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JSModels - Laser-Cut Kits - Now in N Gauge too!!!


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Since it seems to be a day of announcements for me today, here's a third one!

 

JSM09 - Small Stone Warehouse:

 

JSM09_06.jpg.37a2e11a7b7a0eadcd4753fd751aa998.jpg

 

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This small warehouse was initially designed as a commission, but is now available for general sale. It features thicker outer walls than my other kits, and has a more random stone pattern, typical of older canalside mills/warehouses built in the early 18th century.

 

Smaller than most of my kits, this kit measures approximately 210mm wide, 50mm deep, and 175mm high (8 1/4" wide, 2" deep, and 7" high).

 

This kit is in stock & available on the website NOW, priced at £25.00 plus postage.

 

 

Jonathan

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  • JSModels changed the title to JSModels - Laser-Cut Kits
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WDYWTS600.jpg.93a7467a4a5cda49aeaf0dad6657f80f.jpg

 

I've just asked this question over on my facebook page - what new kits would you like to see from JSModels?

 

JSModels is now approaching 6 months old, and I already have 20+ products available, but the big question is... what's next? I already have a few products I'm working on behind the scenes, but there's always room for more!


If you have an idea for a product, I'd love to hear it! It could be a completely new building that you think would make a great model, or it could be an existing model in a different scale. Or maybe something else entirely.


I've been asked for my buildings in different scales (mostly N gauge and O gauge) and that's something I could do, but what to start with? Re-drawing the entire range in another scale is a mammoth task, so if there's a specific kit you'd like me to start with, let me know.


I can't promise that what you want will definitely be do-able, but if you don't ask...

 

Hit me with your requests - either on the Facebook page, here, or by PM.

 

Jonathan

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Hi Jonathon,

 

Your equipment can deal with large areas / sheets of material, signal arms for example.

I think products that could utilise this size would find a market as smaller kits are already being produced by others with smaller machines.

 

I can think of two products that may be worth investigating / developing.

1/ Large long retaining walls, and

2/ Station Platforms.

 

These are already catered for, of course, so these will have to offer something that the others don't - flexibility.

Flexibility in both form and function.

 

The retaining walls, in a range of heights from 20' to 60', would be either straight in length but being flexible, could be concave in height.

If the modeller wanted a long curved retaining wall then he would have to have straight walls in height but could then curve the wall to fit his needs. Vertical reinforcement strips could then be place equa-distant along the wall and coping stones atop to finish it off.

 

For the platforms, much longer lengths would be available to the modeller but with no joins.

Also, with some development, flexible platforms would make for very gently curved stations. Very acute "V"s would need to be cut into the tops of these and then filled in / hidden but the modeller. The platform edging would pose no problems for either your cutter or the modeller placing / curving them into place.

 

 

Kev.

 

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4 hours ago, SHMD said:

Hi Jonathon,

 

Your equipment can deal with large areas / sheets of material, signal arms for example.

I think products that could utilise this size would find a market as smaller kits are already being produced by others with smaller machines.

 

I can think of two products that may be worth investigating / developing.

1/ Large long retaining walls, and

2/ Station Platforms.

 

These are already catered for, of course, so these will have to offer something that the others don't - flexibility.

Flexibility in both form and function.

 

The retaining walls, in a range of heights from 20' to 60', would be either straight in length but being flexible, could be concave in height.

If the modeller wanted a long curved retaining wall then he would have to have straight walls in height but could then curve the wall to fit his needs. Vertical reinforcement strips could then be place equa-distant along the wall and coping stones atop to finish it off.

 

For the platforms, much longer lengths would be available to the modeller but with no joins.

Also, with some development, flexible platforms would make for very gently curved stations. Very acute "V"s would need to be cut into the tops of these and then filled in / hidden but the modeller. The platform edging would pose no problems for either your cutter or the modeller placing / curving them into place.

 

 

Kev.

 

 

Kev,

 

Thanks for taking the time to offer your thoughts on this. My machine isn't particularly large, but I can cut up to 900 x 600mm.

 

Retaining walls: I have looked at these before, and even designed a kit system for it, ready to go:

 

RetainingWall01.jpg.318260e6f6e301a69ba3d31e0850066a.jpg

 

The above was for an 80mm (20' in OO) change in height, and included level sections as well as a 4% incline set to go from zero to 80mm in height. Eventually I decided not to take it past the prototype stage, for a number of reasons:

 

Firstly, 4% is quite steep an incline, but even so it takes a full 2m run to reach 80mm high. Not many people have a layout large enough to accommodate a 2m straight run. Which brings me on the the second point - retaining walls are angled backwards, and prototypically lean back at a 1 in 10 angle; if you replicate this, then you cannot simply curve them. It would be theoretically possible to produce a curved section, but it would need to be a fixed radius (and would be very complicated to design and assemble). So what radius do you choose? Either you choose just one, which would be wrong for the majority of people, or you offer a range of radii, which would be impractical and not commercially viable. There's a reason no other manufacturer produces curved retaining walls!

 

Which brings me onto the third reason I decided to stop development of this - there are a number of similar products already on the market. When I started JSModels, I set out to make kits that weren't available elsewhere (the world really doesn't need any more generic OO gauge signal box kits!) and straight retaining walls aren't terribly unique.

 

Similar arguments could be made with regard to platforms; straight ones are already available elsewhere. Curved ones could be made, but again, what radius? There's no point making them to 1st, 2nd, 3rd radius, etc, as they're already available; larger, more flowing radii aren't available, but every one would need to be different, so you couldn't standardise it. There's no way you could possibly make a platform that was 'flexible' in the same way as a piece of flexitrack.

 

 A laser-cutter is an ideal way to make a nice, even, flowing curved platform surface, but it's only really practical on a bespoke basis.

 

4 hours ago, cabbie37 said:

Hello Jonathon..

 

I did have one idea that might (perhaps) be relatively easy for you to do. The lock chamber kit presumably could be modified to be a 'narrow' lock  of 7 foot width. Single top gate and a pair of gates at the bottom end.. 

 

Hugh

 

Thanks Hugh,

 

Yes, that would be easily do-able (but I need to get the first one finished & ready to go first!) I can't remember the make, but I'm sure a OO kit of a narrow lock is already available though?

 

Jonathan

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I really like the size of these buildings, the real railway is normally dwarfed by its surroundings and not a lot of uk based ‘big stuff’ available when you compare the the likes of the Walthers Cornerstone range that you get in HO.

 

For new stuff I would stick to a similar theme for now. How about some Distillery buildings, warehouses etc? - quite a unique style that I for one would be interested in.


I would avoid MR signal box and Northlight Engine shed/factory Route that lots of others have gone down - don’t think we need any more of them.

 

alternatively how about some large goods sheds, there are plenty of quaint ones around but not much if you want something bigger.

 

All the best with whatever direction you decide to take.

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You ask what new models would we like to see.

 

JS models has broken new ground with large and very large buildings.   This is great, but I (and I think many other modelers) do not have space for such structures.  Although there are other suppliers of smaller sized buildings, many are limited to railway structures - as you say there are plenty of signal boxes.   I would be interested in smaller sized industrial buildings, shops and houses.  Petite Properties do some great models, and have have quite a number of them, but the wall finish is plain and needs cladding (or plastering/scribing).  Other models are available but are 3.5 mm rather than 4 mm scale.   Scalescenes are also very good, but some people prefer to have an embossed brick/stone surface that they can paint.  

 

   

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40 minutes ago, SHerr said:

how about some large goods sheds,

Agreed, 2 road and multistorey would be nice, in brick and in stone, and even a single story wood double track, there seem to have been quite a few about across many pre- and post-group railways.

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Terraced houses, in terraces, perhaps interlinked and modular and capable of being linked in stepped hillsides, a common form in South Wales.  This would mean quarter or third end walls that would blank over what would be the interlinking mechanism.  Front parts perhaps showing stone or brick facing with an alternative of render or stucco, and different styles of windows and replaced chimney pots.  Identical terraces only existed for about the first 30 years or so after they were built; as soon as the woodwork needed painting the differences crept in.

 

In 2mm, so I can use them as perspective models on Cwmdimbath/

 

I am impressed with the detail of these models, but prefer a textured relief surface.

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22 hours ago, SHerr said:

I really like the size of these buildings, the real railway is normally dwarfed by its surroundings and not a lot of uk based ‘big stuff’ available when you compare the the likes of the Walthers Cornerstone range that you get in HO.

 

For new stuff I would stick to a similar theme for now. How about some Distillery buildings, warehouses etc? - quite a unique style that I for one would be interested in.


I would avoid MR signal box and Northlight Engine shed/factory Route that lots of others have gone down - don’t think we need any more of them.

 

alternatively how about some large goods sheds, there are plenty of quaint ones around but not much if you want something bigger.

 

All the best with whatever direction you decide to take.

 

Thanks, yes distillery buildings would be good, I've also been asked in the past for colliery buildings too. The initial step with both of those is finding a suitable prototype to work from, which I haven't yet had time to research.

 

A large goods shed is a definite possibility. The old Midland Railway Grain & Goods Warehouse at Bingley is just a couple of miles away from me...

 

22 hours ago, ed7 said:

You ask what new models would we like to see.

 

JS models has broken new ground with large and very large buildings.   This is great, but I (and I think many other modelers) do not have space for such structures.  Although there are other suppliers of smaller sized buildings, many are limited to railway structures - as you say there are plenty of signal boxes.   I would be interested in smaller sized industrial buildings, shops and houses.  Petite Properties do some great models, and have have quite a number of them, but the wall finish is plain and needs cladding (or plastering/scribing).  Other models are available but are 3.5 mm rather than 4 mm scale.   Scalescenes are also very good, but some people prefer to have an embossed brick/stone surface that they can paint.  

 

   

 

That's why I started with low relief structures, because I wanted them for a micro-layout. Shops & houses could be something I might look at in the future though.

 

20 hours ago, Enterprisingwestern said:

 

50's and 60's industrial/ factory buildings, modular maybe. Things along the lines of the DPM HO range, but British, which in 4mm might have a market?

 

Mike.

 

Mike,

 

I've not heard of DPM, I'll have to have a look at those.

 

17 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Terraced houses, in terraces, perhaps interlinked and modular and capable of being linked in stepped hillsides, a common form in South Wales.  This would mean quarter or third end walls that would blank over what would be the interlinking mechanism.  Front parts perhaps showing stone or brick facing with an alternative of render or stucco, and different styles of windows and replaced chimney pots.  Identical terraces only existed for about the first 30 years or so after they were built; as soon as the woodwork needed painting the differences crept in.

 

In 2mm, so I can use them as perspective models on Cwmdimbath/

 

I am impressed with the detail of these models, but prefer a textured relief surface.

 

Terraces on steep hills are pretty common around here, too! As I mentioned above, shops & houses might come in the future.

 

I think the common link in most of the responses though is pretty much 'more of the same', so I'll probably stick with the industrial buildings at least in the short term.

 

Thanks to everyone that's taken the time to reply, it really does help to point me in the right direction.

 

 

Jonathan

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This week sees the 6-month anniversary of JSModels, and I wanted to celebrate the occasion.

 

So effective immediately and until next Sunday (11th October) you can get 10% off ALL products on my website when you spend £25.00 or more! Use discount code RMDISC10 at checkout to get your 10% discount.

 

Not only that, but spend over £50.00 and not only will you get 10% discount, UK customers will also get FREE DELIVERY!!! For that, the discount code is RM10SHIP.

 

For anyone overseas who would like to take advantage of the above offers, please e-mail me (sales@jsmodels.co.uk) and I'll process your order offline, with the 10% discount (and discounted shipping if over £50.00).

 

Thanks to everyone who has supported me in this venture thus far!!!

 

Regards,

 

 

Jonathan

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A little late replying, but...

 

Delighted to see you have made full buildings available! Moving forward, how modular are your big warehouses? I am thinking whether you could make eg "extension" packs to eg lengthen a warehouse? Or would that involve redesigning from the ground up, so that you have plain wall/window, large door, personnel door and right hand/left hand end modules? Theoretically, a building could be ordered to any length based upon multiples of a standard module. Whether that is a commercially viable idea is a totally different matter!

 

Scalescenes make a narrow lock (I think) but your lock is superb, and immediately brought to mind the lock keeper's cottage in Littleborough which my Uncle restored (it had no floors inside when he bought it - it was a shell!). For years the lock outside was out of use before the Rochdale Canal preservation society restored the lock, complete with the narrow bridge across - that was the detail of your kit that made it "pop" for me! Might I suggest making your canal personnel bridge available separately for all those modellers who already have canal locks? Might be a seller!

 

Although it has been mentioned that not many modellers have the room for large buildings, I think your USP is the fact you are producing larger structures! How feasible is it to produce your kits with different numbers of floors? The same linear length of building with three floors would look totally different with four, five, six or seven floors in height!

 

To further expand your buildings range, how about linking personnel bridges as often found between buildings? And not just straight bridges - how about those sloping bridges that are rarely modelled?

 

Another "add on" opportunity for your existing kits - the long covered crane hoists as seen on railway company warehouses (I know they have a proper term, but can't think of it right now!). That might be an easy way to expand the range without designing a completely new kit from the ground up!  Also, perhaps an add on loading platform and canopy to allow vehicles/wagons to unload parallel to the building front?

 

A couple more "big" structures that spring to mind - the concrete and/or brick grain silo warehouses, such as at Ipswich Docks; similarly the warehouses which overhang running lines, supported on columns (again, Ipswich has/had good examples). How about the warehouses with lower floor heights and louvered/shuttered windows (I think possibly bonded for storage of spirits?) ... I have a stone/brick structure from Devon in mind but perhaps need to find a photo for you!

 

What about a wagon turntable kit? This could either be a full dummy, or one which allows a running line to pass through. I suppose the issue would be what gauge ... but as far as I know the only one available is a plastic moulded version for OO9 from PECO! Surely this is a ripe subject for laser cutting?

 

I forgot - you already did that on Haigh Sidings! But how about a kit for us lesser mortals less able to solder up rail into the appropriate shape?!

 

Lastly, and given the fine cutting you can achieve with your laser, how feasible is a Stoller & Pitt level luffing crane? Smaller dockside or wharf cranes are already amply provided for by Ratio, Metcalfe, Ancorton and many others, but the nobody produces the ubiquitous level luffing crane as found at docks all over the UK and I am sure a kit for one of these would be a winner!

 

Well, you did ask for suggestions! Otherwise I think you are going from strength to strength focusing on industrial buildings. Like others have said, though, avoid duplicating what others have done - why be in competition when you can establish yoir own USP?

 

Cheers

 

Steve S

 

PS

You can put me down for a crane here and now!

Edited by SteveyDee68
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Hi

 

Looking at the buildings on your website, some other ideas -

 

1) Tall industrial walls (a) plain (b) with personnel gates (c) with larger delivery gates

2)  Wall and ornate gateway with pillars (mill or docks entrance) with either large solid wooden gates or "wrought iron" (if you don't want to get into producing those, perhaps sizing them for pre-existing and available products).

3) Gatehouse linking building - similar to (2) but designed to link your structures

4) A corner module - maybe a stair building, or supporting a water tank - something to allow your buildings to join around a corner?

 

And so you can tell I haven't read your Haigh Sidings thread for a while, because you have already designed a corner piece to do just that! However, making that available as a separate module would make sense...

 

These ideas all expand upon your existing range and perhaps would not be too difficult to produce?

 

Steve S

 

PS

What a great offer on at the moment - what a shame it coincided for me with (unreported) end of furlough in August and no work at all during September! *Sigh*

Edited by SteveyDee68
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@SteveyDee68,

 

Wow, that's quite a list :lol: Seriously though, there's a lot of good ideas there!

 

Just to pick out a few of your comments:

 

Lock kit - It's modelled on one of the locks on the Rochdale Canal, so I'm glad to read it reminds you of Littleborough since all the locks on that canal are pretty much identical. I've still got quite a lot of work to do on that before it's ready for release, but hopefully it'll be out before the end of the year.

 

A fully 'modular' system, whereby a modeller could build it to any height and width, is quite tricky to do; you end up with small sections and a lot of joints to hide, whereas one of the advantages of laser-cutting is that you can have large, single-piece facades. I do have an idea for a 'semi-modular' system of buildings, where each section would be available in a number of different heights/widths, and the different sections (end, mid, tower, corner, etc) could be put together in various configurations. Again, these would be low-relief rather than full buildings.

 

My existing buildings can be modified fairly easily, for example I've already produced 2 and 3-storey versions of the full warehouse kit as specials for a couple of customers, and I've done bespoke widths as well.

 

Re the wagon turntable, it's something that I've started already (see this post in @SHMD's thread) but it's been on the back-burner for a while whilst I work on other things. Maybe one day it'll get the attention it deserves!

 

I've been following the dockside crane thread, but a crane isn't something I've even considered; I would have thought it'd be more suited to brass etches rather than laser cutting, but if there's a prototype out there that would work, I'd probably give it a go :D. A grain silo is something else that I have never considered, probably because we don't have them in't Pennines where I grew up, so I'm not even remotely familiar with them.

 

I've got enough stuff on the go now to see me through the next few months at least!

 

Jonathan

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Thanks for the reply!

 

If I find some photos of grain elevators and PM them to you, I think you'll see that they are ripe for lasercutting as they are generally large buildings. I guess some sketches would have been better than my attempts at describing a modular system, as what you described is probably more like what I had in mind! Good luck with your plans - sounds as if you are going to be very busy!

 

Steve S

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23 hours ago, SteveyDee68 said:

Thanks for the reply!

 

If I find some photos of grain elevators and PM them to you, I think you'll see that they are ripe for lasercutting as they are generally large buildings. I guess some sketches would have been better than my attempts at describing a modular system, as what you described is probably more like what I had in mind! Good luck with your plans - sounds as if you are going to be very busy!

 

Steve S

Walthers Cornerstone do a Grain elevator that looks pretty good for the uk scene, its HO but you really can't tell because of the size. I know a lot of people say you can't tell with HO stuff when its actually quite obvious but this doesn't. 

 

I'm not trying to put Jonathan out of ideas but suspect a lot (like me) that want something like that already own it - I've seen quite a few on layouts here. 

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15 hours ago, SHerr said:

Walthers Cornerstone do a Grain elevator that looks pretty good for the uk scene, its HO but you really can't tell because of the size. I know a lot of people say you can't tell with HO stuff when its actually quite obvious but this doesn't. 

 

I'm not trying to put Jonathan out of ideas but suspect a lot (like me) that want something like that already own it - I've seen quite a few on layouts here. 

 

But there will always be a need for such structures for new models and some, like me, will try to buy British if we can.


Roy

Edited by Roy Langridge
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This prompted me to have a squiz at the Walther's Cornerstone website; I am in culture shock & awe at the range and variety of buildings offered as plastic construction kits.  There are several items which I suspect you could 'get away' with in 4mm scale, especially if stuff like ladders and railings are replaced, notably the coal mine grading/washery complex, the coke ovens (I could almost smell Abercwmboi!), the gas holders, and the various steel mill buildings.  I have filed the colliery buildings and coke ovens away in the back of my mind in case I can ever extend Cwmdibath further down the valley.  There is a sort of common international style to heavy industrial plant.

 

The prices seem not excessive as well.

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Where have you been all these years?!!

A closer inspection at many British themed layouts will reveal plenty of the Cornerstone range masquerading as local buildings, especially as low/shallow relief along the backs of layouts. I could give you a few pointers but that would spoil the fun, it will become obvious now you are aware.

Likewise Triang Arkitex turns up in odd corners too.

 

Mike.

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I broadly put their range into 3 - completely American/look completely wrong, good for kit bashing and then pretty close to uk. If you look at the details (fascias, Windows, etc) and look past bits you can modify there’s a lot to work with.

 

Anyway back to the top in hand and not hijacking the thread, I think there’s a lot of similarities with the broader Cornerstone concept rather than individual building that could be tackled by Jonathan. There’s not really anyone else other than the odd Kibri kit that takes the scale and range of larger buildings and personally think there’s a niche here to tap into.

 

I’m still hoping for some Distillery style warehouses, I’ve spent some time this weekend looking at how I could adapt some of the current range and might give the canal warehouse ends a go with the use of the window blanking pieces.

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