Structure - Albany Tomato Company (part 6)

I was thinking recently that my project was slowing down, even though the deadline for completion is mid-September and I may be busy this summer with other things. And, I was concerned that perhaps I was taking too much time and overthinking things. For example, I cannot paint the building until it is washed. I cannot mount the gray windows in the openings until the exterior of the building is painted brick red. I cannot install the roofs until the windows are in or else risk only being able to install them from inside and below. I cannot install the brick sheets to the inside edges of the roof until the roof is glued in. Etc.

There is something to be said about smart planning and not painting yourself into a corner. However, this building isn't rocket science. So, I decided to plunge ahead with two decisions that will impact my future sequence of operations.

First, I bought a piece of 1/2" thick Masonite that I will use as the base. As you have probably seen, the building has several floors and slopes along the length of it. While in real life it is paved along a grade so that all you see is a nice gradual angle, I am building this model right as a stand-alone building so I don't want to pave it or build it into any permanent scenery. So, I need a foundation that will look decent, support the two elevations of the building, be lightweight, and perhaps make it easier to carry the building around when I need to move it. Since it it isn't part of the model, I am not going overboard with the appearance. I will paint it gray to represent concrete and that is it.

I also plan to install little wooden blocks inside to loosely secure it from sliding. If I make them too tight a fit, and binding could damage the model. Of course, once the roof is installed gluing them will be more difficult so I started working today by cutting little pieces of wood and gluing them to the base. 

I also took a giant Indiana Jones leap of faith forward and glued one of the roofs onto the building. The area of the building that I secured only has two windows and I think I can get them easily from underneath if I need to. The roof over the railroad loading doors will be loose for now until I decide how I will install the interior. The third roof, over the side with all the windows, I may glue now.