hymek2 Posted December 26, 2010 Share Posted December 26, 2010 I managed to get hold of a copy of this from the Authors own website a couple of weeks before Christmas, only to have it whisked away and wrapped up. Incredibly frustrating considering I had been looking forward to it being published for a while now. Its now been unwrapped and it was well worth the wait. Published by Wild Swan Publications to in their usual format, it contains 138 pages of text and lots of large colour photos of the models during construction which help to emphasise the techniques Geoff uses and also photos and descriptions of buildings made for various layouts including Dewsbury Midland by the Manchester Model Railway Society. Even for a relatively experienced modeller, I have found it an excellent read and have picked up some new techniques to try for my next project. Creating Model Buildings in 4mm and 7mm by Geoff Taylor Wild Swan Publications Ltd ISBN 978 1 905184 79 8 Geoff Taylors website:- www.gtbuildingsmodels.co.uk Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 I got the same book from Santa. Very disappointed. A few pages at the front setting out some basic building techniques and the rest of the book (75% of it) being a pictorial advert for GT. It hasn't even got the basics, such as how to set out a hip roof. Nothing about interiors or lighting. And it's Plasticard or nothing - no mention about how to create windows except by buying GT etches. In comparison with the Pendon book a very poor second. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
br2975 Posted December 27, 2010 Share Posted December 27, 2010 I got the same book from Santa. "A little" disappointed. A few pages at the front setting out some basic building techniques and the rest of the book (75% of it) being a pictorial advert for GT. I more or less agree. Brian R Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
iL Dottore Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I too was somewhat disappointed with the book. I had hoped that Mr Taylor would provide some tips and tricks of building model buildings, but apart from the nifty hint to use plastic rod on plastic strip to simulate guttering (I tried this on the Earl of Devon pub and it works a treat), for me there was little to be learnt from the book. Questions I have about building model structures that I have and which remain unanswered include: How do you deal with warping? Do you brace the structure at the start or the end of construction? How do you build cellars (of the sort you get in Georgian and other terrace houses where the cellars/kitchen are below street level)? Do you construct the building first and then add the street around it? (and if so, how do you get consistency between models?) How do you embed finished models into a layout? And many more besides... Obviously Mr Taylor would write extensively about his experience with plastic card and brass etches (my preference as well), but surely a master builder would be able to describe other methods of construction, together with their pros and cons? Finally, the photographs and descriptions of his models are very flattering, but there is no mention of the various errors and problems overcome or bodges and work arounds employed to rectify or salvage a project, nor are there any "up close and personal" high magnification photographs showing construction method or detail. "Close, but no cigar" I suspect would be the verdict here. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
meil Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 Questions I have about building model structures that I have and which remain unanswered include: How do you deal with warping? Do you brace the structure at the start or the end of construction? I bought his DVD (which I didn't think was up to much either - should have heeded the warning I suppose) and tried the 30thou plus embosed sheet as per his method. It warped all over the place, even with bracing. I eventualy used 60 thou backing and that was OK. I belive anyone following the route advocated in the DVD or book is in for some disapointment. I would suggest a copy of Cottage Modelling for Pendon (same publisher - Wild Swan). Whilst based on card modelling the techniques can be adopted for Plasicard and there is a lot of useful information about building details and construction. Quite frankly I find Minature Bulding Construction by J H Ahern (getting on for 60 years old now) hard to beat even now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Isambard Kingdom Brunel Posted January 2, 2011 Share Posted January 2, 2011 I bought his DVD (which I didn't think was up to much either - should have heeded the warning I suppose) and tried the 30thou plus embosed sheet as per his method. It warped all over the place, even with bracing. I eventualy used 60 thou backing and that was OK. I belive anyone following the route advocated in the DVD or book is in for some disapointment. I would suggest a copy of Cottage Modelling for Pendon (same publisher - Wild Swan). Whilst based on card modelling the techniques can be adopted for Plasicard and there is a lot of useful information about building details and construction. Quite frankly I find Minature Bulding Construction by J H Ahern (getting on for 60 years old now) hard to beat even now. I bought the DVD a few years ago and have picked up a number of tips, the main one; How to do corners, (cut the end pieces slightly oversize then shave that off using the blade of a scalpel perpendicular to the edge of the wall. it will form the corner with matching mortar gaps) You obviously have to line up the brick layer to start with. The other thing was a type of glue which he uses, a tube with a very fine nozzle, can't remember what it is called, but very useful fr attaching etches to plasticard I do the guttering by taking a 1mm (3" in 4mm scale) deep evergreen strip slightly wider than the distance between the wall and the edge of the tiles. Along one edge I cut a groove using an Olfa cutter (invaluable piece of kit) turn it over and file the corner off. paint and glue to wall. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted January 20, 2011 Share Posted January 20, 2011 Yes, this would appear to be in much the same boat as Peter Squibb's recent book on scratchbuilt signals, in that it is "nearly, but not quite there". Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdaley Posted February 16, 2011 Share Posted February 16, 2011 I bought the Dvd & found it very interesting but Thanks for the heads up about the book. Was going to buy it to go with the Dvd but won't bother now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Captain Kernow Posted April 7, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted April 7, 2011 I do think some of you are being a bit harsh on Geoff Taylor. His work is superb, the results on the likes of Dewsbury speak for themselves, and frankly speaking, there are very few people on this forum who are capable of matching the quality of his work, me included. I've been scratchbuilding structures for a long time in my own small way, but I found his DVD very helpful, and if I was a modeller of the 'Yorkshire Gritstone' type of building (I'm not!), I'd have found it even more useful. If you don't want to pay the money to admire his work in this book, then fine, but it doesn't detract from the quality of his buildings or the fact that this is a very nice book to own. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Horsetan Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 ....frankly speaking, there are very few people on this forum who are capable of matching the quality of his work, me included..... Yes, but surely people want to get close to his standards or try them for themselves, which was the whole point of the book being written? Or was it only intended as a bit of showing-off under the Domestic Duck label? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Neil Posted April 13, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted April 13, 2011 Yes, but surely people want to get close to his standards or try them for themselves, which was the whole point of the book being written? Or was it only intended as a bit of showing-off under the Domestic Duck label? Again a bit harsh Horse. I've had the pleasure of meeting Geoff, and he's as helpful and modest as they come. I've not yet had the opportunity to take a look at the book yet, but we should remember that there's a wealth of info and advice from Geoff in the series of MRJ articles he penned a while back. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 . I've had the pleasure of meeting Geoff, and he's as helpful and modest as they come. I've not yet had the opportunity to take a look at the book yet, but we should remember that there's a wealth of info and advice from Geoff in the series of MRJ articles he penned a while back. I don't think anybody's doubting any of that, or for that matter that Geoff's finished results are stunning. The issue as I see it (as a casual observer of the thread) is 'why isn't it in the book'? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
James Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 I don't think anybody's doubting any of that, or for that matter that Geoff's finished results are stunning. The issue as I see it (as a casual observer of the thread) is 'why isn't it in the book'? Then you would have had people moaning that it was just a rehash of his previous MRJ articles! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
craigwelsh Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Then you would have had people moaning that it was just a rehash of his previous MRJ articles! Someone probably will but you normally find articles later compiled into a book (take the AJ coupling one or much of the Hornby mag/BRM compendiums). You can't really have a book referring to some articles for some of the techniques.. The finished results are indeed superb, I can see them Monday nights if I have time to go upstairs and see what is being run in on Dewsbury.. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pennine MC Posted April 13, 2011 Share Posted April 13, 2011 Then you would have had people moaning that it was just a rehash of his previous MRJ articles! Agreed James, (and as I said I'm only half-interested anyway), but I am bound to suggest that would have been the lesser of the two evils. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
sb67 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I do the guttering by taking a 1mm (3" in 4mm scale) deep evergreen strip slightly wider than the distance between the wall and the edge of the tiles. Along one edge I cut a groove using an Olfa cutter (invaluable piece of kit) turn it over and file the corner off. paint and glue to wall. What type of olfa cutter do you use? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandc_au Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Well, to have my 2 pence/cents worth. I found the book great. It probably doesn't answer everything but then again I don't think I have found a book that does. I suspect that any writer would be stuck between producing one that is geared to the novice and the more advanced modeller at the same time. Every modeller has their own way of doing things. I would suggest that it is regarded as a tool, like every other book is ie: have it in your library for reference. They all contain words of wisdom, and when added with words from other books are gold. Khris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert17649 Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 Lots of bits here that I agree with. The problem is that too often expert performance is not backed up with expert exposition.Mr Taylor's models are superb but the book falls down as did one of my early guitar teachers. He gave me a piece of music then played it really nicely. he then "showed off" with a nice twiddly bit and when I asked him how to do it he said "I don't know"and it turned out he didn't really,much of it was instinctive. It is the same sometimes with things like this book, there are things that experts do that are so instinctive they forget that mere mortals have difficulty with them so explaining is not part of the remit. Just cos you are good at something doesn't mean you can teach it. John Ahern's books are beautifully balanced between the basics and expertise somehow we can all get there, His approach that is difficult to beat.and not that many recently have come up to it. robert Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
kandc_au Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 I like the book too. Regarding the warping there are several parts in the book, captions in particular where he refers to using floors and corner bracing to prevent warping, and a good few number of images where this is prevalent. The card modelling book is also a very useful companion volume to have as that does deal with setting buildings with 'basements' into the ground. PMP What's the name of the Card Modelling Book please.? khris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hale Posted April 14, 2011 Share Posted April 14, 2011 John Ahern's books are beautifully balanced between the basics and expertise somehow we can all get there, His approach that is difficult to beat.and not that many recently have come up to it. For John Ahern you can substitute Iain Rice. As far as Geoff's book is concerned, there is something was missing from the mix and this prevents the book being a great book. DesA Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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