FSM Jacobsen Watchworks Redeux

[timwatson]

Hey there gang I could use some help. I bought a beautiful FSM Franklin Watchworks at a small train show. I got it for much cheaper than the kit costs. I’d love to add it to the small test layout here https://www.therailwire.net/forum/index.php?topic=53305.msg779395#msg779395.

Any ideas on getting it off in one piece would be appreciated. I don’t need it to be a polyurethane plateau! I’m afraid of the damage the water will do to the wood.

[Lemosteam]

Looks like the base is white styrofoam and not foam sheet.  As such I think I would chip away at that in, and then up to each wall as you go so you could get to the thin coat of what looks like plaster and carefully score at the base of the building and then snap off the plaster a bit at a time around the perimeter.  I would do this under the most delicate features first to prevent the stronger parts of the building from putting stress on them as you work.

Note, I would NOT try to remove all of the styrofoam thickness at one time as the base might make the model flimsy.  The foam will keep the the structure strong as you go.

Just my thoughts.

[Chris333]

Can you cut a hole into the layout and drop it in? There is a bunch of detail all around the building you probably want to keep.

You can soak it in water, but that might start warping the buildings 

[timwatson]

Thanks John those are all good thoughts. Piecemeal is probably the way forward.

Can you cut a hole into the layout and drop it in? There is a bunch of detail all around the building you probably want to keep.

You can soak it in water, but that might start warping the buildings 

Yeh then I will mangle the integrity of the little layout. It’s plenty rigid now. I don’t know that I want to sacrifice that.
I’d also like to put the buildings on with magnets.

[Chris333]

Setting it in a dish of acetone will make the Styrofoam quickly disappear 

You could melt it away from the bottom with heat. Sand the lumps smooth and glue it down.

Or like John said get a Olfa Cutter SVR-2 to slowly slice it all away.

[timwatson]

I gave it a whirl with vinegar water and since the foam is so soft I took a chisel blade putty knife and my finger and pressed down on the foam. I placed the water on the putty knife and then placed that under the edge of the structure.



The foam pulled away after being soaked.


Got them both off the base.




The only 2 casualties were the stairs


And the awning posts


Thanks guys any suggestions on laying these out are appreciated.

[timwatson]

Setting it in a dish of acetone will make the Styrofoam quickly disappear 

You could melt it away from the bottom with heat. Sand the lumps smooth and glue it down.

Or like John said get a Olfa Cutter SVR-2 to slowly slice it all away.

This is why we get along … I decided to skip the acetone tho!

[Chris333]

Vinegar water is what I meant to say 

[Lemosteam]

Well done!  I would have been dreading that method as liquids and I do not get along well.

[timwatson]

When I first sprayed the wall, as a test, it beaded up like a waxed car. That’s when it hit me the previous builder likely sprayed it with some coating and that sealed the wood. The glue they used was a very thick almost epoxy like glue so I think the vinegar water only broke down the scenery cement. There are quite a few chunk of the beaded foam left on the bottom of the structure I need to sand.

Thanks for bringing the humor and the camaraderie!

[Philip H]

Id leave the stairs as is and add a couple of figures who are repairing it.  Would make an interesting mini scene.  The support post should be easy enough to measure and cut from stripwood if you have some.  Its the staining to match that will be tough.