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

[grahame]

Other chimney stacks are now added and I've made a start and some progress on cutting the various wall panels. These are only temporarily in place (below) and wont be fitted until painted and glazed:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

I've also started to get some basic blocks of colour on ready for detail painting and weathering - the pitched roofs will be covered with self-coloured self-adhesive Redutex tiling. And I do need to finish off the wall sections and get them painted:

 

 

This is how it looks with the corner/triangular building. It will also be shielded by the Printworks House building in front. Currently it looks quite colourful but will be toned down, hopefully to an overall urban grubbiness.

 

 

G.

 

[grahame]

With some grey pre-coloured Redutex tiles in place and a wash of Devlan Mud on the upper brick surfaces the roof area is already looking suitably toned down (sufficiently to encourage me to get back to finishing the wall panels):

 

 

G.

 

 

[Southern_Trains_Fan]

Amazing work! I'd love to try scratch building using cardboard. A couple of questions, sorry if they've already been covered!

 

-What cardboard do you use?

-How do you go about cutting the card

-How do you plan a building (sizing dimensions etc.)?

 

Sorry if they're a bit complex to answer, I'm just really interested in your work. Very admirable!

 

Cheers,

Matt

[grahame]

Amazing work! I'd love to try scratch building using cardboard. A couple of questions, sorry if they've already been covered!

 

-What cardboard do you use?

-How do you go about cutting the card

-How do you plan a building (sizing dimensions etc.)?

 

 

The carcase/frame (flank/side structural walls and main floors) are made from 1.5mm mountboard card. The other walls are either brick embossed plasticard, plain plasticard decorated with styrene strip or thin cardboard depending on what is required.

 

Cutting is with a scalpel knife with 10A blade against a steel edge.

 

Planning and sizing is covered at the start of most of the buildings in this thread.

 

HTH.

 

G

[grahame]

And a bit of basic rough grubby urban grot colour is now on the walls (so far cut out - must get on with the remaining panels). Hopefully, it should be suitable for working with when glazing, detailing and weathering:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

A little bit more progress with all the wall panels now done (I think) but not fixed:

 

 

G

[grahame]

I've got to the stage where I'm thinking about the next building that needs constructing, but I've managed to stay focussed enough to start making and adding details such as the chimneys, the hopper-heads and down pipes for the roof valleys and a skylight. However, there is still the guttering and their down drain-pipes and some doors to do, although as the row will be mostly obscured by the Printworks House apartments and will be at the back of the layout there is no need for excessive fancy detail - certainly not in N/2mm scale:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I think I've added sufficient detail now although it doesn't look a lot different to the previous photo (but I can always add more later if required). At least I can now start to think seriously about the next building - so many to do. That's the issue with selecting a city/urban environment to model:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

I've decided to bash on and complete the terrace of shop backs in Tooley Street, up to where there is a now a recently built modern building but was previously a bomb/building site which will more suit the period the layout is planned to be set in. Anyway I've quickly put together the main framework structure from 1.5mm mount card. Note that this building has a more substantial rear extension than any of the others:

 

 

There is a slight prototypical angular bend in the terrace and it joins the recently completed sections as below. It's always worthwhile double checking fit and look against neighbouring buildings - any issues can then be addressed at an early stage before it gets the point where alterations become difficult. 

 

 

G.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

[grahame]

A little progress this morning - I've got the roofs on (the pitched ones will be covered with Redutex tiling), given it a light dusting with grey primer and a rub down with a soft fine sanding stock to remove the hairy/fluffy bits, square any overlapping corners (using superglue to make corner joins means it sets hard and can be filed without feathering) and remove any cutting ridges:

 

 

G.

 

 

[grahame]

I've now cut the rear walls (that will be facing forward on the layout) from embossed plasticard. They are not fixed in place so that they can be placed flat on the workbench to have the window apertures cut, details added, painted and glazed:

 

 

G.

 

[scottystitch]

Thanks for the kind comments. However, the arches probably aren't as tidy as they look in the photos - but being N gauge 1:148 are small enough not to look raggedy, although that makes them trickier to cut round. I've got a compass cutter (cheap plastic tool) but that really only scratches the surface of the card. It won't cut through the card so the cutting is completed with a fine pointed scalpel blade. Then I soak superglue in which, when it is dry and hardened, allows trimming with a thin sharp blade and filing with very thin sanding sticks. Finally a coat of primer and more sanding helps gets it as smooth as they look.

 

I've started another structure (not low relief but much compressed and simplified and based on a real structure) which although the earlier build stages are on the 'structures' thread I thought I'd continue here on the 'card' thread as the majority of it is basic cardboard modelling. Anyway this is the stage it's reached - the building section above the walkway (supported by the columns) is not fixed and only placed in position to show how it will hopefully look. The steel rule is to provide weight and hold them in position for the photo.  

 

 

 

G.

 

Grahame,

 

Apologies for digging up a post from so long ago.

 

You make mention of soaking in superglue. Can you elaborate, for me? You soak the whole sheet sheet of card in superglue? Brush it on over the whole surface?

 

Apologies if I have missed something obvious (which is never beyond the realms of possibility.)

 

Best

 

Scott

[grahame]

 

 

You make mention of soaking in superglue. Can you elaborate, for me? You soak the whole sheet sheet of card in superglue? Brush it on over the whole surface?

 

Apologies if I have missed something obvious (which is never beyond the realms of possibility.)

 

 

No need to soak the card in a glue bath. ;-)

 

Run the superglue along the cut edge/end at corners and exposed 'wall' tops (as mentioned in post #436) wiping/smoothing it along with a finger. It will soak in itself but work quickly - you don't want blobs of dried superglue. For further details see page 4 of the 'Making Building in Cardboard' booklet provided free to all NGS members:

 

 

HTH.

 

G.

[grahame]

Just a little work on the model tonight - the construction of the extension/outhouse:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

And now the windows are cut out and the sills added:

 

 

G.

 

[scottystitch]

No need to soak the card in a glue bath. ;-)

 

Run the superglue along the cut edge/end at corners and exposed 'wall' tops (as mentioned in post #436) wiping/smoothing it along with a finger. It will soak in itself but work quickly - you don't want blobs of dried superglue. For further details see page 4 of the 'Making Building in Cardboard' booklet provided free to all NGS members:

 

Building Booklet coverlr.jpg

 

HTH.

 

G.

Thanks,

 

I understand now, just the cut edges/corners.

 

I will dig that booklet out. Alas it is in my "to read properly" pile.

 

Thanks.

[sb67]

Hi Grahame, is that booklet available to non NGS members? Seems a good read, there must be some tips that are applicable to all scales.

Steve.

[grahame]

Hi Grahame, is that booklet available to non NGS members? Seems a good read, there must be some tips that are applicable to all scales.

 

I think so, although I'm not responsible for NGS sales and policy. You could enquire at the main NGS display stand at exhibitions it attends - it'll be at the Peterborough show this weekend and the NEC Warley show - as they are likely to have it and sell them.

 

G.

Edited October 13, 2017 by grahame

[grahame]

Chimney stacks and roof wall finials now on, plus the whole model has been given a coat of grey primer ready for getting the main blocks of colour on, then adding the Redultex, painting, glazing, etc.,:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

The Redutex tiling and basic blocks of colour are now on ready for detail painting and dirtying down. Then there's chimney pots, doors, down pipes and glazing to make and fit before final assembly:

 

 

G.

[Compound2632]

Just a little work on the model tonight - the construction of the extension/outhouse:

 

DSC_3663.JPG

 

G.

 

That grey bit at the back is shouting: Help! an architect swallowed my house!

 

Superb stuff - how much of Southwark will you be building?

[grahame]

 

Superb stuff - how much of Southwark will you be building?

Thanks.

 

And oddly not a great deal, although it may seem otherwise. It's just London Bridge station in the block 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.

 

G.

[sb67]

Thanks Grahame, hope to make it to Warley so I'll look then.

Steve.

[grahame]

Pots on, windows in and exterior dirtied to match the other buildings in the terrace (although I think they all need some more work):

 

 

G.