andythetree

Yes please, always looking for inspiration!

That is absolutely amazing. Mind blowing even. I had no idea that this sort of technology had drifted down to home use. Thank you for opening my eyes to the possibilities.

I always knew the outdoor buildings would have to be very different and this thread was more about the inside stuff. Thank you though for your excellent information. I will eventually start a thread about the outdoor buildings looking in a similar way to this thread about the options. My current plans are to use foamboard for the structure covered in a form of stucco that sculptors use to make garden statues!

Outstanding detail. Can all printers work with SLA ? And does software convert the photo into a 3d model? Do you need a really good camera? You are right, it really is science fiction from what you have shown. *00 chimney pots might be a bit over the top though. To paraphase Oscar Wilde to lose one chimney may be regarded as misfortune but to lose 799 is simply carelessness!

I wish I could find my copy of this little book. Does anyone have a copy of it as it is out of print? I am actually after just one of the plans out of it, so a photocopy or a scan of that one page would be really helpful. The plan in question is a rabbit run mountain plan that appeared on the last page of the booklet, I seem to remember it was an 8x4 layout in narrow gauge, though that might just be my memory playing tricks.

It would appear that I have forgotten one key issue which both Edward and Mike Morely have raised above. I was careful to distinguish between my indoor 2mm scale plans and my 7mm outdoor plans, knowing that water would play a massive part in what worked. Card structures, whether of the Metcalfe variety or clad in paper or even plastic sheet, will never survive outdoors, even in a UK summer. But what are the issues indoors with water and damp? In a damp celler or an attic with massive variations in humidity and temperature, are there any problems with delamination and/or warping? Do any of you use a protective coat of a varnish or lacquer to protect the finished item? And if you do, do you also coat as far as possible the inner surfaces too? As an example, in my other life of RC boats I have found that it is wise to coat all sides of any wooden structure, even above the waterline, with a coat of a matt varnish to avoid warping. And let's face it, card is merely a processed form of wood! I have come across some inkjet papers suitable for photos, so a matt finish that will give excellent quality of reproduction, that already have a waterproof adhesive applied to the back. I think I will send for some and try a few experiments.

Very interesting. So in essence you use 3d printing as the 21st century version of using a mould to cast copies of something. I must admit I hadn't really thought about it in this way. I remain wary though of the learning curve of a new technology.

Wonderful work, I shall be very pleased if I can reach your standard.

First of all may I offer heartfelt thanks to all those who have contributed to this thread so far. Your comments and your advice are considered and very useful to me and to other beginners. No trace of "this is how I do it and any other way is simply wrong" which I had feared. Nearholmer I agree with your comments about wood, it is a much underrated construction material, but it is tricky at 2mm scale. A workshop where wood is being worked always smells of quality and so much nicer than the chemicals we use. You are also correct in your assumption that the 7mm scale would be outdoors and that opens a whole new can of worms. brossard Thanks for your contribution. I am familiar with Scalescenes and have downloaded the freebie to try it out. There also seem to be a lot of fans in this forum and they have been around for a while now, so all that is a big plus. What do you print the "top layer" on, and how do you then stick it without bubbles on the card bases? phil_sutters Thanks for pointing me in the direction of Grahame. Superb work, and I shall enjoy reading through the entire thread. A snap look at a few pages would seem to suggest that Grahame is in favour of all sorts of hybrid solutions and having seen the quality of the end product I feel a lot more confident that I might be moving in the correct direction.

Happy New Year everyone. Please understand that I am not trying to start WW3 here, just looking for a little clarity in the modelling world. Please bear with me as this is a lengthy post. Unfortunately it needs to be to examine the issues, but if you manage to reach the end of it I would welcome your opinions. A little background. I have been a modeller for the best part of 50 years, starting with a railway (the ubiquitous Hornby loop, much extended), dabbling in N gauge, moving on to RC offshore racing boats, other RC boats, RC trucks and plant in 1:14 and many other stops along the way. As I now approach retirement of sorts and I have the time, I want to start another railway, well two actually if I am allowed. One will be a RC garden railway in O gauge, the other will be indoors in N gauge. Considering just the indoor railway, I have done a lot of reading and research, and it seems to me that there are two distinct camps when it comes to the buildings. On my left, in the blue corner, we have the card modellers and on my right, in the red corner, we have the plastic modellers. And it seems to a beginner like me the fight can be a bit brutal. I consider myself a beginner simply because it has been 50 years since I built a building for a railway. Building Kits Card kits from the leaders in the industry have certainly come a very long way in my time. The instructions are much clearer, the printing and pre-cutting is to a much higher standard, even the variety on offer is much improved. Yet they still have issues. How to give them relief on individual faces of the building and the roof, how to deal with the corners, fragility and last but not least the sheer numbers of layouts up and down the country using exactly the same building you have in the same colours. Plastic kits have also come a long way too, particularly if you want to model the continent. Often they are pre-coloured and it is hard to disguise the fact that they are, well "plasticy". They too are fragile. It has to be said though that they are streets ahead on texture, and they should last well on the layout. I think that card vs plastic is pretty much a draw. Each has benefits and each has flaws. 3d printing The new kid on the block, and varies between brilliant and bin fodder in terms of quality. Still has to be painted and finished. Unless you want to spend a lot of time learning a totally new skill you once again are restricted to what is available commercially. which is patchy at best. Scratch Building Surely then the solution is obvious. Build your own. But out of what? The same issues apply as with the kits, and there are extra ones too. With card it would seem to be possible to build really quite accurate scale models with relief and texture. Windows, doors and other parts can be sourced from specialist retailers, in wood or plastic or even resin. Then comes the issue of painting it, and whilst the skills can be learnt, they are not easy to master. Working with plastic is not too hard either, once you have mastered the use of MEKPAK anyway. And the range of sheets of brick or stone etc generate the required relief. It is still just as difficult to paint and finish the buildings though. Hybrid systems The so-called halfway system using designs you print at home would seem to be a sensible solution to a lot of these issues. Pretty much all of them use paper and card, though I suppose one could substitute plastic for the card in the actual structure and some makers have linked with door and window suppliers to ensure straight swaps. There could be an issue with delamination, hopefully the correct glue could minimise that but I have my doubts about using self-adhesive labels. Then there is the quality of the printer to consider and the inks. Many inks fade very badly over time. Finishing with a clear lacquer solves this I believe. If you still want to be different then it is possible to use your own designs just by using the texture sheets of materials. A hybrid system using card and printed material sheets would be my choice at the moment. Thanks for reading this far. Anyone want to change my mind or confirm my thoughts?