methods – spackling, joint compound, plaster. I can never get the surface colored to match real asphalt, and even sanding the surface leaves it too rough for N scale surfaces. My problem was solved when I stumbled on Scalescenes.com. I downloaded a .pdf file of their TX22 Carpark photo textured paper, and printed it at 200% (the original worked for small European cars but not American trucks). I cut up parts of the print to rearrange them around the office, and laminated it to a scrap of matte
board using 3M spray adhesive (Figure 6). I then fixed the ink with a coat of Dullcote, so it won’t run or fade. I finished off the parking lot by painting some BLMA Carstops yellow and installing them on the outside edge.
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Once I had the parking lot done, I lightly weathered the building with a wash of India ink in 91% isopropyl alcohol. I like this formula better then the “traditional” 70% alcohol version, because I think the 91% carries the ink better, and it evaporates faster, allowing several washes to be applied
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7: The newly completed refinery office comes alive with the addition of vehicles from many sources and a BLMA Pod, no doubt holding important refinery documents moving from one office to another.
6: The basic parking lot. The Scalescenes.com parking lot PDF was printed at 200%, cut out, glued with 3M spray adhesive to a scrap of matte board left over from a framing project. Page 74 • Oct 2012 MRH
The $1 N Scale Refinery Office, page 5
in the same sitting. Then I placed the parking lot on the layout, put the building on top, and added a few vehicles to see how it turned out.
doing an exciting project that will add to both your modeling skills and help get your pike one step closer to completion.
With this project complete, I reviewed my objectives – to create a believable refinery office from materials largely on-hand, and thus keep the cost down. I think I’ve done that, and I hope the next time you see something in the $1 bin at your local store, you’ll stop and ponder the possibilities. You may find yourself
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