Une Ferme Abandonnee.....and some squatters! Normandy, July 1944

[spanner570]

So she ups and sez. "How are the poor little fish going to get up that high step?"

Sad to admit, but she's right.....

If I had tried to remove the 5mm from the base of the bridge to accommodate the extra thickness of new fish step, the structure would have probably fell apart. So I made the step to allow the bridge to slot in, rather than on to it.

I've also fitted cereal packet card to the stream. This will serve to cover the various sub-surfaces to a uniform texture, ready for some paint.
Tip. Anyone doing similar to this, please make sure you stick the card printed face down. Otherwise the word 'Kelloggs' etc., will show through the finished water.......

I have also started to add a bit of life to the banks of the stream



I still need to re-scribe the upstream bridge base stones....


Base stone re-scribed this side, the bridge loose fitted and all the stream surfaces 'carded'.








"Sorry dear, but the step is still too high."

Third time right? You betcha! Easy fix this time though.........

Cheers.
Ron

[AlanG]

Excellent work as usual Ron.

[minitnkr]

You really are quite good at this. You never cease to amaze.

[Allen Dewire]

Great to see this back on the bench Ron. Nothing against your good Lady, but I don't understand her point. I'm no Fishologist, but only 5 fish swim upstream. Salmon to spawn, American Shad, Spotted Seatrout, Hilsa? and Sturgeon. If your dio is including one of the 5, then good fix on the step. If not, the fish should be happy where they are. They can hang around and wait for the food to come floating down to them. If possible, could you shed some light on this Sir. Thanks...

Prost
Allen

[spanner570]

Thanks for the encouraging posts chaps.


Allen. I know precious little about fish habits and neither does my good lady. (Unless they are coated in batter) Does it really matter about the technicalities of 'fish jumping'? Its just a fun model.

Try and perhaps imagine this stream many years ago in its prime. Full to the brim with fish of all kinds leaping up and falling down, the steps. Being an eternal optimist, this is how my wife visualised the waterway.
In her eyes, she made a valid point and for the sake of peace and harmony in the 570 household, I thought it best to go along with her wishes...Right or wrong.

On completion, I hope the stream will look but a shadow of its former self.

At the end of the exercise it will be nothing but a big chunk of imagination and fun for me and my missus - made from cereal boxes and stuff from our cupboards.

Captain Ahab.

[spanner570]

Update....

I've added a final step under the bridge. This sort of evens out most of the steps.

Also, I've started to colour the stream and the banks.







I've made the wheel support and mill race from bits of foam board stuck together and started the painting process.

You might just spot the small retaining wall below the wheel. Again from foam board.




I took this picture before the small, under the bridge step was added....




Axle support thingy added and more weathering.





Cheers.
Ron

[scottie3158]

Ron,
Very nice mate keep it coming.

[spanner570]

Thanks Paul.

About time I covered those awful polystyrene beads!

Ron

[JR]

Very neat 570.

[spanner570]

Thank you 453.

Getting there slowly.

570

[Andy T]

It's looking stunning already!

[spanner570]

Thanks Andy. :thumb2:

I've made a small, rough, random board platform to allow access to the wheel and sluice gate (I have yet to make the gate)

Painted a bit more stream bed too....



















Cheers.
Ron

[spanner570]

Pushing quietly on.....

I've covered the polystyrene beads.
I used watered down PVA and floor sweepings sprinkled on.

The strange white bits have been left devoid of muck. This will allow the two ends of the bridge to sit in, rather than on the surface. Thus avoiding a ridge.










The bridge is now in place and ready for weathering and blending in.....



Cheers.
Billy 'No Mates'

[yak face]

Looking superb ron , cant wait to see the next progress , cheers tony

[Graeme C.]

Coming along nicely Ron, there's a fish ladder on the river by the weir near me. I don't think there are any migrating fish in the river, but there are fish!