My Laskey Cabinet Company Build ...

[jlincoln7850]

Well, here goes, of the mountain, okay mound, of kits that I purchased at CSS09, the first large one that I have started is Scotty's Laskey Cabinet Company. Hopefully I will be providing the pictures that you we need.


Here are the instructions, very nice and always a good thing to read. That is one thing I have learned from building craftsman structure kits, read the instructions first! Then you can start winging it, as tempting as that is.


Here are the kit contents, or at least most of them along with some of my tools. I need to get some more #17 blades, but the Chopper II is great, with a word on it later. I had already started the kit before I joined, so the walls on the right are braced with nailholes, the stuff in the middle is braced without nailholes and the stuff on the left has neither.

More in another post.

Jim L

[jlincoln7850]

The first finished wall before painting/priming/A&I


Adding some texture to a wall.


Making pencil guidelines for the nailholes.


Making the nailholes with a t-pin. Yes, I make the nailholes with a t-pin for two reasons: 1st I don't have a pounce wheel, amd 2. I like the look of two nailheads per board, it is more realistic in my view. I also find that doing a lot of it wil make you go cross-eyed and droolin', so I try to do it when I really can't do anything else. Or, at least, not with paint or anything like that. I do it when I am on flagman assignments or will do this type of thing at the hotel when we take a train to Selkirk. I can sometimes do it when we are stopped on the line of road if we have a safety cab unit in the lead. GE ES44's have great desks, by the way. The dynamic brakes don't work really well, but that is something for another post ...
A t-pin makes a nice round hole and is easy do use, it takes a long time to do a wall, but I like the effect.


More later.

Jim L

[postalkarl]

Hi JIm:


Looks good so far. I will be following along with great interest.

Karl

[kruisyk]

What timing! I was just telling Scotty yesterday that if no one started a build of Laskey's, I would start one in January after finishing Avram's. Looking forward to your build!
Dave Kru

[ReadingBob]

I'm really looking forward to following along with this one. I didn't buy any of the big box kits this year but if I had this one would have been in the running for sure. Keep the pictures and updates coming Jim!

[Zephyrus52246]

A bandaged finger--you're an official craftsman kit builder! Lookin' good so far.

Jeff

[jlincoln7850]

A bandaged finger--you're an official craftsman kit builder! Lookin' good so far.

Jeff

Hmm, yes. Thank you. That actually happened today with that Chopper II you see in one of the pictures. I had left it with the blade up and grabbed it, my but that blade is really REALLY sharp. Let's put it this way, when I looked at it, it looked like I could have cut the tip of my finger off, but it did not bleed and it still doesn't hurt. One side benefit, with this type of band-aid, it protects the tip of your finger from that pesky #17 blade. I just took the other band-aid off of my index finger and it had a cut in it from a sharp #17. (the band aid, I cut my finger trying to trim one of my dogs. He doesn't like to be trimmed and jerked away and I nailed my finger. Sharp scissors.)

AS for previous steps, although I did have to finish up the bracing on a couple of pieces. Here is that extremely useful Chopper II doing its work:


The we move onto applying the Canopy glue.

The more I work with this stuff, the more I like it. It seems to be stronger and set up faster than the previous stand-by, Elmers wood glue. I don't quite have a consistent hang of using it for window glazing, but I do like the effect. I have some issues getting it right. I tried it on the Marieneth Milling building and it really only worked on a few windows. I ended up having to cut the stuff out and use the acetate. I am planning on trying it again on this build.

Lastly this is how I ensure a good corner fit, using another piece of the bracing to ensure the first is in the proper location.


I finished priming some of the walls, so I will have a few more photos shortly.

Cheers,

Jim L

[jlincoln7850]

As I said, I had finished priming most of the walls and have a few more photos. Here goes:

First of all, this is the primer that I use. It comes from Wal-Mart and is, well, I can't remember, but it is less than $2. The primers come in red and grey and I also buy flat white. It really is great stuff, the silver paint is the best silver I have EVER seen. Goes on easy and dries quick. It looks great if you are painting up any modern signal boxes or anything else aluminum.



As you see, I prime both sides of the walls, but I don't go crazy trying to cover them. I was put onto this method by the Bar Mills kits. He suggests priming both sides to keep them from warping. I try to combine Scotty's method of bracing heavily with the priming of both sides, just to be sure. I kind of like the look of the wood walls without the primer and just A&I, which I have also done. In this case, he suggests in his instructions to prime the walls with CN grey, I believe. I figure this is close and is much cheaper. So cheap that I don't really care if I waste some.



This is the one wall that I have distressed and put in board joint, pulled up boards, etc. I have since lost the #17 blade that I had and my mother, (who also builds craftsman kits, by the way) has hidden the stash of #17's so I can't lose them like I lose everything else. I am applying the A&I and the next picture is the result.




I have to stop for a little while, but I will keep everyone posted.

Jim L

[ACL1504]

Jim,

Good start on Laskey's! I'll follow this build as I like the kit. I didn't buy this one only due to space constraints on my own layout! Besides, I have many large kits that I don't have room for either.

Tom

[LongHornCaddy]

Very nice start Jim, thanks for the pics!


Cruisin,

Long Horn Caddy