In my humble opinion one of the hardest tasks in modelling terms is to build a down-loadable card kit and make a success of it.
Scalescenes, a UK based company, offer a great range of down-loadable structure kits. Though they are UK protoypes some of their industrial kits and walling could be adapted to suit other countries.
I am going to try and build their "Low Relief House Backs" kit T008. This represents six semi-detached cottages that could be placed on the backscene behind a railway line. The kit costs £5 ($8.50) and comes in a choice of six different finishes of brickwork or stone in either OO or N. Once purchased the buyer can print off as many copies of the kit as required. Eventually I intend building three kits or eighteen houses!!!
The first pictures are of the structure and the six pages of instructions.
Mike Carter
Continuing...........
Besides the 6 pages of instructions the kit download consists of 8 pages of walls, windows, doors, floors, curtains, blinds and tiles.
I have opted for a stone finish for my walls. These sheets are print only.
Continuing..........
The print only sheets can be cut out as they are.
A second set of 5 sheets need to be glued to some medium card - approx 1 mm thick.
A third set of 3 sheets need to be glued to some heavy card - approx 2 mm thick.
Halve these thicknesses for N scale.
Mike Carter
First off I have to use a new blade to cut out all the window panes from the sheet before mounting the sheet of windows onto some acetate.
There are 34 windows so this could take some time.
Brassmasters offer brass frets for the windows for all Scalescenes kits instead if you prefer. However obviously this would add to your overheads.
Mike
Interesting! I'm always in the market for anything that speeds up some interior detailing. I like the interior walls and bits.
-slim
Hi Slim
Scalescenes do a download for £2.99 see link below.
Ideal for interior super-detailing, lineside junk, skip fill or a furniture removal scene, this pack includes numerous simple to build elements that will really bring your layout to life:
- Cookers and washing machines (rusty versions supplied)
- Armchairs, sofas, paintings, rugs and fireplaces
- Wardrobes, drawers, bookshelves and clocks
- Televisions, stereo unit and speakers
- Beds, mattresses, kitchen and wall units
http://scalescenes.com/products/T004-Furniture-and-Lineside-Junk
Mike :)
Continuing...
Here is the window sheet with the panes removed..........
Mike
Continuing....
The window frames were glued to a sheet of acetate.
Next I cut the Centre Walls A out of medium card and will glue them together back to back to form 3 separate walls.
Mike
Continuing...
The centre walls A have been glued together with Elmer's White Glue.
Next up the Floors and Ceilings. The printed sheet needs to be glued to some medium card. The cards (6) and then cut out and glued back to back printed sides out.
Mike
Continuing..............
Here are the 3 Floors/Ceilings. The Centre Walls A fit into slots in these...........
Mike Carter
Hi MIke:
Looks like you're off to a good start.
Karl
i'll enjoy watching this. i like the scale scenes approach though it very different from ours ( clever models )..
any chance to see how a cardstock build goes is alwas informative.
Mike
A very interesting thread - I will be following along. I love models with interior detailing.
Looking good Mike. Any progress photos?
I have never tried printable card stock construction before so I'm following your build with great interest and I really appreciate all the details and tips you are providing. Thank you!
Sorry about the delay. Initially there did not seem to be much interest in my thread. I thought probably it was do with the model being British or card based. I have been very busy of late attending railway exhibitions with Red Hook Bay.
However..........I will post some updates very soon..........my apologies.
Mike Carter
Mike...
I've not been one to do a lot with paper and card stock. The few that I have done from Thom at Clever I have printed out on thick card stock just to have some body and then reinforced it with strip wood. They work well and look really cool. I think there were companies in the 50's and 60's that tried this but the litho process we had then was not enough color or shadow control that is available now.
see ya
Bob
Hey Mike,
You have nearly 500 'views`, so I think people are interested, just not commenting. I've built one or two cardstock kits, so it's always interesting watching someone build one. Keep the photos coming!
Mike, I agree with Mark's comment above!!
I'm enjoying this thread and your experiences with Scalescene's kit!
I try not to post too many comments in build threads, as my comments somehow tend to get
a little off-topic, humorous, and offensive to some folks.
I guess that I try to make this hobby too much FUN!
In this case, I'll give you a big Attta-Boy!!!
Keep the posts coming! ;D ;D ;D ;D
My apologies for my tardiness.......... I actually ran out of card for the model just started but I have almost finished another one on the other forum.
Here is an abbreviated how-to with all the pictures of Scalescenes Row of Cottages. This kit is £3.99 ($6.00) to download and once downloaded you can make as many copies as you like. The thickness of the card is very important as it can affect the outcome of the model. However if you make a mistake you can just print another part. There were over 70 card parts to this kit and the build time was about 20 hours.
Here are the instructions, card parts and we are away..........
Mike
I am going to build these cottages for my new layout. The kit gives you option to build them half brick and half whitewashed, all brick or all whitewashed. I am going to do the last option and have a row of whitewashed cottages.
First up to cut out the window panes with a new blade. This is the tedious part which I am pleased to get out of the way.
Next I cut out the upper floors and lower ceilings and glued them back to back. Afterwards I used clamps to hold them together while the PVA glue set. Afterwards I cut out the front and rear walls. I think my heavy card is a little thicker than 2mm and it takes about 5 passes with my knife to cut through. Oh well Rome was not built in a day and neither will my cottages!
Here are the 52 heavy card parts cut out. There are 19 medium card parts to prepare as well before we can start gluing the wraps onto the parts........
The 19 medium card parts were easy compared to the 2mm heavy card parts. Now the fun begins.
Here are the wraps for the front, rear and side walls. I have cut the slits in the wraps which will be folded over the the openings in the walls for the doors and windows.
Next all the walls are wrapped with their outer covers. The flaps are then glued through the openings of the doors and windows.
The window sills are then cut out and added to the bottom of the windows and folded through the opening and glued. The paper windows and doors are glued to some glazing material and cut out and then glued in the openings in the walls.
Next the interior walls have to glued to the outer walls.
Here are completed walls. I changed the window sills to black instead of grey for a nice contrast.
Next the internal walls and the front walls are glued back to back.
Moving on while these dry. The side walls are fitted with drain pipes. These cleverly disguise the join when the four walls come together later on.
There is a lot of detail internally. The fireplace cover sheets are glued to their cardboard forms.
I have glued the interior walls to the exterior walls. Also I have mounted the fireplaces and chimney brests on the internal walls. The side wall with the chimney needed the chimney ends added. These are pieces of card to bulk out the chimney. The secret here is make them as smooth as possible with a file as you do not want lines of card edges showing on the side of the chimney.
Now to start joining the walls. They are all colour keyed - yellow, biege, blue and green. I am using a square to keep the walls square while the glue sets.
Time to add the floors and walls....... this makes for a very strong model. There are many signs for the buildings plus carpets and pictures to dress up the interior.
Next are the ceiling and the roof. I cut up the slates and applied them to double sided tape.
Mike
More soon.................
Final pictures of the cottages. I have named them Sidings Cottages. The left hand one has a red post box on the wall and the right hand one is FOR SALE. With their interiors they are just begging for some lighting.
Not all bad for a £3.99 ($6.00) kit and I can go and populate a small village with rows and rows ad infinitum for FREE..............
Mike Carter
Very nicely done Mike.....thanks for sharing! 8)
Thanks Greg I appreciate it.
Mike ;)
Looks good, Mike. I think the inset doors and windows give it a great 3-D look.
Thanks Jeff. I took the model to the club last night. Over 30 members looked it over and everyone could not believe it was a card kit. Two or three tried to buy it off me. In the end I was asked to leave it displayed on a club member's layout which is to be photographed soon by Chris Nevard of Model Rail magazine.
Mike :D
Great results and good display of modeling skill. congratulations and thanks for sharing the process..
Hi Mike:
Very nicely done so far.
Karl
Thanks Thom and Karl.
I have just spent $29 on three new kits - a 18 x 12 terminal station, a freight (goods) shed and a background kit of five buildings.........these are all for my new British exhibition layout. Because these are all "difficult" kits they will look "new" on the layout. I estimate 60 hours of fun making them................great bang for my ££££............
Mike