Introduction
We often use blogs to show off our best work - I suppose that's to be expected - but rarely do we exhibit our mistakes. Here's an example of something that has gone very wrong...The Build
Now, I'd intended that these models would be built to a very high standard. They'd have opening doors, transparencies for windows, no exposed foamcore edges and so on. I spent a lot of effort to get to the stage you can see here.
Summer Heat
The conservatory on my house is south facing (northern hemisphere) and it can get very hot if not opened up during the day. Indeed, some years ago we were out for the entire day; when we returned we recorded a temperature of 50 degrees Centigrade!
Attempt at Recovery
At this point, I took a deep breath and thought about what I might do to fix the problem. My first attempt to stick the card back to the foam (using white PVA/Elmer's) didn't really work; the glue wouldn't adhere to the inner core.
In despair
So there you have it - a sorry tale of woe! It's been a couple of months now since this disaster occurred and I cannot figure out how to fix the models. They're quite unusable as it stands, in my opinion.It would probably be less effort to just start over rather than attempting to patch up all the damaged parts. On the other hand, I put a lot of effort into these and I cannot bring myself to just chuck them in the rubbish bin. Not quite yet, anyway...
I have a similar oven/conservatory problem. So glad I didn't store my paints in there!
ReplyDeleteIn similar circumstances to yours, to be honest, I would probably just start again.
If you do start again, maybe you can salvage some sections of the damaged walls to make some ruins or something smaller, like a bus shelter? It's a real wrench to give up on something you've worked so hard on, though.
I'll need to take a closer look, but I think most of it would be more trouble to salvage than it's worth. You're right, it's a tough decision!
DeleteNo idea what to suggest mate. TBH I'd just ignore it and carry on regardless. Its still looks far better than anything I've ever built
ReplyDeleteThanks, but I really don't think it's worth continuing with this. It's taken me 2 months to even talk about it, though...
DeleteUggghhhhh..... I can tell you were off to a good start before this.
ReplyDeleteWhat I've learned in the last two years, not all foam-core is created equal. I've seen brands where the "foam" is incredibly spongy and no well glued to the card, so that when I rabbet out parts, or cut, the foam is more likely to pucker away. The good stuff usually has a slight smacking sound as I cut it. Other than that, it is a bit hard to describe. I don't generally remember a lot of the brand names, but recognize the "inferior" (IMO) foam as being slightly grey rather than white. Since I'm at it, the other thing I prefer is the type with a rough papery card rather than the wax coated variety.
This is the most extreme case I have ever seen. In cases where the printer paper has pulled away due to weak (cheap) spray mount, I often use a thin coat dab of hot glue along the edge and press it as flat as possible. Clearly in this case, the glue would need to be delivered into the center of the walls, like watered down PVA in a syringe, and then pressed flat.perhaps with a paper towel under it to catch drips, and wipe any obvious drips as you see them.
Best of luck.
Carl
Thanks, Carl. I've already tried PVA; it won't stick to the foam. If only I hadn't left this stuff in the hot room!
DeleteNot fun, what a shame.
ReplyDeleteThe good news is that our cacti *love* the conservatory and flower prolifically in the summer. They enjoy hot and dry!
DeleteThat really is a bummer and I can't think of a solution. My usual remedy for things like this is glue and more glue. I use UHU (Poundland's best)for my foam card buildings and have managed to relamintate foam card using this method. Some clips to squeeze the outer card to the inner foam when glueing may help. For the latter I'd suggest pegs with a piece of scrap card on top and underneath to make a sandwich with the foam card in the middle. The card will help spread the pressure on the foamboard and shouldn't leave marks.
ReplyDeleteHmm - I'm using Bostik right now because I couldn't get Uhu in the right shop last time. I wonder if they'd behave differently on my foamcore? Might be worth an experiment, I suppose...
DeleteWow, that is a bummer. If they truly can't be salvaged I would turn them into the ruins of what they are supposed to be. Hack out the delaminated bits and add weathering to it. Worth a shot if there headed for the bin anyway.
ReplyDeleteI hadn't thought of making ruins, though it seems kind of obvious. Maybe I'll give that a go - thanks!
Deletethat is very bad luck indeed. I don't use foamcore and focus on small buildings and strong paper. I know what disaster is, lately my vernish (which was very loyal to met80 flat from Tamiya) killed almost 7 miniatures with bubbles that dried. I had to repaint the lot and it really pissed me off. Finally it was a happy ending but a painting session lost.
ReplyDeleteI never had a problem with varnish, though one hears about it often enough. Common opinion seems to be that aerosol varnishes go cloudy if the weather is very humid.
DeletePersonally, I am very careful to test any spray paint before using it, just in case I've picked up the wrong can!