Posting No. 45 - Taking the Right Steps & Shingle Repair

SOMEBODY messed up my work area and I can't work like this - AHHHHH!!!  It must be those darn Gremlins that sneak around at night time, hide my stuff, and mess up my work area!

Twenty minutes of work and now I'm back where I can get some work done!

Even though the kit instructions said that the steps were to be installed early in the process I knew that I would knock them off a dozen times during while working on later instructions.  I waited until the last so I'll only know them off a half dozen times!

 Here are the steps that I cut out and touch up painted on the sides that show using the Testors(tm) flat gray.  I had cut out and painted the stringers "dirty white" previously.

First I glue the front porch stringers to the porch using white glue.  I'm doing this on my cutting mat so I can make sure that they are at a right angle to to porch.

Next I apply the steps to the stringers using the supplied self-adhesive on the bottom of the steps.  After positioning the steps I press them into place firmly.

Now I'll add a little weathering using brown, tan & black weathering powders.

Now for the steps on the back porch.  First I glue the stringers in place.

Next I'll add......wait a minute.....one of the steps is missing!  I spend 10 minutes looking for it and never find it.  I cut out a step from the leftover wood using the existing steps as a template and then paint it.  Here I've added the steps.  Can you tell which one is my "home made" step?

And now a little weathering using the same colors.  I go for a little dirtier as this is usually the way Grandpa goes into the house after being out in the "back 40".  Grandma insists he come in through the kitchen and remove his boots!

With the steps completed I wanted to do some general weathering and spotted......what's this? - a poor job of shingling!!!  There should have been another entire row of shingles here!  This has to be fixed!

I use my hobby knife to carefully pry under and lift up the roof cap.  Now I have enough clearance to install another row of shingles.

I cut a row to fit, add glue, insert, and hold down until the glue dries.  Now that is much better!

Do you know what?  The only things I have left to do are to finish and install the outside cellar door and do final inspection and touch up!  But before anyone gets too excited (Kevin) I want to make a little diorama and take the structure outside for pictures before I pack it up for shipment.