Well I was not too sure about spraying the ceiling flat black. After a very messy job it looks really good. I like it a lot. I have some touch up to still do but all and all it is done. I also got all the walls primed and the trim painted. Still have the doors to do. I was going to paint it Antique white but after a few people saw the ceiling painted black they said I should paint a light gray. I tried one color of gray ( you can see it in the pictures) but I am going the next shade lighter. I think it will look "railroad" like.
I am worn out. Oh well i have two coats to put on the walls and some doors to paint. The floor will be painted gray and I will have carpet runners in the walk paths of the layout.
Let me know what you think I am curious what people think of the flat black ceiling. I can take all forms of criticism.
I saw that flat black idea many years ago in a shop to disguise the lack of an actual drop ceiling, but what they also did was run white rope or cord across it at ceiling height at about 15" - 18" spacing in a continuous run. Most wouldn't have realised there wasn't a ceiling in place.
Looks good. I have seen other layouts that have the ceiling painted black. Who is going to pay attention to the ceiling any way when you have your layout built. They'll be looking at the trains.
I've seen that done in bars an restaurants as well. It certainly would cut down greatly on build-out costs.
String some white LED Christmas lights all up in between the joists and you'd have a ready made star-field for night ops.
Edit: And if you wait a couple weeks after Christmas and you'll be able get some on sale.
E.
Ok sometimes you have to brag about a deal and here is the deal I am going to brag about. I needed 15 feet of cabinets for my bar base. They had to be upper wall cabinets because I needed only 12" of dept. I looked all over for cheap cabinets but even cheap was going to cost me over $650.00 and I would also have to finish them!!!
So I went to my local lumber yard that I have been purchasing all my lumber from and ask them if they had any good deals. He showed me these uses cabinets that came out of a doctors office. These are the heavy duty type that cost big bucks. I asked him "what can you do for me?" He said "how about $50.oo dollars ? " I said " For each?" " No " he said " for all of them, you are a good customer and I'll deliver them to the house for you too"
Do you believe that?? What I deal. I told him I would think about it, NOT!
So a little elbow grease and here they are, they look great. I guess that is my Christmas gift.
Yes I do need a layout badly but that will have to wait . Soon though.
But I have new garage I have to arrange too. Hopefully by February I can do the Benchwork