STEP 2 ASSEMBLING THE WALLS
After reading the instructions, I began work on the kit. First, I used a hobby knife with a No. 11 blade and sanding sticks to remove flash from the window openings ❶.
I then test-fit the various Tichy Train Group door and window castings. I had to scrape away some Hydrocal in a few spots to get the parts to seat properly.
It’s important to assemble the wall castings in the order outlined in the instructions. I used 5-minute epoxy to secure the wall sections and a machinist’s square to ensure the corners were at a 90-degree angle ❷.
White or yellow glue can also be used to assemble the Hydrocal parts, but they dry slower. Cyanoacrylate adhesive is another option, but it soaks into the porous material and may cure before the parts are aligned properly.
Though assembling the walls was pretty straightforward, I worked carefully on the rear wall for the main building. The casting fits inside the two side walls. Since Hydrocal is rigid, forcing the rear wall into position could
potentially break the casting or the side walls. Instead, I lightly sanded the edges of the rear wall square on a piece of 80-grit sandpaper ❸. I checked my work often to make sure I didn’t remove too much material.
Once the rear wall fit between the side walls, I again used 5-minute epoxy to secure the parts. After positioning the wall, I used two small bar clamps to hold the parts in place while the epoxy cured ❹.
You may wind up with small seams or gaps where the wall sections meet. I filled in those areas with DAP Dry Dex spackle applied with metal sculpting tools ❺. The spackle comes out of the container pink, which made it easier to see during the application process. The material turned white when it was ready for sanding and painting.
I finished up this phase of the build by using assorted metal probes to carry the brick detail through the spackle ❻. Yes, this was a meticulous process, but it was worth the time invested.