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Scratch-built card and styrene structures (based on real buildings around London Bridge)


grahame
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I've managed to get the architectural details on the walls, start the colonnaded section, added some made up roof details (as I had no reference pics for it) and given the walls a coat of grey primer ready for painting and glazing. I'll be using Redutex for the pitched roof.

 

I've yet to decide how I'm going to make the large ventilation grilles (there's two between the columns on the ground floor and two in the rear wall upper floors not shown in the pic). I'm holding the (front) wall section in place as until it is painted and glazed I can't fix it in position. But overall it's coming along relatively well.

 

It'll probably need a bit of tidying up some areas with filler and so on before painting.

 

164525.jpg

 

G.  

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I was out all day yesterday so not much was done, but I've made a few changes - set the doors further back and smoothed the front ground/pavement slope - and have started to get some basic blocks of colour on. Once the painting is complete (and sealed with matt varnish) I'll be able to make and glaze the windows.

 

I've also still to sort out the ventilation grilles and have been searching around for something suitable - any suggestions? Plus there's the pitched roof tiling (I'll use Redutex) to be done.

 

 

105427.jpg

 

G.

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Hi Grahame,

Looking great as usual, DCC Supplies show Archer Louvers in various scales:

https://www.dccsupplies.com/cl-584/louvres.htm

Any use here?

 

Regards, Gerry.

 

 

Excellent suggestion - many thanks - although I've already knocked up a couple to fit from Evergreen siding and strip:

 

124303.jpg

 

They stand a little proud but bearing in mind their size and that it's not a fully accurate representation, I think they'll do:

 

125951.jpg

 

G.

Edited by grahame
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I was out all day yesterday (oddly enough in Croydon and catching the tram along that very line/place where the accident happened this morning) so not much modelling done. However, I have now got all the main blocks of colour on:

 

142352.jpg

 

Next is to start toning it down, blending and weathering it, and making it look more realistic and less like a brightly painted toy. Then I can glaze it and glue it all together.

 

G.

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It's getting near to completion - well, at least as much as I'm going to do on it currently before it is used on a layout. Plus I'm waiting for delivery of the Redutec tiling I had to order when I found I had insufficient left. And I'm already checking out the next building to make.

 

 

154948.jpg

 

G.

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I've now added the Redutex roof tiles so it's time to move on and consider the next structure.

 

This modern looking white building is also in London Bridge Street next to the triangular building I've just made. The New London Bridge House skyscraper was located over at the right hand end of it and behind that/further on is the station forecourt. It's probably the next building I need to tackle. But I'll need some time to work out how, and out of what, I'm going to make it. Plus, again, it's a structure that has been demolished and I only have this picture of it that I took several years ago:

 

032729.jpg

 

G.

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I've had a look and some thoughts - it's quite a scary looking prospect. But it's a challenge. BING maps still has old 3D and aerial views of the area so I've now got a better understanding of the structure.

 

I think I'll be taking a modular approach - for example I'll make the tower, angled roof/equipment section and main building accommodation section as separate structures, before bringing and joining them together. I'll probably make the module frames of floor formers from thick mounting board card and cover with smooth sheet - styrene for the walls and card for the roofs.

 

I've also got to work out a plan and the sizes - it'll need compressing to fit in with the other compressed buildings and hopefully I'll be able to simplify the design without loosing the character and look to make it easier to model. I've already sketched a rough plan and basic 3D view to help me but need to refine it and draw it up full size.

 

G. 

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Okay - to get underway I cut three floors, the two lower ones exactly the same, from thick card based on my compressed but full sized plan. Then internal risers from card were added as walls across the width and the upper floors glued on top. Finally I added, again from card, the end and rear walls of the taller section. And, voila, the basic main building structure (but without any frills):

 

125058.jpg

 

It's not particularly inspiring and is going to take some work to turn it in to a realistic miniature building based on the original.

 

G.

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Just noticed this thread.

I note you're working with card and styrene.

Can I ask what adhesive you use to join these 2 materials?

Card to card - CAA

Card to styrene - CAA

Styrene to styrene - liquid poly

 

HTH.

 

G

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Question prob seems a bit stupid to some but what's CAA?

Steve.

CAA = CyanoAcrylate Adhesive

 

PS : There's a TLA decoder in the Jargon Buster leaflet provided free with the N Gauge Journal (5/16).

PPS : TLA = Three Letter Acronym.

;-)

HTH

 

G.

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Not much modelling done today (I had to go out shopping) but I've made the basic roof module (ventilation?) structure from card covered in styrene. It's separate and will be detailed and painted separately before being fitted in place:

 

 

190944.jpg

 

G.

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I've now made a start on the third structural module - the tower. It has card profile formers and a card core that is covered in plasticard. The actual tower is quite a complex shape and is finished in the same style as the main building so there's a lot of detail to add. However, I'll try and simplify it where I can without affecting the character and look.

 

 

123111.jpg

 

G.

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I've spent an hour or so cutting out bits of plasticard and sticking them in place to get this far:

 

150450.jpg

 

Next to consider is how to represent and add the vertical outrider strakes at the corners. Then some filler to tidy it up.

 

G.

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Back in the groove (after a long fine wine session) with a little bit of progress:

 

223101.jpg

 

G.

Just idling through some un-processed snaps and I came across this one of what I think is the back of this building - or at least the small portion that you can see around the edge of the mobile poster-board.

post-14351-0-94518800-1479591387_thumb.jpg

Edited by phil_sutters
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Although it's a couple of miles away, I thought that you might like this shot taken from a train between Blackfriars & the Elephant. It would be a challenge with all the different levels and personal belongings on the balconies.

post-14351-0-58167800-1479599491_thumb.jpg

Edited by phil_sutters
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Although it's a couple of miles away, I thought that you might like this shot taken from a train between Blackfriars & the Elephant. It would be a challenge with all the different levels and personal belongings on the balconies.

 

And not least the randomness of architectural detail: some wall sections have a triple window, some have a double with a single on the right while others have a double with single on the left, and some balconies railings have single central vertical support and some have more. But quite a striking design overall.

 

G.

Edited by grahame
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