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Monday 22 June 2015

1:12 scale Garden Bench

This is a 1:12 scale customized Falcon miniature Park Bench.

The slats happened rather sooner than I thought.  I used lollypop stick wood for the new slats, which was treated with Pepper's magic silver wood solution, and then stained with Rustins Antique pine.  I was going to add bolts to the end of the slats, and also add some old flaked off paint and maybe a touch of lichen (as though it has been brought in from outside) but I haven't made my mind up yet...

The lollypop stick wood was a bit warped, which I think adds to the effect, though one slat was a little more warped than the others, so it casts a bit of a shadow. I wasn't too worried about precision, so the gaps are a little irregular, though it has been lying outside in all weathers! ;)

Think I'll have a cup of tea and a biscuit now! :D













Er..yes, I went against my own advice and messed about with that metal CONTAINING LEAD... I did sand it slightly here and there too. I got the jewellers saw out and (awkwardly) removed some of the "ledge" on either side of the bench ends. The metal is almost like butter to saw through, which is great, but you also have to be careful not to bend it, as after a few bends, it would snap right off.

I then painted it with Humbrol matt black paint, and didn't bother using primer :D


Next stop, tomatoes!

Thanks everyone for your encouraging comments in the previous post :)

Saturday 20 June 2015

Take a seat... but not for too long!

I know..long time no see! :D

 I'm just back from a slight case of miniature burnout. I've been burning the candle at both ends for the past few..*ahem* years :D Mountain of unfinished miniatures and non miniature work in my wake too, so I'm trying to organise myself better these days.  I work in a very small work space, so it doesn't take much to become a bit overwhelmed either. Gradually sorting myself out now...and the printer broke, which nearly sent me to the asylum :D

...please tell me I'm not alone in this madness...

I haven't actually made anything...but I have bought something. I was going to make my own cast iron park bench, but when I saw this one I thought I would cut that corner, and save time and sanity... This one is a "falcon" miniature bench, a little pricey, but it is based on a real Victorian design ( google Lion head antique park bench, and you'll see it's life size twin amongst the image results ). 

I think I will keep the ends black, but I am planning on replacing the slats. Although they are perfectly acceptable as is, I want them that little bit more refined..plus they're a bit orange. 










The ends are metal, and a bit bendy. I'm not going to remove the paint, at all, as the box it came in stated that there is lead in the product. I may go over it with a matt black paint though.

And there is her underbelly, so if you remove the slats, you don't have to worry about putting it back together again, as each end is connected with a rod.

And the slats pop off, fairly easily. I think I will sheer off those bolts and stick new slats straight on to the ledge. 

Yes..summer is definitely on the horizon :D Sods law, it was only like this when I was taking photos, sky clear before and after, but not during the photoshoot!
So hopefully next time I'm here, I will have the finished bench and possibly a finished one year old tomato plant..or is it two years old! :D Wish me luck.