Jump to content
 

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


grahame
 Share

Recommended Posts

And here's the complete row - probably a little more interesting (and certainly more prototypical for the location) than the usual row of straight Metcalfe terraced houses often seen on layouts:

 

post-33-0-72941000-1507982123_thumb.jpg

 

Still a little to do like some doors and gutters on the extension, and vent/soil pipes on them all would probably be nice. But now to think about the next building.

 

G.

  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've decided the next building will be to finish the other part of the Printworks site that is in front of the terrace. It includes an old factory building converted in to apartments but that still retains the square section chimney which is conveniently very similar to the Ratio industrial chimney included in one of their Builder Plus plastic kits (that I happened to have). So I assembled the chimney and here's how it fits with the framework knocked up from mount-board. The bottom floor to the left appears to be covered car parking :

 

post-33-0-48616400-1507995595_thumb.jpg

 

But that'll have to be it for a couple of days. I've things to do now and tomorrow I'm hoping to get to the Farnham show at Aldershot.

 

G. 

Edited by grahame
  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

Every single one of these buildings you're modelling Grahame is delightfully idiosyncratic - you capture their essence perfectly.

 

It's a delight to watch your work unfold - plus each post is helpfully instructive.

 

I can't wait to see details revealed of the layout on which they will eventually sit :)

Link to post
Share on other sites

Every single one of these buildings you're modelling Grahame is delightfully idiosyncratic - you capture their essence perfectly.

 

 

Thanks.

 

I guess the one big difference is that they are all based on real buildings (even if not drop-dead accurate scale replicas and somewhat compressed, simplified, and jigged about) making them individual and unique, rather than being based on RTP models or kits of what often appear to be generic types (as well as being seen many times on layouts). That means the ones people make of real buildings from the specific layout location will always fit and look better together and in the scene.

 

The layout will be, of course, London Bridge. Again not a scale replica (also somewhat compressed, simplified, and jigged about) but hopefully invoking the 1980s to the end of the last millennium period and style and covering the area between Tooley Street (at the back in the North) and St Thomas Street (at the front on the South). The West/left end is Borough High Street and the East/right is yet to be decided. But, as I've said before, I need to move first and finding suitable property for sale these days is difficult - there's very little coming on to the market.

 

In the meantime I can enjoy myself making buildings for it. And, last night, I was able to get a little done on the new building while watching the football, so while I wait for my lift to the Farnham show here the latest:

 

post-33-0-81797700-1508051749_thumb.jpg

 

G

Edited by grahame
  • Like 7
Link to post
Share on other sites

A little bit of cardboard engineering gets the basic structure for the roof top penthouse section built - it's similar to the roof section of Printworks House just across a gated courtyard in front:

 

post-33-0-63924400-1508105664_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I was looking at some of your earlier buildings (on Hedges Hill Cutting and Stony Lane) recently and I was wondering if there was a particular reason why you seem to have moved away from brick papers to embossed styrene?

 

 

No particular reasons, except that the best (IMO) brick paper, Builder Plus, is no longer available, and you only need to cut embossed sheets once, whereas with brick paper all the elevations and apertures effectively need to be cut twice and laminated together.

 

G.

Link to post
Share on other sites

This morning has seen come cutting and gluing of bits of styrene sheet to form bay windows and add details. There's already been some discernible progress since the pic in post #452 and it's shaping up to look a little like a real quirky building (especially with the industrial chimney - but it does still exist in real life):

 

post-33-0-80963000-1508144330_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've now got some basic blocks of colour on (ready for dirtying down a d detail painting) and Redutex tiling on the sloping roof sections. Here is also at the side and back elevations showing how plain and basic it is at the rear (which won't be able to be seen):

 

post-33-0-26562900-1508162297_thumb.jpg

 

post-33-0-06095600-1508162327_thumb.jpg

 

post-33-0-87697600-1508162311_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've got some colour on the building, although it seems a little wishy-washy (the photo is possibly a little over-exposed but I may look to darken the model a bit), and have made the dwarf wall and column supports of the car parking area under the building (although it wont be able to be easily seen as in the pic below showing how close the two building are - there's a gate across the entry gap/courtyard access road). The pic shows a slightly side view and the front viewing position will be more directly to the front of Printworks House (the red building) so the smaller building will be 'hidden' behind it. Neither of the buildings are complete which demonstrates my inability to finish anything . . . . . . 

 

post-33-0-47586700-1508225570_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 2
Link to post
Share on other sites

I did darken it a little with some weathering powers, and have now added the windows. Plus I've made and fitted the hoist framework (from plastic 'I' beams) that still exists - as a little detail touch. There are still a few things to do like the doors and drainpipes but now it's time again to start thinking about the next one. . . . . . . 

 

post-33-0-31563300-1508250405_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

You don’t hang about do you Grahame. I wish I could clear my backlog of buildings that well and that quickly.

 

Yes, this one does seem to have been relatively quick. Just three days (since 14th) from the first post about its design and cutting the mount-board for the framework to the current stage. There are still a few things to do though, such as the balcony railings, doors and drainpipes - and they might not get done for some while if I get started on another. 

 

But I was finding that many of the buildings were getting pulled down due to the current 'development' in the area (such as Fielden House, New London Bridge House, the burger bar shop block, the old tube station entrance building, the SER railway offices, and Southwark Towers. Plus there are others I need to make that have already gone such as the shop terrace in Borough High Street opposite the post office and the row against the railway viaduct in Guildable Manor Street.

 

G.

  • Like 1
Link to post
Share on other sites

 Neither of the buildings are complete which demonstrates my inability to finish anything . . . . . . 

 

I don't know about your ability to finish anything, but your ability to start things seems second to none!

 

I had a look at this building on Google Streetview (mainly to see how closely the chimney resembled the prototype, to be honest) and I was wondering when this building was converted into apartments. Was that happening in this area back in the 70s?

 

Jim

Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm not sure when it was converted but most likely before the end of the last millennium (as per this aerial photo below without the Shard and before the start of the re-building of the station) plus it was probably out of use long before that with the clampdown on industrial chimney smoke in London because of the smog.

 

post-33-0-77987500-1508260459_thumb.jpg

 

For the next structure I'm looking at the shops opposite the post office and burger bar shops (I've already made). These will be 'low relief' as they'll be at the left end of the layout. And I probably need to chop a section out of the terrace. They've all been demolished now and replaced with a modern glass shop structure but this pic (below) was taken in 2006:

 

post-33-0-05156100-1508260799.jpg

 

G.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've worked out the size required and given some thought as to the build requirements - bearing in mind that these shops will be low relief, and at a slight angle. And I've also sketched up a full size plan (as below), sharpened the pencils and fitted new blades in the knives ready for measuring and cutting card. The bottom part of the diagram shows the main front elevation and the top section is the plan view (if anyone can make sense of my scribblings). I've had to make some assumptions about things like roof details as I've no reference pics:

 

post-33-0-45764300-1508328311_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

 

 

  • Like 3
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've started by cutting two floor plans from mount-board - one will be the roof level (on which the pitched roof tent will sit) and the other the first floor level (not the ground floor as that is on a slight uphill slope). I've divided them in to two, to reflect and accommodate the step level change in the terrace and make it easier to handle/build:

 

post-33-0-65358300-1508330988_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

Then, with cut ends and vertical walls, and the whole assembly was glued together to form the basic framework structure. The beauty of card is that there is some flexibility to help pull things square when adding an accurately cut rectangular wall. Also notice that the framework is sitting on an inclined steel rule as the wall lengths are different to accommodate the road/pavement slope:

 

post-33-0-18516200-1508334511_thumb.jpg

 

G.

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

With some cardboard engineering I've now made the pitched roof 'tents' that will be covered wth Redutex tiling sheets. They've had a light dusting of grey primer and rubbed down to remove the hairyness and any imperfections ready for the self adhesive covering to stick to. Also incuded are the chimney stacks, again formed from cardboard.

 

Although this is low relief building I've made sure that there was sufficient width to include the roof ridge in front of the back scene so that the far side then slopes away and down to the back-scene, rather than having the front upslope obviously running up and disappearing in to the back-scene. This helps prevent low relief buildings looking unnecessarily thin and without a roof ridge and gives a better (more realistic) impression for the model and the appropriate height.

 

post-33-0-96620000-1508350829_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 8
Link to post
Share on other sites

I went for retinopathy screening earlier today so I'm not able to do much modelling ATM (they put drops in your eyes which make your vision blurry) but I had done a little preparatory work ready for cutting the windows in the walls (of which there are many separate facets due to the 'bay' window sections):

 

post-33-0-85991500-1508421800_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 6
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've recovered from an excellent day out yesterday at the Spa Valley Diesel Gala and Real Ale Festival . . . . . 

 

post-33-0-42225700-1508585329_thumb.jpg

 

which means I can get back to some modelling. Not a great deal, but I've added a chimney stack/firebreak wall that I'd missed off although had included it in my rough sketch plan, and started on cutting the window apertures:

 

post-33-0-75471800-1508585425_thumb.jpg

 

G.

 

 

  • Like 4
Link to post
Share on other sites

I've upgraded the chimney stacks ready to receive the pots which I'll make as separate painted sub-assemblies on a flaunching base to add when the rest of the building is complete so as not to accidently knock and damage them while handling the building.

 

Although not much has been done this morning (and I'm now going out to get the Sunday papers), I'm posting this pic to show that the windows are simply marked out with a pencil - the horizontal cuts are easily lined up along brick courses - and the second vertical cut to form the aperture will be double checked for size against the first vertical cut when placing the steel edge. I hope that makes sense and is useful.

 

post-33-0-75667000-1508665521_thumb.jpg

 

G.

  • Like 5
Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...