Do Cardboard, laser, plastic and other buildings mix?

[barrymx5]

Ok let me stick my head above the parapet.

Reactions please to this street of low relief buildings, some of which will be very familiar. I have purposely left off the fence/wall which will be in front of them and they are not yet populated although I have added a few vehicles. In case you haven’t guessed, some are Metcalfe, some laser cut, one is Bachmann resin and another Continental plastic. None have been weathered yet.

My layout is a fictional junction of the S&D and LSWR/ SR main line to the West. I have tried to make it timeline neutral between early 1920s and late 1940s so I can run stock from 3 periods: immediately pre Grouping, SR and early BR. I intend in part to achieve this in part by swapping road vehicles as well as rolling stock. But buildings will largely stay.

So should I standardise on one building material or does a mixture look ok?

[andyman7]

I don't see any problem with mixing, the key will be in the weathering. I'm currently working on a diorama covered section for my layout with a mix of resin, plastic kit and card buildings (basically using my sundry stash of buildings)

[ess1uk]

I don’t see a problem in mixing them

As long as they fit your era and area then use them

[ianmacc]

Surprised you even need to ask to be honest. We’ve been mixing and matching types since the dawn of the hobby!

 

All one type makes a sterile environment. Using multiple sources gives your layout its character.

 

You have the forum’s permission now keep us updated on your promising layout

[TheSignalEngineer]

As long as they are in context with the area and timescale I don't see a problem. I have used card kits and plastic kits both modified to suit, along with scratch built using plastic, card and wood all together. I think the secret is in the painting and weathering. so that none stand out as being too different from the rest, although if you are doing 1960s there were some abominable prototype townscape combinations.

[Mike Storey]

The originals were built with different materials, weren't they? So......

[barrymx5]

The originals were built with different materials, weren't they? So......

Good point. But not necessarily cardboard and plastic

[barrymx5]

Of course the other way is to cheat with the camera. Not Photoshop but b&w with that 1930s aura.

[Red Devil]

Personally I tend to feel that the lack of relief on card models is noticeable if directly alongside either a resin of embossed plastic kit structure, I tend to use card stuff to the rear of anything with a visible texture on it.

 

However that's my own personal view and it's only really valid in my head! Up to you really......

[Pete the Elaner]

I assume this is OO?

 

I have heard it argued that embossed plastikard gives too much relief. I tend to agree.

But on the other hand, printed card gives too little relief.

Somewhere in between is probably ideal, but it does not exist.

 

It is one of the many modelling situations where if it looks right then it is right, so there are probably buildings which look better in plastic & others which look better in card.

I do not see a problem with mixing plastic & lasercut wood. You will probably be painting each of these, so the finish will be acrylic or enamel paints regardless of the material beneath.

[grahame]

For me there is no issue in mixing materials. In fact I'm happy to use various types in one building/structure as in this, albeit unfinished N/2mm effort (below), which is made from mount-board card, embossed plasticard and homemade resin castings. For me the important thing is consistency of finish and that includes level of detailing, painting and weathering.

 

 

G

 

[katwigan]

When you think about it, the pointing on brickwork probably averages around 1/2" deep, in scale terms around  0.15 ~ 0.2 mm or 0.007 ~ 0.008",( a human hair is about half that ) it 's no wonder that some molded brickwork looks overly deep.

I tend to model exclusively in card, using as much as I can photos of the buildings I am doing as the finished 'face'. This is  largely due to my ability to paint anything in a decent manner is about the same as a rodents. ( Often it probably looks like I have used said rodent as the applicator )

Buildings in the real world may be made of different materials but predominately they end up looking in the same state relative to their age, so in my case anything I would try to paint would stand out like the proverbial dog's watsits. 

So I stick with what works for me.

Kevan 

[ianmacc]

On 01/02/2019 at 14:50, grahame said:

For me there is no issue in mixing materials. In fact I'm happy to use various types in one building/structure as in this, albeit unfinished N/2mm effort (below), which is made from mount-board card, embossed plasticard and homemade resin castings. For me the important thing is consistency of finish and that includes level of detailing, painting and weathering.

 

 

G

 

I would go so far as to say it looks better for being made out of different materials as it has given the structure some depth.