A particularly busy week at work didn't leave much energy or enthusiasm for modelling last week. I did get a few bits and pieces done though.
The first relates to my last post on the occupied arches. Chris asked if I could make some Pattress Plates that were used to strengthen buildings and bridges to further enhance the arches. Inkscape to the fore and I soon had some parts draw up and cut out.
They are made up from multi layers of 20thou sheet and sadly I didn't take photos of the finished articles before sloshing on the paint but here they are before fitting to the arches.
On my long term "want to try that" list has been Vallejo Crackle medium, which is used to represent peeling cracking or flaking paint. None of the usual haunts that I normally buy my supplies of Vallejo paint from seem to stock it and I am far too tight to pay postage to get some from eBay. Which pretty much doubles the cost.
Having done a search for it on eBay I noticed that Jackson Art supplies stock it and they are one of the places that Chris uses for her art supplies. I asked if she would add some to her order the next time she placed one which she did last week. - She waits until she needs enough supplies to qualify for free postage.... We are from the People's Republic of Yorkshire after all.
When I knew it was on it's way I thought what shall I use to test it and I could have used a square of styrene but no... I though perhaps I could could a couple of door sized pieces and cut some grooves to represent planks.
Which I did, then I thought I could add rails and stiles (I think that's what they call them?) to the back and perhaps a couple of hinges on one to look like a door that's been taken of for disposal or repair. Then I thought ah yes but the type of doors that I am representing have "Snecks" (or that's what we call the round 'ere) which meant that I would need to add a couple of pattress plates (see the theme developing).
Finally I got around to doing some actual painting and testing of the crackle medium. I have read various reviews and it seemed that many people didn't really get on with it. I suspect that in the main that's because the instructions are sparse to say the least - paint surface with acrylic paint, don't shake the bottle, apply to the surface and allow to dry thoroughly (small cracks) over paint with a contrasting colour. For larger cracks overpain while still tacky.
Now peoples biggest issue seems to be that while overpainting you can have a tendency to drag the paint off removing your nicely cracked surface - see the brown door.
Having done the brown door and experienced just that effect albeit that I think that it looks okay bearing in mind how much magnification there is on the images.
On the second (blue) door I watered down the paint quite significantly and did the cover in a single stroke making sure that I didn't touch it again with the brush once an area had been covered this gave a much better effect that does look like well worn paint work.
I plan to do some more tests but using the airbrush to apply the second coat to see what effect that has.
I tried variations of the above techniques on the backs and to be honest I am not that happy with any of them.
and finally the "sneck"
I couldn't resist distressing the bottoms of the doors to look like they have rotted away like so many outside toilet doors of my youth.
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) backscene was my own work using artists acrylics. It's only the third one I've attempted in anger! 
