Looking For A Tutorial/Advice On Foundations

[WigWag Workshop]

Hey Der Folks,


Can anyone point me to some tutorials, or share how you make foundations? Do you always add foundations to your builds?  The first kit I built (J. Keen Supplies) had a foundation included. My current 2nd build, Foley Towing did not include a foundation in the kit.


NOTE: This kit has garage doors, and I do plan on a small diorama.


Thank You in advance for your input,


-Steven

[ReadingBob]

Steven,

I've built some kits that recommend using 1/16 square strip wood, painted a concrete color, to line the bottom of the walls and serve as a foundation.  For another I actually poured a hydrocal foundation.  Of course that was a simple rectangle shape structure.  I just made a little frame out of scrap strip wood and poured in some hydrocal.  When it hardened I removed the strip wood and painted the foundation.  You could even use an appropriate thickness of photo mounting board cut to the shape of the building and painted an appropriate color.  Just remember that the walls typically overhang the edge of the foundation a little bit rather than the foundation sticking out from under the walls.

Hope this helps a little. 

[deemery]

One important note on foundations:  the framing usually sits flush with the foundation walls, so the siding -overhangs- the foundation.  (This makes sense if you think about it, you don't want rain water to seep through the line where the exterior walls meet the foundation.  )

So cut your foundation slightly smaller than the building footprint, particularly for a wood structure.  Don't forget to allow for the thickness of the foundation material.  My preference for wood structures is the old "Paper Creek" brick paper, which looks great and is easy to glue onto the 1/16 or even 1/8 square foundation sticks.  If you want a 1/32 overhang, you'll need to make each dimension of the foundation 1/16 smaller than the structure footprint (to allow 1/32 on each side.  Don't ask how I learned this :-) )

dave

[GPdemayo]

Steven,

Below is a typical wall section from a proposed wood frame building on a poured in place monolithic concrete slab in North Carolina.

I you have any questions I can be reached at 407-834-2183.

[Oldguy]

A lot will depend upon locale.   Since I model the Midwest, most buildings will have a 12 to 14" floor system, so th3 bottom of the door has to be planned accordingly.  If one goes with a concrete slab, there needs to be some sort of rise into the building/garage or rains would enter the space.
And Dave's advice is a must.  Just think of how a building is built.  If one will have wood floor joists, one starts with the foundation (of whatever type). then the sill plate is added flat to that, then a mud sill vertical, flush with the sill plate, and then floor joists, butted up to them. The end joists will act as mud sills on the ends.
If your down south with a slab on grade, then the concrete slab is your floor, so no real "foundation".  It's there, just hidden in the ground as Greg shows. 

However you do it, just realize that in the real world, we try to keep water out of our buildings and off our floors.  No so much in the model world.

[SteveCuster]

A cheap and easy solution is just build a box with stripwood and use some liquitex stucco to add some texture.



I did that on this little building. I colored it with some light gray spray paint, A&I, some chalks and a little dry brushing. The whole job took a few minutes to make.

[BandOGuy]

You've touched one of my sore spots.
If a structure is going to last, it must have a foundation. I'll forgo the hymnal reference to "How Firm A Foundation".
Try any of the below links and see what you can find. KC's has foundation material currently. At Timonium last November, I asked Kenny about foundation material. He went home and cut some foe me overnight! Jimmy Simmons at Larkspur doesn't show them in stock currently. As Monster Modelworks, he cut some great stuff for foundations. Foggy Mountain Models is new to me. I've got some of their sheet material unused at this point. Great service on his stuff. Not that the others don't have great service: it's just his follow-up that impressed me.
Hope this helps.
https://kcworkshop.com/
https://www.larkspurlaserart.com/
https://foggymountainmodels.com/

[jerryrbeach]

Steven,


I use several methods depending on what I am building and the look I want to achieve.  I use 1/8" or 1/4" Masonite, especially for structures like a garage where I want a concrete floor.  When using this method I assemble the walls and then size the floor / foundation by making it slightly smaller than the walls as Dave described.  This allows me to add an apron in front of access doors.  I sometimes sand the apron to show a sloped entry to the bay doors.  If I go this route I have found using a khaki color camo spray works as a base color for the concrete, adding washes and dry powders to vary the color, add stains, etc.


When using paper brick or stone I use a couple coats of clear flat to "plasticize" the paper to minimize the impact of water based scenery products attacking the paper.  I also have some plastic stone and brick sheets from both Plastruct and JTT.  I will use these over the Masonite, or over stripwood foundations.  The texture paint in spray cans is also useful to vary the look of concrete and to simulate stucco foundations.

[GPdemayo]

Steven,

Below is an example of a footer & stemwall foundation system.

[Mark Dalrymple]

A simple method I have used in the past is to cut vertical bracing material longer than the timber walls and to then glue my pre-painted stone/ brick/ block/ stucco walls to the protruding bracing.  To get the thickness right so that the siding overhangs the foundation (very important IMO not to have the foundation protruding from the timber-work.  My example below is flush) just splice some material to the upper part of the bracing before gluing to your timber siding.  I have found this much easier than making up a separate foundation piece and then trying to glue them together.  Personally I usually use Slaters plasticard.

Photo 1 - Below is a scratch-build based on a SRM kit.  The stone foundation was attached using this method.  I also file and fit, glue and putty, sand and paint my corners before attaching to the timber wall above.

Photo 2 - is another scratch-build, this time using block.

Cheers, Mark.

[Oldguy]

You've touched one of my sore spots.
If a structure is going to last, it must have a foundation. I'll forgo the hymnal reference to "How Firm A Foundation".
Try any of the below links and see what you can find. KC's has foundation material currently. At Timonium last November, I asked Kenny about foundation material. He went home and cut some foe me overnight! Jimmy Simmons at Larkspur doesn't show them in stock currently. As Monster Modelworks, he cut some great stuff for foundations. Foggy Mountain Models is new to me. I've got some of their sheet material unused at this point. Great service on his stuff. Not that the others don't have great service: it's just his follow-up that impressed me.
Hope this helps.
https://kcworkshop.com/
https://www.larkspurlaserart.com/
https://foggymountainmodels.com/

RSLaserKits also has foundation sticks of stone - http://www.rslaserkits.com/2750-Foundation-Sticks--Stone_p_3755.html

[WigWag Workshop]

This is why this is the best forum out there! I appreciate all the feedback, advice, and guidance. Now I need to process all the wonderful information lol.


-Steven

[PRR Modeler]

Great looking builds.