Parker Fabricates

Entry posted by Phil Parker July 1, 2015

2,224 views

August's issue of BRM includes a free set of building details from Modelrailwaysecenery.com on the DVD or as part of the download. This isn't a complete kit, but windows, doors, air con units and notices that can be used to aid scratchbuilding or modifying a card building. The details are printed on a colour printer, ideally on to matt photographic paper. You can print as many copies as you need too so hang on to the DVD for the future. For my model, I needed some brickpaper so bought a sheet from the same company, again, I can now print as many copies of this as I need in the future.

To give them a go, I decided to try to model the sort of 1950s industrial unit that lives around the railway as it runs through Leamington Spa. The area where my car goes for its service and repair, so I've had plenty of time to observe the prototype...

To keep this a low-cost project, I've used Daler board 2mm thick card for most of the structure and cereal packet card for some of the details. Total cost was under a couple of pounds for all the materials used.

For speed, I used a spray glue but Pritt Stick works just as well (use a fresh one as they dry out) and Roket Card glue for assembly. The card glue is very runny so has to be applied carefully, but it sticks very quickly and a bottle goes a very long way.

The carcase is made of Daler board with holes for windows and doors cut out based on the printed ones. The main doors are a scale 14' 6" high as I planned to use a large roller shutter door. Size on the prototype varies but do make sure your delivery lorry can go through.

As you can see, construction is mainly from offcuts. While sheets of Daler board can be bought from art shops, scrap material is often available from picture framers as they use it for mounting photos and have to cut large, square holes in the middle.

Bricks come from the Modelrailwayscenery.com range, downloaded and printed on matt photographic card. This is cut roughly to size and fixed with spray glue or Pritt Stick. Make sure the corner stick down properly, after taking this photo I had to slip a bit of glue behind them. It's not a bad idea to colour the edge of the paper with a pencil crayon or felt tip pen. Be careful with pens though, sometimes the ink can soak in further than you might like so test a piece first.

Windows are cut out with a cross and then the paper is folded back and stuck inside.

For neat corners, score along the edge with a blunt knife and then flatten the paper around the card with a small ruler.

On the brickpaper, there were some detail strips to be used as lintels and along the top edge of the wall. Strictly speaking these should be flush with the brick faces but adding them over the top isn't very noticeable and a lot quicker and easier.

A pair of sliding doors are made up by wrapping the printout around a rectangle of cereal box card. This gives a nice double-sided component. If you use the these, the notes with the parts suggest using some old rail along the top as the sliding rail for the doors.

Windows and doors were backed with cereal card and then stuck behind the holes in the wall. If you don't back them, it will be possible to see light shining through the paper. Here, I've tried the simpler roller shutter, a more colourful black and yellow safety version is also included.

The final option is a folding door. This has to be cut to size and then all the folds scored. Finally the door is stuck to some thin card and then fitted in the doorway.

This is a modern building, so it's going to festooned in Health & Safety notices. Plenty are included on the sheet and I'm sure will be invaluable to anyone modelling the current era.

Projects like this are great when you don't have time for a major build. I picked up and put down this one around other work. Since you only really need a knife, pencil and ruler, it could even be suitable for a holiday project. I've built the odd card kit while sheltering in a tent before...