It is a laser cut kit and an absolute bear to do. I started it about three or four years ago, made some mistakes and shelved it. I took it down about three weeks ago and carefully corrected my mistakes. It is almost finished but there are several areas that needed flashing and such to cover up past knife and glue indiscretions. Has anyone else completed this kit? Pictures, if you can would be helpful.
Hoping you get some photos - that's a very impressive structure, your efforts will be rewarded. I'm building a JV models Burnt River Mine - much, much smaller but my space is limited. Gary
I dread opening my Lackawanna Coal Company structure kit from N Scale Architect. When I do, I am positive it will be done to the best of my abilities. I am fortunate to have received spousal permission for half of the basement. There is an eight foot stretch of wall, 36" deep (a mistake, I know, but we live with our mistakes) set aside for "coal country". When a pinched nerve in my leg fully abates, it will be back to track and under the layout work, but for the time being, good lights, Optivisor, a stool, Titebond II wood glue, right angle clamps and that magnetic box thingy for holding joints together for me. BTW- I weather with chalks. I recently obtained a load of stuff from Arizona Mineral. They have a pretty full line of the orange to brown powders that can be applied either wet or dry. I like them a lot and they don't rub off. In fact, they have to be scrubbed off one's fingers with soap and a scrub brush.
Is this the structure you mean? I built this a few years ago (when I still had a real layout). I honestly don't remember much about it, but I don't recall having a lot of trouble with the construction. It's been in a box along with a few other structures I salvaged. It's held up well, looks like the yellow railings need straightening and a bit of roofing may have come loose, but not much else has deteriorated. I wish I could remember how I got the faded wood look...maybe it'll come to me--I hope.
I may be remembering now...it seems to me there is advice out there that you should pretreat laser wood kit walls by spray painting them with a solvent based primer paint--this will prevent warpage that occurs when later using water soluble glue, paints and stains. So, I used a cheap grey automotive primer in a spray can, both sides. Then I assembled it, likely with reinforcements of thicker wood or styrene internally to keep the walls straight, then painted on a light coat of boxcar red or something similar in acrylic, then used a flat blade to scrape at the sides removing some of the red and letting the underlying grey show through, which seemed to give a good simulation of sun-faded painted wood. Yeah, that's how I did it. I think the basic kit was well-engineered so that everything fit together nicely. Fairly expensive, but it's a relatively large, complex looking building with lots of appeal (but not to a modern era modeller, which is one reason it is hibernating in a box.)
