Update on my 1/48th scale retro caravan...

We are preparing to take down the shed in the garden in readiness for the cabin’s base to be laid at the weekend…ever hopeful for dry weather! I have bought two 25 feet x 18 feet sheets of tarpaulin. One to cover over the base just incase it rains whilst its drying (it needs a least a week to dry before the cabin can be constructed on the top of it). 

Once the cabin is up, two sides of the cabin require fire retardant…I haven’t checked how long this needs to dry. So…..if it does rain, I am hoping the tarpaulin sheets can be laid over the roof (and held down!) and hang down the cabin’s sides to protect it. Whether we will need it I don’t know….will the tarpaulin work or stay put? I don’t know! Lol  

Anyhow, I have managed to resume work on my tiny caravan. I’ve been putting it off because I knew some of the next stages were going to be tricky and I needed to be in the mood for trickiness!

After all the required pieces were sprayed and dried the base needed to be assembled. The base consists of 4 parts and they must all be glued one piece at a time being extra careful each time that they were all even and aligned on all four sides.

The third piece being glued on. I used my fingers to feel my way around the edges to makes sure they were all aligned and then I put the clamps on. Be warned, the wood is soft so don't leave them on for too long otherwise you will be left with marks on your wood. 

Check the underside to make sure your pieces are correctly glued.

 I didn't leave my clamps on for longer than 10 minutes.

I used my fingers to check alignment of the pieces all the time. This is crucial for ensuring your wall pieces fit snugly. 

The floor base. I sprayed under my base (the instructions didn't specify this), the reason being is that I didn't want bare wood showing around my wheels! The side is not glued in at this stage, it's placed in situ to ensure the flooring is glued in alignment.  

 I used clamps behind the side to make sure it pushed the flooring in the right place.

 Both pieces in place to ensure the flooring is glued down correctly!

I constantly referred to the instructions to make sure I knew what went where.

The first piece of interior decoration is cut. It looks raw at this stage. The instructions state to cut right on the line, this was tricky indeedy! However, the pieces are generous and you do have room for minor errors either before or after the line.

I did carefully sand down any uneven edges (of the card/paper) before I glued it onto the wood. I also used a curved pair of scissors to cut the curves, I found the swivel craft knife too challenging on such small pieces.   

Trying the interior decoration with the tiny step cut out! That was mighty tricky!

The outside decoration glued on next (straight away infact!). 

The large pieces (and small pieces!?) of card/paper are glued on with YES! paste. I was mighty impressed with it given it was the most expensive glue I've purchased! This was only because it isn't readily available in the UK. It doesn't damage the card at all, no stretching or water marks. It also doesn't warp the wood, this is because it has a very low water content.

For those in the UK who are unable to purchase this glue or you don't want to pay over the odds, it's very similar (although much smoother) to a Pritt-Stick. I suggest if you want to use the latter, is that you work some of the Pritt-Stick glue onto a china dish to smooth out any lumps before you apply to your card or paper. You could also use a glue suitable for decoupage.  

 Trying for size, making sure it all looks okay.

 Now the window frames! You actually start on the interior frames first and then....

You insert your tiny pieces of plexiglass or acetate depending what country you come form! lol The Plexiglass is inserted from the exterior side of the window frame and only then can you glue on your exterior window frame. The windows were hideously fiddly..not enough glue meant some had to be glued on twice, too much glue would result in a very messy look!  

All of the interior frames glued on...first!

 Two more window to complete on the side of the caravan.

Each piece of the plexiglass has to be severed from the mother-board and then sanded lightly on each side and then have each of the protective covering peeled off on two flat sides!

After the protective coatings removed.

Phew! I did not apply any glue to the cross bars of the windows, this would have made a mess of the plexiglass, so only the initial square frame is glued.

 All done.....this side....more to go yet!

The curtains or blinds are applied. I have to say they were a bit mean with the lace! I pre-measured my lace strip before I cut it and there was only enough for blinds and not curtain panels for the tiny window on the left and the other tiny window on the front opening part. However, I actually like them all the same and I think it would have almost covered the whole window if I had made curtains (the lace wasn't as dainty as in the photo's). You do have to trim the lace down otherwise it would be too wide! I didn't waste any lace at all.  

If you do want to make curtains etc, I would suggest you buy some of your own lace that way you will have enough! :o)  

 One more window to do on the front and back of the caravan. 

Now for the sides! I will overstate that  you must constantly refer to the instructions and photo's whilst you make this kit, otherwise you will run into trouble! Only the interior decoration is applied at this time!

You must check that you have the correct windows for the different sides of the caravan and also make sure you have the correct pairs together (they look very similar but they are not!).

The floor glued in place!

At this stage I am ready to glue the door side on (both the ends are glued on). However, I have looked at the decoration of the interior and have noticed teeny tiny plates and pictures on that wall! It does not excite me in the least thinking I'm going to have to glue those on when the sides are all glued on, so I'm waiting.....till I have made some of the pertinent pieces of furniture up, so I know heights of items to go in there! :o))  

I have already coated some of the pieces with either the gloss or matte varnish ready for ummm cutting out! I am absolutely dreading cutting those teeny tiny plates out!

Ready for the next stage! 

The next update will either be my cabin's base down..or my caravan...or if you're really unlucky...both?!!? LOL

I hope you don’t mind my ramblings and madness! :o))

Michelle xxxx 

My Craft Cabin arrives....

 A little update on the cabin progress!

It's been mighty manic today! We had the cabin delivered, which took just under 2 hours to unload from the lorry, a new telly (because my HDMI socket died!) and a new car... and the double glazing man come about new doors and windows...all in one day! lol No mini's done for a few days...I hope to do some soon! 

Anyhow, the garden has now been cleared of the two apples trees. Weed killer has been applied where the cabin will go.  :o)

Next the Summerhouse will be taken down and relocated to another part of the garden, down the side of the bungalow, because we aren't now keeping the shed. The Summerhouse is larger and in better condition. Repairs will be made and the design tweaked and it will hold our garden tools etc. :o)) It will be painted the same colours as my cabin.

 There are all sorts amongst the garden debris, not just the weeds to clear! lol

 Apples and more apples and an old rusty and unopened tin of something?!?! 

 Inside the Summerhouse, it reminds me of a beach hut that you see on English seaside promenades.

It needs repairs, the roof and obvious wood replacements! 

The cabin arrived today! We are having its base laid on the 12th and 13th October and its construction on 23rd October...weather permitting! Pray for NO rain! lol

The cabin is 19.4 feet wide, by 11.6 feet deep. It's not humongous but not exactly small either. Some of you know what it will look like already. It will have a garden all around it and a small seating area to the left side of it. :o)

 It's all covered over safe from bad weather. I had green shingles for my Summerhouse before, but you won't see the roof too much so I've opted to have just plain grey felting for this one. 

Some of the extra's purchased, the finials for the side ends of the roof, door furnishings to keep the doors open and some of the fire retardant application.  

 More soon, in the meantime...be good! 

I hope you don’t mind my ramblings and madness! :o))

Michelle xxxx 

Now for something small…

These are some of the 1/450th scale kits I have... 

A little update of what I have been doing! The cabin has been ordered and I am just awaiting a delivery date now. The garden has been cleared where its going and the base will be laid as soon as possible. We are busy looking at bathroom suites, we are doing the larger bathroom first to name a few things!

Over the last few months I have bought many kits. I want to be able to pick and chose what kits to use for whatever projects I have planned, I have well over 40 kits now. I know roughly what projects I want to resume work on immediately and what new projects to start on first too. Gosh, I do have a lot of kits, so I may not use/need all of the kits I own, so I will either sell the surplus as boxed kits or completed. :o)

I thought I’d show you some of the kits I have bought and started work on. 

I don’t just have 1/12th scale within my collection of kits (to complete), over the years I’ve collected a few 1/144th kits too. This year I saw the rising popularity and gradual availability of other scale kits. Over recent months I have bought 1/1000th (yes, you did read the former correctly! Lol), 1/450th and 1/48th scale kits, I have will be getting a 1/24th project under way too. 

This little 1/144th scale shop kit it will either go in my Nanny McPhee nursery or in my toy shop. This is the scale you use for 1/12th children (their toys etc).

I haven't completed the shop, I didn't get a chance to before I moved home. Here it is in dry build only.

In May I bought a retro caravan kit in 1/48th scale from the USA. I have been itching to start on it! I not only purchased the gorgeous kit, but the contents etc., kits too. I was surprised how tiny it was in real life! 

Instead on starting on the kit before I moved, I decided to source all of the necessary supplies to complete the kit! I normally use or substitute what supplies I have (when I complete a normal kit), but this kit was special in its completion and not particularly cheap, so I didn’t want to make a mess of it.  I decided to use what was recommended within the instructions. This is done with ease if you live in the US, but not so great if you don’t! Some items were not only extremely hard to find but mighty expensive to buy too! 

I don't have a proper area to work from at the moment...so its work on a large wooden tray for now! Not easy! lol  

My tiny retro caravan kit in 1/48th scale. I love it and it was an absolute must have for me!!!! 

The contents kit photo's.

Some of the supplies for the kit (some items I bought as extra's)...mini clamps, tiny clamps, teeny tiny clamps, YES! Paste, Sliver spray paint, Tacky Glue, Elmers glue, E6000 glue, ceramcoat varnish (matte and gloss), 3mm masking tape, wide masking tape, metal ruler, x-acto swivel blade craft knife, wire or plier cutters, to name a few things! :o) 

Here is the caravan kit as packaged...

 The interior or contents kit...there is one more kit, but more on that later!

The teeny tiny kitchen pots, pans and kettle! :O)

The exterior decoration sheet...

 The exterior is varnished with ceramcoat matte.

The interior decoration kit is also varnished with ceramcoat matte, well all but the floor which is varnished with ceramcoat gloss. 

After the two required coats.

Both sheets. The pieces now need to cut out from the sheets,,,steady hand required!! lol 

 However, the main wooden frame and other components first!   

I sorted out all of the parts that needed to be spray painted with silver. Some parts only needed the inside window frames covered, of course you just spray the whole thing for ease! 

Some pieces needed to be removed from the wooden mother-boards first though.

I kept the mother-boards so I could remember what piece was what. Some pieces were minute...namely the 2 door handles, sneeze and they were gone! One split horizontally so I made a new one from the same piece of mother-board it came from. :o) 

All the pieces needed to be placed on masking tape ready for spray painting...

Not quite there yet...better to build up the colour with several thin layers, than thick gloopy layers of paint.

I sprayed one of the three cardboard trims the wrong way around...can you see which piece? So I had to spray the other side!  Some of the teeny tiny pieces in a dish for safe keeping...still not finished.

A close up of them.

More soon, and when I get going I will change and update my blog better! No spare time as yet! lol  

I hope you don’t mind my ramblings and madness! :o))

Michelle xxxx