Building a town
- Thread starter cfinchum
- Start date
Styrene for me also. You can build up a base for the buildings that extends out to become the sidewalk and curb. Another piece of styrene will then serve as the street. It's cheap, clean, and easy. This a picture of my layout at a much earlier stage of development and all the streets, including the road going up to the bridge, are sheet styrene painted and weather to resemble concrete.
GrampysTrains
Member
Hi: I agree with Rico and Jim. I used .060 styrene for my town buildings. These buildings door ways are flush with the styrene. I used the back of an exacto knife to score the side walks. I also used rectangular styrene strips for the curbs.
I use .030 styrene for building bases and sidewalks. I build some areas up to .060 to give the streets some elevation change since real streets are rarely completely flat. The roads are .010 stryrene but I also use brick sheets for the downtown streets for variety. Gramps has got the look almost perfect for a single business block.
Sorry it took so long to reply. That's really nice Gramps. I hope to achieve that some day. I have so many questions to ask about your work. Where did you get the window shades, what colors did you use for the brick. Did you airbrush or drybrush the buildings? Thanks for the reply everybody. The layout [with the help of a good friend] is coming along. hope to post a pic someday. CF.
CF, those are both Woodland Scenics Built up models available at http://www.modeltrainstuff.com/Sear...urer=Woodland+Scenics&RefineBy_Price=&Search= for $41.29 each. All the painting and detailing is already done for you. I've been a kit builder for many years but these Woodland Scenics models are some of the finest I've ever seen and far beyond the skill of most modelers to reproduce from a kit. By contrast, the picture attached is a Walther's Merchant's Row kit that cost about $20. It's not particularly hard to build but the painting and detailing is extremely complicated and time consuming since the walls, windows, and details are all molded in one piece. I would guess it took me about 40 hours to build, paint, and detail this kit. If I had it to do over again, I would buy a couple of the Woodland Scenics structures in a heartbeat.
GrampysTrains
Member
Hi CF: Jim is absolutely right about those buildings. I was just trying to show the styrene base and side walk. However, the Suds Bucket was a wood kit. After building it and finishing it, I needed to fill in the block, because I was working from the back to the front of this section. Here's a pic of the bar.
jtudor
Member
That is a hard decision for me because I really enjoy building the models, I have been building models all my life and really enjoy it. That said I am terrible at painting, even just model cars no to mention details like are needed to make structures, town and (gasp) people look real. I haven't tried my hand at that yet but I guess I will soon.
I have a Faller Boy Scout Camp for my layout. The scouts are already painted, but they are wearing RED uniform shirts. Well as a scout leader, i know that USA scout shirts are not red, by a long shot. They are khaki and the newest ones lean toward a greenish tint. So I will find myself trying to paint them, and hoping I don't ruin them.
I love the look of the WS Kits, but right now, they are priced way out of my modeling budget, maybe that will change one day, or maybe I could just go slow on the buildings, using some cardboard boxes to represent buildings I like and want until they are bought. but if I wait and don't buy the one I want now, what are the chances it will be discontinued before I buy. Ahh decisions, decisions.....
Gramps, nice job on the Suds Bucket
J., you might want to rethink the budget issue. The Suds Bucket, for example, was probably about $40. I see at least three colors of paint so that's about $2.50 per bottle for Polly S. A good set of Xacto knives is about $20, a really good set is about $35. Steel ruler, about $5. Glue, about $5. Extra details, maybe $10. Of the top of my head, that's about $85 to $110. I realize some of these are one time costs but I haven't even included the cost of a really good set of fine brushes (expensive), paint thinner and brush cleaner, and host of other things you need to build nice structures. Those Xacto blades do break and wear out so you have to factor that in also. Now add your time. It may be enjoyable to build a structure but your time is not free if you can be earning money doing something else. I don't know how much time it took Gramps to build the Suds Bucket but I suspect it was a little more than one evening.
The WS ready builts don't looks so expensive any more, do they?
J., you might want to rethink the budget issue. The Suds Bucket, for example, was probably about $40. I see at least three colors of paint so that's about $2.50 per bottle for Polly S. A good set of Xacto knives is about $20, a really good set is about $35. Steel ruler, about $5. Glue, about $5. Extra details, maybe $10. Of the top of my head, that's about $85 to $110. I realize some of these are one time costs but I haven't even included the cost of a really good set of fine brushes (expensive), paint thinner and brush cleaner, and host of other things you need to build nice structures. Those Xacto blades do break and wear out so you have to factor that in also. Now add your time. It may be enjoyable to build a structure but your time is not free if you can be earning money doing something else. I don't know how much time it took Gramps to build the Suds Bucket but I suspect it was a little more than one evening.
The WS ready builts don't looks so expensive any more, do they?
GrampysTrains
Member
Thanks, Jim. And, you are correct about the time involved in building that kit. IFIRC, I think I spent about a week on it. A lot of that was waiting for paint and glue to dry. And, it was my first wood kit. It was enjoyable. I really didn't have the time to do all my buildings like that, though.
tomstockton
Tom Stockton
It seems to me that there are at least two sides to the "argument"...
(1) When you add the costs of tools, supplies (paint, glue, etc.) and labor, it is more practical to buy the ready-made kits.
(2) On the other hand, if one has that time, the tools and the supplies, it is cheaper to buy the kits and build them yourself. If properly taken care, the tools will last a long time and be useful for many projects. And I can't imagine too many projects where one would use an entire bottle of paint or glue.
And there is another angle that comes to mind -- the satisfaction of building something yourself. That would probably be the reason I've modeled in so many genres (railroading, aircaft, armor, ships, sci-fi, just to name a few) over the years -- when I do a good job of putting a kit together, I just feel really satisfied that I built this, even if "all I did" was assemble and paint a kit...
My two cents worth... (and we all know what two cents is worth these days!)
Regards,
Tom Stockton
(1) When you add the costs of tools, supplies (paint, glue, etc.) and labor, it is more practical to buy the ready-made kits.
(2) On the other hand, if one has that time, the tools and the supplies, it is cheaper to buy the kits and build them yourself. If properly taken care, the tools will last a long time and be useful for many projects. And I can't imagine too many projects where one would use an entire bottle of paint or glue.
And there is another angle that comes to mind -- the satisfaction of building something yourself. That would probably be the reason I've modeled in so many genres (railroading, aircaft, armor, ships, sci-fi, just to name a few) over the years -- when I do a good job of putting a kit together, I just feel really satisfied that I built this, even if "all I did" was assemble and paint a kit...
My two cents worth... (and we all know what two cents is worth these days!
)Regards,
Tom Stockton
GrampysTrains
Member
Hi: Tom, I completely agree with you. But I also think the size of your layout could also have an influence on whether to buy or build, I know it did on mine. If I live long enough, I will probably replace some of my buildings with kit built ones, as I do get the gratification of "I built that".
Built vs. built up
Well guys, I gotta tell ya, I used to build the plastic kits and I never really liked the look or job I did on them. So I started dabbling with the built ups. Something was missing, then it dawned on me...I love building the models. I discovered the wooden crafstman kits like Suds Bucket, and I am hooked. I have added and kitbashed, and my skills have really improved since going with the wooden kits. Again just two cents. unless you are in a hurry to get your layout done, why not build and work on the scenery and structures slowely and really enjoy this part of the hobby. The cost really does end up being about the same with everything.
I too am working on making the bases and sidewalks look good, and Bar Mills makes sidewalks in a snap which are pretty cool, or good old smooth it, with the lines etched in with a knife is always good. I will try styrene next. Good luck.
Well guys, I gotta tell ya, I used to build the plastic kits and I never really liked the look or job I did on them. So I started dabbling with the built ups. Something was missing, then it dawned on me...I love building the models. I discovered the wooden crafstman kits like Suds Bucket, and I am hooked. I have added and kitbashed, and my skills have really improved since going with the wooden kits. Again just two cents. unless you are in a hurry to get your layout done, why not build and work on the scenery and structures slowely and really enjoy this part of the hobby. The cost really does end up being about the same with everything.
I too am working on making the bases and sidewalks look good, and Bar Mills makes sidewalks in a snap which are pretty cool, or good old smooth it, with the lines etched in with a knife is always good. I will try styrene next. Good luck.
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Ok gotta add my 2 cents worth (could end up being $1 worth when I'm done....lol) believe it or not I have been experimenting with modeling sidewalks and easments with a new kids toy called Moonsand. You can mold just about anything you want out of it and if you want to make it permanent just bake it in the oven and it sets. Then you can weather it etc. just something to consider. As for buildings I have had good luck with the city classics line however their molding process leaves about a 30 degree angle on all of the mating surfaces and the foundation base which you need to file down. So basically the look is in the details...which take time and lots of it. I prefer to build everything but I am a little anal at times ( I have a functioning automobile hoist in my gas station garage in HO scale) It all comes down to what fits your budget and timeframe and what overall look you are shooting for.
Actually the red shirts will work. Being a recent eagle scout my troop had our formal ceremony / meeting uniforms (the khaki shirts) but for casual week / campouts we had troop unique shirts. Ours were a dark green with Troop # with City, State underneath and on the back up near the collar an American flag. So if you choose to do a scene that isn't in any formal meeting or ceremony could have them in their red shirts with maybe a number on it to designate troop.
