Buildings from Set KK-NF # 21
built by George Hardy
The CVA has three sets for the construction of exhibitions -- NF 34, Lyck, DS 29 (plus extra stones for either red or blue roofs), KK 21 (plus a nice collection or rare dome and steeple stones). The KK set is new to the CVA, and the reproduction metal was received at the Ankerfest. During the weeks between the Ankerfest and the CVA, I built several of the designs. I wanted to try the metal roofs, using the reproduction metal. The metal which came with the CVA's set was not usable -- some of it was actually home-made.
I have never been a fan of the KK sets, even though I have a nice collection, which includes set # 21 with excellent quality original metal. But handling that metal risks starting irreversible rust. So this was an opportune time to try it out. The KK set 19A was the first Anchor set which had metal roofs. Some of the previous sets featured metal parts for bridges, but not roofs -- although some designs with metal roofs using bridge roadbeds were tried.
This model was chosen
because it uses all of the metal roof parts -- 8 large roof plates for the
center section of the building and the other 8 smaller roof plates. Note
how well the roof fits. These buildings were designed for these metal
parts. Surprising as it might seem, the metal is GK, not KK. But the
20 and 25 mm dimensions cross quite often (50 = [KK] 20 + 20 + 10 = [GK] 25 +
25), and use of GK metal in multiples of 2
achieves the compatibility required.
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* * * *
* *
This factory building also
uses all of the roof plates, but it is not as interesting as the first building.
The chimney works and the factory offered to supply a metal grate to allow a person
to put a cigarette at the bottom of the chimney. I would never abuse
Anchor stones in this manner, even for a photograph.
* * * *
During construction, while
placing the roof plates in place on the section at the right, I dropped a plate
into the building. Normally I would use a magnet on a rod to fish it out,
but I do not have all of my "Anchor tools" in the Netherlands. So I had to
work it out through the side window (removing the vertical center stone).
As you can see, that stone is not part of the building's supporting structure.
* * * *
* * * *
* * *
Only about half of the
designs in the plan book use the metal parts. This monument was chosen
because it is not easy to build -- especially the four corner towers.
KK makes these towers even more difficult to construct. It took me two
days to build all four small towers. I had many collapses.
Fortunately KK stones are light and much less likely to break.
The figures in the monument -- placed there after completion -- are original
Richter figures. Although Richter's factory never produced these figures
(the doll and toy industry was very strong in this part of Germany), he did sell
a large selection of figures and other decorative accessories. These
figures and accessories are very rare.
* * * *
Kaiser Wilhelm, the First.
* * * *
The well known "Lion Anchor Shield Holder". The gold paint is original,
but a number of these lions in various sets were not painted. These
figures are not part of the same set of figures.
* * *
All in all, I found building with KK stones an interesting experience, but I would never "convert" to KK from GK.
* * * * * * * * * *