? Take a look at blockhaus's (Carlos Elias) gallery and posts he gets the most amazing results from plastic card and cork.
https://armorama.kitmaker.net/user.php?op=userinfo&uname=blockhaus

If you make it in the bathroom Alan, disguise the bath with the stonework and you will have real water. If you pull the plug you can even control the tide................ LOL

John #:-)

Hi folks

Brad -Thanks for the feedback and ideas.

Pat - the LCMs are 18in in length, so I'm thinking 24/26in of straight pier before the dog leg. The pier is going to have to be at least 8in in width probably more like 10in if I want to include the rised walkway and sea wall - I'd like to keep that basic shape which is fairly common in the UK, althougb my dog leg will be much simpler.

You can see what appears to be old rail tracks filled in. There's a smaller but similar structure in Bangor Harbour which is more basic concrete structure and will be more like what I hope to do but I don't have a picture to post, just 45 years of memories of what it's like LOL, LOL.

Those are great buildings Carlos's has in his gallery. Never used cork, not sure where I might source it , but will make a few enquiries.

Cheers

Al

Alan,
I second Pat's suggestion, cork is excellent for simulating brick and stone. I don't what you guys have over the pond, but I get sheets of cork from craft stores or even some office supply stores. It comes in two different sizes: 5mm thickness which comes in 30.5cm square sheets and 2.5mm thickness which comes in a roll 60.5 cm x a metre or two. (At least over here)
I've made a number of structures using this method and the results are fabulous. (Thank you Blockhaus for sharing!!!) It can be a little tedious cutting the pieces and indiviually gluing them, but like I said the results are well worth it.

Hope this was helpful.
BillK.

Al

in the uk take a look in b&Q or focus at the floor products, or if you have a decent model shop that stocksmodel railroad products then they should be able to provide it in rolls.


I would also look at foam card from an art store (they somtimes call it mounting card) comes in 5mm or 10mm thickness and is ideal for producing structures and is very light so helps keep the weight down.

build the structure from foam card and then cover in cork bricks should look good

regards

Keith Forsyth

Hello
I think that besides engraving it in a piece of plaster you can try also reproduce this stone work with cork. is a bit boring but results can be very good. the secret is take a cork with very fine grain cut it sand the borders of the pieces and glue in a structure made of cardboard or balsa . You can see her the results of this work




good luck :-)

Greetings all,

Keith, Bill K and Carlos thanks for the info about using cork and also Keith for the heads up about the mounting card. I'll check around the local suppliers and see what's available.

Need anything in particular to stick the cork with or will PVA (White) glue be fine? Hmmmm, individual bricks, very cool LOL, LOL.

John if I remodelled the bathroom it could only look better than it does now but then I wouldn't be able to have the electric lamps working or the power to the railway line- :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)

Thanks guys

Cheers

Al

Hi,
the best choice for glue cork is a resinous glue as aeromodelists use for balsa. a german trademark is UHU here in Spain we have one named IMEDIO, for me is the best over all that I have proved

cheers

Greetings all,

Carlos, thanks for sorting the glue issue.

Keith, found some Foam Board which looks like it could be used for the basic structure and then covered with cork. Next trip to B & Q I'll check on the Cork supply.

Thanks all.

Cheers

AL