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

[grahame]

I've now added some basic blocks of colour and Redutex tiling on the pitched roof sections. The three cut-outs are for dormer windows that I've yet to make. But next I'll look to cut a suitable piece of clear plasicard/acrylic and start to add the panels and frames from sticky labels and styrene strip:

 

 

G.

 

 

[chaz]

Thanks.

 

But the 'skills' are only basic cutting, gluing and painting. There's nothing tricky or difficult like soldering, programming or lining. There's no metalwork, electrics or mechanics, and just basic tools required.

 

Accuracy and consistency comes with practice and experience. You're probably doing yourself a misservice saying you couldn't make similar. A little application and 'can do' should get you going, and no doubt soon you'll be making better buildings.

 

G.

 

 

I'm going to have to take gentle issue with you, particularly with that word "only". Any incompetent idiot can use a knife to cut a piece of card it's true BUT it takes real skill to cut it accurately and to assemble it using glue without making a mess and to paint it as well as you do.

 

"Accuracy and consistency comes with practice and experience." Quite so, but you need to be both thorough and self-critical to develop skills. 

 

As a retired teacher (of art and later design technology) I fought a constant battle against pupil's beliefs that they couldn't do something. So, yes, I agree - all modellers can improve their work and should be inspired by what you do.

 

Chaz

[grahame]

I'm going to have to take gentle issue with you, particularly with that word "only". Any incompetent idiot can use a knife to cut a piece of card it's true BUT it takes real skill to cut it accurately and to assemble it using glue without making a mess and to paint it as well as you do.

 

"Accuracy and consistency comes with practice and experience." Quite so, but you need to be both thorough and self-critical to develop skills. 

 

As a retired teacher (of art and later design technology) I fought a constant battle against pupil's beliefs that they couldn't do something. So, yes, I agree - all modellers can improve their work and should be inspired by what you do.

 

Chaz

 

Cutting card is a simple and straightforward task in the grand scale of things and is not difficult to learn and accomplish, unlike many other more complex and intricate skills. Sure some people may struggle to cut accurately at first but it can quickly and easily be learnt and improved upon through practice. 

 

It is probably an essential part of card structure modelling so is something that those who find it difficult should concentrate on and look to master if they want to scratch-build with card. There is also much advice that can be found on-line such as:  http://www.e2ogame.net/homepages/antti/models/measureandcutting.html so it's worth a little surfing and googling. 

 

G.

[phil_sutters]

I came across this very low def.photo of the cobbler's corner shop. It's not dated but the bobby on point duty probably puts it into the '50s or very early 60s. They had stopped that by the time I got to work in London. I don't know where it came from - it was on an archive CD I was checking for other material.

 

edit - actually he has a light top on so it could be day-go - or white shirt - who knows - perhaps the vehicles give better clues - an RT I think and a Morris 1000.

 

Edited August 12, 2017 by phil_sutters

[grahame]

I've not touched this project for a while as I've been away on holiday and spend some time working on the next issue of the NGS Journal. Bit now I've started again to tackle the front glazed wall:

 

 

It looks quite colourful but most of it will need to be painted in fairly muted colours.

 

G,

[grahame]

Then slowly and carefully, although perhaps not so carefully in my case (with the mess I'm making of it) cut and glue little strips of styrene in place without marking the clear plastic (very difficult):

 

 

There's now 25 short horizontal bit to cut and add, then a whole heap of 'X's from rod . . . . . . . .

 

G.

 

 

 

[grahame]

A quick dry test run of the incomplete glazing panel (just rested in place) reveals it doesn't look too bad. It's not exactly a replica of the real building it's meant to be as it's very much compressed and simplified, but then the real thing is hardly a standout handsomely designed structure;

 

 

There is some strange detail to replicate and add at the left end along with a glazed side entrance canopy.

 

G.

 

 

[Jim Martin]

I came across this very low def.photo of the cobbler's corner shop. It's not dated but the bobby on point duty probably puts it into the '50s or very early 60s. They had stopped that by the time I got to work in London. I don't know where it came from - it was on an archive CD I was checking for other material.

 

edit - actually he has a light top on so it could be day-go - or white shirt - who knows - perhaps the vehicles give better clues - an RT I think and a Morris 1000.

 

a281cad0fed15a3657851d121b724c0f--st-thomas.jpg

Original photo is at https://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/view-item?i=55531&WINID=1503245393601. The site gives the date as 1966.

 

Jim

[grahame]

Phew, I think that all the little bits of rod and strip in place. It'll certainly do for today.

 

 

G.

 

 

[phil_sutters]

Original photo is at https://collage.cityoflondon.gov.uk/view-item?i=55531&WINID=1503245393601. The site gives the date as 1966.

 

Jim

That is a very useful resource with thousands of images of London and its life. Thanks for pointing out the source of my little image, Jim.

I have just had a great half hour looking through the railway photos. Search 'railway' and go to image 430 (of over 900) and you should find a fascinating collection of Selsey railway photos, including the unloading of the Ford railcars from a Lowmac-type wagon. Brilliant stuff! I'm not quite sure why that is in the Metropolitan Archives, but who cares.!

Edited August 20, 2017 by phil_sutters

[grahame]

Just a tiddly bit of modelling this morning, but here's how it shapes up next to the old church:

 

 

G

 

 

[grahame]

This morning I've started to have a bash at making the detailing features for the building. Again I've simplified them for sanity although there is still the 'X's to add.

 

 

G.

 

[grahame]

And here it is in place with the 'X's. I think any more fancy detail (as in the real building) will over-crowd and overwhelm it. There is still the almost circular glazed side entrance canopy to fit next to it which I'll tackle next, then the dormer windows:

 

 

G.

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

The side canopy and it's fancy front has now been completed:

 

 

Again I've kept it simple: the front so as not to overwhelm and be in keeping with the other 'decoration' and the side as it will not be seen being tucked between two buildings like this:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

And this is now how the row looks from the corner of Borough High Street along St Thomas Street. To the right of these will be the old Georgian style railway offices and then Southwark Tower (now replaced by the Shard). 

 

 

These buildings will form the front edge of the left end of the layout. Further to the right will be the terminus part of London Bridge Station on a viaduct also along St Thomas Street.

 

G

 

 

[grahame]

The last thing to make for the 'X' building are the dormer windows, although there are still some details to add, before I consider embarking on the next buildings: the Georgian style old railway offices. The dormers have been simply, in keeping with the building style, put together from plasticard:

 

 

G.

 

 

 

[grahame]

I've slapped a bit of paint on them and they're just about ready for glazing, which will no doubt be the trickiest bit. Here they are just resting in place (not fixed) with the inner slope coloured with a black sharpie pen to disguise it:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

The glazing is now installed, if a little utilitarian and grubby.

 

And I've already started to take a look at the next building on my list to make. It's a handsome Georgian style building with a little courtyard out the front and was part of the old railway offices. It seems to join to the old St Thomas church at the left end - you can see the corner of this with the white quoins.

 

It's an impressive building and is still used as offices although it was up for sale last time I saw it. There's quite a few floors with a semi basement level (which will add complexity) and two doors, one on the level and one up a few steps, both with broken pediments. Despite that the frontage is fairly simple and flat but I'll take a bit of effort to capture the character and look without it looking like a typical kids house drawing. To compress it I'll be taking out two columns of windows, one between the doors and one from the right and end.

 

 

G.

 

  

[grahame]

After pouring over Google maps 3D images and photographs I started by sketching up the front elevation (and most of the sides) to what will be full size. Then I cut it out to see how it fitted and looked up against the old church model:

 

 

You'll probably notice, having worked out a suitable window size needed to be able to use the Scene-setters glazing bars I'm planning on using, that I'm able to keep in two columns of windows between the doors so will only need to loose one for some compression. And still be able to keep a reasonably accurate front rectangular relationship that is representative of the real building.

 

G.

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

As usual, the first step of construction is to cut the two ends and a couple of floors from mount-board card:

 

 

And then glue them, with some supports and fillets to ensure accuracy and square, in to a framework to hang the detailed sides on:

 

 

G.

 

[sb67]

I love watching the buildings coming together, looking forward to another masterpiece.

Steve.

[grahame]

Next I added the cardboard roof 'tent' that will later be covered with self adhesive Redutex tiled sheet:

 

 

Then I cut out a sheet of brick embossed plasticard for the front elevation to fit - note that the front extends down and in to the basement area meaning the model will need to be fitted in to trench to accommodate and represent it. The windows were cut out and sills were cut from plasticard strip and glued in place. The top plain brickwork frieze was added from two strips of the embossed plasticard.

 

 

G.

[grahame]

To see and check how it was all looking, coming together and get an idea of how the relationships were panning out (although a bit late to make major changes), I just placed the front up against the shell with a sketch of the main doorway:

 

 

G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

Not much more done this morning - just thickening up the chimney stacks, cladding them with embossed brick plasticard and topping with a slab ready for the pots:

 

 

G.

Edited August 24, 2017 by grahame

[grahame]

This afternoon I spent a little time replacing the paper sketch of the main door and surround with one made from a few scraps of plasticard. The other doorway is a little less ornate but still has a broken pediment.

 

 

G.