steveb860 Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Haven't seen much on here about Timbertracks laser cut kits, so thought I would document my build. I purchased this kit at Bristol show at a bargain price. Building laser cut wooden kits is a new one for me, so I have delved somewhat into the unknown. First thing to do is check the contents. My kit unfortunately had two sets of sides with the windows. A quick phone call and a chat with Brian saw the missing side pieces in the post two days later. The kit features exquisit parts, windows, doors made up of several parts, lintels and many fine strips of brickwork. Hard to believe its all from wood. Construction under way. I assembled one side and end, then added interior floor, with some reinforcement from timber quadrant added underneath. Glue used is an aliphatic wood glue for speedier drying. The interior walls were sprayed with Tamiya white then added the other side and end. A little interior detail added in the shape of packing cases and a few barrels, as that is what I had knocking about. I suppose there should be a desk and other office furniture in there somewhere. Other items can be added as & when i get them. Thinking about doing the roof so it lifts off, so I can add some flickering tea light lighting. 9 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Luckily for me being in Cheltenham, Broadway is just a short drive away, and the shed still exists, all be it in a caravan park. So yesterday I popped over to take some pictures.I only managed to photo it from 3 sides so another trip out is required. And of course a stop on the way back at Toddington, where I took lots of detail shots of this little beauty 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
28XX Posted May 22, 2013 Share Posted May 22, 2013 Just Googled them. I don't think I will be joining you at those prices. ( Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted May 22, 2013 Author Share Posted May 22, 2013 Just Googled them. I don't think I will be joining you at those prices. ( Yes, they are pricey,and you can get a loco for the price, but you get what you pay for here, and for someone like me who isn't great at structure modelling, they are fantastic and a worthwhile investment, and will do justice to my late fathers' boards. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 25, 2013 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 25, 2013 I couldn't afford a building, but those chimney castings look really fine. Good luck with the build! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted May 29, 2013 Author Share Posted May 29, 2013 (edited) Bit more progress, with office, roof trusses, windows and lintels fitted, and various detailing brick courses added. Doors made up with fine laser cut hinges. Edited May 29, 2013 by steveb860 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Campaman Posted May 29, 2013 Share Posted May 29, 2013 For information the Broadway shed is in the Caravan Clubs Broadway site, it has been converted inside to be one of the toilet blocks, it still has the internal platform which has a load of pictures of the old line, a bit like a mini museum, there is also a Scammell Scarab 3 wheeler parked in there. Stayed on the site in our motorhome a few times, once at New Year and the wardens put on a party (bring your own beer) in the shed in the evening. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
angell328 Posted May 30, 2013 Share Posted May 30, 2013 Looking good Mr B! Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh. The detail on the wood from the laser etch is amazing, nice to see you have found a home for those barrels! Going to look grand with a few of your private owner wagons in the bay. Matt Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted May 30, 2013 Author Share Posted May 30, 2013 (edited) Thanks everybody for your appreciation. Bit more progress made.Chimney and awning made. Just roof tiles and guttering / drain pipes left. House to myself next week, so out with my airbrush to get it and other painting jobs finished. When you coming around Matt ?? More photo's tomorrow Edited May 30, 2013 by steveb860 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stayhi128 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Haven't seen much on here about Timbertracks laser cut kits, so thought I would document my build. I purchased this kit at Bristol show at a bargain price. Building laser cut wooden kits is a new one for me, so I have delved somewhat into the unknown. First thing to do is check the contents. My kit unfortunately had two sets of sides with the windows. A quick phone call and a chat with Brian saw the missing side pieces in the post two days later. The kit features exquisit parts, windows, doors made up of several parts, lintels and many fine strips of brickwork. Hard to believe its all from wood. Oops! Guilty as charged Sir - and when we looked at our stocks, we found two more kits that had the same problem. Mrs. L and I really try so hard to get everything right, but we are not gods and do make mistakes. (Bear in mind, we are both the wrong side of seventy, so our powers of concentration are not what they were). There is a way round this - we could tab everything together, as if it was etched brass. But the parts are so delicate and cutting items off an etch is one thing I just hate doing - you always seem to distort or break something. Regards Brian Lewis TimberTracks Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stayhi128 Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Just Googled them. I don't think I will be joining you at those prices. ( You have my sympathies - they are not cheap. But my laser setup costs £20K and is expensive to run - a set of replacement filters costs £450. And although lasers are brilliant, they are very slow. So, even at the prices they are listed at, I make nothing from the kits. In fact Mrs. L and I are thinking seriously that the current two kits being developed - 4mm Tetbury Goods Shed and a 7mm LNWR type 4 Signal Box, may well be the last. What pays for the laser is the one-off bespoke work and I have a 1 year backlog of these. I can remember the time when it was Superquick or nothing, but now you are really spoilt for choice. Just look at the recently released Bachmann low relief shops. Brilliant - and real value for money. Timber Tracks kits are aimed. not at the mass market, (how could they be - I only produce 30 or 40 of each kit), nor at the person who wants a working layout quickly. Rather they reflect my own approach to railway modelling. In truth, for me, all the fun of model railways is in the building of them and I find operating bores me after a very short while. Folk may remember Chagford, my P4 layout. I built it, took it to 4 exhibitions and then sold it. We then spent 11 years building Llaniog, a 45 foot 7mm layout. Same thing happened - I took it to 4 exhibitions - the last one being the Warley/NEC show. Whilst there I sold it and delivered it to the new owner the next day. Now I am back to P4, building Tetbury. I am sure history will repeat itself yet again, for Richard and I are planning our next layout now - Twyford, a four track main line with a branch to Henley. An ambitious project - the station area alone is over 30 feet long in 4mm. So perhaps, at my age, I might keep it this time. Regards Brian lewis TimberTracks 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
brossard Posted May 31, 2013 Share Posted May 31, 2013 Thank you for giving us your point of view on this, Brian. I did build your Tetbury station building kit for a friend and thought it was great. It now resides on our club layout. I also scratch built the Tetbury engine shed (using Paul Karau's excellent book) and slapped my forehead shortly after I finished when I discovered you had done the kit (mind you the price is still beyond my budget). The difficult thing for scratchbuilders (which will not be news to you) is getting the details right - esp. chimney pots, windows and doors. The shed windows took considerable effort. I see you offer some details and would hope you to do more of that. Cheers John Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 Well I hope I am doing your kit justice, Brian. Really enjoyed the build so far. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
steveb860 Posted June 3, 2013 Author Share Posted June 3, 2013 More progress, chimney stack made, final brick courses added. Today I started airbrushing base Precision brick red colour,and dark stone on doors, but no photo's taken yet. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stayhi128 Posted June 4, 2013 Share Posted June 4, 2013 More progress, chimney stack made, final brick courses added. Today I started airbrushing base Precision brick red colour,and dark stone on doors, but no photo's taken yet.Broadway Goodsshed build 001.JPGBroadway Goodsshed build 004.JPGBroadway Goodsshed build 007.JPGBroadway Goodsshed build 008.JPGBroadway Goodsshed build 011.JPG 'Tis looking good Steve. Don't forget, there is an 8 page illustrated article about painting our models, which can be downloaded as a PDF file. You can find this by going to www.timbertracks.co.uk and then clicking on 'Gallery'. I look forward to seeing more pics. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold JCL Posted May 3, 2016 RMweb Gold Share Posted May 3, 2016 Hi Steve, I was wondering how you got on with this. It was a very interesting thread. cheers Jason Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
3 link Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 Regardless of cost I personally think the attention to detail is amazing, I will be buying one of Brian's 7mm station buildings in the near future and I have yet to see a better quality in any other similar kits on the market. Martyn. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Bigcheeseplant Posted May 8, 2016 Share Posted May 8, 2016 (edited) One thing I don't like about these kits and some other laser cut kits are the but jointed corners. When I have done by own laser cut buildings I either mitre the corners by a 45 degree sanding disc, or when I got York modelmaking to cut bits I had drawn up they used a circular saw to do the mitres. If you have mitred corners with no but joint you can have all the quarter bricks and get the brick bond spot on. David Edited May 8, 2016 by David Bigcheeseplant Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
faulcon1 Posted July 27, 2016 Share Posted July 27, 2016 (edited) I've had a look at the Timber Tracks website and yes the structures are pricey. I live in Australia so for us we just double the price. But then again we all seem to have got used to things being made in Asia at cheap prices. However if the structures build into a solid structure that's not flimsy and won't warp over time then yes the prices listed will show that the investment has been worth it. There is an old saying after all. Quality is remembered long after price is forgotten. On the Timber Tracks website home page. The owner intends to retire at the end of 2018 as he'll be 77 by that time and he seems to have no interest in selling his business onto someone else. He seems to be quite happy to allow Timber Tracks to just fade away into history which would be a great shame. I'd love to be able to buy one of his kits but being in Australia there maybe problems with the kits being made from actual wood. I used to work in a place where kit wooden furniture from Sweden was put through a high temperature autoclave to kill any organisms may or may not be within the wood. The authorities here take a very hard line on anything made from natural materials overseas which is why Sea Moss trees cannot be bought and imported into Australia. Edited November 9, 2017 by faulcon1 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
AdamInTheAttic Posted August 20, 2021 Share Posted August 20, 2021 (edited) Did this building get finished? I'm thinking of purchasing one. Edited August 24, 2021 by AdamInTheAttic Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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