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

[grahame]

The final bit of Redutex is now on. And a quick taping of the parts/assemblies in place this morning to check their fit and see what further fettling and trimming is required:

 

 

I started cutting card on Sunday evening so progress to this stage has been quite reasonable (bearing in mind I've done other things as well). And it's starting to look like a building. Whether it's representative of the real thing is a different matter.

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

You might like to try artists acrylics, tube variety and some retarder. I got a cheap starter pack from a craft shop and have found them to be very useful. The retarder is useful when you need to mix quite a bit, to cover large areas. I prefer to put it on as a series of washes as putting it on neat can be a bit over powering. Water is a good enough thinner for the washes.

 

 

 

 

[grahame]

Thanks.

 

I do tend to use washes on building to both modify the underlying base colour and as a start for weathering. And yep, using acrylics, water is very sufficient as a thinner.

 

I've also got some (oil based) panel line wash (PLW - produced for military and sci-fi modellers) which is supposed to be formulated to run quickly and easily in to panel line grooves to highlight them. I've tended to use it mainly on grilles and boarding to 'deepen' the grooves.

 

 

[grahame]

I seem to have entered a picking, fiddling and indecisive stage of the build. I've made, painted, added and matt varnished the ridge tiles, but other than that I seem to have been reduced to just thinking through how to progress other things. I guess the thought of painting all those sills and lintels, and the weathering/adapting the colour, and . . . . . I need to go and do something else.

 

[grahame]

It's well over a day since I did anything on Telephone House. But I have done some cooking, reading and looking through old pics of which I found this that might be of interest. It's my old N/2mm layout. I've plenty of others if anyone is interested :

 

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

Looks to be some pretty good modeling, there! 

 

 

[alangdance]

Grahame do you still have it or have you sold it on. This has always been one of my favorite layouts.

[grahame]

11 minutes ago, alangdance said:

Grahame do you still have it or have you sold it on. This has always been one of my favorite layouts.

 

I sold it quite some time ago now. 

 

 

I've given the walls of Telephone House a couple of very thin washes of Vallejo ochre brown which has helped give it a slightly darker and more yellowy beige colour. It should prove a better base coat for adding some weathering. The difference can be seen in the pic below especially on the main wall in the unpainted area that will be covered by the small two storey extension.

 

I've also started painting the lintels and sills white although I've tried to keep it quite inconsistent and rough (but still reasonably neat as I don't really want white on the walls) as this is the back of the building and it gives the impression of being a little scruffy and unkempt. When they're all done I'll seal the walls with matt varnish before trying to weather/distress.

 

 

 

[grahame]

All the sills and lintels are now painted white and sealed with matt varnish. Here are the walls, again temporarily taped in place (the yellow tape is more disguised), showing the darker yellowy colour which seems more appropriate. And once it is weathered should hopefully look even better. It's starting to look like a building and I'm quite pleased with progress:

 

 

My thoughts are now turning to the details required that need to be made and fitted - window glazing, hopper-heads, down-pipes, doors, etc. And, of course, this is only for one side. There is still the complete other side more fancy architectural main wall to be modelled.

 

 

 

[grahame]

People often ask for and request to see an overview of progress. Well here's a very rough pic showing the relationship and basic positioning of the buildings in the block. At the front is St Thomas Street, the other side of Telephone House and Fielden House is London Bridge Street while the left/far end is Borough High Street. The buildings are just plonked down (although far from RTP models) and not in final positions. Also the levels they sit on needs to be built and the terrace is tilted as it is balancing on the semi-basements protrusion which can't be accommodated in the dining room table. Plus, of course, none are fully finished.

 

Comparison with the aerial view (a few pages back) shows that there are a few buildings missing; one each side of Telephone House and one to the right of the Georgian offices terrace, but this is to allow for compressions of the scene. However, hopefully it is still reminiscent and captures the look and atmosphere of the area.

 

  

[grahame]

This morning I've been trying to grubby down and pull back the brightness of the yellow on the brickwork. Photos seem to make it look a little garish although in real life not so much. Anyway I'm now with this finish which I think I'll leave it at rather than make it any worse with further fiddling although this pic seems to have muted it even more:

 

[grahame]

Another quick group building scene shot, before I clear the table, with Telephone House now 'grubbied and toned down'. It does look less garish and more part of the scene but does also currently looks a little derelict - probably because there are no windows fitted (yet). I must crack on with those now. And then get details made and fitted including coping stones to help give some solidity.

 

[bigP]

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Edited February 1, 2021 by bigP
Deleted

[grahame]

First batch of windows painted and fitted - just another 50 to do! And some walls now in place which has helped square them up:

 

[grahame]

Finally managed to get all 74 windows fitted (quite tedious) and the walls in place on the carcass. Next for the fun element - making and adding the details like hopper-heads, down-pipes, doors, coping stones, chimneys, etc. Surprisingly, I've got the project to this stage in just a week, even with doing nothing on it for lengthy periods.  :

 

[grahame]

8 hours ago, bigP said:

 

Yes please,  always good to see SLD.

 

 

Here's a few to get started:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[acg5324]

Great modelling as usual and Stoney Lane is fantastic. You can see where your building skills have been honed.

[sb67]

More fantastic modelling Grahame, the group of building are really looking good and I'll never get tired of pics of Stoney Lane 

[grahame]

I've kept the details fairly limited and basic - so as not to overwhelm the model and bearing in mind it will be partly hidden. I've added some coping stones (styrene strip) on top of the walls, plain fire doors (plasticard), the detail on the flat roof (as best can be ascertained from the aerial photos), hopper-heads (carved from styrene), rainwater down pipes (wire) and a soil/vent pipe (plastic rod). Just a flue vent to be made and added to the solitary stack - probably something like a GC1 terminal cowl. 

 

 

There is still one fairly major (and potentially fiddly) detail to be made and added (at the left hand end). And that is the outside iron fire-escape staircase. But I need to obtain some material for that, so it will have to wait, and I'll call it a day for now for Telephone House. However, hopefully it looks like the back of a fairly tall urban office building from the 70s and 80s:

 

 

[Siberian Snooper]

That looks great, a masterpiece of modelling a prototype building.

 

 

[Killybegs]

Do you have more than 24 hours in your day?!

[westerhamstation]

Hi Grahame,  a superb bit of modelling. All the best Adrian.

[grahame]

2 hours ago, Killybegs said:

Do you have more than 24 hours in your day?!

 

Sometimes it seems I have less than 24 hours a day. But the truth is I cheat at model making.

 

I take short cuts, I simplify, I bodge and I try not to hang around (such as not waiting for paint and varnish to fully dry, using super-glue which sets quickly, not allowing plastic solvent joints to harden, often cutting by eye, guestimating measurements, etc.)

 

 

Edited March 16, 2020 by grahame

[grahame]

I went out this morning to do a little shopping and also visit the local model shop to stock up on modelling provisions to last me when everything is locked down and closed. There was a lot of bare and thinly stocked shelves in the supermarkets. No eggs and no bog rolls - why is everyone stock-piling them. Surely the hens will keep laying and diarrhoea is not a symptom of the virus. 

 

Anyway I've already moved on from Telephone House and have decided next to finish the rear of the four storey shops in Borough High Street (a model I made a while back but didn't finish that includes a burger bar) that backs on to the courtyard at the rear of Telephone House (which faces the front of the layout);

 

I've already cut the upper storeys wall section and added window sills. Apologies for the fuzzy image - I couldn't hold the wall steady enough for the long exposure:

 

 

 

[grahame]

With the various slopes and levels, it's quite a tricky build to ensure everything sits square and upright: