Philip1812

This site gives some interesting insights into building elaborate buildings in plasticard

 

http://www.stummiforum.de/viewtopic.php?f=51&t=73945

 

It is in German, but well illustrated with photos

Very useful, thanks a lot.  All input gratefully received.

Phil -

 

Check out my various blogs/posts about building construction.  If you have access to a computer with a DTP or CAD program, you can design your own windows including an aperture template.  Printed on adhesive paper, the templates can be cut out, stuck to the plasticard and then cut out.  It's quite possible to do the lintel arches 'freehand' using this method.  The together advantage is that all the apertures are identical dimension-wise...

 

I'd also question thewisdom of using 40 thou faced with embossed styrene.  I think you will find that the solvent sets up tension stress in the two materials and the result will be distortion.  I personally make up the main wall using layered 20 thou. A 'front sheet' - which has 20 thou spacers, separating a 'back' sheet also in 20 thou.  Once all the apertures are cut, the embossed plasticard can be attached and the apertures cut through.  For a better description see my 'Emsford Mill' forum entry.

 

Regs

 

Ian

Yes, I had my doubts about the best choice for the main walls, principally because there are two curved walls.  If it turns out that my experiment doesn't work, then I will ahve learned something.  What I intend to do is bend the curved walls to the right radius using hot water and a suitable former.  Then bend the embossed layer to the same radius, then tack the embossed layer in place temporarily and use the holes in the 40 thou to mark the apertures in the embossed layer.  Then I'll remove the embossed layer, cut the apertures roughly, stick the layers together properly and fettle the brickwork edges.  Watch this space, it may well go very pear shaped!

Thank you.  I have spoken to someone in the archives department of Salford Planning dept, and the local history museum and English Heritage (it's a grade II listed building) but no one has anything useful.  The present owners have given me an internal layout plan of part of the upper floor, where the performance venue is, but this contains a number of errors on window position, so I don't give too much weight to it.

I've drawn my plans at 8mm to the foot which may seem a bit odd but has a number of advantages.  I simply half all measurements for OO, I multiply by 1.5 or 2 for the dolls house, depending on how big the director wants it, and an imperial brick scales out at approx 6mmx3mmx2mm, so easy for brick counting!  Incidentally, I've just noticed a typo in my original post - the model will be about 170mm high, not 330mm.

I transferred the measurements for three of the structural shell pieces to 60 thou plasticard last night and cut them out, then discovered that my stock of what I had labelled as 40thou sheet was actually 20 thou, so I've got to go and buy some more today.