Scratch Building...homemade


C

CSXfan75

Member
I would like to model a factory I used to work at. But there is no "kit" for it, so I want to try to build it by hand using common material. I have no pic of the plant other than in my head. One characteristic that stands out are many tall cylindrical silos of different heights and widths. Accompanied by typical warehouse structures of verying magnitudes. It has 6 tracks branching off of a siding in the rear. The rolling stock are entirely centerflo hoppers with vaccume unloading. My question is what would be a good material to create silos and typical warehouse structures?
 
I like sheet styrene for building structures, other people like wood or "modular" kit walls. As far as silos are concerned, you might check out PVC pipe. It comes in a multitude of diameters and is pretty easy to work with.
 
i would go out and photos of the place if you can and if not try to find other structures that are like the one you want to model and peice those together to build the one you want. Doing it from your mind can be hard.
Dave
 
The PVC pipe I never thought of...that would fit exactly to what Im tryin to model....good call. Now sheet styrene, where would I get that at?
 
Sheet styrene should be available at either your local hobby shop or at one of the online retailers. Available in different sizes and thicknesses for a few dollars.
 
railBuilderDhd said:
i would go out and photos of the place if you can and if not try to find other structures that are like the one you want to model and peice those together to build the one you want. Doing it from your mind can be hard.
Dave
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I see what you mean, but the only thing that would call for photos would be the placement of the structures. I worked there for over 2 years, even tended to the rail shipments, guided the conductor to which tracks the cars needed to be spotted. The operation would be easy. I agree, photos would help majorly, but I dont own a camera, disposable I guess. I keep that in mind. Thanks!
 
Pictures can do allot more then you think especially if there is a car or some other object that we can guesstimate lengths and measures.

Like you are looking for a close match to the size with good match of colours and details.
 
Try Google Maps for aerial photography of the site. That should help with the layout of the structure. Also, depending on the time of day the photos were taken and the relative flatness of the surrounding terrain, you can use the relationship of the shadows the structures cast to determine the relative height of each structure element to another.

I use 0.040" thick styrene sheet, available from Evergreen Scale Models, to construct the substrate of the buildings I put together. It's thick enough to be sturdy, but thin enough that it's still easy to work with. And by the time you laminate the outer textured styrene veneer on it, it's bulletproof.

I'd suggest you look at a couple aerial photos, even consult your local property tax appraisal district (an underrated source of mapping) and begin making sketches. Put together some detail sketches of the things you remember best - like piping and valve clusters, safety cages, dust collection systems, loaders, etc. - and try to figure out where they fit into the structure's layout. Then work on the overall layout, thinking about doors, windows, vents, etc. Put together as comprehensive a plan as you can, then determine from that plan what you want to model and what you want to give the illusion that you've modeled.

Break down into rudimentary shapes what it would take to model each component (1-¼" dia. PVC pipe, 0.080" x 0.080" H beams, etc.) and design your "kit." Think in terms of shapes, like 8" x 6" rectangle, 4" tall or 3/4" dia. silo 8" tall. Then buy the components and begin assembling.

It's really not much more difficult than that. It just takes some plastic, practice, patience and perseverance. ;)
 
Ryan is correct, I worked in the mapping department and long before Google I was looking at aerial photos of the area and they really are a great source of info.
Does anyone have a source for styrene other then LHS or hobby related dealer that would sell sheet cheaper than you get at a LHS or such?
Dave
 
Aeriel photos were my first resort, problem was google maps wont zoom close enough to see anything but blurr. It seems google dont think certain areas are as important as others! Sidney, OH is not a large city, so I guess Aeriel photos are out. I can take a camera, even a disposable one and take pics of everything I need. The plant is here in town, so I can get to it easily, as well as my girlfriend works there, so with that in mind, I can get on the premises easily.
 
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Keep us posted on your progress and maybe post the photos as others can use as ideas to scratch build other buildings.
Dave
 
railBuilderDhd said:
Ryan is correct, I worked in the mapping department and long before Google I was looking at aerial photos of the area and they really are a great source of info.
Does anyone have a source for styrene other then LHS or hobby related dealer that would sell sheet cheaper than you get at a LHS or such?
Dave
Click to expand...

The cheap forsale signs you get at wal mart or any hardware store ( lowes, home depot) is sheet styrene.
 
Thanks Ken,
I never thought about those before... gotta get me some for sale signs because I don't have anything for sale. :)
Dave
 
When you get some, buy at least one no trespassing and and one for sale, then scan them and then shrink them down to the size you want and make them into thumbnails and you can print off as many signs as you like. You may not have anything for sale, but surely some homeowner on your layout does. And if you look thru the signs once in awhile you will find one that was stuck together during printing and it will be unpainted.
 
if you know the addres of the place and all get GOOGLE earth and find it on there..... that might also be a great sorce of info.....
 
I got my sheet styrene from US Plastics, in Lima OH. Went by there one time, and went in to buy 4x8 sheets of the stuff. They're on the web, and have online ordering. Though I don't know how they ship the sheets; I think they roll it up in a tube.

Kennedy
 
I'm looking at the web site for US Plastics but I don't know what to order as they have so many options. Low density, high density and other types. There is only one sheet of polethylene I see as an valid option for modeling, the 1/32" thick. Do you recall what size, thinkness, and density you purchased and did they have more available in the store then on-line?
Thanks,
Dave
 
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