My first scratch build, and now my second

[Great Eastern Lady]

Hello everyone 

I am attempting my first scratch build of a station building as none of the kits out there are what I’m really looking for 

My first attempt went in the bin as it just did not look right , my second attempt seems to be a bit better 

I have completed four of the walls with two remaining which need to have their doors and windows cut out 
The questions I have are , should I leave it as an empty shell or should I do the interior complete with all the fixtures and fittings and of course lighting 

Ill be honest and I have ordered up a few interior office bits for the station masters office and I would like to go the route of doing the interior but how far do I go

Im modelling in OO ex GER/LNER , 1948-49

so the buildings will still be in cream and green 

Any help and advise especially on the interiors ie colours of ticket office furniture and waiting room bench’s will be greatly appreciated 

Jayne 

 

Edited February 18, 2021 by Great Eastern Lady

[Pete the Elaner]

I don't have much experience with making buildings from scratch, but I have learned a few things & am quite pleased with my efforts so far.

 

Scratchbuilding takes time. You need patience, but getting the end building looking as you want it is very rewarding.

Don't be afraid to start again. The replacement will be better because you will have learned from the experience of your first attempt. I have found it very positive to start again because I was confident I would make a better job & it was also quicker to build the second time around.

Getting something wrong to be a mistake, it is a learning experience. A mistake is something you knew you should have done differently, not something you have learned in the process.

 

As for interior & lighting, I believe these go together.

What is the point in modelling the interior if you can't see it?

What is the point in lighting it if this shows empty space where there should be interior fittings?

[grahame]

Great first effort and well done for getting started on scratch building. There are many enthusiasts who won't pick up a modelling knife and try anything constructive. The more you engage and practice the better you'll get.

 

Unfortunately I don't know anything about interiors and colour from that period and region.

 

 

[Izzy]

Agree with the above. You never know what you can do unless you try.

 

For a lot of info on station colours could I suggest you have a look here:  https://www.stationcolours.com/

 

A lot of very useful info covering all regions and eras. exGER seemed to have lasted with LNER colours right up until closure in late BR days some cases............

 

Izzy

[Great Eastern Lady]

@grahame  Thank you , it’s been a lot harder than I thought , I didn’t think it would be easy , just so much working out as to where doors and windows go and now working as to where interior walls , doors , fireplaces etc 

 

@Izzy I’ve been onto station colours and got what information I could from it and I have done countless searches regarding ticket offices , waiting rooms etc , some things I’ve found but there are a few that I can’t , like parcels and luggage office , waiting room benches, are they green or just natural varnished wood

 

 

Ive ordered up some interior leds from modelit , so I’ll have to wait for those so I can work out wiring routes 

[Izzy]

I have taken the view that interiors might reflect what was fairly normal for other non-railway buildings of the general time. So as you suggest light coloured walls and ceilings - distemper no doubt in some cases - along with plain varnished wood, dark a lot of the time probably. 
 

Izzy

[Great Eastern Lady]

@Izzy I bought some wooden flooring effect sheets and LNER coloured wall sheets from Scalemodelscenery and it does look very effective and I’m quite pleased with the small bits that I’ve done 

 

Jayne 

[Pete the Elaner]

15 hours ago, Great Eastern Lady said:

Thank you , it’s been a lot harder than I thought , I didn’t think it would be easy , just so much working out as to where doors and windows go and now working as to where interior walls , doors , fireplaces etc 

 

 

A friend showed me how to make windows from plastikard, but I struggled. Mine looked like a crazy paver had made them.

Peco & Wills do packs of windows, so it is possible to start from these & design the building around it.

I decided to try 3d printing for my windows, so I could get them exactly as I want. My first results at this have been promising.

I built mock-ups of 1 of my buildings with cereal packets. This was useful but then someone suggested using the 3d design software to model it. I found it really useful to be able to change things, rotate what I had on screen then take measurements from it. I can even remove the outside walls & work out where the internal walls should be.

[Great Eastern Lady]

@Pete the Elaner I got the windows from EMA , come with little clear plastic window glass 

I am going to be doing a mock up of the roof as there are a few funny angles 

 

[GeoffinOz]

Hi, you might try Scalescenes site for a few kits, they have interiors, I have used their texture sheets for my scratch builds and have kit bashed their kits as well, I have been using them for years. your attempt looks good.

Brass master have window frames and shapeways have chimneys.

To find interior colours, then the internet has almost everything you want.

This is a mixture of Metcalf and Scalescenes to make a small bank.

[brossard]

Agree with Geoff, Scalescenes  https://scalescenes.com/  have a good selection of buildings with interior details and other extras.

 

I have been doing Lcut kits:  http://lcut.co.uk/index.php?page=pages/main&title=Main

 

I think these are great value and are very accurate. 

 

There are pictures of my buildings in the layout thread below.

 

John

Edited May 1, 2020 by brossard

[DCB]

Interiors were probably nicotine stained matt white.    You can't usually see interiors unless you install lights but you can see where there are no internal walls.  I like to ft basic interior partitions , particularly upper floor floors and fit LED lights, usually orange / yellow to represent gas or low wattage electric lights in my 1950s /early 60s era. Power was relatively more expensive in earlier times so lights were not left on unnecessarily or in the case of gas turned down low.   Pre WW2 many rural locations relied on oil or paraffin lamps or candles.   If you fit LEDs apart from using decent size resistors and siting them where air can circulate, make sure there are no stray gaps where light can escape. Our Metcalfe station leaks light from the dormer window mini gables, very irritating.

[Great Eastern Lady]

Unfortunately I don’t have a printer at home so Scale scenes is out

 

I’ve just got some nice little self adhesive led lights from modelit for the rooms , just got to work out the floor plan for the interior walls 

Ive been trying to find some nice little Wooden benches for the waiting rooms , but can’t find anything that looks right 

so I guess I’ll have to make those  

[brossard]

Hmmm, I can't imagine how I would construct my buildings without a printer.  Still there are sources of material such as Superquik brick paper for example.  Slaters and SouthEast Finecast do textured plastic sheets of brick and stone.  Windows and doors can be purchased too as mentioned.

 

I mentioned Lcut earlier.  These kits are made from laser cut card, so, in theory no printer needed.

 

Does this count as scratch building?

 

 

I'm building this kit:

 

http://shop.finescalebuildings.com/product/station-masters-house

 

However, it is designed for 4mm and I'm  doing 7mm.  I did scratch build the windows and door from layers of Evergreen strip.  I changed the brick for Scalescenes.

 

John

Edited May 1, 2020 by brossard

[Great Eastern Lady]

@brossard . I went on to Lcut’s website and bought a few bits and pieces to make the platform and front of building canopy’s 

 

I think what you’ve done so far looks superb 

[Great Eastern Lady]

Hello everyone 

Its been a bit on and off lately with my building just haven’t really felt like doing much 

Anyway the last couple of evenings I’ve made a bit of progress on the ladies waiting room and made a start on the ladies lavatory 

Next the booking office 

 

I know it looks a bit rough in places , but it is my first go and I’m learning all the time 

 

Jayne 

[grahame]

So that's what the ladies room and bogs are like. The mystery is revealed. But some nice progress nonetheless.

 

 

[Great Eastern Lady]

@grahame Damm , I’ve let the secret out lol

 

 

@col.stephens  Even if it isn’t dark , nice to have the interiors lit , I know I’d have a good look inside if I saw buildings lit up at an exhibition 

[Great Eastern Lady]

Hello everyone 

Well I have been doing a bit more work on the station building . I have finished the booking hall and booking office (just got to add figures) and I have started work on the Station Masters office 

I have put in some of the exterior lighting , the know the wires look huge in the photos , but they aren’t really

 

Jayne 

[George Hudson]

Hi,

 

I'm not much of an interiors person, yours are good, very atmospheric.  

 

I've posted a lot on here of my scratchbuilding work on my Aldersgate layout which is a part of a "might have been" GER terminus in 1956/7.  If you search on Aldersgate in this forum I have detailed the builds somewhat.  You might find some ideas there.  I use almost exclusively Scalescenes but also rate superquick and if you can get any old Bilteazy (sp?) kits to chop about they're also good (have a look at my Stratham gallery which is a 2mm layout).

 

As Col. Stephens above, I would also go for mounting board (best value at "The Range").

 

Good luck and I look forward to seeing more posts.

 

Andrew

[Great Eastern Lady]

@George Hudson Thank you , means a lot after just looking at your buildings , it will be a long time before I reach your level 

 

I shall have a look in the range for that board , I might use it for building the goods shed , or I’ll end up getting one from Lcut 

[simonmcp]

1 hour ago, Great Eastern Lady said:

@George Hudson Thank you , means a lot after just looking at your buildings , it will be a long time before I reach your level 

 

I shall have a look in the range for that board , I might use it for building the goods shed , or I’ll end up getting one from Lcut 

The Range usually do a buy so many of those boards for £10, they have reduced the number you get a while ago after I had bought some, which is why I didn't quote a number. The board is about 1and a half Millimetres thick which is okay for scratchbuilding but not so good for Scalescenes kit's which need 1mm and 2mm. The Range also sell a small circle cutter, Ofla make I think in yellow, which is useful for round arches. Simon

[Mountain Goat]

Two issues. Does one include interiors which is a lot of extra work, or does one just but something like black card behind windows? It is a difficult decision. One could show interiors where doors are opened etc and do a bit of both? 

 

The problem with interiors is that once one starts with one room, to get consistency, one needs to do the whole lot! The effects can be stunning though if one has the patinece.  Either way, go for it and have some fun!

 

 

[Great Eastern Lady]

@Mountain Goat I am being to think the same thing , it seems a case of once started with interiors you can’t really stop until it’s finished 

I only wanted interiors so I could have lit rooms 

Anyway I’m carrying on with the station building as I’ve started , as for other building , I’ll just have to see where I go

[Mountain Goat]

While painting one of my 7mm scale figures, I decided it would be a good idea to add a pair of eyes. I had the little man a bit crosseyed, but it worked. However, I hid him in a brakevan as otherwize I would have to paint all their eyes! I may do this one day if I have the patience but for now I will just paint their little clothes!