# Davetown Boardwalk



## DaveInTheHat

A little background on how this idea came about....
Whenever I'm building a diorama or anything else for that matter, I keep a small box on my bench to put "stuff" in. Things like leftover pieces of wood, metal, plastic, painted paper, leftover parts or anything else that I think I might use later. Once and a while I use some. When I'm finished with the project the little box gets dumped into a bigger box that I keep on a shelf with the other junk that I've been hording.

Along with this stuff I have a box of leftover kit parts and HO scale junk. Some of it I've sorted through and picked out what I can use and have it stored in empty prescription bottles. (finally found a good use for them). Then I have this other box of "stuff". It's full of things that I've found over the years. Pieces "stuff" or odd things that I think I might be able to use for something. My wife has developed a keen eye for "stuff" that she thinks I could use and usually just puts it on my workbench. Some of it is really odd that I never would probably never use. But, for the most part she leaves me with some really good "stuff" and I have used a lot of it in my dioramas.

So, I was looking for some stuff that I could use for "junk" to put behind "Tuxedo Dave's Chainsaw Sharpening" and I started wondering what I'm going to do with all this really weird "stuff". If I threw it all out I probably wouldn't even miss it. Am I the only one that does this?

Then I was at work and I found a piece of MDF 3/4" thick, about 5 inches wide and 4 feet long in the scrap bin. The idea hit me. I'm going to build a boardwalk and use up a whole mess of this weird crap that I've been saving.
I figure just about anything goes on a boardwalk. Actually, the stranger the better. I'll be able to use up a lot of the odd pieces of wood that I've been saving too.

My plan is to build the boardwalk in two, 2 foot sections to make it easier to work with. Once the base is finished I can start adding stores. Since I'm only going to be building store fronts they should be fairly quick to build. I'll be able to make these one at a time to take a little break from bigger projects. I'm looking forward to getting started on something. The first store is going to be French Fries. I have a list with about 50 ideas on it.

Here's what I've built so far....

I glued down some foam with wood glue










I chopped at it with a utility knife and some really course sandpaper from a floor sanding belt. I tried to carve some rocks out of the foam and gave it a coat of latex paint.










The rocks I tried to carve didn't look like rocks so I used super glue and stuck on some real rocks and added a section of black top. This will be the beginning of the boardwalk.










A coat of thinned out Elmer's Glue and some genuine sand from the Atlantic Ocean. 










It took a couple layers of sand to get it to look right. I ended up using the glue straight from the bottle and dumping on a lot of sand and letting it sit overnight. 










I got some pieces of lattice and cut up a whole bunch of wood. I did the best I could to keep the wood that I'm going to use for the decking the same thickness.



















A quick trip through a pan of ink and alcohol got the wood a decent color of gray.










I got the pilings laid out on a scale 10 foot square grid.










Now I can add bracing and get the beams in place for the decking. I think that is going to be the hardest part of the whole thing. Gluing down about 1500 pieces for the deck is going to get boring.


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## morland

Very nice start, can't wait to see the finished product! :smilie_daumenpos:


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## Magic

This is going to be a truly great thread. :smilie_daumenpos: :smilie_daumenpos:

Magic


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## DonR

MMmmmm

I can smell Nathan's hot dogs on the grill already.

Always look forward to seeing the great things
you create, it's as if it's...er...Magic. 

Don


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## Big Ed

You know what would happen if everyone took home a bucket of sand from the seashore!

I thought I was the only one that had a box like that, it started as a little box years ago and has grown into a box that you can put a big old tube TV in.

You do know that if you build the boardwalk you have to add some surf rolling in towards the sand.
Some nice surfer waves in some ocean blue water topped with the white frothy foam on top?
You never tried water yet have you? 

How about a Davetowns surf shop on the boardwalk? Complete with little surf boards?
For sure you would have to add an old Woodie somewhere.
_*DAVES SURF SHOP*_ on top.:thumbsup:

The real rocks look good there, I know it will look nice when all done. 
Go Dave, go.:thumbsup:


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## DaveInTheHat

A surf shop is on my list.


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## Big Ed

Little surfboards and an old woodie too?


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## silver69

Neat idea, what you've done so far looks really good.
Keep sending pics!
Steve


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## DaveInTheHat

When I put my workbench together in my room I went to a lot of trouble to get it real as level as possible. If only for the reason to keep xacto knives from rolling off and sticking in my leg. I'm glad I did because there isn't anything to measure off of on this diorama base to get the beam straight. I started at the back left side and got that beam straight and level on the x axis. Then did the same thing to the middle beam and kept the y axis level as I worked my way to the other end. Same process for the front. This was really difficult to keep every thing lined up and in place because the pilings are crooked and not straight in the foam base. When I moved one spot it threw another one out of place. Took some time and slow un-clamping, gluing, and re-clamping.










After I got the first beams in place I lined up a second beam on the opposite side of the pilings. The main reason I did this was to give more surface area to glue the decking to.



















The beams came out level but since the pilings are out of whack I clamped a piece of wood across the front beam to pull it into alignment.










I cut cross pieces all the same length and glued them in to force the middle and back sections straight. That worked out ok. So now the hard part is done.










I added beams under the long beams in the opposite direction to add a little more stability and strength to the whole structure. Then I put in cross braces just for visual appearance. 

















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After all the glue dried I used sanding block with 100 grit paper across the top to knock off any excess glue and smooth out any high spots.
Next is the decking. I haven't decided if I'm going to go with a 90 degree pattern, a 45 degree, or something else. I'll have to sleep on that.


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## Dirtytom

You are a nice guy, but don't like you,,,way too much talent for one man&#55357;&#56835;&#55357;&#56835; great work. I built some wharfs but it looks like the aftermath of Katrina.

DT


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## Big Ed

big ed said:


> Little surfboards and an old woodie too?


And........................,
Girls in bikinis walking down the board walk? :thumbsup:
A couple laying "*Under the Board Walk*"?
Every time I hear boardwalk, First thing I think of is the song.


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## Model Train Structures

Great idea Dave! The progress so far looks really good; I'm looking forward to see it unfold. A year or so ago I build a Surf Shop, and have attached a pic. It might give you an idea, although you certainly don't need any ideas . .LOL.

D.A.


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## DaveInTheHat

Thanks. Your surf shop looks really cool. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Patrick1544

Looks very good. Post it when it's done.


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## DaveInTheHat

I decided to make the boards 90 degrees at the transition from the blacktop because it just didn't look right at 45 degrees. I'll have to do some work in this area to make it level. The rest of the boards are at 45 degrees. I was going to go with the "V" pattern, but I thought it might look way off center after I add the store fronts.










I did about 2" of boards at a time. It seemed like it took a really long time to lay all the boards down.










I used big toenail clippers that have a straight cut to trim the ends of the boards. The overall structure is super strong now. The boards are pretty flat too. I'm happy with the way it's turning out so far.


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## DaveInTheHat

I decided to add a railing along the edge of the boardwalk since it's kinda high. I drew out a template in Illustrator and printed it out. Then laid wax paper over it. I glued the top rail to the template with Elmer's glue. Then glued the posts. Once they were dry I trimmed any that were too long and glued on the bottom plate. Once that dried I touched all the connections with a drop of super glue. Then added the top and center rails.



















It isn't glued in place yet. I might give it a wash of white paint to make it stand out a little better.


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## Model Train Structures

Thanks for the kudos on my Surf Shop.

I like your side rails, and personally I'd leave them the same color as the boardwalk boards. The railings at the beach that I've seen on piers, decks and boardwalks are the same color as the boardwalk boards, which are built from treated lumber and have aged naturally. Since they are close to the ocean, if painted, it would wear off quickly. 

D.A.


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## DaveInTheHat

I added more blacktop to build it up to the level of the boardwalk. I added sand to the mix this time. It gave it a bit of a rough texture. I like how it came out. The sand makes it much harder to sand after it dries. 










I found a picture of a No Parking stencil through a Google search. I sized it so the letters are 1/2" tall x 1 1/2" wide and printed it out. I drew straight lines with a pen to make it easier to line up. Then I covered it with a strip of heavy packing tape. The tape keeps the paper from ripping when I cut the really close parts where the letters are not connected and it keeps the paint from soaking into the paper.










It took about 15 minutes to cut it out. I did it freehand, so it isn't perfect and it doesn't really matter. Letters painted on asphalt are pretty rough anyway.










Taped it in place and used some foam packing material that I saved and dabbed a couple layers of paint down. The important part is to press hard enough to get the paint through and do it fast enough that it doesn't bleed under the stencil.










I like to pull the stencil off right away because if there is any bleed the stencil will stick to the paint. It worked ok. There's a couple spots that I can clean up after it dries for a few days.










I did a wash of "Vintage White" on the railings. After that dries I'll go over it with a wire brush and knock some of it off. I think it looks better with a touch of color on it. Without the contrast it blended into the boardwalk too much.


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## DaveInTheHat

I wanted to make access to the beach. Since the boardwalk is so high steps seemed like the way to go. I used and index card and made a little mock up.










I wasn't sure what I was going to make the steps out of. I was thinking about using plastic for the stringers and wood for the steps. When I got the mail some credit card company was kind enough to send me this nice piece of coated card stock. 










I used my crafty pinking shears to cut the stringers and just cut some strips the right width for the tread. I glued the stingers to a piece of wax paper with school glue, chopped up the treads longer than I needed, then glued them in place.



















That worked.










I built a little landing one step down from the boardwalk. I built this in place starting by installing the poles and then working from there.










I put a base in for the bottom of the stairs. I had to build up the sand to make a little bit of a level walkway. The stairs got a quick coat of spray can primer and then a coat of Folk Art Barnwood.










I put more pilings in for the handrail, then built them in place.



















The base is finished except for a little touch up on the paint and a few glue spots. I might add some seaweed or a little bit of tall grass later on.


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## silver69

Wow
This turned out great!
You are a master at fabrication.
Thank you for sharing your build
Steve


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## DaveInTheHat

Thanks!


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## DaveInTheHat

I picked up this printed poster board with clouds on it at Staples. I think it cost around $2.00. I cut a scrap of Masonite for the back and glued the sky on it. It was a piece of scrap that was full of nail holes. I cut around the nail holes, that's why its got curves in it.










Here's the boxes of junk and "stuff" that I'm trying to get rid of.
This is the one I keep on my bench until it gets full.










These are the ones that have all the other weird stuff and scraps.




























This is the box that I have stuff sorted out. I go into this box a lot. It's pretty well organized.










So...
I just grabbed a hand full of stuff and started sticking it together with out any real plan other than it's a french fry place.










Here's what I came up with so far.










I'm not sure if I'm going to use this one or not. Everything is crooked and it's kind of sloppy looking.


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## DaveInTheHat

I don't like the way this looks. The proportions are off and the sign is too big. I'm going to build another building.


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## silver69

I didn't think it was too bad, curious to see what you come up with next.


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## DaveInTheHat

I started over and came up with this. I like it a lot better.


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## Magic

Much better. :thumbsup:
Now I gotta go out for some fries. 

Magic


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## silver69

looks great on the boardwalk!


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## Patrick1544

really nice work. Can almost smell the Fries!


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## DaveInTheHat

I did a sketch for the next building. I'm thinking the part of the building over the window should overhang the window a little bit. I want to make the cone out of something so it will be 3D and then paint the lettering on building.


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## DaveInTheHat

I couldn't find anything that I thought would be good to use the to make the cone, so I made one out of paper. I started out by rolling it into a cone shape and sticking it together with a little Elmer's glue










I coated it inside and out with super glue. Then gave it a coat of primer. A little putty and another coat of primer.










I got the building together and then I noticed that I screwed up. The siding on the sides is upside down. I'll fix that.


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## DaveInTheHat

Ok! I got the siding right this time. 










I got paint on this. Hopefully tomorrow I'll paint the lettering on the front of the building.



















I got a base color on the cone. I'm going to add some stripes or something to it. Then add something that will look like strips of fried clams. Not sure what that's going to be yet.


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## DaveInTheHat

I think this building would look best with the lettering painted on the building rather than make a sign. I used Illustrator to lay it out. I printed out the lettering for the building and cut the paper out so I had a way to align it.










To transfer the lettering to the building I rubbed the back of the paper with a #2 pencil.










Then taped the paper to the building and drew around the edges of the letters to transfer them. Sorry about the blurry picture. To make sure that I got everything I only taped the paper on the bottom so that I could lift it without losing the position. 










The image of the letters is a little bit faint because of the siding. If it was a smooth surface it would be easier, but it's close enough for what I'm expecting.










I used a 20/0 brush and Folk Art White paint thinned with a little windshield washer fluid and painted the letters.










Needs a little clean up, but it looks like a hand painted sign. I might give it an outline or a drop shadow to make it stand out a little bit.
I put crazy stripes on the cone chucking it in a drill a little off center so that it wobbled and touched it with a loaded paintbrush.


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## DaveInTheHat

I outlined the letters with black and drilled a hole to mount the cone.










I used cut strips of index card and painted them some weird orange color to make the clams.










There isn't anything done on the inside, maybe later. I didn't glue anything down yet but here it is on the boardwalk.


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## Magic

Now I gotta go out for some clams.  :laugh: :thumbsup::thumbsup:

Magic


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## silver69

As usual, really nice work.
The entire boardwalk will be filled with small shops in no time at the rate you are going!
Steve


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## KAL5

Wow very nice looking buildings, love the cone of clams


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## DaveInTheHat

I found a bunch of pictures of surfboards through a Google search. I printed them on index cards then gave them a couple coats of gloss clear. After they dried the back side got a coat of spray glue and I stuck them to clear plastic that my wife saved for me. They were the covers for the aluminum pans we used at Thanksgiving. I cut them out after the glue dries for a while.










I guess this is going to be a surfboard shop. That idea could change it may be something else. I rooted around through all this junk trying to come up with an idea. Seems like the best way is to just dump all this crap out and start by holding pieces together until something looks like it would work.










I came up with theses pieces. I guess it was Al's General Store. It was a "glue bomb" that I got with a bunch of stuff.










The corners were screwed up and had these thick things on them. The shape looked a little wide to me anyway, so I measure from the center and cut off a little on both sides.










I hacked up all the pieces and came up with this.










Looks a little better in primer.


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## DaveInTheHat

I didn't have a round window to fit the hole in the building so I made one. I used a compass and scored the circles in a scrap of styrene. Then glued the cross pieces across the back. Then used a hole punch to make a thingy in the center to hide the joints. After I painted it I used Canopy Glue to make the "glass"










Here's the building with 2 coats of blue craft paint and the windows in position.










I used the surfboard pictures that I found on line and glued the tallest ones to the back of the building.










Then glued shorter ones to the piece of wood that holds the sides of the building together.










I glued a couple more boards to a strip of wood and glued the shortest boards to that, then glued it in place.

Here it is all together.










It's sitting in place on the boardwalk. I need to do a little fiddling with the bottom edge to get it to sit flush.




























I'm probably going to take a brake from the boardwalk stuff and get started on another diorama or something. Maybe a couple vehicles.


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## Magic

You not only have great skills but a great imagination as well. :smilie_daumenpos: :smilie_daumenpos:

Magic


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## Patrick1544

Wow! You did a terrific scratch building job here. I think I smell cotton candy!


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## DaveInTheHat

Here's the bow of the Titanic that I saved. It was taking up a lot of room in my junk box. I thought it would be good to make into a bar.










I made a mock up of where I'm going to cut it and an entrance.










Figuring out where to cut it was probably the hardest part. I used a lot of tape and paper to help visualize how it would look.










I cut out illustration board to make the bottom, top and back.



















Since the scale of the Titanic is a lot smaller than 1/87 scale I had to fill all the port holes.










After I sanded out all the putty I gave it a coat of flat black then masked it out and painted below the waterline with red primer.










The entrance is made out of a roof and a couple scraps of plastic.










I cut a couple strips of plastic to make a door.









I wrapped plastic around the door by slowly bending and gluing with super glue.










I wanted sort of a porthole look, so I cut a ring out of plastic and glued it in place. The strips along the edge are made out of part of the aluminum pan that comes with a Tastycake pie. I ran a pounce wheel over it and cut it into strips. The roof is another piece out of my scrap box. When I glued the door to the entrance way I used liquid glue. Where the plastic was bent around the door it cracked as soon as the glue started working. I didn't know that would happen.










Here it is just about done. The "lights" across the top are just glass head pins. All the weathering was done with acrylic craft paint.










Here it is on the boardwalk with Earl and Ed ready to check the place out.


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## rkenney

A fitting place to 'drown' your sorrows. :appl:
At least that's what sailors do.


Euphemisms by trade:

Carpenters get - hammered
Septic guys get – wasted, **** faced, polluted
Demolition experts get – blasted, demolished, wrecked,
Engravers get – etched
Cooks get – toasted, pie eyed, pickled
Electricians get – lit
Farmers get – rooted, 
Dry wall guys get – plastered
Bombardiers get – bombed
Garbage men get - trashed
Mechanics get – lubricated, oiled


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## DJsTrains

Incredible!!!


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## Model Train Structures

Great bar! I'll have a Salty Dawg.

D.A.


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