Building Hyrocal Structures

ModelRailroadForums.com is a free Model Railroad Discussion Forum and photo gallery. We cover all scales and sizes of model railroads. Online since 2002, it's one of the oldest and largest model railroad forums on the web. Whether you're a master model railroader or just getting started, you'll find something of interest here.


Greg@mnrr

Greg@mnrr

Section Hand
Can anyone offer advise and wisdom on building a structure from hyrocal? What are the tricks for painting a casting?

Never built one before, but just ordered a Downtown Deco kit and I am curious about construction methods.

Thanks.

Greg
 
I built one many many years ago. I used a medium super glue to assemble the building. So far as painting goes, I used Floquil paints, but they're no longer around. The hydrocal easily accepts paints. You might experiment if there are any scrap pieces or on an interior wall. I bit if filing with a fine mill file was necessary to get the corners square without a gap showing.
 
Greg - I have built five or six Downtown Deco structures. I prime all of the walls on both sides with cheap flat white primer before starting. I used Walther's Goo to assemble the walls, for me the super glue seeped into the hydrocal too rapidly even when primed. As Chet posted, you will probably have to use a mill file on the corners to get them to fit flush. If a part breaks, Randy will replace it free of charge, but I find that is easier to use Elmer's white glue to fix them unless there are numerous breaks. White glue doesn't seem to work as well for me on the corners though. The break line can actually add character to a structure. I always used Polly Scale paints, as well as some craft acrylics from Hobby Lobby...don't remember the brand name right now, maybe Apple Barrel. Window and door openings may also need filing slightly. Most of the work involved is in the painting. Taking your time produces a superb structure.
Here are a couple of pictures. They don't offer either one right now.
09-14-14 004.JPG07-05-11 014.JPG

Sorry that the first one is only one end of the row, Can't find the other end right now.

Willie
 


Willie:

Great modeling! Is the blue on the front of Coco Club paint or a decal?

Is that my "old" girlfriend in the green dress?

Thanks.

Greg
 
Those are excellent looking buildings. I had looked at some of the Downtown Deco buildings, but my towns aren't large enough to have an area with seedy building like that. icon_lol.gif
 
montanan said:
Those are excellent looking buildings. I had looked at some of the Downtown Deco buildings, but my towns aren't large enough to have an area with seedy building like that. View attachment 60488
Click to expand...
Bah! The towns I'm planning are *all* seedy, inhabited by seedy people. Whores and gambling! Model Railroading is what you make of it. Throw out your stupid rules about realism and have a little fun.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 
Greg@mnrr said:
Willie:

Great modeling! Is the blue on the front of Coco Club paint or a decal?

Is that my "old" girlfriend in the green dress?

Thanks.

Greg
Click to expand...

That's paint. I'll look the color up when I go back to the train shed in a few minutes.

They're young ladies looking for a date!

Willie
 
Beady said:
Bah! The towns I'm planning are *all* seedy, inhabited by seedy people. Whores and gambling! Model Railroading is what you make of it. Throw out your stupid rules about realism and have a little fun.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Those structures are about realism in my modeling world. I have ladies of the night in two other scenes. Nude sunbathers, skinny dippers and drunks puking as well. Somewhere else I have a couple of guys playing a dice game behind a tenement. I'll have to get some pictures for your seedy Beady mind. HaHaHa

Willie
 
santafewillie said:
Those structures are about realism in my modeling world. I have ladies of the night in two other scenes. Nude sunbathers, skinny dippers and drunks puking as well. Somewhere else I have a couple of guys playing a dice game behind a tenement. I'll have to get some pictures for your seedy Beady mind. HaHaHa

Willie
Click to expand...
Please do! My buttocks are all in flux with anticipation!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 


Greg - It's been about ten years since I built that structure, but I believe that the color that I used was Polly Scale "Great Northern Blue". A second guess is Badger "Rock Island Blue". They both look the same to me. I built it before I realized the wisdom of documenting the paints that I used which I have done since about 2010.

Willie
 
santafewillie said:
That's all right, as that's exactly the response I was expecting from Beady.
Willie
Click to expand...
Hmm? What? [emoji56]

I'm glad this thread got started. I have several Downtown Deco kits, ready and waiting, and my LHS has several more. Just need a work area. They look simple enough to do which, given the sporadic trembling in my hands and fingers, is a major consideration.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk
 
Beady - As far as assembling, they are rather easy after filing the edges to get the walls to fit flush. Painting takes some time and steady hands. If trembling is sporadic, then just put the structure down and come back later. They also don't need to be as detailed as I made mine. By the way, for you and Greg, I make my sidewalks out of Evergreen sidewalk sheet styrene.

Willie
 
The background buildings I ordered is going to be part of my seedy, run down, in need of repair, mostly vacant industrial area in a corner of my layout. Going to park some equally run down pieces of rolling stock on a siding next to the buildings. Plus, maybe an ALCO to boot!

Greg
 


You must log in or register to reply here.




Affiliate Disclosure: We may receive a commision from some of the links and ads shown on this website (Learn More Here)

Back
Top