Laser Cut buildings - the pros and cons

[longchap]

Some general comments:

 

We must accept that all structure kits will need some degree of refinement to produce a reasonable copy of the real thing.

 

I've built two laser cut kits, a timber goods shed and a brick engine shed. The engine shed had horrible brick quoins (corners), which seems to be a common issue, although the brickwork bond on my 4Most (?) kit is correct for a solid 9" wall, but I'm still applying filler and carving the quoin joints. It will be finally finished one day, just not soon. The goods shed was a joy to build, although heavily modified to reflect correct building construction. 

 

The roofs / rooves for both these kits were dreadful and after trying several techniques, I now mainly use Scale Model Scenery's laser cut slate strips.

 

Price is no certain indicator of either quality or fidelity to prototype and instructions often resemble a guide only, requiring much enjoyable research. 

 

I used to build in plastic and card, but find resin and laser cut kits, particularly for larger buildings, an enjoyable challenge, which provide good results with patience and determination. In my defence, the pedant in me stems from a past life in the construction sector, combined with the belief that well researched kits with clear and researched instructions, are not much more difficult to produce than the tedious ones.

 

 

 

 

Edited November 15, 2023 by longchap

[BrushType4]

I make lasercut kits and here are a few examples in various scales. 
 

 

 

 

 

Putting the extra detail on takes design time and research for the right materials and the development of laser techniques to get as much in as possible. 
 

Then the production of the kit isn’t just a press a button. 
 

 

Edited November 25, 2023 by BrushType4

[AndrueC]

I prefer wood laser cut but I've also had good results with card. I've also designed my own buildings and had the kit built by York Modelmaking. My designs tend to be simple but you only have to look at the York Station model railway to see how good that process can get.

 

 

I struggle most (and in fact think I've failed every time) to build plastic kits. I don't know why other than they seem to require to you hold parts together at the correct angle whereas wood and card seem designed such that they are self supporting. Until recently I refused to use superglue so it might be that if I were to try again using that I'd have more success due to the speed at which it sets.

Edited November 25, 2023 by AndrueC

[Jeff Smith]

Plastic (styrene) kits are best built with a thin solvent such as MEK or Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, using capillary action - they set almost as fast as superglue!

[AndrueC]

52 minutes ago, Jeff Smith said:

Plastic (styrene) kits are best built with a thin solvent such as MEK or Tamiya Extra Thin Cement, using capillary action - they set almost as fast as superglue!

That's worth knowing but I was thinking more of the Ratio kits. I made a right bog of the platform cover because I had to hold the two halves of the roof together at a precise angle and failed. The Metcalfe laser cut wooden kits on the other hand went together easily.

[Jeff Smith]

Ratio kits are styrene.

[Vecchio]

On 25/11/2023 at 17:50, BrushType4 said:

I make lasercut kits and here are a few examples in various scales. 

 

One voice for BrushType4: Phil makes not only beautiful kits but also bespoke stuff, in case you can provide a proper CAD drawing. 

Look here at my station building of Brackley, all windows of the main building have been cut by him. They could never be accurate like that if you build them up by styrene profiles.

 

IMG20231013172959 

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Vecchio

[AndrueC]

Hang on, you mean my Brackley where I live now? 'Cos that does look like it could be the lower platform buildings. The upper buildings still exist - currently a café and (I think) a pet grooming place. Dunno if the lower ones are still there but it's now a small industrial estate and I can't see them on Google Street View. Most of the route of the old central line is still visible in the landscape. Part of it has been left in situ separating two halves of a housing estate, presumably because building houses on an old embankment was too difficult.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/yc1RqY3qwKneq6GL8

It's the arc curving through the cluster of buildings below 'Brackley Medical Centre' and the embankment curves on to the north.

 

I live quite near where the line to Banbury ran. The line used to go under (or was it over?) the A422 but the road has since moved when Banbury Road was bypassed so the remains of the line are slightly north.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/NYFJ9j9YuXVCFDjd6

Edited December 27, 2023 by AndrueC

[Vecchio]

Yes, exactly that one. I am not calling it Brackley, as I want to avoid an army of rivet counters telling me where I made mistakes. 

I measured the windows ( just before the café opened), I went down to grab as many photographs as possible, and then it was drawing board and brick counting on photographs. Of course I left out the nasty extension on the back, I suppose this was added when it was a tyre shop or from the storage people. Where it stands now the slope is not steep enough, but as it is on a club layout there are many hands and many ideas, not always doing what I think would be right. 

 

To get the bridge and staircase right I bought a historic photo

 

This is the rear view as the building looks today:

 

Edited December 27, 2023 by Vecchio
spelling

[Vecchio]

But now to something more recent. 

 

Santa has been and the Peco kits are here. West Highland Station, Signal box and Platform Shelter. 

I start with the smallest one, to get used to Peco laser cut kits. The quality of the cuts is good, wood quality as well. 

 

Painting: I recommend painting on the fret, even if some edges have to be repainted after taken the parts off. It requires minimum 2 coats of enamel paint, as the wood takes in the colour quite a bit. Probably a thin wash of sanding filler would help. (If you do that, try it on a scrap bit before...) 

 

I use the colouring scheme of Glenfinnan, first I made some photos last year during my holiday, second you find a lot more on the internet. The Peco packaging shows a combination of a pale lime green and a darker green as well as a cream-coloured brick base.  The buildings are based on Arisaig, looking at this station shows a combination of blue and cream (which is much nicer). Well, too late, Glenfinnan is cream with lime green brick base and lime green woodwork around windows and roof. 

 

What am I missing? The building has no base. A base, especially with a floor peace, holding the sides at exact position would improve the stability a lot and would make building the model much easier.

 

What is wrong? The measurement for the windows. In the rather short instructions it says 52x25 for the main window – what you need is 51x23, otherwise you will collide with the door and the window will hang 2 mm over the inner wall.

The smaller window is 14 x 7.5. I recommend to try it before gluing, there is a very narrow window between being too big (and get into trouble with the door again) or not covering the aperture.

 

The roof could be 1mm wider to stand 0.5mm over on both sides, would look a bit better. Also at the rear it would look better (and more realistic) if the roof would stand slightly over. I suppose 0.5mm are enough.

 

Slight gaps between outer parts are almost impossible to avoid 

IMG20231227095940

 

... but can be healed with a bit of wood filler. 

IMG20231227104625

 

IMG20231227102758

 

All in all I enjoyed the build and look forward to the station (Arisaig, but with the boring colour scheme).

[Gilbert]

I've just completed a laser cut card kit by MMR models of a Type 15 signal box. Very pleased with the kit (and email support). I prefer mdf for brickwork but the card in this kit works well with the timber prototype.

ChrisH

[Vecchio]

The station is not yet done, but a signalbox. I used the same colour scheme as with the platform shelter. Also an enjoyable build, the roof is somewhat improvable. 

 

IMG20240102173746 

IMG20240102173756 

 

In this view, with the flash on, you see there is some gap at the bottom of the roof plates.

 

IMG20240102173237 

 

This comes from the fact that the plates are cut 90 degrees. I did sand them to have a better fit, but obviously I didn't do enough...

 

The roof is not yet glued on, as I am waiting for the interior kit (ordered from LCut). I also need to put some lights in. 

Edited January 2 by Vecchio

[Enfys_Rainbow]

Interesting discussion and in particular the Peco structures by @Vecchio.

 

How did you find them to build?

 

I'm currently constructing the "other" Scottish Signal Cabin by Peco and found it a bit challenging in places.

 

 

Matt

 

[JZ]

On 11/11/2023 at 12:23, Vecchio said:

Prototype based buildings are quite large, I built for instance a single family house from the Austrian pre-alpine area (It actually needs to stand on a slope) - 2 times the size of the standard Faller buildings... 

IMGP5379 

 

Or the station - Strobl in Austria (was a narrow gauge line station, unfortunately both the line and the building are gone) 

IMGP5418 

IMGP5411 

 

Or even bridges - fascinating fragile and still stable

IMGP5426 

 

Here you see the bridge and the house on my layout. 

 

IMG20220708102049 

 

I love building them, but I have to say also a good resin building can look perfect (but is a bit heavier) 

I build US narrow gauge, so have done quite a few laser cut kits. Most US kits are pure wood, with only the larger structures have an MDF core. But size wise, they can be huge. In the to do pile I have both Cham depot from Banta Modelworks and Durango depot from Raggs to Riches. Chama will be about 18" long and Durango about 24". Probably neither will find their way onto the layout, but I really enjoy building them. This is the largest on the layout, Banta's Ophir depot. Around 13" long.

 

Edited January 3 by JZ

[Vecchio]

13 hours ago, Enfys_Rainbow said:

How did you find them to build?

Well - as I said earlier a base would have helped. The signal box has a floor in the first floor, which helps to get everything exactly in position. I think the building went together quite straight forward without any big hiccups. I do recommend to paint certain parts before building, especially the windows. Also the window fame areas need painting before building, as it is much easier to have a clear edge between colours. For the lines between panels (middle of the building) I used masking tape which works well. 

 

I did not like the roof, the fact that the "beams" are not covered by the roof panels is one thing, also the roof panels need to be filed to avoid a gap at the bottom end. I covered the "beams" up by using silver-grey colour tissue paper stripes which should simulate the lead flashing on the roof. Works actually very well. 

 

Now I moved on to LK-203, the Arisaig station building.  

Here I think the bay windows should have been done without the interlocking "teeth" in the front. I tried to sand, use filler and sand again, but even after painting I can still see the teeth. 

 

Have a look before painting

IMG20240103075540

 

and now after painting and part assembled.

IMG20240103204102 

 

Well - the kit is somehow challenging, but I think this is part of the fun... 

Edited January 4 by Vecchio
spelling

[The Johnster]

Answer to the 'interlocking visible after painting' problem may be to sand the join down with sandpaper after the glue has set but before painting.

[Vecchio]

4 hours ago, The Johnster said:

Answer to the 'interlocking visible after painting' problem may be to sand the join down with sandpaper after the glue has set but before painting.

Well that's exactly what I did ... If the interlocking would be on the inner layer -which would be possible - you wouldn't have the problem. 

The platform shelter and the signal box both have the interlocking on the inner wall. 

[The Johnster]

Oops.  That’s what happens when you scan posts instead of reading them properly; apologies!

[Vecchio]

A bit further with the station. Or more or less finished...

 

As I want lights in the station I had to make a ceiling for the two rooms.  

 

Ceiling with lights in position. 

IMG20240107115816 

 

As I do not trust to the self adhesive strips on the lights I fix them as well with hot-melt. 

IMG20240107120125

 

Hotmelt also keeps the wires nicely in the corners of the building.

IMG20240107121005 

 

Now we have the complete station - not complete as the drainpipes are missing -  added also some Scottish posters and a timetable ( 2023, Scotrail, Glasgow to Mallaig...) 

For the drainpipes I will look into my  scrap box, as I do not like the laser cut (square) ones...

IMG20240107164203 

 

The gable needs some treatment, the gable bricks were red, I will try to find a tissue paper which is good for this job. 

 

I am happy, it was an enjoyable build without great problems. I can recommend it to anybody who wants a small Scottish station.  

Edited January 7 by Vecchio

[Vulcan905]

I'm currently building a Scottish themed layout using a Popup Designs Glenfinnan Station building. I'm struggling to find any images of the Station  that show the colour scheme for the 1960's. Does anyone have any idea what they were. Many thanks.