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

[phil_sutters]

What day of the week were those pics taken - Tooley Street look unusually devoid of traffic, particularly buses.

 

G.

Google says Saturday, although I am not sure what I was doing there at the weekend. I worked near there, but I lived 4 miles south. I have even tried to find other photos taken on the same day to give me a clue. Not much of a clue - just a snap taken in the opposite direction - the traffic seems even more unusually light.

 

 

 

Edited December 28, 2016 by phil_sutters

[grahame]

I thought I might make the Barrowboy and Banker pub as the next building project - it can be seen in the pic above (the white building at the end of the road). However I only recall going there in the last 15 years or so when it became a Fuller's pub and can't remember what it was in the last millennium. Can anyone remember?

 

G

[grahame]

A simple bit of online research has revealed that it's a 19th century grade II listed building that become the first ever NatWest bank in 1970 when National Provincial Bank and Westminster Bank merged. It shouldn't be too hard to deck it out as a bank rather than a pub. Unfortunately I can't start on the model as I'm away for a few days, but at least I'll be able to do a bit more research and some planning.

 

G.

[grahame]

Back home after nearly a week away and having had a chance to check out and work out how to build the pub.

 

It's a large building on a tricky site. The front is on a sloping road (that rises to London Bridge) while the rear is on a lower area where Southwark cathedral is located. The height difference is at least a storey rather like Fielden House. And I'll need to compress it's overall size to fit with the other structures and not overpower them.

 

Next to scale it out and draw up some rough plans.

 

G.

[grahame]

I keep getting sidetracked, but I've managed a rough character sketch and a rough plan - and I now have a build plan in my head on how to tackle the model. The detailed full scale plan will be drawn out on thick card to cut out the floors;

 

 

 

G.

[grahame]

Slow progress, I'm afraid. But I have drawn up and cut the floors from mounting card (1.5mm thick). Being a six storey building there's one for the ground floor, one each for the 2nd and 4th floors and one for the roof:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

And with two plain walls it's a simple and quick matter to glue the floors in place to form a basic frame on to which to hang, the yet to be made, window and door walls which will include the majority of detailing:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

A few strengthening fillets and the back wall added means I can now start on the other sub assemblies that can be completed separately (off the model) and added when completed. There are four basic assemblies to do;

 

• The modern pitched roof
• The small extension with steps on top from the street level to a side door
• The curved feature corner with windows and architectural detail
• And the detailed front and side walls with all the widows and pediments

Then when all put together there will be some roof details and top cornicing to add.

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I thought I'd start with the roof section assembly as it's probably the easiest and, as it looks like a modern addition, requires less dovetailing in to the main structure. The main frame is made from thick card but the roof covering will be from styrene sheet as it's easier to butt join and will give a smoother finished surface for adding the ridge pieces and rainwater strips.

 

 

G

[grahame]

Just remains to make and add the panel (solar?) details over the ridge for the roof assembly:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I'm not so happy with the rain-strips on the roof assembly - they look far too chunky and there's not enough of them, but they were the only size of strip that I had with just enough for those. So I've ordered some more various sizes of small styrene strip and will probably remove those pictured and replace them when they arrive. However, while I wait for delivery I've cut the large wall to size and have cut out the window and door openings ready for the enjoyable bit of building up the architectural details from styrene strip:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

Here's a quick pic to test how it all hangs together so far. The front wall is simpy held in place with some plasticene:

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I've got the small side extension with stairs on mostly completed and in place. Obviously fragile and fine details like the railings will wait until the building is being finished. In addition I've also cut out the end wall leaving just the curved section to get underway (which will no doubt be tricky).

 

 

G.

[grahame]

The slightly recessed curved corner has been cut from styrene sheet and glued in place. It now needs the architectural details added and the windows/glazing inserted from behind -  without the end and front walls in place it's quite possible to reach behind to glaze it (but with them in place that wouldn't be possible). Therefore the end and front walls can't be glued in place until all are detailed, painted and glazed - but it's easy to work on them while flat on the workbench. Then once the walls are complete and in place the top cornice can be added.

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I've started adding some architectural details to the walls as in the pic below. It's not complete and is only based roughly on the real detail. That is quite complex and ornate, and would be difficult to replicate. Plus with the building being located to the rear of the layout behind the viaduct it will probably be difficult to discern much of the building, let alone the details. The walls are held in place for the photograph by the elastic band - that's not part of the model. 

 

 

G.

[grahame]

I think this will do for the architectural details on the front wall. I've given it a dusting of white primer and there's a little tidying up to do:

 

 

G.

Edited January 8, 2017 by grahame

[grahame]

Slowly, slowly, add a little detail here, a little detail there. Progress has slowed down, but it's my birthday today so I'll be out for most of it:

 

 

G.

[carlw]

Grahame,

 

Happy birthday,

 

Following your project with interest. it's great to see how you build your buildings, it's a real source of knowledge.

 

Carl

[phil_sutters]

Slowly, slowly, add a little detail here, a little detail there. Progress has slowed down, but it's my birthday today so I'll be out for most of it:

 

 

G.

What, doing your homework on pub interiors? Happy birthday! Here's your present - a box of Lego!

Edited January 10, 2017 by phil_sutters

[grahame]

What, doing your homework on pub interiors?

 

 

Yep, ended up with a few days away visiting pubs, clubs and breweries.

 

But back now and trying to get back in the swing of a little modelling. I've had to collect a packet from the Royal Mail which was the styrene strip I'd ordered so, as a gentle way back in, I've added the strips on the roof section this morning. A little better than my earlier attempt in post #110.

 

 

G.

Edited January 13, 2017 by grahame

[grahame]

Managed to get just the top cornicing detail on the walls this afternoon. The walls are still not glued in place, and only held in position by the elastic band until painted and glazed, but I'm quite happy with their fit despite in the photo looking like they don't.

 

Next is to concentrate on the painting, windows/glazing, doors and roof details and that'll be just about it for the time being. 

 

 

G.

[grahame]

Jeeze, I've just noticed that Fielden House has now been demolished. That's six buildings I've been making models of that have succumbed to developers vandalism. I'd better better press on with the others before they also disappear.

 

I've now got some top coat white paint on the pub/bank walls and given them a protective coating of Matt varnish so that I can get on with the windows and glazing.

 

G

[grahame]

A little progress which doesn't look a lot but includes a number of little things like getting the white top coat of paint on (over the white primer) and distressing it with a bit of weathering. Plus some other paint on the roof and along the bottom of the front wall, making and adding the doors and starting making/adding the windows.

 

 

G.

[chaz]

A little progress which doesn't look a lot but includes a number of little things like getting the white top coat of paint on (over the white primer) and distressing it with a bit of weathering. Plus some other paint on the roof and along the bottom of the front wall, making and adding the doors and starting making/adding the windows.

 

 

G.

 

Terrific stuff - and the intruding hand gives a nice scale to the size of this model revealing just how crisp and accurate your work is.

 

On the subject of demolition spend a day or two in the area taking loads of photos of every building from every angle? Or have you already done so? Might be worth equipping yourself with a measuring stick which you include in ground level shots to help you scale later.

 

Chaz

[phil_sutters]

Just around the corner, beyond the railway bridge, is the Hop & Malt Exchange - another impressive frontage. The decoration on the capitals and pediment would be a major challenge though.

Edited January 18, 2017 by phil_sutters