1/4" scale Funeral Home

I am posting a few shots of the model I just finished for a client of a Funeral Home. He wanted an old Victorian house converted for this use many years before. It has not seen much rehab over the last 50 years or so. Even the hearse is a classic '36 LaSalle. The model is basically a styrene shell with scribed wood added along with my own cast resin details including windows, doors, A/C units, belt trim and other trim pieces plus corbels. The original house was adulterated with the addition of more rooms at the side and rear. The roof has been patched and the grounds have only received minor care. The client wanted the house to look spooky. I think it does.

Tom

The new appliances

They are finally ready! These are accurate renditions of vintage appliances in half scale and cast in resin. All made in the USA! These miniatures are completely finished. For now all are available in white, however, soon the range will be offered in correct colors too.

The range is a 1940's to 50's Chambers Gas Range. The refrigerator is a 1928 Frigidaire and the ringer washer is '40's to 50's. They will probably be in short supply for a time because it will take a while to cast up enough parts, assemble and paint them. The pricing is $20 for the Frigidaire and $30 each for the washer and the range. As an introductory special I will send all three in one order post paid in the US for $75.

I plan on many more miniatures, however, I must see if these are successful first. E-mail me at

tomyorke@bellsouth.net for order information.

Busy, busy,busy...

I have been hiding at the workbench for the past month or more. The finishing touches are going into the design of the first Storefront kit. Some changes have been made to the design and construction which I hope to be improvements.

There are also two and soon to be three early appliances coming. A Chambers Range, Frigidaire Refrigerator and soon a wringer washer. All will be available as completely finished miniatures. The ranges will be available in white, cream, red and green as per the real ones.

Back to the patterns...

Storefront #1

Here it is! The first kit to be available in this series of Heavy Metal structures. The base size is 7-1/4" wide by 12" in length with an interior space of 6" by 8". The facade is mainly resin castings and wood strips. The sidewalk is plaster only 1/16" thick. This means it is very easy to age the sidewalk if one desires by placing tiny bits of thin scrap under it before gluing it down. All one need do is press. It will chip and fracture in a natural way and then be held in place by the glue. The side walls are Balsa-Foam covered in plastic brick siding. The roof and rear wall are removable. In fact, one could use a sheet of clear plastic for the roof. All parts are included except for the interior flooring (a 1/4" plywood base is included), the interior wall covering and the ceiling material. There are quite a few different materials from which to choose and I leave that up to the builder.

 The front windows above the storefront can be treated as stained glass as I have done. There is an update kit also available that includes a large swamp cooler, a window A/C unit and an electric meter for those that want a slightly more up to date version. Build it as original turn of the century or updated. The aged sign is included.

I will announce here when they are actually in stock. My guess is by August 1st, 2012. My own version will be decked out as a Re-Sale Store, selling all kinds of used merchandise, but it can be used for almost any type of small shop.

The older part of town.

Here's a few snap shots I took this weekend somewhere on the back roads of Georgia while out on a drive. The Ford is I believe a 1937 and is somewhat worse for wear. The building is an ols cafe that is still open. Not sure if I'd want to frequent it though. 

First kit available soon

I am currently working on the first kit in what I hope to be a small series of "Mesker" style storefronts. The first one, appropriately named Storefront #1 (wow! How do I come up with these catchy names?), will make its debut here very soon. It is a single story with brick sides and Meker facade. The windows are large to enable the interior to be viewed and the rear wall can be made removable. The roof can either be finished with ceiling and felt roofing, or a removable piece of clear plexi.

The kit utilizes my own cast resin details and sheets of Balsa-Foam covered in brick plastic veneer for the walls. This initial design is done to familiarize the builder in the assembly of these structures. As things such as these go, it is fairly easy to construct.

Stay tuned...

Another new storefront

Just finishing up work on the latest two story metal sided building. The panels represent Mesker-style cast iron and stamped tin decoration. The entire front on this one is a collection of special resin castings. Also shown is the onion dome for another structure. It is copper clad and only one facet is aged so far. I hope to have finished photos next week of the two story.