Frary’s Furniture (O-Scale – kit)

Here is another beautiful kit inspired by Troels Kirk. The small footprint packs a big punch … 4.75″ x 5.75″. Siding is clapboard with cedar shakes for the peaked roof sections. Laser cut random roofing shakes and freight doors. Custom designed furniture just for the kit is included … 2 hutches, cafe dining set and [...]

April Model(s) of the Month

This month’s models are based on my daughter’s favourite children’s book, “The Circus Ship” by Chris Van Dusen. I decided to create a series of buildings based on the book and the buildings depicted throughout the book. I hope you will enjoy watching the diorama come together over the next few months. You’ll learn some [...]

Model of the Month – March

The third and final installment of the 3 Heritage Buildings in Calgary is the Dentist Office. Following the regular steps of painting laser-cut windows and doors, bracing walls, painting walls, adding corner trim, adding signs, adding laser-cut window glazing, placing in the windows, gluing the 4 walls together followed by the roof panels and ridge [...]

Blue Ridge Coal Company

The Blue Ridge Coal Company is a new HO Scale limited edition craftsman/laser kit. This is a very special kit and because of that this limited run will be 200 kits. The tipple is based on a prototype in New York State that would have seen its hayday at the turn of the century. Photos [...]

Model of the Month — Law Office

The Model of the Month for February is the second kit in a three part series of heritage buildings in Calgary, Alberta. This month I have built the Law Office. Look through the series of photos to see this kit come to life. Remember the steps for building a wooden craftsman kit are all the [...]

January Model of the Month

Hello Fellow Modellers: I recently received a phone call from a long time model railroader in my local city. He wanted to know if I wanted his magazine collection that dated back to the 1950s? The collection was huge, Model Railroaders, NMRA Bulletins, Model Railroad Craftsman and other various publications collected over the years. I [...]

Randolph and Briggs Part 5

Completing the Cedar Shake Roof, building the loading docks, weathering the metal roof and building the tent section. Part 1:  Cedar Shakes 1.  I experimented with different washes on my cedar shakes (usually I paint them)  I like the results I achieved using the washes from www.hunterline.com  See the photo for reference colours. 2.  Once dry [...]

Randolph & Briggs Part3

Moving Right Along:  I didn’t like the shade of dark grey so I started by painting a light coat of grey to tone it down a bit … I like the results. STEP 1: Adding Window Glazing (1st 3 photographs) i)  I start by cutting out the painted window panes.  (decide if you want the windows open [...]

Randoph & Briggs Update #2

Steps to complete this update are the following: Step 1:  Adding the Sills Locate the small plastic bag that contains the little beige Sills (first 3 photos in the slide show) Use the laser etched lines on your walls as a guide and apply a thin layer of glue.  Apply 4 to the windows on [...]

Randolph & Briggs Build (AKA Shady Awnings)

Hi All: I hope you are all having a relaxing summer and enjoying the weather no matter where this email finds you.  I always call this time of the year the summer duldrums of modeling … not much is happening on-line, not too many big model announcements, people are outside.  For me there can never [...]