I've got a few days off over the holidays, so I spent most of yesterday in my shop.  I've got two walls of Grugan's Hardware store cast so it's starting to take shape.  Your store window front and cornice look great!  I had a little trouble casting the long side wall after the store front.  The corners are hard to manage.  I'm using your corner trim in the mold and it tends to collapse to less than a 90 deg angle during the casting process.  Since the trim will easily stretch to cover the corner, it shouldn't be much of a problem.
 I plan on a foundation for the building with a stone sidewalk out front and a stone patio in the back with a water pump.  The roof will be cast with your seamed roof cast master.
••••••••

Making progress.  Had to build a rather unusual support structure for the long wall on Grugan's Hardware.  I should have poured both long sides separately and then cast them together with the front wall....but then, I cast the front wall first to get a feel for the dimensions of the whole store. 
 I cast the roof today at 1/4" thick using 1/4' hardware cloth and your  casting master for ribbed steel roof. I covered it with a wet towel to let it set and dry slowly for more strength.  I'll let it in the mold for several days.
••••••••

I finished the hardware store this weekend. I used graphics from G-Scale Graphics for the signs. Everything came out well.  I've started on my wife, Becky's gift shop in Eagles Mere known as the Bird's Nest - that will be another challenge.

JoeB

Note: March 2010, Stoneworks is about to begin video-taping the above storefront and 4 additional ones in a Step-by-Step How-To DVD. The Storefronts, DVD and a LED lighting package should be available in 2011.

BACK