update...10/7...

made the following : plateau with foundations for the house and two towers...drawbridge, chains, hinges and pins to hold chains...

still waiting for the LED lights...then i can continue the paper mache...

howard...

update...10/12...

LED lights arrived...cost about $10.00 plus shipping...the LEDS are held in place with white glue...

note...i have no connection with the vendor...i use their products because they work...and the company provides excellent customer service...https://www.modeltrainsoftware.com/

finished the paper mache and added the folded cardboard bricks to the portals...the two screws in the photo are for the electrical connection to the LEDs...

still working on the castle fence and a few details...i'll post a picture or two tomorrow...

howard...

Hi Howard, I am really interested in how the lighting is going to work. Did you glue the wires inside at the top of the tunnel and feed them outside one of the sidee. Not sure what the screws are for. Sorry this is all a mystery to me but I really want to try it some time. Thanks☺

Lynn...I’ll post wiring later today...

I look every day (usually several times a day) to see the progress on this piece because it is so cool and I can't wait to see the finished project. The paper mache base is spectacular. I love how you've done that. Thank you for sharing the progress photos.

Lucy

Lynn wrote:Hi Howard, I am really interested in how the lighting is going to work. Did you glue the wires inside at the top of the tunnel and feed them outside one of the side. Not sure what the screws are for. Sorry this is all a mystery to me but I really want to try it some time. Thanks☺

Lynn...the details are shown below...

the terminal block is "old school"...(but it works)...it's glued inside the skin of the paper mache and attached to the base and side strip of the tunnel...yes...all the wires are inside...

the LEDs are glued in holes in the plateau with white craft glue...don't use hot glue...(hot glue will destroy LEDs)...the sleeve of cardboard around the LED is to take up any space that the glue won't gap...(it's easier to thread a little 5mm diameter LED mounted on very fine wire thru a big hole and fill in the space with a sleeve)...

hope this all makes sense...

Howard...

update...10/15...

three views of the project...it's ready for the first coat of primer...

howard...

Oh my Howard. This beats ALL of the projects I've ever seen you do sir! Fantastic presentation so far!

A masterpiece for sure. It is so inspiring.

Thank you, Howard, for sharing all the details on this project.

Lucy

update...10/17...

added a well brushed in coat of white primer...and a coat of anti-skid floor paint left over from painting the shop floor...the anti-skid texture in the paint looks and feels just like pebbles of sand...

details are next...painting the rocks, road, tunnel portal and grassy areas...but don't want to over do the detail too much...and take away from the castle...

hope to start painting the castle parts soon...

howard...

here in north florida...enjoying our first taste of cooler air in months and months...