Julia Posted February 27, 2011 Share Posted February 27, 2011 I would like to make a start on building the structures for my layout. I have found the plans for the station building I want to build, and am about to order the wrinkly tin plasticard to make it from (still debating Wills sheets vs SE finecast), But, I am not entirely sure where to start with the structure. Do people build an inner structure from say card, then attach the plasticard to the outside? or do you build from just the plasticard? Does anyone know of an online idiots guide to scratch building structures? J Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Kris Posted February 28, 2011 RMweb Premium Share Posted February 28, 2011 I build totally from plastic. I tend to print out the plans of the building that I want (having drawn them myself) then stick these to the plastic using sticky tape. This gives me a nice accurate guide for cutting. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Donw Posted February 28, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted February 28, 2011 People have lots of different favoured techniques. For largish buildings I like using foamboard. Can't recommend a supplier my last lot was given to me by a club m,ember who saw my buildings at an exhibition. I will then either clad the building with plasticard brick or stone, or Howards scenic embossed brick or for rough stone with DAS and scribe. For really big buildings you can use thin ply as a base. Offcuts of Picture mounting card are very useful. I suggest Geoff Kents book would be worth a read. For windows one easy solution it to use self adhesive labels. I cut thin strips and stick then onto the glazing material. The idea came from Graham Overton. If you want the coulured paint before cutting the strips. Don Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
hayfield Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 You can buy larger sheets of styreen from Eileens Emporium (shows only sadly) http://www.eileensemporium.com/, this allows larger buildings to be constructed without joins and much cheaper. Glueing different materials together can sometimes be a problem, I have seen as many come un-stuck as stayed together, no doubt someone will tell you the correct glue for sticking styreen to foamboard/card Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozthedog Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I found the DVD by Geoff Taylor on scratch building with Plasticard an excellent introduction to the various techniques involved. You can see a preview of it at: http://www.model-railway-dvd.co.uk/right_track7.php Cheers Keith Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
HLT 0109 Posted February 28, 2011 Share Posted February 28, 2011 I am in process of scratch building a terrace of thatched cottages. Inspiration has come from a book called "Scratch-Built Buildings" by Paul Bason. It is ISBN 978-0-9556194-7-2, book 4 in a series published by the publishers of British Railway Modelling and priced at £9.99, but mine was a freebe from an exhibition last year. I have found the advice to be excellent and the book well written and illustrated. Obviously the book is subject to copyright so I can't reproduce any part of it but I would thoroughly recommend it even if you modify the techniques to suit your owen style. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Worsdell forever Posted March 1, 2011 RMweb Gold Share Posted March 1, 2011 Don't know of anything on-line except what can be found around here, there is a bit on my Felton Lane thread, but nothing that thorough. I can recommend 'Architectural Modelling in 4mm Scale' by Dave Rowe, published by Wild Swan. It was written in 1983 but the techniques are still relevant even if some of the materials have changed. I read the book many years ago and still refer back to it occasionally. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest jim s-w Posted March 1, 2011 Share Posted March 1, 2011 Hi Julia The following pic, i hope, explains my method (other methods are available!) the building is drawn out first in Illustrator then printed on a large format printer. I stacked several copies on at once as its always handy to have spares. This is then taped to the foam board and the template is cut though to cut out the windows. I have found the best order is inner details first and final shape last. Overlaying the plasticard - I try to do as much as I can on the flat sides before assembling the building into a 3D object. The beauty of this building, or rather its construction, is that I can use both of my construction methods in 1 structure. To start with a descision needs to be made if the building is predominantly brick/wood/metal or glass. If its mostly the former then I use foamboard as I have for the lower section shown so far. If I decide it has enough glass then the building is made from clear perspex with detail overlaid. It pays - especially with the window frames to colour them the correct colour first. Luckily in this instance they are white. The plan is stuck to the back of the perspex to save marking out. In this case the frames are 30x15 thou strip laid edge on. HTH Jim Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted March 3, 2011 Share Posted March 3, 2011 For windows one easy solution it to use self adhesive labels. I cut thin strips and stick then onto the glazing material. The idea came from Graham Overton. If you want the coulured paint before cutting the strips. Don You can paint the window frames made from sticky labels after applying to the clear plastic by using watercolours as they do not take on the glazing material. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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