BB`s Unusual Canal.

[Beano Boy]

Follow the Yellow Brick Road__They sure did Gunnar,i hope you and yours are well. BB

[Beano Boy]

Todays Work 04/10/2016

Painting The Canal base.



Blending in the Black into the brown.



This large base had become in fact my palette for mixing emulsion paints on.



Further green washes were applied along the entire bottom lengths of each side.

Applying the First Coat of HODGE PODGE Gloss Glue



A good squirt down the middle and then it was spread out using my small tiny brush and so sealing the bottom of the canal.



There will be at least another four thin layers added,
one a day, over the next few days.



Thanks looking. BB

[Susofrick]

Love this!

[Cryns]

Great swing hole to allow your boats to move around the corner.

[Beano Boy]

Yes Mr Cryns,i had to widen that bend considerably for the swing of the narrow boats.
" And for the very large fish too."
Very glad you like it Gunnar."
" You can have a paddle in it when it`s finished."

The white glue goes dry and very hard,so when other scattering work takes place it will simply brush away off the surface of the canal without sticking to it.
Another great thing is if one is not satisfied with the water effect,it can be resurfaced by way of painting again over the top of this glue. BB

[Beano Boy]

"Hi Ho! Hi Ho! A Hodge Podge Podging we will go!"

The early dark evenings are pulling in fast ,and i like to do this with sunlight smiling through the large window and onto my first work table where the water level is now being applied on stage three. So i am racing while the daylight lasts.
This is great stuff to use but has an odd smell that for the life of me i cannot define further, except to say it is none toxic and it smells funny like HODGE PODGE, surely should.
" That makes sense to me BB."



I don`t like to use bigger brushes, because they tend to cause more trouble than they are worth,like losing bristles and creating far to many tiny air bubbles in the white glue. This is a six foot length to sort of level the stuff out on, before doing the next stage.



The stuff was worked into all the side edges first,then the Ducking with the brush began it`s quick work due to gained experience thus far. There is plenty of time to duck a brush woddle into this river of white . Ducking is stippling with a cheap soft brush which forms a duck-like foot as each brush action is applied.

i have thought of using a drinking straw in order to blow the ripples in form of flow,but like i mentioned before this has an odd smell to it, and therefore i would not like to be that close to it.

A small pond or stream perhaps that would be lots easier to use a straw, but not on this rather large layout, it would require much more stooping than i an able to do.

" Will there be fishes in the canal?"
"Sure there will,they were actually mixed into the mix while still in the tub"
"i can see one or two already."



This layer will dry clear and hard in 12 hours or so.
In hot country`s like Span much quicker!

For some it might be termed "watching paint dry",
but i thought to show it this way to prove its simplicity!

I`ve seen guys on You Tube,make their own Hodge Podge,but it is not Hodge Podge, It is watered down P V A Glue,which will most certainly go dull and cloudy.



£8.99 a Tub is peanuts when compared with other products. "Why is that? "
Because i use it not for the purpose it was intended for.
Which was and is for Arts & Crafts in Decoupage!



These ain`t my draws,i have boxer shorts. See you guys later BB

[Beano Boy]

Because of high humidity it has not yet cleared, but by tomorrow it should look fine.
I`m eager to get started on planting a stash of grasses and stuff,but one must work by the numbers,well at least i do or confusion rains.

" He he,one must have patients BB."

" BB,has patients. He waited 67 years to become as old as he is."

" He took part in history,but is not allowed to write of it."

"Very true _____ So he hid it in the undertones of writings!"

History like patients, has the ability of becoming tolerant of delay. BB

[Cryns]

Well BB this looks exceptionally good.
I would say: this is a lively canal with water in motion because of a fierce wind blowing over the country.
Already with your indoor light this looks very convincing. Like real water.
Well done.

[Beano Boy]

Thank you Mr,Cryns.
When doing water samples i realised that in order to get what little reflection there will be in my layout room it being placed in the far corner of that room ,i needed to ripple it about quite unnatural when compared to the flow of real water gliding slow like in directed canal flow.
It is that quest for dark reflection to show illusion that in a way feed my obsession to obtain it.
It has therefore taken me many years to crack that particular nut cracker!

My aim is now to pass information on to others who can possibly expand upon the idea of it with rousing cheers from me.

Although i have formulated a system that does not cost me £60.00 to pour a six foot length to a needed depth, i feel i can never attain what i picture in my minds eye.
Is any would be artist totally pleased with the outcome of their work?

i would like to keep my ear unlike one who cut his off in such bitter torment ,
a torment that would cause his sunflowers to wilt away every petal if they could in objection.

It is the cost that so impressed me and the results of the product concerned that so far is just under £8.00 ______________ Well £4.00 really because I`ve only used half the small tub,but that is set to solid hard on all two bases too.
" Up there you see three to`s too in one sentence, but only two here in my statement so far,which oddly has made three again.
" i`m tiny and confused!"
"Me a-nall." Norwich illiterate slang!________________Meaning too!

i feel another couple of thin layers stippled on top of this thicker one will improve what i basically see as building up a type of lense in order to also magnify the crude green painted stuff in the depth of water,but when finished to a point of no return will still be around 1-2 mm thick when dried out.
" Crazy Work!" ____________ " It surely is that. " BB

[Beano Boy]

Although the water is needing just a hint more work applied to it the first narrow boat chugged along this long awaited for stretch of canal. In placing a slow barge upon the agitated waters was in my way of thinking to slow down the impression of speedy flowing water, but also retain a good flow of reflection when using the cameras eye. The thing i wanted to avoid was absolute stillness which I believe a pour of water effect would have given me. Not wishing a mirror effect at all, but retaining reflection was my aim of shadows skipping upon the waters. I have succeeded in part but could do better,perhaps a good photo will show what i am trying to explain better and without my words. BB

[DickerThomas]

Intresting .. many thanks for this, BB

[Susofrick]

There are some really interesting long threads in the forum right now and this is definitely one of them! Looking good!

[Beano Boy]

Thank you Dicker Thomas,
and you Gunnar, for commenting so.
This has been one of two long-term projects that of course you know of,that i work on for just a few minutes each day.

" It keeps BB,a little bit active in his chosen field of madness!

So between writing and walking,i do a little in the hobby, but not much. However it is enough for me these days. Often it is said of me that I produce lots of stuff, but perhaps that is an illusion in others minds as they ring out the changes as they pass by as if in a tiny boat themselves. BB

[Beano Boy]

Making the roadway of set into place granite stone.

" I`m glad it`s not me putting glue on each tiny square BB."

" That`s madness BB,it will take forever,give it up."

"Don`t worry Pards BB,i bet has worked it out?"

" Of course he has."

" i have guys so Just follow along and find out how the boredom is taken out of such a chore."



Strips were cut out then cut into half`s. The base card was generously globed with p v a glue.



One half was laid onto thick glue,but not pushed hard or spread out by the hand.
It then was gently just pattered by the flat of my hand. Two ink dots were placed.
This was important.



It was then peeled off with the glue on it perfectly in place. It was then left aside for a while to go tacky to the touch!



A little bit more glue was added, and the second half was turned over,and it too was placed onto the glue patch and allowed to just find its own way flat,then pattered likewise with my hands. It was then peeled off,and placed aside like the first half. It too was dotted in ink. These dots identify the way the two half`s will perfectly go together.
This was the methodical way i prepared the glue based,and also easily applied the glue to both half pieces.



The bottom half was laid down onto the base when tacky!



The top section was laid on top finding its own way perfectly into locking place, and the dots can be seen on both pieces. I then thumbed the interlocking patterns together, and placed some heavy books on top to further squeeze them into place.



The dots were a needed reminder how the pieces inter lock together, and this was done because the two sides of the rubber matting are different to one another.
By applying my thumbs the tacky glue stuck on contact with the bottom sticky base.
Only short sections are being made this way because longer strips are much more heavier so can the rubber will stretch out while doing the process and pieces do not interlock nicely because of it.
When set tight and dry to roadway will be cut out and trimmed, then painted.

i do not show painting because all you guys know how to do that. " I don`t."

" My My!That sure looked easy BB." They all said.

" Yip! As easy as taking the lid off the glue!"

" BB`s, a smillie!"

"EH!"

Laughter is a great thing. It covers over heart renduring things. BB

[Beano Boy]

Two tiny samples,and two larger sections were made .



I want a simple track of granite set out roadway : a single track lane!
There are still many in Britain, especially leading down to the old waterways first set out durring the industrial revolution. It was these main arteries of Britain that helped supply Wellingtons army set to and marching against the French.



As for the time of Mr Triggles, in "Modern Times ", these tiny undefended narrow boats were often prime targets for the German Luftwaffe,because they carried much needed supplies from the north of England. The story of these little boats and the mule barges they pulled as far as I know has never been written of.
Those people were certainly a rare breed!



Made much wider than I needed, but I can cut into these with a fresh sharp blade creating a much wider stretch of area for parking or allowance for traffic coming the other way to pass,or access into a changed direction of roadway flow as it leads into factory yards or between odd scattered buildings. So once stuck onto a card base it is quite ridged indeed and should be easier for me to cut out this change of direction rather than fiddle about cutting the shapes out of flip, flop ,floppy rubber.



Using anything round for a guide rather than trying to mark out creates a good looking corner.

Once such a corner of any diverse angle has been cut out straight sections can then be added.
Or indeed in view of diorama purpose access made even into a levelled out yard of concrete, or even a rough pitted out and puddled asphalt factory yard. These are just idea`s at present as was my filled up canal at one time,but I will endeavour to bring out some into the light with the passing of time.

I work leisurely because I am every definition of that set out word, but it is hoped that those looking at my odd turned out adventures will get benefit from my open ended topics when they lay finished and much done and dusted.
Paul Howes_____________________BB`s been put onto the shelf for a while.

[Beano Boy]

These are not stuck as yet,it is just an illustration that you might wish to think upon if interested.



Another choice is to cut strips off the rubber matting and stick them next to each other thus loosing that hole between the squares. In this way each squares remain the same and the granite sets set out straight.
All that's needed at the start and finish is for the angle to be filled in with odd squares to give a straight ends to it. BB

[Marvin]

You are one talented guy, BB. The canal looks terrific. Speaking if which, I've just returned from a lovely autumn walk down the towpath of a local canal and fed lots of ducks - that's what's missing, I think. A duck!

[Beano Boy]

I have a few Ducks & Swans in the Collection Marvin,
but intend to make some of my own up using wire and paper stuff.

As this picture gradually slides into place, as indeed a small boat does,
the actual thing will seem to shrink as if by magic!

Thanks for commenting Marvin,upon your trip to feed the Ducks.
It all adds to the feel of this evolving quiet place. BB`s off that formal shelf.

[Beano Boy]

"Today was a fun day and the slight smell of vinegar drifted throughout the east wing of Bad Beano Castle. The early morning sun rubbed its eyes awake then peeped through the window upon his way up,and smiled upon BB`s efforts at sealing tight together the two homemade castings."

" An English mans home is after all his castle." ___ " Eh!"

















" And so two more are puzzled into place." BB

[Peter]

Hey Paul, it looks you did some steps forward with this project, and I must say I like them a lot! I'm a big fan of that water you made!